Chapter 36 - The Ghost in the Safehouse
"Origin of the transmission?" I demanded, striding over to the communications station.
"Originating from a coastal relay near Cape Henry, Captain. But it’s not naval standard. It’s an old cold-war emergency frequency reserved for Flag Officers."
"Patch it through to my headset. Put it on speaker if the handshake verifies."
The speakers hissed with white noise, followed by the jagged, heavy breathing of a man fighting immense pain. Then came the voice—ragged, hoarse, but undeniably authentic.
"Eleanor... do you read me?"
"Admiral Vance!" I gasped, pressing both hands against the console. "Sir! We thought... the explosion at headquarters—"
"They tried... to finish me," Vance wheezed, coughing roughly. "Security detachment loyal to Sterling attempted an ambush in the garage. My detail took the brunt of it. I managed to get clear... holed up in an auxiliary transmission station off Route 60."
"Admiral, we have the complete data trail," I told him, urgency saturating every syllable. "We have the connection between my brother Kevin, the Dayton manufacturing plants, and Vice Admiral Sterling’s offshore shell accounts. We have proof Sterling authorized the illegal transfer of prototype missile tech."
"It gets worse, Eleanor," Vance replied, his voice dropping to a harsh whisper. "Sterling knows you slipped Norfolk. He’s panicked. He’s not waiting for a court-martial or a bureaucratic cover-up. He’s chartered an unregistered private container vessel—the *Vanguard Star*. It’s carrying the final prototype shipment, and Sterling is aboard. He’s fleeing toward international waters to defect before the FBI can act on the evidence."
My jaw tightened until it ached. "Where is the *Vanguard Star* now, Admiral?"
"Bearing zero-eight-zero, eighty miles east of your current position. If she crosses into international territorial corridors under a foreign flag, we won't be able to legally intercept her without provoking an international incident. You have less than two hours to hunt her down."
"We're on our way, Sir," I answered without hesitation.
May you like
"Eleanor," Vance added, his voice trembling slightly with emotion. "When I stood in that auditorium and said you were forged in fire... I didn't know the inferno would be this hot. Do what you were born to do. Take command."
"Aye, Admiral. Out."
