For thirty-six years, she had worked as a civilian mechanical engineer supporting naval undersea programs. Early in her career, she specialized in emergency release systems used on equipment operated in confined or submerged environments.
In 1991, a pier-side equipment accident injured four people, including Victoria. A failed release mechanism trapped part of a test assembly longer than it should have. Victoria suffered damage to one knee and hip that never fully healed.
The investigation concluded that the mechanism met the old standard.
Victoria hated that sentence.
Meeting the old standard had not been enough.
After rehabilitation, she returned to the engineering team and spent three years helping redesign the release so that one failure could not leave a crew depending on a single jammed component.
The revised system evolved over decades and eventually appeared in several pieces of specialized undersea training equipment used by naval operators.
Most sailors never knew her name.
Victoria preferred it that way.
The installation was retiring the final trainer that still contained a direct descendant of her original design. The systems office had invited her back for a small ceremony with current engineers and operators before the equipment moved to a museum collection.
That was why security had checked her identification twice.
That was why the guard made a phone call.
That was why a woman in a repaired coat had been cleared to enter a place Blake assumed she could not belong.
Daniel listened without touching his food.
“You designed the emergency release on the old swimmer trainer?”
Victoria nodded.
He stared.
“We used that system during qualification.”
“Then I apologize for the bruises. The seats were terrible.”
Daniel laughed.
So did two sailors nearby.
The tension finally broke.
Victoria looked at him.
“You were quiet earlier.”
The laughter stopped.
Daniel nodded.
“I was.”
“Why?”
He looked toward the door Blake had left through.
“Because I knew he could make my life difficult.”
