Taryn awoke as the plane was descending. As had happened on all her previous deployments, she was in the mindset of a military personnel, no longer thinking as Taryn the woman. She deplaned with another seventy soldiers at a base outside Doha, Qatar. Taryn found her bunk and sat on the mat all of ten seconds before her Lieutenant barged in. She scrambled to her feet saluting him, the jet lag getting to her.
"Sgt. Roberts, you are to join us in the general's office. It is of strict security, tell no one where you are headed. Be there at thirteen hundred." With that he turned and left. Taryn looked at her watch. She had fifteen minutes to find where the general's office was. As she went to leave her bunk she ran into her roomie.
"Sgt. Roberts, I'm Sgt. Espinosa. Nice to finally meet you." The older woman smiled. The women shook hands. "If there's anything I can do to help, let me know."
"How do I find the general's office."
"Oh, black flag, always look up." She pat Taryn's shoulder and disappeared into the bunk. It was an excrutiating hundred and five degrees and in the desert, even Taryn's aviator ray bans couldn't knock out all the glare. She made her way to the building with the black flag and into the office.
"Sgt. Roberts, nice of you to join us." General Falk said with risen brow. "I'd like you to meet your consultant Clark Kentworth."
Taryn's jaw dropped as she swung around, her eyes focusing on Clark. "What the fuck?" she said outloud, unaware her mental filter had shut off