A Glimpse Of Decay (Book 1): Red Storm) by A.J. Santiago Page B

much as I could without compromising the security of the mission, but it may have been a bit too much for them to rationalize.”
    “I’m sorry that you had to take them along, but the State Department insisted that two civilians accompanied you over there.  Just be clear on this…there’s no way that the State Department can ever find out the true nature of this mission.  No one, and I do mean no one, knows about why you’re really going over there.  Those civilians have no understanding of what is or isn’t important in regards to the safety of our country.  We have to play out the whole ‘we’re here to help you’ story until we can get a better idea of what is going on over there.  If they become a liability, we may have to ‘lose’ them over there.  Son, do I make myself clear?”
    Roberts smiled.  “Crystal clear, sir.”

Chapter 5
     
    Day 11
     
    Cartersville, Georgia
     
    Jerry Welchel sat in his office as he added up the day’s earnings.  It had been three years since he and his wife had finally been able to realize his dream of owning their own business; an outdoor and sporting goods store.  It was already almost 10:30 p.m. and he knew that Michelle would be worrying about him.  Recently, they had been fighting over just about everything and he found himself wanting to stay away from home as much as he could.  He knew that it was bad for him to feel that way, but it was becoming a too frequent desire.  After checking his figures for a third time, he deposited the money into a concealed safe and then made a walk-through of the store.  As he punched in the security code on the control panel of his alarm, he sighed out loud and shook his head in frustration.
    As he drove through the quiet streets of Cartersville, he tuned into one of the Atlanta late night radio talk shows.  He caught the tail end of the world news update.  A correspondent over in Russia had been giving a statement about some sort of crisis in the southern part of the country.
    It was a muggy night and the condensation on his windshield gave the street lights an amber glow.  He was glad that he had taken down the top of his jeep because he could enjoy the warm night air.  He drove through the town square and had to wait at the rail road crossing as a slow moving train cut through the sleepy town.  He decided to call Michelle on his cell phone to let her know he was delayed by a train.  When she answered he could hear The Discovery Channel in the background.  Her favorite channel.  Knowing from her tone that she was worried, he could tell that she was concerned about him being out so late.  He decided to keep the conversation short so as to avoid any possible argument.  He was sure there would be one waiting for him anyway when he arrived home.  As the last car of the train passed, he rumbled over the tracks and picked up a little speed. 
    He headed west out of town and then took a darkened two lane road north towards a large power station.  The night air was alive with the sound of summer insects, but as he neared the power plant, the loud hum of the generator turbines drowned out the sounds of the night.  As he cruised by the station, he saw a sleepy guard sitting just inside of the window of a small building at the main gate.  The plant was lit up like a Christmas tree with its blinking lights, and its four towering smoke stacks rose up into the darkness; the warning lights flashing to ward off any low flying aircraft. 
    As he made his way into the muggy night, a wave of uncertainty and sadness came over him.  He knew that he really cared for Michelle, and at times, he could say that he truly loved her, but he knew that his feelings had been changing for almost a year now. And worst of all he didn’t know why.  After more driving in the dark, he drove over a bridge that crossed a river and he turned into a new housing division.  There were a few lights throughout the neighborhood, just enough to hint