Chapter 3 - The Man Behind the Uniform
The first call came fourteen minutes after Sullivan escaped.
My phone rang while we were inside an armored vehicle heading toward the north gate.
Unknown number.
Brooks told me not to answer.
I answered.
“Captain Hayes.”
Silence.
Then Sullivan laughed.
“You always did have trouble following orders.”
“You've never given me one that mattered.”
“You sure about that?”
“Where is my mother?”
“Safe.”
“If you touch her—”
“What? You'll throw me again?”
His amusement sounded forced.
Good.
Fear was useful.
“You hit me to provoke me,” I said.
“That obvious now?”
“You wanted my clearance frozen.”
“I wanted you contained.”
“Why?”
“Because somebody got nervous when your name appeared on the Coronado ceremony roster.”
“Who?”
“Come find out.”
Brooks shook her head.
I ignored her.
“Proof my mother is alive.”
A rustle.
Then my mother's voice.
“Avery?”
My heart stopped.
“Mom.”
“Honey, don't—”
The line shifted.
Sullivan returned.
“Proof enough?”
“Where are you?”
“Remember where Mercer taught you to shoot in California?”
Daniel had trained with me in dozens of places.
One was off-grid.
An abandoned federal range east of San Diego.
“Thirty minutes,” Sullivan said. “Come alone.”
The call ended.
Brooks held out her hand.
“Phone.”
I gave it to her.
“You're not going alone.”
“I know.”
“You sounded convincing.”
“I've lied professionally.”
Reed glanced at me.
“That should be on your résumé.”
We traced the call.
Burner.
No surprise.
But Sullivan had made a mistake.
He referenced the range.
Daniel and I had trained there during preparation for Lantern.
If Sullivan knew that, his access went deeper than stolen credentials.
He had access to pre-mission schedules.
Someone above him had opened those records.
Cole called from the vehicle behind ours.
“We found security footage.”
“Of Sullivan escaping?”
“Yes. He had help.”
“Who?”
“Lieutenant Commander Mark Ellis.”
I knew Ellis by reputation.
Communications officer.
Clean record.
Married.
Two children.
Not someone who should be helping a detained commander escape.
“Where is Ellis?”
“Missing.”
Brooks asked, “Connection to Vance?”
Cole paused.
“Ellis served as his communications aide six years ago.”
There it was.
Not proof.
A line.
We needed more than lines.
We needed the person at the center.
The abandoned range sat beyond a chain-link gate marked with fading federal warnings.
Brooks positioned teams out of sight.
Drones went up.
Thermal scan detected three people inside the main structure.
One seated.
Two standing.
My mother.
Sullivan.
Probably Ellis.
I wore body armor under a civilian jacket.
Reed checked my weapon.
“You good?”
“No.”
“Good answer.”
Brooks looked at me.
“You go in talking. Nobody shoots unless we see a weapon.”
“Understood.”
“And Captain?”
“Yes?”
“If he offers you answers, don't let needing them make you stupid.”
I looked at the building.
“That advice from experience?”
“All useful advice is.”
I walked inside.
The room smelled like dust and hot metal.
My mother sat in a folding chair.
Her hands weren't tied.
Sullivan stood ten feet behind her.
Ellis stood near the side door holding a pistol.
“Avery,” my mother said.
“I'm okay, Mom.”
Sullivan smiled.
“You really came alone?”
“No.”
The smile faded.
“Of course not.”
“Let her walk out.”
“Can't.”
“Why?”
“Because she's the only reason you're listening.”
My mother looked at him.
“For a decorated officer, you're remarkably insecure.”
I almost laughed.
Sullivan didn't.
“Mrs. Hayes, please.”
“She gets like this,” I said.
“When men behave foolishly.”
“Mom.”
“I'm just saying.”
Sullivan rubbed his forehead.
For one surreal second, he looked less like a dangerous conspirator and more like a man regretting kidnapping a librarian.
Then his eyes hardened again.
“You want to know why Mercer died?”
“Yes.”
“He found the leak.”
“Who?”
“Not me.”
“Then who?”
Sullivan glanced toward Ellis.
Ellis looked frightened.
Interesting.
“He isn't supposed to tell you,” I said.
Sullivan's eyes snapped back.
“No.”
“Someone sent you here to control me.”
“No.”
“Someone told you to provoke me.”
Silence.
“Someone gave you Mercer's credentials.”
Sullivan's jaw moved.
“And now they have my mother because you failed.”
His composure cracked.
“Shut up.”
“Who are you afraid of?”
“I said shut up.”
Ellis raised the pistol.
Not toward me.
Toward Sullivan.
Everything changed.
Sullivan looked sideways.
“Mark?”
Ellis's hand shook.
“I'm sorry.”
Sullivan went pale.
“Mark.”
“You weren't supposed to bring her here.”
“You told me—”
“No.”
Ellis swallowed.
“They told me.”
I slowly moved to place myself between my mother and his line of fire.
“Who told you, Ellis?”
“Don't.”
“Vice Admiral Vance?”
His face gave me the answer.
Sullivan saw it too.
“You idiot.”
Ellis pointed the gun at him.
“You were supposed to disappear.”
Sullivan stared.
“So that's it.”
“I have orders.”
“From Vance?”
Ellis's breathing accelerated.
I raised my hands.
“Mark.”
“Stay back.”
“You don't want to do this.”
“You don't know what I want.”
“I know you haven't fired.”
“Yet.”
“You have children.”
His eyes flickered.
Brooks had given me the detail intentionally.
“Two,” I continued. “A son and a daughter.”
“Don't talk about them.”
“They still get to choose who their father was.”
His eyes filled.
Sullivan moved.
Wrong decision.
Ellis fired.
The shot cracked through the building.
Sullivan dropped.
My mother screamed.
I drew and fired once.
Not at Ellis.
At the hanging metal light fixture above him.
It exploded in sparks.
Ellis flinched.
That was enough.
Brooks's team came through two entrances.
“DROP IT!”
Ellis froze.
Then the pistol fell.
I rushed to Sullivan.
Blood spread across his side.
“Stay with me.”
He laughed weakly.
“You really do have terrible taste in people.”
“Who ordered Lantern compromised?”
His eyes closed.
I slapped his cheek lightly.
“Brock.”
He opened them again.
“Vance.”
“Why?”
“Money.”
“From who?”
“Not money like you think.”
“Then explain.”
Sullivan coughed.
“Contracts. Influence. Access.”
Reed knelt beside me.
Medics rushed in.
Sullivan grabbed my sleeve.
“Mercer found the account trail.”
“What trail?”
“He hid proof.”
“Where?”
Sullivan whispered something.
I leaned closer.
“What?”
“Not where.”
His hand tightened.
“Who.”
Then the medics moved me aside.
My mother wrapped both arms around me.
For a moment, Captain Hayes disappeared.
I was just someone's daughter.
“You came,” she whispered.
“Always.”
“You shouldn't have.”
“Also always.”
She laughed shakily against my shoulder.
Outside, Ellis sat handcuffed beside an NCIS vehicle.
Brooks crouched in front of him.
I joined her.
“Who has Mercer's proof?”
Ellis stared at the ground.
“Someone you've already met.”
“Who?”
He looked at me.
“His daughter.”
Emily.
I felt the blood drain from my face.
“Does Vance know?”
Ellis gave a miserable nod.
“Where is she?”
“I don't know.”
My phone rang.
Emily Mercer's name appeared on the screen.
I answered immediately.
“Emily?”
She was crying.
“Aunt Avery?”
“Where are you?”
“At school.”
“Listen to me. Stay inside. Find a teacher.”
“I can't.”
“Why?”
“There's a man here.”
My hand tightened around the phone.
“What man?”
“He said he knew Dad.”
“Do not go with him.”
“I didn't.”
“Good.”
“But he gave me something.”
“What?”
“A picture.”
“Of what?”
“You.”
My breathing stopped.
“What kind of picture?”
“You and Dad.”
“Emily, listen carefully. Where is the man now?”
“I don't know.”
She started crying harder.
“There are words on the back.”
“What do they say?”
She read them.
May you like
“Ask Avery why she left him behind.”
The call went dead.
