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Back Balance of Power Save as PDF
Chapters (53)
  1. BALANCE OF POWER
  2. Acknowledgments
  3. About The Creators
  4. ONE
  5. TWO
  6. THREE
  7. FOUR
  8. FIVE
  9. SIX
  10. SEVEN
  11. EIGHT
  12. NINE
  13. TEN
  14. ELEVEN
  15. TWELVE
  16. THIRTEEN
  17. FOURTEEN
  18. FIFTEEN
  19. SIXTEEN
  20. SEVENTEEN
  21. EIGHTEEN
  22. NINETEEN
  23. TWENTY
  24. TWENTY-ONE
  25. TWENTY-TWO
  26. TWENTY-THREE
  27. TWENTY-FOUR
  28. TWENTY-FIVE
  29. TWENTY-SIX
  30. TWENTY-SEVEN
  31. TWENTY-EIGHT
  32. TWENTY-NINE
  33. THIRTY
  34. THIRTY-ONE
  35. THIRTY-TWO
  36. THIRTY-THREE
  37. THIRTY-FOUR
  38. THIRTY-FIVE
  39. THIRTY-SIX
  40. THIRTY-SEVEN
  41. THIRTY-EIGHT
  42. THIRTY-NINE
  43. FORTY
  44. FORTY-ONE
  45. FORTY-TWO
  46. FORTY-THREE
  47. FORTY-FOUR
  48. FORTY-FIVE
  49. FORTY-SIX
  50. FORTY-SEVEN
  51. FORTY-EIGHT
  52. FORTY-NINE
  53. FIFTY

McCaskey looked at his watch. "Her chopper should be landing in about five minutes and she'll be brought back here. She went up to find out more about the forces that are rallied against Amadori. He beat her to them. Aideen's partner on the mission, María Corneja, managed to get herself captured by Amadori's soldiers. We don't know exactly where Amadori is based. We're hoping that María can find out and somehow let us know. Have you spoken with Mike?"

August nodded.

"Then you have some sense of what your mission is."

August nodded again.

"Once Amadori is found," McCaskey said, his gaze locked on August, "he must be captured or removed by terminal force."

August nodded a third time. His face was impassive, as though he'd just been given the day's duty roster. He had killed men in Vietnam and he'd been tortured nearly to death when he was a POW there. Death was extreme, but it came with the uniform and it was the coin of war. And there was no doubt that Amadori was at war.

McCaskey folded his hands. His tired eyes were still on August.

"Striker's never had a mission like this," McKaskey said. "Do you have a problem with it?"

August shook his head.

"Do you think any of your team will have a problem with it?"

"I don't know," August said. "But I'll find out."

McCaskey looked down. "There was a time when this kind of thing was standard operating procedure."

"There was," August agreed. "But back then it was a first-strike option rather than a last resort. I think we've found the moral high ground."

"I suppose so," McCaskey said. He rubbed his eyes. "Anyway, you guys hang loose in the commissary. I'll let you know as soon as we have anything."

McCaskey rose and drained his coffee cup. August stood and took a sip from his own cup. Then he handed it to McCaskey. McCaskey smiled and accepted it. He took a swallow.

"Darrell?" August said.

"Yeah?"

"You're looking pretty close to flameout."

"I'm gettin' there," he admitted. "It's been a long haul."

"You know," August said, "if we have to go in I need you to be sharp. I'd feel a lot more comfortable if after Aideen arrives, you lay down somewhere. I can debrief her, talk to Luis, come up with a few scenarios."

McCaskey walked around the desk. He slapped August on the back. "Thank you very much. Colonel. I believe I will take that rest." He grinned. "You know what sucks?"

August shook his head.