mission.
A car door slammed shut, but he pulled open the door to the building and strode inside. Their CO, Commander Slate Hutchinson, stormed down the hallway, a frown on his face. “Did you catch the news footage last night?” he asked.
“Affirmative. I saw Kimberly Turner speaking and the body of the blonde woman before it was cut off.”
“The Pentagon isn’t happy. CENTCOM assured them both women were still alive. The latest footage was blasted across the Internet worldwide and then shown on the evening news.”
Ethan scrubbed a hand over his jaw. “CENTCOM had access to the latest intelligence. It must have been quite recent if they were unaware.”
The CO muttered a curse. “Tell the men we’ll be briefing first thing. I need to update the team on the latest SITREP. After that, we’ll gear up and get ready to move.”
“Roger that,” Ethan said. He turned and headed toward the locker area as his commander headed toward the bullpen. The other guys would be here momentarily, and they wouldn’t be happy either. Hopefully no harm came to Kimberly in the time it took to cross the Atlantic and eventually land in Afghanistan.
His team had been there twice several months ago—both when Ghost met Hailey and again when they were taking out a terror cell leader. Kimberly had been held there all along. They’d been so close, yet with no actionable intelligence to rescue her.
Shaking his head, he stashed his gear as his SEAL team leader Blake “Raptor” Reynolds strode in. He grunted, dropping his own bag to the ground.
“The CO wants to brief with us now,” Ethan said.
Blake nodded. “I figured. That news footage last night was a huge misstep. The media never should’ve broadcast anything showing the body of an American woman.”
“Fuck,” Ethan spat out. “They were so quick to air the new footage they didn’t even sanitize it first. They could’ve shown Kimberly without the blonde woman’s body on the ground. Never mind that it was already blasted across the Internet.”
The door slammed open as Grayson hustled in. He said hello to his teammates and dropped his gear off. “Hailey headed into her office early this morning. She’s trying to get in touch with some of her old colleagues in Bagram.”
“I doubt they know any more than we do,” Blake said dryly.
“Yep. I tried to tell her that. Do me a favor and have Clarissa check up on her while we’re gone. I know she’s upset about Kim. I’m glad we’re the ones being sent in to rescue her, but it kills me that I can’t be here for Hailey.”
“I already did,” Blake assured him. “Clarissa and Taryn will be there for her while we’re gone.”
“I don’t like this,” Grayson said, pacing. “I’ve headed out on a few ops since we’ve gotten together, but hell.”
Ethan crossed his arms and leaned against the wall as some of their other teammates walked in. “She held herself together last night at the barbeque.”
Grayson nodded. “She did. I think she was in shock though, because the moment we got back to our apartment, she burst into tears.”
“She’s been worried for months,” Ethan observed. “When I stayed with Hailey when she was in danger, she told me about Kim. Kimberly. Usually, Army reservists put in a couple of weeks and then get back to their regular jobs. She’s not used to harsh conditions for extended periods of time.”
Jackson “K-Bar” Clinefield walked over to his teammates. “She’s strong,” he commented. “Last night Hailey told us that Kimberly passed through basic training with flying colors. She even bested some of the men.”
Ethan eyed his friend. Jackson had recently moved in with his girlfriend and lived next door to Blake and Clarissa. He was protective of Taryn. She’d been on the run from her abusive ex-husband, and when the team was deployed on their most recent op, Taryn’s ex had found and harmed her. It couldn’t be easy for any of his teammates to leave their loved ones behind.
“You don’t look too worried about deploying,” Ethan commented.
Jackson lifted a shoulder. “Taryn’s ex is dead. Last time I felt guilty as hell for leaving. I’ll never forgive myself for not being there when Austin showed up. It’s done and over with now.”
“And Clarissa is right next door if anything comes up,” Blake said.
“I’m relieved knowing her ex can’t stalk her anymore. It’s like a weight has been lifted off my shoulders. And you guys saw Taryn. She’s a totally different person now without worrying about that jackass.”
“Taryn’s lucky