The Officer Stopped Her at the USO Desk, then Realized Her True Identity

The Ghost of the Past

The USO lounge was quiet, a stark contrast to the noisy terminal outside. Jessica sat in a corner booth, her duffel bag resting against her leg. For five years, she had lived as a ghost, hiding from the shadow of her final, classified mission. She had survived an operation that had officially never happened, earning her a legendary code name she wanted nothing more than to forget. But peace, she realized, was a luxury she could not afford.

Her phone vibrated in her pocket. It was an unrecognized, encrypted number. Frowning, she answered it, pressing the receiver to her ear.

"Jessica, is that really you?" a panicked voice whispered.

Her heart skipped a beat. It was David, her ex-husband. They hadn't spoken since their divorce three years ago, a separation forced by the crushing weight of her secret life.

"David? How did you get this number?" she asked, her instincts immediately putting her on high alert.

"It doesn't matter," David gasped, his voice shaking with terror. "They know you're alive, Jessica. The people from the Syndicate—they found out you survived the crash. They think you still have the drive containing the operational data. They came to my house. They're using me to get to you!"

Before Jessica could respond, she heard the sound of breaking glass and a muffled struggle on the other end of the line. David let out a sharp cry, and then the call went dead. Jessica stood up, her knuckles white as she gripped her phone.

She looked through the glass partition of the lounge toward the check-in desk. Two men in dark, tailored suits had just approached Captain Robert Miller. They flashed federal badges, their expressions grim and unyielding. Robert glanced back toward the lounge, his eyes locking onto Jessica with visible alarm. He tried to delay them, placing himself physically between the agents and the lounge entrance, but she knew it was only a matter of seconds before they pushed past him.