The first thing Vice Admiral Nathaniel Mercer noticed was not the six-year-old girl standing alone inside the aircraft carrier. It was the blood on her sleeve. Not much—just a dark, tacky smear across the cuff of an oversized gray Navy sweatshirt that nearly swallowed her tiny hands.

Ten seconds later, the heavy double doors of the medical passageway were blown completely off their hinges by the forward element of the 1st Battalion, 6th Marines—the ship's dedicated security force.

A dozen Marines in full combat gear dived into the bay, their weapons locked onto Vance and his surviving operative.

"DON'T MOVE! HANDS ON YOUR HEAD! DOWN ON THE DECK NOW!" the Marine Captain bellowed, his voice booming over the sirens.

Vance slowly dropped his knife, raising his hands, his face contorted in bitter humiliation as two young Marines slammed him against the wet bulkhead and slapped heavy steel flex-cuffs around his wrists.

"Admiral Mercer!" the Captain called out, rushing to Mercer's side. "Sir, are you hit?"

"I'm fine, Captain," Mercer said, wiping water and blood from his forehead. He pointed to the floor. "Get this woman back on an operating table immediately. She's bleeding internally."

Avery rushed out from the oxygen storage room, carrying Maisie in his arms. He dropped to his knees beside Erin, inspecting her torn surgical site. "The graft holds, but she's torn her superficial sutures! I need a trauma tray right now!"

Maisie wiggled out of Avery's grip and dropped beside her mother on the wet deck. She took Erin's cold, pale hand, pressing it against her own cheek. "Mom... look at me. Stay awake. Ten seconds, remember?"

Erin opened her eyes slowly, looking at her daughter through a haze of pain. A faint, weak smile touched her pale lips. "I'm... I'm awake, sweetie. I'm awake."

"Captain," Mercer said, turning to the Marine commander. "Place General Vance and his men under heavy armed guard in the ship's brig. No phone calls. No digital transmissions. If anyone attempts to contact them from the outside, arrest them immediately."

"Aye, aye, Admiral!" the Captain barked.

Vance was dragged toward the door, his eyes locked on Mercer with burning hatred. "This isn't over, Mercer! I have friends in the Senate! I have people in the White House! You can't bury this!"