NOTES: Thanks for all your thoughtful comments yesterday. As I mentioned in a couple replies, your input is what makes this so effective. I won't go on and on today. I'd rather you got back to the story. Ramping up slowly... (CAUTION: The following contains unedited material that may be unsuitable for the grammatically inclined) Chapter 2 Quantico, Virginia 8:11am, December 4th Cal Stokes waited as his host finished his phone call. The former Marine staff sergeant didn’t wait on many people. He was silent owner of Stokes Security International (SSI), a company founded by his now-deceased father. SSI provided expert former military to corporations and governments all over the world. He was also now the de-facto leader of The Jefferson Group. In the public eye, The Jefferson Group was a consultancy that provided a wide range of expertise ranging from network stability to personal security. Their real mission was only known to a handful of people. Sanctioned by the President of the United States, Brandon Zimmer, the warriors of The Jefferson operated out of Charlottesville, Virginia, executing secret missions in the States and overseas. In short, they were President Zimmer’s black asset. Untraceable and highly effective. The Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Scott Winfield, hung up the phone and exhaled. “Anything new, sir?” asked Cal. The Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps, General Douglas Ellwood had disappeared while in vacation two days before. Search parties were combing Lake Buena Vista, led by local NCIS agents. Gen. Winfield nodded. “They found him.” “He’s dead.” Another slow nod. “It looks like suicide.” Cal’s stomach turned. He’d been the one to recommend that Gen. Ellwood not be allowed to go to Florida. But the commandant overruled him. “You were right, Cal.” The normally upright warrior looked deflated. “You had no idea that he would do that, sir.” “I should have. You did.” Cal didn’t reply. Nearly a month earlier, at the Marine Corps Birthday Ball held at Marine Barracks 8th & I, Gen. Winfield and his good friend, Gen. McMillan, USMC, who also happened to be the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, informed Cal of a new threat to the Marine Corps. The punchline from Winfield had been simple. “We believe that come this time next year, there will no longer be a United States Marine Corps.” At first Cal blamed the booze. The two generals had been at the sauce for hours. But as they outlined the situation, and asked for his assistance, he couldn’t help but believe them. The Marine Corps had faced disbanding in the past, most recently in the early 20th century. But World War II and the raising of the flag on Mount Suribachi had changed that. In fact, it was James Forrestal, the Secretary of the Navy, who’d said in 1945, “The raising of that flag on Suribachi means a Marine Corps for the next five hundred years.” Apparently not. It had been the Assistant Commandant of the Marine Corps himself who’d brought the danger to Winfield’s attention. Incredibly, Gen. Ellwood confessed to being an unwitting participant in the plot to slash the Marine Corps out of existence. Now on loan to the commandant with the blessing of the president, Cal had pressed for an in-depth investigation. Gen. Winfield preferred a more cautious approach saying, “If General Ellwood was part of this, he will be held accountable. I don’t want to ruin his career if we don’t have to.” Cal almost lost his patience at that point replying, “With respect, sir, the general has already admitted his guilt. Whether he knew what he was doing or not doesn’t change a thing. You brought me in to help, to take action. I recommend you let me and my team do what we do best.” Now their key witness was dead. Cal didn’t have to tell the Commandant how much time they’d lost. Gen. Winfield knew. “I never asked, sir, was General Ellwood a friend?” “We knew each other, of course, but I wouldn’t say we were friends. My God, how could he do that with his family being so close, at Disney World for Christ’s sake!” Cal had his opinions but he kept them to himself. Now wasn’t the time to besmirch the name of a Marine general. After taking a few moments to gather his thoughts, Winfield said, “I know we talked about you putting on the uniform again, but I think we missed that window. Can you and your team do what’s needed without joining the ranks?” Cal hadn’t thought much of the Commandant’s idea of he and his other former Marines going back in the Corps for the sake of the investigation. The Corps was too small. They knew too many people. They would be recognized. If there was a silver lining to Gen. Ellwood’s death it was that Cal wouldn’t have to pin on fake major’s bars. “We can do it, sir.” “Good. Now, how quickly can you get to Florida?” Please support this project by sharing the Corps Justice novels with your friends.
22 Comments
Laura
12/12/2014 02:44:14 am
Great foundation and background for us. Looking forward to seeing where you take us.
Reply
Kathy Andresen
12/12/2014 02:46:33 am
Yesterday, I was thinking how difficult it would be for Cal and boys to go under cover in uniform even though I liked the idea. Good call!
Reply
Jerry Lovett
12/12/2014 03:14:49 am
Good start already. Can hardly wait for next episode to see where it goes.
Reply
alice kinch
12/12/2014 03:44:33 am
Definitely holds my interest. Can't wait to see what happens in the next chapter.
Reply
Jim Guthrie
12/12/2014 03:59:32 am
I have to agree with Ms. Andreson, regarding Cal's return to the Corps under a real/fake uniform investigation. I do believe that Cal &Co., can handle it without having to put on a uniform.
Reply
G. Younger
12/12/2014 04:16:29 am
This is interesting. I can't imagine why ANYONE would want to disband a part of our military, and for that matter, could. Could Congress simply just say...okay, no more Navy? I will have to read up on this concept.
Reply
Don Hoffman
12/12/2014 11:11:25 am
Congress controls the funding...period. If they defund a program it stops in its tracks. It works the same way with a branch of the Service. The Congress passed the National Security Act of 1947, which created the Department of Defense. The Congress can also defund a whole branch if it so chose. In 2010 then-Defense Secretary Robert Gates made waves when he ordered the Pentagon to take a hard look at the Marines to determine what, if any role they would play in the future of warfare.
Reply
CGC
12/12/2014 12:59:02 pm
And Don hits the sledgehammer on the proverbial nail's head. There is no guarantee that the Marine Corps will last. THAT is what we need to flesh out in this novel. What is the Marine Corps "unique" mission, and why should it survive. A tough question posed to die-hard Marines. Maybe together we can answer this question for the foreseeable future.
Judy Stone
12/12/2014 05:42:57 am
Great start. I agree with Jim Guthrie that Cal and his team can handle it without putting on the uniform.
Reply
Mark Sweeney
12/12/2014 07:26:38 am
Chapters 1 and 2 are a great start to what's shaping up to be another great Cal and Co. book. I also like Cal not going under cover in uniform but being the private special operator that he is. Keep up the great work!
Reply
Marsha
12/12/2014 08:44:59 am
Well, I thought the idea of Cal and the team going back in the Corps was a very interesting one and I have to admit, I was looking forward to seeing how it was handled. (Yes, I had some little scenarios floating in my little brain) However, I can see what the others are saying and reluctantly agree with them. I have no doubts that by the end of the book, you will have made the right decision.
Reply
Vin
12/12/2014 01:03:12 pm
The Corps is a relatively small community and, although first enlistment Marines may not know a lot of Marines from other areas, 'lifers' have been around and tend to know each other or at least have someone in common between them. A return to uniform as a cover was fraught with potential and real problems just because the limited population of its career members.
Reply
Don Hoffman
12/12/2014 10:58:33 am
Carlos,
Reply
Sue conger
12/12/2014 11:27:02 am
'In' vacation sh/be 'on'. Otherwise it's still compelling if short
Reply
Laura
12/12/2014 01:37:10 pm
Don, you did a great job of explaining things and thank you. Carlos, I also like you comments as well.
Reply
G. Younger
12/12/2014 11:29:10 pm
Thanks Don and Carlos for the explanation. Everything is clearer. My big brother, a Marine vet, has always told me that Marines do what the other branches can't and even if they could, wouldn't. Of course, no bias in his heart!!
Reply
Minnie
12/12/2014 11:50:02 pm
Excellent chapter! The threat coming from inside the corps is all too real. Glad that the boys don't have to expose themselves by going back but it saddens me that cal has to deal with yet another death that he could have prevented if bureaucracy hadn't stopped him.
Reply
Sandy K
12/13/2014 10:21:39 am
Excellent start. I don't want to see the Corp lose funding. In our world, we need the Corp more than ever. Cal will have to get to the bottom of this quickly.
Reply
Divchief
12/15/2014 12:44:02 am
Chapter 1 disappeared from my emails! Can I get it again?
Reply
CGC
12/15/2014 02:47:09 am
http://www.corpsjustice.com/novels-live/chain-of-command-chapter-1
Reply
Jean Zook
12/15/2014 06:31:19 am
Okay this is intense and it really scares me, I cannot imagine the United States without the MARINES. Because we are a small intimate family the idea of it being destroyed scares me more then anything. I do see how the Corps is constantly overturning the leaders because they represent a threat to those who do not have a clue what they are doing. In losing the generation that understood war, spies and the necessity of extreme measures to keep America safe ugh I hope this doesn't happen.. But keep going!
Reply
Leave a Reply. |
NOVELS LIVE
Join me as I write a new novel LIVE with your input. Tell me what you like, what you don't like. This is a joint mission to write a kickass novel. Categories
All
Archives
February 2017
|