Chapter 2 - THE WOMAN WHO WASN’T SUPPOSED TO LOOK
By sunset, everyone on the Resolute knew my name.
Not because I was important.
Because Colonel Kane wanted them to remember me.
The woman who challenged him.
The woman who embarrassed him.
The woman who didn’t know her place.
That was the story he wanted people to believe.
I was walking back from medical when Lieutenant Mason Reed stopped me near the corridor.
“Cole.”
I turned.
Reed looked around before speaking.
“You have any idea what you just did?”
“Yes.”
“No, you don’t.”
His voice was quiet.
“That man doesn’t forgive.”
I looked at him.
“He almost killed a sailor.”
Reed looked away.
And that told me everything.
“You knew.”
His jaw tightened.
“Everyone knows something is wrong.”
“But nobody says anything.”
He didn’t answer.
Because we both knew the reason.
Fear.
Kane had spent years building it.
That night, I returned to my bunk.
The ship was quiet.
Too quiet.
I locked the door.
Then I moved my mattress.
Underneath was a small metal compartment.
Inside was the NCIS evidence packet.
Still sealed.
Still untouched.
The label stared back at me.
DECK FOUR.
I opened my laptop.
The first file appeared.
A list of names.
Sailors.
Contractors.
Officers.
People connected to one incident eighteen months earlier.
An incident that officially never happened.
Then my screen flashed.
Someone had accessed my system.
My heart stopped.
Someone was inside.
A message appeared.
Three words.
I KNOW WHY YOU’RE HERE.
I stared at the screen.
Then another message appeared.
RUN BEFORE KANE FINDS OUT.
And beneath it…
A name.
A name I never expected to see.
May you like
Because the person who sent the warning…
was supposed to be dead.
