Eyes of the Hammer (The Green Berets) by Bob Mayer Page A
Authors: Bob Mayer
Tags: Mysteries & Thrillers
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who had remained aloof from the conversation. "Sorry to have interrupted. It's just that I wanted the record to be straight. If Mister Riley said Master Sergeant Powers could take a bomb off your plane in the time he said, I for one believe him."
The post commander nodded weakly. "Yes. I imagine so." He turned back to the front of the room. "You may continue, Mister Riley."
Riley figured it was time to quit while the quitting was good. The briefing was only a formality anyway; the important thing was the stuff in black and white. "Sir, we'll be leaving a written report with our recommendations. In all we have thirty-one recommendations on how to improve security."
Riley briefly reviewed a few of the most significant recommendations. He was tired. Tired from not having slept the night before. Tired from people treating him like the enemy when all he was trying to do was help them. But even more, he was tired from traveling around the world for the past year. Living out of bachelor officers' quarters on permanent temporary duty was getting to him. This was their last nuke mission. Riley wanted to go back to Fort Bragg and finally relax.
He wrapped things up. "Sergeant First Class Partusi and I will remain here for another day working with Major Baley and his people. The rest of my team is departing for Fort Bragg this afternoon. We've appreciated working with everyone here and hope our visit has been worthwhile."
As the meeting broke up, Colonel Pike shuffled over to the team. He waited until all the air force people were out, then he waved them into seats. "Gentlemen, this is the last mission you run for me. Your year is up and your replacement team is rotating in from 1st Battalion. I've appreciated working with you all and want to tell you that you've done a super job.
"There aren't many 'atta-boys' in this job. Nobody congratulates you when nothing happens, but that's the only way to judge the success of this program. No nuclear weapon has yet been stolen from a U.S. military facility and hopefully your efforts over the past year will help things stay that way.
"There's one more thing I want to say. You often hear bullshit speeches by commanders, saying you're the best and all that crap. Well, I'm going to tell you all something I haven't told any of the other teams: This detachment, 055 from 2d Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, is indeed the best team that has worked for me in this program."
Pike looked at all the team members. "I think that's due to a lot of reasons, not the least of which is your team leader, Mister Riley, and your team sergeant, Master Sergeant Powers. And just as important is the work each of you soldiers has done as an individual and a member of the team.
"I wish you all the best of luck as you go back to Bragg. I wish I was going with you instead of warming a desk in the basement of the Pentagon. Best of luck, men."
Riley led the way as each member of the team walked up and shook the colonel's hand. Not many officers could make a speech like the one Pike had just made and have people truly believe it. Although Riley was glad to be done with this assignment, he knew he was going to miss the colonel. There weren't many officers like him left in the army.
CHAPTER SEVEN
PENTAGON
11:00 A.M.
General Macksey quickly sketched out to Lieutenant General Linders the tasking he'd been handed by the secretary of defense. Macksey wasn't happy about the mission but he was loyal to the secretary and wanted to have a good plan of action ready in case the president really did decide to give the final go-ahead with the Colombian mission. He concluded his presentation by asking Linders's opinion on how they should proceed with the tasking.
Linders pondered the situation for a minute and then started jotting his ideas on a notepad as he spoke. "OK, sir. First we're going to have to get a ground unit to go in and do the verifying. They'll also probably do the final
The post commander nodded weakly. "Yes. I imagine so." He turned back to the front of the room. "You may continue, Mister Riley."
Riley figured it was time to quit while the quitting was good. The briefing was only a formality anyway; the important thing was the stuff in black and white. "Sir, we'll be leaving a written report with our recommendations. In all we have thirty-one recommendations on how to improve security."
Riley briefly reviewed a few of the most significant recommendations. He was tired. Tired from not having slept the night before. Tired from people treating him like the enemy when all he was trying to do was help them. But even more, he was tired from traveling around the world for the past year. Living out of bachelor officers' quarters on permanent temporary duty was getting to him. This was their last nuke mission. Riley wanted to go back to Fort Bragg and finally relax.
He wrapped things up. "Sergeant First Class Partusi and I will remain here for another day working with Major Baley and his people. The rest of my team is departing for Fort Bragg this afternoon. We've appreciated working with everyone here and hope our visit has been worthwhile."
As the meeting broke up, Colonel Pike shuffled over to the team. He waited until all the air force people were out, then he waved them into seats. "Gentlemen, this is the last mission you run for me. Your year is up and your replacement team is rotating in from 1st Battalion. I've appreciated working with you all and want to tell you that you've done a super job.
"There aren't many 'atta-boys' in this job. Nobody congratulates you when nothing happens, but that's the only way to judge the success of this program. No nuclear weapon has yet been stolen from a U.S. military facility and hopefully your efforts over the past year will help things stay that way.
"There's one more thing I want to say. You often hear bullshit speeches by commanders, saying you're the best and all that crap. Well, I'm going to tell you all something I haven't told any of the other teams: This detachment, 055 from 2d Battalion, 7th Special Forces Group, is indeed the best team that has worked for me in this program."
Pike looked at all the team members. "I think that's due to a lot of reasons, not the least of which is your team leader, Mister Riley, and your team sergeant, Master Sergeant Powers. And just as important is the work each of you soldiers has done as an individual and a member of the team.
"I wish you all the best of luck as you go back to Bragg. I wish I was going with you instead of warming a desk in the basement of the Pentagon. Best of luck, men."
Riley led the way as each member of the team walked up and shook the colonel's hand. Not many officers could make a speech like the one Pike had just made and have people truly believe it. Although Riley was glad to be done with this assignment, he knew he was going to miss the colonel. There weren't many officers like him left in the army.
CHAPTER SEVEN
PENTAGON
11:00 A.M.
General Macksey quickly sketched out to Lieutenant General Linders the tasking he'd been handed by the secretary of defense. Macksey wasn't happy about the mission but he was loyal to the secretary and wanted to have a good plan of action ready in case the president really did decide to give the final go-ahead with the Colombian mission. He concluded his presentation by asking Linders's opinion on how they should proceed with the tasking.
Linders pondered the situation for a minute and then started jotting his ideas on a notepad as he spoke. "OK, sir. First we're going to have to get a ground unit to go in and do the verifying. They'll also probably do the final