Chaos Rising

Chapter 1

I opened my eyes and squinted in the dawn light. My job demanded that I be at work at 7:00 a.m. every morning, including weekends. I had one of the most dangerous jobs in the world. I was a captain in the Navy S.E.A.L.s. That was the explanation of why I was waking up in a barracks tent instead of a soft bed in my house. I shared my tent with three other men. Nobody used their real names, but instead called them Fox, Pilot, and Agent. I rose from my bunk and walked to the sink. I gasped as I splashed ice-cold water on my face. I then walked to my foot locker and put on my olive-green army fatigues. I left my tent and emerged into a busy camp. I walked to the mess tent and got myself some oatmeal. Sitting down at a long table, I began to eat. The oatmeal tasted like a rat had crawled into the pot and died as it was cooking, but that was army food for you. I had barely taken a bite when our colonel walked towards me. His name was Colonel Jameson. "Schryburt!" he barked. "Get your sorry hide over to the general's tent." I was instantly on my gaurd. In the army, getting called to the general's tent meant one of three things. It meant promotion, special assignment, or (gulp) court martial.