“Two minutes,” Hayes said. “Maybe three if the seal holds.”

He reached down and unholstered his weapon, keeping it pointed toward the deck.

“We don’t shoot unless they draw first,” I said.

“I know the rules of engagement, Doctor,” Hayes said.

He looked back at me, his eyes calm under the harsh fluorescent lights.

“But I also know Captain Turner when he’s cornered,” Hayes added.

The sparks grew brighter, casting dancing shadows on the green-painted walls of the shack.

The heat from the torch began to blister the gray paint on the inside of the door.

I could hear the hiss of the pressurized gas tanks outside.

“Turner!” I called out, raising my voice to be heard over the hiss of the torch.

The cutting stopped for a brief second.

“Mitchell,” Turner’s voice came through, muffled but sharp. “Save your breath.”

“The transmission failed, Turner,” I said. “Main Navy knows everything.”

“They know what you’ve told them,” Turner sneered. “And you’re a civilian contractor who just locked herself in a secure communications center.”

“I have the log files,” I said. “I have your digital signature on the override command.”