light appeared below the monitor: a video camera J. J. hadn’t noticed when he first entered the room. No doubt Colonel Mac could see them.
“They’re all yours, Colonel,” Weidman said.
“Thanks, Danny.” Mac leaned over the table in the situation room and deep into the camera lens as if trying to push his will through the device and halfway around the world. “I see your new team members have arrived, J. J.”
“Yes, sir. All present and accounted for.”
“You’ve been brought up to speed?”
“We’ve seen the news video, sir, and have been told a few things about Captain Lennon.”
He nodded. “I’m going to do what I’d rather not. I’m sending you on mission. You leave as soon as you kit up.” He raised his head, settling his vision on something behind J. J. “Sergeants Urale and Nagano, I assume you brought your kit and weapons case.”
“Yes, sir.” The men answered in unison.
“Okay, it’s time for the straight skinny. Master Sergeant Bartley is under orders to test your continued fitness for spec ops duty. You can’t lose a whole team and not be changed. You’ve been cleared by medical in Afghanistan. That’s all just peachy, but I need to know if you’re fit for boots on the ground work. J. J. won’t have time to test you. I’m about to ask a lot of you. Before I do, I need to know from you two if you’re good to go. Are you?”
Aliki stood. “Good to go, Colonel.”
Nagano joined him. “Same here, Colonel. Speak it and we’ll do it.”
“Good to hear, gentlemen. As you were.” Mac’s eyes shifted. “J. J., I need to hear from you. Can you lead a team with two members you haven’t tested yet?”
“Affirmative, Colonel.” J. J. wondered if he just lied.
Mac straightened. “We have several problems, gentlemen. The locals have told us to remain on base and to not interfere with what’s going on. Riots have been breaking out in several cities including Talas, Osh, Jalal-Ahad, Tokmak. Intel has sent an alert to Colonel Weidman and the State Department that there may be an assault made on Manas by radicals. That means all soldiers on the base are required to protect our assets. That leaves you as our only Direct Action team. You still with me?”
“Yes, sir. With you all the way.”
“Good. Your mission is simple to say but may be a bigger challenge than it sounds at first. Your job is to go in covertly, find the body of Captain Lennon, retrieve it, and bring it back to the base. Understood?”
“Understood, sir. What about the president’s daughter.”
Mac seemed to soften. “You are not to recover her body. That will be the job of the local military.” He paused. “It’s a diplomatic decision, gentlemen, one that sticks in my craw big time.”
“Are we certain that Captain Lennon is dead?” Jose asked.
“High probability, Doc. If not, then your job will be a thousand times more difficult.”
“Why is that, Colonel?” J. J. didn’t like the tone.
“Captain Lennon is SERE Level C trained.”
Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape training. Only the Army had high-risk training, something J. J. knew well. He still had nightmares about the twenty-one days of training.
“Understood, Colonel.”
“You will make entrance into the city, find the car she was in, if possible retrieve the body, then make a safe exit back to the base. Be good, be fast, be safe. Understood?”
A chorus of “Hooah!” filled the space.
Mac seemed proud.
And worried.
CHAPTER 6
“WH-WHAT JUST HAPPENED?” JILDIZ insisted they stop and rest for a moment. Amelia argued against it but she could tell the woman was exhausted by fear and the unexpected exertion. She held a hand to her chest, fist clenched.
“I’m not sure. The only thing I know was that those men were trying to snatch you. Have you ever seen them before?”
They were hiding next to a dumpster. A cat strolled by seemingly perturbed by unwanted humans in his domain.
“No. They hurt me.” She
“They’re all yours, Colonel,” Weidman said.
“Thanks, Danny.” Mac leaned over the table in the situation room and deep into the camera lens as if trying to push his will through the device and halfway around the world. “I see your new team members have arrived, J. J.”
“Yes, sir. All present and accounted for.”
“You’ve been brought up to speed?”
“We’ve seen the news video, sir, and have been told a few things about Captain Lennon.”
He nodded. “I’m going to do what I’d rather not. I’m sending you on mission. You leave as soon as you kit up.” He raised his head, settling his vision on something behind J. J. “Sergeants Urale and Nagano, I assume you brought your kit and weapons case.”
“Yes, sir.” The men answered in unison.
“Okay, it’s time for the straight skinny. Master Sergeant Bartley is under orders to test your continued fitness for spec ops duty. You can’t lose a whole team and not be changed. You’ve been cleared by medical in Afghanistan. That’s all just peachy, but I need to know if you’re fit for boots on the ground work. J. J. won’t have time to test you. I’m about to ask a lot of you. Before I do, I need to know from you two if you’re good to go. Are you?”
Aliki stood. “Good to go, Colonel.”
Nagano joined him. “Same here, Colonel. Speak it and we’ll do it.”
“Good to hear, gentlemen. As you were.” Mac’s eyes shifted. “J. J., I need to hear from you. Can you lead a team with two members you haven’t tested yet?”
“Affirmative, Colonel.” J. J. wondered if he just lied.
Mac straightened. “We have several problems, gentlemen. The locals have told us to remain on base and to not interfere with what’s going on. Riots have been breaking out in several cities including Talas, Osh, Jalal-Ahad, Tokmak. Intel has sent an alert to Colonel Weidman and the State Department that there may be an assault made on Manas by radicals. That means all soldiers on the base are required to protect our assets. That leaves you as our only Direct Action team. You still with me?”
“Yes, sir. With you all the way.”
“Good. Your mission is simple to say but may be a bigger challenge than it sounds at first. Your job is to go in covertly, find the body of Captain Lennon, retrieve it, and bring it back to the base. Understood?”
“Understood, sir. What about the president’s daughter.”
Mac seemed to soften. “You are not to recover her body. That will be the job of the local military.” He paused. “It’s a diplomatic decision, gentlemen, one that sticks in my craw big time.”
“Are we certain that Captain Lennon is dead?” Jose asked.
“High probability, Doc. If not, then your job will be a thousand times more difficult.”
“Why is that, Colonel?” J. J. didn’t like the tone.
“Captain Lennon is SERE Level C trained.”
Survival, Evasion, Resistance, and Escape training. Only the Army had high-risk training, something J. J. knew well. He still had nightmares about the twenty-one days of training.
“Understood, Colonel.”
“You will make entrance into the city, find the car she was in, if possible retrieve the body, then make a safe exit back to the base. Be good, be fast, be safe. Understood?”
A chorus of “Hooah!” filled the space.
Mac seemed proud.
And worried.
CHAPTER 6
“WH-WHAT JUST HAPPENED?” JILDIZ insisted they stop and rest for a moment. Amelia argued against it but she could tell the woman was exhausted by fear and the unexpected exertion. She held a hand to her chest, fist clenched.
“I’m not sure. The only thing I know was that those men were trying to snatch you. Have you ever seen them before?”
They were hiding next to a dumpster. A cat strolled by seemingly perturbed by unwanted humans in his domain.
“No. They hurt me.” She
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