Read Collateral Damage for Free Online

route, as evidenced by their Twitter feeds.
    A tsunami of condemnation was sure to follow. Zen suspected that the matter would be brought before the UN General Assembly within twenty-four hours.
    The only question was what effect it would have on the Western powers. Already there were rumors of a “pause” in the air campaign.
    He turned to Jason. “We might as well go over to our hotel.”
    â€œHe’s pretty down,” said Jason.
    â€œYeah, I don’t blame him.”
    â€œAll hell’s going to break loose, huh?”
    â€œHopefully not on him,” said Zen. “He seems like a good kid.”
    â€œDid he screw up?”
    â€œHard to say for sure, but I doubt it. Complicated systems.”
    â€œYeah.”
    â€œHe’s practically a modern ace. He got those shoot-downs. Nobody’s going to give him credit, though. They’ll think the computer did it.”
    â€œBut he was flying the plane.”
    â€œYeah, but they won’t think about that.”
    As Zen knew from his own experience, there was a sometimes bitter divide between “traditional” pilots and remote pilots. Turk actually fit into neither camp, as he did both.
    In fact, it wasn’t even easy to say where Turk fit in administratively. Technically, he was a test pilot assigned to the Office of Special Projects, doing temporary duty assigned to the allied flight command as part of a project to test the Sabres. He wasn’t even an official part of Whiplash—the DoD and CIA joint command, which temporarily “owned” the Sabre UAVs on behalf of Special Projects.
    â€œI’m just glad I’m not in the middle of it,” said Zen. “What’s the latest on Rome?”
    â€œFlight is still on tomorrow for ten,” said Jason. “You’ll get there just in time for the opening speeches.”
    â€œCan’t arrange to miss that bit, huh?”
    â€œI thought—”
    â€œJust teasing. Come on, let’s go grab some dinner.”
    â€œDid you call your wife?”
    Zen answered by pulling out his cell phone. Breanna had sent him a text earlier that he’d forgotten to return.
    â€œWell, speak of the devil,” she said, coming on the line.
    â€œI’m the devil now? You must have been talking to the President.”
    â€œShe doesn’t think you’re the devil. Just not a dependable vote.”
    â€œI wouldn’t want to be dependable.
    Zen followed Jason toward the rented van. It didn’t have a lift; he had to crawl and climb into the front seat. It was undignified, but much preferable to being lifted, in his opinion at least.
    â€œDanny told me you met Turk when he landed,” said Breanna.
    â€œI did, but Air Force security shooed me away,” said Zen. “I tried to pull rank, but they said they were under orders from the Pentagon.”
    â€œI didn’t issue any orders.”
    â€œI wasn’t insulted,” said Zen. “I imagine you’re pretty busy, huh?”
    â€œUp to my ears.”
    â€œAre you all right?”
    â€œI’m fine. We have some people heading out to see what happened. Ray Rubeo is going, too.”
    â€œRay himself?”
    â€œHe’s really concerned.”
    Zen’s relationship with the scientist was a complicated one. While he admired his intelligence and his work, he found Ray an extremely difficult man to get to know, and an even harder one to like. He certainly wasn’t the type to hang out at the bar after work and have a few beers with.
    â€œCongressman Swall is already calling for an inquiry,” continued Breanna. “He wants to know if U.S. assets were involved.”
    â€œWell that’s pretty damn easy to answer.”
    â€œExcept that the general perception is that we’re not involved in this war at all. So it’ll be a firestorm one way or another.”
    Breanna seemed worn-out. Zen wished he was there.
    â€œTeri says