Page 32 of Her Captivated Hero

Morris was very pleased with himself.

Tyler glanced over at Baker. The high-level enlisted man might lack expression, but he’d been on the SEAL teams for years and Gray knew that he was pissed off. Baker was the man who was supposed to have designed and led this mission. It had to be a big, hairy political mess over at NSA Bahrain for command to have given the op to this this acting dumbfuck, who wasn’t acting.

“I’ll go in place of Slokovich,” Baker said in a deferential voice. Gray saw Slokovich’s look of relief.

Morris frowned. “That isn’t the plan. Slokovich will drive one of the vehicles.”

Baker opened his mouth again.

“I will write you up for insubordination if you persist in countermanding my authority.” Morris’ face turned red. Baker closed his mouth and nodded.

Gray looked around to his team members. They all looked calm and comfortable and he appreciated it. That’s because they knew he had their back.

“We’re going to need to make some alterations to the plan,” Gray said quietly.

“What are you talking about? I’ve determined the course of action.” Morris’s voice was sharp.

“We’re not going to travel in a refrigerated truck. If someone opens it, we can be picked off like sitting ducks. We’ll use one of these tarped trucks.” Gray looked at the acting commander straight in the eye.

“That’s unacceptable. You’ll be seen.”

“No we won’t. You said you had someone manning the customs crossing. If we had a proper diversion. Something big. Then we won’t be noticed.”

“And just what would you suggest? We bomb the bridge? We have twenty women do a striptease on the bridge?” One of the men from the fifth fleet laughed. “This is not a laughing matter,” Morris shouted at the man.

“Nothing of the sort.” Gray kept his voice calm. “I’m suggesting that we fill the refrigerated truck with a small amount of explosives and have it ram into the side of the bridge, approximately thirty meters in front of the customs point. This should be done when we’re ready to go into the x-ray machine. The subsequent fire will be just the sort of distraction we need to get us across.”

“And who is going to want to do this suicide mission with the refrigerated truck?”

“It’s not a suicide mission,” Baker said. “Not if it’s done right. What’s more, I should be able to arrange it so the cab of the truck goes over the side of the bridge and I’ll just dive into the Gulf. It’ll be perfect.” Finally, Baker was showing some enthusiasm.

“I don’t like it, we’re doing it my way.” Morris said.

Gray didn’t take his eyes off the acting commander, but he felt each and every one of his men sit a little straighter.

“Commander, can we step outside?” Gray asked.

“No. We cannot.” The man turned to Gray’s team. “I will take command of you men, if your Lieutenant is unwilling to follow orders. Are we clear?”

“We understand the situation perfectly Commander,” Aiden O’Malley said. “I suggest you step out of the truck with our Lieutenant.” Hunter, Dex, Griff and Dalton all nodded in agreement.

Gray got out of the truck and waited for Morris to follow.

When Morris jumped out of the truck, he hot-footed it over to Gray and shoved his face into Gray’s so their noses were almost touching. “You’re going too far.” His voice was shrill. “I will be informing my Captain, and he will be speaking to your Commander and Captain as well.”

“As long as I’m alive to hear about it, that’s fine by me.” Gray didn’t raise his voice, but he didn’t whisper.

Morris shoved Gray, who didn’t move. “You and Baker think you’re hot shit because you’re SEAL’s. You’re nothing. I can make and break you all day long. We’re doing things my way, or you’ll be out of the Navy.”

“Again, as long as my men live to see another day, everything is good by me.” Gray could see Dex over Morris’s shoulder. He had his phone pointed at them. He knew that Dex had done some kind of wizard-trick so the thing could record conversations at a long-distance. He’d been recording everything, starting with the grabtastic plan that Morris had laid out to begin with. Dex always wanted to have the team’s collective ass covered. Gray liked that about his communications guy.

It was time to egg the asshole on. More fodder for Dex to film.

“You don’t have the power to break me, I have friends in high places,” Gray taunted.

“You don’t have dick.” Morris’ grin turned sly. “Unless your uncle owns a Senator from Kentucky, you can’t do shit. It’s great to come from money, you should try it some time. So we’re going to do things my way. You got it?”

“Nope, I don’t got it. I’ve decided people are going to live, and then you can go sniveling to Uncle Moneybags about how the SEAL’s didn’t do what you wanted. I have one question for you though, because I’m curious. Did you even make it through even one day of BUD/S?”

Morris’ face turned red, then he spat on Gray’s boots. “You SEAL’s are pussies.”

By the time Morris turned around, Dex had disappeared from the opening of the truck.