He nodded slowly.
"That's a better reason than being champion."
"Probably."
Bennett smiled.
Then winced as he shifted his shoulder.
Sarah stood.
"Get some rest."
He looked up.
"Mitchell."
"What?"
"I'm sorry."
She waited.
"For all of it."
Sarah studied him.
"Okay."
He looked surprised.
"That's it?"
"You apologized."
"I expected a speech."
"I'm not my father."
Bennett smiled.
Sarah started walking.
Then stopped.
"One thing."
He looked over.
"Don't make somebody else pay for something they didn't do."
The smile disappeared.
He nodded.
Sarah left.
Three weeks later, the exchange program ended.
Bennett's unit returned home without him.
Medical kept him at Raven Rock for treatment.
Sarah assumed that was the end.
Then Colonel Hayes called her into the office.
Avery was already there.
On the desk sat an old manila folder.
Sarah looked at it.
"What?"
Hayes pointed toward the chair.
"Sit."
Sarah sat.
Avery looked uncomfortable.
That worried her.
Hayes opened the folder.
"Your father designed portions of this facility's close-quarters curriculum."
Sarah nodded.
"I knew he consulted."
"More than consulted."
Hayes turned one page.
"He created the original evaluation framework."
Sarah looked toward Avery.
He nodded.
"Phantom?"
Sarah asked.
Avery smiled faintly.
"Not officially."
Hayes continued.
"We were reviewing old files after Bennett's comments about his brother."
Sarah's face changed.
"Why?"
"Because the circumstances around Daniel Bennett's removal didn't match current records."
Sarah leaned forward.
"What do you mean?"
Hayes slid a document across the desk.
Daniel Bennett.
Evaluation report.
William Mitchell's signature.
Sarah read.
Then stopped.
"He passed."
Hayes nodded.
Sarah read again.
Daniel Bennett had passed Split Road.
Not failed.
His tactical judgment had been rated acceptable.
His recovery decision had been criticized but remediable.
Recommendation: continue.
Sarah looked up.
"Cole said he was removed."
"He was."
"Then why?"
Avery answered.
"Security review."
Sarah frowned.
"What security review?"
Hayes handed her another page.
Daniel Bennett had been accused of falsifying a post-exercise report.
Sarah kept reading.
Then her stomach dropped.
"He didn't do this."
Hayes studied her.
"How do you know?"
"This language."
Sarah pointed.
"My father wrote like this."
The section recommending continuation was William.
The later addendum recommending removal wasn't.
The signature looked identical.
Too identical.
A photocopy.
Sarah stared.
"Someone added this."
Avery nodded.
"We think so."
"Who?"
Hayes remained silent.
Sarah looked between them.
"Why are you showing me this?"
Avery took a breath.