Then, like a super typhoon, Sit Room Steve — a senior Naval Intelligence civilian analyst who was detailed to the White House — appeared on Marlow’s screen. “I’ve read the Lt’s and Aenid’s report — it is fabulous! Absolutely fabulous. We’ve got to get this in front of POTUS immediately! Standby for me to call you after 0830 with a five-minute warning. Be advised that NSC principals read it earlier this morning.”

Marlow bullet pointed Sit Room Steve on the new developments — with as many caveats as he could work in. The new information was swept up in a tidal wave of excitement, while his weasel-words were lost in the undertow.

The deception story turn of events seemed to make the White House folks even more enthused. Marlow’s head was swimming.

“Incredible!” he muttered after the three teleconferences were over. The biggest hoax ever during a wildly out of control escalating, eyeball to eyeball encounter between two armageddon bound opponents and the horse-holders in the Sit Room were happy?

Still, Marlow was pleased to have done as a Lt what very few do as Admirals — brief POTUS. The man positively beamed when he heard what Marlow said. WTFO? Was everyone blue blinking PC LOAD LETTER mad?

It didn’t take long for events to unfold. Cable news networks gravely informed their audiences that military readiness levels were rising every hour in Beijing, Moscow and DC. Cities in the Korean peninsula were being emptied out in anticipation of big boom kinetics.

Marlow placed his blouse on the back of his chair, shucked off his tie, trudged over to a local restaurant and bar, nicknamed NIC III and began to drink the good stuff as the TV screens droned on in a blue haze at the back of the bar. No one thought to enforce the no smoking rules. Cancer wouldn’t get any of them now.

Copyright 2017 My Isle Seat
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