The Clerk

Admiral Blake wept silently in the corner.

“Admiral,” I said, pulling heavy zip-ties from my vest. “You’re going to walk into the command center. You’re going to order the captain to perform an emergency surface maneuver.

And then you’re going to open a secure channel to Inspector General Helen Cross.”

Blake nodded frantically.

Chapter 6 — The Clerk Closed the Case

An hour later, the USS Leviathan broke the surface of the Atlantic, heavy rain washing over its black hull. The flashing lights of Coast Guard interceptors and Navy helicopters surrounded us like a net.

I stood on the wet deck as heavily armed federal agents stormed the submarine. They dragged Adrian Vale up the ladder, his hands bound, his face bruised and broken.