Page 2

“I’m on the bridge level. Doors locked,” Mike reported to the rest of the team. “We can’t blow it. There’s not enough space.”

“Breaching saw?” asked Rick from the stairwell below.

“Yeah.”

“Coming up.”

There was limited room on the landing. Mike squeezed to one side as Rick joined him. Ernie and TJ paused one level below.

Rick activated the battery-powered saw and plunged it into the lock mechanism. Sparks fell like molten rain on the men below as the diamond-tipped blade sliced through the hardened steel.

When he was through, he tossed the saw to one side, gripped his carbine, and locked eyes with Mike. “Let’s do this.”

TJ and Ernie had moved up and were ready as Mike placed his shoulder against the door. Axe was usually first on a breach like this. He’d dash in through the gap a split second before Mike, distract the men inside, and attack anyone pointing a weapon in their direction.

“Go!” ordered TJ.

Mike shoved the door open and stepped into the ship’s bridge, weapon ready. Spotting a gunman, he fired two shots into the man’s masked face as Rick rushed in behind him and engaged a second terrorist.

There was a third tango standing at the far side of the bridge, past the helm. He managed to get off a shot before Mike could engage him. The round hit Mike high on the edge of his shoulder. He felt the impact and the sting. “I’m hit,” he bellowed as TJ and Ernie engaged, downing the final target.

The team fanned out, checking every corner of the bridge.

“All clear. Bridge is secure,” reported TJ.

“Maintain position. Charlie team has found the device and is defusing it,” came the reply.

“Mike, you gotta move faster, bro. Axe ain’t here to pick up your slack,” said Rick. “How’s the arm?”

“Stings a bit.”

Rick turned to TJ, who was inspecting the bridge controls. “Chief, we playing Mike’s wound for real? You want me to dress it?”

“Negative,” the team leader replied as he opened the door to the radio room and aimed his pistol inside. “Crew located.”

“Device is secure and rendered safe,” an Aussie-accented voice transmitted over the network as TJ ushered the unarmed sailors out onto the bridge.

“End ex,” transmitted the Exercise Controller.

“Nice work, frogmen,” added TJ. “All things considered, that was pretty slick.”

“Except for the bit where Mike got shot,” joked Rick.

“You're lucky it wasn’t you,” added Ernie. “Bad guys couldn’t miss your fat head.”

“Bullets would have missed yours by a foot, midget.”

The banter between the two continued as the pair exited the bridge and returned to the deck below. TJ hung back with Mike.

“We could have really used a dog on this job,” said TJ.

“I know.”

“Brother, this hurts, but it might be time to think about a replacement.”

Mike didn’t reply as they exited the ship’s superstructure and made their way to the extraction point. It made sense to bring in a new dog and start training, but it also felt like a betrayal of Axe, his best friend. He gazed out over white-capped waves as they waited at the ladder that led down to the boats that would extract them. Axe wasn’t coming back to the team. He had a new job now, and it was protecting Junior and Ali. Maybe TJ was right. Maybe it was time.

The SEALs were the first off the ship. Descending a narrow caving ladder, they took their seat in the high-powered inflatable as it bounced alongside the hull. “Getting a bit rough,” TJ observed as the Canadians moved to join them.