No Return

11

Lars Andersen had just driven through the gate of the China Lake naval base when his cellphone rang. He grabbed his Bluetooth headset off the cigarette lighter and put it in his ear.

“Lieutenant Commander Andersen.”

“Lars, it’s Janice. Commander Knudsen just got here for our meeting. You’re almost back, right?”

Lars checked his watch. The meeting with Knudsen was supposed to start in fifteen minutes. “Any way we can push it back an hour?”

“He’s already in the conference room. Why? You can’t make it?”

If Lars kept going on the road he was on, he’d be at his office in two minutes. Instead he turned left.

“You’ll have to take it without me.”

“He’s not going to be happy,” Janice said.

“Make something up. You can fill me in later.”

“If that’s what you want.”

“No choice,” he said, then disconnected the call. Immediately he punched in a new number.

“Commander Forman’s office, Seaman Litoff speaking.”

“This is Lieutenant Commander Andersen. I need to see the commander now.”

“Sir, the commander isn’t here at the moment.”

“Where is he?”

“I’m afraid I’m not authorized to give you that information.”

“Well, Seaman, I suggest you call your boss and tell him I’m on the way to his office and he’s going to want to see me right away. Understood?”

“Yes, sir. Understood. Can you tell me what this is regarding?”

“No.”

Lars disconnected the call.