Chapter Four –"A Single Spark"
Somewhere in the Peshawar
Mahmoud al Kajh looked over at his compatriots. The Islamic Brotherhood had brought unity to those who were looking for a more fundamentalist voice for Islam. The Western invaders in Afghanistan were constantly trying to find those responsible for the vacuum bomb attack in Islamabad, however they were sorely unsuccessful. The Islamic Brotherhood could appear like a ghost, plant their bombs and disappear and tracking them served to no avail. They would inflict havoc on the population of Pakistan at will. The unbelievers would suffer. The verses of the Quran willed it.
"When is our next action?" the jihadi in the back of the vehicle stated as he looked over at al Kajh.
"When our God wills it. Insh'Allah. Not before then. The time is not right. For us the time is to disappear like that of a jackal in the forest. Our makers are still working on the next device. It was interesting to see just how effective it was in causing people to understand the will of Allah." al Kajh intoned. "We shall see what the next one does.
The Pentagon, Washington DC
Fleet Admiral Toshio Nakamura was getting a major headache reading the reports from his various units in the Persian Gulf and in the Mediterranean near the Black Sea. It appeared as though the Russians had woken up and were increasing patrols. The Black Sea fleet was active and moving through the area and there had already been incidents between US forces and the Russian fleet. It was a minefield to be handled with kid-gloves with the risk being an altercation could flashpoint to full on war. And that was the last thing that the fleet admiral wanted.
"Get me the latest KH-12 data. I need to see if the First Russian Fleet has moved towards the Turkish coast in an attempt to intimidate the Turks into closing off American access to the strait. That's what I'd do if I were Admiral Korzov." Harm knew that Anatolyi Korzov was a hard-line Russian apparatchik as well as a well-read admiral of the Russian Navy on maritime tactics and territorial denial by naval blockade, "Then I'd cross the T at the mouth of the strait with a steady stream of destroyers on a rotation just to make the point stick that this is our inland sea and no visitors allowed. I have a feeling that's the way it's going to play out." Animal informed Harm as he looked over at the folder of intel that he had in his hand. "One of our options is to do the same on the opposite side and bottleneck the Russians into their sea and not let them out, or we can play nice and let them have their way out and we make sure that they understand they're not to engage us while we're trying to take care of the jihadis in Iraq, Afghanistan and Pakistan. Unless they want mushroom clouds rising over their capital cities, they might want to understand that we rule the roost when it comes to seapower."
"Isn't that playing a bit hard-ball, sir; it could rebound back on us with disastrous consequences." Mac looked over at him.
"Tough talk is what the Russians understand. Any display of weakness and it's a signal for them to attack. My gut hunch is that our show of strength will cause the Russians to back down. Hitler knew that a two front war was a bad business but he went into it just the same. I don't think Korzov will be dumb enough to do that." Animal stated. "Look, I don't like the fact that the Russians are coming out to play any more than anyone else does, but the only way to deal with them is in one of two ways. By dropping nukes on them which will send the whole world into hell in a hand-basket, or we let them out of their little backyard and make them play by our rules by force and sheer intimidation. The fact is that we still have twelve carriers to their three and a whole shitload of naval air power at our disposal. I could send all three of their Russian carriers down to the bottoms of the Pacific and Atlantic oceans and still have plenty more air power to play with. But I'd rather not do that if I don't have to."
The two officers looked over at each other. Animal was not going to drag the US into a war without adequate cause, but he wasn't afraid to play hardball if necessary. That was the structure of international gunboat diplomacy. It was diplomacy by open display of arms; gambling that the other party would back down from a show of force – thereby keeping the peace and making sure that brushfires stayed brushfires long enough to be put out instead of expanding.
As the only fleet admiral since the 1950s which was when the last fleet admiral retired, Animal was certainly one of the few who had attained that exalted rank of five star. An insignia that was five stars with the topmost points arranged inwards in a pentagon shape and the right and left arms of the star connected to each other to form it.
USS Dwight D. Eisenhower. Somewhere in the Persian Gulf
RADM Philip "Metalman" Burrows looked over at his DBATGRP; "Think this is going to be a cakewalk?"
"I doubt it, sir. We've been striking targets six sorties in a single day and it seems like all the bastards do is go underground. We're just turning rock face into pebbles." DBATGRP sounded frustrated at the futility of the missions. Post-mission intel didn't give any indication that all their ordnance dropped on targets amounted to anything.
"Well, that's what the orders currently are...just attack the suspected locations and hope that some of our ordnance hits the target."
Metalman's Command Master Chief entered the bridge, "Sir. Communique from DC, sir."
"Good thing, Chief." Metalman took the communication from Chief Winslow. "Brian, thanks..."
"You're welcome, sir." the chief stated, "Sounds like it's urgent."
"Quite probably." the admiral took a brief look down the communique. "It's telling us to stop bombing the sites, until we get concrete intel on what's there." he snorted, "And how's that going to work? High-powered telescopes? Hope the Islamic Brotherhood stick their necks out of their hideyholes just long enough so that we can cut their heads off?" He paused another long moment, "...oh, the JCS wants recce aircraft flying overhead to spot any holes in the rock face along with GPS coordinates so that he can do a precision strike of the spot as needed. At six hundred knots, does he remember the closure rate between a target site and a GPS tracker? Are we even going to be able to get a reading off that?"
"Might be difficult, sir." DBATGRP replied.
"No, damned near impossible." Metalman growled, "You don't get to forty years flying fast jets if you do stupid stunts like that. This kind of shit is what makes smoking holes." Metalman looked at the orders closer. "Wooah...looks like this one didn't make it over the CNO's desk. Guess who's going to be getting an ass chewing..."
The Pentagon, CNO's Office, Washington DC
"So who the hell came up with this abortion?" Animal looked up at the NAVINTEL's Chief Officer, a vice-admiral with a stony gaze that spoke volumes about his displeasure with the man. "When you're going six hundred knots at ninety degrees deflection to the target because it's on a mountain face. How much time do you figure that that the TARPS aircraft is going to have to pin the pipper on the rock face to get an accurate GPS reading?" The Intel admiral shrugged his shoulders. Animal snorted derisively, "Thought so... didn't think of that, did you? You know what your pull-up AOA is on an aircraft loaded down with TARPS? And the only way you're able to get a good GPS read on TARPS is by going face on with the mountain so your GPS can target to line-of-sight off the nose. Whoever came up with this bone-headed plan needs to be strapped into an F-14 and ejected over the Peshawar. Figure out something with the KH-12s and magnification. Get your ass on it, I needed it yesterday." At the final growled Dismissed, the intel admiral amscrayed.
"Sir?" Command Master Chief Coates stepped into the office, "Sir, I have your itinerary booked as far as hotels are concerned for the inspection tour of the Third and Sixth fleets. I didn't tell any of the commands that you were coming. I figured you'd get the truth out of them if you surprised them instead of a Chinese fire drill, cover-your-asses-and-snow-the-boss LEAPEX, sir."
"Good thinking, Jen." Animal grinned at her. "Always on the ball, aren't you?"
"I try, sir." she smiled at him. "I have a feeling that heads will probably be on the chopping block after this inspection tour."
"You're probably right, Jen." he sighed, "My wife is so going to love me after this. Not only is she completely overloaded at work already, she's going to have more cases to deal with; plenty of dereliction of duty cases."
"Sorry to hear that, sir." Jen's smile was absolutely cheeky. "...but better to clean out house and make sure that everything runs well, right, sir?"
"I'm sure she'll be asking for a few more attorneys for the office to handle the overflow and then I'll have to deal with the flying monkeys from PacFlt who keep wanting shiny new toys to play with and why they're not getting a budget surplus next year because we had to bail out JAG. We're still a year from having the F-35B go to sea. And the Marines are still playing with their shiny new toy in the desert making sure it hovers like a hummingbird and doesn't make a nice big sixty five million dollar hole in the ground. No we're far from having the bird go to sea yet on an active duty basis." Jen grinned as Animal finished, "I need a vacation..."
"Isn't your trip to Europe and Asia a vacation?" Animal glowered at Jen who knew that he was just joking.
"...no..." Animal muttered. "And knowing this something else will go completely FUBAR while I'm gone. Oh, by the way, here's your ticket..." Animal handed her the ticket from the file folder Jen had given him. I need someone to help me coordinate and keep my head straight from going off my rocker."
Jen raised her eyebrows, "Of course, sir...and VADM Austin-Nakamura will handle the legal end of things as well as off-hours, I presume."
"Cheeky thing."
"Yes sir...indubitably, sir." She knew she had done well in determining that her boss would have need of her and had booked her own rooms at the various hotels that they were staying at. And Animal, like Harm, was always kind and quite willing to have her work to her strengths and as the senior most enlisted non-commissioned officer in the United States Navy, well, the fact that she worked for Animal was an appointment that she truly enjoyed.
A knock on the door precipitated a look at each other when Admiral Pruette stepped into the room. "Going on vacation already, sir?" Jen and Joanne looked at each other and grinned...Animal thought, practically identical cheeky grins. "...and I get stuck minding the house while you and your CMC wander the world."
"His wife's coming too." Jen volunteered.
"The DJAG, I'm sure, can handle things..." ADM Pruette grinned back at Jen. "And I'm sure the JAG will be quite busy in any case. In all seriousness, I was hoping that this was going to happen, sir."
"It wasn't left up to me, was it?" Animal raised an eyebrow in question.
"No it wasn't ignored...I had to can two Fleet Commanders because they wouldn't tighten up on the performance standards. However having to deal with a four-star CNO that is of equal rank to them if not greater responsibility usually ends up with them deciding which orders to follow and which not to as long as they get the job done. Having to put up with that and dealing with the She can't complain about it if she doesn't know about it tack that the Fleet Commanders use was starting to wear on me. " She shrugged her shoulders. "However...if a five-star starts breathing fire down their necks; the JAG can step in and do something about it under the UCMJ. So glad I could foist it all on you now. Now they'll see what happens when they don't obey the orders of a five-star."
"Hellfire and brimstone, is it?" Animal asked with an evil grin on his face.
"Preferably."
"Any bets on who runs off screaming to mommy first?" Animal quipped.
"I'd probably bet on Third Fleet, sir." Admiral Pruette grinned.
"My money's on Commander, Third Fleet too." Animal agreed, "He's the darling of the JCS and that squirrel cage only got their heads out of their asses when I lit an acetylene torch under their collective rear-ends last night." he snorted derisively, "Too busy deciding which service was going to get what medals as opposed to getting the job done with regards to putting bombs and bullets on the heads of the Islamic Brotherhood."
JAG Headquarters, Meg's Office, Falls Church, VA
"Ma'am." RADM Henry O'Callaghan poked his head in the door of the CO's office.
"Henry, Yes, I needed to see you. The CNO has asked me to accompany him on a fact-finding mission." Meg said as she looked over at RADM O'Callaghan. "I'm going to need you to man the fort."
"Your husband, ma'am?"
"Yes, my husband, but he will also be the head of the fact-finding mission and my duties will be to ascertain what is punishable under the UCMJ when he finds what he's setting out to find." Meg informed him. "It is work and as such, will be long hours...I need you to set up everything so that we are ready to start filing charges and paperwork as soon as I get back."
"Yes, ma'am."
"The CNO feels that there is some corner-cutting happening in Third Fleet as well as US Fleet Forces Japan and he's looking at a thorough review of each unit in the commands."
"I take it a lot of people are going to be unhappy when he gets through with them, ma'am." RADM O'Callaghan stated.
"That's correct, Henry. We're going to have our jobs cut out for us. And I'm not sure if I'd want to be COMTHIRDFLT when the Chief of Naval Operations is done with him."
"Hellfire and brimstone, ma'am?"
"Most likely, Henry. The CNO isn't going to be one to let mistakes slide."
The Pentagon, CNO's Office, Washington DC Six Hours Later,
"Harm, this looks good." Mac stated. "I think we saw the tunnel entrances that the Islamic Brotherhood are using for their hit and run tactics against our troops in Afghanistan. This supports the argument that we cannot just up and remove ourselves from Afghanistan despite the time-table. We remove our forces from Afghanistan and the Islamic Brotherhood will take all our hard-fought gains back.
"We can't stay there forever, Mac."
"I'm not advocating staying there forever, Harm, but we know that if we don't help the Afghani people who are terrorized by these armed thugs, they won't ever see a free Afghanistan."
"There's always going to be people that oppose us. So what do we do, go after every single one?" Harm asked, "It just means that we keep going from war to war."
"So, what does Animal want us to do with this information and the GPS..."
"Send them out to the fleet and make sure that the numbers are dialed in on the GPS recievers on the Mk. 84s. The squadrons will shove them down their hidey holes and blow them to pieces."
Both Harm and Mac looked around to see Animal standing there, "Jen set up the tickets. We leave in two days for London. We got a major bunch of work to do before we go. These next two days are going to be insane."
1105 ZULU; MEG AND ANIMAL'S PENTHOUSE, WASHINGTON, DC (Day One before the Trip)
Animal's eyelids cracked open to see sun shining into their 36 storey apartment which housed their DC penthouse. There was only their suite on the top floor of this penthouse which would be the equivalent of 5400 sq ft home on the ground.
There were five bedrooms in this penthouse. The Master Bedroom was Animal's and Meg's, one was Jamie's and the other was Katie's. the other two bedrooms were the offices (for both Animal and Meg) and they had a dedicated library downstairs for reference materials.
Both Animal and Meg had a penchant for books. Animal; for military references and Meg; for the Law books as well as Weapons which also drew Animal's interest. Animal was planning to do some authoring when his time in the military was done; to lend his general military experience as an advisor to authors or become a co-author of military books. He might also go back to university and get his Doctorate in Military Tactics and start teaching at the Academy or something. There were avenues open to him and as his military career was drawing to an end he was looking forward to exploring those avenues and seeing what was available to him.
But there would be more time for cogitation on that because he could see Meg's beautiful blue eyes lock on his as she was clearly now awake. "Morning...sweetheart." she said in a low purring voice, "We were so tired last night, I never did get to congratulate you properly for your promotion to Fleet Admiral, considering how much we've both been working, did I?" And oh, did she ever. Animal had never been more relaxed in his life after they'd made passionate love.
When he could catch his breath, he grinned at Meg, who gazed down at him with a tender smile, "You always make me feel so good." He told her.
"Twenty one years of marriage, my love." Meg replied, her nude body and face were still as strikingly gorgeous as ever; at 49 and after two children, "And with any luck many more."
Animal twitched eliciting a sigh from Meg. "I love you, my sweet Meg." And Meg leaned in and kissed him. and they resumed the intimate dance of lovers."
Animal heard the phone ring as Meg was making breakfast.
"Good morning, sir, I'm sorry to bother you on a weekend." his Command Master Chief's voice essayed from the speaker phone in the office.
"What's up, Jen?"
"Well, I'm heading down from my apartment to coordinate Navy Logistics in moving our stuff from the office from Norfolk to the Pentagon. And tomorrow I'm going to be dealing with my things to put them in storage and I figured instead of getting rid of the apartment, I could always use the extra income from renting the place out, sir."
"That's a great idea, Jen. You could make a decent amount of rent out of renting the suite. Where do you plan to stay in DC?" Animal asked her.
"Sir, I'm planning on going lean and just staying in quarters in the Navy Yard. It would be less expensive a month as quarters are provided to Navy personnel and I could use the savings on paying down the mortgage a little quicker."
"Sounds like a plan, Jen. So is there something that I need to do?"
"Sir, I'll be up in about five hours. Could you meet me at the Pentagon then and help me set up the office?"
"Of course, Jen. I'd be happy to."
"Thank you, sir. Sorry to disturb your weekend with the family." Jen sounded reluctant to have to have asked for help.
"Don't worry, Jen we have a limited time allotted to us to move so you've done incredible work to get us over to the Pentagon as quickly as you have. Thank you." Animal acknowledged Jen's hard work. He was also going to see what it took to put Jen in WO class. The increase in pay would be quite dramatic from her Master Chief's pay and would help keep some of that pay in her pocket.
"You're welcome, sir and I'll see you at the Pentagon in five hours." Jen hung up.
"Oh crud, Animal said. "I have no authorized five-star pins for my khakis." He called a few militaria stores and had them hold aside two pairs of their stock for pickup.
After eating a quick breakfast and donning his service khakis, letting Meg know that there were things he had to do at the Pentagon, Meg being a service wife and a servicewoman herself understood that even weekends could potentially be interrupted by the needs of the Navy. He grabbed his official letterhead and promotion orders, made a photocopy of it and put the photocopy of it in his pocket along with a requisition form. Then he headed out of the house. The sunny day was a nice distraction from the stressful move. They would, as Eisenhower had, end up having to move to London again to coordinate the war effort against the ARP which would entail a major effort of uprooting the families yet again of all the staff. Most were unmarried, but there were a few that had families and the logistics of that move would be considerably stressful.
Later that morning
When his vehicle reached the Pentagon, he had his ID out. "Good morning, Lance Corporal."
"Good morning, Fleet Admiral, sir." The Lance Corporal glanced at his ID and waved him through, "You have a good day, sir." Returning his salute, Animal drove through and headed to his assigned parking slot at the Pentagon's underground parking for high ranking naval officers.
"I can't believe it, they're bringing back the five-star rank. Never thought I'd see the day." A Vice-Admiral was walking by with his chief of staff O-6 and a Marine Lieutenant General with his adjutant. "It's quite unprecedented. And the former CNO is saying we're in a situation much like the pre-WWII years. I see it. There's so much hysteria going on..." then they noticed who stepped out of the vehicle in khakis. "SIR!" The Marine barked.
"As you were, gentlemen..." FADM Nakamura said. "Hypothesizing as to what's going to happen? Vice-Admiral; Lieutenant General?"
"Sorry, sir." The Vice-Admiral said. "Just kicking around theories..."
"Understandable, just so long as you keep it within the confines of this building."
"Sir, Yes, Sir!"
"We don't know what's going to happen until something comes down the pipeline. So we need to be cautious as to what's spoken about here and in the underground where anything can be over-heard. We will maintain strict information protocols..." Animal aimed a look at the Vice Admiral who winced, "Like pre-WWII, remember the they are listening posters. Unless you are in your offices with audio disruptive devices turned on, do not speak of anything regarding national security. Is that understood?"
"Aye-Aye, sir!" They knew this was a gentle admonishment. After all gossip was quite common but could also lead to combat losses.
"You have a good day, gentlemen!" Animal inclined his head in a silent gesture of dismissal. He shook his head as he watched them walk off after being chastised. Surely security measures hadn't grown that lax, had they? He turned to walk towards the entrance of the underground and headed to the elevators.
Reaching the main floor of the building, the elevator stopped and opened up onto the main hallway that started the maze that held the high military brass of the United States Military. Eyes turned to him as they saw the five-ten fleet admiral exit the elevator. "Good morning, Gentlemen!" He acknowledged each of them. As of current he was the only fleet admiral in the US Navy and currently the only five-star in the entire US Military. As the Supreme Allied Commander for World Coalition Forces in the campaign to battle the Arab Reunification Party, he was the primary, highest ranking officer within the Pentagon's primary hierarchy of leadership and the one who gave the orders to the rest.
"Oh, good, I'm glad I caught you, sir." Animal turned to see Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie whose eyes widened when she saw Animal's five-stars, it was easier to see his rank when he was wearing service dress blues with the rank rings on the sleeves, so having him be in khakis with the five stars in a pentagon shape collar insignia was yet another eye-opener. "Fleet Admiral!" She snapped to attention.
"What is it, Mac?"
"Better to talk about when we get to your office, sir!"
"Understood." Animal immediately got the gist that this was classified information. "If we don't get lost in here." He grumbled. "I tried for years to stay out of this damned place..." he complained; "...and I was successful...until now." as he looked over at Mac who wryly smiled at him.
They rounded the corner as they came up to his office. "They're going to have to install footprints on the floor just so I can find my way around here." He looked around. "Otherwise they'll find me in War Records looking completely lost and asking where the hell am I?" He inclined his head at Mac, "I swear, I've been here since I got my third star and I'm still losing my way around here."
Admiral Joanne Pruette poked her head out. She was clearing out her things from the office. "Good morning, sir!" She cheerily called out, "Good morning, Lieutenant Colonel Mackenzie."
"Good morning, Joanne." Animal cheerily said, "With the Colonel's help, I managed not to get myself hopelessly lost in here. It's usually my wife who plays directional navigator."
"It was certainly good to see the Vice-Admiral again. And I'm certainly glad your Command Master Chief allowed you to live." Joanne said, her eyes twinkling with merriment.
"Me too...my yeoman has pretty much had her weekend thoroughly disrupted with the move back to DC and she's supposed to be here supervising logistics along with myself on how she wants this office to look. But I also had one more favor to ask. Do they have a posting for you yet?"
"No, BuPERS hadn't favored me with a new assignment yet."
"Well then I'm going to cache you and officially make you my Deputy Supreme Allied Commander till I get up to speed in my position. And I'll fire a blast over to BuPERS to that effect as soon as I get finished talking with Colonel Mackenzie which you as my XO can join me." Animal looked over at Joanne and at Mac.
"Aye-Aye, sir."
They went back into the large room where they sat down on the couches. Animal shut the door and turned the listening devices disruptor on. Then he walked over to the couch and said, "Mac, this is a security briefing? Is it not?"
"Yes, sir, all this information is high level classification, in fact top-level." Mac stated looking over at Joanne as well. "It is also time sensitive as well. We tracked an encrypted message from a known ARP politician to a high level leader of Al Qaeda in Pakistan, Shakil Omar-Rahani. It made reference to a flowering lotus blossom of fire. This caught our attention as we noted that could potentially be making reference to tactical nuclear weapons." Mac looked over at Animal, I don't know if we're going to have a situation where we end up having a technology transfer or an outright purchase but we're having the branch of NCIS that deals with this kind of activity look into what is going on and keeping track of it. Sir," she looked over at Animal. "If we have to move on this, we're going to have to move on this quickly."
"Get me the current location of the Allegiance in the Indian Ocean. I want their F/A-18Fs to be ready to fill a strike package and as soon as we can make a KH-12 available I want you to have NCIS track Rahani 24/7. I want to cut the head off this snake before it bites somebody."
"Yes, sir!"
"Who else is in the area that is of note - if we can get them too, even better. Joanne, do we have a Pentagon tailor who can do quick work on a 42 coat and put on Fleet Admiral's stripes? Looks like I'm going to be buying a uniform today. We're going to need to brief the President." Animal sighed, this was going to be fun. "Ultimately, I need his permission to unleash this strike package and I need him to understand why. I'm going after whoever is responsible so that he can do whatever he plans to do on national TV to make people understand that we're not just indiscriminately killing people for shits and giggles."
Mac nodded. High level strategy; eliminating Rahani so soon after the communication would send a message to Al Qaeda that you are vulnerable. This time we're playing for keeps and you have nowhere to hide. This was the message this administration wanted to send to the terrorists - that their little ratholes were no protection and that this admiral would pursue them to the very ends of the earth. That was pretty much the meeting and Mac said that she would be the one giving him the State Department briefing.
Joanne was already on the phone to the Pentagon tailors who said they would have a jacket and full uniform for him in two hours. A young female lieutenant commander from stores dropped by with a package from Vanguard who was the USN supplier and they had provided him with five pairs of fleet admiral boards, five pairs of collar insignia and two pairs of shoulder insignia as well as three pairs of shoulder-marks for his blues white shirt. "They made up an introductory package of uniform items to give to you with the hope that you'll submit a further order to them."
"Can you double this order. I have plenty of uniforms that will need their own insignia." Animal said passing her a photocopy of the order form. "Let the Pentagon tailor know that I'm going to be dropping off what seems to be a mountain of uniforms to tailor to Fleet Admiral rings."
Animal grinned at her with a grin, and the young O-4 blushed, gave him a winsome smile and said, "yes sir, I will, Sir."
Animal booted up the computer and pulled up the CNO Letterhead template copied it to another document and wrote out a quick thank you acknowledgement to the President at Vanguard for the gracious gift and informing him that there was an order for uniform items forthcoming. Stuffing it in an envelope, and running it through the postage meter, he handed it to the O-4 who said that she would mail it off with the order.
The Pentagon tailor would be adding an additional ring to both sleeves of his uniform so that he would be wearing his proper rank. O-10 was three thin rings and one large thick ring. O-11 added one additional thin ring to the three thin rings. Since this was the first time the rank had been utilized since the 1950s, Animal was certain the rulers and tape measures were going to come out to make sure that everything was perfectly sewn to exacting standards.
It was about 1755 that Command Master Chief Jennifer Coates came in through the door startling Mac who was busy calling the State Department regarding any new updates. "Sir? Are you busy?"
"Not at all, Jen, what's up?"
"I have the movers here and they've got our filing cabinets and other things that we needed from Norfolk."
"As efficient as always. Jen."
"Of course, sir." Jen loved working for the admiral, well, the fleet admiral now.
Mac turned to her, "Master Chief Coates, I haven't had the chance to congratulate you on your promotions and that you worked for Fleet Admiral Nakamura."
"Thank you, ma'am. After San Diego, I decided that i needed a change and headed to DC and found out that Admiral Nakamura was in need of a yeoman so I've been with him ever since. I got my Chief's." Jen stated. "Ma'am. It was fun at San Diego; it's just that I needed to change and I found that with Fleet Admiral Nakamura, ma'am.
They were set to meet the President at the White House, so Animal and Jen got changed into proper dress blues uniform and headed over with Mac to see the President.
1830 ZULU; OVAL OFFICE, WHITE HOUSE, 1600 PENNSYLVANIA AVE, WASHINGTON DC
The President looked at him with narrowing eyes, "You're planning to cut this head off a snake? Rahani?"
"Yes, Mr. President. We have to be assured that he has no opportunity to make good on his plans to acquire tactical nuclear weapons."
"What we have is a cryptic letter." The President said.
"If I may, sir, the Pakistanis referred to their nuclear weapons test as a lotus blossom in the desert. There is no doubt as to what he is referring to here." Animal said resolutely. "And Shakil Omar-Rahani is Pakistani-Muslim. A high-level Pakistani Al-Qaeda member and leader. We need to decisively take him out, sir. If he gets his hands on a tactical nuke tens of thousands will die. Hiroshima is child's play compared to the tactical nukes that Pakistan has got."
"Alright, Fleet Admiral, you've convinced me. You know you could be a candidate to be on the Apprentice with the hard bargains you drive?"
"I'm just trying to stay one step ahead of the terrorists and what they're up to, Mr. President." Animal said, "I just don't want to see a mushroom cloud going up over the streets of DC."
"OK. You have my permission to do whatever it takes to take out Rahani and any other asshole that pokes his head out and I'll sell it to the public and the press." His gaze was squinty-eyed with pouty lips. "But make sure you get him."
"I don't make promises I don't intend to keep, Mr. President." Animal said firmly. "I'll keep hunting the bastard until I can stake his head and put it on a platter."
"Alright. Fleet Admiral, I have your word, I'm satisfied."
When the meeting was done Mac, Animal and Jen were on their way back to the Pentagon. Animal thought to himself, This was supposed to be a quick day moving furniture around.
1912 ZULU; PENTAGON, E-RING, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS; WASHINGTON, DC
Animal slumped into the chair. "Jen; get me the Captain of the Allegiance on the line; fully encrypted."
"Aye-Aye, sir!"
About ten minutes later, Jen stuck her head back in the office, Sir. Captain Steven Douglas is on the line."
"Captain?"
"Yes, sir!"
"How quickly can your N-4 assemble a strike package. We hit Rahani. I'll get NCIS to send you the details of his last known position and I'm trying to coordinate a KH-12 overhead to snap some shots so you can triangulate his last known position. Get your N-2 to coordinate with NCIS to keep the info track coming in so you can make adjustments as needed to the strike plan. Understood?"
"Roger that, sir."
"Tell your men that I'm reading traffic from the wire in real-time and that I want them ready to move on my say-so. "Listen for the NCIS message and then coordinate traffic with them regarding the KH-12. Keep me posted, Captain."
"Aye-aye, sir."
Animal cut the connection and looked out the office door.
Joanne had just put all of her stuff in the vacant CNO's office just across the hallway. "Command staff meeting on Monday, Joanne. We'll need all the DCNOs of every branch to sit down and feed me the updates of what their branches are doing."
"Yes, sir, I'll make them aware. Do we have a prospective time for the meeting?"
"0900 LOCAL". Animal replied as he tried to keep from yawning. Holy jumpin' jeepers, this was one hell of a position. No wonder Joanne wanted to step down so quickly. But the President had entrusted him with a task and he was going to oversee it to the end. And they were going to do what it took to win the war even if it meant making the Arab nations recoil from the horrors of war. Animal looked out the window. Picking up the phone he dialed out.
"Austin-Nakamura." Meg had seen the Pentagon number; he knew. "Honey?"
"Yeah, sweetie. It's me..."
"Are you still at the office?"
"Let's just say some stuff went down. I can't talk about it. But I might be tied up here for a while."
"Understood, honey." Having a service wife who understood classification as she had a rating herself, was a good thing. "I love you." was her only message to him. "Try to get something to eat, knowing you, you haven't eaten a bite since breakfast." Meg stated.
Animal winced. His wife could read him like a book after twenty one years.
"And give my regards to Jen. I presume she's still there with you."
"Being my yeoman is an onerous task." Animal grinned into the phone's receiver wishing he could have his wife in his arms right at that very instant. "I love you too, oh so much..." he said.
"Don't work yourself into the ground, sweetie, save some energy for me." Her voice was filled with promise.
"OK, hon, gotta go. I need to go track down some food." Animal stated.
"I love you..."
"I love you too, my love." Animal whispered. They signed off. Putting the phone down, walking out into the lobby of his office he looked out the door of his general section of the Pentagon into the Pentagon main hallway of E-Ring. Unsurprisingly, the bustle of military activity within this edifice was unchanged from day to day. Even during the weekends. Jen looked up from her desk. "I think we should get something to eat before this goes down." Animal suggested.
"Reprimanded by the Vice-Admiral, sir?" Jen's grin was cheeky.
Animal grinned back at her and nodded.
"That's affirmative, Command Master Chief. Let's grab a bite before our stomach's start eating themselves."
2030 ZULU
A bit less peckish, the two returned; Jen having grabbed a coffee for her desk to sip on. And Animal had his usual can of Pepsi. The cola would keep him going for a while. "Jen? Who's the N-2 on my staff?"
"Sir, that would be a Captain Kenneth...um...Stockton. He's with Naval Intelligence."
"Get him in here. I need the latest intel that he has."
2038 ZULU; CMCYN JENNIFER COATE'S DESK, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS; PENTAGON E-RING; THE PENTAGON, WASHINGTON DC
"Yes, sir, that is correct. His words exactly, sir." Jen was on the phone with Captain Stockton who didn't seem pleased to be disturbed on a weekend. Well tough shit. If an O-11 expected him in the office then so be it. "He expects feedback on the current situation."
"I'll be in in zero forty five." Stockton replied to Animal's order passed down from Jen. "And it'll take me a bit to gather up the recent traffic. Let him know I'll be in front of his desk in one twenty five. If he wants a briefing, I want to be prepared, Command Master Chief."
"Yes, sir, I'll pass the message along." Jen smiled grimly. Her boss was going to make Admiral Pruette's reign as CNO look like a Mexican siesta. Her staff was not going to know what hit them. Her boss was exacting and wanted information disseminated quickly so that he could stay on top of things.
Doing stuff for RADM Chegwidden was a tropical vacation in comparison. And she loved the quicker demanding pace of FADM Nakamura's office. Working for a boss who was just as hardworking who wanted his staff to achieve high standards of excellence. That was par for the course working in Fleet Admiral Nakamura's office.
Once long ago, the ET2 would have chafed under those exacting standards, but the CMCYN thrived. At forty-seven she wasn't the young, brash sailor she was at twenty-five. Armed with skill and patience, she was able to get any task set down in front of her done to exacting standards. She was tough on her enlisted staff and goodness knows, she wanted them to excel as well.
She wondered what had happened to Captain (now RDML) Rabb, whether he'd gone any further but to fall into the staff of his mentor unknowingly, was a blessing. She hadn't known that her boss had known the captain for most of his career, until while taking care of a few of his things as FADM Nakamura's yeoman when he was a Vice-Admiral and tidying the VADM's office that she'd run across a picture of her boss, much younger in years and Captain Rabb also much much younger, standing in front of an F-14 Tomcat. So was that where then-Lieutenant Rabb learned to help others or was shown how to be a leader. She was also happy that her CO had pulled RDML Rabb into the office to work with them as the CNO's Staff Commanding Officer.
2202 ZULU; PENTAGON, E-RING, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS; WASHINGTON, DC
"Stockton, Is this what you currently have?" The Fleet Admiral asked looking down at the folder that he'd received from Captain Stockton who was standing in front of him in service khakis. Animal had returned to wearing service khakis as well.
Captain Kenneth Stockton was intimidated. "Y-yes sir!" It was uncomfortable when the roles were reversed. His eyes had traversed the ribbon rack of his superior and the pentagon of stars on his collars, a rank unheard of since WWII and he realized that his laissez-faire attitude towards data collection was not going to fly in the face of this commanding officer.
"Do you realize that this information is from three hours ago? I have just been on the phone with NCIS and they have updated me to the minute. This is all stuff that as my N-2, that you should have been doing. Am I getting through to you, Mister Stockton?" Animal looked up at his N-2 and glared. "When an operation goes down, there are no vacations! My staff is expected to have asses planted in chairs until we get the sonofabitch who is the focus of this operation. Am I understood? Either take your position seriously and get me up-to-the minute information..." Animal got up out of his chair; stalked around to the captain who was at the position of attention and got in his face, eyeball-to-eyeball, "...or I will find someone else who can! Am I understood?"
"Aye-Aye, Sir!" Holy shit, this was one scary bastard! Captain Kenneth Stockton, US Naval Intelligence was aware of just how close his career was to being terminated at the rank of O-6. He was being given a second chance to excel. And he would gratefully accept the opportunity.
"Keep me informed with up to the minute updates via phone. We need Rahani dead before he manages to pull a nuke out of his ass and blows a target into glowing radioactive particles. Is this getting through?"
"Aye-aye, sir!"
"Get on it!" Animal had some satisfaction seeing the formerly smug Stockton scuttle out of his office.
"Jen, Where is RDML Burrows?"
"He's...back in Norfolk and is scheduled to transition to an admiral's staff."
"Get him and his yeoman here, I need another star to help Rabb oversee my staff and putting heat on their asses."
"Yes, Sir!"
2222 ZULU; CMCYN JENNIFER COATE'S DESK, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS; PENTAGON E-RING; THE PENTAGON, WASHINGTON DC
"I'll call him at his home, sir!" Jen said dialing the number for Rear Admiral (lower half) Phil Burrows.
"Burrows!" The admiral's voice sounded perturbed, "...this had better be important..."
"Sir, this is Command Master Chief Coates. I need you and your yeoman; service khakis; up here at the Pentagon ASAP, sir, the CNO needs to speak with you immediately on a problem, classification, sir, I can't give any details over the phone."
"Does she know it's the weekend?" His irate question caused her to quietly snicker.
"No, sir!"
"Goddamnit! I was on the thirtieth level of Battlefront II. Now I have to start this level all over again when I get back!" Jen resisted the urge to start laughing. The rear admiral lower half was fifty years old and still playing video games.
"All right, I'll get my yeoman. She's not going to be happy about this either. Tell him to expect us on the helo-pad in about two hours "
2229 ZULU; NAVAL STATION NORFOLK BOQ; NAVAL STATION NORFOLK, NORFOLK, VA
"Damnit!" Phil grumbled as he turned off the computer and got dressed in service khakis, the small one-star on his collars being dwarfed by the collar itself. Seven rows of ribbons topped off by the Navy Cross showed that he'd done well for himself.
Picking up the phone he dialed a number.
"Desiree Phillips!"
"Command Master Chief?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Service khakis. Command Master Chief, looks like we're going on a little trip."
"Where to, sir?" His CMCYN's voice was inquisitive.
"To the five sided outhouse." Phil grumbled. "The head honcho of the Navy wishes our exalted presence. What a wonderful occasion. I should've baked a cake. We'll take a Seahawk up there."
0045 ZULU; PENTAGON, E-RING, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS; WASHINGTON, DC
"I hope this isn't a joke, Ma'am!" Phil stepped into the office.
A distinctly male voice growled, "you got the wrong gender noun! Numbnuts."
"Holy Mother of God!" Phil smacked himself in the forehead. "Are you kidding me?" He looked around the room.
"No!" The chair turned around and he could see Animal clearly in service dress khakis. Instead of four stars on his collars, he could see five stars in a pentagon.
"What, when the hell?" Rear Admiral (lower half) Phil "Metalman" Burrows growled, "how...did this happen?" Stunned, disconcerted, and off-keel, he stared in slack-jawed amazement; a comic caricature of stupidity that made his commanding officer barely able to keep from laughing.
"Metalman, I need you commanding my staff. I need you to light a fire under my N-2 and N-3 and make sure that I am kept abreast of any intel and logistical matters that need dealing with and I need my N-5 hopping so that I have comms when I need it."
"So what happens to me and my yeoman? Sir?"
"You will both be on my staff; this will take care of your flag staff tour and your Command Master Chief will work hand in hand with mine to ensure that it all works out the way we need it to."
"Aye, sir." Metalman crisply snapped to attention. "Who all is here in the staff? I'll have my CMC start hauling staff members in and have them put noses to grindstone." Metalman asked, "So which one of these guys are we going after?"
"Shakil Omar-Rahani. He's the big Al Qaeda big-wig in Pakistan." Animal stated. "He intends to pick himself up a tactical nuke and detonate it somewhere. My gut is Saudi Arabia. It's the one ARP country other than Dubai that hasn't gone completely ARP. And if he can find somewhere in the capital to do it, he'll do so."
"Then we gotta get him quickly." Metalman said seeing the obvious.
"Exactly, Admiral. It's a race to see where he is and put a strike on his ass so that we can spread his body parts in different directions preferably in as many different pieces as possible." Animal looked grimly at Metalman. "Welcome to high strategic command decisions." He extended a hand to Metalman. "You have 48 hours to move lock stock and barrel to the Pentagon."
"Aye-aye, sir!" Metalman looked over at Animal and gripped his hand, "You got it, sir, we'll nail that bastard. Give him a chance to go to Paradise with his 72 virgins." He thought for a moment. "Though I don't know how much he can do with all his bits being blown up in several directions." He snickered.
Animal laughed, "Stockton has a tendency to slide. i need you to keep a flame on his ass."
"Roger that." Metalman said, "He won't get a chance to slack." Animal nodded. That was why he'd wanted Metalman there; he'd be on his staff like stink on shit if they decided to slack off. "So, sir, if I've got 48 hrs to be in I'm going to set up so I can be good to go by 0630 LOCAL Monday morning; so by your leave, I'm going to get back to Norfolk with my CMC and make that possible."
"Thanks, Metalman." Animal nodded in dismissal to his longtime former squadron-mate.
"You got this." Metalman stated. "Sir, we'll get him."
"I'm counting on it."
When the two of them walked out of the room, they noticed that the two Command Master Chiefs were working hand in hand to make short work of the calling to get all the staff in. "Command Master Chief Phillips." Animal addressed Metalman's CMCYN. "Your CO is ready to head back to Norfolk, I thought you might want to head back and start packing up things as well."
"Aye-aye sir!" Command Master Chief Phillips snapped to attention at the sight of the Fleet Admiral.
Jen grinned at Animal. Her CO was absolutely awesome to work for but as Stockton found out today he was no pushover and would not put up with an officer or enlisted who tried to snow him. She swore she could see the parallel claw-marks from the strips her CO tore off Stockton's hide. Now there was a RDML who would be more than happy to tear strips off Stockton's ass on a regular basis. And CMCYN Phillips was a great gal to work with. One didn't get up to Command Master Chief with out knowing their shit. On the ball and ready to deal with whatever came down the turn-pike.
As the two admirals discussed matters CMCYN Phillips looked over at Jen, "Are you alright with what's left that needs doing?"
"We did the bulk of it that needed doing together, Desiree, I'm fine. Thanks for asking." Jen looked appreciatively at her and stated, "You cut down a great deal of my workload today."
"Alright, Jen, I'll see you on Monday." CMCYN Phillips was glad to see that CMCYN Coates was so easy to work with.
"If you need help...give me a holler I have a four hour drive tonight to be back in Norfolk to get Logistics to move my stuff into storage up in DC." Jen said scrawling down a number on a sheet of paper and Desiree did the same. Animal and Metalman grinned; their two CMCYNs would keep the enlisted staff on their toes as well. Add in Admiral Pruette's CMCYN Gillian Hartford and the three would make sure that everyone was doing what they needed to do.
As Metalman and CMCYN Phillips were ready to leave a call came in, "Command Master Chief Coates, CNO's office!"
"Hi! It's Command Master Chief Hartford, Admiral Pruette's Yeoman. I'll be in in zero forty five to spell you off, Jen. I'll work with the Fleet Admiral while you're tying things up in Norfolk. Admiral Pruette asked me to come in, so that you could get all of what you needed done."
"Thanks, Gillian." Jen grinned at the phone.
"No problem, Jen. We all work together." Gillian replied and after a few pleasantries, hung up.
"She'll be in in forty five minutes and then I'll have to head back to Norfolk to square away the rest of my stuff."
"That's all right, Jen. I need you all squared away so we can start in earnest on Monday. I'm just keeping an eye on things so that if we manage to find Rahani between now and Monday; someone is here to give the go-order to nail his ass."
1642 ZULU; USS ALLEGIANCE COMMAND BRIDGE; SOMEWHERE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN
"XO! You've been given a direct order by the Supreme Allied Commander of the Western Coalition that you are not going up with the strike package. Let the CAG deal with it! Is that understood Captain!" Captain Douglas snapped.
"Aye, sir!" XO was not happy about this at all. "Any reason as to why the SAC wants me cooling my heels instead of up in a Rhino?"
"He did not give a reason and I don't suggest you pressure him on the details." Captain Douglas stated giving Captain Richard Holloway, the DCAG who replaced Harm, a hard look. "What he did say was that if you did go up against orders it would do wonders for your career."
"Fucking hell!" XO of the boat grumbled as he looked out the window at the flight deck. "I knew he'd send down orders to that effect as soon as he took command of the CNO's chair. I don't mind hanging my ass out over the fire if it gets Rahani."
"The other point is that the only other deep-draft qualified person to command this boat if I'm incapacitated is you, XO. He's not doing this because he's being an asshole. He's thinking strategically. If for some reason something happens to me, you're the go-to to get the Allegiance back to Norfolk." Douglas looked at Captain Holloway with a raised eyebrow.
Captain Richard Holloway gritted his teeth. Like it or not, Douglas was right and so was Animal. As much as he wanted to nail Rahani, he had a greater responsibility to the over six thousand men and women on-board the boat, but it still stung his free spirit that wanted to be unfettered; able to go up and kick ass with the men and women that strapped on the jets and would be going after Shakil Omar-Rahani.
"Have we got a fix on Rahani?" XO asked finally when he got his anger under control. He wanted to be up there with the boys and girls going after Rahani.
"That's a negative," N-2 Lieutenant Commander Dale Hunter stated, "I've been in contact with NCIS and they've rerouted a KH-12 overhead but we've only gotten glimpses of truck movement. We don't want to spook Rahani into bolting into a hole so we haven't scouted out further."
"So what's the likelihood that he'll be able to be observed before he makes the transaction with the rogue Pakistani general."
"General Mahar Walah-Ali?"
"We're watching him as well?" XO asked the N-2.
"Yes, sir..."Dale responded.
"Dale, relay that bit to CNO and tell him we have a second subject and that if the Pakistanis don't start giving us some answers; he might want to apply some pressure."
"I have a package to go encrypted in about twenty minutes, sir, do you want me to quote you, sir?"
XO Holloway thought about the phrase will do wonderful things to your career and decided that being a smart-ass was not the wisest course of action. "Just send it as is. No need to state the obvious. Just recommend that they keep watch over Walah-Ali as well as another conspirators of note of Rahani's; one with some pull in the Pakistani military.
"Aye-Aye sir" LCDR Hunter stated.
"Sir!" A sailor came over. "KH-12 got a fix on Rahani!"
"Relay the coords to the strike package and get me a line to CNO now!" Douglas snapped.
"Nakamura!" Animal's voice came over the speaker.
"We have a fix on Rahani."
"He's ten miles south of Islamabad meeting up with a Pakistani military contact."
"Who's that?"
"General Mahar Walah-Ali." Holloway said. "Fleet Admiral, I highly suggest we eliminate both them."
"I know he's rogue, Holloway. NCIS has been keeping tabs on him. But your advice will be duly noted."
"CAG?" Captain Douglas turned to Captain John "Buck" Rogers.
"Strike Package ready to go."
"Launch the strike package. Go for Delta Seven." That meant hit the target with due prejudice whatever it took to eliminate both targets of opportunity was allowed.
"Aye-aye, Sir! Go for launch. Strike. Green Delta Seven." Douglas acknowledged Animal's go order.
"Strike Green Delta Seven, Aye, Sir!" Went down the line. Six F/A-18Cs were fired off the boat in quick succession as the F/A-18Fs were readied on the cats to fly cover for the C's. The bigger capacity fuel tanks of the F's would allow them to loiter longer while the C's short legs would have them get in, make the strike and get out ASAP.
"Now we wait and see!" The CNO's voice was wry on the comms.
1713 ZULU; MEETING SITE; 15 MILES SOUTH OF ISLAMABAD;
"You have the goods?" Shakil Omar-Rahani growled as he trained his AK-74 on the Pakistani General whose soldiers trained their rifles at the Al Qaeda terrorist.
"You will see the goods when you show me the money." The Pakistani General was wise to the terrorist. Too many instances of guns being drawn and goods taken without payment with the transferring party being left dead had shown Walah-Ali that he needed to be ready at all times for any double-cross.
"You are very brave to try and intimidate me. I have a hundred men armed with RPGs and machine guns on the ridge..." Rahani grinned a slow icy grin that didn't reach his eyes.
"I have men watching the ridge-line with sniper rifles. Rahani. You are wise, but I have dealt for thirty five years with people who have fought my people. What makes you think that I would lower my guard?"
"The love of money makes people do many stupid thi-"
Two gigantic explosions amongst the trucks as a ripping sound like tearing paper and a sonic boom sounded. Rahani looked up to see American planes screeching by over head. "We have been compromised." He yelled at his men. And his eyes widened as he saw an American jet head directly towards him flashes twinkling on its nose and he knew anything more as the 20mm bullets impacted him, tossing him like a lifeless rag-doll into the side of a truck that exploded as the 20mm rounds hammered into it. In an instance he was immolated. About fifty metres away Walad-Ali screamed briefly as a gigantic 2000lb LGB hit beside him and turned him into fragments of bone, gristle and sprays of blood as the shrapnel and blast tore him to shreds.
1722 ZULU; USS ALLEGIANCE COMMAND BRIDGE; SOMEWHERE IN THE INDIAN OCEAN
"Firefighter One Zero Two, Homeplate, we have confirmed hit on hostiles. Both targets eliminated."
Douglas nodded, "Good work, boys, sanitize the area of any military hardware and return to Mother." His voice sounded satisfied.
"Roger, Acknowledged."
"Good work, boys." The Fleet Admiral sounded pleased.
"Thank you, sir!" Captain Douglas replied.
"Continue your patrols in the area. Will talk later with all of you, out." With that the connection was cut.
There was an air of jubilation on the bridge. "We got the bastards." XO Holloway nodded though he wasn't happy to have not been allowed on the mission. "If he'd managed to get his hands on a missile we'd be so damned screwed; even if it hadn't been a ICBM. Can you imagine a tactical nuke going off in the middle of Jerusalem?" Rich commented to bring the hub-bub to a close.
All of them looked somberly at each other. They all knew the Samson option. If any nation lobbed a nuke at Israel, they wouldn't care, they would launch at everyone and bring the whole temple down. Just as Samson did to the Philistines when he was betrayed by his Philistine wife and pulled the temple walls out bringing the whole temple down upon all the Philistines who had tormented him.
Rich breathed a sigh of relief. They had just barely averted a nuclear catastrophe. Douglas looked over at him. "Launching an alpha-strike with napalm to sanitize the area."
"NBC Gear?" Rich asked?
"Affirmative, just in case, we'll also have geiger counters on-board." Captain Douglas replied, "I just want two passes of six aircraft each coating the whole area with napalm and letting that area burn.
"Aye-Aye, Captain..." Buck said. "I'll ready the second strike package to sanitize the area. "Turning to the DCAG he said, "get our crews outfitted for NBC and get them ready to fly the mission."
1034 ZULU; PENTAGON, E-RING, OFFICE OF THE CHIEF OF NAVAL OPERATIONS; WASHINGTON, DC
CMCYN Gillian Hartford, a 48 year old brunette with bright blue eyes and a very comely smile looked up at the CNO as he let out a sigh standing at the window of the Pentagon watching the sun come up on a Sunday morning. "It's done." His voice had a sense of weary accomplishment. "We eliminated both targets in the middle of a transaction that would have put a weapon of mass destruction in a terrorist's hands." He turned to look at her. "We did good."
"I'm glad, sir." Gillian said. "The world needs more people like you who are willing to go the extra mile for others to keep them safe. Now I know why Jen loves working for you, sir. You push them not for your own ego but to make them better."