by Tom Haase
“How the hell did he know you? Moreover, you seemed to know him.” She waited for an answer.
“You remember the mission I went on to Saudi just before this one? Well, I met him then,” Matt said.
“He sure seemed pleased to see you and to come out here to meet us. How did he know where we would be? No, skip that. I can figure that out,” Bridget said.
“I think that when we get back,” Matt said, “we’d better have a very, very long discussion about everything that happened on this mission. You never know when it might come in handy in the future. We do have to get better at doing this. I’m not sure that what we did was the best way of getting it accomplished.” They headed towards their aircraft that had opened its doors after taxing to a stop.
Once they were inside and seated, the aircraft taxied for take off. They were airborne in less than two minutes. The Gulfstream V jet headed for their first stop for refueling at the RAF base on Cyprus. Fourteen hours before they were back in the States.
Matt and Bridget sat beside each other in the front of the aircraft, while Peter and Lucien occupied the two rearmost seats. Matt thought it was time to carry the promised conversation in private, but Bridget beat him to it.
“Matt, I think this is might be my last mission for the DIA. We didn’t receive the kind of support we needed, and we weren’t able to move as fast as we should have. To be able to get these guys we have to have the ability to act faster using real time intelligence, reacting quicker to changing conditions, and make decisive judgments in the field without waiting on somebody from Washington to tell us what to do.” Bridget folded her arms and looked straight ahead. “I plan on not re-upping at the conclusion of my term of service. I want to go to college and get my master’s and PhD.”
“That’s great and I agree with what you said,” Matt said. “I think it may be time for me to get out of the army. I’ve done everything I possibly can in the short time I’ve been in and I feel like I have accomplished a good bit. I’m not patting myself on the back. But I think I might be able to do something like this on the outside with all the training we have.”
“Now we’ve been up for a long time, and I need some sleep,” Bridget said. “Let’s explore this in greater detail when we get back and have some time to refresh ourselves and to think this through in all its ramifications.” Bridget let her eyes close.
Fourteen hours later, they arrived at Andrews Air Force Base. Mary Jean was standing on the tarmac waiting for them.
CHAPTER 43
STRIKE TEAM ONE
ADA, OKLAHOMA
Friday Morning
It was a small church in East Oklahoma, just outside Ada. Six uniformed pallbearers surrounded the casket, draped in an American flag. The graveyard of the church was just to the right of the small white wood building and there were a few scraggly oaks in the area. The pallbearers slowly lowered the casket into the ground as the military bugler played the doleful notes of the final farewell to Sergeant Gary Macnamara. The sharp commands of the honor guard sergeant brought all the attendees back to reality after the last note of taps died in the slight breeze. The crack of the three volleys of gunfire preceded the honor guard commander going forward to present the folded flag to the father and mother of this brave soldier. That concluded the brief but fitting ceremony for a fallen warrior.
Matt, Bridget, Peter, and Lucien walked out of the small countryside graveyard toward the waiting cars. A week had passed since their return to the U.S.
“Everyone take three days off and meet up back at the center on Monday,” Matt said.
Matt strode toward the waiting military sedan and Bridget followed.
As they reached the car, the driver came around to greet them and handed Matt a note. “I was instructed to give this to you after the ceremony.”
Bridget moved to Matt’s side as he opened the envelope. The DIA embossed symbol was on the letterhead and it came from General Bergermeyer’s office.
Captain Matt Higgins:
On your return to Washington, you and Sergeant Donavan will report to my office on Monday at 0800 hours. Class A uniform.
BG Mary Jean Bergermeyer
“They are not waiting long to have our heads for not stopping that bomb going off. Even if I’d shot the bastard the second I walked toward him, he could still have fallen on the plunger. We both agree on that. I haven’t figured out yet why he tried to make a phone call. I think it might have been to set off the other weapon that we recovered,” Matt said.
“Probably so. We have to be in D.C. on Monday, so let’s take the time to make our plans, if we’re going to make any plans.” Bridget walked to the other side of the car to get in.
After sitting in the car, Matt said, “Lets get to D.C. today; that gives us two days to work this out. We need to have a serious discussion.”
When they arrived back at Dulles International Airport in Virginia, they agreed to meet at Matt’s place that evening. They went their separate ways, with a heightened sense of the future and anticipation for what it might hold for them.
* * * *
When Bridget arrived at Matt’s townhouse, she smelled the pizza even before he opened the door. All the team members loved pizza and they had often enjoyed a Papa John’s after a day of rugged training. She had thought of nothing but Matt for the last few hours. Could they really do something together? Did they—no really, did she—want to keep it on a platonic relationship? To work together as partners, that would be the best, but she might have a difficult time with that arrangement. She believed she was falling for Matt. She couldn’t make her mind up on what to do.
Matt greeted her, led her into the living room, and put the boxes of pizzas on the coffee table. The Coors was ice cold and they started on the pepperoni first.
“Well, what is it you think she really wants us for on Monday?” Bridget asked, addressing the first topic of conversation.
“I think it is to ream us out,” Matt said. “We did stop the atomic weapon from detonation in the city, but we failed in the desert. We’ll probably be sent off for a long retraining session and maybe even told we’re not fit for this type of operation, even though I think they would be full of shit.”
“I think you are being too hard,” Bridget said. “We’ve accomplished a lot on this mission and we did all we could with the resources we had available. We have one reason to hang our heads—Gary’s death. I also regret the loss of the guys in the helo.”
They ate a while in silence. Then Bridget asked, “Will you resign your commission?”
“Yes, at the end of the month. You?” Matt asked.
“I have a few months left on my enlistment.”
The tri-band cell phone rang. Matt answered it, put it on speaker, and heard the voice of Admiral Kidd say, “Captain Higgins, I need to see you and that sergeant. If you will be at your operations center on Monday morning at nine, I’ll have my aide-de-camp pick you up. Is that convenient?”
Matt looked at Bridget with his eyes wide and showing the bewilderment he felt. “Yes, admiral, we can be there. May I ask what this is about?”
“No. See you on Monday,” the admiral said tersely as he closed the connection.
“What the hell!” Matt said with a grimace. “We may be in more cow dung than we thought. Why would he want both of us at the center on Monday morning and give no reason?” Matt took a sip of his beer and relaxed back into the chair.
“If you are right about how they view our mission to Saudi, I don’t suppose it’s to give us a promotion,” Bridget said.
They talked about more details of their future career plans. Just past midnight, they decided that they were on the right course and that on Monday they would tell the general about their plans.
Bridget took the last sip from her beer and put it on the table. They both stood up and Matt escorted her to the door. She rapidly turned and gave him a kiss, then another one. She felt his reticence, pulled back, turned away and left.
“Wait!
” Matt shouted. “Please come back here. Please,” he said in a softer voice.
She slowly walked back into his open arms.
CHAPTER 44
BRIGADIER GENERAL MARY JEAN BERGERMEYER
MONDAY MORNING
The sun was shining brightly into Mary Jean Bergermeyer's office on this cool autumn day in the nation's capital. She sat behind her desk, contemplating exactly how to handle the situation with Matt and Bridget. Their actions had filled her thoughts over the entire weekend, and now it was time for her final assessment of their conduct during the mission in Saudi Arabia. She had cleared her desk of the paperwork; the only thing remaining on it was a picture of her pet cats and a coffee cup holding her steaming morning tea.
She had been at her desk for three hours taking care of the normal morning message traffic and important memos that needed to be routed to the appropriate sections under her command. She returned to staring out of the window overlooking the Kennedy Center and parts of Foggy Bottom. The office door opened at 0800 hours and Matt and Bridget walked in and reported.
“You two saved a city from a nuclear attack and probably saved the U.S. from experiencing a catastrophic economic collapse. For that, you have the admiration and gratitude of all who knew of your endeavor.” Mary Jean stood up and faced Matt and Bridget.
“There is the matter of the explosion in the desert that concerns me the most. I feel you were negligent in performing the order I gave you to terminate al-Hanbali as soon as possible. You took your time and even talked to him, according to your report. In my view that was a serious miscalculation. It allowed the terrorist to attempt a detonation of the bomb in the city, and to actually set off the device in the desert.” Mary Jean paused here to let her words sink in. She had not offered the two a seat and they were still standing in front of her desk. She saw the flash of anger in both as she prepared to continue her analysis of the mission.
“You were not aware that the cell phone Tewfik al-Hanbali tried to dial was actually the signal to detonate the bomb in the city,” Mary Jean said. “The Saudis blocked the signal. They had all cell phone calls in that area blocked with the help of some equipment from the NSA. That saved the city, or at least it might have, as we’re not sure if Sergeant O’Leary’s team had already disconnected the phone from the bomb at the exact moment Tewfik tried to detonate it. You, both of you, did not kill al-Hanbali on sight as ordered and he was able to set off the second device. What have you got to say?”
“No Excuse,” Matt said.
“Don’t give me that crap. Tell me what really went on,” demanded the general.
“We got close to him and I decided to try and take him. Even if we nailed him from our position at the time, he still would probably have fallen on the detonator. Bridget had him in her sights and he thought I was his own man in the disguise I had put on. He did not react to my presence until I was within ten feet. I thought I had him; that we could capture him. He would be valuable to interrogate. We could learn much from a guy like that.” Matt shifted back and forth but kept his eyes locked on hers.
“General, we thought the value of a live terrorist leader in our custody might outweigh a dead raghead,” Bridget added in a strong and clear voice.
“I have to commend you for you leadership in getting your team into position with very little assistance from us here. We were too far away and you saved a city and from what I am now told the second bomb did not do the damage the terrorists intended,” Mary Jean said.
“How is that?” they both said almost at the same time.
“Well, Admiral Kidd informs me that the nuclear evaluation team determined the explosion actually sealed the subterraneous cavern in which it detonated and collapsed the walls that would have let the contaminants spread to the entire oil reserves. Unfortunately, our helicopter and the men on it were killed. Those two atomic events could have brought the West to its proverbial knees if they had been successful. So, the only thing I am upset about in the end is your reluctance to take out al-Hanbali on sight. If that order is ever given to you two again, will I have to worry about you carrying it out?”
A single negative came from both of their mouths.
“You are dismissed.”
Matt started to turn, then stopped and said, “Err, General, Bridget and I have decided to put in the paperwork to resign as soon as possible.” Matt looked the general straight in the eye.
“Why, may I ask?”
“We want to set off on our own. We feel that it is time to move on and try new things.”
Mary Jean did not expect this development and she did not wish to give anything away. “I think you are doing this because we failed to support your team in the manner you thought we should have. I want you to rethink it today. I know the admiral’s car is waiting to pick you up downstairs. Come and see me after your meeting with the admiral.” Mary Jean came around from behind her desk, shook each of their hands, and escorted them to the door.
“From the bottom of my heart I want to thank you and your team for what you did. You two showed exemplary leadership and initiative skills. I hope that tomorrow you might think differently.”
CHAPTER 45
THE WHITE HOUSE
MONDAY– 9:00 A.M.
Matt stood with Bridget outside the front entrance of the Center’s building and saw the official Navy car arrive. The admiral’s aide got out and greeted them. He escorted them into the car. Matt asked the aide where they were going and received no reply. He looked at Bridget and she shrugged her shoulders.
Matt decided to just sit back and enjoy the ride. It took only ten minutes to get from the center in Roslyn to the White House gate. After passing through the security gate, they got out of the car. Matt asked no questions as the aide escorted them to the basement of the White House, to the area called the White House Situation Room.
“What the hell is going on?” Bridget whispered.
“Beats me. Maybe we screwed up worse than we thought,” Matt said, just as the door to the situation room opened.
As the door swung fully open, Matt saw the Secretary of Defense, whom he had last seen on that fateful day in 2001.
“Come in, Captain. Sergeant. Matt, it has been some time since that dreadful day. You both did a great job in Saudi.” He shook Matt’s hand and then did the same to Bridget. Right behind him was the Secretary of State and she shook both of their hands. When the two Secretaries parted, Matt saw the President as he rose from behind the desk in the center of the room. There were two other people in the room, Admiral Kidd and General Bergermeyer.
“Welcome. Come on in,” President Christopher Brennan said in a slight Georgia drawl. He extended his hand to them, and they both shook hands with the President. “We have kept this meeting a classified event and the people here all know what you two, plus your team, did in the recent events in Saudi Arabia. I want to express my appreciation for your brave act and quick reaction in bringing the situation to a close. I’ll make sure there is a fitting entry in your military records. But before that, the Secretary of Defense has an award to present to you. Mr. Secretary.” The President gestured to the Secretary to go ahead with the presentation.
The Secretary of Defense read a short citation for both Matt and Bridget and presented them with the Department of Defense Meritorious Service Award. This medal was very high up in the order of military awards that could be presented.
“Thank you, Mr. Secretary. I didn’t know there was such an award.”
“It’s usually for senior officers and it is rare for it to be presented to a captain and never before to a sergeant. All here think you earned it.” The Secretary said that the three enlisted men on the team would receive their service’s commendation medal.
“Congratulations to both of you. As you might have noticed, the citation did not exactly refer to any action you really performed while in Saudi,” the President said. “I am sure you are wondering how I know about this and why I am interested in what you did. Well, fi
rst of all, I know about your exploits from my old college classmate and best man at my wedding, Admiral Kidd. We have been close friends for nigh on thirty years. He told me about you on Friday night in a close hold poker game.” The President had his vote-getting smile in full bloom beaming across his face.
“Let me say that you have the respect of all here and I am going to rip someone’s tail for not keeping me informed as this whole event was unfolding. That’s another story. Right now, I would like to have a private conversation with these two real national heroes. You both showed exemplary courage and devotion to duty and the United States owes you a great deal of thanks for what you accomplished. We could have suffered a catastrophic economic failure if their efforts had failed,” the President concluded and waited for the Secretaries to leave. He pointed to Admiral Kidd and Brigadier Bergermeyer to stay.
“Okay. Everybody is gone except us chickens,” the President said, “and I want to make sure you two know that what is going to be said here in the next few minutes has not been said. Do I make myself clear?” Matt saw the President’s eyes look directly at him and then at Bridget.
Matt shook his head in unison with Bridget. What was coming had to be extremely important. The President motioned for them to sit around the main conference table. They had stood since entering the White House Situation Room for the formal ceremony. Matt snuck a sideways glance at Bridget and saw she was just as puzzled as he was on this whole secret drama thing that was unfolding before them. What did the President have in mind? Matt was curious, but now his guard was going up. Something was going to happen; he sensed it. As he got comfortable sitting, he returned his focus to the President.
After looking around the room, the President sat back in his chair that bore the Presidential seal. He took a deep breath, and started to talk, looking at both Matt and Bridget.
“I am aware of your intentions to resign from the service, perhaps trying to do the same things you have been so superbly trained to do in the military. Have I been informed correctly?”
