Page 55 of SEAL'S Secret Vows

“Hey, what is it?”

“As we were going through the area, we found a body; one of the guards. He looks as if he’s been shot recently. We’ve contacted the paramedics, and they’re on their way.”

“Where was the body found?”

“Under the bushes, close to a garden in the back. Can you access the cameras there? See if you can find something.”

“Sure. Accessing… Here. I’ll go back a few minutes… it’s most likely recent.” A young man appears on screen and sits beside an elderly man reading a magazine. After a few minutes, he hands him a briefcase.

“Do you think there’s a way we can hear what they’re saying?”

I shake my head. “I’ve been trying to get into their system to eavesdrop on their conversation, but it’s not working.”

“Try again. I’ll play the footage again to see if I find anything. I’m more curious about what’s in the briefcase. Do you think it’s a bomb? I need to alert the commander.” Lena switches on her radio multiple times waiting for someone to pick up.

“Mark, Joseph, anyone?”

“It’s Mark. We’re in the hall. The summit is going well. There’s currently no trouble. What about your end?”

“There’s trouble, Mark.” The radio glitches intermittently, breaking her words and she redials.

“Mark, do you copy? There’s a suspicious briefcase…”

She stops talking as we watch a security guard approach the young man asking him about the briefcase. He slowly places it on the floor and fumbles with the lock.

“Hey Lena… I can hear you, now.” All of a sudden, the elderly man lowers his magazine, brings out a gun and shoots the security guard. The young man stands up and walks into the building like nothing happened.

“Mark, there’s big trouble. Come to Chase’s room now!”

“I’m on my way!” Mark replies.

“They just killed that man without any remorse.” I whisper. I knew that things like this happened—I saw the guards killed that day with Chase. But it still hits me. I’m not used to being in the field.

“That’s how they are, Nora. Welcome to our world.”

“Wait, go back.” I point to a specific section on screen. “Stop. Right there. I noticed an earpiece in his ears. It means they are communicating in some way. I’m going to see if I can get in.”

The air in the room starts to feel suffocating when all my attempts to infiltrate their network are blocked every time. “I can’t believe they killed that man. They know we’re here.”

“Of course, they do. I wonder what’s holding the guys back.”

I follow the instructions provided by the algorithm and paste the encrypted messages. After a few minutes, I check for any errors and run the sequence again.

“Here,” my voice is filled with excitement as I point to a sequence of characters on the screen. “I think I've found something.”

Suddenly, a voice crackles to life through the encrypted channel, sending a jolt of adrenaline through my veins. “We've connected and tapped into their communication network.”

We listen intently as they discuss their plans. “They’re already in the hall.” An elderly man’s voice joins the conversation giving them instructions calling out names, but only one rings a bell.

“Maxwell,” Lena whispers, her voice barely above a whisper. “He's part of this.”

My blood runs cold at the mention of Maxwell's name.

Chase was right.

He’s going to be heartbroken.

“The same guy who attacked Chase is here? This screams big trouble.”

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