"Then the evidence should establish that."
"And if he refuses to admit it?"
"Then the investigators will evaluate his statement against the available records."
Rourke shook his head.
"You make it sound very simple."
"It isn't simple. That's why we have procedures."
"I think I'd want to look him in the eye and ask why."
Elena understood the impulse.
That was not evidence.
"If I ever speak to him," she said, "I want to ask questions I don't already know how to answer."
Rourke considered that.
"That sounds harder than confronting him."
"It is."
Sloane answered the preliminary questions without hesitation.
He confirmed his role in the operation, described the intelligence available to the command team, and acknowledged that the evacuation status had not been independently verified before the movement order was issued.
"I don't recall seeing this exact message before the order was issued," he said.
"Do you deny that it reached the operations network?"
"No. The record appears to show that it did."
"Do you remember discussing a warning about personnel remaining inside Sector C?"
"I remember discussing uncertainty about the evacuation. I cannot say that I remember this particular message."
"Did you authorize the team to proceed at 21:19?"
"Yes."
"Why?"
Sloane took a breath.
"At the time, we had conflicting reports. We believed the primary threat was moving, and there was concern that delaying the team would create a different risk. I understood the evacuation report to be credible, though not fully confirmed."
"Did you consider the possibility that personnel remained inside the facility?"
"Yes."
"Then why proceed?"
"Because we believed the available information supported moving forward while continuing to monitor the situation."
The investigator glanced at the record.
"Did you know that the warning had been received five minutes earlier?"
"I cannot confirm that I did."
"Did you have access to the operations terminal associated with the message?"
"Yes."
"Could you have seen it?"
"Possibly."
"Major, are you saying you don't remember, or that you believe you did not see it?"
Sloane looked down at the document.
"I'm saying I don't remember seeing it. I cannot responsibly tell you that I didn't see it if the records suggest it may have been available to me."
By the end, Sloane had acknowledged that the evacuation was not confirmed, that the team had raised concerns, and that he had authorized movement based on his assessment of competing risks.
The review remained open.
Then he called Cross.
"Inform Ward that the interview has concluded. Do not provide her with the full transcript unless the review team authorizes it."
"Understood, sir."
"And Cross?"
"Yes, sir?"
"The fact that we have not established misconduct does not mean the decision was beyond criticism. The review must examine both."
"Agreed."
Mercer ended the call.
Across the base, Elena was helping Bennett prepare for the next assessment when Cross delivered the update.
"Sloane has been interviewed," he said. "The investigation remains open."
"Did he acknowledge receiving the warning?"
"He acknowledged that the message entered the network. He could not confirm whether he saw it before issuing the order."
Elena nodded.
"Then we still don't know."
"Correct."
She returned to her notes.
"Staff Sergeant," he said, "are you all right?"
Elena looked up.
"No, Sergeant Major. But I can continue."
Cross accepted the answer.
It was simply the truth.
The final assessment of the month was designed to test whether Blackridge's candidates could maintain control when several problems occurred simultaneously.
"The objective is to make the best decision available under pressure," he told the candidates. "You will not be given perfect information. You will not be able to eliminate every risk. You will be evaluated on how you recognize uncertainty, communicate it, and respond when the situation changes."
Rourke would manage the movement assessment. Bennett would monitor communications. Miller would track available resources. Pike would maintain the team's situation report.
Miller looked toward Elena.
"We can still meet the original deadline if we use the remaining vehicle."
"Can we verify that it's available?"
"The resource sheet says it is."
"When was the sheet updated?"
He checked.
"Twenty minutes ago."
"Then we need to confirm its status."
Rourke was already checking the movement log.
"The vehicle is assigned to another team. The resource sheet hasn't been updated."
Elena nodded.
"Good catch."
"We've lost time."
"We've gained information," Elena replied. "Now we can make a decision that accounts for it."
Then the communications channel filled with overlapping reports.
"I'm receiving conflicting status updates. One says the isolated section has reached the alternate location. Another says its last confirmed position is unchanged."
"Can you establish which report is newer?" Elena asked.
"Not yet."
"Keep trying. Pike, identify what decisions depend on that information. Rourke, prepare two alternatives: one if the section has moved, one if it hasn't."
Rourke nodded.
"They're handling the uncertainty well," he said.
Cross nodded.
"Ward is keeping the team focused on what they know rather than what they fear."
"Has she been doing that consistently?"