Full Assault Mode (49 page)

Kolt stared at the television screen for a few more seconds before going back to Skype.

“Fuck up and move up!” Kolt messaged. “I’d say that’s fair and balanced, wouldn’t you?”

“Jealous?” Hawk replied.

Before Kolt could tell Hawk to kiss his ass, Mr. White stepped back into the room and did another sweep, walking to all four corners before stepping into the bathroom. He walked back out without a word.

“I think Mr. White has been sniffing too much glue lately,” Kolt messaged before looking up to see the Delta commander Jeremy Webber enter the room. A moment later, the president of the United States walked in, shadowed by the Secret Service special agent in charge. Webber and the president both wore big smiles above their practically identical dark blue and pinstriped blazers, salmon-pink neckties, and splashed-white dress shirts, as if they were part of a Red Lobster staff about to sing “Happy Birthday” to an unsuspecting customer.

Kolt pulled his rear end back under him a bit, trying to appear more professional and worthy of the visit.

Webber motioned with his hand for the president to move to the right side of Kolt’s bed, and the colonel followed him. Kolt turned away, back toward the door, to see Mr. Black pushing a raised surgical bed through the doorway. He was expecting Hawk, and it seemed perfectly coordinated for something he knew they had not rehearsed.

A second Secret Service agent stepped inside with a flat tray covered in bright green felt. Kolt knew the tray would be carrying the medals. Webber lifted the first one off the felt and handed it to the president.

The president stepped forward to the edge of Hawk’s bed, smiled at her, and leaned over to pin the Purple Heart to Hawk’s light blue hospital gown. He turned slightly toward Webber, accepting a second award, and turning back to Hawk.

“Staff Sergeant Cindy Bird, by my authority, and on behalf of a very grateful nation, you are hereby awarded the Distinguished Service Cross, for extraordinary actions in wartime against a known enemy of the United States.”

The president leaned over to pin the imperial-blue and glory-red-edged DSC next to the Purple Heart.

“The American people are very proud of you, Staff Sergeant Bird,” the president said as he reached down to squeeze her hand. Kolt could see Hawk nod in appreciation.

The president turned around to look at Kolt and took a few steps closer to the left side of his bed.

“Major Raynor, I can’t say I was surprised to hear you were at the tip of the spear again.”

“Hello, Mr. President. It’s good to see you again,” Kolt said.

The president stepped forward, shaking his head and smiling, and extended his hand. Kolt shook it as the president covered Kolt’s right hand with both of his.

“Congratulations, Major, congratulations!” the president said.

“I didn’t do anything, sir, really,” Kolt said. “Sergeant Bird deserves all the credit.”

The president looked at Colonel Webber for a moment, then back at Kolt.

“I assumed you’d say that, Major,” the president said. “No medals this time. I was properly reminded about what you said last time.”

Kolt thought back to the last time they had seen each other. It was the private award ceremony inside the West Wing, where the president presented Major Kolt Raynor his third Silver Star for gallantry in action after the American terrorist Daoud al-Amriki was killed. Kolt had tried to resist the award, even going so far as mentioning to the vice president, prior to the president’s arriving, that medals should be reserved for the servicemen and women who had made the ultimate sacrifice.

“Medals for the dead,” the president said. “Wasn’t it?”

Kolt smiled, partly because the president actually remembered, but mostly because he had already meticulously prepared his dress uniform for the DA photo he needed before he could be considered for promotion to lieutenant colonel. The last thing he wanted was to have to fumble with adding another bronze oak-leaf cluster to his red, white, and blue Silver Star ribbon.

“What can I do for you instead, Major Raynor?” the president asked.

“Can’t think of a thing, sir,” Kolt said.

Just then, the president’s SAIC stepped forward and whispered something in the president’s ear. It appeared he was letting him know that they needed to get going to stay on their typically busy schedule.

Kolt realized there was something he did want from the president, actually.
Was this the right time and place?
Kolt was already speaking before he answered his own question.

Fuck it! I’ll blame it on the meds!

“Sir, on second thought,” Kolt said, “would you be willing to waive my mandatory attendance at yearlong advanced schooling? It’s required to be promoted.”

Webber gave Kolt a stern look. Kolt tried and failed to look suitably abashed. Webber turned to Mr. Black and Mr. White, standing near the doorway, giving them both the hairy eyeball. Kolt figured he was wondering if they had ensured the hallucinating drugs had been controlled properly.

“I’d like to be a Delta Force sabre squadron commander, sir,” Kolt added.

“Done!” the president said as he quickly looked at his watch. “I’ll have my staff see to it immediately.”

Before Kolt could tell the president that he appreciated that, Hawk had raised her iPad in the air and the SAIC stepped up to accept it from her. He turned it right-side up, stepped back a few feet, turning toward the president and Colonel Webber, and read the typed message aloud.

“Mr. President, it seems Staff Sergeant Bird would like to be a Delta Force operator,” the SAIC said before handing the iPad back to Hawk.

Even Kolt was shocked by Hawk’s straightforwardness, and definitely impressed by her guts. She obviously was sincere, her bravery maybe prompted by the meds or that she didn’t have to actually speak when asking for it, but she had to know that not even the president of the United States could grant that wish.

Kolt could see the president was taken a little aback by the request. He figured the president had no idea that there weren’t female operators in the unit already. His support for females to attend the U.S. Army Ranger School and to serve in previously banned combat-arms duties like infantryman and tanker was well known throughout the armed services.

“I must say, your patriotism is unparalleled,” the president said. “Colonel Webber, is that possible? Can we grant Staff Sergeant Bird her wish?”

Kolt detected a little fidgeting and agitation in Webber as he searched for the proper response. He knew Webber and other senior special forces leaders were in the middle of the Pentagon’s two-year study and weren’t even close to commenting yet.
How the hell does he answer that?

Kolt noticed Hawk typing another message, this one much shorter than the first.
Don’t push it, Hawk!

“Mr. President, Delta Force selection is an ongoing process,” Webber said. “Staff Sergeant Bird here has certainly demonstrated she deserves every consideration.” It was clearly an effort for Webber to push the words out past his teeth.

“Excellent!” the president said, seeming to ignore Webber’s noncommittal response. “I’ll have my staff keep me apprised of the situation.”

Bingo! Let’s see you sweep it under the carpet now, Webber!

Webber swallowed and nodded. He looked straight at Kolt, and Kolt knew that Hawk’s request was on him. Webber motioned for the president to follow him out of the room. The president nodded at Kolt and Hawk, and followed. The SAIC nodded to Kolt, gave a short wave to Hawk, and followed closely on the heels of his principal.

Mr. White unlocked Hawk’s gurney wheels and moved to the head of the bed. Mr. Black took up the foot side, and together they maneuvered her through the doorway to take her back to her room down the hall.

Kolt looked down at his iPad. The screen saver was active, having gone to sleep since the party began. Kolt two-finger swiped the touch screen to unlock the tablet, still a little amazed at what just happened.
Did the president actually say all that?

On the Skype chat screen, a parting message from Hawk awaited him. He tapped it to open.

“How’s that for full assault mode?”

ALSO BY DALTON FURY

Tier One Wild

Black Site

Kill Bin Laden

About the Author

Dalton Fury was the senior ranking military officer at the Battle of Tora Bora. As a Delta troop commander, he helped author the operation to hunt and kill Bin Laden. He told his tale of that mission in the book
Kill Bin Laden,
which went on to become a national bestseller.
Full Assault Mode
is the third novel in his
New York Times
bestselling Delta Force series.

This is a work of fiction. All of the characters, organizations, and events portrayed in this novel are either products of the author’s imagination or are used fictitiously.

FULL ASSAULT MODE.
Copyright © 2014 by Dalton Fury. All rights reserved. For information, address St. Martin’s Press, 175 Fifth Avenue, New York, N.Y. 10010.

www.stmartins.com

Cover design by Ervin Serrano

Cover photographs: soldier by CollaborationJS/Arcangel Images; sky and American flag by Shutterstock.com

eBooks may be purchased for business or promotional use. For information on bulk purchases, please contact Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department by writing to [email protected].

The Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data is available upon request.

ISBN 978-1-250-04048-0 (hardcover)

ISBN 978-1-4668-3585-6 (e-book)

e-ISBN 9781466835856

First Edition: May 2014