Page 74 of Ground Zero

Sheridan’s heart hammered as she heard the words “target in the water.”

Her warning had gotten through, but barely in time.

“What’s happening out there?” Cook roared into his phone. “I said take him alive if possible!”

“Sir, those aren’t our teams,” an agent reported, looking up from his laptop. “Our units are still three minutes out.”

The blood drained from Cook’s face. “Then who’s shooting?”

Sheridan knew. Sigma. They’d beaten the FBI to Maverick, and they weren’t interested in arrests.

She stepped forward, knowing she was about to take a massive risk. “Sir, what can I do?”

Cook spun toward her, his face flushed with anger. “What can you do? I left you on Lantern Beach to find information, Agent Mendez. I’m not sure you did anything.”

His words hit like a slap. The dismissal, the contempt, the suggestion that she’d failed—it all burned. But there wasn’t time for wounded pride.

“Sir, I did find something.” She kept her voice steady despite the chaos around them. “There’s going to be an attack onNaval Station Norfolk. Tomorrow. During the British submarine arrival.”

Cook stared at her. “What?”

“The cyberattacks were just the beginning. Someone’s planning a physical assault on the submarine pens. They have inside access, legitimate credentials.” She pulled out her phone, showing him the partial files she’d managed to save. “The attack is imminent, sir. Tomorrow morning, most likely.”

His gaze slid from her phone to her face. “How do you know this?”

“I’ve been investigating, just like I told you.” She glanced at William, who watched intently from across the room. “Sir, we need to alert Norfolk now. Every second we waste?—”

“You’re telling me there’s a terrorist attack planned for tomorrow, and you’re just now mentioning it?” His voice rose.

She swallowed hard before saying, “I needed to be sure.”

Cook’s jaw clenched. But Sheridan saw him processing, prioritizing.

“Let me see,” he barked.

She handed him her phone, and he scrolled the files there.

Sheridan waited, practically holding her breath in anticipation of his reaction.

Would he believe her? Would he take this seriously?

Finally, he looked up. “Thompson, Martinez! Get Naval Station Norfolk on the line. Full security alert. Nobody gets near those submarines.”

Relief washed through her.

He was acting on this intel.

Cook turned back to Sheridan. “What else?”

“The traitor is here, sir. I believe one of our colleagues as well as someone at Blackout, has been feeding information to Sigma.”

His eyes narrowed. “Who?”

She kept her chin up as she said, “I’m still determining that, sir. But I believe Adams is innocent and being set up.”

More radio chatter filled the room. “We’ve lost visual on the suspect.”

Sheridan’s knees nearly buckled with relief.