Chapter 9 - The Ghost from the Pentagon
The lead operative lowered his carbine just a fraction, his eyes darting from the glowing terminal back to my mother with a mixture of shock and dawning horror.
“You... you shouldn't have the decryption keys,” the operative stammered, his tough exterior instantly cracking. “The primary server was wiped at the Pentagon three years ago!”
“People who wipe servers usually forget to delete the backup cold-storage drives stored in a colonel’s personal vault,” Mom said smoothly, leaning back in her seat while keeping her hand resting casually over the satellite terminal. She gestured toward the shattered doorway. “Tell whoever sent you—whether it’s the syndicate running Veloce Holdings or their corporate puppets in Boston—that Colonel Hayes is officially back on active duty.”
The operative stared at her for three agonizing seconds, his radio squawking frantically with orders to retreat from unseen superiors. Without uttering another word, he backed out of the broken doorway, gesturing frantically for his two subordinates to fall back. Within moments, the heavy boots of the tactical team echoed away down the jet bridge as they made a panicked retreat back toward the tarmac.
I exhaled a breath I felt like I’d been holding for an hour, my knees suddenly shaking so violently I had to grip the edge of the plush leather seat to stay upright.
“Mom...” I whispered, my voice trembling. “Who were those men? What is Veloce Holdings?”
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Mom closed the aluminum lid of the satellite terminal with a soft, satisfying click. She stood up, walked over to me, and wrapped her arms around my shoulders, holding me close.
“They’re the people who tried to destroy our family, sweetheart,” Mom said softly, kissing the top of my head. “And now that they know we’re alive, they’re going to come after us with everything they have.”
