Retribution

Adding to the confusion was the fact that the T-Rays had wiped out communication with practically all of Pakistan and a vast swath of India. The media was starved for information, though obviously that situation wouldn’t hold for very long.

“I hate sending people into war,” continued the President.

“Because basically I’m sending them to die. It’s my job. I understand it. But after a while … after a while it all begins to weigh on you …”

His voice trailed off. Jed had never seen the President this contemplative, and didn’t know what to say.

“We’re going to recover the warheads,” Martindale said finally.

He turned, walked across the office to the credenza that stood opposite his desk, and paused, gazing down at a bust of Jefferson.

“Some people call Dreamland my own private air force and army. Have you heard that, Jed?”

Having heard that said many times, Jed hesitated.

“You can be honest,” added Martindale. “That’s what I value about you, Jed. You’re not involved in the political games.”

“Yes, sir.”

“Dreamland is too important a command to be run by a lieutenant colonel. The Joint Chiefs want it folded back into the regular command structure. And I have to say, they make good arguments.”

“Yes, sir.”

“We’re going to appoint a general to take over. A two-star general for now—Major General Samson. He has an impec-cable record. An enviable one.”

“Yes, sir.”

“What’s your opinion of that?”

“I think whatever you want to do, sir—”

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“I haven’t used it as my private army, have I?”

“No, Mr. President, absolutely not.”

“This has nothing to do with you, Jed,” added the President.

“Or with Colonel Bastian, for that matter. I still have the highest regard for him. I want him involved in the warhead recovery. Him and his people—they’ll work with the Marines.”

“Yes, sir.”

“But it makes more sense—this whole mission has shown the real potential. We can double, maybe triple their effectiveness.” Martindale looked at Jed. “General Samson will handle informing the Dreamland people. Understood?”

“I shouldn’t tell them?”

“The news should come from the general, and the joint chiefs. That’s the way I want it. We’re following the chain of command. Dreamland is not my private army.”

The joint chiefs—and especially the head of the joint chiefs, Admiral Balboa—had been fighting to get Dreamland back under their full control since early in Martindale’s administration. With the end of Martindale’s term looming—and the very real possibility that he would lose the election—the chiefs had won the battle. It certainly did make sense that Dreamland, as a military unit, should answer directly up the chain of command, rather than directly to the President through the NSC.

In theory, Jed realized, he was losing some of his prestige.

But he knew he’d never been more than a political buffer.

Part of the reason the President and the National Security Advisor used him as a liaison, after all, was the fact that he was young and had no political power base of his own.

“I’ll do whatever job you want me to, sir,” he said.

“Good. You have a bright future. Let’s get through this crisis, get these warheads, and then maybe we’ll have a chance to sit down and see how best you can serve your country.”

“Uh, yes, sir.”

The President went back to his desk.

“You can go now, young Jed. Forward these reports to Admiral Balboa, with copies to Admiral Woods on the Lin-

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coln. Make sure he has everything he needs. Dreamland is working with the Marines, under Woods. We’ll follow the chain of command.”

“Yes, sir.”

Aboard the Be

over the northern Arabian Sea

2100

STEVEN L. BENNETT WAS A CAPTAIN IN THE U.S. AIR FORCE, assigned to the Twentieth Tactical Air Support Squadron, Pacific Air Forces, during the Vietnam War era. After completing B-52 training in 1970, Captain Be

By June 1972, Be

The forward section of the two-seater would generally implode, killing the pilot, though the backseater could get out with minor injuries. Pilots quickly learned that it didn’t make sense to try and ditch an OV-10; “hitting the silk,” as the old-timers used to call ejecting, was the only way to survive.

On June 29, 1972, Be

Captain Be

DALE BROWN’S DREAMLAND

South Vietnamese troops in the area called in for assistance; they were taking fire from a much larger North Vietnamese unit and were about to be overrun.

Be

So Be

Be

Brown agreed. But then he saw that his parachute had been torn by shrapnel from the missile that struck the plane.

Not a problem, said Be

And so they did. The OV-10 cartwheeled when she hit the water, and then sank. If Be

For his selfless devotion to duty and his determination to save another man’s life even at the cost of his own, Captain Steven L. Be

* * *

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STEVEN BENNETT’S NAMESAKE, DREAMLAND EB-52 MEGA-fortress Be