Free Elements of the Undead: Fire (Book One) by William Esmont

locker and rummaged around for a moment before pulling out a full bottle of Glenmorangie scotch and two plastic tumblers. Technically, alcohol wasn’t allowed on Navy vessels. But as commander, she had the authority to bend the rules when she saw fit. And this situation called for a lot of bending. She splashed two fingers into each cup, and then added another. Shoving one toward Pollard, she motioned for him to drink up.
    “Is it the EAM?” he asked.
    She sighed and cast her eyes at the floor as she drained her scotch. It burned going down, and she felt a familiar ball of warmth blossom in her gut.
    She snapped back. “Yes, Andrew. It is about the goddamned EAM.”
    “May I ask what is said?”
    She nodded. “Full strategic launch. Target package XT-234.”
    Pollard gave her a puzzled look. “I’m not familiar with that package.”
    “Neither was I.” She went to her terminal and rerouted the display from the bridge. When the list filled her screen, she spun the display around so Pollard could see. Bending in close, he recited each name under his breath as he worked his way to the bottom.
    He sucked in his breath and looked up at Hollister when he finished reading. “Holy mother of God! Is this for real?”
    She shrugged. “I assume so. I’m not aware of a countermand EAM.”
    Pollard drained the remains of his scotch in one gulp and held out his cup for a refill.
    Hollister poured for both of them. “I don’t know about you, Andrew, but this violates every oath I’ve ever taken. This is insane.” He looked thoughtful for a moment as he evaluated her statement, then took a sip of his scotch. Hollister knew that by questioning the validity of the targeting package, she was offering him an opening to question her authority and possibly judge her unfit for duty. However, the expression on Pollard’s face and his body language told her that he was just as shocked as she was.
    Straightening in his chair, he broke his silence. “I recommend we proceed to periscope depth and attempt direct communication with Pearl.”
    Hollister hid her relief. “I concur. Send the order.”
    Pollard began entering commands for the bridge while Hollister got up and stalked around the tiny cabin, inspecting, but not seeing the numerous commendations arrayed on the bulkhead. She sensed an abrupt tilt in the deck as the officer at the helm implemented Andrew’s request.
    Together, they watched as the depth display on her computer rolled backward with agonizing slowness. Neither said a word, each lost in their own thoughts.
    As they approached the surface, Hollister began to tense. She was breaking protocol by ignoring the EAM and surfacing in the open ocean. But she felt she had no choice. She had to know why she was being instructed to launch against the United States. They reached their target depth a minute later, and a hidden series of jets and pumps automatically adjusted the ballast, locking them in place.
    Pollard bypassed the radio room and accessed the secure ship-to-shore communications subsystem. This mechanism was much more effective than the Ultra Low Frequency transmission by which they had received the EAM, allowing instantaneous communications either by satellite or direct line-of-sight broadcast to the shore.
    “Calling Pearl,” he said, as he pressed the connect icon on the screen. They waited. Hollister started to get a bad feeling. This was highly unusual.
    “Try San Diego,” she said after a few seconds, fear percolating inside. Pollard’s fingers flew over the keyboard as he rerouted their request. San Diego was quiet as well.
    They spent the next several minutes running through the various contact points in their chain of command before straying outside, first to the other naval vessels, and then to other branches of the armed forces, all to no avail. The military nets were silent.
    “Do you know how to tap into the commercial infrastructure?” Hollister asked, frustrated. She knew it was possible, but