Cade handed her a badge—unmarked, matte black, unmistakably classified. “Your unit is called Task Force Meridian. Intelligence, special operations, cyber, field operations—you’ll command personnel across all branches.”
“And my first assignment?” she asked.
Cade brought up a map of Istanbul. Several red nodes blinked ominously. “Iron Wolf has been purchasing biometric data from rogue suppliers overseas. Someone is compiling profiles of American operatives. Including SEALs. Including you.”
The room chilled. Selena’s name was on one of the lists.
“We can’t allow this to continue,” Cade said. “Meridian deploys in seventy-two hours.”
Selena rose. “Understood, Admiral.” Before she could leave, Cade added quietly, “One more thing, Commander… You didn’t speak during the court-martial. You didn’t defend yourself. Why?”
Selena turned, expression calm and deeply resolute. “Because some missions don’t belong to me. They belong to the people we saved. Their survival mattered more than my reputation.” Cade nodded with deep respect.
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