Page 31 of The Deadly Shallows

Caleb had reluctantly handed over his phone and gun. Both were essential for his job, but he understood the importance of where they were.

Noah was right. Something had to be very wrong.

Following Greer, he wondered which lab they were headed for. There was one that had everyone intrigued. Rumors of something highly classified swirled around base. But those who worked in it wouldn’t confirm its location—even when they came and went from the Kellen building daily. Caleb bet they were headed for the chemicals lab or the materials and equipment lab, though he was curious why Chief Greer had called in CGIS.

Chief Greer exhaled a whoosh of air as they walked through yet another set of doors that required his badge and fingerprint scan.

They reached a set of elevators Caleb had no idea existed, since the Kellen building was one story—at least from the exterior.

The thick silver doors opened, and they stepped onto the elevator.

Chief Greer pressed 3.

Greer looked over at him and Finn. “What I’m about to tell you is highly classified. Understood?”

“Yes, sir.” Caleb and Finn both nodded as the elevator went down three flights.

“We’ve been collaborating with a specialized Army unit on a new kind of weapon adaptation. They started project Strike First at their RAD location in Duck, North Carolina, and invited us to collaborate.”

Caleb’s mind raced through the possibilities for their presence.

“They believed they had a mole in their ranks, so they moved the project and assets here, and only sent their top trusted men and women.”

“And the project is . . . ?” Caleb asked.

Greer performed the same verification outside another silver door, and it slid open.

They stepped inside the lab, and to Caleb’s surprise, it was devoid of personnel. “It’s a high-tech laser weapon,” Greer said. “Applications include shooting enemy aircraft midflight and destroying a vehicle from over a mile away. You can imagine the possibilities available to strengthen our military.” Greer slipped his hands behind his back, rocking forward on his black boots. “Someone broke into the lab and stole a printout of the design plans for the last component being worked on.”

Odd. “Just the last part?” Caleb asked.

“Yes.” Greer gave a single nod.

“That’s strange,” Finn said. “Maybe they didn’t realize what they were stealing.”

“That was our initial thought as well,” Greer said, “but given the circumstances and the weapon itself, we have to think worst-case scenario.”

“Of course,” Finn said.

“Do you believe it was someone on base?” Caleb asked, getting to the nitty-gritty.

“That’s exactly what you’re here to determine. We have video surveillance that picked up two men entering the room. The time stamp places it during the mass shooting.”

A phone rang, and Caleb followed the sound to a black landline on the far wall.

“Excuse me a moment,” Greer said, stepping to the phone. “Chief Greer. . . . Yes. . . . Will do.” He hung up, and when he looked back at them, his face had hardened, his gaze intense. “You two are needed ASAP. We’ll have to continue this later.”

Caleb frowned. What on earth would pull them away from this?

“Petty Officer Brooke Kesler has been abducted.”

Caleb’s jaw set as questions raced through his mind. Questions he didn’t have time to ponder. Action was needed.

“Agent Rowley needs you both now,” Greer said, leading them through the door and out to the elevators. He used his thumbprint to open them and then held the door with his hand as they climbed in. “You can grab your phones and weapons from security on the way out. Tell Noah we’ll assist in every way possible.”

“Thank you, sir,” Caleb said as the doors slid closed.

Noah’s heart seized as he watched Brooke walk out of sight of the security camera and not return. The only vehicle to pull out of the lot was a white Dodge Sprinter van. Like the one a witness had described as sitting outside the graduation. Noah didn’t believe it was a coincidence.