The War Cloud

10

Colonel Kozlowski and Captain Linda Li jogged across the tarmac to the awaiting Advanced Airborne Command Post. Unlike the tamer, civilian Air Force One, the militarized E-4B jumbo jet, code-named Nightwatch, was built to soar over mushroom clouds.

“I was worried we were going to have to take off without you, sir,” Li said.

“You saved my lifeKozlowski told his diminutive communications officer. “Again.”

Li smiled. “Any time, sir.”

Kozlowski had been staring into the barrel of his gun back at the hotel when the call from Li came in. Out of habit he picked up and heard her clear, chipper voice letting him know there had been a roster change. It seemed that General Marshall was logging a shift aboard Looking Glass that morning, and would the colonel mind reporting to base as a Suburban was waiting for him at the hotel entrance. “Unless you have something better to do, sir,” she added.

Kozlowski had looked down at his gun again. He suspected that Brad Marshall was not why she really called. She was always looking out for him, even though he knew she didn’t approve of his off-duty life. Hell, how did she even know he was at the Hay-Adams? He swore she was psychic. She called it the spiritual gift of discernment. But she had aroused his curiosity. Brad Marshall was never one to languish in obscurity, even for eight hours. So Kozlowski had switched on his gun’s safety and told her he’d be right down.

Now he found that he had arrived in the middle of a full-blown Alert One nuclear situation.

“Where’s the President?”

“No time, sir,” Li said.

Of course not, thought Kozlowski. He himself would never have made it. God bless Captain Li.

The whine of the engines was deafening now as they approached the towering, 231-foot-long plane.

Li shouted, “We have orders to pick up the Secretary of Defense at Edwards AFB.”

Kozlowski nodded as they ran up the hydraulic steps into the belly of the fuselage. They made their way through a long communications section manned by six Air Force officers and then entered the battle staff compartment. Fifteen more officers, conducting their pre-flight checks, saluted.

“Let’s get the hell out of here!” Kozlowski shouted and strapped himself into a jump seat.

Li plunked down next to him, breathless. The GE 80-series engines wound up into a deep-throated roar and the jumbo jet started moving down the runway.

Kozlowski leaned back against his seat as the plane left the ground. He never felt more alive in his life.