Chapter 2 - The Security Protocol
Marcus Vance—my father’s younger brother, who had retired from active naval intelligence two years ago to head private security operations for Vance Global—went completely silent on the other end of the satellite link.
When he spoke again, all the warmth of family was gone, replaced instantly by the cold, razor-sharp voice of a tactical commander.
“Claire. Your status? You’re supposed to be in international waters on your honeymoon.”
“I’m on the Azure Horizon, about four hundred miles southwest of San Diego,” I said, keeping my voice low and frantic as I listened for any sound outside the bathroom door. “Lucas and his parents... they’re planning to throw me overboard tonight during the squall. They’ve been drugging me for three days. And next week... they’re planning to hit my parents in Utah. A staged car crash.”
The silence on the line stretched for two agonizing seconds, heavy with the weight of absolute, violent shock.
“Give me names,” Marcus growled, the sound of rapid computer keyboard clicking echoing in the background. “Give me every single detail.”
“Lucas. Roderick. Gertrude. They have my power of attorney locked down through a forged trust agreement. Once I’m in the ocean, the $300 million estate transfers automatically to Lucas’s offshore Swiss accounts. They’re celebrating right now on the lower deck.”
“Listen to me very carefully, Claire,” Marcus commanded, his tone leaving no room for argument. “Do not let them know you know. Do not fight them openly. Act drugged. Let them take you up to the aft deck when the squall hits. Play your part.”
“And my parents?” I choked out, a sob catching in my throat.
May you like
“Your father and mother are currently sitting in my secure bunker in Coronado. They never left for Utah—I flagged an anomaly in their itinerary yesterday morning. They’re safe,” Marcus said fiercely. “Now, what is our operational vector?”
“They think I’m helpless,” I whispered, looking at my reflection in the mirror, watching the fear in my eyes transform into something hard, cold, and lethal. “Let’s see how helpless they feel when the trap springs.”
