88.
In my relentless battle to avoid the hackneyed and cliched like landmines, I mentally dodge this one: “It is when things are at their worst, that we can do our best.” Yeah, yeah, yeah I mutter aloud as I briskly walk towards the galley, starting point for the day. Everything has changed. It only took last night's face time with TOM to obliterate our routine and color the day’s canvas from a warm, comforting saffron to a code crimson. The Queen of Hearts, ready or not, is going into play.
We meet in the galley, completely empty this time of day, for the brief. Over the standard morning fare I relay the news, condensed and filtered for optimal consumption.
“The latest intel suggests that we have gone from imminent to active. While not entirely sure that The Axis is behind the activity all arrows point in their direction. Interestingly there has been matching chatter from the Russians as well. We don’t know if they are connected, but HQ is in contact with field agents and informants as we speak to try to decipher. Regardless of their findings, we are now on the accelerated schedule. Satriano will go to medical in one hour for the implants as the rest of you, and let me say this, when I say ‘the rest of you’ I am not talking about an ordinary group of individuals gathering for a campfire sing along, I am talking about an elite, confident, well-trained, optimally equipped and ready to rock team of motivated warriors, chomping at the bit to prove their skills and abilities are superior to those of the spiritually devoid and morally challenged terrorists who threaten our vision of liberty and freedom. We are fighting for the soul of America, and I suspect, no I intend, us, with each at the others six, to keep them from their malevolent undertakings.” Realizing I had slipped into the gray area of the cliched, I back off from the rah-rah and get to pragmatics.
“Today we are in cram sessions, Conference Room A; Gear, electronics, surveillance, logistics. Keep your focus sharp. During the hourly break sessions we’ll stretch with calisthenics, snack with energy bars and have fifteen minutes of personal time during which I highly suggest you use the relaxation techniques we have rehearsed. If you have any questions, this is the time to pose them to the instructors. I would rather we spend five minutes in clarification here than get caught in a fire-fight without a match out there.”
“Lastly, have your gear stowed and ready, leave only essentials unpacked. While we don’t know the exact time of deployment, we do know that it might happen in an hour or in two days. Our assignment is to be ready to answer that call, the bird and crew is waiting. HQ is running 24/7," I segue into the casual, "and here we sit, calmly eating a high performance meal and gulping obsidian jet fuel, prepping for a fight. You have my highest respect, and I expect you, every one, to know without reservation that my personal promise is to give you my best, absolute best, in my commitment to this team. I got your back. As I know you have mine. And as we have each others. We in?”
The six members of Team Five stand with sudden propulsion, Drysdale sending his plastic chair screeching backwards across the polished tile floor, and extend closed fists towards the hub of the round table. Nothing more needs to be said. The eyes have it. A solemn vow.
“Get to quarters and pack, briefing starts in twenty minutes.”
As we leave the galley I glance at the serving area and see a trio of civilian kitchen staff, one holding a giant spatula and the others wood-handled mops. They are standing at attention, evidently overhearing the last part of our group hurrah and smiling with apparent approval.
I stop and salute them.
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