Chapter 63

"You're good to go, Dix." His CO looked up from the medical report he was reading. "I have to say I wasn't completely convinced you could do it, but the doctor said your thigh is fine. Won't give you any problems."
"I wouldn't go out on an op if I thought differently," Dix pointed out.
"I know that." He met Dix's gaze. "I know how badly you want to lead this op, but I want you to remember two things." He held up one finger. "The screw-up last time wasn't yours. The politician who compromised the information has been dealt with, and the number of people on the need-to-know list for this one has been reduced to the smallest number possible. And no congressmen."
Dix blew out a breath. "Good. That's good."
The man held up a second finger. "You have nothing to prove, so just focus on the mission itself. I know you can do it."
"Thank you, sir. I appreciate that."
"One change, though. No target extraction this time. The order is to kill the fuckers dead."
"Yes, sir." Dix had to force himself not to give a fist pump. He could get on board with that order.
"First mission briefing is at oh thirteen hundred today. Five days to rehearse this, so nothing gets FUBAR. Then, the next day, you'll be wheels up at oh dark thirty."
"I'll be ready."
"You got the information I sent you on the replacements for Buddy and Davey, right?"
"I did." He wanted to tell the man no one could ever replace his lost teammates, but he sucked it up. He had a job to do. "They have excellent qualifications."
"We'll be blending them into your team if all goes well on this mission. I'll want a full after-action report on them."
"Yes, sir."
Dix saluted and left the office. He could already feel the anticipation roiling through him. He'd get the damn fuckers this time and bring every one of his men home safely. As he walked out of the office, his cell rang. He checked the readout. Rick Bender. Next to Buddy, who he'd never forget, he'd been friends with Rick longer than anyone on his team. They'd gone through BUDS/S together and been asshole buddies ever since.
He punched Accept. "Hey."
"Hey, yourself," came Rick's booming voice. "You get the all clear from the doc?"
"I did. I'm good to go."
"Excellent. The rest of us are at Java Jake's getting some coffee. Come on down."
"On my way." He tapped End and shoved the phone back in his jeans pocket before jogging to his truck.
He could use some coffee. He hadn't slept as well as he'd expected to the night before. Every time he closed his eyes, he saw the lush naked body of a mouthwatering redhead with emerald-green eyes and a soft spray of freckles across her nose. She was standing in a beam of light, the rays illuminating the thatch of neatly trimmed red hair covering her mound and her creamy breasts with their rosy nipples. She was holding her arms out to him, her fingers beckoning.
When he woke up this morning, he'd been harder than day-old concrete. He hadn't had that problem in a very long time. And he realized, as he took care of business in the shower, that his own hand wasn't nearly as satisfying as Peyton's lush mouth or her hot, wet, tight pussy.
Jesus!
He raked his fingers through his hair. He needed to get his shit together and tuck the last couple of weeks way out of sight. He'd probably never see her again, anyway. He didn't do relationships, he reminded himself, and Peyton was definitely a relationship kind of woman, despite what she said. He needed to have one thing on his mind and one thing only. Ruthlessly suppressing everything else the way he'd been trained to do, he cleared his brain and began to think about what was ahead of him. And the two men he was about to meet.
Seven men were engaged in conversation at the big table in the back of Java Jake's, but, when he approached, they all looked up. Rick pushed back his chair and rose, studied Dix then gave him a bear hug.
"Damn. You do look good. More than good."
Dix prodded his thigh with a fist. "All healed and good as new."
"Okay, then. Come sit down and meet the new guys."
Dix greeted the other members of his team before focusing on the unfamiliar faces.
A man in a dark-green T-shirt with close-cropped dark-blond hair held out his hand. "Rusty Vaughn.
Dix shook it then glanced at the tattoo on the man's forearm. "That looks suspiciously like a .300 Win Mag sniper rifle."
Rusty grinned. "That's exactly what it is. It's the same rifle Chris Kyle used, and it's the one I have the most kills with."
Dix dipped his head once in acknowledgment. "Then we'll have to make sure you always have it at the ready."
The lean, dark man sitting next to Rusty also reached out a hand
"Gonzalo Cruz." He grinned, a flash of white teeth. "My friends call me Gonzo."
"What do your enemies call you?" Dix asked.
Gonzo winked. "Dangerous."
"Good to know." Dix seated himself in the empty chair they'd left for him.
A waitress came over with a full carafe of coffee and an empty mug for him. When everyone was full up, she left them to their business.
Gonzo cleared his throat. "I know we can't be replacements for the two men you lost," he began, "but Rusty and I really want to earn our place onto this team. You've earned a lot of respect as a team leader, Lieutenant Commander, and - "
Dix held up a hand. "Let me stop you right there. We don't use rank around here. We are all the same. We're known by what we do, not by the titles in front of our names." He grinned at Saul Roebuck. "Except for Master Chief here. I think he had his birth certificate changed."
They all laughed, and the little bit of tension he'd sensed dissipated.
"I have your records," he said to the newcomers. "The commander sent them to me when I was...away. Proud to have you on the team."
"Proud to be here," Gonzo said. "Hope we make the cut."
So they knew they were on probation, so to speak, Dix thought. Good. He wanted to make sure the entire team was tip top and completely meshed as a unit before signing off on them.
"I'm sure you were carefully chosen," Dix assured him.
"Actually, truth be told," Rusty said, "Gonzo just got in by the skin of his teeth and a choice someone else made."
Dix frowned. "Explain."
"You know of Jon Rudnick and Zane Alexander?" he asked.
Dix nodded. "I do."
"Well, the guy originally assigned to take - to join this team, decided to put in his papers. He's joining Rudnick and Alexander and two other guys in a private security agency they started here in Virginia Beach."
A little switch tripped in Dix's brain. "Private security?"
"Uh-huh," Rusty told him. It's called G.A.P.S. Guardian Angel Protective Service. Even got a motto. We cover your six when God's too busy."
That switch was flicking back and forth now. "So, where are they getting their guys from?"
"Basically other SEALs, to begin with," Rusty answered. "Guys about to get out or looking to get out. But they're also looking at apps from Delta Force and Force Recon Marines."
"Hmmm." Dix took a sip of his coffee. "Interesting." He didn't want to say too much about it when they had a crucial mission to plan and the team had two new members. But he never forgot anything, and he'd remember Rudnick and Alexander and G.A.P.S. For the first time since he'd joined the SEALs, he thought he might be ready to consider an alternative. Unless he was reading too much into what had taken place between himself and the redhead. The SEALs had been his home for as long as he could remember. Without asking a thing, she had shown him there was another possibility for him.
Later, he reminded himself. He had something important to do first, and that was what he needed to focus on.