“I’m thinking that a white and blue airplane went down in a dangerous part of the world.”
“Very high-profile. You’d have to at least consider terrorism.”
“True,” Katie said. “But airplanesdocrash.”
“Now, there’s a nice thought, given that we’re about to go out and jump on one.”
Katie rolled her eyes.
“Do you think this Navy commander might have been somebody special?” he asked.
“Maybe, maybe not. Either way, it sounds like somebody up the Navy chain is being proactive. If this crashwasterrorism-related, it wouldn’t be a bad idea to have a couple of ONI officers on the scene.”
“I suppose that makes sense. Looks like we’re in the right place at the right time.”
“Or the wrong one.”
He looked at her with mock surprise. “Not used to you being a bucket of negativity, Lieutenant Commander Ryan.”
She didn’t respond, and her expression turned suddenly distant.
“Katie? You okay?”
“Sorry,” she said, shaking it away. “I was thinking about Secretary Moore. He was a close friend of my dad’s.”
“Did you ever meet him?”
“Yeah, a couple of times when I was a teenager. I remember a New Year’s party at our house. He seemed like a good guy.”
Conza nodded somberly. “Good ol’ boy like me…I sometimes forget what highfalutin contacts you have.”
“Keep forgetting. We’re two Navy officers and we’ve got a new assignment.”
“Fair enough. Guess it’s time to pack up. That C-17 is fragged to leave in an hour.”
“Let’s hit it.”
“And don’t forget to pack that soothing lotion you bought for your lobster tan.”
She gave him her best peeved look. “Truth is, the way you carry on about the delights of redneck life—I thought I’d give it a try.”
Conza laughed and began shutting down his laptop. “See you outside in twenty.”
Katie headed for the door, and when she passed through the TOC’s entrance the sun did a reverse number on her eyes. She squinted and saw the big transport in the distance. It was a beehive of activity.
As an intel officer, Katie was wired to view world events through a lens of suspicion. She wondered about the downed airliner. Could it have been targeted? Or possibly John Moore? If so, what were the ramifications? Soon, however, all that was pushed aside by a more immediate question. The one that, after finding herself in so many critical situations in the last year, was far more personal.
What the hell are we getting into now?
—
Thirty minutes later, Katie and Conza presented themselves at the loading ramp of the C-17. They introduced themselves to the loadmaster, a crusty-looking Air Force master sergeant named Burgstahler.
“Colonel’s been looking for you,” said the loadie. He diverted into the cargo bay.
An Air Force full bird in fatigues appeared. He looked all squared away in his camo OCP uniform. There were pilot wings on his chest, an eagle on his cap, and a subdued American flag patch was velcroed to one arm. Sunglasses were perched on an aquiline nose. His name tag saidCarter,and after gauging them both, his eyes settled on Katie.
“Ryan,” he said simply.
