Chapter 2
CHAPTER TWO
Monday morning : Beacon Hotel : Washington D.C.
Wyl’s gut churned uneasily. The mysterious Pentagon visit loomed. He dreaded the possibilities. Coming from the top general in the U.S., none seemed promising.
“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, buttoned the sleeve buttons, then slid 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 probably 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. “That makes me more curious about my involvement.” He tugged on his suit pants. “I don’t have any skills that might be useful to the military.”
“You were thoroughly vetted.” Wyl buttoned the pants and zipped them up. “The general wouldn’t ask you to be here if your participation wasn’t part of the overall plan.” He reached for his belt. “We don’t yet know how this will play out.”
Rod shook his head, fastened his pants, and reached for his belt. “I don’t know whether to 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.” He kissed Rod’s ear.
Rod tightened his grip on his husband. “Thanks for that,” he whispered. “I love you.”
“I love you too. Now let’s go to breakfast. We’ll need nutrition to get us through the morning.”
They finished dressing and went down to breakfast.
Wyl ordered an omelet, and Rod ordered French toast. Both had coffee and juice. The drinks arrived.
“What about meeting the general?” Rod asked. “I know nothing about military protocol.”
“General Steinburg is a Five-Star general, the highest rank. He is the first 5-star general since Omar Bradley in 1981. The 5-star rank was retired, but the President persuaded Congress to bring it back at Steinburg’s request. For him to have contacted us personally underscores the importance of this meeting at the highest levels of government.
The protocol requires us to 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 that and that alone. ”
“I will take your lead,” Rod said. “This isn’t merely a visit with a general. It is 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 was too 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 dug into their breakfast and ate hungrily.
After breakfast, they waited in the lobby. The black Suburban arrived promptly at 9:00, complete with a black-suited driver wearing dark aviator sunglasses. Rod glanced at Wyl. “I thought that was a Hollywood thing.”
Wyl chuckled. “You mean like you thought Bonanza and Big Valley were actually ranches, and all ranches worked like that?”
They both climbed into the back seat. The driver pulled into the D.C. traffic and whisked them to the Pentagon. Wyl’s stomach trembled. It’s showtime.