Chapter 10 - THE NEW DAWNThree days later, the sun rose over the Pacific Ocean, painting the coastline of Camp Pendleton in brilliant shades of gold and amber.
The parade ground was empty now, save for a fresh battalion of young Marines marching in precision alignment under the watchful eye of a newly appointed base commander—one who actually knew how to read a classified manifest before opening his mouth.
I stood near the edge of the tarmac, leaning against the side of a black SUV, the morning breeze whipping my hair back from my face. My lip was healing nicely, leaving behind a tiny, barely noticeable scar—a permanent reminder of a very arrogant admiral who thought he could judge a book by its cover.
My phone buzzed in my pocket. A secure text from Vance: Bird is fueled. Washington is clean. Where to next, Captain?
May you like
I pulled the silver Navy SEAL challenge coin from my pocket, flipped it through the air, caught it cleanly in my palm, and smiled.
"Nowhere," I murmured into the empty air, stepping into the vehicle and slamming the door shut. "We’re already where we need to be."
