David Golemon - Ancients

"Do we know just how much armor loss we're looking at?"

"No, sir. With the earthquake damage it's still a mess over there. The Iraqis are claiming to have lost forty percent of their ready divisions in the disaster. CIA reports that Iran has lost a like number. The quake hit at just the right area and the ayatollah is saying it's a divine sign that the end is near and that disarmament is the only option, starting with Iraq of course."

"Well, I wouldn't be crying over that, but how about unilaterally first," the president said as the huge marine helicopter eased out of the mysterious hangar of the Event Group. "Might make the world a sight happier."

"Indeed," the chief of staff said. "Now, that damn Kim Jong Il is a different story. He's claiming he has evidence of offshore tampering by South Korea that caused this earthquake and tsunami against the People's Army. He says it was underwater drilling that sparked the episode."

"Has he completely lost his mind? The South Koreans manipulated a seismic event by drilling for oil?"

"He claims to have evidence that shows naval elements and aircraft in international waters doing the foul deed. Even the Chinese are looking at him like he just fell out of the idiot tree and hit every branch on the way down."

"Well, get UN Ambassador Williams on it and tell him to find out what he can through unofficial channels. I don't want the State Department to officially give this story any credibility, understood?"

"Yes, sir."

"Listen, also get Nathan Samuels to the White House. I want to know from my science adviser just how natural two quakes of this size almost half a world away can be separate natural events. I want an answer to tell the press when this idiot Kim Jong Il's statements hit the newswires."

Alice rode with Niles Compton on the elevator up to level seven. At first, the director was content to stare at the numbers as they rose. Then without turning he said, "I want a detailed report on all the field teams that may or may not have been affected by these quakes. Any team, no matter who they're attached to, gets removed if there's the slightest danger. We don't need anyone getting hurt while the president mulls over our value."

Alice was silent as she wrote his instructions in her small notepad. When she was done, she saw Niles remove his glasses and rub the bridge of his nose in worry.

"Everyone is out and safe."

Niles half turned and replaced his glasses. "Excuse me?"

"The Ethiopian field team--they're safe and should be home in about twelve more hours. Our wandering vacationers are with them."

Alice saw the director relax. He nodded as the real reason for his inquiry into the field teams had been answered.

"Are you angry with Jack?" Alice asked, looking at her notepad.

The elevator stopped and Niles waited for Alice to exit before following. He walked straight to his large office, which had the Group's motto above the door in gold letters: THOSE WHO CHOOSE TO FORGET THE PAST, ARE CONDEMNED TO RELIVE IT. He gestured for Alice to close the large double doors behind her.

The office was spacious and dominated by thirty small-screen monitors that could be tuned to any science department or vault on any of the seventy-five sublevels of the complex. In the center of these monitors that were situated on the wall in the circular office was one large monitor that was currently tuned to the dilapidated hangar designated gate one. It was empty, meaning that the president had safely lifted off. He went to the credenza and poured himself a glass of water, then sat behind his large desk.

"You asked if I was angry at Jack."

"Yes," she said as she sat down in a chair beside the desk.

"Not as much angry as I am worried." He took a sip of his water and rifled through some papers on his desk. He found what he was looking for and pushed the paper to Alice. "I requested that Jack be here for the briefing of the new president; he instead requested leave for himself, Everett, and Ryan."

"You granted the leave."

"How could I say no after what Jack has done for this Group in the past two years?"

"Then why are you worried?" Alice asked as she laid down the memo.

"He takes too many chances sometimes."

Alice smiled and looked at her boss. She knew that Niles from time to time overthought a situation, and she was duty-bound to ease his mind. Jack Collins was the very best at what he did. His army record was unparalleled in achievement. The only mark against him was his battle with the Pentagon over policy, which had eventually led him to be transferred to the Group.

Carl Everett was Jack's equal in many ways, with the exception of his heart. Everett was the one to whom Jack turned for the harder things involved with his new command. Such as how to handle people.

"Jack doesn't have a death wish, Niles, if that's what you're thinking. What he does have is an overwhelming commitment to do what is right. He was restrained for so many years in his duties with the army. The inability to do the right thing instead of what policy dictated he do. You gave him the freedom he needed to act when you brought him here. Bad people were hurting us in the field and Jack stopped that after you gave him a free hand, and I must say it was the smartest order you could ever have given a man like Colonel Collins."

Niles placed the glass down and then looked at Alice and nodded. "Do I always overlook the obvious?"

"Jack's not growing bored. He wanted to be there to give Will Mendenhall his new second-lieutenant's bar. He's proud of Will, you know that. A fishing vacation was only an excuse."

"He goes fishing and thwarts an attack on innocent students. Taking chances is a bad habit I want him to break."

"If he breaks that habit, we go back to losing field personnel. It's still an ugly world out there, Niles, and Jack just happens to know how to deal with it."

Eighteen hours later, Collins stood at semiattention before the desk of his director. He had not taken the seat offered by Niles, preferring to wait until the director got off his chest that which had to be said.

"Bring back any fish, Colonel?" Niles asked as he looked at the debrief folder that Jack and the others had filed.

"All we brought back was a hangover and an Ethiopian field team."

Niles flipped a page in the file and then looked at Collins. He tossed the filed report onto his desk and then gestured for the colonel to sit.

"Take a seat, Jack ... please."

Collins finally relented and sat. The silver bird on his collar sparkled in the soft light of the office.

"You take too many chances, Jack," Niles stated flatly as he looked straight at Collins.

Collins was about to speak when Niles held his hand up.

"Save it. For people like me who only see science and numbers, we can't even begin to imagine what it's like to have the ability you have. It is a hard thing for us to conceive of risking one's life to save a stranger. Cannot fathom it. I just want you to think before you leap. You are too damn valuable to this Group. To me ." He mumbled the last words.

Collins watched the director. While he and Niles had never become close, they had a mutual respect for each other that went far beyond the normal working relationship. He may not have expressed himself to the director the way he should have, but Jack knew that the bookish director was the smartest man he had ever had the pleasure of meeting. In addition, the two worked well as a team, always thinking about the safety of their people.

"You and many others sell yourselves too short around here, Niles. My abilities are no greater than any one of the five hundred people assigned to Group. In my time you've made choices I could never imagine making--life-or-death decisions for people out in the field--and I must say you have never come up short. All soldiers ever ask for is a superior to have his back. They all know that you do."