Countdown by John Walker (feel good fiction books txt) š
- Author: John Walker
Book online Ā«Countdown by John Walker (feel good fiction books txt) šĀ». Author John Walker
Early in his career, when he first met Mac on the battlefield even, heād thought of himself as a hero. Thatās what had compelled him into military serviceāto make a difference for those who couldnāt fight for themselves. Heād believed in the cause and never imagined for a second his dedication might falter.
The day I graduated, I felt it deep in my bones that I would be in for life. The career became a calling. The calling became an obsession and thenā¦ he never imagined he could do anything else. That was it. Providing I survived, I had a plan. I got comfortable knowing my future was set.
Noah had lost men all through his career before he took over the Morrigan. Different situations from calculated risks to bad luck to crap intelligence to his own mistakes. Heād experienced plenty of death. He traced his recent feelings to the moment he made the choice to defy Whitakerās order to leave the frontier.
It didnāt matter that I did the right thing. I defied an order and some conditioned side of me took a blow. Noah wasnāt like Rita. He hadnāt spent time outside the service like her. Part of him thought he shouldāve thrived in the midst of such turmoil, and yetā¦ he found it distasteful. Enough to bring out a physical reaction.
Weāre almost done. Noah clung to that thought. This is close. But that wasnāt the only thing on his mind. AJ Venters had discovered something of interest from Mac. A personal connection between the war dog and Noah. My grandfatherā¦The thought alone made his heart ache.
Noah couldnāt say he knew much about the process to create a war dog, but he understood enough to know the process of wiping their brains. People donated organs to causes, that wasnāt new. In fact, it became mandatory for a while before medical services could easily clone proper replacements for those who needed them.
He intended to talk to Alexander about it, to get some answers about his family member. He struggled with how much it matteredā¦ if at all. It does to me. But why? What did it ultimately matter? His grandfather had been an old man. As far as anyone knew, heād died before they had conducted the procedure.
Thatās the problem. I donāt know that for certain.
Noah had meant to talk to Mac about it before he departed for the briefing. He couldnāt bring himself to it. Not until he better understood the procedureā¦ and if Alexander knew anything about it. Something struck him about his first meeting with Mac. Back then, heād called it bad luckā¦ duty overlapping.
And yet he began to question the motivations of putting them together after he received the news of his relationship. Did it mean Northam knew? Thatās part of what I intend to find out.
āNoah!ā Errisās voice drew him out of his reverie. He looked up with a forced smile. āYouāre going the wrong way, sir. The briefing room is over here. Iāll show you.ā
āThanks.ā Noah fell into pace beside her. āSorry about that. I was lost in thought for a moment. Iād like to say you have an impressive ship here. Top-of-the-line. Or at least, it looks like it. Iāve never seen one of your vessels in person before.ā
āWe spared no expense, really.ā Erris looked around as they walked. āThere areā¦ more frills than youād be used to. Some luxuries Iāve always thought werenāt entirely necessary, but by and large, she gets the job done. Iām glad to be home. Iām sure you understand the feeling there.ā
āI do.ā Noah nodded. āHey, thank you. I havenāt had a chance to say it, but everything you did after you left the Morrigan saved a lot of lives. Brought us to this point, honestly.ā
āSome skill,ā Erris replied, āand a lot of luck. But I appreciate it. You had it worse than us, though, by a lot. All that fighting.ā
āItās taken a tollā¦ and itās not over yet.ā
āOh!ā Erris motioned to a man wearing a black suit approaching. āKarl! Come meet Captain Markel in person!ā She turned to Noah. āThis is Karl Petrova. Heās the one who rescued Marshal Northam and brought him here.ā
Petrova shook Noahās hand. āPleasure to meet you, sir. Iām glad to put a face to the name. Whitaker talked about you.ā
āHow long did you work for him?ā Noah asked.
āA very long time. Got out for nearly twenty yearsā¦ went back recently.ā Petrova held his arms out to the sides. āEliza and I both received his treatment. Not that we asked for it. At least it afforded us the opportunity to set things right.ā
āWhen you went back, did you know youād be doing this?ā
Petrova sighed. āHonestly, I didnāt know his agenda. When he told us, I panicked. Eliza and I put plans in motion, but we needed help. Thatās where Erris and Peck came in. Their arrival made it possible for us to make contact with you guys, help the Gold Empire, and ensure the Confeds got their leader back.ā
āIs Whitaker out of the picture?ā Noah asked. āIām of the impression he got away.ā
āYes,ā Petrova replied. āAnd weāre about to have that discussion with Marshal Northam. I sent a message back to the Confedsā¦ military and political. They know whatās going on. Northam also contacted them, letting everyone know he did not step down willingly and that Whitaker was a traitor. Heāll be getting back to them afterward.ā
āSo heāll be arrested if he shows up,ā Erris said.
Petrova frowned. āNotā¦ necessarily. I know the man. Heās clever. Iām certain heāll keep himself out of a jail cell, at least for a while. The part Iām not as sure about is what heāll do with his freedom. I donāt know what other allies heās cultivated or what assets
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