Page 9 of SEAL's Tempest
Quinn’s huff sounded more like a growl. “I respectfully disagree with this decision, sir. It doesn’t make sense why this is so sensitive. We’re pulling out UN aid workers, not spies.”
It was a good point. Excellent even. Why was secrecy so important for a humanitarian rescue mission?
Josh agreed, and from the look on everyone else’s face, they did, too. They trusted Quinn with their lives, and he’d put himself out there countless times and saved their asses. No one doubted his gut.
A slight movement to Josh’s left caught his eye, and he glanced at Tempest. As at the briefing earlier, her hands were in her lap. She twisted the gold band around her finger like her life depended on it. Was she worried about the jump or something else?
After a brief hesitation, Josh dropped his hand over hers and gently squeezed to offer reassurance. He hoped it didn’t earn him a kick in the balls later. But seeing her slight smile as she relaxed back against her chair made him happy he’d taken the chance.
“I understand your position, Master Chief, but you have your orders,” Knox said, ending any further discussion. “We’ve procured the blue vests and helmets that the aid workers have been wearing, and that should ensure you pass for the replacement team. You’ll carry small arms only to support your cover. Any questions?”
“No, sir,” the team responded.
“Good luck,” Knox said with a nod. “Tempest, I need a moment.”
“Yes, sir,” she answered and remained seated as the rest of the team headed out to the plane.
* * *
As Tempest watched the rest of the team walk toward the C-130, she waited to hear what Knox had to say. Hopefully, JSOC had agreed to inform the team of the second mission.
Knox pulled out a chair and sat next to Tempest at the table, waiting until everyone else was out of hearing range.
“The new satellite images show a large group of tangos camped near the computer lab building. You will need to take extra precautions to get in and out without being seen.”
“Yes, sir. And I’m assuming the protocol still stands—I’m on my own?” Tempest shouldn’t have bothered to ask. She already knew the answer.
“Correct. Your orders haven’t changed. I argued it would be better if you had backup. But apparently, you’ve had success with several similar missions while stationed at Coronado,” Knox said. It clearly impressed him.
Tempest had been lucky multiple times, and she still had nightmares about her narrow escape from Venezuela on her last mission. She couldn’t help wondering when her luck would finally run out.
Knox shouldn’t have known about her prior missions, and it surprised her JSOC had shared the information with him. They’d been top secret and need to know only. But maybe he tried harder to get her backup than she thought. Not that JSOC had to justify any of their decisions.
“Let’s hope I’m successful this time, too,” she said. “Is that all, sir?”
Knox nodded. “If the updated satellite images show any change, I’ll let you know. We should have them before you reach Marikistani airspace.”
With a final salute to her CO, Tempest grabbed her go bag. As she walked out of the hangar, she repeated her father’s words under her breath—“you’re a badass.”
There was no reason to doubt herself. Like Knox said, she’d completed several similar missions. Except this time, she had a new SEAL team she’d never deployed with.
As she climbed the ramp into the plane, she nodded at the crew and looked around the cargo hold fully loaded with supplies destined for the base in Germany. After they jumped over the Medininkai Highlands on the Lithuanian-Marikistani border, the plane would continue to deliver its cargo.
Quinn and the crew chief were talking as Tempest passed them and stopped to pet Whiskey. The beautiful German Shepherd sat on the floor between Ryder’s—no Ry’s—knees. At least she only had to remember that Fergus went by Doc, and Luca was called Lucky. If they all had two names, she’d be losing her mind. Trying to remember that and their Falcon call signs, including hers—Falcon 6—for this mission was difficult enough. She also had to memorize the route through Zdolnihiv to take to the computer lab and at least two backup options once she slipped away from the team.
“Everyone, strap in. Five minutes to take off,” the crew chief said as he made his way toward the cockpit.
The guys were sitting within a few seats of each other. Tempest debated whether to grab a seat near the rest of the team or take one farther away. She’d prefer the latter to give her space to study her mission package without them noticing it differed from theirs.
But what would they think if she did that? That she wasn’t a team player? Or that they wouldn’t be able to trust her to follow orders?Prakeiktas.That wasn’t an option. They needed to trust her for now.
After a brief hesitation, she sat next to Ry and Doc, and across from Josh, Quinn, and Lucky. She’d just have to take the chance that they wouldn’t pay any attention to what she was doing
A few minutes later, they were airborne with a flight time of nine and a half hours. Unlike a commercial flight of the same length, this would pass too quickly. the fear that she missed some crucial piece of intel she’d need once she had boots on the ground.
As soon as the plane reached cruising altitude, Quinn gathered them together to go over the mission plan.
“We’ll be jumping closer to the Marikistani border. I spoke to the crew chief, and he agreed to the small change in jump point. We’ll still be following orders. By the time they realize we’ve jumped early, it will be too late to do anything about it. If we catch any heat for it, I’ll take responsibility. Anyone have concerns? If so, voice them now.” Quinn gazed at each team member, and then at Tempest’s with a raised eyebrow.
