Chapter 7

The scandal didn't just damage Ryan's career — it detonated the entire program. Within two weeks, the Secretary of Defense ordered a full review of all domestic integration operations across every branch. Three senior officers in Ryan's chain of command were relieved of duty pending investigation. The base commander at Coronado — a man who had signed off on Hearthstone — took early retirement before he could be formally disciplined. And Ryan's mother, Diane, who had watched the news...