“Me? That’s insane!” Patrick retorted.

“Why insane?” Martindale asked. “After you put together and then commanded that Air National Guard EB-1C Vampire unit over United Korea, you’re one of the most popular and well-known military guys out there. Some folks equate you with Jimmy Doolittle putting together the Tokyo air raids in World War Two, or with Colin Powell. The guys who have access can look at your record and just be amazed and awestruck at the stuff you’ve done. Plus, you have one more advantage.”

“What’s that?”

“You’re not Brad Elliott,” Martindale said with a smile. “They look at what you and your team did over Russia and Romania in the Kazakov incident, over Korea, over China, over Lithuania, and all the other secret missions you’ve been involved in over the years, and they realize that you were fighting for your people—that shows pride, determination, and tenacity. Brad Elliott didn’t fight for his people—Brad Elliott gladly sacrificed his people to do whatever he wanted. They know where you’re coming from. Thom likes that. I know you disagree with Thom on military policy. ..

“ ‘Disagree’? It goes way beyond ‘disagree,’ Mr. President! Thom was the one who had me involuntarily retired from the Air Force! Thom ordered my wife and son arrested by the FBI, and his Justice Department has got agents watching and listening in on Sky Masters Inc. night and day. Thom and I have absolutely nothing in common except loathing for each other.”

“In case you haven’t noticed, Thom likes surrounding himself with advisers that disagree with him,” Martindale said. “In fact, I can’t think of one person in his entire administration that thinks like him or is even remotely sim- patico with his throwback Jeffersonian ideology. Even his close friend Robert Goff and he constantly butt heads.” “I’d work with Goff, Kercheval, or even Busick any day,” Patrick said. “But there is no way in hell I’d ever serve under Thom.”

“Why?”

“We don’t just disagree—I feel his views of the military and America’s role in the world suck,” Patrick said. “America has the moral wisdom to use its military forces to protect peace and freedom around the world. This ‘stick-your- head-in-the-sand’ attitude is causing widespread uncertainty in the world, and scumbags like Pavel Kazakov are crawling out of the woodwork and taking advantage of it.”

“Then why wouldn’t you go to the White House and tell Thom what you think?”

“Because you can’t talk to guys like Thom. He’s a fanatic, an extremist ideologue. I’d be arguing real-world situations and alternatives to crises that require fast responses, and he’d be quoting Thomas Jefferson and Benjamin Franklin. No, thanks.”

“You would decline to accept the nomination?”

“Loudly and publicly,” Patrick said finally.