Chapter 10 - The Midnight Convoy
"I know you didn't, Marcus," Valeria said softly, placing a hand on his shoulder. "If I thought you were part of it, I wouldn't have brought your jacket back."
Marcus let out a breath he felt like he had been holding for three years. "What happens now? You said the second shipment of warheads leaves the harbor at midnight?"
Valeria’s face immediately hardened back into that of a commanding officer. She pulled a tactical tablet from her purse, activating a live GPS tracking screen displaying a glowing red dot moving toward Pier 42.
"The FBI has the senator, but his private mercenary force—the Blackwood Syndicate—is still trying to move the remaining twelve warheads onto a Panamanian cargo ship before the federal blockade locks down the port," Valeria explained, her fingers swiping across the glass screen.
Marcus didn't hesitate. He reached into his inner pocket, pulled out his personal master keycard for the Vance Defense tactical armory, and held it out to her.
"My personal vehicle is in the underground VIP garage," Marcus said, his dark eyes burning with newfound purpose. "It's armored, and I have my old service gear in the trunk. I'm coming with you."
Valeria looked at her former lieutenant. For the first time in eighteen months, the ghost of a smile touched her lips.
May you like
"You're out of uniform, Vance," she noted dryly.
"I'll adapt, Captain," Marcus replied, pulling off his cufflinks and tossing them onto the white carpet. "Lead the way."
