Everyone decided. They all went back to the hotel room. Andrea pulled out her laptop and the cables to hook it to the flat screen. The suspense was thick in the room as she booted the disk. It contained a video file.
The first image was confusing. They were looking at the inside roof of a van. At the edge of the frame, they could see Veronica, prim and proper in her camouflage uniform, behind the steering wheel, a clipboard in her hands. The dome light came on and the image rocked back and forth some. Veronica spoke to unseen people.
“Good evening gentlemen, Capt. Frickel. Since he is known to be violent, please lock him to the floor ring. Capt. Frickel, we are going for a little drive to your new home while awaiting trial. If you behave yourself properly throughout the trip, all will go smoothly. Do not give me trouble of any kind. If you do, the outcome will not be pleasurable for any involved and it will only worsen your pending outcome. Thank you, gentlemen that will be all. My co-driver will be here momentarily.” The dome light went out as they could hear the van doors being shut. Once this happened, Veronica turned in her seat and spoke at Capt. Frickel.
“Look Captain, I meant what I said about behaving yourself. I have your jacket of charges here and it disgusts me. I haven’t seen such a laundry list in a long time.” She started leafing through the papers on the clipboard. “Let’s see what all they will be addressing at your article 32 hearings. You are being charged with violating the following articles of the Uniform Code of Military Justice, in numerological not chronological order: 80, 81, 89, 90, 92, 93, 120, 125, 128, 133, 134-3, 134-4, 134-26, 134-35, 134-36 and 134-47. This is quite the list. You should just sit back and contemplate the errors of your ways.”
A male voice came from off screen.
“What the hell are you talking about? I don’t even know what most of those are! I was told I was charged with assault, of which I am contesting for cause. What are the rest of those you rattled off?”
Veronica had a smirk as she replied.
“They have you for much more. Let’s see. What are the highlights?” She made a show of flipping through the pages on the clipboard. “Attempted murder, conduct unbecoming, disobeying a lawful order of a superior officer, it looks like there are twelve counts of that, Unlawful conduct as a sentry in time of war, and they have the camera footage from inside the armory for most of this.” Veronica’s eyes lit up as she got to another page and she smiled. “Oh, and it will be interesting how you ‘contest with cause’ the raping of her six year old son!”
The scream was harsh through the speaker on the flat screen. In the van, it must have been deafening.
“Rape her son?! What the **** ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!?”
“Calm down Captain. All I am doing is reading the charges sheet. And all I am reading to you are the items with check marks and numbers links to the material evidence. My co-driver is here now. You need to sit back and shut up if you know what’s good for you.” Veronica turned to look across the cabin of the van towards the passenger side. She held up a small audio recorder high near the roof where the Captain could presumably see it, then set it prominently on the dash of the van.