***

The projection of the map across the wall in the briefing room had a red line that started in Topeka then headed north until it reached the Canadian border. Frizen pointed to the final destination, which was a small town off the Canadian West Coast called Victoria.

“This is where our intelligence believes Gordon will meet up with the Chinese,” Frizen said, clicking to another slide with Gordon’s face and his known accomplices. “Now, we know for a fact that Sydney Farnes is travelling with Gordon, along with Gordon’s right hand, Jake Mitchum. In addition to those traveling companions, Gordon also has a team of the best Class 3 sentries his organization had to offer. They are armed to the teeth, gentlemen, and they are trained to draw blood.”

Luis raised his hand. “Have we made any headway with Canadian assistance?”

“No. While the Canadian government has granted us permission to recon, they will not be allocating any resources. They believe this is an American problem and don’t want send any mixed signals to the Chinese.”

Alex could feel the dissent morph through the crowd as Frizen continued his presentation. It felt odd sitting in a war room with soldiers. When Alex was in high school, a recruiter for the Marines showed up and tried talking kids into joining after graduation. He remembered looking over the pamphlet when he got home. His father thought it’d be good for him, but his mother was against it. In the end, he decided not to join. He’d never wanted to put himself in a position where he’d have to kill someone. Now, that was all he wanted to do.

“Every single member of Gordon’s party needs to be brought in. We have no way of knowing if Gordon has duplicated the material to allow for it to make its way into the hands of the Chinese government, or worse,” Frizen said then clicked the projector, which slid back up into the ceiling.

The lights flickered back on, and Alex rubbed his eyes, trying to shake off the exhaustion that had plagued him for the past three years and seemed to have reached a crescendo over the past week. His whole body felt tired. His bones felt like they would snap in half, and his joints cracked and popped as he shifted in his seat. Just a little bit further.

“Gentlemen,” Frizen said, his voice a little louder than before to grab the attention of everyone in the room. “I don’t need to tell you how important this mission is. If the Chinese obtain Professor Penn’s soil data, they’ll use every bit of it to their advantage. We’re on our heels, boys. Everyone in the world can see it. Let’s make sure they don’t add to the growing pile of burden we have on our shoulders. Dismissed.”

The room erupted in activity as everyone started readying themselves for the mission. The weariness in Alex’s body disappeared with the influx of motion, and he found Admiral Frizen speaking with one of his men. “Admiral, I was hoping I could talk to you in private.”

“Of course,” Frizen said, leading Alex away from the rest of the group. “What can I help you with, Alex?”

“I appreciate you letting me be a part of this mission. I know I don’t have the same training as the other soldiers.”

“If it weren’t for you, Alex, I don’t think we would have gotten to Todd in time. I know Luis was grateful for your help.”

Alex reached into his pocket and pulled out a folded up piece of paper. “I was hoping you could deliver this to a friend of mine, if I don’t make it back.”

Alex knew the admiral had probably received hundreds of these requests from men in similar positions, bestowing the onus of the last request upon his shoulders. Frizen must have had good relationships with many men whom he would have agreed to the noble task of helping, but Alex wasn’t sure if he would be one of them.

“I don’t really have anyone else I could give it to,” Alex said.

The piece of paper had one name written on it. Meeko. Frizen took the paper from Alex’s hand and folded it gently into his pocket. “Hopefully I’ll just be able to return it to you when this is over.”

“Thank you, Admiral.”

“What you had to do,” Frizen said, stopping Alex from leaving, “wasn’t easy.”

“I try not to use it as an excuse.”

“Good men never do.”

Frizen left Alex, leaving him alone in the empty makeshift conference room, which had now gone quiet. Alex took a good look at the room around him, absorbing the solitude. Even though he was still in his home state of Kansas, he never felt farther away from home in his life.