Chapter 111 - The Phantom Carrier
Rain hammered against the reinforced glass of the hangar bay as Miller fired up the twin turbine engines.
The black, unmarked MH-60 stealth helicopter hummed to life, vibrating through the cold concrete beneath their boots.
Claire adjusted the tactical harness across her chest, securing her sidearm with a crisp, metallic click.
Her fingers brushed against the bloody silver dog tag resting against her collarbone.
"Flight deck of the *USS Titan* is dead center in the North Atlantic squall," Miller shouted over the mounting engine whine.
"Three hundred miles off the Virginia coast," Claire said, stepping into the cabin without looking back.
Miller locked eyes with her in the dim red interior glow, his hands trembling slightly against the cyclic controls.
"You realize Vance owns that entire battle group, Claire," Miller warned, his jaw tight. "It’s a kill box."
"Liam is on that ship," Claire replied, her voice dropping to a calm, terrifying whisper.
She chambered a round into her assault rifle, the mechanical sound echoing off the aluminum bulkheads.
"If Vance wants a ghost," Claire murmured, "I'll give him a graveyard."
The helicopter lifted off into the torrential storm, vanishing into the pitch-black clouds above the Atlantic.
Behind them, the burning ruins of the capital faded into an indifferent gray mist.
Claire pulled her satellite uplink from her vest, tracking the carrier’s encrypted transponder signal as it drifted eastward.
May you like
One hundred and seventy minutes remained on the Admiral's countdown.
Every second felt like an eternity carved directly into her flesh.
