The Defiant Hero Read Online Free PDF Page A

Starrett!”

    Oh, Jesus, he’d stepped on Lopez.

    “Sam, we’re almost there, but I need you with me,” Nils said softly.

    Crap. Scolded out by his best friend.

    Damn Alyssa Locke.

    Nils did a quick head count as he approached the extraction point, the men around him barking like seals to let the Marines know who’d bested them.

    Chief O’Leary, Ensign Mike Muldoon, Jenk, Rick, Steve, and Junior. His Team Bravo was all there, as were the trucks that would take them back to the base.

    Nils had done it. He’d fucking won the no-win scenario.

    There was a helo there as well, he realized. A puddle jumper.

    And—surprise, surprise—Lieutenant Tom Paoletti, commanding officer of SEAL Team Sixteen, was standing beside it, arms crossed. Nils hadn’t expected to see his CO tonight. Not out here, anyway. And there was another man next to Paoletti, but he was even farther in the shadows and Nils couldn’t make out his face.

    Was the CO mad or was he merely cold? It was too dark to see his eyes, but there was something of a chill in the desert air.

    Petty Officer Second Class Mark Jenkins more than made up for Paoletti’s seeming lack of enthusiasm. Jenk practically did a cartwheel. “You did it, Lieutenant! You beat the no-win scenario!” He started another round of barking among the men.

    “By cheating.” The man beside the CO stepped into the light, raising his voice to be heard over the din.

    Shit. It was Admiral Larry Tucker. What was he doing here?

    Senior Chief Wolchonok came and planted himself beside Nilsson, an unmovable rock, ready to go into battle with him for a second time that night. And the rest of the team fell right in behind him—including Captain Chang. Nils nearly laughed aloud. The elation he’d felt at winning was nothing compared to this show of support from his teammates. He looked Tucker straight in the eye. Come on, dickhead, give it your best shot.

    “There was a security breach of the computer system last night.” Tucker glared at Nils. “I assume you’re behind that, Lieutenant? Or maybe you’d like to go back to being an ensign again? Maybe three years wasn’t enough.”

    Ah, Christ. Bring that up, why don’t you?

    But from behind him, Nils heard Sam Starrett cough into his hand, “Asshole,” and he had to struggle not to laugh.

    Lieutenant Paoletti stepped forward. “Admiral Tucker—”

    But Tucker had fixed his death-ray gaze on WildCard, who was doing his best to look angelic—not an easy task for a guy who looked an awful lot like the devil incarnate. “This smells like one of your stupid tricks, Mr. Karmody. Before this is over, we’re going to find that you’re involved, aren’t we?”

    “No, sir,” WildCard said.

    Nils knew he meant “No, sir, you’re not going to find anything.” WildCard was a hacker extraordinaire. He didn’t leave calling cards. At least none that Tucker or his staff would be able to find.

    “Personally, Admiral,” Paoletti said mildly, “I’m of the opinion that if Lieutenant Nilsson and Petty Officer Karmody did hack into the computer to gain knowledge of tonight’s training op, they should be commended for their attempt to go into this mission as fully prepared as possible. If this situation were real, and that was an Iraqi computer they’d compromised—”

    “But it wasn’t an Iraqi computer. It was a U.S. Navy—”

    “I really don’t see the difference.” The CO had the balls to interrupt the admiral. “SEALs are trained to seek unconventional alternatives and options for every given situation. Lieutenant Nilsson should be commended for his initiative.”

    Nils realized that while he was speaking, Paoletti had managed to move so that he, too, was standing beside him, with the team. “Good job, Lieutenant,” Paoletti said. He held out his hand.

    Nils shook it. “Thank you, sir.”

    From over on his left, Wolchonok let out a resounding, “Hoo-yah!” It was a cry that the rest of the men, both