Troubleshooters (Jackson Chase Novella Book 2) Read Free Page A

turn up slightly. “Observation, as you well know, is the first. The ability to see everything around you contextually. Understanding what you’re seeing in that little blade of grass, and weighing it against what you see in the field. Against what you see in the theater.”
    I remembered those lessons in tracking vividly. It was one of the areas in which the NZSAS was the best in the world. And while some of it could be taught, a fair portion of it was either in your personal character or not. I knew he would get to this next, and he didn’t disappoint me.
    “The second is self-honesty,” he continued, more for the benefit of everyone around the table than for me. “The tracker has to be able to separate his preconceived notions of what he thinks is happening from what he is seeing. He has to see the information that the trail presents, and make a plan of action based on that alone. He has to leave behind what he expects to see, and see only what is there.
    “What we’re looking for is the same thing: the ability to put what Washington wants to see aside, and see what’s really there. To focus on solving the problem.”
    “Elaborate on that, sir,” I said.
    He took a moment to collect his thoughts. “These ‘troubleshooters’ would handle pressing issues. Opportunities that would dry up if we took the Washington approach of a hundred meetings and position papers. You’ll be sent into harm’s way. Into hot zones where you need to observe, assess, and act in the best interests of the country. This will involve both intelligence and direct action.”
    The Director paused. He looked me directly in the eyes, and said, “Lieutenant, I would like you to lead the team. You, the Commander, and the Chief will be seconded to my office. There will be no new department, no secret agency, just the three of you working directly with Landon and me.”
    I knew this had been coming, but didn’t realize the moment would have such gravity. I swiveled my head, alternating glances at both Chen and Sterba, my eyebrows raised.
    Chen, who had been nearly silent during the entire meeting, looked at me and said, “I will take your lead.”
    I turned to Sterba to see that he wasn’t looking at me. Instead, he was watching Landon withdraw a very thick folder from his briefcase. With the room so silent, all of us looked at the folder. If that was research for us, it sure looked like we’d be doing a lot of homework.
    Since Sterba was seated next to Landon, he had an angle to see the inside edges of the folder. Without warning, he stiffened, and then fixed Landon with an intimidating glare. His head gave a tiny shake from side to side.
    Reading the tension in his body language, I asked Sterba, “What does Landon have there?”
    “Nothing that he is going to share right now, sir,” he replied. His eyes didn’t leave Landon’s.
    Sir? Sterba never ‘sirs’ me. He turned to the Director. In what I like to call his ‘chief’s voice’, he said, “Before the Lieutenant answers your question, I have a few of my own.”
    A chill descended over the room. I found Sterba’s change in demeanor interesting, and wanted to see where this was headed.
    “First, what are the rules of engagement?”
    The Director was not put off by Sterba’s borderline disrespectful tone, and simply replied, “You are authorized to do whatever it takes, including lethal force, if in your judgment you, or the country, are—or will be—at risk.”
    I raised my eyebrows. This was definitely not how things were usually done.
    Sterba continued, his voice growing slightly louder. “Second, who is your foil? We both know a lot of politicians have tried to start their own little armies, and when the castle comes crumbling down, it’s guys like us that get buried in the rubble.”
    I was pretty floored that Sterba had become so direct with a retired two-star now at the helm of the world’s largest intelligence apparatus. Landon apparently was too.
    “Chief, I