Chapter 9 - COUNTER OFFENSIVE
Admiral Vance Miller stepped firmly into the hallway, his boots dripping with rainwater.
His sidearm was raised, pointed directly at Vice Admiral Vance's head.
"Get up, Vance," the Admiral commanded, his voice cold and devoid of mercy.
Vice Admiral Vance sneered, slowly raising his hands as Marcus hauled him up from the floor.
"You're too late, Vance," the treacherous officer chuckled darkly.
"The strike team outside has already secured the perimeter."
"You mean the mercenaries hiding in the woods?" the Admiral countered, stepping closer.
"My backup team from the Fifth Fleet just swept the ridge."
"Every single one of your shooters is currently in flex-cuffs."
Vice Admiral Vance’s smug expression instantly vanished.
"That's impossible..." Vance stammered, his face turning pale in the dim emergency light.
"You didn't have access to the Fifth Fleet communications network!"
"I built the Fifth Fleet network," Admiral Miller said with absolute authority.
"And I know every backdoor protocol you tried to erase."
Rachel stepped up beside her father, still holding the heavy pistol firmly in both hands.
"Dad... is it over?" she asked softly, her voice shaking from exhaustion.
"Not yet, sweetheart," the Admiral replied, keeping his eyes locked on his former colleague.
"We still have to secure the master evidence file."
"What evidence file?" Marcus asked, binding Vance's wrists tightly behind his back with zip-ties.
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"The encrypted drive hidden inside Ethan's vehicle," the Admiral revealed.
"The drive that contains the names of every high-ranking official backing this coup."
