Chapter 5 - The Shadow of Blackwood
A wave of frantic whispers rippled through the ballroom like wildfire.
"Valeria Mercer?" an old general sitting in the front row murmured, standing up slowly. "The hero of the Hindu Kush? The one who went missing during Operation Blackwood?"
Senator Thomas Vance stepped down from the dais, his face flushed a dangerous, mottled purple. He shoved past the security guards, his hands shaking as he pointed a trembling finger at the woman wrapped in Marcus’s tuxedo jacket.
"This is an outrage!" Thomas bellowed, attempting to regain control of the room. "This woman is a disgraced former soldier who went AWOL during a classified tactical engagement! She is mentally unstable and trespassing on private property! Guards, remove her immediately!"
Valeria didn't flinch as the two guards approached her again. She slowly reached into the small, sleek white clutch purse she held in her left hand.
The crowd gasped, several guests ducking behind tables expecting a weapon to be drawn.
May you like
Instead, Valeria pulled out a small, metallic silver flash drive, holding it up beneath the bright light of the chandeliers. The polished metal caught the golden reflection, casting a blinding glint directly into Senator Thomas Vance’s eyes.
"Operation Blackwood wasn't a classified tactical engagement, Senator," Valeria said, her voice cutting through the hall like a executioner's axe. "It was an illegal weapons deal organized by Vance Defense Systems. You sold three hundred advanced thermal-guided warheads to a private mercenary group. And when my team accidentally intercepted the transport, you ordered a drone strike on our location to cover your tracks."
