Chapter 2
Roman sat in the briefing room listening to a lecture on the effects of nuclear radiation and fallout and the effect of weather patterns on certain types of radiation. He played attention to the briefing, taking notes and asking questions at the pertinent moments but his mind was elsewhere, back in Summer Bay with his family. He had yet to meet his commanding officer and find out why he was really there. It had been years since he had been in this situation and he felt that many of the men around the room, most of them young enough to make him feel like their father.
The briefing finished and he collected more reading material.
"Lt Harris, if you'd come this way please?" A man in a black suit asked him.
He followed him down through two-tone green painted corridors, thinking that it was about time that he got some answers. Eventually he was led into a room and asked to take a seat. He sat reluctantly and placed his hand flat palm down on his knees.
Moments later the door opened and a full bird colonel walked in. The man in black left as Roman shot up from his chair and saluted.
"At ease Son." The man told him.
Roman stood in the at ease position and waited. The colonel sat down behind the desk and gestured for Roman to sit down. Roman sat slowly.
"I'm sorry to drag you away from your family under these circumstances Lt. Harris but we have a little bit of a situation that we need you for."
"Sir, permission to speak freely?" Roman asked.
"Granted." He was told.
"I'm twice the age of nearly everyone in that room and I've been out of the game too long to be any use." Roman said, expecting that statement to provoke some answers and was surprised to see the other man smile.
"Your jacket doesn't do you justice son. I have a Sgt ready to bring you to match fitness. Your skills are still an asset despite your aged condition!" the Colonel said. "We need you Roman, for two distinctive reasons. Number one: You are still a top-flight sniper. One of the best, in fact and number two: it seems that an old friend of yours may be responsible for selling plutonium to Afghani rebel forces." The man paused and pulled a cigar out of a box on the desk and lit it.
He was watching Roman's face and saw absolutely nothing in the way of a response. Just as he expected. He waited to see if the other man would crack and ask for a name but after almost three minutes there was not a flicker across his face.
He grinned.
"Its Gardener." He said.
"Gardy!" Roman said quickly.
"Yes. An interesting chap. Seem he likes to get his friends killed or locked up." The colonel said.
Roman nodded slowly.
"I take it if we are going after him my family will be protected?" he said eventually.
"We have people watching them." he was assured.
"So how long do you expect me to stay out of contact with my family?" he asked.
"Until we get Gardener." He was told.
Roman nodded slowly.
"You are asking a lot!" he told the other man, a hint of anger entering his voice.
"No Son, I am ordering you for the good of the world. We have Intel that indicates a massive Nuclear strike in 5 different countries around the globe. Including Australia. You will be part of multi-nation task force that will track these people down and bring them to justice. And if we are lucky we'll get rid of." The man paused, "What was it you called him? Gardy?" he questioned.
"Yes." Roman said.
"Tomorrow you will be departing on a a plane to Afghanistan where you will meet the others and get yourself fit so I suggest that you go and get some sleep. I can guarantee that there will be times in the not too distance future that you will go without." The man dismissed him.
Roman stood to attention and saluted before turning and after picking up his papers he walked out of the room. The man in black took him to his room.
He lay on the bed his hand over his eyes. He wished that he had not obeyed orders and smuggled his phone onto the base, at least then he could text El and let her know everything was going to be ok, not that she would have believed him of course. He stretched out still fully dressed and pulled a single blanket over him. Sighing twice he fell into a deep sleep, dreaming of his wife.