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The general looked expectant. Apparently some sort of response was expected.

“Yessir. I suppose we might.”

Wilde nodded and turned to Blake. Tanner could almost hear his thoughts. Polite chitchat was over. Time to get down to business.

“Jim?”

Blake cleared his throat.

“Tanner. I know how eager you’ve been to get back to duty.”

Here it was. His medical clearance. But what did it have to do with a four-star general?

“Yes sir.”

“General Wilde has a, uh, a proposition to offer you.”

A proposition? Was he going to be washed out of STUD and handed over to the army like some kind of booby prize?

“Sir. Captain. If it’s all the same to you—”

Blake strode to the door.

“I’ll be outside, John. On the porch.”

“Thanks, Jim. I’ll see you in a little while.”

The door swung shut. Tanner could have sworn he felt the room grow smaller.

“Lieutenant? Shall we sit?”

The general headed for a loveseat. Tanner didn’t move.

“If it’s all the same to you, sir, I’d appreciate knowing what this is about.”

Wilde’s mouth thinned. Tanner knew he’d overstepped. Asking wasn’t done, but neither were closed-door meetings between a STUD lieutenant and a four-star general.

A couple of seconds went by. Then the general nodded.

“Yes. Of course. Jim Blake tells me you were deployed to Central America.”

“That was a while ago.”

“Where did you serve?”

“Guatemala. And Honduras.”

“And a small hellhole called San Escobal.”

“Yes, sir. That’s correct.”

“Guatemala and Honduras are quieter now, but San Escobal…” Wilde cleared his throat. “Blake tells me you were outstanding in handling such situations.”

“What situations, sir?”

Tanner knew there was an edge to his voice. Stupid, yes, but impossible to control. Wherever this was leading, it wasn’t about returning to his unit. Was he going to be offered another desk job? Liaison to some unit in Central America? A warrior whose weapons had been reduced to issuing bullshit directives?

No way would he accept that kind of ball-less assignment.