Other reporters joined them, and Jesse took a reflexive step back from the mics reaching toward him. He held up his hand. “A computer malfunction is suspected at this time. We’re conducting a full investigation, but we don’t believe the accident was terrorist related.” He just hoped the captain was right.
“What about more live testing? We don’t want a missile coming down on our heads because the navy can’t get their computer to work.” The young woman asking the question thrust a mic into his face.
He pushed it away. “There will be no more live testing until we are sure the problem won’t reoccur.” Lawton had his theories, and Jesse had his. Jesse only hoped his own would prove false before the next test was scheduled.
Two
A successful trial of our new weapon,” he said. He leaned back in his leather chair and propped his feet on his desk. The bank of windows behind him looked out on the Pacific Ocean, a grand view at this height that reduced the surfers to antlike figures riding the waves. He’d been one of the ants all his life, but that was about to change. He just wished his dad were still alive to see this success.
He glanced up. “Make sure you reward our man on the ground for a job well done.”
“I already did.” His right-hand man handed him a can of Red Bull.
He took it and popped the top. The immediate caffeine jolt would make this moment sweeter. “You’re sure they won’t realize this failure was deliberate?”
His assistant shook his head. “They’re blaming the guidance mechanism.”
“How many casualties?” Not that he cared about the lives lost. This would be just a handful compared to what he had planned for the next launch. A stab of guilt startled him. He’d thought he had successfully discharged feelings like that when he first planned this. He focused on what his assistant was saying.
“Mixed reports so far. Some say ten dead and twenty injured; other reports say only five dead.” His assistant never showed much emotion. A tall blond man in his forties, his bland expression never changed.
The man scowled at the remorse that kept rearing its head. He had to eradicate it now. “I’d hoped for more.” The more dead bodies, the more the media would sit up and take notice.
“A woman and her dolphin showed up and saved many of them.”
“A dolphin?” He waved his hand to indicate how unimportant it was.
His assistant nodded. “Part of the Seaworthy Lab research.”
“Interesting.” He glanced at the fish in the huge tank behind his desk. If only his piranha wasn’t a freshwater fish, and so small. But the sea mammal was unlikely to interfere.
This was his one shot at success. In one brilliant move, he could gain the respect he’d lost—no, the respect that had been stolen from him. Nothing could be allowed to go wrong. And he certainly couldn’t afford to let pity or guilt distract him from his purpose.
Jesse rubbed his eyes. His vision was blurry, and he knew his eyes had to be as red as this morning’s sunrise. He couldn’t remember when he’d slept last. It would be hours before his head hit the pillow today as well. The night had been a blur of interviews and questions.
His cell phone rang and he clicked it on. “Matthews.”
“Same here,” a familiar voice said.
“Kade?” Jesse hadn’t heard from his cousin in several months.
“You got it on the first try.” Kade’s voice was cheerful. “I’m going to be on the island in a couple weeks for some training. Can we get together?”
“You bet. Just you and Bree?”
“And Lauri, Davy, and Samson. Thought we’d make a family vacation of it. Our first official getaway.”
Jesse chuckled. “Wonder dog too?”
“You know he won’t let Davy out of his sight. And since he’s a service dog, he can travel on the plane with us.”
“We’ll get together for dinner,” Jesse promised. “Give me a call when you get to town.” They chatted a little longer, then he said good-bye. It was going to be good to see his cousin. They tried to get together once a year, but he and Kade had both been so busy, it had to have been eighteen months or so since they’d seen one another.
He grabbed a cup of coffee on his way to the control room. He added a bit of water so it was cool enough to gulp down quickly. The shot of caffeine revived him, and he stepped into the room filled with banks of computers with more spring in his step. The servicemen and women were too busy with their computers to notice him as he stood and gazed around, hoping to catch one of them taking a break and willing to answer a few questions.
He caught the eye of Ensign Donna Parker. She quirked an eyebrow, and he joined her at her desk.
“I wasn’t expecting to see you today, Commander,” she said.
Her red hair just skirted her shoulders in a sleek regulation bob, and the flirtation in her aqua eyes was subdued but obvious. Jesse had been aware of her interest since he’d arrived, but he hadn’t encouraged it, though he’d been flattered.
He smiled but made sure it was impersonal. “Good morning. I was wondering if you were on duty yesterday when the missile veered off course?”
Donna grimaced, her smile fading. “Sure was. We had to watch while that thing took a nosedive.”