<b>Chapter </b><b>86 </b>
Author’s POV:
Jade stood up from the ufortable metal chair, smoothing down her clothes. “It’s gettingte. I should head back to the barracks. The other students will be gathering soon.”
Colonel Edwards nodded<b>, </b>his weathered face still showing that curious expression as he studied her. She could feel his eyes following her movements, searching for something familiar in the way she carried herself.
Ethan remained by the window, his tall frame casting a long shadow across the office floor. “I could give you a ride back,” he offered. “We could take a look around the camp. The activities are almost finished anyway, and we’ll be heading back to campus tomorrow.”
“No need,” Jade replied coolly. “It’s not far. Besides, I think you and Colonel Edwards have more to <b>discuss</b>.”
Edwards smiled, the corners of his eyes crinkling. “She’s right, Haxton. There’s something I’ve been meaning to ask you about that defense contract in Singapore.”
Jade caught the sh of disappointment in Ethan’s eyes before he masked it with his usualposed expression. “Very well. Good evening, Miss Morgan.”
She nodded curtly and left the office, closing the door firmly behind her.
Inside the office, Ethan watched as Jade disappeared down the corridor. He turned to Colonel Edwards, curiosity burning in his eyes. “You mentioned that Miss Morgan reminds you of someone. Who exactly?”
Edwards leaned back in his chair, his fingers steepled together. “About two years ago, there was this young woman, a cryptographer. One of the best I’ve ever seen. She could break into supposedly unbreakable systems like they were child’s y.”
“A hacker?” Ethan’s interest was piqued.
“Not just any hacker,” Edwards rified. “This girl was a prodigy. She decoded encrypted ns from hostile nations targeting American interests. Saved countless lives.”
Ethan’s mind shed to the scene in Venezu – Jade’s fingers flying over the keyboard, breaking into secure systems to locate Zach and Connor in minutes. Work that would have taken his best IT specialists days.
“She once infiltrated a president’smunication system,” Edwards continued, his voice dropping lower. “They were saying nasty things about our country, and she hacked in, sent them a message in their ownnguage telling them <b>exactly </b>where they could shove their opinions.” He chuckled. “Never saw anything like it.”
“What happened to her?” Ethan asked, trying to keep his tone casual.
Edwards’s expression darkened. “Disappeared about two years ago. We think her identity waspromised. Too
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many powerful people wanted her dead or working for them.”
“And you think Jade Morgan is this person?” Ethan pressed.
“No, no, Edwards waved his hand dismissively. “This woman was taller than Miss Morgan. More beautiful, like a Hollywood actress. But there’s something in the eyes… that same intensity, that same calcting intelligence<b>.</b>”
Ethan nodded slowly. “Speaking of Miss Morgan, I’d like to review the training footage of her performance.”
Edwards hesitated, then nodded. “I’ll have copies prepared for you.”
Back at the training grounds, Sergeant Ford addressed the group of students huddled around him. “As some of you may have noticed, Miss Morgan has been called to meet with the campmander. No, she’s not in trouble,” he added, seeing the concerned faces.
“Then why?” Jennifer Theodora asked.
“Because,” Ford said firmly, “Miss Morgan has demonstrated exceptional skills during this training program. Her performance has caught the attention of our superiors.”
Jennifer rolled her eyes. “What’s so special about hitting a few targets<b>?</b><b>” </b>
Ford’s jaw tightened. “Perfect uracy across twenty–three shots, Ms. Theodora. That’s not ‘hitting a few targets.‘ That’s military–grade marksmanship.”
Jennifer mumbled something under her breath, but didn’t push further.
<b>62 </b>
The following morning marked the final day of training. Students lined up to take photos with Sergeant Ford, who maintained a stiff smile as camera after camera shed in his face. As soon as thest group finished, Ford quickly excused himself and headed toward the oak tree where Jade sat alone, scrolling through her phone.
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