Chapter 8 - "We Were Told Your Arrival Was Classified"
Brandon froze.
The command had not been directed at the intruder. It had been directed at him.
Slowly, awkwardly, Brandon’s fingers uncurled from the dark fabric of Cassie’s trench coat. He pulled his hand back as if the cloth had suddenly turned to hot iron.
The Admiral stepped directly into the space between Brandon and Cassie. His eyes dropped briefly to the collar of her dark trench coat, catching the subtle alignment of gold insignia hidden beneath the lapel—insignia that confirmed what the classified briefing had warned him about earlier that morning.
The Admiral looked back up into Cassie’s eyes.
He didn't offer a stern reprimand. He didn't ask for her identification.
Instead, the One-Star Admiral brought his heels together on the wet asphalt, stood at rigid attention, and executed a crisp, perfect hand salute.
The three senior officers behind him immediately followed suit, snapping their hands to their brows in complete, unified silence.
“Ma’am...” the Admiral said, his voice deep, respectful, and entirely formal. “...we were told your arrival was classified. We did not expect you on the pier until after the ceremony.”
A suffocating silence fell over the pier.
May you like
The gathered sailors, the honor guard, the junior officers—every single person standing within fifty yards of the gangway went completely still.
Brandon’s face began to drain of color.
