Undeclared War by Dennis Chalker Read Free Book Online

add to a personal retirement fund.
    â€œAccusations are easy. There is no hard evidence as yet to support these suppositions—only the words of several SEALs who I trust. But if JAG was to become involved in an official investigation, I’m sure corroborating witnesses and evidence could turn up.
    â€œAnd before you tell me that security classifications will keep me from learning what I want to know, I should tell you that the Special Warfare community is a very tight one. We have been in the business of gathering intelligence for this country for a very long time.
    â€œThe Teams were working for the intelligence community since before the CIA even existed. There are a lot of ex-Team guys in the Intel world right now. This thing stinks and I will find out just what is rotten. I think that some very bad judgments were made in regards to our allies in that part of the world. And there are some extremist groups around there who have their own agendas. Agendas they have every intention of following no matter what they have to do or who they have to kill.
    â€œI don’t know who, or to what extent, Captain Paxtun was involved with over there—and I don’t particularly want to find out unless I have to. And if I do, you can rest assured that it will become part of the official record.”
    Martin Rosacrantz was stunned by the tone of the big SEAL’s words as much as their content. As the bureaucrat sat back in his chair and stared at the SEAL, Straker considered it time to take a new tack. Now it was his turn to play diplomat and push a cookie across the table. Chief Reaper couldn’t get out of this situation unscathed. The bit about exposing some kind of possibly unsanctioned ops or corrupt activity had hit the bureaucrat harder than Straker expected. Offering an alternative punishment for Reaper, and making it sound worse than it was, could give the State Department, or just Rosacrantz, a means to save face.
    â€œThere is the fact that Chief Reaper struck a superior officer,” Straker said. “Even one who may not have been a true commissioned officer. That is a serious breach of military discipline. There are no witnesses to the incident, but Paxtun’s jaw being broken in two places speaks for itself.
    â€œMaking Reaper face charges under the Uniform Code of Military Justice would bring a great deal out during a court-martial—some of which the State Department may not like shown even to a secure court.
    â€œI think I could convince Chief Reaper to accept one option. He could leave the Teams and return to the fleet, maintaining his rank as a Navy chief petty officer. That would keep him under military control and he could retire as soon as his twenty years were completed.”
    Straker had no real expectation of Rosacrantz accepting his first suggestion of punishment for Reaper. The people at the State Department had the reputation of being bargainers and Rosacrantz was no exception. What he wasn’t saying to Rosacrantz was that Reaper had already admitted to having struck Paxtun. That the SEAL chief was ready to stand up for what he had done and accept whatever punishment would be due him for his actions was one of the factors that put Straker solidly on Reaper’s side.
    â€œNo,” Rosacrantz said emphatically, “Chief Reaper will leave the service entirely. Paxtun has been stripped of all rank and relinquished all claims for any benefits he may have accrued. He has been expelled both from the military and the intelligence community. Your chief will not receive any more lenient treatment for his involvement in this affair.”
    â€œChief Reaper is up for reenlistment within a few weeks,” Straker said. “As a career military man, he has to put in his twenty years before he becomes eligible for any retirement. If he was not allowed to reenlist, he would have to just leave the service. Any actions taken by him after he left the Navy could