Dancing with the Dragon (2002) Read Online Free Page A

missing at sea and presumed dead."
    "Oh, no."
    For a few seconds she was at a loss for words.
    "I know the two of you became close friends at Kingsville," Jackie said, placing a comforting hand on his shoulder. "Weren't you his best man after you received your wings?"
    "Yes, I was."
    Scott paused as fond memories of Sammy flashed through his mind. "He was flying an F/A-18F. His backseater didn't make it either."
    She gently squeezed his shoulder. "I'm so sorry."
    "Sammy was a model husband and father--they have three kids."
    Scott lowered his head. "Tracy called our office and Mary Beth thought I should know about the accident and the memorial service."
    Jackie sat down on the sofa. "Of course you'll attend."
    "Yeah. I'll get off the ship in Gibraltar and fly to San Diego. If you want to continue the cruise, we can meet when the ship reaches Barcelona."
    "No," she quietly protested. "I want to go with you"--she paused--"if that's okay?"
    "Sure, I'd appreciate it." Scott remained quiet for a moment and then met her eyes. "There's something very strange going on." "Strange--what do you mean?"
    "Tracy wants me to talk to a reporter from the San Jose Mercury News, a guy named Cliff Earlywine."
    "Why?"
    "Earlywine was on board the ship when the accident happened. He was doing a piece about carrier flight operations. The navy was giving him the grand tour, the usual show-'n'-tell stuff."
    "What does he know about the accident?"
    "I'm not sure."
    Scott took a moment to review what Earlywine had told Tracy Bonello. "During Earlywine's visit to the combat direction center, he overheard the radio conversations between the ship, the Hawk-eye, and Sammy's flight. According to Tracy, Earlywine has some interesting--disturbing--information."
    "Disturbing?"
    "Yes. He knew the names of the people in the two Hornets. He said something weird happened during a night intercept of an unknown bogey, and Sammy's plane went down during the encounter."
    "Could it have been a midair?"
    "It doesn't sound like it. When Sammy's wingman returned to the boat, the navy wouldn't allow Earlywine to interview the flight crew. In fact, the navy hustled Earlywine back to San Diego right after Sammy's wingman returned to the ship."
    "Well, I can understand the navy's concern about investigating the accident before someone starts speculating about what happened."
    Scott took a breath and slowly let it out. "The navy doesn't know that Earlywine was taping his tour of the ship."
    "Aha."
    "A few seconds after the accident, Sammy's wingman and the backseater can be heard yelling over the radio, and I quote, 'The bogey fried 'em, blew 'em to hell.' End of quote."
    "What were they chasing?"
    "I don't know, but Earlywine thinks he has the answer. He hasn't gone public with the story yet, but he told Tracy that it sounded like they were trying to intercept something that no one could see on radar."
    Jackie rolled her eyes. "A UFO?"
    "That's what she thinks."
    "O-kay, but why would it destroy an airplane?"
    "I don't know, but Earlywine played the tape for her. Tracy told me she could hear panic in their voices--that it was very evident."
    "Pardon my skepticism, but have they found any wreckage, any debris in the water?"
    "If they have, they're keeping it quiet. According to the Associated Press, both the navy and the Pentagon reported that the jet disappeared during a routine training exercise. The search effort has been called off, and the names of the crew members are being withheld pending notification of their relatives."
    "Obviously, your friend's family and his wife have been notified. What about the other guy's relatives?"
    "Both families have been notified."
    Jackie paused a moment. "Let's see if I have this straight. We have an unexplained loss of a Hornet and its crew. Then, not aware that Earlywine taped the radio conversations, the Pentagon has thrown a blanket over the accident, calling it a mishap during routine training exercises."
    "That's about it."
    Jackie