A Dance of Devils by Mark Sibley

Author:Mark Sibley [Sibley, Mark]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: WarGate Books
Published: 2024-02-20T00:00:00+00:00

NINETEEN

Mount Weather, Virginia Early Morning

The lights came on, and Tavis could see the light through his eyelids. He didn’t open them. His head pounded as he attempted to remember the prior evening. The US president had launched nuclear missiles and then invited him, Pasha, Gale, and Joey, along with a couple of his cabinet, if it could be called that, for a drink. President Madison had one Scotch and then excused himself. Joey followed the president’s lead, leaving the rest of them to it. That was a mistake, apparently.

“Get up! Up! Bunch of asshats. Up!” Tavis recognized Joey’s voice. She sounded bloody pissed. He opened his eyes and looked around the room from where he lay.

Boots still on. Not a good sign.

Turning his head, he saw Joey kick the bunk next to his, where Gale was trying his best to rise out of it.

“Okay, we’re up. Not so loud, please, honey,” Gale said, unfortunately.

“You know, when the president of what’s left of the United States invites you for a drink, has one, and leaves, that means you leave as well. It doesn’t mean the four of you drink all his liquor!” Her voice got quieter as she spoke, which was unsettling.

Four?

He turned his head the other way to see the Acting Director of Central Intelligence the next bunk over, sitting with his head in his hands, rubbing his face. Two legs appeared next to his head as Tavis tried to sit up.

“Excuse, Sheepherder,” Pasha’s deep voice rumbled down to him.

“Just don’t kick my head.” He grabbed one of Pasha’s legs and pulled himself to his feet, a bit unsteadily. He looked around and realized they were in a barracks sort of thing with lines of bunks, tops, and bottoms down either side, footlockers at the end of each set. A sudden flashback to his SBS days hit him, and then he was back to the present, where a very serious-looking Joey Washington appeared in his face.

“Damn, Tee, you smell like a whiskey barrel. Y’all have ten minutes to shower, shit, and shave and make your way to the operations center. We got shit to do. Bouncer, Duck, and the Chief are up and waiting. I know you think we’re done here, but we’re not. We can’t go back to the kids yet. They don’t have an extra vehicle to use, and the helo is going the opposite direction shortly. With you two idiots in it.” Tavis realized just then that she wasn’t wearing her Lieutenant Commander insignia. In place of it was a single star on each shoulder.

“Aye, aye, General,” Tavis said.

She glared hard. “Does it look like I’m in the Army, Air Force, or Marines?”

He was confused for a second, still foggy. Damn, his head hurt.

“What?” he managed.

“It’s Rear Admiral Lower Half. Navy. You Scottish twit. Dammit, but y’all are some dumbasses. You’re lucky the helo pilots needed to sleep, or you’d be in the air already.” She stared at him, then at Gale and Pasha, who were now standing or trying to.

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