Chapter 1

LIFE MOVES ON

Jason Patrick was sitting out on the patio of his home in Fayetteville, North Carolina. It was five years since the Danger Close mission, and when Jason had received his promotion to US Army Special Forces Chief Warrant Officer. He was stationed at nearby Fort Bragg, North Carolina. Jason liked that, with his new rank, he could go home on some weekdays and weekends, as duty permitted.

Jason was feeling a little tired, but happy. Both he and Emma had worked hard to get a nice home, and there was a new edition to the family; Little Laura, named after Emma’s mom, was just over her first birthday.

Back inside the house, Emma had just finished feeding Laura and noticed her husband out on the patio. She lifted Laura out of her highchair and slipped out the back door, into the warm sunshine. Jason’s face brightened.

“Here’s my girls!” he yelled out, as he moved over and grabbed a hold of his little Laura.

“She even ate all of her lunch today,” Emma said with a smile, as she watched Jason playing with her daughter. They seemed so happy.

Emma thanked God for how things had turned out. The wedding was wonderful and Jason had been around most of the time, with the base close by.

Emma made the decision to retire after giving birth. With almost twenty years of service, she was now collecting a nice pension and enjoying life with her family. Emma liked gardening and decorating their Colonial-style home. She was content taking care of her baby girl and being with the love of her life.

“Oh, no, it’s a stinker!” Jason said, with a funny look on his face. “Somebody needs a diaper change.”

“Go for it, Daddy. You can do it,” Emma said, and started laughing as she watched Jason start for the door.

Later in the day, Laura was inside taking her nap while Jason sat out on the patio, looking at the backyard, where the robins were hunting and picking worms from the grass. He pictured a nice playset for little Laura; he would build it under the big, red oak tree. It was a nice October day; the red-brown oak leaves and acorns were falling and mixing in the grass. Got to get the yard cleaned up, he reminded himself, as he added the thought, and a nice man-shed sitting in the corner by the fence would be nice.

His mind slowly drifted off, thinking of the carpenter who was his late father, and the memories of working with him; the smell of the freshly-cut wood as he shaped it by hand.

Emma snapped him out of it: “Hey, soldier, you’re going to be late!”

“Oh, damn, I must have dozed off for a minute,” Jason replied, as he got up out of his favorite chair.

Emma smiled as she handed Jason a cup of coffee. “Thanks, baby,” Jason replied, before heading upstairs to get dressed and start his drive to base.

In Washington DC, the newly-elected president was gathered with his cabinet. The topic of the day was the ever-increasing tensions between the USA and China.

Secretary of State William Cox handed the president a file. “Sir, this is the latest report on Chinese aggression. As you will read, there is a lot of military activity going on around the South China Sea and the Taiwan area.”

The president seemed distracted. He glanced at the file and looked at his Chief of Staff, General Mark Stanis. “Okay, nothing new.” He handed Stanis the file. “I got a meeting coming up. Take care of it.” With that said, the president got up and left for the Oval Office.

General Stanis watched the president and some of the cabinet leaders leave with him. He looked over at the Secretary of Defense, former Army Commanding General James A. Baker. “Can you stay for a minute?”

Stanis and Baker sat down next to Cox.

“So, what do you think of our new president?” General Stanis asked. “He doesn’t have a little time to look through such an important report?”

Cox smiled. “He is completely different than our last chief, that’s for sure.”

Cox sipped his coffee and continued: “We need to stay on top of this China situation. Please, both of you, let me know your thoughts on the report, and if there is anything you need from my end of things.”

“Thanks, James,” Stanis replied. “I don’t have a good feeling about our new leader, either, but over time he should come around. I will look through the report and get back to you.”

“Good,” Cox replied. “I’ve got a feeling I may be short on my stay in this president’s cabinet; word through the grapevine is that he’s going to replace me.” He looked at his friends and they could tell he was not happy about the news. “It has been great working with you guys. Whatever happens to me is out of my control, but our friendship will continue.”

“Friends we are. I’m sorry to hear you may be leaving,” Secretary Baker replied; “we need you and your experience. But, as we know, politics is politics. We will stay in touch, no matter what happens.”

As Cox left for his office, Baker and Stanis finished their coffee and talked about the good weather forecast for the coming weekend. They had plans to be at the country club for a golf outing.