small-boned, sharp-faced brunette was only a little older than he. She’d directed the White House Situation Room when Dan had worked in the West Wing. They’d stayed in touch, and now and then she’d been able to extend a helping hand, or pulse the Old Girl Network on his behalf. She’d obviously hit wickets and punched tickets since; now she was ComDesRon 26, Savo Island ’s squadron commander—and thus, his putative direct boss, at least for manning, equipment, and administrative matters.
Studying her, he wondered if she could have been the one who’d gotten the promotion board to throw out its initial recommendations. Probably not. They hadn’t been that close. Coworkers, no more. Only Niles had the clout to swing a board his way. And the cunning to make sure no one would ever be able to prove it.
Snapping the cell closed, Roald focused a dark gaze on him. “Dan, good to see you again. That was the NCIS. They’re helping the Italians with the case. The police are working their way through the demonstrators. They want to know if you got a look at who threw the bomb.”
“It wasn’t a bomb. Just a bottle of gasoline. Green, maybe a wine bottle. I only got a glimpse. And I didn’t see who threw it. It flew up out of the crowd, then hit our windshield. I smelled gas, and whoosh—it ignited.”
She pushed across a paper slip. “Call this number. The agent’s name’s Erculiano. Italian name, but he’s American.”
He said he would and Roald glanced at a notebook screen. “Okay. Where we stand on the grounding … Sixth Fleet convened a JAG manual investigation, came down with a six-man team. They’ll wrap at noon and present their conclusions to Admiral Ogawa. You know him?”
“I don’t think so. No.”
She frowned. “He seems to know you. Or of you. Anyway, he’ll hold mast at 1400. I can’t anticipate the results officially, but between us, I think he’ll fire several people on the spot. Captain Imerson will be one. The base master-at-arms is over on Savo packing their seabags. They’ll go from mast to the barracks and we’ll fly them back to CONUS tomorrow.”
“They’re not going back to the ship?”
“There’s some concern there might be, um, physical violence.” She nodded at his raised eyebrows. “Yeah, that bad … Some things here for you to read. The last Insurv report. The Command Climate Survey. But right now we have to talk about where Savo Island ’s going from here.”
He nodded and took out his BlackBerry, but she gestured to put it away. “Let’s make this off the record. To tell the truth, I was surprised to see your name on the message. I asked for a forceful backup, but I thought you were … off the board, somehow.” She smiled. “That doesn’t mean I’m not glad to have you.”
“Uh … thanks.”
“What have they told you? Well, first. You’ve XO’d an Aegis, haven’t you?”
The XO was the executive officer, the second in command. “Actually, no. Horn wasn’t Aegis capable. My XO tour was on a Knox.”
“But you have missile experience? Computer background?”
“With the Tomahawk program. Computers, yes. And as far as conning goes, I’m pretty confident on the bridge.”
“If you mean you wouldn’t have put her aground, I certainly hope not. From what I’ve heard, it was a real monkeyfuck, the last few minutes before they hit. But we’ll read all about that in the investigator’s report.”
“You don’t want me at the admiral’s mast.”
“Absolutely not. Stay out of sight.” Her cell chimed again and she flipped it open, listened, said, “Make it so,” and oystered it. “Okay, what’d they tell you before you got on the plane … never mind. I’ll start from square one. You know Savo just went from a baseline 7 Aegis to something new.”
“Theater ballistic missile defense.”
“TBMD’s a new mission for us. Up to now it’s been an Army responsibility, from the old Sprint to the Patriot. But if the Navy can do
Studying her, he wondered if she could have been the one who’d gotten the promotion board to throw out its initial recommendations. Probably not. They hadn’t been that close. Coworkers, no more. Only Niles had the clout to swing a board his way. And the cunning to make sure no one would ever be able to prove it.
Snapping the cell closed, Roald focused a dark gaze on him. “Dan, good to see you again. That was the NCIS. They’re helping the Italians with the case. The police are working their way through the demonstrators. They want to know if you got a look at who threw the bomb.”
“It wasn’t a bomb. Just a bottle of gasoline. Green, maybe a wine bottle. I only got a glimpse. And I didn’t see who threw it. It flew up out of the crowd, then hit our windshield. I smelled gas, and whoosh—it ignited.”
She pushed across a paper slip. “Call this number. The agent’s name’s Erculiano. Italian name, but he’s American.”
He said he would and Roald glanced at a notebook screen. “Okay. Where we stand on the grounding … Sixth Fleet convened a JAG manual investigation, came down with a six-man team. They’ll wrap at noon and present their conclusions to Admiral Ogawa. You know him?”
“I don’t think so. No.”
She frowned. “He seems to know you. Or of you. Anyway, he’ll hold mast at 1400. I can’t anticipate the results officially, but between us, I think he’ll fire several people on the spot. Captain Imerson will be one. The base master-at-arms is over on Savo packing their seabags. They’ll go from mast to the barracks and we’ll fly them back to CONUS tomorrow.”
“They’re not going back to the ship?”
“There’s some concern there might be, um, physical violence.” She nodded at his raised eyebrows. “Yeah, that bad … Some things here for you to read. The last Insurv report. The Command Climate Survey. But right now we have to talk about where Savo Island ’s going from here.”
He nodded and took out his BlackBerry, but she gestured to put it away. “Let’s make this off the record. To tell the truth, I was surprised to see your name on the message. I asked for a forceful backup, but I thought you were … off the board, somehow.” She smiled. “That doesn’t mean I’m not glad to have you.”
“Uh … thanks.”
“What have they told you? Well, first. You’ve XO’d an Aegis, haven’t you?”
The XO was the executive officer, the second in command. “Actually, no. Horn wasn’t Aegis capable. My XO tour was on a Knox.”
“But you have missile experience? Computer background?”
“With the Tomahawk program. Computers, yes. And as far as conning goes, I’m pretty confident on the bridge.”
“If you mean you wouldn’t have put her aground, I certainly hope not. From what I’ve heard, it was a real monkeyfuck, the last few minutes before they hit. But we’ll read all about that in the investigator’s report.”
“You don’t want me at the admiral’s mast.”
“Absolutely not. Stay out of sight.” Her cell chimed again and she flipped it open, listened, said, “Make it so,” and oystered it. “Okay, what’d they tell you before you got on the plane … never mind. I’ll start from square one. You know Savo just went from a baseline 7 Aegis to something new.”
“Theater ballistic missile defense.”
“TBMD’s a new mission for us. Up to now it’s been an Army responsibility, from the old Sprint to the Patriot. But if the Navy can do
Similar Books
The Harvest Tide Project
Oisin McGann
Hydrofoil Mystery
Eric Walters
Samurai Code
Don Easton
The Diabolist (Dominic Grey 3)
Layton Green
Defeat
Bernard Wilkerson
Electus (Regnum Series Book 1)
K.M. Link
Old Green World
Walter Basho
Capable of Honor
Allen Drury
Caravans
James A. Michener