Chapter 123 Sidebar – The Hearing
Edited by: Kanaa-senpai
Washington, D.C. — Capitol Hill. United States Congress. Public Hearing.
Petro Gouki Kensaki sat stiff in the chair they’d set out for him, looking every bit as unhappy as he felt.
”Dragging you all the way from the West Coast to the East—sorry for the trouble, Mr. Petro.”
The speaker was a middle-aged white man, polished and polite. But Petro didn’t soften. He had no intention of playing nice.
”No need for apologies, Senator Augustus.”
The man’s congressional pin gleamed against his tie, a reminder of his rank. Petro’s own outfit was just as striking: the dark navy uniform of a Coast Guard officer, white cap on his lap. His chest glittered with medals—Purple Heart, Legion of Merit, Coast Guard Medal, Bronze Star, Defense Superior Service Medal, Silver Star. Too many decorations for peacetime. Too many to ignore.
He wasn’t just another veteran. He was a hero.
Augustus began reciting his record. “Petro Gouki Kensaki. Enlisted in the U.S. Coast Guard in 20XX. Officer training program. Passed advanced coursework for special operations. Assigned to the Maritime Defense Rapid Response Unit, Charlie Squad.”
Official duties: rescuing illegal migrants across Central and South America. Most famous, the Haitian refugee boat incident in 20XX—when smugglers capsized a vessel, Petro saved over two hundred people, infants included.
Later, he worked with the DEA against Mexican cartels—guns, drugs, the whole thing.
Unofficially? CIA black ops. Tier-1 operator. Venezuela, Nicaragua, Cuba. Extraction missions, sabotage, rescue ops. By the time it was over, eight hundred enemies were dead by his hand.
The medals on his chest told the rest.
”A glittering career, Paulo,” Augustus said smoothly.
Petro’s lips twisted. “Yeah. Glittering. Thanks, Senator.”
Because he knew what was coming next.
”However,” Augustus pressed, “your last official record states that during a migrant rescue, you shot an unarmed refugee woman. You were court-martialed, and discharged dishonorably.”
Petro’s fists tightened. Rage burned in his chest. He never shot an unarmed civilian.
The memory rose—
Rain pelting his face. A boat lurching in the storm. Refugees screaming.
And the woman. She’d hurled her own infant into the sea, then turned a hidden pistol on him. He’d reacted in a flash, rifle raised, two shots through chest and skull.
But in the chaos, the pistol had sunk with the baby. No witnesses. No proof. Just a dead woman with a child in her arms.
To the world, it looked like he’d murdered a mother.
Petro’s voice cracked with fury. “Enough dancing around it! You’re not here to rake up a six-year-old incident, are you, Senator?! Say what you came to say!”
The chamber hushed. Augustus leaned back, whispered with aides, then finally fixed Petro with that lawyer’s smile.
”Very well, Mr. Paulo. I’ll ask directly.” He let the silence stretch, savoring it.
”It’s about your son. Petro Ayumu Kensaki—or rather, he goes by his mother’s name now, doesn’t he?”
Augustus’ eyes sharpened. “We want to know about the boy who vanished. Ayumu Sanai.”
And just like that, the room tilted.
Because the man they were grilling—the soldier, the accused, the war hero—was none other than the father who had raised Ayumu until the age of twelve.
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Edited by Kanaa-senpai.
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