Direct Action!

Direct Action! By Tom Fitzgerald

- The Prologue: The story opens with an ultra-top secret court meeting to make a decision on the fate of a misfit group of government agents that have caused havoc throughout the southwestern United States. The reason why has to do with a highjacked shipment of explosives and the murder of five federal agents.

- The first part of the story: 'Every Day problems.' We are then introduced to a group of unlikely characters having a bad day. A young woman contemplates her life at the scene of massaces. A research team is sent out to a 'Dead Zone' in the middle of the Arizona desert to test a top security encryption program. A hermit gets a letter, a young man is fired, and a grandfather is exiled. Then a fire and flooding on the USN research submarine USS Squid brings Professor Doug Remington to the submarine base at Point Loma, San Diego. But the navy skipper and his crew put on a display that has a Rear Admiral breathing fire, but Doug gets to the bottom of it.

- The second part of the story: 'What the hell is going on here?' Next a code 'Alpha' is issued from Washington. It seems someone drove off into the desert with the Top Secret Program 'Streamer' and the Special Operation Project Group 6 spring into action, that is if they don't kill each other in the process. Luckily 'Chief Armbrewter sends 'Scout' to check things out, but no one has seen 'Scout' in two years, ever since the 'Massacre at Oatman Wash.' When the Group arrives at the 'Streamer' site the scientists hand them a bio. on a long-lost photographer and point them to the vast KOFA Wilderness. 'Scout' reports that she has made contact, but things are really strange 'Out There.' The Professor rallies the troops for the battle of 'Camel Crossing.' And informs Washington that they may not have to close the borders! The firefight was brief but they still don't have any answers.

- The third part of the story: 'How far south is this going?' War breaks out when the group is ordered to the dreaded 'Desert One' to sort things out. 'Brat' and 'Blue' don't like the accommodations. And things go south when unexpected visitors show up. It not EST, but then things start to jell. After two years the group bonds again while finding the answers to the 'Streamer' mystery and killers that has long eluded them

The fourth part of the story: 'The best laid plans of...' A night on the town in 'Good Old Vegas' is just the cure. Scout goes bushwhacking up the Catalina Highway. The FBI plan for 'Battle in the White Mountains.' And witness protection gets a new star. The raid at the compound is a success and we have a hero. But the group's plans go terribly wrong when there is a 'Tragedy at Arcosanti.' The plan now is for mass destruction and no one knows where the detonator is.
- The fifth part of the story. 'Their Finest Hour.' The Group finds itself exhausted and grieving. There is nothing they can do; it is in the hands of a higher power. They are granted their last wish and someone is going to meet their maker if they have the strength left. At Hoover Darn their two-year wait is over. But there are always Monday morning quarterbacks.
The Epilogue: It is a beautiful day for the dedication of a boat and all are in their finest dress. We are reminded that 'People make the world go round, not machine'.
The story is broken up into seven parts and seventeen chapters: Parts: 1) the prologue. 2) Everyday problems...3) What the hell is going on? 4) How far south is this going? 5) The best laid plans of... 6) Their finest hour. 7) The epilogue. The Chapters are in seventeen-day sections.