Page 117 of Secrets Beneath the Waves

“I saw how good you are. You killed four Iranian terrorists like they were nothing. They were trained soldiers who were sent to kill you. You didn’t know they were coming, and still you got the best of them. You proved you don’t need my protection.”

“And you found the mole in record time,” Dad said. “When no one else could. That was a huge intelligence failure in the CIA. Your good work saved lives, including your own.”

“Thanks.”

Warmth flickered in Ellie’s chest. Praise from her parents wasn’t handed out lightly. It seemed genuine. And even though her mother had said she didn’t want to work with Ellie before, she was saying she wanted to now.

“I still think your mom loves you more,” Dad said.

“Obviously.” Ellie smirked. “Now, where are we going, Mom?”

Her tone turned serious. “Your father tied the mole back to the Assistant Director of Intelligence in Iran.”

Ellie’s pulse kicked up a notch. She’d expected something big—butIran?

Her mom didn’t miss a beat. “You and I are going to pay him a visit. No one threatens our family and lives to tell about it.”

How many times had she heard her parents say that they didn’t go to Iran anymore because it was too dangerous? Now her mother was suggesting they go there together.

“That man tried to kill you. We have to make him pay.”

Ellie just sat there, staring into the dark horizon. This was it. The moment she’d waited for, the mission she’d dreamed about since she was a kid. A mission with her mother.

Was she ready for this?

“I’ll pick you up at nine in the morning,” she said.

Ready or not, it was happening.

She had dreamed of the day that she’d run a mission with her mother. The day when she would finally treat her as an equal.

Now she wasn’t so sure.

EPILOGUE

Ellie adjustedthe straps on her tactical vest as the plane descended into Iran under the cover of night. Next to her, Jamie checked her weapon with practiced efficiency, her expression as calm as a sleeping baby.

They had gone over the mission a dozen times, but Ellie still felt the familiar thrill of adrenaline humming beneath her skin. This wasn’t training. This was real.

They moved through the shadows, their contacts in Tehran providing them with safe passage through the initial checkpoints. The Assistant Director of Intelligence, Reza Kazemi, was heavily guarded, his paranoia evident in the security detail surrounding him.

But Ellie and Jamie weren’t deterred. They had planned for every possibility.

Their first obstacle came in the form of a heavily armed checkpoint a few blocks from Kazemi’s residence. Jamie motioned for Ellie to follow her lead. With precision, they took down the guards one by one, silent and deadly.

Ellie’s heart was relatively calm as she wiped the blood from her blade, then dragged a body out of sight. Jamie gave her an approving nod before they moved forward.

Once inside the estate’s perimeter, they used the cover of darkness to navigate past security cameras and motion detectors. Jamie picked the lock on the back entrance, her fingers quick and sure. Ellie covered her, gun raised, scanning for any signs of movement.

The interior of the mansion was dimly lit, the scent of cigar smoke lingering in the air. They found Kazemi in his office, pouring over documents with a glass of whiskey in hand. He never saw them coming.

Jamie struck first, her silenced pistol spitting death as she took out the guards flanking him. Kazemi stumbled back, eyes wide with shock. He reached for the gun at his desk, but Ellie was faster. She fired, the bullet hitting him square in the chest. He gasped, blood spilling down his shirt as he collapsed.

"Target eliminated," Jamie confirmed, already moving to retrieve critical intelligence from his desk.

Alarms blared. Their window for escape was closing fast. Ellie grabbed Jamie’s arm. "Time to go."

They fought their way out, bullets slicing through the air as guards swarmed the hallways. Jamie tossed a grenade behind them, the explosion rattling the walls as they sprinted for the exit. A getaway car waited a block away, their driver barely slowing as they jumped in.

As the city lights blurred past, Ellie exhaled, muscles tense with the aftershocks of the fight. Jamie met her gaze, a rare smile breaking through her usual composure.

"Not bad, kid."

Ellie smirked. "I learned from the best."

Their mission was complete. But something told Ellie this was only the beginning.

Not The End