King of War Tech novel · Chapter 22 of 24

Chapter 22: The Shell Company

Stellan tried to walk.

He got three steps toward the side door before a Navy captain stepped in front of him and did not move.

"You can't hold me," Stellan said. "This is a private event."

"It's a Navy acceptance test," the Admiral said. "I can hold everyone in this room."

He turned to the front row.

"Mrs. Merrick. Imogen. You brought these pages to the Admiral's kitchen table on Tuesday night. I'd like it read."

Imogen stood.

She walked up the steps with a manila envelope in her hand, and her heels sounded loud on the stage.

I held out the microphone.

She took it, and her fingers shook.

She looked once at her brother.

Then she opened the envelope and pulled out the first page.

"The signature card is in my brother Stellan's hand," she read. "Every transfer carries his initials."

"The last page is the wire abroad, three days after the funeral."

She raised the page so the press could see it.

"The range schedule was classified. Someone sold the day and the gate."

"The money moved through an account that only my brother Stellan signs for."

The room made a sound.

"Those are forged," Stellan said. "My sister stole them from my safe. She has a grudge."

The engineer stepped forward with his thumb drive.

"The emails are on this," he said. "The build logs. The recording. The order from Stellan to fake the demonstration."

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