expression changed. It became hard again. She motioned him in. "No. Thanks. When it happens, please express our condolences… Yes, thanks." Megan placed the phone in the cradle softly, all the while staring at Jake. "What?"
"Crew reports," Jake said. He hefted the three reports.
She sat back in her chair still glaring.
Jake placed them on her desk. "Look, I want to explain―"
"Look nothing." Megan sprang up, sending the chair crashing into the file cabinet behind her. "Because you didn't follow orders, we about died."
"Yes, I know, but…"
"Can you follow orders?"
Jake swallowed the apology and stiffened. "Yes."
"Then do it. Get out of my face."
Jake stood his ground for a second , then strode out of the office. He didn't stop until he entered his room and slammed the door. Slowly, he unclenched his fists and took a deep breath.
It wasn't that he didn't deserve the dressing down. It was the fact that she hadn't even wanted to listen. The least she could have done was to ask why he hadn't looked the wound area over. But no. She just assumed I didn't want to follow her orders. Damn her.
He flopped on the bed and laid his arm over his eyes trying to relax.
***
"Chief?" McGrew asked as he entered the briefing room the next day. There had been a note left for him to report early today in the squad room.
Megan motioned for him to sit near her. "From here on out, you'll be working with me from the beginning of every mission. The faster you're trained, the faster you'll be out of my hair. Kill your own crew."
Jake sighed softly but sat.
Megan handed him several sheets of paper. "Pre-mission for today."
Jake nodded as he looked the paper over. The work order was to provide security for a construction crew of White Pine's along with locals who were rebuilding runways that had been abandoned when the Russians pulled out. Right now Kabul International Airport only had one usable runway, the rest had been bombed during the war with the Taliban.
Before the Taliban, the Russians had merely used large concrete slabs as a runway, which meant that with every change in season the runway would buckle. Once the new runways were built, bigger cargo planes could be brought in on a regular schedule. This not only facilitated military troop movement, rotation, and associated supplies, but it also meant that people in the city and surrounding communities would again have an international airport―very important for the city and nation.
"We're support," Jake said. "Do the execs know where this 'possible attack or sabotage' might come from?"
Megan shook her head then leaned back. "You've seen the runway and area being built. Give me your opinion of where we should deploy security."
Obviously, she's testing me. Jake thought hard. "Definitely need more security at the entrance to the runway. I'd have at least a couple of guys on the actual building site with local workers watching them. If we're going to get an attack on the ground, it'll probably come from the surrounding foothills. I'd have someone watching that area too." Jake looked at Megan to see if she was satisfied with his answer.
Megan gave him a cocky smile. "It was a trick question."
"What?"
"I doubt there'll be an attack. I'll spread the two crews with the workers like you said , but the rebuilding crew is actually the safest group in the whole area. They're mostly in danger while flying with us or here at base."
"Excuse me?"
"What do the terrorists want?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Easy access to the world and their own people in charge. The only way they'll accomplish this is by letting the Coalition rebuild the airport and runways. They want this to happen as much as the U.S. military and the UN forces. Trust me."
"I guess that makes sense , but what about some crazy fanatic?"
"Won't happen. Even the fanatics are listening to their warlords, al Qa eda, or Taliban leaders. They need this. So, this is a milk run for us. Several easy days of light
"Crew reports," Jake said. He hefted the three reports.
She sat back in her chair still glaring.
Jake placed them on her desk. "Look, I want to explain―"
"Look nothing." Megan sprang up, sending the chair crashing into the file cabinet behind her. "Because you didn't follow orders, we about died."
"Yes, I know, but…"
"Can you follow orders?"
Jake swallowed the apology and stiffened. "Yes."
"Then do it. Get out of my face."
Jake stood his ground for a second , then strode out of the office. He didn't stop until he entered his room and slammed the door. Slowly, he unclenched his fists and took a deep breath.
It wasn't that he didn't deserve the dressing down. It was the fact that she hadn't even wanted to listen. The least she could have done was to ask why he hadn't looked the wound area over. But no. She just assumed I didn't want to follow her orders. Damn her.
He flopped on the bed and laid his arm over his eyes trying to relax.
***
"Chief?" McGrew asked as he entered the briefing room the next day. There had been a note left for him to report early today in the squad room.
Megan motioned for him to sit near her. "From here on out, you'll be working with me from the beginning of every mission. The faster you're trained, the faster you'll be out of my hair. Kill your own crew."
Jake sighed softly but sat.
Megan handed him several sheets of paper. "Pre-mission for today."
Jake nodded as he looked the paper over. The work order was to provide security for a construction crew of White Pine's along with locals who were rebuilding runways that had been abandoned when the Russians pulled out. Right now Kabul International Airport only had one usable runway, the rest had been bombed during the war with the Taliban.
Before the Taliban, the Russians had merely used large concrete slabs as a runway, which meant that with every change in season the runway would buckle. Once the new runways were built, bigger cargo planes could be brought in on a regular schedule. This not only facilitated military troop movement, rotation, and associated supplies, but it also meant that people in the city and surrounding communities would again have an international airport―very important for the city and nation.
"We're support," Jake said. "Do the execs know where this 'possible attack or sabotage' might come from?"
Megan shook her head then leaned back. "You've seen the runway and area being built. Give me your opinion of where we should deploy security."
Obviously, she's testing me. Jake thought hard. "Definitely need more security at the entrance to the runway. I'd have at least a couple of guys on the actual building site with local workers watching them. If we're going to get an attack on the ground, it'll probably come from the surrounding foothills. I'd have someone watching that area too." Jake looked at Megan to see if she was satisfied with his answer.
Megan gave him a cocky smile. "It was a trick question."
"What?"
"I doubt there'll be an attack. I'll spread the two crews with the workers like you said , but the rebuilding crew is actually the safest group in the whole area. They're mostly in danger while flying with us or here at base."
"Excuse me?"
"What do the terrorists want?" She didn't wait for an answer. "Easy access to the world and their own people in charge. The only way they'll accomplish this is by letting the Coalition rebuild the airport and runways. They want this to happen as much as the U.S. military and the UN forces. Trust me."
"I guess that makes sense , but what about some crazy fanatic?"
"Won't happen. Even the fanatics are listening to their warlords, al Qa eda, or Taliban leaders. They need this. So, this is a milk run for us. Several easy days of light
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