Arctic Wind

Chapter 1 New Responsibilities

Lieutenant Rod Jeffers sat back in his seat and tried to relax. He had been called just the day before and told to pack his bags. Now he was on an early morning flight to Washington, DC, sitting beside his boss, Vice Admiral Roger Hammond. Both had just gotten aboard the plane and had gotten into their assigned seats. It promised to be a smooth flight.

Jeffers sat back a moment and thought of the whirlwind he had been through over the past month. He was surprised when he had gotten the call to the Commander, Naval Surface Force, Pacific. He was even more surprised when he was ushered into Admiral Hammond’s office. He had originally met the Admiral aboard the USS Kings Mountain the day after Hammond’s wife had been kidnapped in Venezuela. He had been one of the officers Hammond had met with to get ideas on where to start looking. Jeffers had been the first to figure it out. He found out later that Hammond had told his commanding officer that Jeffers was a man to watch.

Now, three years later, Jeffers found himself sitting in in front of him again. After some probing questions, Hammond got to the point. “Now to the reason I asked you here today. I need a new Flag Lieutenant, and I think you might be just the man for the job. You impressed me a couple of years ago when you came to the same conclusion I did on who was responsible for that kidnapping mess. Since then, Captain Davis tells me you not only could handle a ship, but displayed the same smarts when it came to getting things done. That’s what I need around me, someone who can hold his own and get the job done, no matter what. I really don’t want one of those guys who just says ‘yes, sir’ and runs errands. I want someone who can add to the equation. You have shown that you’re not afraid of these stars on my collars and will speak your mind when needed. So now’s your chance. What do you think?” Hammond asked as he sat back in his chair.

Jeffers remembered sitting forward in his chair and looking Hammond straight in the eye. “First off, sir, if you think I’m not intimidated by those stars, you’re wrong. I’ve heard of flag officers eating guys like me for lunch. At the same time, I know a little bit about you too. Captain Davis thinks you are the next saint, and he’s told me a little about how you work, so that helps. Second, I am worried about my career. I need to get to Department Head School and keep everything on track. I really don’t want anything to interfere with that. Third, if I take the job, you need to know that I always get my two cents worth in. If I need to be, I can be pretty insistent. So just don’t get steamed if I say something that you don’t agree with. On the other hand, if I take the job I will work night and day to make sure your job is a little easier. The question is, can you be happy with that,” he asked.

Hammond had grinned. “Rod, that’s exactly what I want. Don’t worry about getting your career derailed. You have to go to a shore billet anyway. I’ll make sure your career stays on track. I think I’d really like working with you, so if you’re agreeable, I’ll talk to your detailer,” he said. Hammond stood and offered his hand. Jeffers stood and took it.

That had been just four weeks before. He understood then, that they would be going to the Mediterranean, but things had suddenly changed. Now he would now be the Flag Lieutenant to the Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Jeffers was having a hard time realizing what a big change that might mean.

“You all set?” Hammond asked from the window seat as Jeffers shoved his tablet device into the seat in front of him.

“Yes, sir. Now we just have to change planes in Dallas,” Jeffers said. “Once we get to DC, there will be a car waiting to take us to the Navy Yard. You are all set up for a room in senior officers’ quarters and I got one at the bachelor officers’ quarters down the street. I also got everything arranged for you to get a ride every morning for the first week or so into the Pentagon. Tomorrow morning it will pick you up at 5 am. That should get you there in time for the morning brief. After that, we’ll just have to see how the schedule shakes out,” Jeffers said.

Hammond chuckled. “You really are trying to think ahead. You going to be riding in with me each morning,” he asked.

Jeffers shook his head. “No, sir, I plan on being in the office at least a half an hour ahead just to make sure your chair has been dusted. I wouldn’t want you to soil your whites before the big meeting,” he said with a grin.

Hammond almost let out a howl of laughter, but caught himself and sat back with a smile. In just a week of working together, the two men had become very accustomed to working with each other and had become a well-oiled team. He liked Jeffers dry sense of humor, but even better, he liked how he worked. Jeffers used his brain to get things done. He never pushed the weight of his office around, but always was able to get the job done. Even the rest of the staff had liked working with him. Brian Davis was right about the young man. He would eventually become a flag officer as long as the Navy didn’t screw things up.

Hammond looked back at Jeffers. “What are you going to do about transportation? I’m planning on buying some sort of car once I get there.”

Jeffers shrugged. “I put my car on the train yesterday. According to the schedule, it should get there sometime next weekend. I can pick it up in a place called Lorton. Then, at least, I won’t have to be stuck in the Navy Yard all the time,” he said.

“Good idea. What kind of car is it?”

Jeffers chuckled. “Just an old beater I picked up a few years ago from a friend of the family. It’s a 2001, but I kind of got myself attached to it. As long as it gets me back and forth, I’m happy. As a bachelor, I like getting out and traveling around some on the weekends when I don’t have to work. I just jump in the car and take off. I get to see a lot of stuff doing that,” he said with a twinkle in his eye.

“I sometimes do the same thing. You’ve seen the Olds. I used to go on some day trips. Not so much now though. A family will do that to you,” he grinned.

They were interrupted as the pilot welcomed the passengers aboard and the cabin attendant began his usual routine. Within a few minutes the plane had lifted from the bumpy runway and was clawing into the morning skies.

After the seat belt light blinked off, Hammond turned to Jeffers again. “What do you think about the assignment I mentioned?”

“I actually talked for a few minutes to Admiral Styles’ aide, a Lieutenant Grant, yesterday. He said they had selected four flag officers to make up the team to look at what’s going on,” Jeffers said as he reached for his tablet and switched it on. “Admiral Lockwood is an aviator, Admiral Grimes is surface, Admiral Best is intelligence and General Westin is a Marine. So far, they have met to discuss the mission but that’s about all. There is another meeting scheduled for Wednesday at 0900 in your office. I told Grant to keep the meeting on the schedule. I figure if we need to change it, we can do that almost anytime.”

Hammond nodded in agreement. “Seems a little strange that it’s such a small group,” he said.

“I agree. But listening to Grant, he called it Styles’ ‘usual group.’ Grant also insinuated that Styles liked things a certain way and for things to come out as he expects. From what he was telling me, it sounded like Grant was used to working long hours and couldn’t wait to get away from that office. I kind of felt sorry for him,” said Jeffers with a slight sigh.

Hammond shook his head. Too often senior flag officers might look for the easy way out of a situation. Having friends he could count on to back up his ideas was one of the signs. Long hours for the staff was another indicator. Hammond had heard of Styles’ climb to the top. Granted, he was a dedicated and hardworking officer, but it appeared his ego had risen with his rank. He had run into that in the last war. “What do you think about this group?”

Jeffers shifted in his seat slightly. “I think it needs more. I noticed there are no submariners in the group, no supply types, and all of them have been in flag positions for the last eight years at least. That means no current operators. I would recommend a few captains and commanders just to round it out some. But there’s something else that’s bothering me,” Jeffers said leaning in a little closer. “If this is supposed to be a group looking at how we might respond to a Russian outbreak, why are there no Army or Air Force types in the group? Even if we are just looking at a Navy response, we will have to take their needs and efforts into account. If it was left to me, I would drop some of the flag officers and widen the scope. Let’s give the powers that be a real detailed scenario instead of just another study,” Jeffers said. He wasn’t too sure that he hadn’t overstepped his bounds with what he had said.

Hammond saw just a glint of concern in Jeffer’s eyes. He smiled at the man. “I think you’re right. You can’t be in somebody’s yard and not play with them. How about we get the Chief of Staff to get a few people lined up to join us at that Wednesday meeting. Ask if the Marine might be changed to Richardson. I’d like her opinions. Tell him to add those captains and commanders. I like the idea,” he said as he reached into his pocket and pulled out his cell phone. “Did they say it was okay to use these?”

Jeffers nodded.

Hammond pulled up a number from his contact list and placed the call.

Perry Johnson was sitting in his recliner watching a ball game when his cell phone rang. He was surprised it was from Hammond. “Roger, I thought you weren’t getting in till tonight.”

“I’m not. We are currently over Nevada, I think. I needed to ask a question. Should this team not include all the services?” he asked.

Johnson thought a moment. “You know, it should. I’m not sure how far it’s gone, but now that I think about it, maybe it should be more of a defense level effort. I’ll talk to the Secretary in the morning and get it straight. I still want you to do it; just make sure the skids are greased. Got some people in mind?”

“No, but my aide and I are discussing some things and I wanted to make sure we were on the right track,” Hammond said.

“No problem. Glad to see you’re already on it. We’ll talk more tonight at dinner.”

“Thanks Perry. I’ll see you tonight at seven,” said Hammond as he turned off the phone. “It seems you and the CNO think alike,” said Hammond with a grin as he turned toward Jeffers.

“I like being in good company,” Jeffers grinned.

“Now, what say we talk a little about what you think about how and what will happen,” Hammond said as he sat back in his seat. The two men talked quietly for the remaining two hours of the flight.

Bugayev eased his scooter into a space just in front of an apothecary just outside the city center. It was an older building from the early nineteenth century. There was the shop downstairs and three stories of flats above it. The front of the building had once been decorated in the older European style, but most of the ornate trappings had long since faded. It was dusk, and the lights had been turned on inside the shop. He could see a few people inside at the counter.

Bugayev shut down the engine and grabbed a small backpack before making his way to the shop door. He had arrived just before the shop was to close, as planned months earlier. Now he would make his first contact on this assignment. The ringing of a small bell announced his arrival inside the apothecary shop. No one really turned to look. The man at the counter had just finished giving a customer his prescription and a lady was waiting behind him.

“I will be with you shortly,” said the man at the counter.

The jovial smile on his face caused Bugayev to relax slightly. He had been told who and what to expect. The photo he had studied matched the man behind the counter exactly. Bugayev pretended to look at items on the shelves until the lady finally left and the man at the counter called out, “May I help you?”

Bugayev smiled and eased toward the counter. “I was hoping you had a flat for me. The name is Filip Menski. I called earlier,” he said with a smile.

The code words caused the man’s face to suddenly change to concern, then almost immediately return to the broad smile. He extended his hand. “Anton Kursov. I have been expecting you. Wait a moment while I lock up and I will take you to your flat,” he said as he removed his apron and began locking up. In just a few moments, they exited the store and entered a side door. There was a long flight of stairs inside. “Unfortunately, this is the only way to get up to the flat. It is a private entrance. You are on the top level of the building. My family and I live just above the shop and another family, the Polski’s live just above us,” Kursov said as he made his way up the stairs. By the time they reached the top, Kursov was very winded. He unlocked the door and the men stepped inside.

The small flat was very pleasant. There was a small sitting area, a kitchen with a table, and a television set to one side. There were two doors on the opposite wall. Once led to a bathroom and the other to a bedroom. Everything was clean and neat.

“We refurbished the flat just last year. I made sure that the floors and walls were soundproofed,” said Kursov nervously. He led Bugayev to the bedroom. On one wall was a closet. Opening the closet, he reached beside the side wall and eased a hidden lever. The wall opened and revealed a small room with a radio receiver some books and other items. “I believe you have everything you need. If you do need something, only talk to me. None of my family knows what we are doing. It is better for security that way. I was told to have a meeting with you and our supporters tomorrow night. I will take you to it at 7 pm. Until then, get some rest,” he said.

Bugayev nodded. “What else were you instructed to do?”

“Only to follow your orders explicitly. I was not made aware of any plans beyond getting you set up here, but I am at your disposal to get things started. Just be aware, I am expected in the shop from nine in the morning until seven at night. On occasion I can ask my wife to take over for a few minutes, but not for very long. I also have a son, Petyr, and two other younger children. After school Petyr makes deliveries on his bike. I’ll do my best to make myself available for anything you need,” said Kursov.

Bugayev nodded. “I must insist that you must do whatever I ask. There is much at stake for the Rodina. So start finding some excuses to be away. I will attempt to work around the schedule, but I make no promises.”

“I understand. The people you will meet tomorrow were all cleared by state security. I am hoping that between all of us, everything will be done,” Kursov explained.

“We will see,” said Bugayev sternly. “Now get back to your family. I will see you again in the morning.”

Kursov nodded, then reached into the small room and pulled out 1,900 zlotys. He placed them in his pocket. “That’s your rent for the first month. I will be expected to show it to the family and deposit it in the bank. I will replace it each month,” he said.

Kursov turned and walked to the door. “Welcome to Krakow,” he said as he left the room.

Bugayev deposited his pack on the bed. He looked in the chest of drawers and found they were full of clothing that was his size. He then examined the rest of the apartment. Everything worked and there was even food in the small refrigerator. He nodded to himself. If Kursov was this efficient, the job would be much easier.

Sitting in the easy chair, he turned on the television. The news was announcing some disturbances in Warsaw involving people who were originally from Russia.

It had been a rough night. True to his word, a car and driver met them at Reagan National Airport and drove them across the river to the Navy Yard. There, the two were deposited in their respective quarters. Despite their exhaustion, Hammond had a rough time sleeping. Somehow the anticipation of the new job had filled him with a strange anxiety to get there and get the job done. Being away from Patricia and Little Steve hadn’t helped. Because of a delay in Dallas, his plane hadn’t arrived until late, so his planned meeting with Admiral Johnson had not happened. He would be going into the office cold. Fortunately, the driver had taken him up to the river entrance of the Pentagon where he would bypass all the crowds of people filing into work. Lieutenant Jeffers was standing there with a smile, as usual, and had the Pentagon Force Protection Agency representative there to speed him through the steps to get the appropriate badging and permissions for free access to his offices.

Immediately after getting credentialed, Jeffers escorted Hammond to his new office on the ‘E’ ring next to the Office of the Chief of Naval Operations. He was pleasantly surprised to find he had a window overlooking the river and downtown Washington — not that he would get the chance to look that often. When he entered the outer office, everyone came to attention. Captain Mike Clarity stepped up to greet him.

“Admiral, this is Captain Mike Clarity, your Chief of Staff,” said Jeffers making the introduction.

Hammond extended his hand. “Good to meet you, Captain. Come on in while I get used to this new place,” he said cordially.

Clarity shook his head. “Sorry, Admiral, but you have just five minutes to get down to the briefing room. The CNO told me to get you down there a little early so you could talk. Just leave your things here and we’ll take care of getting you checked in while you’re at the briefing, then we can sit down afterward.”

Hammond gave a sigh. “And when I was an ensign, I thought admirals could just about do whatever they wanted.” The men chuckled. “Alright Captain, I am yours to command. Lead the way.”

Jeffers took the copies of Hammond’s orders and his briefcase then the two men left the office. The briefing room was on the ‘D’ ring and a short walk down the corridor. The Marine at the entrance checked their badges and the two were allowed to enter.

The Chief of Naval Operations, Admiral Perry Johnson greeted them when they entered the room. “Roger, how are you doing? It’s good to see you.”

“Not bad, Perry. I’m glad to finally get here.”

Johnson ushered Hammond to a seat at the front of the small auditorium where they sat down. He got right down to business. “Sorry you didn’t have time to come over last night, but I wanted to give you a little insight on this job you have to do. I had tasked Styles with taking a hard look at our next threat and what we might need to do to prepare for it. Normally I would have tasked this to the Deputy for Plans, but I have her on a couple of other things right now and this is too high level to farm out.”

Hammond nodded.

“Anyway, you should hear a few things going on right now in Europe during the briefing. Things seem to be ramping up pretty fast over there. The President and I went to the European Summit last week and those guys are about to go spastic over the Russians. Poland, Germany and Britain are gearing up, Spain and some of the smaller countries are taking notice, but it looks like France is just going to sit by and watch. In the middle of this, the President dropped the big one. He told them, in no uncertain terms, that the United States was tired of fighting their wars for them and would not step up until they all started picking up their part of the load.”

Hammond’s eyes sprung open. “I bet that got their attention.”

“No shit. Most of them are starting to take things a little more seriously for a change. Of course, we are not going to leave anybody out in the cold, but it had to be said. I talked to Steve more about it on the way home. He’s serious about making them pick up the load, so we needed someone who could objectively look at this mess and make the appropriate plans. One of your hats is Commander, Allied Joint Forces Command. We are going to count on you to smooth any rough feathers and get some plans going on a NATO front. When you called yesterday, you had anticipated one of the things I was going to talk to you about. It’s broader than you may think. You will also need to coordinate things at NATO as well. That means a bunch of trips to Europe. We need to try and second guess what is going to happen and get everybody in on it. My gut feeling is Russia is about to go either into Poland or Austria. If they do, there is going to be a shooting war. So we need to know how they might do it and how we can counter it. Quite frankly, we are not prepared for a war the size of World War Two. Our resources are limited. So we need to figure this out and find a way of coming out on top. Styles was a great planner, but I couldn’t really send him around places without pissing people off. You, on the other hand, have tact. The President and I figured we could send you anywhere, and if we do start shooting, you have shown you can handle that aspect too.”

“So I’m supposed to ride up on the white horse and save the world,” Hammond grunted.

“Three bags full,” said the CNO with a grin. “Roger, I’ve been in this office for several years. I’ve gotten to know everybody up here and you are the only one I can trust with this. We’ve both been trying to cut out the politics in the Navy, but it keeps poking its head back up. I do have some very capable officers coming up, but for this job, you are the only one I can count on to do it right. Of course, the President agreed with me.”

Hammond chuckled. “Of course. You know, sometimes I wish I’d never met the man. I could be a big cheese in industry right now,” he joked.

“Yea, with a three alarm ulcer and a bald head,” the CNO returned.

Hammond let out a slow breath. “I guess that means I’m stuck with the job,” he grinned, then gave a wink. “You need to know my Flag Lieutenant and I came up with the same ideas on Europe yesterday on the plane. I’m going to add some people to this study team, then bring in some of the NATO liaisons. Some toes might get stepped on, but I’ll get the job done,” he said smiling.

“You two plotting to overthrow the government?” asked a booming voice from behind them. General Howard Black strode up to the men and grasped Hammonds hand with a vice-like grip. “Damn, it’s good to see you again, Roger. Good to have you back on the team.”

“Never thought I’d left, Chairman,” replied a grinning Hammond.

“Well you were just too far away for me to bother with. Now, maybe, we can get a few things going around here,” said Black. He eased in a little closer. “I even think I saw a few senior officers quaking in their boots when it was announced you would be coming in. It’s good for them. Keeps them in line. Is everyone here?” he asked looking around. There were a few empty seats, but Black never let that stop him. “Let’s get started,” he said, sitting next to Hammond.

The first briefing was the current deployment of troops and ships around the globe, their status and current operations plans. The second was a public affairs briefing that outlines the highlights of current news around the world, from the United States through Europe and to the Far East. Then came the intelligence briefing.

“Ladies and gentlemen, last night there were some protests in Poland about discriminating practices of Polish business against current Polish citizens of Russian descent. Supposedly, these practices are being carried out throughout the nation as some sort of retaliation against Russia and her alliances. Our intelligence indicates these allegations are false. Current employment laws in Poland prohibit such things, but if you recall, these same things began happening in several other neighboring states which were once a part of the Warsaw Pact. We are also getting intelligence that Russian troops and tanks are being moved from their current positions in Ukraine and Belarus toward the Polish and Austrian borders. As of now, we have identified twenty divisions on the move. In addition, six squadrons of bombers have moved to bases in Belarus. The Russian government told its people that with the situation in Ukraine and Belarus becoming stable, there was an effort to protect the state against a NATO invasion. Our sources tell us that these divisions are fully armed and ready. Sources in Hungary have told us of additional aircraft being flown to bases in twos and threes, then being quickly moved into hangers. So far, there have been no flights, but it clearly appears they are getting ready for something.

Austria and Germany have formed an alliance and German troops have begun moving into Austria and joining their forces in making preparations. The Poles have called in their reserves to get ready for what they feel is an imminent invasion. The incident last night will further inflame the situation.

At sea, the Russians appear to have deployed at least twelve of their diesel submarines from the Northern Fleet. All other ships are still in port. The one exception is the guided missile cruiser Kiev, which along with several escorts, is in the Med, near the tip of Italy. Most times they remain in the Black Sea, but on occasion, they show up for a brief period in the eastern Med,” the briefer droned on.

Hammond leaned over to the CNO. “I may be too late,” he whispered.

The CNO shook his head. “It’s a cat and mouse game. They move their people around like in a chess game. It makes it hard to know what their actual intensions are or where they may strike.”

Hammond nodded. He wasn’t really familiar with the morning briefings in the Pentagon. He had been out in the field too long.

The briefers went on for another half hour along with questions and answers. Then the people in the room began breaking up and going back to their offices. Hammond was stopped by a familiar face.

“I see you want me in on your planning session,” said General Claire Richardson. “I guess this makes up for being left off the first go around,” she said with a grin.

Hammond grinned. “Told them I didn’t want anything unless I had the head grunt on the team. How’s it going Claire?”

She actually gave him a hug. “It’s been too long. How’s Patricia and Little Steve?”

“Fine. Although Patricia was looking forward to some time in Italy.”

“And then we dragged you here. You should have known it would happen. We need sane people to keep us crazies on track,” she said with a smile. “I guess you are getting a good look at what we’re up against.”

Hammond nodded. “A little, but I figure it will take me a while to get the whole picture.”

Richardson’s face clouded. “Don’t make it too long, Roger. I’ve got that feeling in the back of my neck that within the next six months we’ll be in a shooting war. Thanks for bringing me in on the team.”

“I guess it takes a couple of old war horses to get things going. Let me get started and then we can do lunch in a couple of days. I’d love to hear about what’s been happening with you,” Hammond said.

“I love going on a date. See you later, Roger,” she said as she made her way out of the room.

Petyr Kursov pedaled his way down the narrow streets on the outskirts of Krakow after completing his deliveries for the day. Just 17 years old, he had a very strong, thin frame, well-muscled from the daily deliveries he made for his father. Growing up in Krakow he had never known the Soviet Union his father had grown up in. Although ethnically Russian, he considered himself Polish. As a result, he had grown to enjoy the freedoms of his native land and had made many friends. As a matter of fact, he had become very popular in school, making friends easily and getting a reputation of being easy going and helpful when you needed him. His education was top notch and he always achieved high marks in school.

Every day he left school to help his father make the deliveries of medicine or other sundries for people who had a hard time getting in to the shop. The elderly in the area had come to know and love the black haired youth with the sparkling blue eyes. He was always there with a friendly smile and helping hand. In turn, this helped his father’s business greatly and the family enjoyed a prosperity that had them very comfortable.

Petyr made a turn around one corner onto one of the main streets and began coming up on a young girl with auburn hair carrying two heavy bags of groceries. He immediately recognized her as Freda Polski, whose family had moved into the apartment above theirs just three weeks before. Petyr had a difficult time getting to know her. Only rarely did he see her outside of school and they didn’t share any classes. To Petyr, she was extremely attractive, so he eased his bicycle up alongside her and called out to her. “Need some help?” he asked.

Startled slightly, Freda quickly smiled. “Oh, hello! I wouldn’t mind some help,” she said.

Petyr got off his bike and grabbed the two bags placing them in the wire basket he had mounted over the front tire. “I’ll walk with you,” he said. The two began walking together as he pushed his bike.

She flexed her fingers and looked down at where the plastic had cut into them. “I wasn’t sure I would make it,” she exclaimed. “The family needed more than I had thought.”

Petyr smiled at her. “I was beginning to think I’d never see you. This is the first time I’ve seen you outside school,” he said.

She gave him a small grin. “Well, I don’t get out much. My mother is not well, she has difficulty breathing. All those years of smoking have nearly killed her, so to help my father; I have to do a lot of the work around the house. By the time I get supper done and everything cleaned up, I just have enough time to get my homework done before I need to get to bed,” she said.

Petyr gave a sigh. “Same with me. I help out my father delivering packages after school. Sometimes I think I’ll never get my homework done and get some sleep. How long has your Mom been sick?”

“For the last five years. Mother has to use an oxygen tube now. She gets winded just standing up and walking across a room. That’s why we moved into the city. Going back and forth to his work from the family farm nearly killed Father. He works so hard, and comes in so tired, I felt like I had to do something. Luckily, I’m a pretty good cook,” she said with a grin. “But sometimes I have a little time and I go down and sit on the bench in front of your store. Just a little fresh air helps a lot. Aren’t you at the same level as I am in school?” she asked.

Petyr smiled. “Yes, but you weren’t assigned any of the same classes. I’ve seen you a few times, but when you’re rushing to your next class, there’s not much time to say hello. How are you doing in school?”

“Not too bad,” she said. “I want to go to the university and become a teacher. Father says they will get by if I go, but I’m not so sure.”

“A teacher, huh. Why that?” he asked.

She shrugged. “I really like being around children, and my grandmother was a teacher. What about you?”

“I hope to get into the university too, but I am interested in biology. Either I want to do biological research or become a doctor. I’d like to help figure out what makes us all the way we are. You know, what really comes together to make your hair the color it is or your eyes as green as they are,” he said. “I don’t want to change how it’s done, but just to understand it.”

“Sounds nice,” she said with a smile. The fact he had noticed the color of her eyes had not gone unnoticed. “Maybe we will go to the same university together.”

Petyr couldn’t believe how much he was enjoying the conversation. “I think I would like that a lot. I’m glad we finally got the chance to talk a bit. Maybe I need to come this way every day.”

Freda laughed. “Well, I don’t go to the grocer every day, but I might try and sit on that bench for a while each night. Maybe you will catch me there,” she said with a sly look.

Petyr looked up and rubbed his chin with one hand. “Hmmm, I might be able to work it into my busy schedule,” he said before looking back at her and smiling.

Freda had heard all about Petyr at school. Of all the students, no one ever said anything bad about him. Yes, his looks were amazing, but she found his personality to be just as pleasant as the others had told her, and she felt drawn to it. Now they were laughing together walking along the street. She would make sure that she spent some time on the bench tonight.

Lieutenant Jeffers escorted Colonel Pete Peterson into Hammond’s office. He had been a little concerned about the summons to an Admiral’s office to be a part of a special team. Admiral Hammond came from his desk to greet him.

“Colonel Peterson, it’s good to finally meet you. A friend of ours had a lot of nice things to say about you,” he said cheerfully.

The puzzled look on Peterson’s face was priceless. “I’m afraid you have me at a disadvantage, Admiral,” he said. “A friend?”

Hammond almost laughed. “Yep, Dale Ricks told me you were probably the only army officer who had his shit together, so that’s why I asked for you.”

Peterson’s face broke into a wide grin. “I’ll be damned. I hadn’t made the connection. How’s he doing?”

“Pretty fair. The last I heard, they have him down at Fort Belvoir in a training billet. I just got here a few days ago and I haven’t been able to catch up. Have a seat,” Hammond said to the colonel. The two men sat down and Hammond continued. “Colonel, I’ve been handed a tough job and I will need a few people with combat experience on the team. I got the go ahead from Defense to select a few people to join it. I remembered what you and Ricks had gone through so I asked where you were. Luckily you were over at Fort Meyers. I appreciate you joining us on such short notice and I appreciate you coming in a little early so we could meet.”

Peterson was relieved a bit now that he knew what had happened. “Not a problem, sir, but I’m still a little interested in knowing what we’re up against,” he said.

“I’ll explain more at the meeting, but the main thing is to try and determine who the next threat is and how we are going tackle it. At first, my predecessor had just invited flag officers, but I felt like we couldn’t do this without people who have been there and done that a little more recently than they had. I need you to look at this from the ground pounder perspective. I can’t make recommendations that will work unless I know the guys with the bayonets can do the job. I believe you are just the guy to tell me this,” Hammond said firmly.

Peterson nodded his head. “Oh, I can do that, all right. If you talked to Ricks, you know we were at it from both the losing side to eventually the winning side. Even now, some of the guys I work with can’t believe what we did,” he said with determination. “Of course, what I say won’t mean much if a bunch of flag officers poo-poo it. But I’ll give you what I’ve got. From what I have heard, you have seen some of the same kind of action yourself, so I’ll leave you to fight with the rest of the elephants. Us pygmies will just keep from getting crunched underfoot,” he said with a grin.

“I’ll try to keep them from making jelly out of you. Thanks for joining the team.”

The two men talked a few minutes before they had to leave for the meeting. The conference room was just down the hall. The men were the last to enter and everyone stood as they came in except for two of the admirals, who remained seated. It quickly reminded Hammond that technically, he was still a three star, while these two men were four stars. After asking the people to be seated, Hammond led off.

“Ladies and gentlemen, I am Roger Hammond, acting Vice Chief of Naval Operations. Thank you all for coming today. Some of you began this process under the late Admiral Styles, today we are picking up that effort. It has been bumped up a little and now has the support of the Department of Defense, so it’s not just a Navy project anymore. I also asked to expand on the people taking part in this effort,” he began. “We have a monumental task before us. Some of the decisions will be easy, while others will require intense effort. As I see it, we have four goals,” he began

Lieutenant Jeffers turned on the computer projector and the outline appeared in front of them.

“First, we need to determine the top three threats facing the United States at the present time. Second, we need to determine the largest threat and how they threaten us. Third, where are we most vulnerable or to put it better, how would you see them attacking us, and fourth, how do we meet the challenge. Specifically, if we are attacked, what do we do about it? You will notice that we have officers from the allied services here with us. Since the United States does not operate in a vacuum, we have to take into consideration how our allies will respond as well.

“That is the basic outline, but as you can imagine, the deeper we go into this, the more detailed it will get. I will say this, if any of you feel you cannot stick with this until it is complete, please let me know now. Once we start, we all will have a part and we all will have homework to do. I will ask that if you do leave, you assign someone else to take your place. I’m not kidding on the importance of this project.

“Now, as to how I want to conduct these meetings, they will mainly be brainstorming sessions. Everyone has an equal say,” he said while glancing at Peterson. He noticed Peterson grin back. During the meetings, we will look at specific aspects of the mission and everyone will need to go back afterwards and find out what information we need to eventually come to a consensus. Once we have everything finalized, we will go over it all in front of the Joint Chiefs. If they have any other comments, it will be incorporated into the final.”

Hammond looked around the room. “Each of you is a resident expert in their area of warfare expertise. There is no denying that. Each of you has an equal say. If you have a doubt, sing out and bring it up to all of us. We can’t get this done if there are lingering doubts. This must be our best effort. Now are there any questions?” he asked finally.

Admiral Lockwood spoke up. “Roger, why involve such a large number of non-flag officers? When we first met with Styles, we assumed this would be something that would last a few meetings then a report submitted,” he said in an accusing tone.

“That may be, but I got the distinct impression from the CNO that he wanted something a little more substantial. Evidently the Secretary of Defense agreed, so it got bumped up to a higher priority with a few more provisions. I invited the rest of these senior officers because they have much more recent combat experience and can give us a better insight on what happens at the ground level.”

“Don’t you think we know that,” Lockwood said sternly. “I have a lot more experience than these guys.”

Hammond looked at him and laid his hands on the table. “Admiral, you are an aviator. What aircraft did you fly?”

Lockwood grinned. “I trained on the F-4 Phantom. Then I transitioned to F-14s,” he said with a smirk.

“And both are aircraft no longer in our inventory. The aviators we have today are dealing with systems and aircraft we never dreamed of. Although I know you have vast experiences, they are not necessarily modern experiences. We need that input, not just the outdated ideas of people who have been flying desks instead of aircraft for the last ten years,” Hammond said calmly.

Lockwood got a stricken look on his face. No one had ever doubted his abilities, yet Hammond had cut right to the core. He was right. It had been ten years since he had flown in an aircraft except as a passenger. What made it worse, Hammond had calmly cut him down in front of all the others. He silently began looking for a way to get a little revenge. Looking back at Hammond, he said, “So I take it none of the other flag officers have the experience either.”

“Oh, I don’t know,” said a female voice from the back of the room. Everyone turned to see Lieutenant General Claire Richardson sitting back in her chair. “I personally recognize several people in the room who were with me when we had our little walk up the Korean peninsula. It looks like a well thought out team to me,” she said in a matter-of-fact tone.

“I agree,” said Rear Admiral Chris Hustvedt, sitting beside her. Every naval officer in the room remembered how Hustvedt had won the battle of the Sea of Japan just six years before.

“It’s not that I doubt anyone’s abilities. You have an amazing record and I really do need your input into all this. But I also need the experiences of everyone in the room, not just one or two. Once this is done, we will have a blueprint for fighting a modern war. Something like this hasn’t been done of this scale since the Second World War. I need all of you,” Hammond reiterated. “Any other questions?”

The room was silent. Everyone recognized leadership and it was standing at the front of the room.

“Very well, then, let’s start at the beginning. What do you think are the top three threats to the United States,” Hammond began.

“Russia,” said Admiral Best put forward. “With all the activity she has been in for the last year, I would expect something between six months and a year from now. There may be others, but Russia worries me most,” he said, warming up to the task. Several of the people in the room nodded.

“China might be the next one in line,” said Richardson. “She is still rattling her saber in some of the outlying areas and we have gotten word that she is putting pressure on some of the neighboring countries to get some things done. I wouldn’t put her in the same ballpark as Russia, but with over a billion people, I would be worried. I know we worried about that in Korea.”

“Okay, that’s two to consider, are there others?” asked Hammond.

“What about the Middle East? It has quieted down some, but they are still killing each other over there by the dozens,” said a Marine lieutenant colonel.

“Yea, they never seem to go away,” said Best with a grin. There was a chuckle in the room. “We finally got out of there but the conflict seems to always keep going. The threat there is to the oil supplies,” he said. Again there was nodding around the room.

A British captain spoke up. “Actually, I believe those are the real threats to any of us. Venezuela used to be somewhat of a threat, however it appears that issue has been handily dealt with,” he said with a grin. “In any case, aside from minor skirmishes with the damned Somali pirates, the rest of the world appears to be holding its own. If it were left to me, I would agree that the number one threat is Russia, then China and the Middle East. At least I can’t think of any other major threats,” he said. “India is a big question mark, but, fortunately, she has her own troubles and is not bothering anyone at present.”

Hammond looked around the room. Some were nodding and some simply watching. “Very well, is this a consensus?” he asked. Now everyone was nodding. Hammond smiled, “Now see, we have already accomplished a quarter of our mission,” he said with a grin.

There was a general chuckle around the room. Everyone knew this was the easy part, but everyone felt the energy now. People were participating and they all felt something big was being done.

“Now to stage two, how are we threatened by our top choice, Russia.” This time, the discussion was much livelier.

The night was very peaceful. Freda could hear crickets in the distance and the light from the streetlamp cast a dim yellow glow across the area. She had only been sitting on the bench for a few minutes when she heard the shop door open and Petyr came out.

“Hi,” she said, “Glad you made it.”

Petyr sat down next to her. He could see the outline of her face in the light of the streetlamp. He was thrilled she had invited him to join her and was working hard not to show it. “Wouldn’t miss it. I used to come out here sometimes myself. It’s nice in the cool of the evening,” he said. He shifted on the bench to face her. “Now, tell me about yourself. About the only thing I know is that you just moved in here and you have to take care of the family,” he said.

She turned slightly to face him. “Where do I start? My father is a banker at the PKO Bank just a few blocks from here. Originally we had a farm outside the city on the other side of the A4, but when my mother got so sick, father decided to move closer to work so he could be home more often. At least that’s what he told us. What really happened is he has spent all we have on special doctors to try and treat mother. We flew her to the United States for care, but she was so far gone, they said the only thing they could do was to put her on something called a transplant list. They sent us home and told us to wait. We call every week or so, but so far, there has been no word. I overheard father telling a friend they didn’t have much hope they would get one in time,” she said as her voice drifted softer.

Petyr could feel the pain she felt. He reached over and took her hand. “I can’t imagine what you have been through. If I had known, I wouldn’t have asked,” he said softly.

She squeezed his hand. “Don’t feel bad, we have seen this coming. Even mother does what she can to cheer us all up. My father is determined to make life as pleasant as possible for all of us. It was just a shame we had to leave the farm. I loved it there,” she said wistfully.

“Did you sell it or rent out the land?” Petyr asked.

“Oh, Papa wouldn’t sell it. We rent the house to a family who works the land. It has been in our family for several generations. It has several hectares of farmland, some forest and a small lake. I loved that lake,” she said wistfully.

“What kinds of things did you like to do there?” he asked.

The smile returned to her face, “Oh, I’m an outdoor girl,” she said. “I love anything outdoors. I used to ride my bike every day, go out with friends camping and swimming. Sometimes I would just go out and soak up the sun. My father used to have to hunt me down for dinner each night. I would be off doing something somewhere,” she said gleefully. “I haven’t had the chance to do much of that lately.”

Petyr got even more excited. Those were the kinds of things he loved to do as well. “Maybe we should take some time and do things like that together. I enjoy being outside too. If nothing else, you can ride with me on my errands,” he suggested.

“That might be fun. Maybe we could go to the park by the Wisla River. I have wanted to get down and see it,” she suggested.

“I’d like that too. Do you want to go some weekend?”

“If I can get the time,” she said.

“Then we will make it work. Sunday afternoon might be the best time,” he said excitedly.

“That may work. I’ll ask my father,” she said.

Petyr held her hands tighter with the excitement. The conversation stopped for a moment as they simply looked at each other. Eventually both realized nothing was being said and they looked away.

“Now tell me a little about yourself,” she finally said. It was a good thing he could not see her blushing.

Petyr looked down and smiled. “Not much to tell. I’ve always lived here. My father was born in Russia, in the old Soviet Union. He came in while this country was a part of the Warsaw Pact. When it all fell apart, he decided to stay. He said he could make more money here anyway. So this has been my home. I have a lot of friends and over the years got to do a lot of the same things you like; camping, fishing, hiking, that kind of thing. As a matter of fact, I know some great places to camp. There are some cabins in the Tatransky National Park that are fantastic. I’d love to take you there for a weekend,” he said with glee.

Freda let out a hearty laugh. “You really can get excited about things, can’t you?” she laughed.

Petyr got a shocked look on his face. He lowered his eyes. “Sorry,” he said.

Freda placed her hand on his cheek. “Don’t be sorry. It makes it fun to be with you,” she said. “And yes, that would be a fun trip. But let’s get to know each other a little more before we plan on any weekend trips,” she giggled. Several of her friends at school had mentioned that he was a burst of energy around them. They were right.

The two sat for nearly an hour before, after a gentle cough from a floor above, they called it a night. Petyr watched her climb the steps to her apartment and go in. That’s when he noticed two men walk quickly down the street from the side of the building. Petyr was surprised that one of the men was his father. He hated going out at night, and Petyr wondered what could possibly make him change.

Entering her home, Freda saw her father sitting in his easy chair reading. Mr. Polski looked up from his book and smiled at his daughter. She was the delight of his life. Watching her grow up had been thrilling for both he and his wife, but tonight he saw something else. Somewhere along the way, she had become a very lovely young woman. When he had looked down on her and the neighbor’s son, he saw them interacting, not as children, but a young couple. What’s more, she had held his hand.

While sitting in his chair he had thought back on all the times of their lives. Apart from his wife, Marta, she had been there — always smiling, always helpful. When Marta could no longer get around, Freda had stepped in. She had never complained to him about anything. For the last five years she had taken over the running of the house, giving up what personal life she had, to care for her mother and the family. He was so proud of her.

He motioned for her to come sit beside him on the stool. “My little Freda,” he said lovingly. “You have always been such a good little girl. I had neglected to see what a fine woman you are turning out to be,” he said. “I think it is time your brother and I took over more of the duties around the house.”

There was a questioning look on her face, “Why, Papa?”

He shrugged his shoulders, “Well, for one thing, you have been doing so much of the work for the last five years. A young woman needs to get out and see things, meet people. I feel like I took all that away from you,” he said.

The smile returned. “It’s alright, Papa, I don’t mind,” she said.

“Oh, but I do. For example, I noticed you have met our neighbor, young Petyr. He is a very nice young man,” he said with a sly look. “I think you like him, maybe a little bit.”

Freda turned slightly red. “Yes, I do, Papa, but we just met…”

“And that’s all the more reason to let you have some time of your own. You may meet a lot of young men and you will need the time to get to know them better. That way, if you do eventually fall in love, your heart will know he is the right one,” he said smiling. “You and I have always told each other what we think, so now I think you must spread your wings a little. Don’t worry about us so much, just think about yourself,” he said as he patted her cheek.

Still blushing, she looked up at her father. Somehow he had always known what was going on with her and had the perfect solution. “I would like that, but I still want to help.”

“Oh, I know that, but when a friend calls, don’t let us hold you down. Now, tell me about young Petyr,” he said with a smile.

Her eyes brightened and her smile widened. “I think he’s wonderful,” she blurted out.

Those four words brought both joy and great worry to her father.