Target Engaged by M. L. Buchman Page B

continuous deployment for over a decade. For the last four years we have often run four or five operations a night in one theater or another. Over six thousand al-Qaeda, Taliban, and al-Shabaab high-level assets are no longer on the line because of Delta and DEVGRU.”
    There were low whistles around the room. Kyle had heard rumors of that; it was one of the reasons he’d joined. But to hear it confirmed was another thing entirely.
    The Colonel nodded. “The large-scale military served their role, but the Tier One assets are why those three are mostly off the map. New groups are cropping up, of course, and we’ll be the ones sent in to deal with them as well.”
    Kyle looked about the room. This was the team he’d want to be with when they went in.
    â€œTypically it starts with a single piece of intel that leads to an engagement with unfriendly forces, which leads to immediate new intel and continues in a rapid cascade of target opportunities. We can frequently roll up entire cells leading right to a high-value target in a single night. While that would be a normal first assignment for a new team, which is split up and integrated with other operatives in the field, this team has not been selected for that type of operation.”
    â€œExcuse me, sir.” Kyle sat forward. “Did you say ‘not’?”
    â€œThat’s correct, Sergeant Reeves. This team has performed exceptionally and will be held together as a unit for the time being. You have”—he checked his watch—“twenty-three minutes to gather any items from the quartermaster that you wish to add to your full kit. Showers are recommended as well. A vehicle will be in the compound to take you to Pope Field for immediate departure.”
    Kyle checked his watch and spun the outer dial to twenty-two minutes from now, then he waited.
    Nothing.
    Carla and then, one by one, the rest of the team smiled.
    Classic Delta. No instructions you didn’t need, like where the hell they were going. Which also meant they should be prepared for anything.
    â€œWill you be leading us, sir?”
    Colonel Gibson looked at him steadily for a long moment before answering, “You’re inside The Unit now.”
    Right.
    Yet another readjustment to his thinking. If they needed a leader, they wouldn’t be here. Every one of them had been a squad or section leader in their old units, and that was before OTC. They weren’t qualified to command a company or a battalion, but they’d certainly know how to have those commanders lead them to best advantage in a situation.
    They rose to their feet and were about to file out when Kyle stopped and turned. The others drifted to a halt to see what he was up to.
    He shifted to smart attention and then formally saluted the Colonel. “Have a good ’un, sir.” As if the Colonel were the one being dismissed back to training.
    His whole team snapped to and mirrored his salute.
    â€œRoger that, Sergeant.” Colonel Gibson saluted back. It didn’t get Kyle a laugh, as Carla had, but it did get him a pretty good smile. Made Kyle feel like he was ready.

Chapter 8
    Carla was so not ready for this.
    HALO jumps were fine. Jumping out of a speeding jetliner at thirty-five thousand feet was almost as much of a rush as having sex with Kyle. Well, no, it wasn’t that good, but it could sure make a girl feel happy in a lot of ways.
    Her problem was that she hadn’t slept in over thirty-six hours and they were headed into their first live op on no notice. Well, technically on twenty-three minutes notice, which didn’t help a whole lot.
    Carla had been unable to sleep the night before their OTC graduation exercise; she’d been too wound up about it. At least that’s what she thought it had been. The more she’d lain there inside the curl of Kyle’s sleeping arms, the less she believed her first assessment.
    Was she worried about the exercise