by Dan Stratman
“Why would you do that?” Norris asked suspiciously, looking up at the ceiling.
Crawford planted her hands on her curvaceous hips and glared at McNeil. “I wasn’t about to let this jerk sexually harass me again and get away with it. Next time, I’d have proof. With everything on tape, he couldn’t lie his way out of it like he did before.” She directed a contemptuous grin his way. “Pretty smart of me, wouldn’t you say, Arthur?”
“You conniving bitch,” McNeil growled. “I should have fired your ass months ago!”
“So, it was you,” Colonel Wilmer said from the back of the room.
“Shut up, Colonel!” McNeil shouted.
“Take their cuffs off, Lieutenant,” Wilmer said, pointing at Cyndi and Lance. “Arrest General McNeil.”
Norris lifted a flap on his belt and pulled out a key to unlock the cuffs.
McNeil suddenly lunged for the .38 Special on the desk. “I’ll kill all of you!”
Cyndi spun and broke free from the grasp of the security police. She raised her shackled fists and slammed them down on McNeil’s left forearm as he reached for the gun. His ulna bone broke in two with a sickening crack.
The gun fell to the floor. Cyndi kicked it away.
McNeil went down on one knee and screamed in agony as he cradled his fractured forearm.
“Still think I’m just a yoga instructor?” Cyndi said mockingly, glaring down at McNeil. She turned to Norris. “He’s all yours.”
“You can’t do this to me!” McNeil struggled to get to his feet. He was practically foaming at the mouth. “I’ll have every one of you locked up for this! I’m the commander of this base!”
“Not anymore.” Wilmer stepped forward. “You are clearly unfit to control nuclear weapons. I’m relieving you of command as of now. You’re under arrest.”
McNeil remained defiant till the bitter end. “You backstabbing son of a bitch. You’ll be dead by the end of the day, Colonel Wilmer. Just like Dr. Zhao. Just like Major Pierce. I got them, and I’ll get you, too!”
With a team of security policemen protecting him, Wilmer got up the nerve to say, “Kiss my ass.” He turned up his nose. “And it’s General Wilmer to you.”
Norris directed his men to remove the restraints on Cyndi and Lance. After that was done, he took a pair of cuffs and approached McNeil. “You are a disgrace to the uniform and everything it stands for.” He roughly grabbed the general’s good arm and slapped a handcuff around his wrist. Norris was no less aggressive with his broken arm.
McNeil yelped in pain as the last shackle was clamped down on his wrist. Spittle flew from his mouth as he shouted, “I did what any patriot would do!” He pounded the wall of medals on his chest with a closed fist. “I’d bleed on the damned flag if that’s what it took to keep the stripes red!”
His sanctimony enraged Cyndi. She glared at McNeil and pointed a finger right in his face. “Don’t you dare call yourself a patriot. You’re no different from every other tyrant willing to murder innocent civilians to achieve his agenda. The oath you took when you joined the Air Force means something. That uniform you wear means something. It’s not about how many medals you wear on the outside. It’s about the mettle of the person wearing it. You don’t have the courage or integrity to wear anything other than a prison jumpsuit.”
“Take him to the stockade,” Wilmer ordered. “Put him in solitary.”
General McNeil wasn’t about to go willingly. It took two men on each arm to forcefully drag him from the office. As he was being led down the hall, he screamed out supposed justifications for his deranged plan. Everyone from spineless politicians to greedy CEOs who’d sell out America if it meant a quick buck to China killing millions of innocent people by unleashing the COVID-19 virus on the world were included on his list of culprits. His last outburst was, “You’ll be sorry; mark my words!”
Wilmer, Crawford, Cyndi, and Lance looked at each other, trying to make sense out of the last few bizarre minutes.
Before anyone could speak, the radio clipped to Wilmer’s belt went off.
“Colonel Wilmer, this is command post. How do you read?”
He lifted the radio to his mouth. “This is Wilmer, go ahead.”
“Sir, all the other launch control centers tested good. No anomalies found. All missiles are offline.”
“Copy that. As I suspected, my command post wasn’t the source of the problem. Stand down until you hear from me.” He clipped the radio back onto his belt.
Lance nudged Cyndi and rolled his eyes. They each rubbed their wrists to get the circulation going again.
Cyndi went over to Crawford and smothered her in a hug. “Thank you. We owe you our lives—literally.”
Crawford squeezed her tightly. “No thanks needed, honey. It felt good finally putting that jackass in his place. Behind bars.”
“That was very clever, Miss Crawford,” Wilmer said. “Installing a camera in the smoke detector was a brilliant idea. Without that, McNeil never would have confessed.”
“Um…thanks,” Crawford said quietly. Her head dropped. Her eyes searched the floor. “Yeah…about that.”
“About what, Miss Crawford?” Wilmer asked suspiciously.
She bit her lip and looked up with an awkward expression. “There’s no camera. I made that up. Oliver was just changing the battery every week hoping to get a date. Maybe I should go out with him after all.” She winked at them.
Cyndi’s eyes opened wide. “What?”
“I had to do something!” Crawford replied in her defense. “When I saw the desperation in your eyes, I knew you were telling the truth. Us girls, we have to stick together.”
Cyndi thought of Ruby standing up for herself back in the coal mines and nodded approvingly. “Yes, we do.”
“This is very troubling,” Wilmer said. He paced the floor, deep in thought, and then stopped. “Luckily, there were plenty of witnesses who heard General McNeil confess. I don’t see any reason why this information should leave the room. Why don’t we just keep this to ourselves?” Wilmer pointed at the ceiling. “And get your friend over here ASAP. Tell him to bring a miniature camera and a dead battery.”
“A dead battery?” Crawford asked, looking confused. There was more than enough space in her head for the wheels to turn freely. Her brow furrowed as she thought about Wilmer’s suggestion. Suddenly a big smile emerged on her face. She tapped her temple then pointed her finger at Wilmer. “I get it. The dead battery would explain why there’s no recording.”
“Precisely,” Wilmer said, flashing a smug grin.
“Well aren’t you the smart one?” Crawford went over and hooked her arm through Wilmer’s. Her ample breasts just happened to press up against him. “You’re gonna have a lot on your plate after all this, Colonel—excuse me—General Wilmer. I happen to be available if you need a clever sidekick.”
“No offense intended, Miss Crawford, but”—Wilmer unfurled her fingers from his arm and backed away—“hell no.”
She shrugged. “Can’t blame a girl for trying.”
Wilmer took an anguished breath and massaged his temples. “General Rayburn is going to have a coronary when he hears what happened. His pet project is guaranteed to be canceled after all this.” He swallowed hard. “Heads are going to roll.” Wilmer’s eyes narrowed. He turned and shot a sideways glance at Cyndi.
A startled look flashed across her face. “Why are you looking at me?”
“You were the one in command out there,” Wilmer said sheepishly.
“Don’t even think about it, Wilmer.” Crawford stepped between the two. “If you ask me, Captain Stafford here is the one who deserves a medal. She just saved the world from disaster. Cut her some slack.”
Her defense of Cyndi was interrupted by a loud commotion in front of the building. The four hurried over to the window.
News vans had pulled up to the headquarters building. Reporters clutching microphones poured out of the vans and were rushing up the steps and into the lobby. T
heir cameramen trailed close behind.
“Crap, what am I going to tell those vultures?” Wilmer said under his breath.
“The truth,” Cyndi said sternly.
“The truth? Are you crazy?”
“If you don’t do it, I will,” Cyndi said.
Wilmer nearly choked at hearing her ultimatum.
“As you said, I was the crew commander. It’s only right I tell them everything that happened.”
Wilmer held both hands up. “Don’t be rash. Let’s think about this.”
“Everything,” she reiterated, arms tightly crossed. “The taxpayers have a right to know.”
“Don’t forget about the president,” Lance added with a chuckle. “I’m sure he’ll want to talk to you personally, sir.” Lance slowly shook his head. “Man, I wouldn’t want to be in the Oval Office when he calls China and tells them your base almost nuked them.”
“But I had nothing to do with this!” Wilmer said in a full panic.
“Welcome to the club,” Lance said with a wry smirk.
“I think I might have a solution,” Cyndi said.
She proceeded to tell Wilmer everything that had happened at Alpha One. And a way to spin it to his advantage.
Wilmer paced the floor. He mulled over what he’d heard. “Hmm…this just might work.” He stroked his chin and thought out loud. “The old, leaking fuel tank suddenly exploded after years of budget cuts that left the ground-based nuclear facilities in dangerous shape. You two had no choice but to evacuate.” He smiled and nodded. “I’ll seal off the area for a mile in every direction. No one will be allowed anywhere near it. For the protection of the public, of course.” General Wilmer snickered. “The best part will be watching the media and the politicians play right into my hands when they panic. When I explain to Rayburn that it will be the perfect opportunity to demand a huge increase in his budget to fix these ‘problems,’ I’m sure he’ll overlook everything else that happened.” If Wilmer could have reached around and patted himself on the back, no doubt he would have. “And I’ll come out of this looking like a genius.”
“Aren’t you forgetting something?” Crawford said rudely, pointing at Cyndi and Lance.
“Oh yeah, right,” Wilmer said. “You two are off the hook. I’ll see to that.”
“That’s it?” Crawford sneered. “After all they did?”
Wilmer looked confused. “What else is there?”
“There’s two more things I think I deserve, sir. To express your gratitude for everything I’ve done for you, Global Strike Command, and world peace, you’ll be approving my transfer to Laughlin Air Force Base,” Cyndi said. “To attend pilot training with Lance.” She snatched the file off the desk. “And I keep this.”
By this time, Wilmer was willing to do just about anything to get them out of his thinning hair. “Fine. Take it. Miss Crawford draw up the transfer orders.”
“I ain’t your secretary,” she shot back.
“You are now,” Wilmer replied. “Have the documents on my desk by the end of the day.”
“Yes, sir, General.” Crawford gave him an exaggerated salute.
“Get your notepad and come with me, Miss Crawford. Let’s get this over with.”
She strutted over and opened the office door for him. “After you, General. On the way to the lobby we’ll talk about my raise.”
Wilmer looked at his new secretary, shook his head, and whined, “I’m going to regret this.”
Crawford gleefully hooked his arm and led him down the hall.
Lance went over to Cyndi. “Hell of a day, Captain Stafford.”
She sighed heavily. “Hell of a day, Lieutenant Garcia.” A slight smile emerged on her pretty face. “The upside is we’ll never have to sit alert again. And we didn’t have to give a sappy going-away speech at this morning’s briefing.”
“Trust me, the Air Force doesn’t want to hear what I have to say.” Lance shook his head. “I can’t believe we risked our lives rushing back to the base then walked right into the lion’s mouth. I should have known it was him.”
“Live and learn,” Cyndi said with a rueful tone. “I won’t make that mistake again.”
“You’re welcome, by the way,” Lance said smugly.
Cyndi cocked her head in confusion. “For what?”
“For helping you save the world, of course,” Lance said with mock annoyance.
Cyndi planted her hands on her hips. “Has anyone ever told you that you’re incredibly humble?”
“Surprisingly, no,” Lance answered with a big grin. “Humility is one of my best traits.”
Cyndi let the obvious contradiction pass.
“This calls for a celebration,” Lance declared. “Dinner is on me. My favorite restaurant.”
“Sounds like a plan, Ice Man.” Cyndi hoisted the file folder up. “I need to burn this first.”
“Where?”
Cyndi wandered over to the window. The firemen were still struggling to get the inferno on the parade field under control.
“There,” she said, pointing out the window. A broad smile spread across her face. “I can’t think of a more appropriate place.”
Lance hooked his arm through Cyndi’s and led her toward the door. “Looks like you’re going to get a second chance at your dream after all.”
Cyndi flashed her most flirtatious smile and gazed into his deep brown eyes. “Speaking of second chances, do you have another spare key?”
Lance stopped and let go of her arm. He had a pained look on his face. His reaction was the opposite of what Cyndi was expecting.
“Yeah, about that. I have a confession to make. When we were eating lunch back at Alpha One, I wasn’t completely honest with you. Rocko never said those things about wanting you to move in with us.”
“Wait a minute.” Cyndi pulled away from him. “Is this sudden change of heart about my past?”
“No, it’s not that.”
She glared at Lance. “Don’t tell me you’re afraid to commit to a relationship.”
“No, it’s not that either.” He looked down and shuffled his feet. “Well, not exactly.”
“What is it, then?”
Lance looked up. A goofy grin spread across his face. “Rocko’s a dog. Dogs can’t talk.”
Cyndi rolled her eyes. “Very funny. So, if Rocko didn’t say those things about wanting me to move in, who did?”
Author’s Notes
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Acknowledgments
Thank you first and foremost to my beautiful wife, Cyndi. Thanks for being my sounding board, first round editor, and constantly challenging me to be the best writer I am capable of being. I love you more than you will ever know.
Several talented people helped me get my manuscript from a rough first draft to a finished novel. Without their help and suggestions DEADLY DILEMMA wouldn’t be nearly the book it is.
Thank you to Phil Heffley for reviewing and editing each of my novels. Your advice and input are invaluable. Thanks to Rob Perschau, a veteran newspaper man, for the in-depth review and insightful suggestions. Thanks to my brother, Paul Stratman. Who knew you had such a keen eye for editing? Thank you, Anita Marra Rogers, the newest (and obviously very sharp) member of my Beta reader team.
Thousands of courageous men and women have served thanklessly and at times unseen for many decades preserving peace through deterrence in the missile fields. I thank you for your service.
Three individuals were immensely helpful to me durin
g the research phase. Capt. Pamela “Ace” Blanco-Coca is the archetypal missileer and was very generous with her time educating me on the details of this important job. Monte Watts is known as the guru of all things pertaining to Minuteman missiles and was a wealth of information—both technical as well as some “inside baseball”. First Lt. Jon Carkhuff’s help navigating the frustrating bureaucracy of the Air Force during my research into the highly classified area of nuclear weapons was invaluable. Thank you one and all.
Words can’t describe how indebted I am to my editor, Jason Whited. You’ve provided me with dozens of invaluable tips about writing well in addition to the intricacies of the English language since I began working with you. Your advice and guidance are irreplaceable in helping my writing shine. I consider you a good friend.
And last but certainly not least, I want to thank my readers. I’m eternally grateful to you for not only buying my books but also for telling so many people how much you enjoy them. Good word of mouth is the best form of praise there is for an author and is greatly appreciated.
Sincerely,
Dan Stratman
Also by Dan Stratman
The Capt. Mark Smith Series
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About the Author
Dan Stratman is a # 1 bestselling author and retired major airline Captain with over 40 years of experience in the aviation industry. Before flying for the airlines he was a decorated Air Force pilot. In addition, Captain Stratman is a highly sought-after aviation consultant and a popular aviation spokesperson with the media. He is also a World traveler, having been to 43 countries so far.
Dan has an entrepreneurial side that stretches back many years. He developed the popular air travel app, Airport Life. In addition, he created an eCommerce website, ran an aviation consulting company he founded, and has filed numerous patents for consumer products.
