Page 40 of Operation: Reckless Angel

“Looks like they haven’t perfected it yet if it went down,” Shepherd said. “SecDef confirmed he delivered a newly developed guidance system by a different manufacturer to be installed in a prototype drone Wells Corporation has been developing. It’s supposed to replace the MQ-nine Reaper.”

“Looks like it has a way to go before it does,” Jackson remarked.

The corner of Shepherd’s lips tipped up for a brief second. “That was the first flight test. There will be two more while we’re onsite. If nothing else, we’re keeping them honest in reporting the results.”

“Is that what this mission has been about, Big Bear?” Smith asked.

“Partially,” he answered.

“Would have been nice to know that at the onset,” Doc remarked.

“Above our paygrades, gentlemen,” Shepherd said. “Stealth technology, by its very definition, is meant to remain undetected. Had it not gone down, it would have remained invisible, and that was the point of our mission, it would seem. To remain unaware of the prototype and conversely, to report its existence if it failed.”

November

The Op was supposed to conclude at just before midnight Saturday evening. But just as they arrived early, they remained longer, until just after fourteen-hundred hours on Sunday. When the team arrived back at HQ, they reported for a debrief with Shepherd after they’d stowed their gear.

“I’m happy with how you gentlemen handled the Texas situation,” Shepherd began. “Before you knew what Wells’ men were up to by invading your camps, you handled it as professionals and kept things calm when they otherwise could have spiraled. SecDef appreciates that.”

“They still have a long way to go on that prototype,” Jackson said. They’d seen it make two more flights. It had propulsion issues during both flights.

“Or do they?” Shepherd said. “We didn’t detect anything this morning.”

“Was there another flight this morning?” Roth asked.

Shepherd nodded.

“So, is that what that mission was about, Shep? Detecting and reporting the failures of this new stealth UAV?” Jackson asked.

“And not reporting when it evaded our scrutiny,” Shepherd said. “SecDef also needed to be sure Wells was giving him accurate test results.”

“So, was it never a possibility that Wells was going to sell the technology or share it with someone he shouldn’t?” Doc asked. “Kind of pisses me off we were out there just to play spotter, a role anyone else could have played. What if something really bad had gone down elsewhere and we were stuck watching what will probably be common news sooner rather than later?”

Shepherd’s lips tipped into a grin. “Feeling underappreciated, Doc? Don’t. This was a priority for SecDef. He knew we would be vigilant and keep what we saw confidential. And you know if something really bad had gone down, I would have pulled the team and redeployed to wherever they were needed.”

“Protecting brand new tech, and ensuring the testing is reported accurately, is important,” Cooper chimed in.

“I’d love to get an up-close look at it,” Smith said.

“I’m sure we all will, soon enough,” Shepherd said. “You’re all off duty for the next three days unless otherwise notified. Watch your emails for your next assignments.”

The men stood and filed out of Shepherd’s office. Everyone but Roth was excited to get home to their families. Roth left HQ happy to have a few days off, not that he had any plans. He stopped at a grocery store to buy a few perishable items, as he hadn’t been in his apartment for several weeks. He kept a small amount of frozen, packaged, and canned food, but he was rarely there, so he didn’t need to have a lot of food in the cabinets.

But after his text messages with Briana about cooking them steaks, he had a taste for a good steak and a real baked potato with sour cream and chives. And he cooked steaks better than any restaurant. He even picked up a six-pack of beer. After he’d gotten home, he cracked one open and put some music on while he did laundry, a necessary evil no matter if he was at home or some random motel. He tidied up, not that it needed it. He did it more out of habit. Within a few hours, his tiny apartment was ship-shape.

He had his steak seasoned and sat on the counter, waiting for the baked potato to nearly be done. He cooked it in the air fryer, which made the best baked potato in his book. Eating alone never bothered him before, but all he could think about was the dining companion who he wanted to be there but wasn’t.

He wanted to get Briana Woods out of his brain, but even as he thought this, he knew there was something about her that made her wildly attractive to him. Even though he was quite sure nothing could ever develop between them. Maybe that was the allure, the fact that he’d never have a relationship with her.

The next morning, as the temps were mild, Roth went for a long run. After a shower, he enjoyed a conversation with his mom planning Christmas. It was always hard for him to give his mom suggestions on gifts for himself. He needed nothing and had no room for anything else in the bags he packed for jobs. He was never home for any length of time, so anything for his apartment seemed a waste of her money. What he valued most was just the time to be at home with her and his sister. Their little family was close. It had always been just the three of them.

He enjoyed several days of not doing much. It was relaxing down time he needed. He reported for duty as instructed on Wednesday afternoon at sixteen hundred for an overnight shift in Ops. He’d rotate back onto the PGP Team on Sunday evening, shipping out to an install scheduled to begin early on Monday morning at the Valero Saint Charles refinery in Destrehan, Louisiana. But first, he’d pull overnight shifts in Ops on both Wednesday and Thursday night.

His shifts in Ops went well. He was paired with Garcia for a portion of the afternoon and early evening, and with Dupont overnight both nights. He didn’t mind working in Ops. He just didn’t want it to be a steady gig. He’d never seen Dupont happier. Laura Lee, living with him, looked great on them both. And he’d squeezed in a few workouts in the Shepherd Security gym.

On Friday evening, he shot Briana Woods a text message just to say hi. He’d stopped at the store and bought another steak. He sent her a picture of it cooking in his cast-iron skillet. She sent back an emoji of a dog drooling. That was all he heard from her. He wondered if she was working, something not quite legal, and that was why she went dark.

As he ate, he was engrossed in reading one of the many articles Shepherd had forwarded to the team to review. This one was on a new prototype drone that combined aspects from surveillance and combat drones into one lethal weapon. It was unveiled by the Wells Corporation that morning.

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