The Marines Land a Big One

Source

Chapman's cellphone rang shortly after she drove off of the DHS campus. The phone was connected to her car via Bluetooth, as she was driving she didn't look to see who it was, she just hit the button on her steering wheel to answer.

"Chapman."

"Beth, it's Alex Choe. We need an alternate meeting place, seems there's been a shooting on MLK, just down the street from 6Co. This is kind of a rough neighborhood, kiddo."

"Damn, I hadn't thought of that. Do you know The Roost over on Pennsylvania?"

"Yeah, good coffee. They still open?"

"They close at 10 PM, meet you there?"

"Sounds good."

Chapman was a little embarrassed. As she was on the law enforcement side of things at Homeland, she did have a badge and a gun. The neighborhood around 6Co was a little sketchy, but fairly safe for Anacostia. She realized that she was starting to think like a cop. She understood Choe's nervousness, especially as there had been a shooting nearby. She was frazzled by the events of the past few weeks, she needed to get her head on straight.

The black Chevrolet Suburban rolled up to the gate at the Marine Barracks at 8th and I. The two Marines on duty were in full riot gear, helmets, vests, and M4 carbines. They looked very alert and very professional. An onlooker might not notice that there were more Marines nearby, ready to reinforce the Marines at the gate. There was also a machine gun team on the upper floor of the building across the parking lot.

The Suburban wore the flag of a Vice Admiral in the United States Navy, but it wasn't a standard Navy vehicle.

"Roll the damn window down, Adams. Perhaps the idiots didn't notice the flag!" Vice Admiral Washington was an impatient man at the best of times, this was not one of those times.

YN1¹ Clarisse Adams rolled her window down as one Marine approached her side of the vehicle, the other Marine positioned herself so she could watch the front and the right side of the Suburban.

"Petty Officer?" The Marine's voice was clipped and all business.

"Vice Admiral Washington to see the Commandant." She offered her ID card.

The Marine ignored it and looked into the back of the vehicle, "Both of you step out of the vehicle please."

The admiral blustered, "Look here, son ..."

"Now. Sir."

The two sailors got out of the Suburban, the admiral reached for his wallet.

"Keep your hands where I can see them, Sir."

"Now goddammit, I'm in a hurry and ..."

At that moment a Marine Gunnery Sergeant game through the gate, "What the Hell is going on out here Marines? Why is this piece of shit blocking my gate?" His voice boomed and could probably be heard in Maryland.

"Now look here, Gunny ..." the admiral tried to speak again.

"ID, Mister, NOW!"

While the first Marine covered the two sailors with his weapon, the admiral, with shaking hands", pulled out his wallet and tried to extract his ID. He dropped it. As he stooped to retrieve it, the Gunnery Sergeant's voice boomed out.

"FREEZE MISTER! Gentile, if this man makes any more sudden moves, I expect you to blow his damned head off. Petty Officer, pick up that ID for me."

Adams did as she was told and handed the big Marine the admiral's ID card. After perusing it he handed it to Lance Corporal Theodore Gentile, "Scan this for me."

The Marine did so and handed the card back to his Gunnery Sergeant, "It's legit Gunny, Vice Admiral Thomas David Washington, United States Navy."

Gunnery Sergeant Jack Ermey slipped the ID into a pocket in his trousers. "Admiral, come with me, Petty Officer, you can head back to wherever you came from."

Adams started to speak, then thought better of it and got back into the Suburban. Before she did, she snatched the admiral's flag and the Navy flag from their slots near the front bumper and tossed them into the front passenger seat.

Washington stood there, without saying a word and watched as his vehicle drove off.

"And how am I supposed to get back to my office, Marine?"

Ermey turned to the parking lot and bellowed, "CLARK, ROGERS! Get your nasty asses out here on the double!"

"I expect an answer, Marine ..." the admiral tried to make his voice sound ominous, but in reality he was frightened out of his mind, something was wrong here.

"Rogers, pat the admiral down, when you're done, cuff him and take him to the brig."

"Aye, Aye, Gunny!"

When the admiral was cuffed, Ermey leaned in and whispered in his ear, "The Commandant was taken into custody fifteen minutes ago. I was told to take into custody anyone coming to see him."

"Who? What?" the admiral stuttered.

"Homeland Security, General Hemingway has been charged with sedition. You're next buddy."

Ermey turned to Corporal Clark and Private Rogers, "Get this piece of shit out of here."

"Aye, Aye, Gunny!" the two barked in unison as they frogmarched the admiral towards the nearest building.

Ermey turned to the two Marines on the gate, "Gentile, Gutiérrez, outstanding work. Carry on."

Both turned smartly and took up their positions once more as Gunnery Sergeant Ermey walked back into the parking lot where he had a small podium set up for the watch commander, which tonight was him. He reached under the podium and pulled out a satellite phone, on which he pressed a single digit.

When the phone was answered on the other end, he said a single sentence, "Big squid is off the board," then he broke the connection. It was time to make his rounds.

Bill Aspinall put his phone away, the Secretary of the Interior, John Nakagawa, poked his head out of the tent, "I'm surprised you get any reception out here, Bill."

"Satellite phone, John. The fish are about done I think, hope you're hungry. Big day tomorrow I think."

Nakagawa nodded, "One down?"

"Four to go."

As Choe drank his coffee, Chapman briefed him. When she was done, he shook his head.

"How high does the conspiracy go?"

"All the way to the President."

"Seriously?"

"Yes Sir, no one thinks the VP is in on it though, he's too stupid to keep a secret. But some of the House leadership is in on it, as are a number of Senators."

"And you got this information from where?"

"I can't say, Cap'n, you know the rules. But we have multiple sources." They didn't but Choe didn't need to know that, perhaps if he thought they had corroboration from multiple sources, he wouldn't try to figure things out. Chapman knew that he was one of the smartest people she knew.

Choe whispered, "I'll bet Johansen is a source."

"Don't ever say that again, Sir. You never know who's listening."

Choe nodded. That's when he noticed a man sitting across the room from them. Polo shirt, dark sport jacket, and khakis. If that wasn't a Fed, he'd eat his shoes.

He must have given off some clue as Chapman looked at him, smiled and said, "Yup."

¹ Yeoman 1st Class