Caleb withdraw an injection and swabs, Tony’s lips seamed into a tight
line.
Ghost took a deep breath. “Petty Officer Bale,
I need you with the team.”
Tony started to shake his head slowly. As
Stitch reached out to swab her arm, he clamped a hand on the corpsman’s wrist
to intercept.
“Tinman, this is for her protection,” Stitch
said sternly.
“She doesn’t need protection because I won’t
allow her to go.” Tony turned to face the Admiral and Captain Cobbs.
Before he could say another word, the Admiral
stepped up to him. “Petty Officer Bale, I am putting you as lead on this
mission. Fox?” he barked.
“Sir,” Master Chief Mason Briggs answered.
“Master Chief, you and Petty Officer Bale will
lead the squad. Your new lieutenant has not arrived yet.”
“Who is it, sir?” Mace took a position beside
Tony.
“You’ve heard his name before.” The Admiral
glanced at Cobbs, who arched a brow but remained silent. “Lieutenant Abraham
Lewis.”
“Whoa!” The guys took a step back in unison.
“Get the fuck out,” Nathan said, showing his
shock with an F-bomb which he rarely used.
“Who is he?” Lumin asked from the corner of
her mouth.
Tony blew out a breath. “Just
the biggest egomaniac in Virginia. He’s got a rep of never listening to
his men. SEALs work as a team. That’s how we stay alive. Eight brains all
thinking at once. Lewis is known for deciding unilaterally and getting guys
killed.”
“Wasn’t my decision, men,” Ghost explained.
“Give him some time.”
“Time to get us killed,” Caleb said with a
sour look on his face. “Why the hell are we getting saddled with the son of a
bitch?”
“Because you had a vacancy.”
“And Virginia wanted to get him the hell outta
there,” Ditz said, winding a cable around his hand, his boy-next-door features
looking ill at ease.
Within a few seconds all eyes fell on Ed
Saxton. Tony had told her he’d come from the East Coast. Ed eyed all of them in
turn. With a slow southern drawl, he said, “Yup, he’s a dick. I switched from
Team Two because of him. None too pleased to hear this, Admiral.”
“If there are issues, there is a chain of
command. Use it, but I’m hoping you men can change the way he does business.”
The guys grumbled discontent, but nodded.
“Lumin, this is dangerous. I wouldn’t ask you
if there was another way,” the Admiral said.
“I want her to join Kayla and Nina,” Tony
demanded, pulling her a step back with him.
Lumin forked her fingers through Tony’s, and
he clutched them tightly. “Tony, there isn’t a choice. Go ahead, Caleb.”
Tony glared at Stitch as he swabbed her arm
and his brow furrowed when she winced as the injection broke her skin.
“Why did you send Kayla and Nina to Canada?”
Tony asked.
“He didn’t,” came a
woman’s voice from behind them.
“Kayla, what the fuck are you doing here?” the
Admiral boomed.
She blinked and calmly threw a look at Nina
who stood beside her, hands on her hips. “The children are safe, Admiral,”
Kayla said. She and Nina advanced. “Get that god damn scowl off your face. I
have a job to do, and so does Nina. We’re part of this team.”
“Is Adam—?”
“Safe at my parent’s place. They’ve already arrived,” Nina said.
Lumin grinned, seeing the shock on the Admiral
and Mace’s expressions.
“ Gonna fire me?”
Kayla said, eyes snapping a challenge at the Admiral.
“Should have done that a year ago,” he growled
back.
She put a hand on Lumin’s shoulder. “You’re
going to be fine. This is the best SEAL squad in the country. We’re going to
track you and think three steps ahead of the bad guys and end this.”
Lumin snuck a look at the Admiral, and he wore
about the scariest expression she’d ever seen on a man. He could crumble
buildings with that look. Kayla ignored him. Seeing the maps tacked on the
wall, Kayla wandered over to them and the team followed. Nina stepped up beside
her.
“Lot of
line.
Ghost took a deep breath. “Petty Officer Bale,
I need you with the team.”
Tony started to shake his head slowly. As
Stitch reached out to swab her arm, he clamped a hand on the corpsman’s wrist
to intercept.
“Tinman, this is for her protection,” Stitch
said sternly.
“She doesn’t need protection because I won’t
allow her to go.” Tony turned to face the Admiral and Captain Cobbs.
Before he could say another word, the Admiral
stepped up to him. “Petty Officer Bale, I am putting you as lead on this
mission. Fox?” he barked.
“Sir,” Master Chief Mason Briggs answered.
“Master Chief, you and Petty Officer Bale will
lead the squad. Your new lieutenant has not arrived yet.”
“Who is it, sir?” Mace took a position beside
Tony.
“You’ve heard his name before.” The Admiral
glanced at Cobbs, who arched a brow but remained silent. “Lieutenant Abraham
Lewis.”
“Whoa!” The guys took a step back in unison.
“Get the fuck out,” Nathan said, showing his
shock with an F-bomb which he rarely used.
“Who is he?” Lumin asked from the corner of
her mouth.
Tony blew out a breath. “Just
the biggest egomaniac in Virginia. He’s got a rep of never listening to
his men. SEALs work as a team. That’s how we stay alive. Eight brains all
thinking at once. Lewis is known for deciding unilaterally and getting guys
killed.”
“Wasn’t my decision, men,” Ghost explained.
“Give him some time.”
“Time to get us killed,” Caleb said with a
sour look on his face. “Why the hell are we getting saddled with the son of a
bitch?”
“Because you had a vacancy.”
“And Virginia wanted to get him the hell outta
there,” Ditz said, winding a cable around his hand, his boy-next-door features
looking ill at ease.
Within a few seconds all eyes fell on Ed
Saxton. Tony had told her he’d come from the East Coast. Ed eyed all of them in
turn. With a slow southern drawl, he said, “Yup, he’s a dick. I switched from
Team Two because of him. None too pleased to hear this, Admiral.”
“If there are issues, there is a chain of
command. Use it, but I’m hoping you men can change the way he does business.”
The guys grumbled discontent, but nodded.
“Lumin, this is dangerous. I wouldn’t ask you
if there was another way,” the Admiral said.
“I want her to join Kayla and Nina,” Tony
demanded, pulling her a step back with him.
Lumin forked her fingers through Tony’s, and
he clutched them tightly. “Tony, there isn’t a choice. Go ahead, Caleb.”
Tony glared at Stitch as he swabbed her arm
and his brow furrowed when she winced as the injection broke her skin.
“Why did you send Kayla and Nina to Canada?”
Tony asked.
“He didn’t,” came a
woman’s voice from behind them.
“Kayla, what the fuck are you doing here?” the
Admiral boomed.
She blinked and calmly threw a look at Nina
who stood beside her, hands on her hips. “The children are safe, Admiral,”
Kayla said. She and Nina advanced. “Get that god damn scowl off your face. I
have a job to do, and so does Nina. We’re part of this team.”
“Is Adam—?”
“Safe at my parent’s place. They’ve already arrived,” Nina said.
Lumin grinned, seeing the shock on the Admiral
and Mace’s expressions.
“ Gonna fire me?”
Kayla said, eyes snapping a challenge at the Admiral.
“Should have done that a year ago,” he growled
back.
She put a hand on Lumin’s shoulder. “You’re
going to be fine. This is the best SEAL squad in the country. We’re going to
track you and think three steps ahead of the bad guys and end this.”
Lumin snuck a look at the Admiral, and he wore
about the scariest expression she’d ever seen on a man. He could crumble
buildings with that look. Kayla ignored him. Seeing the maps tacked on the
wall, Kayla wandered over to them and the team followed. Nina stepped up beside
her.
“Lot of
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