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Praise for SKELMIR

SKELMIR had me hooked from the first couple of pages. I could hardly put it down and couldn’t wait to return to it. Richly developed characters, action-packed, and shockingly unpredictable twists and turns.
-Mitch M., Austin, Texas

SKELMIR is a high-energy roller coaster ride that tells how one family uses their formidable skills and resources to defend against an enemy with almost unlimited resources.
-Marty S., Fort Collins, CO

Chris Gaskins’ storytelling in SKELMIR not only kept me on the edge of my seat but also incorporated moments for a breather to digest the many characters and converging storylines that are expertly woven into an unexpected conclusion. I could not put this book down, and I demand a sequel!
-Jakub K., Cary, North Carolina

SKELMIR is a striking thriller that shares the unhinged action surrounding two families thrust into war with a powerful foe. This book combines military action, government secrecy, and family drama into an action-packed read that makes it hard to put down.
-Jennifer W., LaGrange, Georgia

Mix the writing styles of David Baldacci, James Patterson, and Brad Thor with the family storytelling of Yellowstone, and you get a taste of what you are in for. From West Coast Venture Capitalists to Special Forces and CIA, this book has it all. Not often do I get the urge to stand up and cheer from the comfort of my reading chair, but this time I did, several times. This book demands a prequel and a sequel.
-Craig B., Sun City West, Arizona

If you crave nonstop action packed with shocking twists, SKELMIR is a thrilling ride you won’t be able to put down. The Wade family’s extraordinary skills and intense family dynamics create a story filled with tension, betrayal, and suspense at every turn. As family honor collides with corporate greed and revenge fuels dangerous decisions, each chapter leaves you desperate to know what happens next. SKELMIR delivers heart-pounding excitement that keeps readers on the edge of their seats until the very last page.
-Winn P., Ball Ground, Georgia

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September 8 – McLean, Virginia

Mason Wade was tired and irritable as he slowly walked from the parking lot to the CIA original headquarters building. As he stepped inside, he looked to his left and saw Michelle Giles and Glen “Barley” Barlow waiting for him. They had all been summoned to this early morning debrief, even though Mason and Barley had only returned to the States less than six hours ago. No one spoke a word as they walked toward the security checkpoint.

“Have you spoken to Gail?” asked Barley as they stepped onto an empty elevator.

“Nope. Called. No answer,” snapped Mason in an ugly tone.

Mason sighed and looked at his operating partner for the last five years and said, “Sorry. I am in a foul mood this morning.”

“No worries, brother,” replied Barley. “We are all on edge.”

“I did some digging,” said Michelle. “Rumor is this is not coming from Gail but higher up the chain.”

“Lovely,” sighed Mason as he looked over to Michelle. She was one of the most connected people in the agency. If Michelle shared information, you could take it to the bank. “Guys, all the blame goes on me. All consequences fall on me. Unless you are asked a direct question, you sit quietly, and I will take the brunt of this.”

“Hell no!” replied Barley. “I was there, and I support your decisions and actions. I can explain the situation from another point of view.”

Mason shook his head and said with a growl, “Barley, it won’t change their minds. They expected an outcome and didn’t get it. Nothing we say is gonna change the situation. Just keep quiet unless asked a direct question. Understood?”

Barley looked Mason in the eye for a full minute before slowly nodding. The two warriors had been through many difficult situations together. It was his instinct to come to Mason’s rescue.

Mason turned his head to look at Michelle, then said, “Got it, Michelle?”

“Got it, but I don’t like it,” replied Michelle with a tinge of anger in her voice.

The group reached the secure conference room, and Mason was the first to enter. Sitting in the conference room were three well-dressed CIA executives. Gail Whitehead, Mason’s boss, was sitting at the head table. To her left were Markus Gentry and Debbie Ingalls. Ingalls was the Deputy Director of Middle East Intelligence and a peer of Whitehead. She was quite influential and powerful. Mason didn’t know Markus Gentry’s exact title, as he had never met him before. What he did know was that Markus worked directly for CIA Director Steve Morrison. Gentry was Morrison’s attack dog. Mason assumed that if Gentry was in your meeting, your meeting was going to suck.

“Close the door and have a seat,” said Whitehead in a curt business tone. Once everyone was seated, she quickly provided a round of introductions for the benefit of Gentry. “The goal of this meeting is to understand the failures of the mission to capture Laith Fares. A vast amount of intelligence resources were consumed to track this HVT to Somalia. His capture and subsequent interrogation would have provided a massive amount of intelligence in the war with Al-Shabaab. Due to the failure of this team, we have nothing to show for over eleven months of work. Deputy Director Ingalls, anything to add?”

Ingalls cleared her throat and looked directly at Mason. She addressed Mason formally by his Army rank. “Lt. Colonel Wade. Your team’s performance was a disaster. The capture of Fares was only step one in a larger grand plan. I can’t fully articulate how much this failure hurts my organization and the CIA.”

There was silence in the room. Mason sat calmly without saying a word.

“Mason, please explain the situation and what happened,” urged Whitehead.

“Have you all read the after-action report?” asked Mason.

All three nodded.

“You have the details. What specific questions do you have?” responded Mason in a confident and polite tone.

“That’s it! That is all you have to say!” exploded Gentry. “Who in the hell do you think you are? Explain yourself!”

“My report was detailed and accurate,” responded Mason, calmly. “What specific questions do you have?”

“You are bordering on insubordination, Colonel,” snapped Gentry.

“I will gladly answer questions, but you have yet to ask one,” responded Mason.

“Mason,” snapped Whitehead.

“Why in the hell did you terminate Fares? You were specifically told to capture him and bring him back for interrogation,” yelled Gentry.

“As stated in the report, as I closed in on Fares, I could not get any closer without exposing myself. It was a no-win situation. Doing nothing and extracting myself, I would have been detected. Trying to capture him, I would have been detected. Fares would most likely rabbit and never be seen again. In order to extract myself, I needed a distraction. That distraction was a bullet in Fares’s head,” responded Mason coldly.

“You got scared!” yelled Gentry as he stood up and pointed a finger at Mason. “You took the easy way out because you got scared!”

Barley exploded out of his seat and yelled, “Bullshit! Mason was put in an impossible situation due to decision-making at your level. This man is no coward! He has been at the forefront of more dangerous situations than you will ever comprehend. He was awarded the Congressional Medal of Honor…”

Mason stood, placed his hand on Barley’s shoulder, easing the man back into his chair. Once he was seated again, he looked up and said, “Again. I am happy to answer questions.” Underneath his cool facade, he was seething with anger. He desperately wanted to hammer this asshat into the ground.

“Everyone needs to calm down,” said Whitehead as she looked at Gentry. “Mason, you have provided a detailed account taking responsibility, but it doesn’t help us understand the root cause of the failure. You made an executive decision in the field that has compromised our plans. We need more information. Tell us what you didn’t put in the report.”

“Are you sure you three are ready to hear what I have to say?” responded Mason.

“Yes. Speak freely,” replied Whitehead.

“As I clearly communicated to you and Deputy Director Ingalls during mission planning, the chances of success were about 25%. It could have been nearly 100% if overt military resources had been committed to the extraction. There was no way to get Fares out of that part of town without a Delta Team and close air support. I presented a plan that could have been successful, but it was denied. I voiced my concerns and was told to proceed with your plan, not my plan, because someone was afraid to commit resources. Your plan failed. I understand Fares was a valuable target and needed to be interrogated, but the alternative was to let him live and kill more innocents. I executed him, which provided an effective distraction while removing one of the most dangerous terrorists from the board,” explained Mason.

“There you go, taking no responsibility and pointing the finger at management,” exclaimed Gentry.

Mason’s anger flared, “In my report, I take full responsibility. I pointed the finger at no one. I own how the mission turned out. I simply answered Deputy Director Whitehead’s question. Would you like me to revise my report with these details?”

The group sat in silence.

Ingalls finally spoke up, saying, “Colonel Wade, thank you for honesty and directness. I was part of the team that denied your plan, and what you stated is factually correct. Why didn’t you decline the mission altogether if you were that skeptical?”

Mason sighed heavily and replied, “Ma’am, you guys would have just selected another direct action team, and the same bad results would have happened, but with a worse outcome. I knew that if I didn’t take on this mission, we would most likely lose some good people. That is why I left Barley at the edge of town and proceeded alone. The mission was important and needed to be attempted in a way that cost us the least, should it fail.”

No one responded. The entire room was quiet except for the hum of the air conditioning.

Mason looked at Gentry, “Sir, would you like me to revise my after-action report per the conversation in this room?”

Gentry just glared at Mason, then got up and left the room, slamming the door behind him.

“No. That will not be necessary. You three are dismissed. Mason, wait in my office while I wrap up with Deb,” said Whitehead.

Twenty minutes later, Whitehead walked into her office and shut the door behind her. She sat down behind her desk and glared at Mason.

“You made a real enemy out of Gentry today,” snapped Whitehead.

“I was professional and respectful,” replied Mason with a smartass grin on his face.

Whitehead couldn’t hold her glare and smiled back at him. “Yes, you were. But you pissed him off, and he will be gunning for you now.”

“Tell him to bring it. He is a tool anyway,” replied Mason.

“You also stepped on Deb’s toes in front of Gentry,” said Whitehead. “She is not happy.”

“You told me to speak freely, and I did. She felt guilty because she made a bad call. She knew it, you knew, and I knew it,” replied Mason. “She will just have to put on her big girl panties and deal with it.”

“Well, you earned some respect from her and pissed her off at the same time. All in typical Mason Wade style,” said Whitehead.

“I am glad you recognized my talents,” replied Mason.

Whitehead sat back, looked up at the ceiling, and let out a big sigh.

“Oh… I sense bad news is coming my way,” said Mason.

“Yeah, now you have to pay the piper. I will be writing a letter of reprimand for your file. Plus, you have to handle a piece of crap work in Honduras for Deb,” replied Whitehead.

“Great…,” replied Mason. “I was planning on two weeks of vacation since I have been going non-stop since January. What crap job?”

“You and Barley are to train a Honduran anti-terrorist team,” said Whitehead. “The head of Honduran intelligence provided Deb with some great intel. She promised training from one of our best. She will drop the mission details in your secure home folder on the server. You leave tomorrow morning. Now get out of my office.”

Mason stood, performed his most perfect salute, turned about face, and marched stiffly out of Whitehead’s office.

“Smart ass!” yelled Whitehead as Mason closed the door behind him.