Chapter 6 - The Admiral’s Version of the Truth
Admiral Thomas Rowan arrived at Meridian’s headquarters the next afternoon accompanied by two military attorneys and a federal security officer.
Natalie had not invited him.
He walked into the conference room as though the building belonged to him.
At sixty-one, Rowan remained physically imposing. His silver hair was cut short, and his uniform carried rows of decorations accumulated during four decades of service. He had attended Ethan’s christening, sent flowers when Natalie’s mother died and delivered speeches praising Meridian’s work.
Natalie had once considered him part of the family.
Now she knew her father had named Rowan in his final warning.
Rowan sat across from her.
“I understand you’ve recovered material belonging to a discontinued defense program.”
“I recovered my father’s property from beneath my father’s house.”
“Blue Lantern was not his property.”
“He designed it.”
“For the United States government.”
“Through a private agreement that named me as successor.”
Rowan’s expression remained controlled.
“That agreement was revoked.”
“Then why did Grant delete it?”
One of the military attorneys shifted in his chair.
Rowan did not look away from Natalie.
“Your husband has been operating outside his authority.”
“You signed the original agreement.”
“Many people signed it.”
“My father said you were involved in illegal shipments.”
“Your father became unstable near the end of his life.”
Natalie felt anger rise, but she kept her voice level.
“He was stable enough to uncover Northstar.”
Rowan’s hands remained folded on the table.
“Where did you hear that name?”
“Is that why you came?”
“I came because activating an unauthorized intelligence network could expose national security systems.”
“I haven’t activated it.”
“Not fully.”
Rowan knew about the attempted access.
Natalie glanced toward Mara, who sat near the window.
Mara wrote something on her legal pad.
Rowan continued.
“Grant has placed you in danger by pretending he can control this situation.”
“He claims he was protecting me.”
“He has always claimed that.”
“You knew he met my father before he met me.”
“Yes.”
“And you allowed him to lie.”
“I ordered him not to discuss a classified investigation.”
“Did you order him to marry me?”
For the first time, Rowan appeared surprised.
“No.”
“Did you order him to steal my credentials?”
“No.”
“Did you order him to create Northstar?”
Rowan’s eyes narrowed.
“Grant created Northstar?”
“You tell me.”
A long pause followed.
Then Rowan leaned back.
“Grant was recruited into Blue Lantern because he had a talent for making people trust him. Your father trusted him. Peter Dalton trusted him. You trusted him.”
Natalie did not react.
“What are you suggesting?”
“Grant is not a frightened officer trapped in someone else’s plan. He is the reason the plan survived.”
Rowan placed a folder on the table.
Inside were financial statements showing deposits into accounts linked to Grant.
Natalie had already seen similar records on the hidden device.
“These could be fabricated.”
“They were authenticated by federal investigators.”
“Then why isn’t he under arrest?”
“Because Grant has spent years making himself useful. Every time we get close to the larger network, he gives us someone lower than himself.”
“You’re admitting you protected him.”
“I’m admitting that we used him.”
“For fourteen years?”
“To prevent compromised technology from reaching foreign buyers.”
“Did it work?”
Rowan looked toward the harbor beyond the glass.
“Not always.”
Natalie pushed the folder back.
“Did you kill my father?”
Mara stopped writing.
The military attorneys became motionless.
Rowan looked directly into Natalie’s eyes.
“No.”
“Did you know he was going to die?”
“No.”
“Did Grant?”
Rowan’s answer came more slowly.
“I believe Grant knew Henry was being followed.”
“And he said nothing.”
“He tried to move him.”
“Where?”
“Blackwater Pier. Grant arranged a boat and false documents. Henry refused to leave without securing Blue Lantern.”
Natalie remembered the black case in the photograph.
“What did my father give him?”
“A master access unit.”
“Where is it?”
“Missing.”
“The brass key?”
Rowan’s control finally cracked.
His gaze moved toward Natalie’s handbag.
She had not mentioned the key.
Natalie noticed Mara noticing it too.
“What brass key?” Rowan asked.
Natalie stood.
“This meeting is over.”
Rowan did not move.
“You are approaching something you do not understand.”
“You’ve had fourteen years to help me understand.”
“If Blue Lantern becomes active, every participant in the old network will know.”
“Good.”
“They will not come after the company.”
His eyes shifted toward the framed photograph of Ethan on Natalie’s shelf.
“They will come after the successor.”
Natalie’s voice dropped.
“Leave my son out of this.”
“I am trying to keep him alive.”
Mara opened the conference room door.
The federal security officer looked toward Rowan for instruction.
Rowan rose slowly.
“Monday’s shipment must proceed as scheduled.”
“Why?”
“Because it is the only opportunity we have to identify Harbormaster.”
“Grant?”
“No.”
“Claire?”
“No.”
“Then who?”
Rowan adjusted the front of his uniform.
“If I knew, your father might still be alive.”
After Rowan left, Mara locked the conference room.
“He knew about the brass key.”
“Yes.”
“Only four people know we found it.”
“You, me, Daniel and Mason.”
“And Grant, if he hid it.”
Natalie looked through the glass wall toward Meridian’s executive offices.
Employees moved between desks. Assistants answered phones. Daniel stood near the finance department, speaking to two auditors.
Someone inside the company had told Rowan.
Mara’s phone vibrated.
She read the message and turned the screen toward Natalie.
It came from Julian Cross.
Federal banking investigators had traced Northstar’s hidden ownership.
The controlling trust did not belong to Grant.
It belonged to Meridian Strategic Maritime.
May you like
The trust authorization carried the signature of the company’s chief financial officer.
Daniel Vale.
