SEAL Team Bravo: Black Ops IV (37 page)

“What are they facing, life?”

Jacks regarded him coldly. “Death. It’s the only penalty for what they’re accused of. Essentially, it’s spying and attempting to topple this phony emirate. The Arabs won’t deal, not at any price. If you can’t get them out when they come up for trial, they’ll be taken out and executed. There are eighteen men who survived the fight with the Islamists, and we can’t let them die. You will locate that headquarters first and call it in. Our air assets will take care of it while you haul your asses over to Lawdar and secure the release of those men, by any means. So you see, we’re on a timetable. One month, Chief. Get yourself fit, I mean, real fit. Go easy on, well, you know what I mean. You’ll be out of here in a week, and I want you back in uniform five weeks from today. You’ll have two weeks maximum to prepare, and then you go into Yemen. Any questions?”

“Lieutenant Boswell, Sir? How is he? Will he be fit enough to lead the Team in?”

Jacks shook his head. “It’s doubtful, but not impossible. I don’t suppose you’d consider a commission? I could get them to jump a rank, under the circumstances?”

Nolan laughed. “I took a blow to the head, Sir, but it wasn’t that bad. Why would I give up the best job in the Navy?”

Jacks laughed with him. “I guess not. I’ll leave you now with Captain Noguchi. I guess you two have a lot to talk about, or something.”

“Yeah.”

A few minutes later, Mariko returned to the hospital room.

“You’re going back to the Seals?”

“I am, yes.”

She forced a smile. “I’d hoped maybe something less stressful, but maybe not. At least we have three months.”

“One.”

“One? What…I don’t understand.”

“It’s called being a Navy Seal, Mariko. It’s what we’re trained for, to go anywhere, anytime.”

She looked crestfallen. “I guess so.”

“But I also have other skills. You know, I’ve been real lucky. I love doing what I do in the Navy Seals. So they must have lied to me.”

“What do you mean?”

“When they said, ‘make love not war’. I’m pretty good at doing both.”

She brightened and chuckled. “You’d better prove that statement, Mister.”

“I’m looking forward to it.