Chapter 7 - The Daughter of Black CurrentThe plaza was nearly empty now, save for a few families taking lingering photographs near the bronze statue of Tecumseh. White paper cups and discarded ceremony programs fluttered across the stone pavers in the afternoon wind.
Ensign Sarah Carter stood near the edge of the seawall, her white cover tucked neatly under her arm, staring out across the sunlit expanse of the Severn River. Her dress uniform was pristine, her shoulder boards gleamed with new gold lace, but her expression was quiet, almost wistful.
“Ensign Carter,” a voice called out.
She turned to find Admiral Callahan walking across the plaza, flanked by two armed Navy security officers in dress whites. She immediately snapped to attention, raising a crisp salute.
“Admiral Callahan, sir!”
Callahan returned the salute smoothly, stepping closer. Up close, the resemblance was striking. She had Michael’s steady gray eyes and the same stubborn line of the jaw.
“At ease, Ensign,” Callahan said, offering a warm, paternal smile that hid the sheer panic racing through his veins. “Congratulations on your commission.”
“Thank you, Admiral,” Sarah said, her voice bright. “It’s an honor to meet you, sir.”
Callahan looked out toward the parking gates. Two unmarked black sedans were idling near the perimeter exit—Sterling’s surveillance team setting up a net.
“Ensign, your late father served under my command many years ago,” Callahan said quietly, keeping his voice below the rustle of the breeze.
Sarah’s eyes widened slightly. “Commander Michael Carter, sir? My mother told me you knew him, but... I didn't think you’d remember.”
“I remember him every single day,” Callahan said, his tone turning dead serious. “Which is why I need you to listen to me very carefully, Sarah. You are in immediate danger.”
The young ensign blinked, taken aback. “Sir? I don't understand—”
“I don't have time to explain on open ground,” Callahan interrupted, stepping closer so only she could hear. “People connected to the accident that took your father are on this base right now. They know who you are, and they are moving to intercept you. I am ordering you to accompany my detail right now.”
Sarah looked at the two armed security officers standing at attention behind Callahan, then back at the four stars gleaming on his collar. Four years at the academy had drilled absolute obedience to chain of command into her bones, but her father’s instincts ran deep in her blood.
“Where are we going, Admiral?” she asked, her voice dropping into a sharp, disciplined murmur.
“To see someone who has been waiting twenty-four years to congratulate you on graduating,” Callahan said softly.
Sarah gasped, her hand instinctively clutching the silver medal pinned to her chest—a medal that had belonged to her father.
“Lieutenant Miller,” Callahan called to his aide, who was waiting near a military staff car parked by the side archway. “Escort Ensign Carter into the rear seat. Obscure the windows. Drive directly to the Annapolis gate and do not stop for civilian or NCIS security check-points under my direct authority.”
“Aye, aye, Admiral.”
As Miller ushered Sarah into the back of the darkened staff vehicle, Callahan glanced back toward the main gates. One of the black sedans was already pulling out of its spot, trying to cut off the exit route.
Callahan pulled out his personal communicator and tapped the base defense channel.
“Command Center, this is Superintendent Callahan. Initiate an emergency traffic hold on the main security gate for a routine VIP detail departure. Hold all civilian traffic for five minutes.”
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“Roger, Admiral. Gates closing now.”
The heavy iron gates of Seaview Naval Academy began to swing shut, trapping Sterling’s surveillance sedans inside the perimeter while Callahan’s staff car swept through the clearance lane and vanished into the streets of Annapolis.
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