Chapter 7 - The New DirectorTwo weeks after the ambush in Maryland, the dust began to settle.
The Parker Veterans Foundation was officially up and running, with its first major grant providing housing assistance and psychological support services for returning intelligence operatives suffering from PTSD. My father’s legacy, instead of funding Tyler’s reckless business ventures, was finally doing the kind of good Dad had always dreamed of.
On a rainy Friday morning, I was summoned to the office of the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff.
I expected a briefing on an upcoming cross-agency intelligence operation in Eastern Europe. Instead, when I walked into the sprawling, wood-paneled office, I found General Vance standing beside a civilian official wearing an expensive navy suit and a warm smile.
"Colonel Parker," the Chairman said, gesturing for me to take a seat. "Come in, close the door."
I saluted smartly and sat down across from them.
"You've been turning heads lately, Claire," the civilian official said, opening a leather portfolio. "Not just for your work in military intelligence, but for your handling of... domestic complications."
I kept my expression neutral. "I handle threats as they arise, sir, whether on the battlefield or at home."
The official smiled broadly. "Well, the Department of Defense is launching a specialized inter-agency task force dedicated to cracking down on predatory financial schemes targeting active-duty service members and their families. We need someone incorruptible, razor-sharp, and entirely immune to intimidation."
General Vance leaned forward, his eyes gleaming with approval. "They want you to head it, Colonel."
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I looked from the Chairman to General Vance, feeling a quiet sense of vindication wash over me. The people who had tried to tear me down, who had treated me like a disappointing daughter with a meaningless paycheck, had accidentally pushed me onto a national stage.
"When do I start?" I asked.
