Page 191 of Broken Oath

Smoke filled the lower corridors.

Emergency alarms shrieked.

The deck shifted beneath Rook’s boots as another explosion sounded deep inside the ship.

“Secondary charge,” Cobra said.

“You said the compartment hadn’t been reached.”

“It hasn’t.”

“That sounded close.”

“Close is relative.”

They reached the false wall beneath the engine room.

Heat rolled through the corridor.

Cobra forced the damaged panel open.

Smoke poured from the hidden compartment, but the evidence boxes remained intact.

For now.

Sarah’s voice entered Rook’s earpiece.

“Financial ledgers first. Then personnel files and original mission records.”

Rook opened the first container.

Paper files.

Photographs.

Sealed envelopes.

Reef lifted two boxes.

Cobra took three.

“Four minutes,” Sarah warned.

“You’re enjoying this,” Rook said.

“No.”

“You sound like you are.”

“Three minutes and fifty seconds.”

Rook grabbed the remaining mission files.

Something inside one box caught his eye.

A personnel photograph.

A man in military uniform.