Page 26

On the other side of the Rigid Hull Inflatable Boat (RHIB) that sat in the center of the aircraft, TJ, Ernie, and their SWCC Coxswain, Dex, were doing the same. Once the team was fully ready, they turned and faced the ramp.

Mike’s heart rate had kicked up a level. It didn’t matter how many times he jumped, it always gave him a rush. It was part of the reason he loved being a SEAL. Although when he’d jumped with Axe, it always added a level of stress to the activity. For all his strengths, the dog did not enjoy parachuting. Which was fair enough. As the SEAL’s senior dog handler used to say, God gave them teeth, not wings.

Suddenly, the light went green, and the loadmaster gave them the chop. A small chute dragged the RHIB out of the aircraft as Mike and the others moved forward. They waited to see a larger chute arrest the craft’s fall before diving headfirst off the ramp.

This was the part Mike loved: free-falling, extending his arms and legs, forcing his stomach out, and stabilizing his flight. Then after a few seconds, he pulled the chute release and braced himself as his flight was arrested. Under the canopy, he steered toward the rapidly descending RHIB.

A glance to his right confirmed that Dex’s parachute was deployed and he was tracking in the same direction. A loaner from the Special Boat Teams, the coxswain had come along to captain the RHIB, allowing all four SEALs to focus on the mission.

Mike splashed in alongside the boat. Shrugging out of his parachute harness, he swam to the stern of the boat, climbed in, and stowed his chute. Dex arrived next, closely followed by the rest of the team. In a little under ten minutes, their gear was stowed, and the high-powered craft was underway with the coxswain at the helm.

The SEALs gathered behind the center console where their gear bags had been stashed. Mike pulled his jet board out and checked it over as the others did the same.

“So far so good,” said Rick as they tooled up. “We managed to parachute in with the RHIB and boards intact. Told you it would work.”

“Concept proven,” added TJ. “The boards are jumpable when strapped to a giant-ass boat.”

Rick raised his arms. “Chief, why you gotta be like that?”

TJ punched his shoulder. “I’m ribbing you, bud. This is a good concept. We jump in with a boat, then use the boards for a covert insertion on a vessel underway. They’ll be a much lower profile than the RHIB.”

“Chief,” yelled Dex from the console. “We’re coming up on your release point.”

TJ gave him a thumbs-up. “You heard the man. Let’s gear up.”

All four SEALs adjusted their equipment. They wore simple setups on their buoyancy-neutral body armor, carrying only a few magazines for their MP7 submachine guns. Their target vessel was small, and any combat would be close.

Dex brought the RHIB to a stop and shut down the engines. “I’ll shadow you at about a mile. If any of you have any problems, jump up on the radio, and I’ll pick you up.” The high-powered vessel was acting as the safety craft for the activity.

Dropping the boards over the side of the vessel, they stepped into the bindings and gunned the engines. As a team, they’d been getting out on the boards for at least a few hours a week. With eight weeks of training under their belt, they were all highly proficient on the nimble craft.

Mike was carving across the ocean on the far-left flank of their formation.

“You gonna teach Hatchet to surf?” Rick asked over the radio.

He laughed before answering. “That’s not a bad idea. I’ve seen that bulldog on YouTube.”

“Get him hanging ten on a longboard,” added Ernie.

“Can you believe we get paid for this?” said Mike.

“I’ve got eyes on the target,” interrupted TJ.

Mike squinted at the horizon and managed to spot a speck. Damn, the old man’s eyes were next level. “I’ve got it.”

Rick had originally planned the mission as a nighttime assault, but HQ hadn’t liked the level of risk that came with it. So, they’d told the team to run it during daylight hours before they’d allow them to progress to night operations. The primary aim of the activity was to see if the craft they were assaulting could detect the board riders on its radar. That was achievable in daylight hours.

The craft grew rapidly in size as they surfed toward it. As the superstructure took shape, Mike identified it as a large cabin cruiser. He carved out to the port side, slowing to match the target’s speed. Ernie mirrored his move on the starboard side as Rick and TJ came up on the stern. They’d rehearsed the move several times back at Coronado.

Mike knelt and released a purpose-made rubberized grappling pole from its attachment on the side of the board. A lead connected the pole to the board and hand holds to assist Mike in getting on board.

“Everyone ready?” asked TJ.

“Good to go,” replied Mike.

Ernie and Rick also confirmed.

“OK, team. Greenlight.”