Chapter 2 - The General's Sealed Orders
The parade ground remained silent after General Cross finished speaking.
Blackwood recovered first.
"General, surely you understand that an officer cannot simply arrive at my installation and assume command without proper procedure."
Cross regarded him with an expression colder than the morning wind.
"You're correct, Admiral. Fortunately, Commander Ward isn't assuming command of your installation."
He turned toward the military police.
"She's conducting a federally authorized investigation. Your cooperation is mandatory."
Blackwood forced a smile.
"Of course. I would be delighted to assist."
I had heard that tone before.
It was the voice of a man who believed a problem could be solved by smiling until everyone forgot it existed.
Cross handed me a sealed document.
The envelope carried three official markings and a red security stamp.
I opened it.
The first page authorized the seizure of communications records, mission archives, and financial documents connected to an investigation into classified intelligence leaks.
The second page contained a list of personnel.
At the top was Rear Admiral Marcus Blackwood.
Below his name were six additional officers.
One of them was Colonel Andrew Mercer, the man who had recognized me during the ceremony.
Mercer stood near the reviewing platform, his face rigid.
I folded the document.
"Admiral, I need your communications center secured immediately."
Blackwood frowned.
"On what grounds?"
"Evidence preservation."
"You're not a law enforcement officer."
"No. I'm the person authorized to determine which evidence is preserved."
He stepped closer.
"You seem to misunderstand the chain of command."
I held his gaze.
"I understand it perfectly. That's why I'm giving you one opportunity to cooperate before I document your interference."
Cross remained silent.
He didn't need to intervene.
Blackwood looked around at the watching Marines. He had lost control of the room, and he knew it.
"Fine," he snapped. "Commander, you may inspect the communications center."
"Thank you."
"And I expect a written explanation for the embarrassment you've caused today."
I nodded.
"You'll receive one."
He seemed satisfied.
He didn't realize the explanation would include the recording of his assault, the names of his witnesses, and the order he had just given to surrender the very records he had spent months concealing.
As we crossed the parade ground, Colonel Mercer caught up with us.
"Commander Ward."
I stopped.
He glanced at Cross before lowering his voice.
"You need to understand something. Blackwood isn't working alone."
"I assumed as much."
Mercer looked frightened.
"Then you don't understand how bad this is."
He reached into his jacket and slipped a folded note into my hand.
I opened it after he walked away.
Four words were written inside.
DON'T TRUST THE GENERAL.
For a moment, the noise around me faded.
I looked at Cross.
He was speaking with a Marine brigadier general, his expression calm and composed.
The man who had recruited me.
The man who had signed the orders that sent me into the darkest operations of my career.
The man who had personally informed me that my closest teammate, Daniel Reeves, had died during an operation in North Africa.
An operation connected to the missing files.
An operation I had never been allowed to discuss.
I slipped the note into my pocket.
Cross turned toward me.
"Problem?"
"Not yet."
He studied my face.
"You're doing that thing again."
"What thing?"
"Trying to carry every problem yourself."
I almost smiled.
"Occupational habit."
He nodded toward the communications building.
"Let's find out what Blackwood has been hiding."
Inside, the communications center smelled of warm electronics and burnt coffee. Technicians stood beside their stations while military police secured the exits.
I instructed everyone to preserve their records and refrain from accessing the relevant systems until the forensic team arrived.
Then I requested the archive for the previous six months.
The technician hesitated.
"Commander, those files are restricted."
I showed him the authorization.
He entered the credentials.
A moment later, the screen displayed a list of deleted transmissions.
Someone had attempted to erase them.
Someone had failed.
I leaned closer.
One transmission had been sent at 02:13 on the night Daniel Reeves supposedly died.
Its recipient was listed as a private defense contractor called Meridian Strategic Solutions.
The message contained a single attachment.
REAPER SEVEN — EXTRACTION WINDOW.
My pulse slowed.
Not because I was calm.
Because every instinct I had learned in twelve years of dangerous work was telling me the same thing.
Daniel's death had not been an accident.
I opened the transmission metadata.
The sender's credentials belonged to an account assigned to Admiral Blackwood.
But the authorization signature came from somewhere else.
General Nathaniel Cross's office.
I stared at the screen.
Behind me, Cross asked, "What did you find?"
I closed the file.
"Evidence of an unauthorized transmission."
"Whose?"
"I'm still verifying it."
He watched me for a long moment.
Then he nodded.
"Good. Verify everything."
He walked toward the adjoining room.
I waited until the door closed before reopening the file.
At the bottom of the transmission was a short line of text that had survived the deletion attempt.
IF WARD RETURNS, ACTIVATE CONTINGENCY NINE.
My name.
My return.
A contingency designed specifically for me.
May you like
Someone had known I would eventually investigate Daniel's death.
And someone had been preparing for my arrival.
