HE FORGOT WHO I TRAINED

Authorities intercepted the Resolute shortly before the storm reached its route.

The vessel initially refused communication.

Then a man answered the bridge radio.

“This is Captain Nathan Cole. We will cooperate.”

Nathan appeared on the open deck wearing a faded officer’s jacket.

He ordered the small crew to stand down and unlocked the secured compartments before investigators boarded.

Elena emerged safely from the lower deck.

She had followed a Northstar technician from the container terminal and entered the ship before departure. Nathan had discovered her but concealed her presence from the others.

Maya met him inside an interview room after the vessel reached port.

For several seconds, neither spoke.

Nathan looked older than the man in Maya’s memories. His sandy hair had turned gray near the temples, and the scar above his eyebrow was deeper.

“You let the world believe you were dead,” Maya said.

“I thought it was the only way to keep others alive.”

“Start at the beginning.”

After Harbor Shield, Nathan discovered that Elias Voss had stolen parts of the Blue Lantern project. When Nathan confronted him, Voss offered him a partnership.

Nathan refused.

A year later, Nathan’s rescue vessel suffered a catastrophic systems failure during a storm. Voss—already using the identity Lucian Morrow—controlled the company that maintained the equipment.

He rescued Nathan privately but left the world believing everyone aboard had died.

“He said the deaths would be blamed on the storm unless I worked for him,” Nathan explained.

“And you did.”

“At first, I believed I could collect evidence. Then he made it clear that every attempt to leave would endanger someone else.”

Nathan helped build Northstar’s communication network.

He also secretly guided Celeste toward Conrad’s files.

“Why did you not contact me directly?”

“Morrow had someone inside Sentinel Harbor.”

“Who?”

Nathan glanced toward the observation glass.

“Not Marcus.”

“Then tell me.”