Navy SEAL Asked Her Rank As A Joke — Then Four Generals Saluted Her Immediately
Chapter 9
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"What I want is for contractors to stay in their lane. What I want is to not have to explain to my commanding officer why some civilian is digging through access logs at 0500 in the morning.""Fair enough."She moves toward the door. He blocks her path—not aggressively, just there, a wall of uncertainty trying to decide if she's a problem that needs escalating."Who are you, really?" he asks quietly."Exactly who my ID says I am.""Your ID says you're a technical consultant. But technical consultants don't run security audits, don't know how to read authentication protocols at this level." He's not stupid; probably never was. Just playing his part in a system he trusts. "I've been doing this job for 12 years. I know what normal looks like. You're not it.""Maybe that's because normal is broken.""Or maybe you're a plant. Industrial espionage happens more than people think. Contractors get hired by competitors, by foreign intelligence, by people who want exactly what you're looking for." His hand tightens on his radio. "I should have you arrested right now.""You should, but you won't.""Why not?""Because some part of you knows something's wrong here. You've felt it. Small things that don't add up. Access patterns that seem off. Orders that don't quite make sense." She holds his gaze. "You're good at your job, Chief. Good enough to notice the discrepancies. Not quite senior enough to do anything about them."His jaw works. "Get out."She leaves. Behind her, Kline stands in the control room, radio in hand, trying to decide which is more dangerous: trusting a stranger, or ignoring his instincts.By 06:00, the base wakes fully: morning PT, breakfast rushes, the organized chaos of a military installation starting its day.She's at the enlisted dining facility when Reese enters with his usual entourage. He spots her immediately; something about the recognition feels deliberate, like he's been looking for her."Well, well." He changes course, approaches her table. "Didn't expect to see you still around."She looks up from her oatmeal. "Still around, sir?""I heard you were in the control room early. 0500, before authorized access hours.""Running diagnostics, as requested.""Funny, I don't remember requesting diagnostics at 0500." He sits down across from her without an invitation. His team hovers nearby, watching. "What I remember is specifically telling you to stay away from tactical systems.""The systems I was reviewing weren't tactical. They were administrative access logs.""Which you have exactly zero authorization to review.""If there's a security concern, I'm required to report it.""Security concern?" Reese laughs. It's the kind of laugh designed to humiliate, loud enough for nearby tables to hear. "Let me tell you about security concerns, sweetheart. My security concern is unauthorized personnel accessing sensitive systems and then hiding behind bureaucratic excuses when they get caught.""I'm not hiding.""No, you're just sitting here eating oatmeal like you didn't just violate about six different protocols." He leans forward. "Here's what's going to happen: you're going to finish your breakfast, then you're going to pack your things, then you're going to be escorted off this base. And if you're very lucky, we won't press charges for the attempted data breach."