Chapter 4 - The Officer Who Used My Name
The forged authorization placed me aboard the transport vessel instead of the command ship.
That single change ensured I would be closest to the ambush.
Audrey looked relieved.
“Then this was a Navy problem.”
Admiral Thorne did not respond.
He stared at the screen with a grief that seemed older than the investigation.
The access log showed my account had been opened from Naval Operations Command in Norfolk.
Only six people had clearance to enter that system.
One of them was Admiral Thorne.
Arthur noticed.
“So the honorable admiral has secrets too.”
Thorne’s expression remained controlled.
“Yes.”
The room shifted.
I looked at him.
We had discussed the corrupted software, the offshore money, and the altered mission data.
He had never told me my account was accessed from his command.
“Who used it?” I asked.
He removed a sealed envelope from inside his coat.
“My deputy chief of staff, Rear Admiral Peter Vale.”
A photograph appeared.
Peter Vale had been Arthur’s closest military ally for twenty-five years.
He attended every Vance family Christmas.
He taught Audrey to sail.
He wrote the recommendation that secured my first command.
And after the mission, he testified that I had shown signs of emotional instability.
He helped destroy my career.
“Vale is missing,” Thorne said. “He disappeared forty-eight hours ago.”
Arthur said nothing.
That silence told me he knew more.
“Where is he?” I asked.
“I don’t know,” Arthur replied.
Audrey looked toward the ocean-facing windows.
Her eyes remained there for less than a second.
But I saw it.
So did the Navy security officer standing beside her.
He followed her gaze toward the private marina below the ballroom.
A black motor yacht sat at the far dock with its navigation lights off.
The vessel belonged to Arthur.
Its name was Legacy.
The admiral gave a quiet order.
“Secure the marina.”
Arthur stepped forward.
“You will not board my vessel without a warrant.”
Commander Ellis held up a signed authorization.
“We have one.”
Security teams moved toward the terrace.
Audrey reached for her phone.
An officer took it before she could unlock it.
A message flashed across the screen.
LEGACY DEPARTS IN FOUR MINUTES. BRING THE DRIVE.
The sender was Peter Vale.
Arthur stared at Audrey.
“What drive?”
She pressed her lips together.
I looked at the torn sleeve hanging from my blouse.
When Audrey ripped it, she had not merely tried to humiliate me.
Her hand had searched the small pocket sewn into the back seam.
May you like
She believed I was carrying something.
📖 Audrey’s public attack had been a desperate attempt to steal a hidden drive before her accomplice escaped from the marina. 👇
