End Game by Dale Brown & Jim Defelice

Author:Dale Brown & Jim Defelice
Language: eng
Format: mobi, epub
Tags: Action & Adventure, Technological, General, United States, Suspense Fiction, War & Military, Men's Adventure, Terrorism, Fiction, Espionage
ISBN: 9780060094423
Publisher: HarperCollins
Published: 2006-10-12T04:00:00+00:00

VI

Catastrophic Events

Allegro, Nevada

1710, 12 January 1998

(0610, 13 January, Karachi)

ZEN FLIPPED THROUGH THE TELEVISION STATIONS AS HE RESTED between dumbbell sets. He wished it were baseball season; baseball was the perfect sport to watch when you were only half paying attention.

He stopped on CNN, put down the remote control and reached back for the weights. He took a long breath and then brought the dumbbells forward, doing a straight pullover.

“A CNN special report—breaking news,” blared the television.

Zen ignored it, pulling the weight over his head. He’d let his workout routines slip because of the procedures. He hadn’t swum since last Saturday, and the weights felt heavy and awkward.

“We have a live report from Stephen Densmore in Delhi, India,” said the television announcer.

Zen, concentrating on the exercise, lowered the dumbbells toward his waist, then pulled them back overhead. As he brought the bars back behind him to the floor, the news-man began talking.

“Over a hundred people were reported killed and at least that number are missing following the early morning clash between Indian and Chinese naval vessels off the Pakistani coastline. An oil terminal in Karachi was said to have been destroyed in the fighting.”

“Karachi?” said Zen. He let the weights drop and rolled over to his stomach. The screen showed a still photo of an Indian naval vessel said to have been sunk.

“Where was this?” Zen asked the TV. “Where?” But the network cut to a commercial. Zen waited patiently through a spot for Folger’s coffee, but instead of adding more details when they returned, the anchor cued the weath-erman. Zen crawled toward the end table and reached for his phone.

Aboard the Abner Read,

northern Arabian Sea

13 January 1998

0610

“AIRFORCE, WHY DID YOU PUT THE WEREWOLF DOWN INTO that ship?”

Starship shifted uneasily. He’d actually forgotten all about that, sure that Storm was going to ball him out for losing the Werewolf to the Indian missile.

“I guess it seemed like a good idea at the time, sir.” Lame, completely lame, but what else could he say?

Storm shook his head. “Do you realize the Chinese could have grabbed the Werewolf at any moment?”

“That might be a bit of an exaggeration. I mean, they weren’t expecting anything and I was only there for a minute. Not even. I was always right under the opening for the elevator. I could just escape straight up.”

“That’s not the point.”

“Yes, sir.”

“You took a big risk, mister. A huge risk.” Starship nodded.

“Officially, you’re on report,” said Storm. “That was a foolish thing to do.”

The furrows in the captain’s brow deepened; he looked like a gargoyle about to spit stone.

“Unofficially,” added Storm, “that was the ballsiest thing I’ve ever seen anyone ever do.”

Starship was confused, but he was even more confounded as Storm formed his hand into a fist and hit his shoulder with a roundhouse so powerful he was nearly knocked off his feet. The captain wore a grin that covered half his face.

“Way to go, Airforce,” Storm told him. “The intelligence geeks back at the Pentagon are going apeshit over this.

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