Chapter 20
Two weeks later, a crisp autumn sun shone brightly over the Arlington National Cemetery in Virginia.
Row upon row of white marble headstones stretched across the rolling green hills under a clear blue sky.
Chloe stood beside a tall flagpole where the American flag fluttered gently in the cool afternoon breeze.
She wore a sharp black dress suit, her leg completely healed, standing beside General Sterling and her father.
A official memorial service had just concluded for the brave fallen agents who died protecting the Cerberus files.
"What will you do now, Chloe?" General Sterling asked, looking out over the peaceful grounds.
"The Department of Defense offered you a permanent director position at the Pentagon starting Monday."
Chloe reached into her jacket pocket, pulling out a small silver coin stamped with the crest of the Joint Chiefs.
She looked at her father, who offered her a subtle, knowing nod of encouragement.
"I'm not taking the Pentagon job, General," Chloe revealed softly, her voice filled with quiet determination.
"Why not?" Sterling inquired in surprise.
"Because Ryan was just a mid-level enforcer," Chloe stated, her eyes fixing on the horizon.
"The man who issued the Joint Chiefs coin is still sitting in an office in Washington D.C."
"And until I track him down and expose his entire network, my mission isn't finished."
Sterling stared at her for a moment before a slow, proud smile broke across his weathered face.
"Then you're going to need a full tactical team, Agent Vance," Sterling stated firmly.
"And I know just the men for the job."
Suddenly, Chloe's encrypted smartphone vibrated in her hand, displaying a new text message from an unknown number.
She unlocked the screen, her eyes narrowing as she read the single line of text displayed on the display.
'Your father isn't who you think he is, Chloe. Ask him about the silver coin in your pocket.'
Chloe froze in her tracks, slowly turning her head to look at her father standing beside her in the quiet cemetery.
May you like
Arthur Vance was staring at her with an unreadable, icy glare, his hand resting inside his dark trench coat pocket.
And the silence hanging over the marble headstones grew deeper, heavier, and far more lethal than ever before.
