Chapter 4 - The Awakening of the Dragon
The moment the door clicked shut, the fragile, exhausted demeanor vanished from Rowan’s face. She reached over to the bedside table, grabbed her secure government-issued smartphone from her bag, and dialed a direct, encrypted line.
"This is Colonel Whitlock," she said, her voice cutting through the room like a silver blade. "Authorization code: Uniform-Delta-Niner-Zero-Two."
On the other end of the line, Major General Vance answered instantly. "Colonel. We’ve been waiting for your go-ahead on the Joint Task Force audit. Are you secure?"
"I am in the hospital, General. But the target has initiated hostile action. Proceed with the immediate freeze on all accounts associated with Whitlock Financial Consulting. Execute the federal seizure warrants on the McLean property under the anti-fraud statutes. And General?"
"Yes, Colonel?"
"Notify the Department of Defense legal counsel. I need a full military defense detail deployed to my post-op room immediately. The domestic dispute has intersected with national security assets."
Within three hours, the atmosphere of the hospital wing shifted entirely. Two towering U.S. Army MPs in immaculate dress uniforms, sidearms secured at their hips, took up positions outside Rowan’s door.
The next morning, the twins were born via an emergency C-section—two healthy, beautiful boys. As Rowan held them against her chest, the pale, vulnerable woman Preston had abandoned was gone. In her place sat a commander who had just secured her perimeter.
On the third day, the door to her room opened again. But this time, Preston didn't swagger in. He staggered. His tie was undone, his hair was disheveled, and his face was the color of chalk. Behind him, two federal agents escorted him, allowing him one final conversation before formal processing.
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He looked at the two military policemen guarding the door, his mouth opening and closing like a fish out of water. Then, his eyes fell upon the bedside chair.
Laid out over the back of the chair was a pristine, deep green U.S. Army dress uniform. On the shoulders gleamed the silver eagles of a full Colonel. On the chest was a galaxy of medals, including the Bronze Star.
