Sabotage
Authors: C. G. Cooper
Tags: #Mystery, #Spies & Politics, #Thriller, #Political, #Military, #War & Military, #Thrillers, #Thrillers & Suspense, #Thriller & Suspense, #Action & Adventure, #Literature & Fiction
“Sabotage”
A Corps Justice Novel
Copyright © 2016 C. G. Cooper. All Rights Reserved
Author: C. G. Cooper
Editors: Andrea Kerr & Cheryl Hopton
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This is a work of fiction. Characters, names, locations and events are all products of the author’s imagination. Any similarities to actual events or real persons are completely coincidental.
Any unauthorized reproduction of this work is strictly prohibited.
Dedication
To my faithful readers: thank you for allowing me to continue this awesome writing journey. I could not do this without you.
- CGC
Table Of Contents
Chapter 1
At the moment, Vince Sweeney looked nothing like an army colonel from the 1st Special Forces Operational Detachment-Delta (Delta Force). Reclining happily in a pristine white leather chair, he wore what he now considered his business attire: khaki cargo shorts, an obnoxious Hawaiian shirt, and Timberland boots. His gnarled hand moved from a glass of whiskey and scratched his scraggly white beard. He'd gone gray early, but had never much bought into a normal man’s vanity. With what he did for a living, it helped provide a perfect disguise, when needed. Since his current “job” was almost over, the beard would soon have to go.
As he closed his eyes and relished the cool breeze blowing from the air conditioning vent, he smiled at the thought of going home. How many times had he left? He'd have to go back through his military records to check, not that the records were complete. Being part of Delta Force meant that most operations weren't even classified, thus they were rarely documented. The operations just didn't exist, on paper.
He'd just turned fifty and, because he continuously opted to stay in the field, refusing to play the game of
Army career-building Monopoly
, he’d be out soon—involuntarily retired. He didn't mind. He’d had a great career, led honest and courageous men and saved countless lives. So, as he took another sip of his well-deserved drink, Colonel Vince Sweeney was content.
"Hey, you gonna drink all that, or are you gonna save some for me?" The man sitting across from him in a nearly identical outfit growled with mock indignation.
Sweeney had known Karl Schneider for just under twenty years. They served together in Delta Force on and off throughout their careers. Although Karl looked like a washed-up bartender with one foot in the grave, he still was one of the toughest men Vince Sweeney had ever met. Karl could take on a man three times his size and win. It probably had something to do with his upbringing. His father had been a coal miner in West Virginia, and prior to enlisting in the army, Karl had worked in the mines for two hard years. That did something to a man, and as the senior enlisted soldier under his command, Karl was not only a superb fighter, but also Colonel Vince Sweeney's best friend.
Vince passed the bottle of Johnnie Walker Black to Karl after he refilled his own glass.
"Did you take a look at those listings I sent you?" Karl asked, handing the bottle back to Sweeney.
"Yeah, I like that place with the little red roof. Looks like something out of a painting my grandma had hanging in her guest bedroom.”
Karl nodded appreciatively, equally at the whiskey and Sweeney's choice.
"You know what, Vince? You're not much to look at, but I'd say you're a pretty good judge of real estate."
Karl was on his way out too. He had a couple years on Sweeney which had forced the army to take out its big, fat magnifying glass and give Karl the old up-and-down. Vince knew what the higher-ups were thinking; they had two washed-up soldiers ready to send out to pasture. Never mind the fact that they were Delta warriors. There was always a need to make space for the up-and-comers. Although Vince understood this fact, he was sadder for his friend than for himself.
While the Army, and Delta Force, had been good to Colonel Vince Sweeney, it had been the blood coursing through Karl's veins for thirty years. However, the blood transfusion was about to be taken away. Thus, the two men had made a pact. When they got out and retired for good, they'd leave together. Neither man was married now, though both had each been previously: Vince once and Karl twice. Now neither had any prospects on the horizon, and that was okay with them.
Karl had concocted a plan. They planned to do what a lot of the guys were doing - get out and set up shop on the civilian side. They had plenty of contacts, both active duty military and police forces, all more than willing to utilize their assistance and training. Besides, they each had enough money put away to last them for years; they'd been smart with their finances. Even if no jobs came their way, they'd be more than content living the simple life of hunting in the mornings, strolling to the lake to fish, and growing old together on rickety rocking chairs under that little red roof.
"Yeah." Vince reflected, "That sounds fine. Damn fine."
This journey home was one step closer to that goal.
"You know, I bet if we wait a couple months we might be able to get that place for a steal. It's been on the market for over a year, and the agent said the owners are ready to sell. What do you think, Vince?"
Vince looked over at his friend and smiled.
"I say why wait? Let's do it."
Karl grinned and held out his glass.
“Here’s mud in your eye, Vince."
They clinked their glasses and downed the rest of their drinks.
And just like that the conversation was over. It was back to business.
"What do you think the big man's going to say about what we saw?" Karl asked.
Vince shook his head. "I know what he'll say, but it's what he'll do I'm most worried about."
Their current mission came straight from the top. As two of the most seasoned veterans of the famed Delta Force, Karl and Vince were given first shot at the assignment. It didn't hurt that they had a personal reputation with the president of the United States. When he called them, they were only too happy to serve. Besides, masquerading as oil venture entrepreneurs wasn't such a bad gig. Yeah, Africa was hot as hell, but flying first class wasn't too bad, and the mission was important too. Why say no?
Vince and Karl understood the consequences. They'd seen firsthand the developments that the world wasn't supposed to know about. So while Vince was anxious to get home and take his first hot shower in a week, he knew an uncomfortable conversation was coming. Decisions would have to be made, contingencies planned, but that was still hours away. As he and Karl had for years, they would enjoy their current time in the sun. It wasn't every day that you were the only passengers on a swanky private luxury jet, and that's what made the next moment so surreal.
They had only been in the air for thirty minutes when a concussive blast rocked the small airplane. Years of reflexive action and physical memory imprinted on their DNA, now saved both Karl’s and Vince’s lives. Their seatbelts had been unbuckled, but they clutched onto their chairs for dear life. There was the sucking wind. At the plane’s tail, Vince saw there was a gaping hole four rows back. He saw something fly through the hole and, for the briefest instance, he thought it was Karl. However, when he looked across the aisle Karl had assumed the same position as Vince.
The plane veered off course as the wind tore through the passenger compartment. Vince could barely hear the blaring of the emergency sirens overhead. No one came out of the cockpit, and that was probably for the best. It was sealed, and it was the safest place for the pilots attempting to fly the doomed bus. Neither Vince nor Karl had parachutes or even weapons at their disposal, thus jumping from the plane was ruled out as an option. Instead, with grim nods, the two men climbed back into their chairs and strapped themselves in
. It was going to be one helluva bumpy ride,
Vince and Karl thought to themselves.
+ + +
The pilot was good, really good. He'd somehow manhandled the nosediving aircraft to a safe and secure landing just beyond the edge of some storm-engorged lake. As Vince stepped outside, shielding his eyes from the scorching sun, he smelled leaking fuel. However, Lady Luck was smiling down on them because there weren't any flames. After he performing a quick inspection of the hull’s exterior, the only apparent damage was the jagged tear along the aircraft's left side.
Both pilots climbed out of the plane into the bright sunlight. One held onto Karl's arm for support. Neither man appeared injured, but both were visibly shaken, and at first glance, they looked to be in shock.
"Well that's number three for you," Karl said, pointing a finger at Vince. "Remind me to book a plane home without you on it."
Karl smirked, but the joke was lost on the two pilots, who were looking at their surroundings as if they’d just landed on the moon.
"You two okay?" Vince inquired.
First one pilot and then the other nodded, dazed.
"That was some amazing flying," Vince said with gratitude. "Thank you both. You saved our lives."
The comment did little to shake either pilot from his stupor. It appeared they were in mild shock, which Vince had seen many times before. It was not the debilitating type. They just needed a couple of minutes and water.
“Karl, why don't you go see if the stewardess can bring some water for the gentlemen first, please."
Karl shook his head in dismay. "She's not in there, Vince; I think she got sucked out of the plane. I'll go get some water."
One dead
. That poor girl. She'd probably been on her way to see if they needed anything when it all happened. Couldn't do anything about that now.
"Did you call for help?" Vince asked the lead pilot.
The man looked confused, stunned even. Then he shook his head in dismay.
"It was the strangest thing,” the pilot replied. "Right when it happened—well, not right when—but in the seconds before—we lost all our Comms. They went out when we started losing altitude. We tried to call
MAYDAY-MAYDAY-MAYDAY!
but we couldn't reach anyone. I've been flying for a long time, and have never encountered this before."