24 – The Hunt For Red November Chapter 17

“Welcome aboard Colonel Madison, greeted Chief Master Sergeant William ‘Will’ Hampton.

“This is the first time I’ve been aboard since I ordered her blown up back in January.”

“Yes sir, smiled, the Chief Master Sergeant. I still have nightmares from that night.”

“Well you should,” answered Madison, squaring his shoulders and giving the Chief Master Sergeant a look that was half way between and anger and admiration.

“Chief Master Sergeant Hampton this my team, Army Specialist Operations Officer Roy Johnson, Marine Master Sergeant Hector G. Alvarez, and last, but definitely not least, Navy SEAL Chief Petty Officer Tavin ‘Blane’ Kaslowski.”

“Glad to meet all of you.”

“Men this is the man I assigned to take care of ‘Angel’ on invasion night. He was supposed to blow her up but the Chief Master Sergeant obviously had another plan in mind.”

Alvarez, Johnson, and Kaslowski exchanged looks. Madison, noting their look of surprise, stood silently in the doorway of the plane and waited, knowing they had but one question.

“Kaslowski?” Madison ordered.

“OK, I’ll bite. Chief Master Sergeant Hampton, you disobeyed a direct order from Colonel ‘iron pants’ Madison and you’re still in the Air Force?”

“Not so much disobeyed, but improvised,” answered Hampton.

“Improvised?” Madison inquired.

“Yes, sir. Lucinda said we had to get you off the base and take care of ‘Angel.’

Everyone leaned in and gave the six foot, two hundred pound, solid rock of a Black man their full attention.

“You see sir, my mother lives in Santa Barbara de Samana in the Dominican Republic. So, while the invaders were busy shooting at you and the B-52 that landed to pick you up, I simply flew off the Base in the opposite direction and took ‘Angel’ home to meet Mama.”

Everyone chuckled.

“Wait a minute Chief Sergeant. You landed this plane at Samana El Catey International?”

“Yes sir. I guessed – correctly — that none of the invaders would think to look there, sir. The flight itself was easy. The landing, however, was a bit risky. I flew her in with the transponder and lights off. And like I said I still have nightmares about that night.”

“Well done,” replied Madison.

“Thank you Colonel. You and your men are situated in the Senior Staff Lounge. The National Security Advisor is already there waiting for you, sir.”