DEADLY DILEMMA by Dan Stratman (story read aloud .txt) 📗

Cyndi hesitated, knowing there was no good way to spin the bad news. She took a deep breath. “I know how this looks, but we didn’t have any other choice. All comms were down. We had to get back to the base. You’re the only person who could stop this.”

“Stop what? What did you do?”

Lance held up both hands. “Hold on, sir. We didn’t do anything. The REACT console went haywire. It sent us a false Emergency Action Message to launch our missile at China. When we wouldn’t do it, the console locked us out and tried to launch the missile itself. The damned thing almost started World War III. There must be a bug in the new software. Hell, forget bug. I’d call it a Godzilla in the software.”

McNeil threw up his hands. “The console went nuts. It just decided to attack China. You two expect me to believe this…this bullshit?”

“It’s true, sir.”

“And how might I ask did you stop this rogue computer from ending life as we know it?”

“I shot it.”

McNeil marched up to Lance. “Son, I don’t know who the hell you think you’re talking to. This is the worst catastrophe in the history of this base—hell, the entire Global Strike Command—and you think this is a good time to make a joke?”

“I’m not joking, sir. It’s not like I could have just cut the red wire and everything would have been fine. This wasn’t some lame movie. The computer was counting down to launch our missile. It was going to nuke one billion innocent people. So, I shot it.”

“What about the missile?”

“The warheads are still armed, but the rocket isn’t going anywhere,” Cyndi replied. “I used a Hellfire missile from one of Major Pierce’s helicopters to destroy the site and bury it.”

McNeil looked like his head was about to explode. “Stop. Just stop.” He massaged his temples with both hands. “What happened to Pierce? You told me he was trying to gain unauthorized entrance to the grounds.”

Cyndi walked over to the window and pointed. “He’s dead, sir.”

McNeil’s eyes widened as he took in the sight of the conflagration on the parade field. “You did that?”

“I had a little help, but yes, sir. My dad taught me to fly helicopters. He taught me a lot of things.”

McNeil nervously paced the floor as he shook his head. “This is unbelievable. Do you two have the slightest clue how much trouble you’re in?”

Cyndi and Lance looked at each other with complete confusion.

“Hold on. Time out, sir,” Lance said.

McNeil continued. “You refused to follow an Emergency Action Message. You abandoned an armed nuclear missile under your direct control. You stole an Air Force aircraft. You killed a Delta Force operator. You sabotaged a console and tried to launch a nuclear missile. You—”

“What?” Cyndi barked, her face turning bright red. “We didn’t sabotage—”

“It’s all beginning to make sense.” McNeil stopped pacing. He looked directly at Cyndi. “You’re the one behind this, Stafford. You just tried to nuke China.”

Chapter Forty-Eight

“What the hell are you talking about?” she bellowed.

Lance had to restrain Cyndi before she could throttle the general.

“I had nothing to do with this! We stopped the attack!” She struggled to get out of Lance’s grasp. “Let go of me! He’s lying!”

Lance refused to let her go out of fear that Cyndi would rip the general’s head off after his astonishing accusation. “Calm down, dammit. Let’s find out what he’s talking about.” With Cyndi still encircled by his muscular arms, Lance said, “Sir, I don’t know what is going on here, but we had nothing to do with this. There’s a bug in the software.”

“You really believe that, Lieutenant?”

Lance relaxed his grip a little. “Yes. Cyndi and I saw it with our own eyes.”

McNeil paused. “Are you always in the habit of addressing higher ranking officers by their first names, Lieutenant Garcia?” He tilted his head and narrowed his eyes. “Is there something more going on between you two than just being a missile crew?”

Cyndi and Lance broke eye contact with the general. Lance loosened his grip on her.

McNeil laughed. “Son, don’t tell me you fell for the oldest trick in the book. A beautiful woman says she cares about you, and you throw all common sense out the window.”

Lance let go and pulled back. “No, that’s not it at all. Cyndi…I mean, Captain Stafford just saved the world from Armageddon. Wyoming would be glowing in the dark for the next ten thousand years if it weren’t for her.”

“This ridiculous explanation coming from such a reliable source as her lovestruck boyfriend, of course. How convenient.”

“It’s true. I was there.”

“Wise up, Son, it wasn’t a bug. The new software must have been deliberately designed to launch your missile no matter what you did.” McNeil tapped the side of his head. “Think, Garcia, think. Captain Stafford wrote the procedure manual for the new LCC. She and Dr. Zhao spent months designing the launch software. Either one of them could have doctored the code. God knows Dr. Zhao certainly had enough motivation to go along with her traitorous scheme after what those savages did to his family.”

Lance’s eyes narrowed. “Why would she do that? She’s the number one combat crew commander in the entire wing. She has a spotless service record. Captain Stafford doesn’t have any axes to grind.”

“Obviously, you don’t know her as well as you think.” McNeil headed for his office door. He pointed at the floor. “Stay right where you are.” McNeil entered his inner office and began rifling through the drawers in his desk.

Lance grabbed Cyndi as she started toward McNeil’s office. “Wait. We need to—"

“Let go of me!” Cyndi reared back and delivered an elbow strike to Lance’s ribs.

Pain tore through his abdomen as his already cracked ribs absorbed the sharp blow. Lance let go of her and doubled over, clutching his chest. When Cyndi started to walk away, Lance lunged and grabbed her wrist. “Wait,” he struggled to say through gritted teeth. “What is he talking about?