Chapter 14 - The Secret File
David immediately summoned Marcus to his study, spreading the ship's logbook across the large mahogany desk under the bright lamp light.
"Is it possible Richard survived that explosion fifteen years ago, Marcus?" David asked, his voice filled with intense urgency.
Marcus put on thin cotton gloves, carefully examining the ink density and salt-water degradation on the yellowed paper.
"The handwriting matches Richard's signature on the original corporate charter perfectly," Marcus confirmed grimly.
"And Blackwood Facility isn't a government prison, David," Marcus revealed, pulling up a classified satellite map on his laptop.
"It's a private, high-security detention site owned by Vanguard Defense, a rogue military contractor based in Virginia," Marcus explained.
"Why would a military contractor keep a shipping executive alive for fifteen years?" David questioned, pacing across the room.
"Because Richard possessed the master encryption codes for the entire US Great Lakes naval transport grid," Marcus answered.
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"If Vanguard gets those codes, they can control forty percent of all commercial shipping traffic in North America."
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