Corps Justice Boxed Set: Books 1-3: Back to War, Council of Patriots, Prime Asset (31 page)

“I feel like I should be doing the same
thing.”

Neil chuckled and looked back at his friend
through his stylish Prada glasses. “You were pretty funny when
Brian dragged you back in here last night. What the hell did you
get into?”

Cal rubbed his hands over his eyes. “I was
the idiot that thought he could match Master Sergeant Trent drink
for drink.”

MSgt Willy Trent was an enormous man.
Standing just under seven feet with the physique of an NFL
linebacker, Trent was a hard man to miss. He and Cal were both
former Marines and competed in anything and everything possible.
There was only one problem. Despite the fact that Cal was a very
fit five foot ten former grunt and a deadly warrior, not many
people could match Trent’s athletic abilities.

Cal changed the subject, not wanting to make
his headache even worse. “When does my shift start?”

“It’s nine o’clock now. You’re not on until
eleven.” Neil went back to his vigil and coffee.

Cal tried to shake the cobwebs. “Sweet. That
gives me some time to marinate under a nice hot shower.”

“You need it. You smell like a brewery,”
Neil answered sniffing the air.

Cal gave his friend a middle-finger salute
and trudged off to the bathroom. As he soaked in the shower, his
mind drifted. He thought about his entrance into his deceased
father’s company, Stokes Security International (SSI). Had it
really been a year since he’d started working at SSI?

It seemed like only yesterday that he had
accepted the position as head of SSI’s covert division. His cousin,
Travis Haden, was CEO of SSI and a former SEAL. He’d not only
enticed Cal into taking the position, but had also allowed the
former Marine to utilize SSI assets to avenge his fiancé’s
murder.

Cal had exacted his revenge in the gang
leader’s underground lair, not far from SSI’s headquarters, Camp
Spartan, just south of Nashville, Tennessee. It was a close fight
(Cal had the scars to prove it), but he’d finally killed the
criminal who’d taken his beloved Jessica’s life.

He still felt the bitter sting of grief. It
had lessened over time, but Cal still couldn’t bring himself to
start dating again. His friends knew it would happen in time, but
no one pushed the issue.

Cal remembered Jessica’s funeral. It was a
beautiful ceremony on a bright sunny day. They’d buried her on the
grounds of Camp Spartan, and Cal often took a jog up to her grave.
He liked to think that Jess was now watching over him as he
continued his journey with SSI.

After the funeral, Travis had introduced him
to the men that would completely change his life’s path: the
Council of Patriots.

+++

The Council was comprised of nine men. All
were former U.S. political leaders, including three former
Presidents, four senators and two congressmen. All were Republicans
except for former President Hank Waller, a Democrat.

He remembered that first meeting vividly.
They’d each introduced themselves then told him the story of their
formation.

The Council had formed in the early 2000’s
after the disaster of 9/11. It all started with a couple of former
political opponents playing 18 holes at the Army-Navy Country Club
just outside of D.C. Both men were former presidents. Hank Waller
was a two-term Democrat from California, and John Kelton was a
single-term Republican from Tennessee. They’d been bitter rivals
for years, but the presidency has a way of broadening perspectives.
Waller and Kelton had collaborated on various relief efforts after
their presidencies, and grew to respect one another. They’d become
close friends despite their political leanings.

It was on that chilly May morning in
Arlington that the two former presidents first conferred about the
threats affecting the United States. What many Americans fail to
realize is that retired politicians still maintain open lines of
communication within the federal government, including sources
within certain intelligence agencies. There are even times when
sitting presidents call upon their predecessors for advice.
Therefore, it was not surprising that the two friends were very
well informed about the current dangers their nation faced.

Cal had interrupted the story to ask why any
Democrat would even be caught dead with a former rival. He prefaced
the question by pleading total ignorance about the political
process and the players involved.

President Waller, the tallest of the group
at around six foot five, chuckled and explained.

“You’re not far off the mark, Cal. I won’t
lie to you. I was as liberal as they come when I first stepped into
office. Funny thing about becoming President is that it humbled me.
All of a sudden I was thrust into a whole new world. Yes, I had
access to a lot before I was sworn in, but nothing prepared me for
the reality.”

Cal didn’t understand. “What do you
mean?”

“Let’s just say it was like I’d been walking
around with blinders on my whole life and then all of a sudden,
they were gone.”

Cal was beginning to understand. “So what
changed for you?”

Waller laughed and spread his arms wide.
“Everything. Now I was getting daily reports from our intelligence
assets. I really began to think the intel guys were just trying to
spook me, no pun intended. It seemed like every brief I got was
about some communist faction or terrorist cell trying to wipe us
off the planet. I suddenly realized how naïve I’d been.”

“I’m confused, Mr. President. You took
office back in the nineties. You just said the Council didn’t form
until after 9/11.”

President Waller nodded, “First off, in this
room we all go by our first names. We’re all putting our necks on
the line, including you. So start out by calling me Hank.”

Cal was clearly uncomfortable by the
request, but conceded, “OK, Hank.”

“That’s better. Now to answer your question.
As a lot of my liberal predecessors have done, I moved away from
the far Left toward the Center during my tenure. I couldn’t make
drastic changes overnight. People would think I was crazy AND I’d
lose my electoral base. Hell, I’m not vain when I say I wanted to
get reelected.”

“So what else changed during your
presidency?”

“I started listening.”

“To who?”

Waller motioned to the entire group.
“Everyone. It’s a sad fact in the political arena that once you get
a taste of power, you feel like you know everything. Now I wasn’t
totally close-minded, but I sure had an ego. I can tell you that
now without being embarrassed. So I started listening to the
experts, namely the operators in intelligence and the military. I
really had no idea how smart some of you guys are.”

President Kelton motioned to his colleague.
“Let me chime in for a second, Hank.”

Waller grabbed his drink and toasted his
friend. “Have at it, Johnny.”

Kelton toasted back, “I just wanted to tell
Cal that our red-headed Democratic stepchild was not the only one
to experience a wakeup call. I think if you ask each man in this
room, he’ll tell you about some event that opened his eyes to the
threats confronting America.”

Waller nodded and replied, “That’s right.
And I guess that’s the point. The nine men you see here today
experienced an awakening. First and foremost, we are all American
patriots. We believe our nation is the greatest in the world. We
are a beacon of hope for so many. We are also a perfect
target.”

“So you guys came out of retirement?”

Kelton answered, “I don’t think politicians
ever retire. We just move on to other things. You know,
fundraising, support, opening libraries, consulting…”

“I’m assuming you don’t publicize this
group.”

Waller shifted in his seat. “That’s right.
Could you imagine what would happen if the media found out that a
bunch of retired politicians are working to save America? They’d
either think we were a higher form of radical militia or just put
us in jail. No, we won’t ever be going public.”

Kelton looked back to Cal, “Cal, we all take
this risk willingly. We know that we can’t just stand back and do
nothing. I’m thinking that you would understand that more than
most.”

Cal nodded and thought about his recent
out-of-bounds operation to take down the gang leader, Dante West,
who killed Cal’s fiancé the year before. Did these men know what
he’d done?

Cal nodded seriously. “Okay. So tell me how
I fit in.”

“Well, Travis tells us that you’re about to
take over the reins with us,” said Waller.

“I’m still not entirely sure what that
entails,” Cal shrugged.

“Obviously, we don’t get together much, what
with our Secret Service entourage and all. We usually have to come
up with some excuse. This go-around, we’re accepting Travis’s
invite for some hunting in the area. It’s not the easiest thing to
cart us around. But from time to time, we come upon certain
intelligence that has to be exploited outside the normal channels.
SSI has become one of the tools we use to go operational.”

“So how did you guys find us?” Cal
asked.

Waller took a sip of his drink. “I met your
dad back in the nineties when I was in office. Didn’t know him well
at the time. SSI handled some of my personal security just after
9/11 too. The Secret Service was stretched so thin that they had to
augment with outside personnel. Travis came down with the crew he’d
assigned to me. We hit it off after he found out I liked duck
hunting and football. When Johnny and I came up with the idea for
this group Travis was the first person I contacted.”

“But why SSI? Why not go through your old
government contacts?” Cal prodded.

Waller answered with a shrug, “We tried.
Believe me we tried. Problem was that in the aftermath of 9/11, all
of our agencies were overwhelmed. We had to find another ally.”

“So you guys met with Travis and then
what?”

“He agreed to take a look at what we found.
It took a couple times to work out the kinks, but we’ve got a
better system now,” answered Waller.

Travis, who’d kept quiet, finally entered
the conversation. “Normally we communicate over a secure network
Neil developed. The Council will send over the intel they want
analyzed. We do some digging and give them our answer.”

The look of incredulity gave away Cal’s next
question. “I may be stating the obvious, but this feels way off the
reservation.”

Waller lost all the humor and his eyes and
responded seriously. “It is. Just like your Corps Justice.”

Cal’s eyes went cold for a
split second. He’d have to remember that these were men of power.
They were used to knowing everything. They knew about his
completely illegal operation to take down Dante West.
Calm down, Cal. You should’ve been prepared for
that.

Waller nodded and continued, “Yes, we know
about your dad’s credo. That’s actually what convinced us to go
with SSI.”

President Waller reached
into his pocket and pulled out what looked like a business card.
Cal knew what it was. He had an identical, if somewhat worn,
version of the same card. It was the
Corps
Justice
card his father had given him
before his death. Cal took the ex-President’s card and read it for
maybe the thousandth time.

Corps Justice

1. We will protect and defend the
Constitution of the United States.

2. We will protect the weak and punish the
wicked.

3. When the laws of this nation hinder the
completion of these duties, our moral compass will guide us to see
the mission through.

Cal wondered quietly whether this was what
his father had in mind. Taking out a ruthless criminal was one
thing; doing the dirty work for a bunch of politicians was another
story.

“I know what you’re thinking, Cal. Never
trust a politician, right?” Waller asked innocently.

The bluntness surprised Cal. “I…I don’t mean
to be disrespectful, but…yes.”

Waller laughed. “We’re gonna get along just
fine. Sounds like a chip off the old block, Trav.”

“He is,” smirked Travis.

“Did your dad ever tell you the story about
meeting me?” President Waller asked.

Cal shook his head. “I don’t think so.”

“Let me give you the abridged version. I
think I mentioned earlier that we’d met during my presidency. Some
of my top military aides had recommended calling in your dad for
more intel on the Middle East. Saddam was being a real pain in the
ass and SSI had assets all over Iraq. So your dad shows up and
answers all of our questions. Then one of my more enthusiastic
junior aides starts grilling your dad on the legality of how the
information was obtained. I didn’t really approve, but I let the
conversation run its course. I wanted to see how your dad would
handle it.”

Travis chuckled, “You’ll love this,
Cal.”

“He’s right. Long story short, your dad
proceeds to calmly dissect this young aide’s political career,
along with a few non-discreet details about his dirty private life.
Your dad made it pretty plain that he hated politicians and
completely embarrassed his accuser. I think the only reason he
showed up that day was because he thought it was his patriotic
duty.”

“That sounds like dad,” answered Cal with a
chuckle of his own.

Waller continued, “I walked away from that
incident with two thoughts: one, that your dad was a Marine through
and through; and two, that I never wanted to be on his bad
side.”

Travis interrupted, “I’ve known these
gentlemen for a while now, Cal. I wanted you to meet them today so
you could see with your own eyes. They are not typical politicos.
They’re American patriots just like us.”

Waller suddenly stood and pointed at the
American flag in the corner. “Damn right, and we’re gonna do
anything we can to keep this country safe.”