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“Yes, I understood that.”
“He never talks about it much. I respect that. No stolen valor with him. I think he fancies himself still engaged in enemy combat. He’ll like you, I’m sure. He’s also very stubborn and independent. Just tell the truth and answer curtly.”
This was not going be difficult for Harper to do. He hated long explanations and people who waxed eloquent over bullshit.
A few minutes later, they were escorted into the Oval Office and introduced. The president was sitting on a loveseat across a coffee table from an identical loveseat and stood as soon as they made their way inside.
President Collins shook his hand with firm resolve.Just like a SEAL,Harper thought. Having gotten that part of the pissing contest out of the way, he studied the president’s face. He liked that the man looked him straight in the eyes.
“I’m very pleased to meet you, Special Operator Cunningham,” he said. “I’ve heard a lot about you, and I am so sorry for the loss of your wife. I understand she was a very gifted nurse, and you had attempted to travel with her, but your team was delayed. I’m sorry about that, and I hope you will bear with us while we propose something you might be interested in. I hope you’ll be interested in it anyway.”
Harper had been stuck on the inaccuracy, which annoyed him. “Actually, Sir, that’s not quite accurate. Her timing was bumped up. Our deployment was set in stone. But she had to go ahead. I tried to talk her out of it, but she just wouldn’t hear of it. I want to make sure that nothing negatively reflects on SEAL Team 3 or my LPO, Kyle Lansdowne. Because that wouldn’t be fair.”
“Yes, I’ve heard of Chief Lansdowne. He’s an invaluable resource to the Teams. Legendary, you could say.”
“Indeed. They don’t make many like him. That’s why I haven’t retired. I frankly don’t know what else I would do.” Harper wondered if that was the right thing to say under the circumstances.
The president pointed to the seat across from him, asking them to sit. He did the same and crossed his legs. “What have you heard about this mission?”
Harper looked at Admiral Patterson and then back at the president. “Sir, Mr. President, I’m sorry, but I’ve not been told much except that you are looking to put together a team to go after the real shooter. And I’ve seen a couple photographs. Honestly, those are photographs I never wanted to see. But I understand. I don’t know what it is I can do, so I just thought I’d hear you out and then I’ll let you know what I think. It sounds like you’re putting together some kind of a group. And you want me to consider joining that group. I have lots of questions and concerns about it.”
“I imagine you do. Let me put it to you briefly. We have a whole write up, a prospectus on what we’re trying to organize here, but in a nutshell, we would like to recruit several senior members from different branches of the military, CIA, and State operatives, people who are still active in the field but of advanced years and possibly considering retirement. I don’t think forty-five years of age is advanced. You’re a youngster to me, still in your prime.”
Harper knew that when the compliments started flying so did the bullshit. He was ready for it.
“But many, especially the operators on the Teams, are done by the time they hit thirty-five. You’re an anomaly, Harper. We don’t want to lose our senior members with some of the best experience. Maybe the HALO jumps or difficult missions in Africa, Middle East, other places are starting to get old and lose their luster. It’s one thing to do those missions when you’re in your twenties. Many of those guys don’t have families yet. You have to admit, some of this is for younger men. But your experience as a nearly twenty-year operator outweighs the challenges of your age. I’m aware of the fact that many of you have to have hip replacements or knee replacements well before you’re forty due to all the jumps and trainings you go through. It takes a toll on one’s body.”
Harper listened, but he stared at the president’s shoes and socks. He had placed two different socks on his feet. Harper wondered why no staffer had pointed it out to him.
“That’s true, Mr. President. I’ve complained about my body quite a bit. But we just get it done anyway. You learn how to do things without getting hurt. So while I may be older than some of the newer guys, I still qualify expert every test we have, and I’m one of the fastest runners. So why not just tell me what you have in mind?”
Patterson leaned forward and added to the president’s information.
“Son, we would like to start a new SEAL Team, and for lack of a better description, we’re going to call it Silver Team. We have to get authorization before we can formally put it to work, but prior to that, we would like to use a group of you on an experimental basis to stop what we believe is a terrorist cell growing in Europe. We’d like to see how it works out, and this would mean a deployment to Italy.”
“But that’s what the Teams do now,” Harper objected.
The admiral nodded. “Depending on the country, yes. However, there may be cases where we don’t have agreements of State. We’re going to need to gingerly go around those rules somehow, and I guess what the president is saying is we want to do this on a trial basis. We want to stop this terrorist cell and get to his new recruits before they go into action.”
President Collins interrupted. “We want to see if, with your unique experience, you could lead the team to go in, grab the sniper, and get out before anyone knows you’re there, just like the Teams do. He lives in a village outside of Florence when he’s not working elsewhere in Europe. He’s posing as a farmer and successful Italian businessman. He grows olives and makes olive oil, but that’s his cover. In fact, he has recruited and trained other European revolutionary types. Young kids from the Universities. He stays away from Africans and Middle Eastern militia types.”
“He works alone? Not part of a network?” Harper asked.
“He’s creating a network. Apparently, he was in Africa at the raid—the militia raid on the health clinic that Lydia was at, but he did not appreciate working with or for the militia leader and, after the raid, went back to Italy. We think he’s vulnerable because he doesn’t know we know who he is and what he’s done or what he’s in the process of doing. The intel we have is extremely accurate, and it’s a snatch and grab. But it also could be a capture-and-kill mission. That’s why I can’t have anybody running this team other than a SEAL. And I want someone who’s experienced and motivated. I think you fit that bill.”
Chapter 7
Harper returned tothe rear entrance of the White House with the admiral. Tucked under his arm was the thick prospectus of the new Silver Team.
“You’re sure you don’t want to spend the night in Washington? We can put you up at the Four Seasons. It’s a beautiful hotel, recently refurbished. That way, if you like, you can have a further discussion with the president tomorrow. Depending on when, I will try to fit you in.” The admiral was visibly shaken that Harper had not accepted President Collins’ invitation to join.
“I have to get back. I’ve got a father suffering from dementia, and I promised I would get back to some of my teammates in San Diego on the way home. If possible, I’d like to be flown back there tonight. From San Diego, I’ll catch a plane to Santa Rosa on my dime. But I need to speak with my LPO and one of my friends. I’ll crash there overnight.”
“I understand. And as you requested, inside the prospectus is a list of names we’d like you to consider giving your evaluation, if you know these gentlemen. One of them on the list is your LPO, Kyle Lansdowne. Wouldn’t it be to your advantage to work with him again?”
“Well, that’s assuming he would accept this job. Has he?”
“No, I believe he has not. I am not sure if the president has even informed him. We frankly thought you would be accepting the position, since the income is so generous. It’s double what you were making on the Teams. You’d be working with the best of the best, since safety is always a concern. We honestly hadn’t thought of a Plan B.”
