Flash Point Read Online Free

worried,” Sami said.
    “Why?”
    “I’m not sure.”
    “Talk to me.”
    “A new organization. That goes way back.”
    “Where?”
    “I can’t really talk about it and make sense yet.”
    “What do you have?”
    “I need to think about this some more.”
    “The boss is going to want to hear about it.”
    “Not yet.”
    “I want in.”
    “When I’ve got something to say.”
    “Sounds to me like you do.”
    “Soon.”
    “Don’t wait too long,” Cunningham said, heading out of Sami’s cubicle for his own.
    “Don’t worry.”
     
     
    “What the hell were you
thinking
?” Tony Vialli asked Woods as they stood facing each other in the paraloft, where all the pilots kept their flight gear and hung their G-suits and dry suits. Vialli knew he was a hothead, but he also knew when he was right. He pulled the zipper on the leg of his G-suit all the way to the top, freeing the zipper, which he angrily pulled apart. “Well?” he asked, waiting for Woods to reply.
    Woods was taking his flight gear off slowly, methodically. Sedge, Vialli’s RIO, and Wink were removing their flight gear and staying out of the discussion. Wink knew he was next. He and Woods were of virtually identical seniority in the squadron.
    Woods finally replied, “What?”
    “That stunt,” Vialli answered instantly, knowing Woods was stalling.
    “Cool your jets, Boomer. No harm done.”
    Vialli glared at him and continued, “Scared the shit out of me, man. That’s harm to me.”
    “Keeps you on your toes.”
    “When I’m already skimming an overcast?”
    “See? You weren’t even complying with Visual Flight Rules. Violating cloud clearance requirements,” Woods said as he hung his torso harness — the webbed harness they wore around their legs and chest and attached them to their ejection seats — on the hook with his name on it.
    “I’m serious. You went IFR and then thumped me. That’s reckless, Sean. Someone could have gotten hurt.”
    “All right. It won’t happen again. Let’s forget about it.”
    Vialli didn’t say anything.
    “Let’s go to the wardroom. I need a slider. Wink’s coming.”
    “Aren’t we going to debrief the hop?”
    “What’s to debrief? We did twenty intercepts and didn’t see anyone trying to attack the ship. Skip it. Wink’s already done the intel debrief at CVIC.”
    Vialli hung the rest of his gear on his hook. He pulled his green flight suit and the T-shirt he wore under it away from his chest to break the seal his sweat caused and rolled up the cuffs twice, exposing his forearms slightly. He was still peeved, but not sure what to do about it. He didn’t want to turn in his roommate, section leader, senior officer, and best friend for a flight violation. That would be a breach of the unwritten rules. “I’m going to hit the rack. Too damn late for a greaseburger.” He walked toward the door of the ready room.
    “You still want to go to Pompeii when we pull into Naples?” Woods called after him.
    Vialli didn’t even slow down as he let the door close behind him.
     
     
    Sami stared at the pictures of the Gaza attack. “I don’t know. How could I tell just by looking at pictures of dead people?” he asked, annoyed.
    “Is there anything in your research to point to them?” Cunningham asked.
    “I don’t
have
any research. I have a bunch of history which may be interesting one day or may just make me look stupid.”
    “Talk to me, Sami. Bounce it off me.”
    Sami didn’t want to talk about it yet. It was too easy to say too much. But he needed someone else’s input. “The oldest secret society in the world. But they disappeared a long time ago.”
    Cunningham thought about it for a moment. “You’re thinking maybe not?”
    “Maybe.”
    “Because of one transmission?” Cunningham asked.
    “That’s what started me thinking. Now I’m seeing other things I hadn’t noticed before.”
    “You haven’t told anybody?”
    “No reason to yet. I may be out of my