Hicks shook his head. “There have been more than a few leaks, but they were dealt with by misinformation or other means. The enemy may have pieces of the puzzle, but they don’t have an inkling of the big picture.”
Hicks gestured toward the sub-pens. “Fifteen of these will assault the British Isles and five will land their troops in Norway.” Hicks waited; waiting for the team leaders to respond.
“I think we all need time to process all of this,” Carter said.
Hicks chuckled. “It is a bit much to take in all at once, isn’t it?”
Carter met Hick’s gaze. “One thing, Sir,” he said. “I can’t help but wonder what the last few years would have been like if some of the resources you’ve been telling us about were made available to support existing combat operations instead of hiding them down here. We’ve been fighting this war on a shoe-string budget.”
Hicks touched Carter’s shoulder. “Believe me Doug, everyone that new about the DARC and what we had down here agonized over rather or not to use it to support the current fighting. There were some real shouting matches about it during the Rocky Mountain Campaign. It wasn’t easy watching our troopers fight their way forward with fingernails and teeth while we were sitting on all of this firepower. But we didn’t want these resources to trickle onto the battlefield; we wanted them to arrive all at once. That way, they could make real impact.”
“That would have been a tough call to make, Sir,” Carter said.
Muller stepped up to stand beside Carter. “Sir, you said that there was to be an invasion of Norway. Is this to be a feint to draw attention away from the invasion of Britain?”
Hicks shook his head. “Not a feint: a diversion. We’re going to land in Norway, and we plan to stay, but the main objective is Great Britain. When we have five divisions actually on the European continent, the enemy will have to send forces north to kick us out of Scandinavia. This will bleed off forces they might use for a counter attack against our people in Britain and leave them few resources to repel us when we cross the English Channel into France.”
Hicks looked at the team leaders for a moment. His eyes stopped on Carter. “Alright, Doug, I can see the wheels turning in your head again,” he prompted.
Carter drew in a breath. “Sir, what is the follow up plan? Once the British Isles are secure, you still have to get across the English Channel and secure more beachheads in Europe. How will the initial invasion force be reinforced? ”
Hicks smiled. “Right,” he said. “Those of you who just returned from Panama helped retake the Panama Canal. As part of the European invasion plan we’ve assembled a surface fleet that will deliver reinforcements to Britain and Norway. Just before your teams begin your assault on the command complexes that fleet will sail from the east coast and sail south; leading the enemy to believe we plan to move it through the canal into the Pacific in order to join the Alaskan campaign. Once you have taken out the command complexes it will turn east instead of transiting the canal and move to support the European invasion.”
“And all of this is why the Alaska campaign has received only the bare minimum of naval support; most of our ships were making the Atlantic safe for the invasion force to cross over to Europe,” Price observed.
“That’s right,” Hicks confirmed. “We’ve been sinking everything in sight in the South Atlantic in order to disrupt WCA shipping from Asia and the Middle East. This drew the enemy navy into battle with us and has drawn his fleet away from guarding their coast in order to protect their shipping lanes.”
Carter tilted his head. “Sir, we all appreciate your trust in us. But why are we being given this information? We didn’t need to know any of this to complete the mission.”
Hicks frowned slightly. “Technically you didn’t need to know. We are bending the rules here concerning operational security because I thought that you did need to know, Doug. Your mission verges on suicidal. I wanted you all to know that you effort and sacrifice isn’t going being wasted. You needed to know that you have a chance to help shorten the war by years; what I’ve showed you today is the light at then of the tunnel. You have a right to know how much is depending on you and that there was a hope of final victory. That’s why I pushed to be allowed to show you all of this.”
“That, and to put an unbelievable amount of pressure on us,” Monica said, chuckling.
Hicks grinned at her. “Pressure is what you people thrive on.”
“How much time do we have to get ready Sir?” Carter asked.
Hicks frowned again. “Thirty-six days,” he responded. “I know that’s not much time to put an op like this together, but you have the highest priority. There’s pretty much nothing you can’t have.”
“With your permission Sir,” Carter said, ”we’ll take the rest of the afternoon to work a basic mission timeline and operational orders, and then really dive into planning at zero-five hundred tomorrow morning.”
Hicks nodded. “That’s fine with me.”
Carter fixed Hick’s gaze. “We’ll get it done, Sir,” he said.
Hicks nodded “I know you will Doug; you always do.”
Chapter Three
The glow of the sunset still outlined the horizon as Carter and his wife left Fort Reagan’s Tactical Operation Center. They had used a secure conference room there to review the intelligence summary for their coming mission and had established a tentative plan for the mission’s logistics, the insertion of each FIRE team, and their tactical objectives. They would begin addressing the thousands of details that such an operation entailed the following morning.
Douglas and Monica Carter had returned to their quarters to refresh themselves and change into casual civilian clothing. Monica had opted for jeans and a well-tailored red blouse, and Douglas had chosen tan cargo pants and a black leisure shirt.
“Try not to worry about the mission tonight. Mary loves entertaining and if she sees you worrying, she’ll worry too,” Monica told her husband as she inspected herself in the full length mirror attached to the inside of the bedroom’s closet door.
“Trust me, Momma Hicks is already worried,” Carter retorted. “The general may not have told her exactly what’s going on, but she knows something big is about to happen.”
“Alright then; you can worry but don’t brood,” Monica admonished him.
“When have I ever brooded?” Carter asked, smirking slightly.
She stepped closed to him and poked him in his chest playfully. “You’ve killed more people with one of your scowls than you have with a rifle.”
“I only scowl when you’re not around,” he told her; kissing the end of the finger she had poked him with.
She moved end closer; flattening both hands against his chest. His arms went around her waist. A long silence followed. What had begun as a lighthearted exchange had suddenly turned more profound. The embrace would have become a kiss had the doorbell not chimed.
“I’ll get it,” Monica said.
Her husband only reluctantly released her waist. “Alright,” Don’t be long. The general’s expecting us in a half an hour.”
Monica opened the door. “Okesa, come in,” she said, smiling. The Asian woman stepped inside but, being uncharacteristically timid, did not raise her eyes.
She wore a white, form-fitting blouse and black jeans. Her long raven-black hair was free of the ponytail that usually restrained it. It framed her face and contrasted strongly against the white of the blouse. She was clearly nervous. Her posture was rigid and her body tense with some unexpressed emotion.
“May I speak to you for a few minutes, Monica?” She asked; her voice was almost painfully contrite.
Monica turned to her husband. “Doug, why don’t you go ahead? Tell Mary that I’ll be along shortly.”
He looked at Okesa for a moment. She seemed on the verge of tears. “Alright,” he said. He turned to go, but stopped. He looked and at the Asian woman again. “Okesa, is there anything I can help with?” he asked gently.
; “No Sir,” she said. She became even tenser. “Thank you.”
Monica could tell that her husband was reluctant to leave a team member in obvious distress. She touched his arm. “Go on. I think she needs a little girl-talk.”
“Alright,” he said. “But let me know if there is anything I can do.”
“You know I will,” Monica assured him.
Carter left after another concerned parting glance.
Monica invited her friend into the quarter’s small, sparsely furnished living room and retrieved a bottle of wine and two glasses (more gifts from Mary Hicks) from the kitchen. She sat beside Okesa on the rather dated sofa. “What is it Okesa?”
Okesa, in another unusual lack of decorum gulped her wine. “It is shameful,” she finally managed to say.
“What is shameful?” placing a comforting hand on her Okesa’s shoulder.
Only silence followed. Okesa sat there shaking. It was as though she was fighting to express her emotions and contain them at the same time.
Monica moved close and put and arm around her friends shoulder. “Okesa, I have two sisters by blood and you’re closer to me than either of them. What you and I have been through together makes us closer than sisters. We chose each other; chose to trust each other. We’ve saved each other’s lives. There is nothing you should be afraid, or ashamed to tell me.”
Okesa took in a long breath; gathering not only air, but courage as well. “I have feelings for Colonel Carter,” she said finally. The sentence ended in sobs. Her body lost much of its tension as it let go of much of her guilt and trepidation.
Monica stroked the crying woman’s arms lightly. “Are you trying to tell me that you love Doug?” she asked; her voice gentle and soft.
“Love?” Okesa repeated the words as though trying to grasp their meaning. “I,” she hesitated. “I believe so,” she said; the admission as much a revelation to herself as it was to Monica.
“Was that why you got all flustered when I asked you if you keeping an eye on Doug for me? Did you think I was accusing you of something?” Monica asked.
Okesa had begun to compose herself. “For a moment, yes?” she answered, finally
Monica knelt in front her friend. “Look at me, Okesa.”
Okesa raised her eyes. Monica brushed tears away. “It’s O.K.,” she said.
“You are not angry?” Okesa asked.
“Why would I be angry?” Monica asked. The expression on Okesa’s face asked the question her voice could not.
“Are you going to try to steal Doug away from me?” Monica asked.
“No,” Okesa almost whispered.
“Of course you’re not,” Monica affirmed.
Monica continued. “Has Doug tried to cheat on me with you?”
“He would never do that!” Monica actually detected a bit of anger in Okesa’s voice. Defending Doug’s honor; she really does love him, she thought.
“Then I have nothing to be angry about.” Monica said. “You’re like a sister to me and I trust you. The fact that you came here and told me how you feel about Doug tells me that my trust isn’t misplaced.” She took Okesa’s hands in hers. “I also trust Doug. I honestly don’t think that cheating on me would ever occur to him. He’s just not wired that way. Since you aren’t going to act on your feelings, and I know with certainty that Doug won’t betray me, I have no reason to be angry.”
Okesa was looking at the floor again; words eluding her. Monica stroked her hair. “It must have taken a lot of courage to come here and tell me how you felt. There aren’t many people that would have the integrity to do that.”
“I could never betray you,” Okesa said, strength returning to her voice. “You are the best friend I’ve had. I was afraid that someone would see me looking at him for too long, or how I have stop myself from smiling when he enters a room, and say something to you. I did not want you to find out that way. There can never be lies between us.”
“No lies,” Monica agreed.
“Are you going to tell the Colonel?” Okesa asked.
“That’s up to you,” Monica replied, “but I think he needs to know.”
Okesa seemed to become physically smaller as when asked the question. “Must we tell him?”
“Yes, we must,” Monica said softly.
Okesa’s face asked an unspoken question: why?
“The last thing Doug would want is to inadvertently say or do anything that would make you feel awkward or uncomfortable the way I did when you arrived at the airstrip. He needs to be told.”
Okesa shook her head. “He may transfer me to another team.”
“I don’t think so,” Monica said. “A lot of thought went into the composition of the FIRE teams. The team leaders tried to find the right balance of skills, abilities and personalities for each team. I doubt Doug would want to screw up the group dynamics over something like this.”
“You do not believe that that it will change my professional relationship with the Colonel?” Okesa asked.
“That would be up to you, I think,” Monica replied. “I think you have the self-discipline to keep that from happening.”
Okesa shook her head. “He will think that I am foolish.”
Monica made a dismissive gesture. “Nonsense,” she said. “You need to give Doug more credit. He knows that people can’t help what they feel. If he judges you, it will be by how you coped with those feelings.”
“By that you mean sobbing like a school-girl," Okesa admonished herself.
“That will stay between the two of us. You haven’t anything to be ashamed of, though,” Monica assured her friend. “We all have to keep a handle on our emotions because of our profession, but we there’s nothing wrong with opening up to friends. If we don’t, we will all self-destruct. I’ll talk to Doug after dinner tonight, and we’ll get this all worked out.”
Okesa stood and whipped tears from her eyes. “Thank you, Monica. You are a good friend.”
Monica drew Okesa in for a hug. “Everything will be fine. Go get some rest. I have to get to dinner.”
[][][]
Mary Hicks greeted Winters with a hug. “Come in, dear,” She said. “Doug and Jerry are out back with their cigars,” She added.
“Doug loves a good cigar, but he can almost never find them,” Winters said. “don’t tell Doug, but I actually like the smell of a good cigar.”
“Why shouldn’t I tell him that?” Mary asked.
“A wife has to have something to complain about,” Winters answered. “We’re talking about a man who makes the bed with hospital corners every morning, never has to be asked to take out the trash, and never, never forgets a birthday or anniversary.”
Mary Hicks laughed. “He’s a keeper, is he?”
“You bet,” Winters said. “And I’m not the only one who thinks so.”
“What do you mean, dear?” Mary asked, leading the way to the kitchen.
“Okesa just told me that she’s in love with Doug,” Winters said.” We didn’t argue, but she was very upset.”
“And you’re not?” Mary pressed.
“No,” Winters replied. “Okesa was honest and up front with me, and she’s my friend. Doug is the most honorable man I’ve ever met. I don’t have to worry about them either of them betraying me.”
“So what are you worried about,” Mary asked, dumping a strainer full of peeled potatoes into a pan of water .
“I’m not sure how Doug will react to Okesa having those kinds of feelings about him,” Winters said. “He doesn’t like dealing with emotional issues.”
“He’ll do what’s right,” Mary said with assurance. “He may be a bit ham-fisted about it, though.”
Winters chuckled. “I have to work pretty hard to get him to open up to me. Dealing with Okesa’s feelings will really make him squirm.”
“But he’ll take care of it,” Mary concluded.
“He will,” Winters agreed.
“That’s settled, then,” Mary said.
“For no
w, anyway,” Winters agreed. “But I haven’t told Doug about it yet.”
Mary stepped closer to Winters. “Can I ask you about something?”
“Of course,” Winters said.
“There a big operation planned, isn’t there?” Mary asked.
“Mary,” Winters said gently, “even if there were; I couldn’t talk about it.”
“I know you can’t be specific, but I know there’s something unusual going on. Just the fact that all six FIRE teams are here on base at the same time tells me that. But this is different. Jerry has been acting funny for months.”
Winters struggled for words. “Mary, you know how things work.”
“I do know how things work, dear,” Mary agreed. “But there is a big operation in the works; something more important and more dangerous than anything the teams have ever done; I know it.”
“Mary I can’t…” Winters tried to say.
Mary took Winters’ hands in hers. “Monica, I’ve been married to a soldier for twenty-eight years. I know when Jerry worried; I mean really worried about something. I know when he thinks things are going to be really bad. I can see it in his eyes. I could see it in Doug’s eyes when he came in and I can see it in your eyes now. Whatever this new mission is, it involves all six of the teams and you all think that you are going to lose a lot of people.”
When Winters remained silent Mary continued.”Just tell me one thing; between friends. Whatever the mission is; do you think it will be worth the price?”
Monica thought for a moment and nodded. “I think so,” she said.
Mary hugger Winters again. “I hope so,” she said.
[][][]
“Damn fine smoke, Sir,” Carter said, sending a smoke ring into the night air. “There’s nothing like a good cigar after a long day.”
“Yeah,” the general agreed. “Cuba is one territory I’m glad the Corporate Consortium claimed as an exclusion zone.”
Hicks sent his own smoke ring skyward. “I remember when your old man and I gave you and David your first cigars. Right after you graduated from high school. Your dad and I were waiting for you both to gag. We expected to have a good laugh.”
The Fate Of Nations: F.I.R.E. Team Alpha: Book One Page 11