The White House, Washington, D.C.
Bayer slid the last of the photo packets across the polished surface of the conference table in the Situation Room and dropped back into his chair. The President, seated at the head of the table, had already seen the report and the pictures from the takedown of the Al Calipha in a private briefing, so he didn’t open his folder. He simply stared at the ceiling, hiding his emotions and waiting for assembled members of his National Security Council to get a good look at what Bayer’s strike force had encountered in the South Pacific.
When sufficient time had passed and Bayer felt certain everyone had a chance to absorb the images, he cleared his throat and got everyone’s attention: “The Al Calipha is currently being sailed to Koror, where the ship will remai
