No Return

5

Commander Thomas Forman was still sitting at his desk as the clock ticked past midnight.

It was the crash, of course. Since the moment the plane had gone down, he’d been on the move putting things into motion, making sure every base was covered. He knew he should go home soon and try to get a little sleep, but until the call came through, he couldn’t go anywhere.

The phone finally rang at 12:09.

“Sir,” the voice on the other end said. “They’ve all returned for the night.”

“Any suspicious contact?” Forman asked.

“No, sir.”

“Phones?”

“The ones in their rooms were taken care of while they were out, and their cellphones are being monitored.”

Forman exhaled. It was all just precaution, but when it came to national security you didn’t take chances. “Have someone continue monitoring, and dismiss everyone else,” he ordered. “But first hint of trouble, everyone’s back on. I want this sealed tight.”