Raz gave her a pinched look, and Trece shook his head. Matthew opened his mouth and then closed it.
“One thing is that we received the assignment to find the SEALs,” Alex said. “And we have permission to send some kids to go get them.”
Alex raised her lip in a kind of sneer.
“What do you think?” Alex said.
“I kind of hate that,” Trece said.
Raz responded by squinting at her. He opened his mouth to say something and then shook his head.
“This is part of a larger question,” Raz said. “And we have forty-eight missing sailors, not to mention the soldiers who continue to pour in here every day, and of course, our Petty Officer Masrfi.”
“There’s also your command,” Vince said as he walked toward them. “I’m happy to relinquish command, but we are on a Marine camp.”
“You can keep it,” Alex said. “At least until we decide where we’re going and what we’re going to do.”
“I’m happy to keep it for now,” Vince said. “I’ve never wanted to be the lead of this team, and certainly not at this time in my life, with a child in college, and two babies at home.”
Alex nodded.
“I wonder if you can help us negotiate the SEAL world,” Alex said.
“What do you need?” Vince asked.
“Why don’t you get Tubman and Carmichael?” Alex asked. “You can school the rest of us in all things Navy SEAL.”
“I’ve waited a lifetime to hear you say that,” Vince said.
“Let’s meet,” Alex said with a smile. “Today, hopefully. Will you talk to Sergeant Dusty?”
“Done,” Vince said.
“There’s a tournament at noon,” Matthew said. Alex spun in her chair to look at him. “You want to join us?”
“I’m the reigning champion,” Colin said.
“I’d love to see you kick his ass,” Trece said.
“What?” Colin asked.
“Again,” Trece said. “Again.”
Alex looked at her watch. She had fifteen minutes.
“Can you ask the Fey Team to come here?” Alex asked.
“Yes, sir,” Matthew said. “Ramirez?”
Trece and Matthew left to round up the team.
Alex pushed the single desk to the wall. With Raz’s help, she climbed on top of the desk. She sat down so that her legs dangled over the edge. When she looked up, her team was standing in front of her.
“Wow, that was fast,” Alex said.
“We were waiting for you,” Troy said.
Near the back, she saw Cliff. She smiled at him. Zack was still in the hospital this morning. She looked from face to face.
“I just wanted to say that . . .” Alex paused. “I’m sure you’ve heard about what happened when we went to Washington.”
She looked at them, and, to a person, they shook their heads.
“Wow, I’m sorry,” Alex said. “I just assumed . . .”
“I’m not as chatty as you,” Vince said. “I just told them to follow the ‘Fey is dead’ plan, which, as you can tell, was only so effective.”
“He’s kind of a bastard,” Leena yelled from the back.
The team laughed.
“Okay,” Alex said. “Good job, Vince.”
Everyone laughed again.
“I was called to meet with the new United States Special Operations Command, Admiral Ingram,” Alex said. “He told me that I was to encourage you to retire or he would court martial the entire team. He wants my beret and launched an investigation into my ranking.”
Alex glanced at Raz.
“We can show you the video if you’d like to see it,” Raz said. “Basically, he was extremely rude and demeaning, particularly to the Fey. This triggered the ‘Fey is dead’ plan.”
“He’s taken our birds,” Alex said.
“All of them?” Troy asked.
“Every single one,” Cliff said. “Even the one in France.”
A look was passed around the team.
“He’s serious,” Alex said. “He thinks we’re bullshit and have tricked the military into supporting us.”
A “What the hell?” went through the team as the hardworking Fey team members couldn’t imagine anyone saying that of them.
“Listen, we were guaranteed funding by the President, for the rest of his term,” Alex said. “Unfortunately, I am unable to run the team as a Private — which is where I will be if the USSOCOM gets what he wants.”
The shock of her words left them staring at her. Alex held her hand up.
“I have spoken to General Fonti, who is CS Army,” Alex said. “For the Army among us, an investigation into our ranking has been conducted, and no changes were suggested. I’ve spoken with the CS Navy and CS Air Force regarding ranking. An investigation was launched and closed in each of the services. Our ranks are, for the time being, secure.”
The Fey Team stared at her in a kind of stunned silence.
“Your beret?” Troy asked.
“I’m able to keep my beret,” Alex said. “For now. According to General Fonti, the USSOCOM is not responsible for individual units’ ranking.”
Alex smiled. Everyone laughed. Alex raised her hands for silence. “Quiet” and “She’s not done” passed around the group.
“For all of the ways we’ve triumphed, we also . . .” Alex squinted her eyes in an attempt to keep her emotions at bay. “What I’m trying to say is . . .”
Alex’s eyes flicked to Raz. He gave her a soft smile.
“We’ve been offered positions with Leah Zutterberg’s contracting company,” Alex said. The team began to react. “Please, hear me through. If we go, we’ll be able to continue working our usual assignments. She’s assured me that we will stay together as a team. We’ll probably make more money. I’ll be an owner, so I’ll have more control over what we do. This offer also extends to Steve Pershing’s team, so Trece and White Boy would come with us. That’s one of our offers.”
“And the other?” Vince asked.
“To continue with the US Military,” Alex said. “It’s likely that the USSOCOM will return to Army in the next round, so it’s likely that the next person in charge will be more Fey friendly.”
“But?” Matthew asked.
“Thank you, yes,” Alex said. “There are two ‘buts.’ The first is that this USSOCOM will be there for at least two more years. We will have to endure him. I have no idea what that means.”
“The second ‘but’ is that we are no longer going to be able to go into the field. General Fonti has effectively grounded us, as have the other services.”
“What does that mean?” Margaret asked.
“It means that we will work and lead, but it will be a rare exception that we will be a frontline team fulfilling an assignment in country,” Alex said, her voice tight with emotion. “We will move off the frontline and to the rear.”
No one said anything.
“Now that ‘rear’ may mean that we go into country to lead,” Alex said.
“We won’t be on the frontline,” Leena said.
“And our combat pay?” MJ asked.
“We will still be a combat team, but we’ll be at the rear,” Alex said. “Our positions become staff positions only — leading missions, teaching, and building teams. A whole battalion, General Fonti said.”
Looking grim, Alex nodded.
“So our choices are to become contractors and continue on,” Alex said. “Leah said that we’d be doing mostly the same work for the same people.”
“You mean the USSOCOM will contract us to do the work they don’t want us to do now?” Vince asked.
“Exactly,” Alex said. “Or, we get off the frontline and move to the rear. We’ll provide intelligence for teams in the field. We’ll likely have a few SEAL platoons or teams of Rangers to do our bidding. We’ll spend time training and . . . Really, I’m not sure.
“All of this is very, very new, but I wanted to let you know as soon as I knew so that you
could think about it, talk to your families, and make a decision for yourself.”
“The decision is?” Troy asked. “Just want to be sure.”
“Contractor or US Military,” Raz said. “Frontline or Rear.”
A few heads nodded, while others were eerily still.
“I haven’t made a decision for myself, and I cannot make a decision for you,” Alex said. “I want us to stay together. I also know that we’re of a variety of ages. A few of you are just starting your careers, while some of us old fucks may feel like we’ve done enough.”
They laughed.
“I can’t make that decision for you,” Alex shrugged. “I’d like you to think about it for yourself. If we need more information, ask me, and I’ll get it from either Leah or from the Chiefs of Staff. I don’t know any more than just that, so I’m happy to ask.”
“What about the Black Skeleton?” Margaret asked.
“Admiral Ingram believes it’s bullshit,” Raz said.
“He’s against the mission,” Alex said. “But it’s not his to be against.”
“And Joseph?” Matthew asked.
Alex lifted her shoulders and dropped them.
“He and his family are safe for now,” Alex said. “As for why? I have no idea.”
“Looks like he’s dirty,” Margaret said. “Like he’d reached the end of his usefulness so they had to get rid of him.”
“It does,” Alex said with a nod.
“But?” Margaret asked.
“But, nothing,” Alex said. “Everything you’re saying is true. Do I believe he’s dirty? No. Do I believe that someone wants us to think that he is? Yes. Could I be wrong? Of course.”
“What if some of us want to stay, and some of us want to go?” Royce said.
“We’ll figure it out,” Alex said. “The first step is to think about our options, talk about them to our families, ask questions. This is what I’m asking you to do.”
No one dared say anything. Alex gave them a sad smile.
“One thing is clear — we need to figure out what we need to do to complete our assignments with USSOCOM,” Alex said. “You each have your own projects. I’ll ask Dusty to schedule a report with you to let me know where you are in your project and what, if any, help you might need. And . . .”
“What about The Factory?” Matthew asked.
“‘The Factory’?” Alex asked.
“The team calls the building we bought ‘The Factory,’” Raz said in a low tone.
“Honestly, I haven’t given it much thought,” Alex said. “We bought the building so that we would have a secure place to work that we wouldn’t get thrown out of. That hasn’t changed. The question is: What work will we do there? And for whom?”
“Can we create something that works for us?” Colin asked. “House it in The Factory?”
“That’s a good question. I’m not sure,” Alex said. “We’re a multi-service team and the military is set up by service. It might get complicated.”
“How’s the construction going?” Matthew asked.
“I have the details,” Sergeant Dusty said.
“Can you get together an update and let us know, say . . .” Alex shrugged, “tomorrow morning?”
“Done,” Sergeant Dusty said.
“Now, I need to go kick Colin’s ass,” Alex said.
“Again!” Trece yelled.
“Again,” Alex said with a laugh.
“Did they really send F-15s after you?” Troy asked.
“I was there!” Leena said. “They sure as shit sent F-15s with orders to shoot us out of the sky.”
“Good reason to leave this military crap behind,” Trece said.
Alex nodded.
“Please,” Alex said. “Think about it. Talk to your families. Check in with your dreams. What did you want for your life before you got mixed up with the Fey Team? What did you want for your life when you finished with the military or even just this assignment? This is an important moment in all of our lives. Let’s not rush through it. We have time. Let’s take as much as we need to make the right decision for us.”
Everyone nodded.
“SEAL Team 8?” Vince asked.
“I need all of the logs,” Alex said. “Margaret, do you know what’s been done so far to reach them?”
Margaret nodded.
“Can you talk to the team leaders responsible for that work?” Alex asked. “Anyone know anyone on SEAL team 5?”
“I was on that team,” Royce said.
“We’re going to get a platoon to go get these guys,” Alex said. “Can you arrange a meet? We need to pick some good guys and leave the assholes behind.”
“Roger that,” Royce said.
“I can help,” Leena said.
“Perfect. Please schedule with Dusty,” Alex said. Smiling brightly, “Now, I need a moment to prepare.”
They laughed.
“Who’s holding the bets?” Trece asked.
The team streamed outside to the sparring mat. Troy and Matthew lingered behind. Raz stayed close.
“Did Raz tell you about JS?” Alex asked as she took off her shoes.
“Sounds amazing,” Matthew said.
Alex nodded.
“I think it’s a reason we have so much support,” Alex said. She dropped to the ground and began to stretch. “Most of the guys we graduated with are still in the service.”
“All of the guys we graduated with are still in,” Matthew said.
“It’s kind of weird,” Alex said. “But, hey, I’ll take support wherever we can get it.”
They nodded.
“I’m sure you want to see these,” Troy said with a nod. He held up his phone.
“What are they?” Alex asked.
“Colin’s last three fights,” Troy said.
Alex grinned and he gave her his phone. Alex set the phone between her legs and watched Colin’s last fights while she stretched. Matthew dropped down to help her stretch. When she got up, Matthew ran her through warm up drills.
“Any tips for beating, Colin?” Alex asked.
“He’s as unpredictable as always,” Matthew said. “I don’t know if it’s a style or just where he is now. As soon as you think you’ve got a handle on him, he changes.”
“He’s not angry,” Troy said. “That’s the weirdest change for me. He used to be so angry. Now, he’s very calculated in what he does and how he does it.”
Alex nodded her thanks. She glanced at Raz. He smiled at her.
“If you want to watch, you’d better come now,” White Boy yelled in the door.
Matthew and Troy rushed off. When they were gone, Raz helped Alex stretch her arms.
“You know you don’t have to do this,” Raz said.
“You don’t believe that,” Alex said. “If all of these people came to meet me, I need to be worthy of that praise.”
“How about keeping afloat for hours, saving your life and Zack’s?” Raz said. “Doesn’t that count?”
“Not really,” Alex said. “All of this has happened while I’ve been off feeling sorry for myself. I need to work, if even to finish up and leave the military.”
“And Black Skeleton?” Raz asked.
“I can’t hear the name without seeing Ingram’s sneering face calling it bullshit,” Alex said with a shake of her head. “Maybe it is.”
“And if it isn’t?”
“Then I fucked off a month licking my wounds,” Alex said. “Someday, I’m going to wish I had that month back, but . . .”
“But?” Raz asked.
“Right now, I need to kick Colin’s cold, calculating ass,” Alex said with a smile.
She hugged Raz and went out to the mat.
FFFF
Monday mid-day
November 7 — 12:18 a.m. PST
Camp Pendleton, California
Alex stepped onto the mat and the crowd cheered. Colin was standing in the dominant position of the upper corner of the mat. From where Colin was standing, h
e easily could control the mat. She glanced at Colin before going to the corner opposite where he was standing. She pulled off her borrowed sweatshirt.
“Are we ready?” Matthew asked.
He looked at Colin and then at Alex.
“Let’s do it,” Matthew said.
Alex dropped to a fighting stance with her front left leg bent and her right leg back and straight. With six feet-five inches of solid muscle, Colin was almost unbeatable. Standing, his long arms and long legs almost reached across the mat. It was nearly impossible get close enough to him to strike. On the ground, he was one-half the well-trained Jujitsu warrior and one-half wild man.
“Come and get me.” Colin added a wild man howl to the end of his command..
The crowd cheered at his bravado.
Alex grinned at him. She beaconed Colin to her with her hand.
Colin laughed and howled again. The crowd fell silent.
She leaned in his direction and he stepped across the mat. She beaconed him with her hand.
In one step, he was on her. he attacked with fast punches to her face and chest. She easily knocked them away. Under his attacking arms, her front kick hit him hard in the chest.
Surprised, he stepped backwards. He tried to catch her leg, but she moved too quickly. Her knee rose and she straight kicked him with her other leg. He leaned back out of the way and her foot grazed his chin.
When her feet landed, she unleashed a bevy of short, quick punches which he blocked with his elbows. Colin hit her in the face in response. She moved away from their tight fighting circle.
He followed her with an easy kick. She hit at his leg to block it and he grunted. He countered her block with a punch that landed on her collar bone.
She shifted her weight and kicked straight up. Her foot hit his chin and he fell backward. Rather than jump on top of him, she took a step backward.
He jumped up into a fighter’s stance. Alex raced to him. She hopped onto his front leg and lifted her left leg. Her knee hit him under his chin. She jumped back and Colin fell backward to the ground. When he tried to get up, she knocked him down with her forearm.
Colin lay on the mat. Alex moved toward him. His foot shot out and he knocked her off her feet. Rather than attack him, she hopped back to her feet.
“Get up or tap out,” Alex said with a laugh.
Colin hopped to his feet. He rushed her. She kicked an easy roundhouse kick, which he ducked. As she turned, she shot a hard punch to Colin’s face. The force of the shot was hard and even. He fell to all fours.
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