Chapter 15 - Full Steam Ahead
The final sector review of the pier went off without a single flaw.
The civilian contractors from the Department of Defense reviewed our updated diagnostic logs, signed off on the security compliance protocols, and praised the rigorous oversight of our team.
Standing on the exact spot where my briefcase had once been thrown into the river, I watched the morning tide roll against the concrete pilings. The water was clear, deep, and steady.
My phone vibrated in my pocket. A text message from an unfamiliar Ohio area code, but bearing a very familiar name:
> “Just finished my first day of training at the logistics depot. Didn't lose a single spreadsheet. Thinking of you. Love, Gwen.”
A quiet, genuine smile touched the corners of my mouth.
I slipped the phone back into my pocket, straightened my cover, and looked out across the vast, unbroken horizon of the open ocean.
The past had been reconciled. The threats had been neutralized. And the mission was entirely on track.
I turned back to Master Chief Daugherty, standing at attention beside me.
May you like
“Secure the inspection sector, Master Chief,” I ordered, my voice carrying the steady, unyielding authority of a leader who had mastered every storm.
“Aye, Commander,” Daugherty smiled. “Full steam ahead.”
