alive. I
was finally ready to acknowledge the facts and not keep going on hope and
fantasy. If she was alive, somewhere without the vaccine, she could have
already turned. And if she hadn’t turned yet, she would within a very few days
according to GRU Captain Irina Vostov.
I wanted to share my thoughts with Rachel, but I realized if
I did she might wind up feeling like a consolation prize. Nothing could be
farther from the truth. I’d still feel the same way about Rachel if Katie were
sitting at Tinker waiting for me. I just wouldn’t have acted on my feelings.
But that wasn’t something I thought I could articulate without hurting her.
Damn it.
“You alright?” Rachel asked, reclined in the leather seat,
head turned in my direction.
“Honestly, right now I’m about as alright as I’m probably
ever going to be.” I answered, smiling. Giving up unrealistic hope and moving
on is a freeing experience.
15
Colonel Crawford broke the secure video link to Hawaii,
Admiral Packard’s image blinking out a second later. They’d had a lot to
discuss, and the call had lasted a long time. Captain Blanchard, who had
stayed quiet and out of view of the camera, stepped up and shut down the
computer that was used for video calls. Air Force Brigadier General Triplett,
commander of Tinker Air Force Base, sat across the table from Crawford. He was
a good administrator and did a good job of running the base, but he wasn’t a tactician
or a warrior. Fortunately, he readily acknowledged that fact and had no
problem deferring to the Admiral and Colonel on strategic matters.
Their first topic had been the immediate commencement of
mass production of the vaccine. Crawford had urged they begin producing it as
quickly as possible, and the Admiral had agreed. General Triplett already had
Air Force personnel on the way to the University to oversee the production ramp
up and ensure there was vaccine being manufactured around the clock. He would
take on managing the distribution of the completed product and the
prioritization of inoculations.
They had moved on to several other topics, including
airlifting some needed supplies from stores on the mainland to Hawaii. A
couple of hours into the conference, the Admiral had muted the microphone on
his end and they had seen an aide step into the camera frame. Packard’s unruly
eyebrows had shot up, then he’d unmuted and told Crawford that a Russian GRU
officer was calling on a secure US military circuit, demanding to speak with
Major John Chase.
The Colonel was as surprised as Packard, suggesting the caller
be joined to their conference so both of them could hear why the Russians
wanted to speak with Major Chase. The Admiral agreed, glancing off to the side
at an aide. A moment later there was a dual tone beep indicating a voice
caller had joined the video conference.
“This is Admiral Packard, United States Navy. To whom am I
speaking?”
“Admiral, my name is Captain Irina Vostov. I’m with the GRU
of the Russian Federation. It is urgent that I speak with Major John Chase of
your Army on a most serious matter.” Packard looked out of the screen at the
Colonel and nodded for him to speak.
“Captain, this is Colonel Crawford. I’m Major Chase’s
commanding officer. We’re on a secure line. What is this matter?”
There was a long pause and Crawford was about to ask if she
was still on the line when she spoke again.
“If you are truly his commanding officer, you will know what
I gave him and what he gave me.”
Crawford hesitated. If this were really the GRU Captain the
Major had briefed him about, then it would hurt nothing to reveal what he
knew. But how could he be sure? What if this was an attempt by the Russians
to catch the real Captain Vostov?
“If you’re really Captain Vostov, you can tell me the
specific injuries one of Major Chase’s team suffered while opening the loading
bay doors during
was finally ready to acknowledge the facts and not keep going on hope and
fantasy. If she was alive, somewhere without the vaccine, she could have
already turned. And if she hadn’t turned yet, she would within a very few days
according to GRU Captain Irina Vostov.
I wanted to share my thoughts with Rachel, but I realized if
I did she might wind up feeling like a consolation prize. Nothing could be
farther from the truth. I’d still feel the same way about Rachel if Katie were
sitting at Tinker waiting for me. I just wouldn’t have acted on my feelings.
But that wasn’t something I thought I could articulate without hurting her.
Damn it.
“You alright?” Rachel asked, reclined in the leather seat,
head turned in my direction.
“Honestly, right now I’m about as alright as I’m probably
ever going to be.” I answered, smiling. Giving up unrealistic hope and moving
on is a freeing experience.
15
Colonel Crawford broke the secure video link to Hawaii,
Admiral Packard’s image blinking out a second later. They’d had a lot to
discuss, and the call had lasted a long time. Captain Blanchard, who had
stayed quiet and out of view of the camera, stepped up and shut down the
computer that was used for video calls. Air Force Brigadier General Triplett,
commander of Tinker Air Force Base, sat across the table from Crawford. He was
a good administrator and did a good job of running the base, but he wasn’t a tactician
or a warrior. Fortunately, he readily acknowledged that fact and had no
problem deferring to the Admiral and Colonel on strategic matters.
Their first topic had been the immediate commencement of
mass production of the vaccine. Crawford had urged they begin producing it as
quickly as possible, and the Admiral had agreed. General Triplett already had
Air Force personnel on the way to the University to oversee the production ramp
up and ensure there was vaccine being manufactured around the clock. He would
take on managing the distribution of the completed product and the
prioritization of inoculations.
They had moved on to several other topics, including
airlifting some needed supplies from stores on the mainland to Hawaii. A
couple of hours into the conference, the Admiral had muted the microphone on
his end and they had seen an aide step into the camera frame. Packard’s unruly
eyebrows had shot up, then he’d unmuted and told Crawford that a Russian GRU
officer was calling on a secure US military circuit, demanding to speak with
Major John Chase.
The Colonel was as surprised as Packard, suggesting the caller
be joined to their conference so both of them could hear why the Russians
wanted to speak with Major Chase. The Admiral agreed, glancing off to the side
at an aide. A moment later there was a dual tone beep indicating a voice
caller had joined the video conference.
“This is Admiral Packard, United States Navy. To whom am I
speaking?”
“Admiral, my name is Captain Irina Vostov. I’m with the GRU
of the Russian Federation. It is urgent that I speak with Major John Chase of
your Army on a most serious matter.” Packard looked out of the screen at the
Colonel and nodded for him to speak.
“Captain, this is Colonel Crawford. I’m Major Chase’s
commanding officer. We’re on a secure line. What is this matter?”
There was a long pause and Crawford was about to ask if she
was still on the line when she spoke again.
“If you are truly his commanding officer, you will know what
I gave him and what he gave me.”
Crawford hesitated. If this were really the GRU Captain the
Major had briefed him about, then it would hurt nothing to reveal what he
knew. But how could he be sure? What if this was an attempt by the Russians
to catch the real Captain Vostov?
“If you’re really Captain Vostov, you can tell me the
specific injuries one of Major Chase’s team suffered while opening the loading
bay doors during
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