The Weight of Command by Michael Mammay

Author:Michael Mammay
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Falstaff Books

16

The answer to what’s next? came to me while I was on the treadmill of all places. My mind drifts when I run, but with things coming at me from every direction, I’d been tied up in short-term problems and unable to relax. With Chao taking over my schedule and getting me into a routine, I was free to think again. And when it finally hit me, it hit me so hard that I stopped my machine.

“Holy shit.”

Dutifully, Gonzalez turned his treadmill off too, so he’d be ready to move if I was. “What is it, ma’am?”

“I’ve been thinking about this all wrong.”

“About what?”

“Workout is over. We’ve got to go.” I didn’t bother changing, instead running from the gym to headquarters.

Chao shot to her feet when I entered the office. “Ma’am, what’s going on?”

“Call a meeting of all the intel branch heads, Ops, and Sergeant First Class Berghof. I don’t care which conference room. I just need to talk to them ASAP.”

“Roger, ma’am.”

It took about ten minutes before they were assembled. I was being a bit melodramatic, rushing over without showering or changing. It had taken me forever to see the thing, and it wasn’t like another fifteen minutes would alter the situation, but I felt like it imparted a sense of urgency in what I was about to tell them. That I would meet them in the middle of a workout meant that it was important.

“I’ve been thinking about this all the wrong way,” I began. “I’ve been looking for a traditional enemy—one of the nations involved, or perhaps a radical fringe within one of those countries that wants to sow conflict. And it could still be one of those—we can’t rule it out. But who gains the most from a conflict between the Zargod and the Argazzi?”

The dozen staff members in the room looked at each other, looked at their hands—they looked anywhere except at me, like if they didn’t look at me, I wouldn’t call on them and expose the fact that they didn’t know. But it was fine. They weren’t supposed to know. They were experts in their fields but hadn’t been trained to think bigger than that. So I decided to give them a hint. “Follow the money. Who benefits financially?”

More thought, and more awkward silence, until Tech Sergeant Kennedy spoke up softly. “Anyone who was invested in high-tech metals? Because the price will go up as Tanara fails to deliver.”

“Good!” I said.

“Also other planets that mine the same things,” said McNamara.

“Planets, sure, and what else?” I prompted.

“Mining companies,” said Kennedy.

“Exactly,” I said. “What if it’s not anyone here on Tanara? After all, destroying the spaceport works against everybody here. Both Zarga and Argaz are losing money, and both have nationalized mining assets. But their competitors aren’t.”

“Ma’am, are you suggesting that a corporation is making war on the planet?” asked McNamara.

“Not exactly making war. Maybe encouraging it, though?” Some disbelieving faces stared back at me as I looked around the table. “I started thinking about what all the setbacks we’ve faced have in common.

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