00:01These excerpts are kind of vague.
00:02Yeah, but the prose is tight.
00:04They accused Lieutenant Hastings of dereliction of duty
00:06without a shot of evidence.
00:07They're beating the readers.
00:09Big reveals probably in the full book.
00:10Or smoke and mirrors.
00:12Have you ever heard of this author, Marley Jaggers?
00:14No, there's no record of him.
00:15Probably a pen name.
00:16What kind of cower has behind a fake name?
00:18What?
00:19They use a pen name for my books.
00:21Yeah, if you're not attacking anyone,
00:22this feels like a PR stunt.
00:24If it is, the publisher could use the investigation
00:26to build buzz.
00:27So we might be doing their job for them.
00:29Reminds me of someone else we know.
00:32Roche getting assigned to our case.
00:34You think he planned this?
00:35He's been in and out of Seknav's office for weeks.
00:37That dude is definitely looking to score some points.
00:40Maybe he'll be too busy brown-losing to bug us.
00:44There you are.
00:46Thought you were avoiding me.
00:49Why are we meeting down here again?
00:51It's where the bodies are, right?
00:52Also, it's warmer.
00:54Yeah, barely.
00:56Now do me a favor and stop that.
00:58Excuse me?
00:59No eating or drinking down here.
01:05Right.
01:06Down to business.
01:07How does this work?
01:09Do I ask questions or...
01:11We usually start with an update.
01:13Do your thing.
01:14Pretend I'm not here.
01:15Like, uh, Jane Goodall with gorillas.
01:21Hmm.
01:23Go.
01:24Book excerpts focus on an ambush in early hours of December 19th, 2010.
01:29Lieutenant Merritt Hastings led a squad outside of Sangin.
01:33It's a Taliban stronghold in one of the deadliest zones in the war.
01:36The squad was staged and awaiting pre-dawn orders to move out.
01:39Until they were hit from the Northwest with rifle fire and RPGs.
01:43Uh, including a grenade that Hastings managed to throw back.
01:45Saving lives.
01:46And by the time it was over, there were still six Marines wounded, three killed.
01:50Privates Howard Raine and Yancy Bickle and Lance Corporal Evan Cross.
01:53Each case cause of death was bullet wounds, 7.62 mm Soviet rounds.
01:59AK-47, Taliban standard issue.
02:01Entry wounds all match, no signs of friendly fire.
02:04Despite having shrapnel in his arms, Hastings still managed to drag a man to safety.
02:08He's a hero.
02:10So... there's no case?
02:12Sure there is. Straight up slander.
02:14Attacking the face of a veteran's bill right before the vote? It's not a coincidence.
02:17Who would vote against the veterans?
02:19Nobody. That's the thing.
02:20Right, but discredit Hastings and the whole bill falls apart. It's smart.
02:26Politically speaking.
02:27So we're looking for lobbyists. Political rivals.
02:30Anyone on the Hill with something to gain, I'll put out some feelers.
02:32In the meantime, we should talk to Hastings.
02:34We've got a call into his motorcycle shop in Falls Church.
02:37Ooh, custom bikes. I'm in.
02:40Actually, uh, maybe I should go instead.
02:44A political operative might be more useful.
02:47Wouldn't want Hastings to say something to make things worse.
02:50?!
02:55Today's?
02:55See you next time!
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