Countdown, John Walker [online e book reader txt] 📗

reports, people to be missed, letters to write and families to devastate with the news.

Early in his career, when he first met Mac on the battlefield even, he’d thought of himself as a hero. That’s what had compelled him into military service—to make a difference for those who couldn’t fight for themselves. He’d believed in the cause and never imagined for a second his dedication might falter.

The day I graduated, I felt it deep in my bones that I would be in for life. The career became a calling. The calling became an obsession and then… he never imagined he could do anything else. That was it. Providing I survived, I had a plan. I got comfortable knowing my future was set.

Noah had lost men all through his career before he took over the Morrigan. Different situations from calculated risks to bad luck to crap intelligence to his own mistakes. He’d experienced plenty of death. He traced his recent feelings to the moment he made the choice to defy Whitaker’s order to leave the frontier.

It didn’t matter that I did the right thing. I defied an order and some conditioned side of me took a blow. Noah wasn’t like Rita. He hadn’t spent time outside the service like her. Part of him thought he should’ve thrived in the midst of such turmoil, and yet… he found it distasteful. Enough to bring out a physical reaction.

We’re almost done. Noah clung to that thought. This is close. But that wasn’t the only thing on his mind. AJ Venters had discovered something of interest from Mac. A personal connection between the war dog and Noah. My grandfather…The thought alone made his heart ache.

Noah couldn’t say he knew much about the process to create a war dog, but he understood enough to know the process of wiping their brains. People donated organs to causes, that wasn’t new. In fact, it became mandatory for a while before medical services could easily clone proper replacements for those who needed them.

He intended to talk to Alexander about it, to get some answers about his family member. He struggled with how much it mattered… if at all. It does to me. But why? What did it ultimately matter? His grandfather had been an old man. As far as anyone knew, he’d died before they had conducted the procedure.

That’s the problem. I don’t know that for certain.

Noah had meant to talk to Mac about it before he departed for the briefing. He couldn’t bring himself to it. Not until he better understood the procedure… and if Alexander knew anything about it. Something struck him about his first meeting with Mac. Back then, he’d called it bad luck… duty overlapping.

And yet he began to question the motivations of putting them together after he received the news of his relationship. Did it mean Northam knew? That’s part of what I intend to find out.

“Noah!” Erris’s voice drew him out of his reverie. He looked up with a forced smile. “You’re going the wrong way, sir. The briefing room is over here. I’ll show you.”

“Thanks.” Noah fell into pace beside her. “Sorry about that. I was lost in thought for a moment. I’d like to say you have an impressive ship here. Top-of-the-line. Or at least, it looks like it. I’ve never seen one of your vessels in person before.”

“We spared no expense, really.” Erris looked around as they walked. “There are… more frills than you’d be used to. Some luxuries I’ve always thought weren’t entirely necessary, but by and large, she gets the job done. I’m glad to be home. I’m sure you understand the feeling there.”

“I do.” Noah nodded. “Hey, thank you. I haven’t had a chance to say it, but everything you did after you left the Morrigan saved a lot of lives. Brought us to this point, honestly.”

“Some skill,” Erris replied, “and a lot of luck. But I appreciate it. You had it worse than us, though, by a lot. All that fighting.”

“It’s taken a toll… and it’s not over yet.”

“Oh!” Erris motioned to a man wearing a black suit approaching. “Karl! Come meet Captain Markel in person!” She turned to Noah. “This is Karl Petrova. He’s the one who rescued Marshal Northam and brought him here.”

Petrova shook Noah’s hand. “Pleasure to meet you, sir. I’m glad to put a face to the name. Whitaker talked about you.”

“How long did you work for him?” Noah asked.

“A very long time. Got out for nearly twenty years… went back recently.” Petrova held his arms out to the sides. “Eliza and I both received his treatment. Not that we asked for it. At least it afforded us the opportunity to set things right.”

“When you went back, did you know you’d be doing this?”

Petrova sighed. “Honestly, I didn’t know his agenda. When he told us, I panicked. Eliza and I put plans in motion, but we needed help. That’s where Erris and Peck came in. Their arrival made it possible for us to make contact with you guys, help the Gold Empire, and ensure the Confeds got their leader back.”

“Is Whitaker out of the picture?” Noah asked. “I’m of the impression he got away.”

“Yes,” Petrova replied. “And we’re about to have that discussion with Marshal Northam. I sent a message back to the Confeds… military and political. They know what’s going on. Northam also contacted them, letting everyone know he did not step down willingly and that Whitaker was a traitor. He’ll be getting back to them afterward.”

“So he’ll be arrested if he shows up,” Erris said.

Petrova frowned. “Not… necessarily. I know the man. He’s clever. I’m certain he’ll keep himself out of a jail cell, at least for a while. The part I’m not as sure about is what he’ll do with his freedom. I don’t know what other allies he’s cultivated or what assets