My file. My research notes. Classified. In his possession. He was the mole, of course. But how had he gotten hold of those files?

“Your duty,” he said, in a dangerously calm voice, “is to obey orders and respect the chain of command, not to initiate unauthorized investigations into matters that exceed your level of authorization.”

“With all due respect, sir,” I replied, my voice firm, “the discrepancies in the weapons inventory fall squarely within my responsibilities as an intelligence officer. A three-month pattern of diverted weaponry amounts to treason.”

He laughed. A dry, hollow sound. “Treason? You’re accusing me, Lieutenant?” He walked slowly toward me, the distance between superior and subordinate vanishing. “You’re a remarkably talented girl, Maya, but you’ve gone too far. You’ve meddled in matters you don’t understand.”

The Order and the Smile

He stopped just a foot away. The tension was so thick you could cut it.

“Now, the only discrepancy that concerns me is your presence here,” he hissed, lowering his voice to a whisper only I could hear. His gaze was steely. “Remove your uniform, Lieutenant. You are under arrest for insubordination, unauthorized access to classified information, and defamation of a superior officer. Your career is over.” The admiral extended his hand, waiting for me to hand over my insignia.

At that moment, the despair that should have overwhelmed me turned into a wave of icy satisfaction. I had anticipated this. I had planned it. If he arrested me in his office, it meant he had fallen into my trap.

My face transformed. Military rigidity gave way to a smile. A slow, controlled smile, but one that carried the weight of certainty. A predator’s smile.

Continue reading…

Continue READING