Lieutenant Elena Cross had spent three weeks following numbers that were too clean to trust.
At thirty-two, she was the youngest intelligence officer ever assigned to the Pacific Fleet Strategic Analysis Unit, a position that looked prestigious from the outside and lonely from every angle within. Elena was known for two things: patience and precision. She did not bluff. She did not grandstand. She built conclusions the way shipwrights built hulls—quietly, carefully, and strong enough to survive impact.
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