“Yes, Major. What I have to share includes you both.”
Wyl glanced at Rod, noticing his worried gaze. “We are at your disposal, general.”
“Excellent. I’ll have my secretary book a suite at the Beacon for two nights beginning Sunday night. Contact Duggins with your flight information. I’ll have a car meet you and deliver you to the hotel, and a car to pick you and Dr. Bonner up at nine o’clock Monday morning. Details when you both visit my Pentagon office.”
"Understood, sir.”
“Until Monday, Major. Goodbye.” The general disconnected, and Wyl hung up. He went and sat next to Rod, reaching for his hands. Rod’s eyes met his. “Babe, we’re flying to Washington, DC Sunday.”
“We? You mentioned my name,” Rod said. “This must be important.”
“Yes. General Steinburg said you and Dr. Bonner, so both of us. I’m not sure why or how you are connected. But he mentioned Dr. Bonner without any prompting from me, so he is aware of our marriage.”
“I never served,” Rod said. “How would he connect us?”
“You mentioned teaching in the state prison system, right?”
Rod nodded. "My information is in a national database, including fingerprints. But how did my fingerprints connect me to you?”
“We’re married. Our marriage is a public record. It wouldn’t take much research to connect the two of us. Besides, remember the little video we did? The viral video?”
“Oh, yeah, that little video.” The words came out through a chuckle. “I guess you’re right.”
Wyl laced their fingers. “What puzzles me is why you are included and why I got the call from a man who reports to the President. If I’m being called back into duty, I would receive notification and be asked to report to a specific location for assignment. No wives…or in my case, husbands…included.”
Rod sat forward and faced Wyl. “Do you think I’m being drafted?”
Wyl shrugged. “You're asking the wrong person, babe. Regardless, the meeting with the general will be much easier for me if you’re in the room.”
“Easier for me too, babe.” Rod leaned for a quick kiss.
Wyl wondered what lay ahead. Everything about the call and the summons to Washington, D.C., tied his stomach in knots. And to include Rod made it worse. Whatever loomed ahead, this was no ordinary summons.
CHAPTER TWO
Monday morning. Beacon Hotel. Washington D.C.
Uneasiness churned Wyl’s gut. The Pentagon visit loomed, and he dreaded what the general might say.
“Did you bring your Marine uniform?” Rod handed Wyl his white dress shirt before taking his own from the closet.
Wyl laid the shirt on the bed and buttoned the sleeve buttons before sliding it on. “No uniform. I expect this to be something beyond uniforms.”
Rod slid on his shirt.
“Besides,” Wyl reached for his suit pants. “Given the general’s rank over all the armed services, this is not a Marine event.” He put one socked foot into a pants leg. “This is something bigger.” He put the other foot in and tugged his pants up to his waist.
“Bigger?” Rod paused with his own pants. “Now I'm more curious about my involvement.” He tugged on his suit pants. “I don’t have any skills useful to the military.”
“I’m certain General Steinburg's office vetted your involvement.” Wyl buttoned the pants and zipped them up. “The general wouldn’t ask you to be here unless the overall plan included your participation.” He reached for his belt. “We don’t yet understand how this will all play out.”
Rod shook his head, fastened his pants, and reached for his belt. “Should I be worried, frightened, or both?”
Wyl came over and wrapped Rod in his arms. “Both, but we’re in this together, so we’ll be fine whatever is planned.” He kissed Rod’s ear.
Rod tightened his grip on his husband. “Thanks,” he whispered. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Now let’s go to breakfast. We’ll need nutrition to help us through the morning.”
They finished dressing and went down to breakfast.
Wyl ordered an omelet, and Rod ordered French toast. Both ordered coffee and juice. The drinks arrived.
“What about meeting the general?” Rod asked. “Military protocol is foreign to me.”
“General Steinburg is a Five Star general, the highest rank. He is the first 5-star general since Omar Bradley in 1981. The military retired the 5-star rank, but the President persuaded Congress to bring it back for Steinburg. For him to contact us himself pushes the importance of this meeting to the top levels of government. The protocol indicates we show the utmost respect for this man and his rank. Address him as ‘General Steinburg’ and ‘Sir.’ Unless he asks us to address him otherwise, we stick to protocol.”
“I will take your lead,” Rod said. “This isn’t only a visit with a general. It's a request from the President through the General.”
Wyl smiled. “I bet you never thought marrying me would involve a personal visit to the Pentagon.”
Rod grinned. “No. I focused on getting my hands on your sexy body and turning you gay.”
Breakfast arrived, and the aroma of the steaming omelet and the hot French toast triangles filled the air. Both devoured their breakfast.
After breakfast, they waited in the lobby. The black Suburban arrived at 9:00 on the dot, complete with a black-suited driver wearing dark aviator sunglasses. Rod glanced at Wyl. “I thought this happened only in the movies.”
Wyl chuckled. “You mean like you thought Bonanza and Big Valley were real ranches?”
