Code red

After returning home, Kaffee began to think carefully. He sensed that something was amiss in the whole matter, and it was highly likely that Kendrick had ordered the execution of the code red. Subsequently, with Lt. Colonel Markinson's disappearance, the threads of the case started to become clearer.

Kaffee and Galloway returned to the interrogation room and confirmed with Dawson and Downey that indeed it was Kendrick who ordered the execution of code red. Although Kendrick had held a meeting at four o'clock in the afternoon, ordering the prohibition of touching Santiago, he visited Dawson and Downey's room five minutes later and issued them the command to execute code red on Santiago. This meant that the two soldiers didn't intend to commit murder; they were just following orders. This immediately changed the nature of the whole case.

Kaffee found the prosecuting attorney, Ross, but Ross pointed out that Kaffee didn't have any evidence besides the confessions of the two defendants. Other soldiers could testify that Kendrick's meeting was real, but the only possible witness, Lt. Colonel Markinson, had disappeared. Ross told Kaffee, "Jessep will be promoted soon, and the higher-ups will give me enough leeway to spare him and the unit from embarrassment."

Kaffee knew that this was the deal offered by the higher-ups. So he inquired, "How much leeway?"

"Manslaughter, two years of imprisonment, and they can go home after six months." Hearing the conditions laid out by Ross, Kaffee knew that the higher-ups wanted to sacrifice Dawson and Downey to cover up the internal mistakes of the unit. Currently, the defendants had no evidence or witnesses to prove their innocence, and this was the best condition the higher-ups could offer. If the case went to court, Dawson and Downey would face much harsher punishment.

Ross firmly believed that Kaffee was an outstanding lawyer. Since Dawson and Downey could go home after six months, Kaffee wouldn't take the case to court and make things irreparable. This was Kaffee's consistent principle and the "ability" that an outstanding lawyer must possess.

Sure enough, Kaffee thought this was the best deal possible. He proposed this deal to Dawson and Downey, but clearly, both soldiers were unwilling to accept it. They believed they hadn't done anything wrong and were just doing their duty. They wouldn't admit their guilt.

This completely enraged Kaffee. He thought it was the foolish theory taught by Galloway. "If you apply for innocence based on your principles, then you must spend the rest of your life in prison! Trust me, you can go home after six months."

"After six months. We'd be dishonorably discharged, right sir? What do we do then, sir?" Dawson also became angry. He couldn't accept Kaffee's words and actions. "We joined the corps 'cause we wanted to live our lives by a certain code. And we found it in the corps. And now you're asking us to sign a piece of paper that says we have no honor. You're asking us to say we're not Marines. If a judge and jury decide that what we did was wrong, I'll accept whatever punishment they give. But I believe I was right, sir. I believe I did my Job. And I won't dishonor myself, my unit, or the Corps, so that I can go home in six months. Sir!"

Dawson, who always obeyed orders, felt insulted. He even said to Kaffee, "You're such a coward, I can't believe they let you wear a uniform."

Kaffee was provoked. He decided to give up and even planned to request a change of defense lawyer for Dawson and Downey at tomorrow's hearing. Galloway, on the other hand, hoped that Kaffee would appear in court to defend them, but Weinberg believed, "Didn't work for Calley at My Lai, didn't work for the Nazis at Nuremberg." Clearly, Weinberg always believed that the two soldiers were guilty.

However, Kaffee had a different opinion. "Do you really think that's the same as two teenage marines executing a routine order that they never believed would result in harm? These guys aren't the Nazis." But he still believed it was an unwinnable case and saw no need to struggle. So he decided to give up.

"You know they have a case. And you know how to win. You walk away from this now, and you have sealed their fate." Galloway made a final effort.

But Kaffee remained rational. "Their fate was sealed the moment Santiago died."

"Do you believe they have a defense?" Galloway didn't want to give up.

This seemed absurd to Kaffee. "You and Dawson both live in the same dreamland. It doesn't matter what I believe, it only matters what I can prove. So please don't tell me what I know and don't know. I know the law!"

This made Galloway give up. "You know nothing about the law. You're a used car salesman, Daniel. You're an ambulance chaser with a rank. You're nothing."

Galloway's final words made Kaffee pensive. A sleepless night made Kaffee late for the trial the next day. After much hesitation, at the last moment, Kaffee pleaded not guilty. The judge announced that the retrial would take place three weeks later at 10 o'clock in the morning in the Court of Military Appeals.

Because Kaffee realized that he was appointed by the higher-ups to handle this case, not because of his excellence, but because the higher-ups wanted to avoid a trial, knowing Kaffee's habit of using the law for "deals". This also meant that the higher-ups wanted the two soldiers to take the blame and protect certain individuals.

At this moment, a low murmur spread through the movie theater, clearly indicating that the audience couldn't wait to see the final answer. The fate of Dawson and Downey rested firmly in Kaffee's hands.

Kaffee convinced Weinberg, who had always believed the two soldiers were guilty, to join the case. Together with Galloway, they actively prepared for the trial three weeks later.

The first trial didn't make much progress. The prosecution and defense focused on two incidents. The first was the Navy investigation into Dawson's unauthorized shooting, but the investigation couldn't proceed because the only eyewitness, Santiago, died before it started. The second was about Kendrick's order at the prohibition meeting. The prosecution emphasized that Kendrick clearly held the meeting and ordered the protection of Santiago, while the defense stressed that all the team members were not present in Dawson and Downey's room after the meeting, failing to prove that Kendrick didn't have a second interaction with the two soldiers. The situation reached a deadlock.

The second trial mainly questioned expert doctors. The prosecution emphasized that Santiago died of poisoning, and many toxins couldn't be detected, making it the most likely cause of Santiago's death. The defense, on the other hand, argued that the victim may not have died from poisoning but might have had an existing illness, such as a cardiac condition, which was triggered and caused death during the intense confrontation, showing signs similar to poisoning. And this cardiac condition happened to be the reason Santiago requested a transfer.

Although the doctors strongly denied Kaffee's speculation that Santiago might have had an undetected cardiac condition, the prosecutor Ross used the authority of the doctors to defend their diagnosis that Santiago had no illness. Faced with their own weakness, Galloway lost control and repeatedly protested to the judge in the courtroom, which ultimately angered the judge.

The current situation put the defense in a pessimistic position.

Weinberg became angry at Galloway's behavior, prompting her to question the former, "Why do you hate them so much?"

"They beat up on a weakling, and that's all they did." Weinberg vented his emotions angrily. "The rest is just smoke-filled coffee-house crap. They tortured and tormented a weaker kid. They didn't like him. And they killed him. And why? Because he couldn't run very fast."

On the contrary, Weinberg then asked Galloway, "Why do you like them so much?"

"'Cause they stand on a wall," Galloway replied. "And they say "Nothing's gonna hurt you

tonight, not on my watch"." These words touched Weinberg and softened his tone.

However, Kaffee still lacked confidence in winning the case because they didn't have enough evidence. The evidence they currently had was provided by the suspects, which lacked persuasiveness in court. He believed they would lose miserably.

The third trial revolved around the code red. Defense attorney Kaffee confirmed with the witness that being late for meetings within the platoon or company, having messy barracks, falling behind during a run... all these situations could lead to code red regulations. The witness had once experienced a code red because his rifle fell to the ground due to sweaty hands. However, Santiago had never been subjected to code red because his platoon leader, Dawson, who was the defendant, didn't allow it.

Faced with this situation, the prosecution attorney, Ross, presented a Navy enlistment manual and Guantanamo Bay Infantry Internal Management Regulations to the witness, asking him to find the definition of "code red" in them to prove that there was no such form of regulation at Guantanamo Bay. The witness stated that there was no mention of that term in the books.

Then, Kaffee snatched two manuals and asked the witness to find the page with the location sign for the mess hall. Naturally, the witness couldn't find it. Kaffee used this to illustrate his point, "I don't understand, how did you know where the enlisted men's mess hall was if it's not in this book?" The witness explained that they simply followed the established practices of their predecessors. Kaffee successfully demonstrated that not everything needed to be explicitly stated; many rules were simply customary, and code red was an unwritten rule.

After this trial, there was finally some progress. And after the trial ended, the missing Markinson reappeared. He confirmed to Kaffee that this was indeed a code red incident, ordered by Kendrick, and Santiago was never intended to be transferred from the base. The transfer order mentioned by Jessep was actually temporarily signed on the morning of Kaffee and co-s arrival in Cuba, which was already five days after Santiago's death.

Furthermore, Markinson confirmed that Jessep claimed the first flight to the United States was the next morning at 6 o'clock, but in fact, a plane had left the base for the United States seven hours earlier.

Markinson's testimony restored Kaffee's confidence. However, during a private conversation with Ross, the latter reminded Kaffee that Kendrick and Jessep were people who had made contributions to the country, and if they were prosecuted without solid evidence, Kaffee could potentially be charged with dereliction of duty by a military court, which would impact his entire career.

But instead of backing down, this only fueled Kaffee's determination. The fourth trial was approaching, and he was filled with infinite confidence!