The SEAL Admiral Asked Her Call Sign as a Joke — Until ‘Iron Widow’ Made Him Collapse in Shock
Chapter 10
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But one team found themselves in a rapidly deteriorating situation: Lieutenant Thade and three other operators were trapped in a section where the smoke was densest, their path to extraction blocked by a security door that had sealed during the malfunction."Get me communications with that team!" Hargrove ordered."Comms are intermittent due to the security lockdown," the technician reported. "Last transmission indicated they were seeking alternative egress through the east utility shaft."On another monitor, Arwen's team could be seen moving with purpose—not toward an exit, but deeper into the structure. Their movement pattern suggested a deliberate approach to the control node, the only location where the malfunctioning systems could be manually overridden."What is Blackwood doing?" Hargrove demanded. "Her team should be evacuating."General Hayes watched with focused interest. "She appears to be addressing the source of the problem rather than its symptoms."The monitoring system flickered as smoke increasingly obscured the camera views. Partial images showed Arwen's team encountering an unexpected obstacle: a collapsed ceiling section blocking their path to the control node. Without hesitation, Arwen redirected her team, sending them toward an evacuation route while she continued alone."That's a direct violation of protocols," Hargrove noted with sharp disapproval. "No operator proceeds without team support in hazardous conditions."Hayes made no comment, his attention fixed on the monitors as they tracked Arwen's progress through the increasingly dangerous environment. Her movements displayed none of the hesitation or uncertainty that might be expected in such conditions. Instead, she navigated the smoke-filled corridors with the confidence of someone operating from perfect mental mapping of the complex structure.When she encountered the sealed door separating her from Thade's trapped team, she bypassed the electronic security system with techniques not taught in any naval special warfare training program. The door released, allowing the trapped operators to move toward safety."How did she override that security protocol?" Hargrove asked, unable to completely mask his surprise.Neither Hayes nor the technicians offered an explanation. All attention now focused on Arwen as she finally reached the control node. Despite the increasingly hazardous conditions, her movements remained precise and economical as she executed a complex sequence of commands that gradually restored normal system function.Within minutes, the facility's fire suppression systems activated properly, clearing the smoke and allowing full evacuation of all personnel. Emergency medical teams entered to assess any potential injuries, finding remarkably few given the severity of the malfunction.In the aftermath, operators gathered at the medical checkpoint for evaluation. Lieutenant Thade, still being treated for minor smoke inhalation, watched as Arwen calmly reported to Commander Coltrain. Nothing in her demeanor suggested she had just executed an emergency response that should have been beyond the capabilities of a standard SEAL officer."How did you know the bypass sequence for those security doors?" Thade asked when she passed near his treatment station. "That's proprietary technology. Even I don't have that clearance."Arwen paused, meeting his gaze directly. "Sometimes training includes elements that don't appear in standard documentation, Lieutenant.""That wasn't training," he pressed. "Nobody gets trained on proprietary security overrides except..." He trailed off, a new understanding dawning in his expression as he studied her with fresh assessment.