ball inside the VTOL with one heave.
“Thanks, Carlos.”
“N’sweat, sir. Up you go.”
Leg shaking, Trevor rolled into the VTOL, heard the warning klaxon and saw the orange lights: imminent high-speed closure of the bay’s pressure door. Which it did with a bump and a metallic slap. Trevor lay still for a second, feeling the noradrenal rush begin to fade, prepared to suppress the post-op shakes his body-and mind- always wanted to have, but which he never permitted. Then he propped himself up on his elbows-
And saw a woman emerge from the rescue ball like Venus on the half-shell, her figure still discernible through the heavy clothes and tattered duct-tape remains. She must have seen him looking at her: raven-black hair fanned out as she quickly turned her head toward him. Her startling green eyes smiled when they met his-and tears started to run down her cheeks.
Trev smiled back. “Hi, sis. It’s good to see you, too.”
Chapter Thirty-Two
TELEMACHUS
Commodore James Beall leaned back and glared at Trevor Corcoran. “So let’s add up the list of violations to which you have already admitted. Exercising multiple command prerogatives in a unit to which you are not assigned, including illegal access to communication logs, orbital imagery, meteorological projections, and counterintelligence databases. Conceiving, planning, and executing an operation with the assets of said unit, without consulting or even informing its actual command staff. Requisitioning combat equipment-including a fully loaded attack sled-and authorizing the application of lethal force. Suborning three persons of this command, and inciting them to desertion-”
“Hold on. I gave them orders-and they didn’t know I didn’t have the authority to do so.”
“Nice try. They already told us they were operating as volunteers.”
“Bullshit. They’re lying. They’re just trying to keep me out of the brig.”
“Lieutenant Commander Corcoran, you’re the one dishing out the bullshit. You have personal connections to all three, and they all know damn well that you’re not a part of this command. Hell, just three years ago, you were their CO. You’d be a shitty SEAL officer if your men
The door opened. “Not his ass, Commodore: his sister’s.” Downing walked in, Elena behind him.
The commodore stood, stiffly, but also cautious. “Sir, I’m not sure what you think you’re do-”
Richard already had his credentials out; he handed them to Commodore Beall as he walked past, moving to Trevor’s side.
Beall looked at the credentials, eyebrows rising slightly. Then he put them on the table, slid them down toward Richard.
“Very well, sir. You certainly have the authority to be here and to watch these proceedings, but-”
“Commodore, I also have the authority to end these proceedings and dismiss whatever charges you have recorded against Lieutenant Commander Corcoran.”
“Mr. Downing, with all due respect-”
“Commodore, Commander Corcoran was operating on my orders.”
Trevor managed not to start in surprise-or smile.
“Sir, you’ll forgive me if I find that extremely improbable. You’ve been Marside less than three hours.”
“I wasn’t aware you were monitoring my travel itinerary.”
“You’d be surprised what we monitor here, Mr. Downing-or actually, you shouldn’t be surprised, of all people.”
“Regardless, rescuing his sister was an urgent and immediate priority, and had to be done without taking any chance of alerting her captors to the operation.”
“Well then, Mr. Downing, I would appreciate you telling me why it was necessary to leave me out of the loop-and, sir, if I don’t like the answer, I will have no choice but to lodge a protest.”
“Feel free to do so, Commodore Beall-and I recommend that you skip all the intermediate steps and send it to your very highest superior.”
“Admiral Tanaka?”
“No, President Liu. Or didn’t you note the clearance and rank-equivalent on my ID?”
“I did sir, but-”
Downing just kept staring at Beall.
Who ultimately shrugged and looked away. “Sir, why did it have to be this way-or are you just retroactively covering Trevor’s ass?”
Trevor wondered if Downing would be able to avoid smiling at Beall’s insightful question. Elena-still standing at the other end of the room-continued to look tense: she’d never seen high-stakes interagency poker, in which each party plays its authority cards until someone blinks and the game is over. And Beall had blinked.
Richard’s voice was level, nonconfrontational. “Commodore Beall, I am unable to answer your question due to matters of national security.”
“Oh, fer Chrissakes-look: I’d have been happy to help. And I can keep a lid on things. We could have worked together-under the radar, out of sight of the higher brass.”
“I know, and I appreciate your willingness to help. But, Commodore, do you realize that that same kind of willingness has now landed Lieutenant Winfield, Chief Petty Officer Witkowski, and Petty Officer Cruz in your brig?”
“Okay, I’ll let ’em off-as Trev always knew I would.”
Downing shook his head. “Commodore, I wasn’t trying to get them released, nor call attention to the rather striking inconsistency in your own insistence upon proper chain of command procedure-”
Beall flushed. “Now, listen-”
“What I was trying to indicate is that we had to keep Ms. Corcoran’s name completely out of all reports, and out of all media. As far as anyone knows, she was never abducted. And that means you do not have to lie about having mounted a rescue operation-because you didn’t. Nor did your superiors.” Downing paused. “Do you understand?”
Beall turned round to look at Elena, looked back at Richard. “Yes, I do. Sir.”
“Very well. I have one last directive for you to expedite.”
“Very well.”
“I would like the three SEALs you have in the brig released and issued immediate medical furloughs, with transport passes for Earth.”
“What? Why? My men-”
“Commodore. Those men are no longer ‘your’ men. We can’t have them talking to their teams.”
“And I can’t spare them, Mr. Downing. I’m pretty shorthanded up here; I’ve only got two teams in the shack and these three are my most experienced-”
“Commodore, I’m sorry, but this cannot be a matter of debate. And I would also appreciate your writing them sterling letters of recommendation should it become necessary to discharge them from service.”
Beall went back in his seat as if he had been hit in the chest. “Discharge them from-? Downing, this can’t be necessary. These are good men-the best. They can keep a secret-Christ, they’re already sitting on a few. You don’t need to-”
“Commodore. Your appreciation of them is duly noted. And I assure you, this will not in any way damage their careers. Now, if you would kindly begin the necessary paperwork…”
Beall frowned. “Not as though I have much choice, anyway.”
“I’m sorry, but no, you don’t.”
Beall looked over at Trevor and jerked his head toward the door. “We’re through. And Trev-”
Trevor heard the shift in tone, stopped.
“Sorry about your father. You too, Ms. Corcoran.”
