21272939 crescent moon rising chapter 8

8/9/2019 21272939 Crescent Moon Rising Chapter 8

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-1Chapter

eight

Lebanon, offshore; very dark night

The USS Mobile Bay cut through the dark Eastern Mediterranean waves, making 22 k

nots. Two Perry-class guided-missile frigates flanked the Ticonderoga-class cruiser in the nearly moonless night. In the cruiser's CIC, Command Information Center, Captain Randolph Pierce reviewed the plotting board once again. One hundredtwelve nautical miles to the west, two F-15 Eagles circled at forty-thousand feet, high cover for the pair of F16C Falcons loitering eighteen-thousand feet below. An E-3 Sentry AWACS and a supporting KC-135 tanker were flying in slow circles west of the fighters. All units were in support of the Mobile Bay strike forcepreparing to launch a cruise missile attack against CMR Corporation assets in T

ripoli, Lebanon. The blue-lighted CIC was icy cold, a concession necessary for the multitude of computer-driven electronics that enable a modern warship to fight. Coming on station slightly over two hundred miles west of Beirut, west and south of Cyprus, Mobile Bay and her escorts slowed to quarterspeed and steered a f

ew degrees to port. Captain Pierce ordered one


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missile launcher unmasked. Three volleys of three Tomahawk cruise missiles wouldsoon be skimming the water, a violent answer to terrorism.

Commander Yaddock, XO and Tactical Action Officer, said, " Captain, wep ops ready. Radio control has received and confirmed 'weapons free' signal from CINCCENT.Ready to fire on your command."

Captain Pierce considered a moment the destruction about to be unleashed. Four warheads, each with five-hundred pounds of explosive would smash into Cypress International Bank. Five more would decimate the building that contained CMR headquarters. And then what? More threats? More outrages followed by more retaliations? Against whom? CMR or whatever CMR represented had crippled the US and this mission was more a tantrum than a decisive action against a foe. Who the hell werethey fighting?

Randolph showed none of the doubt crowding his mind as he said, "Commence firingprocedures, fire when ready," and in less time than he


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had spent shaving that morning, the launcher began to empty - once, twice, threetimes.

The weapons control Chief said, "Launcher clear, magazine rotated free. Firing complete." The entire procedure had taken twenty-seven minutes.

As the missiles streaked away and dived to near sea level, the Mobile Bay strike

force secured from battle stations and reversed course to rejoin the rest of the main battle group. Minutes later, the first missiles twenty miles from the Lebanese coast, their Tomahawk inertial-guidance systems shut down and each of themillion-dollar cruise missiles slammed into the sea spinning, cart wheeling anddestructing in a maelstrom of harmless debris.

The Red Sea, fifty-two nautical miles northwest of Jiddah, Saudi Arabia, aboardUSS Hornet, 4:32 A.M. (Arabian Time)

Admiral Barlow watched nine fiery plumes belch from the pair of missile frigatesa few degrees off his starboard bow. The attacking ships were nine and eleven t

housand yards distant, reducing the streaks of light


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in Barlows binoculars to resemble match flares a block away. The USS Harvestersignaled one missile (the tenth) did not leave the firing tube.

The first of the successfully launched missiles rose sixty-eight minutes beforethe stealth bombers would arrive over Lebanon. The cruise missiles would skim the Red Sea north, northwest before turning northeast into the Gulf of Aquaba. They were programmed to cross into Israeli territory outside the port city Elat, tr

aveling due north. The Tomahawks would be approaching Beersheba when the stealthsquadrons formed into initial strike profiles. For the next twenty minutes US w

arplanes would pound radar and anti-aircraft installations from Jubayl to Tripoli while the wave of deadly cruise missiles traversed the length of Israel, moving across the Mediterranean coastline near Haifa. Gliding a few feet above sea surface, fifty miles west of Beirut, nine thousand pounds of high explosives wouldturn northeast toward the Jaws river just as the bombers ceased their attacks a

nd regressed. What would follow-on, in less than twelve minutes, was the creation of rubble where now stood the headquarters of CMR Corporation and Cypress International Bank. At least, that was the plan.


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strike plane went feet wet, passing over the coastline in search of circling K-10 tankers.

The missiles never reached the Jawz river, at least not in one piece.

The Radisson Hotel off I-45 South, Houston, near Ellington Field

Admiral Bramble had treated Drs. Miriam Goodman and Neal Palmer to a nice dinnercomplete with two forty-plus dollars (each) bottles of wine. This was a gestureof appreciation to them both for the hard hours spent analyzing mounds of seism

ic data. Their presentation of findings had been frank but not enlightening forthe Navys immediate needs. If anything, the prospect of Japan receiving the brunt of a major natural disaster evoked mixed feelings. The Japanese certainly deserved some of Gods wrath, especially since the US seemed to be incapable of delivering wrath, but on the other hand you dont calm a


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rabid dog after a firecracker has just ruptured his asshole. Or do you? What ifthe rupture could be compounded until the wounded animal could only collapse andwait for death or salvation? The germ of an incredible idea began to flourish i

n the Admirals brain.

After the last of the wine was poured, Neal Putnam quickly finished his glass and excused himself. Admiral Brambles interest in Miriam was quite evident and sh

e obviously found that interest, interesting.

After Neal left, Thomas T. and Miriam lingered over their drinks and tried to make small talk. One of them would start a sentence only to let it trail away whentheir eyes met. Brown eyes searched darker brown eyes as he silence, wanting hi

m to reach out and touch her. Her face, her hand, anything to tell her she wasn

t being foolish. Thomas murmured maybe they should go get some rest and Miriam nodded her head in agreement, but could not let go of him with her eyes.

Thomas stood and held out a hand to assist her. Miriam felt her hand slip into his and a small static spark seemed to weld her fingertips to his palm.


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Thomas felt it too and his fingers closed involuntarily over hers. The eyes of each immediately sought the other as if seeking confirmation of the tiny shock. Neither moved until Miriam spoke so softly that no sound reached beyond her lips.

Thomas had seen her mouth move and leaned forward for her to repeat what she hadsaid. "I

m sorry, I didn

t hear that."

Squeezing his hand without realizing, Miriam repeated, "Will you walk me to my room, Thomas?"

The very nervous Admiral could not find any reply except to slightly raise her hand and step to her side ready for her to rise. Miriam flushed slightly, unsurewhat his answer had been, and rose to stand beside him. Neither made any effortto release their handhold and Miriam felt a small measure of reassurance. They left the bar and walked silently to the elevators, still holding hands. As they stepped in for an outside-view ride, Thomas pushed her floor number, started to push another but stopped and stepped back. The elevator speed was adjusted to allow passengers ample time to enjoy


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the scenery as it slid up the outside of the hotel. Both Thomas and Miriam werelooking out but neither saw more than a myriad of lights twinkling against theirsilent thoughts.

As the door opened on Miriam

s floor, their hands released and she removed her key from a side pocket of her purse.

"It

s to the right, about halfway down," Miriam whispered for no reason other than she had to say something and could not manage a louder voice.

Miriam unlocked her door, stepped in and held the door with her hip as she removed her high heel slippers. Thomas automatically reached out to hold the door open for her and when she glanced back to him and then walked on into her room he was left standing there with a choice to make. His choice. She had left the dooropen, literally, and the rest was up to him.

Thomas barely moved but he was inside when the door closed with a soft click. Miriam had stopped where she could see out the windows in her room, listening, afraid to look toward the door. When Thomas moved up


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behind her, she turned around, tears moving slowly along the outside of her face.

He kissed the tear points very softly and looking at her with his own eyes nearly spilling over said, "This is very hard for both of us. I want to hold you so badly I hurt but I don

t know if I can. I..."

Miriam placed a finger against his lips to still any more words which could break either heart. She understood how much he had loved his wife, and still did. The pain of loneliness was as real to her as to him. Her need for him to hold herand then to fill the empty ache inside her was pounding her chest. She could feel her temples pulsing and again, her tears spoke when she could not.

Thomas

s anguish flowed from his own eyes as he watched Miriam

s lips tremble when tears touched the corners of her mouth. He kissed the finger that had silenced his lips and gathered her into his arms and held her like that for a long time.


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Miriam felt his legs start to shake as Thomas grappled with emotions held too long and too deep. His longing was as great as hers. She lifted her mouth to his and felt him tense, holding back in order not to crush her lips as they touched his. Thomas kissed her as gently as he would touch a fragile flower until she placed a hand on the back of his neck and pulled him fully onto her mouth, demanding his passion. Thomas broke and the rush of his need forced her lips to open wider to accept the force he now pressed against her. When he finally started to mo

ve back, Miriam caught his upper lip between her own and teased it with the tipof her tongue to let him know she did not wish to lose his embrace.

Thomas started to speak and again Miriam stopped him, this time with four fingers held to his mouth. Smiling, she ran her hands under his jacket and pushed it back on his shoulders. Then very slowly, with trembling fingers and a number of small kisses, they removed the layers of clothing between them. After Miriam removed Thomas

s boxers, she stroked him to full erection and then molded her hips against him. She wanted to feel him, hard and warm against her belly. Seeking hislips again, Miriam raised on tiptoes. She did so not because she needed to stre

tch for his mouth but to


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free and then recapture his pulsing length between her legs. Thomas was not inside her, only clutched firmly against her own fullness. She squeezed him with herthighs and felt him jerk upward in response. Squeezing him again her belly ripp

led, surprising her with almost forgotten contractions that sent thrumming wavesagainst her vulva and the small of her back. Startled, Miriam pushed hard again

st the base of Thomas

s stomach and gave in to the pleasure flooding her body. Thomas recognized her shudders and lifted his heels to help her press against him

.

As she quieted and snuggled into his chest, a small voice spoke, "I guess I wasready, huh?"

Thomas chuckled in reply. Then Miriam chuckled and finally her laughter filled the room. Her

s was a laugh of tension replaced with strumming echoes of releaseand it was awhile before she realized that all their movements were now producing a low growling hum from Thomas, still caught between her thighs. The laughterstopped and she lifted her right leg up and curved it around his hip. He was very still.


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Thomas felt more than heard his forever love, Penelope, whisper in his mind, "She needs you darling, and you need her." The tears welled again as he felt one arm around his neck while a feathery touch guided him into the warmth of Miriam Goodman.

Washington, D.C., Office of the Attorney General

Oh my God, Crystal! Thats him, the creepy bastard. I know Madge. At first I wasnt sure what I was seeing because the camera was too far away but I added twomore cameras, much closer, and voila! Got the son-of-a-bitch twice more in the most sensitive files. Crystal, Alger was just appointed to run the outages investigation. He now may have the clearance to look at any of our files. Perhaps, murmured Crystal, but Alger Brighton does not have any right to a copy of ourkeys, I dont care how muckity-fuck high up the totem pole he is now. Lydia Har

dcastle, Attorney General herself, will stuff his pervert body into his sneakersand send him head-over-tumbles to the worst shitfarm on the planet.


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21272939 crescent moon rising chapter 8

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