The Culmination

Chapter 3

Chapter 3

When the General arrives at his office, he finds a lineup of folks waiting to see him. Upon noticing Staff Sergeant Gruner, he calls him in.

“What do you have for me, Gruner?”

“The assassin wasn’t Air Force. Somehow, he secured a uniform, had the layout of the base, and knew our precautions. He disguised himself as Special Forces and blended in. No one noticed. We’re going over every tape now to find out who this guy was and see if he had an accomplice. One thing for certain, this was a professional hit, and we should’ve caught it.”

“Copy that, Sergeant. Keep me posted.”

The General walks Gruner to the door and motions for his assistant. “What’s most pressing?”

“Sir, POTUS wants an update. Here’s the number he said to phone.”

The General grimaces and makes the call.

“General Taylor?”

“Yes, sir.”

“Give it to me straight.”

“Sir, Admiral Parker and Julie Underwood steadily improve. The assassin wasn’t Air Force. We don’t have much information yet. I still have the base on lockdown because we have too many variables.”

“I’m relieved to hear about Parker and Underwood. As for the investigation, spare no expense. This could have international consequences, and we need to get to the bottom of it. Keep the base locked down. Frankly, it’s hard to know who you can trust.”

“Yes, sir.”

“And, Taylor, report in every day. You have my number, so call if you gain information or need my help. Got it?”

“Yes, sir.”

“All right. Later, then …”

“Goodbye, sir.” The General takes a deep breath and mutters, “We need to get to the bottom of this.”

His assistant stands in the doorway. “Sir, you had a call from the hospital. Julie has regained consciousness.”

“Thank you.”

Taylor makes a call to Becka, who tells him, “I’ll return to the hospital.”

“Give me an hour, and I’ll join you. I don’t want you to travel by yourself. There’s too much going on.”

The General disconnects and calls in his assistant. “I’m heading out in an hour. Please reschedule my appointments and tell my driver we’re going to Sacramento.”

“Yes, sir.” The assistant salutes and leaves the room.

The General calls Gruner and explains that he’ll be leaving soon. “I want updates at any time of the day.”

Gruner says, “We’ve tracked the assassin. He first appeared by the Exchange loading dock, out of uniform. We have footage of him talking with the delivery drivers. We’re questioning them now. The assassin then moves into the Exchange and re-emerges in uniform. We’re checking the inside cameras as well. I suspect that he obtained a uniform at the base cleaners, and if he did, this was a carefully organized attack.”

“Do you see a weapon on the man?”

“None that we’ve seen so far.”

“Well, keep digging. POTUS wants me to give him regular updates, so check in with any findings.”

“Will do, sir.”

The assistant knocks at his door, and then Becka enters, carrying a flower arrangement and a tote bag. Taylor walks over and gives her a kiss.

“The flowers are beautiful. What’s in the bag?”

“Just a few things. Julie’s robe, a change of clothes, and a hairbrush.”

“Excellent. I’m certain she’ll appreciate that. Okay, give me five minutes, and we’ll get on our way.”

The General makes one last call, then turns to his wife and nods. “Let’s get on the road.”