Chapter 16 - The Vanishing Act
By 0600 hours, the brigade tactical operations center at Fort Riley was humming with controlled tension. General Kane stood beside me in front of the secure briefing display, his face carved from dark granite.
On the main screen, a live news feed from Omaha flashed an urgent banner:
**FORMER DEFENSE CONTRACTOR DONALD VANCE REMOVED FROM FEDERAL DETENTION FOR EMERGENCY MEDICAL PROCEDURE — CURRENT LOCATION UNKNOWN.**
Kane smashed his coffee mug onto the side console, shattering the ceramic into pieces. "Albright pulled it off. A federal judge signed the transfer order at 0330 hours, citing acute pulmonary distress. The transport ambulance was intercepted thirty minutes outside Omaha by two unmarked SUVs. The marshals were disarmed and left on the roadside."
"Donald is in the wind," I said calmly, refusing to let rage cloud my judgment. "He executed this with precision because he knew Pendelton was going to crack."
I stepped to the central terminal and plugged in the encrypted drive Arthur Pendelton had given his life to deliver. CID cyber specialists had spent the last three hours tearing down its firewalls.
A complex network map illuminated the screen. Shell corporations, encrypted satellite relays, and a master roster of offshore bank accounts appeared in sharp, terrifying clarity.
"Look at this," Sergeant Major Ortiz said, pointing an armored finger at a blinking red node. "Apex Defense isn't just shipping armor to us. They’ve routed the tactical network code for the 116th’s fire-direction computers to a server farm in Sofia, Bulgaria, operated by The Corinth Group."
"Corinth," Kane murmured, his jaw hardening. "Former Russian and Balkan special operatives who reorganized as an illicit military security syndicate. They specialize in high-tier corporate espionage, arms trafficking, and tactical subversion for whoever has the gold."
"Donald didn't just sell them software," I said, zooming in on the encrypted technical schematics. "He sold them the algorithmic handshake that controls the Vanguard’s automated fire-support system. If we enter a combat zone, Corinth can disable our artillery networks, blind our radar, and broadcast our real-time GPS coordinates to any adversary willing to pay for it."
"And what did Donald get in return?" Kane asked.
"One hundred and twenty million dollars in clean bearer bonds and a chartered exit corridor through the Mediterranean," I answered. "He’s liquidating his life here, burning the bridges behind him, and leaving my brigade as the sacrificial lamb to cover his tracks."
Just then, my personal secure phone vibrated on the command console. The caller ID displayed an unlisted satellite frequency.
Kane nodded at me. "Take it."
I pressed the speaker button. "Colonel Vance."
A raspy, arrogant laugh echoed through the speaker. Donald Vance’s voice sounded thin, but venomous as ever.
"Congratulations on the brigade command, Marcus," Donald said, his tone dripping with cold malice. "I hear you looked very dashing holding Grandpa’s flag on the parade field yesterday."
"You killed Pendelton," I replied, my voice dead and steady. "And you violated federal custody. There is no corner of the earth you can run to, Donald. I will hunt you down."
"Don't flatter yourself, boy," Donald sneered. "You think wearing silver eagles makes you a player in this game? You’re a pawn with a rifle. By the time your precious CID traces this call, I’ll be far beyond the reach of American jurisdiction. But before I go, I left a little demonstration of my power right in your backyard. Check the live-fire schedule at Range 30, Marcus. Let’s see if your little soldiers can survive my engineering."
May you like
The line went dead.
***
