PART 13

A thousand troops watched a legend fold without a single dramatic strike.
He gasped.
Not from injury.
From shock.
I kept one knee beside his ribs, not on them.
I held his wrist at an angle that encouraged wisdom.
“Do not move,” I said.
For once, he obeyed.
Two military police officers rushed in from the side entrance.
They had been waiting outside since 6:20.
I had requested them because men like Tank rarely make smart choices when exposed.
One MP reached for him.
“Ma’am?”
May you like
“Careful with the shoulder,” I said. “He needs it for signing statements.”
The younger MP almost smiled.