S.E.A.L. Team Omega

Excerpt from the Revised Flames of Betrayal

2010-04-21T17:52:00.000-07:00

Here are Chapters 1-3 of the revised edtion of Flames of Betrayal:

Chapter 1

The USS Constellation, one of the United States Navy’s premier carrier flagships, patrolled between the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic. Normal routine for the carrier involved surveillance and training…at least up until a week ago.

North Korean and Chinese terrorists claimed to posses a small nuclear weapon. Their renegade Chinese general became the focus of orders to Colonel Samuel Barnes, temporary commander, and his team.

Now the big boat trudged across the still waters, waiting for a helicopter contact that would take the commandos off ship to a new battlefront.

“Well, Colonel, I’d say this has been one wild week.” Admiral James Horton, the commander of the Constellation, spoke to Barnes from the battleship’s front bridge. Military to the core, having two non-military groups, covert ops Lightning Team and the mercenary Mavericks, roaming his deck gave the Admiral more tension headaches in three days than he’d had all year.

To add insult to injury, the Brit woman, Cassidy Marshall, was too young in his opinion to hold title of Commander. He knew she owned Marshall Enterprises, which housed the Mavericks, but still…

Dressed in clean fatigues, Colonel Barnes didn’t reply. Instead, his ice blue eyes looked at the water, now calm after last night’s brutal storm, and thought back to the previous mission.

A tall man with wavy blond hair, this soldier had gone through many names before the current guise of Samuel Barnes. Called the Lone Wolf in the killing fields of Vietnam, and Major Jon Stone in a government job, the name many recognized as the most famous killer in history was his birth name, Jared Taylor.

Now he wondered how cordial the Navy man would be if he knew who he shared the bridge with.

Barnes, or Taylor, rather, and his warriors, Grant, Schultz and Garrett, finished their mission three days earlier with the help of Marshall and her Maverick mercenaries, West, Fletcher, Chan and Troy. They now killed time either with training exercises or by driving the ship’s crew crazy.

“Nah, this job was a piece of cake.” Examining electronic gear over a tech’s shoulder, Eli Schultz spoke to the Admiral from across the bridge. “Usually Sean and Aiden are at each other’s throats.” The electronic wizard for Lightning Team exchanged grins with Garrett, a comrade-in-arms. “This time, there’ve been only a few growls.”

Sean Grant, a tall, rangy brunet with cool blue eyes, cast a dry look at his teammates. “Mainly because this boat is so huge, those kids have plenty of room to play and not be in my face.”

“Yeah, but what would you guys do without us to save your butts?” Aiden West asked as he and several of his top team members entered the bridge.

Admiral Horton couldn’t keep the frown from his face at their arrival.

West, in his late twenties, smirked at the men of Lightning Team. Mirrored sunglasses hid his brown eyes, and his long black hair irritated Horton.

The mercs had been both below decks and out on the flight deck playing with paint guns The paint spatters on their clothes showed that the war had been a massacre.

“I, for one, would live better,” Grant shot back but grinned as his adopted sister rolled her eyes and swiped at a yellow splatter on her forearm.

In her late twenties, Cassidy Marshall was the youngest of both Lightning Team and their counterpart in Omega Force and was also one of the youngest commandos anywhere.

“Admiral Horton? Admiral Miller from the USS Liberty is contacting us,” a communication tech spoke up.

Horton motioned the man to go on. “What did he want?”

“They’d like for us to send out a couple of our ‘copters to search for a SEAL team they lost contact with during the storm last night.”

No one on the bridge noticed the change that came over Cassidy or the Mavericks. Her spine stiffened and she held her breath while the men exchanged worried glances.

“Someone was out in that storm?” Evan Garret gaped. “Why?”

“According to the Liberty, the Seals were looking for a trawler carrying illegal cargo but their man on the ship lost contact with them. The Admiral wants us to send out search parties since we’re closer than they are.”

“Yes, I was informed of the situation.” Horton nodded, tight-lipped, then shook his head. “Tell Miller we are unable to comply.”

Taylor noticed his adopted sister’s blue eyes narrowing and asked the com tech, “What were the last known coordinates?”

As the tech read off the numbers, West studied a map on a wall. “That’s about thirty minutes from here. You launch a chopper or two; it would be easy to search for them.”

“Captain Lewis of Naval Intel told me this morning that any request to search for this team was to be ignored,” Horton asserted.

“What SEAL team is it?” Cassidy asked, her words clipped. A cold gut feeling told her she already knew.

“It’s the First Platoon Team Omega based out of Coronado,” Horton replied, shrugging. “Tremayne’s team never should have been out in that weather and now he’ll learn.”

The young woman knew that SEAL team well after spending several months with them as co-leader. She’d grown close to their leader, Commander Ethan Tremayne. At Horton’s callous response, heat flushed up her throat.

West grabbed Cassidy by the arm and whispered before she could spit a harsh reply. “Cool it. We need to stay calm.” Eyeing the map, he spoke up, “Admiral, one of my men is a licensed pilot. How about letting us look for Tremayne’s team?”

Horton sneered at the merc leader. “No mercenary is touching one of my aircraft! I have my orders for Tremayne’s unit. They’re dead.”

Cassidy frowned, flipping her long auburn braid over her shoulder. “Aiden, do something.”

West nodded, and took stock. He had three members with him armed with only realistic looking paint guns.

Small, sensitive microphones taped to each member’s throat connected the Mavericks. West spoke under his breath, knowing his second in command could hear him. “Reese, you still up on deck with the guys?”

“Yep, got our gear packed and we’re ready to scoot,” Reese Fletcher acknowledged keeping an eye on his team and the sailors on deck.

“How much trouble would it be for you guys to acquire two Blackhawk’s?” West asked, silently signaling to his men.

While Taylor argued with Horton, Grant watched his sister and the boys, noticing the change in their behavior.

Silence answered West while the dark blond Boston native hesitated over the question, not sure that he had heard correctly. “Ah, yeah, I’m looking at some right now. Is there a reason we’re going to commit a major felony against the Navy?”

“Explain later. Tell the boys, no deaths. Just hold the Navy boys off until we get up to you,” West ordered, then, with one eyebrow arched, warned Cassidy. “If we get caught, we blow our freedom and our clearances.”

“I need to find them,” she answered, wishing she didn’t have to involve the Mavericks. “I have my Browning. You have a plan?”

West sighed, then nodded. “Shoot the radio panel and we’ll hope that we can pull this off.”

In the middle of the bridge, frustration laced Horton’s voice. “I’m sorry, Colonel Barnes. My orders are firm and…” The gunshot from the 9mm pistol sounded like a cannon blast. It shattered the radio panel and sent the technician running for cover.

People whirled and reached for weapons, the Mavericks drawing first.

“Let’s not do that, boys.” West aimed his ‘gun’ at the Admiral but eyed Jared Taylor while Lee Chan collected the sailors’ weapons. “Rules are very simple: no one moves or tries anything and things stay fine. Do something stupid and someone gets hurt.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Eli demanded.

Troy McDowell, the Mavericks 4th in command, shrugged. “I think we’re borrowing a couple choppers and going SEAL hunting.”

“Cass, don’t do this,” Taylor ordered, reading her eyes. “Let me call Washington. Adam can sort this out.”

“That’s too late. By the time Adam and the President decide what to do, Ethan and the lads could be dead.” She backed toward the door with a look of apology. “I’m sorry but…they’re my friends and this stinks too much for me to let them die.”

West jerked his head toward the deck. “Don’t worry, Admiral. If at all possible, your aircraft will be returned.” He paused at the bulkhead door. “Oh, we’re jamming this, but I’m sure one of your sailors will let you out.”

“West!” Grant snapped, uncertain if he should be amused or angry. “You really think you’ll get away with this?”

“Probably not, Sean. At least you won’t have to worry about putting up with us any more.” The merc leader shrugged, then added, “They mean a lot to her and what the boss says goes.” He slammed the door with a bang while Troy and Lee blocked the handle with pipes.

“This won’t keep Taylor very long,” Lee remarked as they ran up to the flight deck.

“It won’t have to.” Cassidy reached the deck to find the ship’s on-deck crew locked in a shed and the rest of the Mavericks racing to two already-running Blackhawk helicopters.

Reese sat in the cockpit of the lead chopper, waiting for his team to board. When the door slammed shut, he spoke into his headset, “Does anyone care to tell me what in the hell we’re doing and, more to the point, why?”

“Tremayne’s team was out in the storm last night and now no one can raise them. Admiral Horton knew about it already but refused to send help so we’re…doing it.” West explained, turning to look at his employer. “I just hope they’re worth it.”

Cassidy didn’t reply. Instead, she dug in a duffel bag for a small metallic box. “Does anyone have a bloody clue what frequency Shaw uses on the SATCOM?” she asked, turning the box over to a mercenary.

Remy D’Arcy, a native of New Orleans, expertly handled the SATCOM device. “I got it. What makes you think Shaw’s on board the Liberty?” He typed numbers in to connect his device with the other.

“Shaw’s usually the only contact we have in the field. He’ll be on the Liberty.” Cassidy heard her headset switch to a different frequency and, seeing Remy nod, spoke into the mouthpiece. “Spook-1, this is your second worst nightmare calling. You listening or napping?”

She heard several Mavericks snickering, followed by a hiss on the SATCOM, then an incredulous voice.

“Who’s my main worst nightmare?” NSA agent Grady Shaw asked.

“Oh, I figure Adam Olsen, when Jared and Lightning Team get to a working radio,” Cassidy replied, rolling her eyes. “C’mon Grady, cut the chatter. The Navy boys on the Constellation are after us. What the bloody hell have you got Ethan into this time?”

“Oh, sweet Jesus, this can’t be good.” Shaw groaned, leaned back in his chair and ran fingers through his thinning hair. He shook his head as if the girl or the mercs could see him. “Do I want to know what you and those wonder boys of yours did?”

“No, now give,” she snapped.

“Short of it, the platoon got a job to look for a trawler believed to be carrying several hundred tons of pure uranium, drugs, and other illegal cargo. We had no clue what ship or even what nation it’s floating under. Last night, Tremayne and the boys went out to search, but the storm blew in.”

“Why the hell didn’t you call them back?” Cassidy demanded. “You knew how bad that storm was going to be.”

“No doubt, kid. The group was dropped off in two IBS boats. By the time we learned about that storm, it was too late. No chopper could get to them and back before it hit.”

West jumped in. “When did you lose contact?”

“The group separated to search for two targets. We lost contact with Ethan’s unit before the storm hit. I was on the radio with him when I heard a shot, then nothing. I haven’t been able to reach Chaning’s team since the storm.”

Cassidy swore. “Alright, give me the last coordinates for both teams and…Grady, see if you can’t buy us some time. Call Shaun or Steven if you need help. Just try to buy some time.”

“What in hell did you guys do?” the NSA man demanded, staring at a paper just handed to him. “You stole two Blackhawk’s? Horton wants the Liberty to send jets after you guys.”

“First off, we borrowed the choppers and second, tell him to go to hell. He refused to send help because he was ordered not to.” Cassidy replied. Seeing Remy look at his watch and knowing SATCOM transmissions could be traced, she cut the call short. “Got to go, Grady. I’ll call back soon.”

Shaw tried to cut in, but heard the link cut off and swore to himself.

Admiral Lawrence Miller watched him. “More bad news, I take it?”

“Oh, great news if you like a bunch of loose cannons with Presidential clearance running around with two borrowed Navy Blackhawk helicopters.” He reached for the radio. “The President’s going to love this.”

Chapter 2

“So do we have an idea where to look?” West split his unit up with one chopper going to one set of coordinates while his Blackhawk went to search the other. “Trying to find fifteen SEALS in the middle of the ocean will be like finding a flyspeck in black pepper."

Cassidy Marshall searched the ocean with telescopic sights of a rifle. “They have a beacon and we have the frequency. Reese, any luck?”

Multitasking, Fletcher was trying to fly low to the water without crashing, and keep an eye on the panels in front of him, as well as work the cloaking device. “The fact that I haven’t got us killed yet is luck, but picking up any signals — no.” He met his best friend’s eyes and acknowledged the grim truth.

With tension sparking from Cassidy, West wanted to prepare her. “The odds of finding them alive are slim, Cass. You have to accept that. No human being, not even a SEAL, could survive a storm like that.”

Ignoring him, she continued to watch for any signs of life in the miles of empty water.

“Eventually we’re going to have to face facts that Tremayne and the platoon are dead and return to ship.” West prepared himself for her anger.

“We turn back when I say.” With her chin jutted, she met and held his eyes. “And they aren’t dead until I see the bleedin’ bodies.”

A weak beep from the radio stopped West’s argument.

Remy’s fingers flew over the buttons to trace the signal. “Reese, 6.5 miles from us is the strongest reading,” Fletcher was already adjusting their course.

“We have bodies in the water,” McDowell announced when they reached the site.

“How many are there?” Cassidy asked.

“Not sure yet, luv,” the sandy haired Briton replied, jerking the zipper of his wetsuit up.

West opened the chopper door and nodded to his men. Already in wetsuits, Fletcher lowered them a few feet from the two inflatable rafts. Troy reached the men first. Some floated own their own and the raft held a few injured SEALS. He chose to ignore the zipped bag bobbing in the water.

“Hey, Sloan, need a lift?” he asked one of the floating SEALS.

Sloan O’Brien, the platoon medic, raised an eyebrow. “Damn! Getting rescued by Marines is insult enough, but rescued by you guys…?” In spite of his objection, the man swam around the raft to grasp the hand Troy offered.

“What’s your situation report?” Troy asked, eyeing the other men, seeing some he knew and some he didn’t.

A man he didn’t know replied. “The storm hit us hard. One killed and one seriously injured. Anything else is minor.”

“Our medic will see to those and we’ll get you back to the Liberty as soon as everyone’s on board,” Troy assured him, trying to place the man from files he’d glimpsed. He gave his report into the radio. “Aiden, we need to get these blokes outta the water. No life threatening injuries, just minor ones, but one death.”

Out of fifteen SEALs of First Platoon, they had rescued eight living and one dead. Including O’Brien, there were just three other SEALs the Mavericks knew.

Cassidy tried to pace in the small confines of the cabin as West and Remy helped waterlogged SEALs up the rope ladder. Someone stowed the black zippered bag from view.

“You’re not Navy. I can tell that already,” Lieutenant junior grade Logan Brookes, Bravo Squad leader, observed.

“No, not exactly, Lt. Brookes, but that’s a topic for a later time.” Cassidy spoke to him, but her gaze followed a Hispanic SEAL who was helped on board with his arm in a sling. His dark hair, flouting Navy regulations by its length, laid slick against his scalp in sopping clumps.

“Rafael?”

Rafael Chavez had been with the First Platoon since its founding and one who Cassidy had known the longest. A handsome man in his middle twenties, his eyes locked on hers and he smiled.

West waited until the last of the SEALs came on board, then sealed the door. “Got a mixture of Alpha and Bravo squads I see.” With a nod to Fletcher, the chopper started back to the Liberty. “We’re called Mavericks, Lieutenant. And as some of your men can attest to, we’ve worked with your outfit before.”

“Any word on the LT’s squad?” Kendall C. ‘Casey’ Gibson asked, batting Ira Weller’s probing fingers away from his wound.

Cassidy shook her head just when the second Blackhawk radioed.

“Aiden, we found the second site.” Lee Chan’s British accent sounded tight, a sure sign his next words were going to be bad.

West waited a beat before asking, “What else are you going to drop on me?”

“We have a raft shot full of holes and three bodies. No sign of the rest, either living or dead.”

“The bodies, we know them?” West asked.

“No.” Lee looked at the corpses his unit brought onto the hovering Blackhawk. “Probably SEALs, but none we knew. My guess is the bloody terrorists captured the others. We passed a ship on the way here.”

West made a quick decision before his leader could cut in. “Alright, pull back and meet us at the Liberty. Get the coordinates of that ship cause I figure we’ll be back.” Needing to determine that all the dead were SEALs, West asked the Lieutenant sitting across from him, “Did you have any other people out on this recon?”

Brookes shook his head, accepting the bottle of water handed to him. “No, but Ethan had extra men from another squad.”

Cassidy did quick mental calculations. “That leaves six still unaccounted for.”

“If they were dead, the bodies would have been left.” Casey replied, not caring for what that meant.

“So, they’re prisoners, then,” Rafael nodded, wincing as O’Brien rechecked his arm.

“Wonderful.” West rubbed his eyes. “First we get these guys back to ship, talk to Shaw, and see how much time we have. Let me talk to Shaun back in the States. If he can keep the Constellation and Lightning Team off our backs, then maybe we find Tremayne.”

“I will not leave those men!” Cassidy declared, eyes sparking, arms crossed. “Washington can go to hell! I’ve never left anyone behind and I won’t start now.”

West blew out a breath, trying to rein in his temper. He knew how she felt, but he also knew how much trouble they were asking for. “Damn it, Cassidy! We’ll be lucky if we aren’t arrested on sight as soon as we land on the Liberty. Trying another move this soon without any backup or authorization is slitting our own throats.”

Rafael Chavez, the sniper for Alpha Squad, coughed to break the tension. “I’m taking a wild guess. You guys shouldn’t be out here, should you?” His dark eyes locked onto Cassidy, knowing by her body language that something was wrong. “Cassidy Renee, what did you do?” he asked more firmly.

The British girl slowly looked around at the SEALs before finally meeting Rafael’s eyes. “We were on the Constellation when the call came in that you had been lost in the storm. Some bloke from Navy Intel had already been in touch with Horton, and he refused to send out any search parties… so we came.”

Brookes raised his eyebrows. “I can’t see a Navy Admiral lending two Blackhawks out to…whatever you guys are.”

As the Mavericks avoided that and Cassidy shifted, Casey finally read the signs and gaped. “Oh, my God, you stole two Navy helicopters?”

“Borrowed. We only borrowed them for a little while.” Cassidy corrected over Rafael’s groan.

“And you had the nerve to lecture us on some of the stunts we pulled,” he muttered, eyeing her warily. “Do I want to ask how exactly you got past the Navy to borrow these things?”

West coughed. “Doubt it.”

Brookes stared between them, getting a gut feeling that he should have stayed in the water. “Just who the hell are you people and what the hell kinds of clearances do you have?”

“Before this stunt, we had both Presidential and U.N. clearances along with diplomatic immunity,” West sighed, eyeing his friend. “After this, I doubt if we have anything but the Grace of God looking after us and, since we’re all atheists, that ain’t much.”

“The Liberty is coming up,” Fletcher called back. “So far they haven’t locked missiles or the big guns on us.”

“Shut up, Reese,” West snapped, catching his Magnum that Remy tossed to him. “No chances, so make sure your sidearms are ready.”

As Fletcher landed, he saw the other team had beaten them back. They stood on the flight deck, talking with Navy officers and Grady Shaw. “Lee and the boys aren’t in chains yet, so it could still be clear.” He shut down the engines and heard his best friend growl a curse at him.

Deckhands and medics rushed to help the injured SEALs as Shaw came over with a middle-aged man wearing Admiral’s stripes.

“Welcome back, Logan.” Shaw shook hands with Brookes, amused at the look he got.

Logan Brookes knew he needed to see that his men were taken care of, but his questions demanded immediate answers. “Can you explain what the hell is going on?”

The NSA man knew what he was referring to even before he looked up at West. “Get the others settled and meet me in the recreation room. I’ll have answers for you then,” Shaw replied, noticing that Cassidy seemed torn between wanting to follow the SEALs and hearing what he had to say.

Admiral William Miller eyed the two choppers and the young people he now had on his carrier. “I was just telling Grady that we don’t get enough interesting things here,” he remarked. “It’s odd that just when Horton loses two Navy choppers, my ship’s communication center develops a serious bug and can’t reply to his bellowing.”

West eyed the man, gauging his words. “I suppose those things can happen from time to time. Even the U.S. Navy can’t tell when things will break down.”

“Yep, and I figure my men won’t be able to fix that bug for quite some time. So if someone say…wanted to launch a couple misplaced birds to track down a ship, I sure wouldn’t be able to say anything about it.” Mischief filled Miller’s eyes. “You go with Grady while my boys wash these birds.”

As the Admiral went off whistling, the confused mercenaries looked to Grady Shaw who busted out laughing. “He thinks it’s great that someone took Horton down a notch.” He headed into the ship. “Let’s go talk.”

Chapter 3

Shaw sat down in the ship’s rec room and raked the new arrivals with a critical eye. Not even the sight of some of them smeared in paint splatters lightened his mood. “You guys are in deep shit. Horton’s in a rage. Washington is incensed. Hell, even the President isn’t sure what to do with you. Olsen is spitting nails and it’s all I can do to keep his team outta this. What in the hell happened?” His jaws clenched. “None of you are this reckless.”

Before West could speak, Cassidy stood, her feet planted, her shoulders squared. She explained the sequence of events to Shaw and ended with, “That bastard Horton wasn’t going to do anything. By the time Olsen could’ve gotten around Navy Intel, it would’ve been too late.”

Shaw rubbed his face, glad she hadn’t killed anyone — yet. “Alright, I think I can buy some time since you did find Brooke’s team.” He sighed, tallying how many favors he’d need to pull in.

“I won’t abandon Ethan and the others.” Cassidy cut into his thoughts. “Aiden and the lads can stay out of it if they want to.”

“How’d I know you were going to say that? You sound too much like Tremayne to suit me.”

She smiled but her eyes remained firm. “No SEAL will ever be left behind on my watch. They’re my men, too.”

“Have you told Brookes who you are?” Shaw asked, knowing that she hadn’t.

Cassidy ran a finger down a map. “No, I don’t think he can handle having a woman as First platoon’s co-leader. I’ll tell him… just not yet.”

The NSA case officer hated that he couldn’t read West, so he reminded him, “Brookes doesn’t have enough men left to take on a ship full of terrorists.”

“We’re handling it,” West groused, kissing his life and career goodbye. “You just keep Taylor and Lightning Team off our backs.”

Shaw could have laughed aloud at that, but Lt. (J.G.) Logan Brookes entered the room, tight-lipped and grim. “Alright, Shaw, tell me what’s going on and how we’re going to them back.”

“Okay, ladies, here’s how it pans out. Since only three bodies have been recovered, it’s safe to assume the rest of the platoon has been captured on board the trawler Arcadia.” Shaw noticed that several SEALs cast wary looks at the Mavericks, wondering if they had the chops for this mission.

Jake Summers, the platoon scout, frowned. “That’s an odd name. What banner’s this ship flying under?”

“It doesn’t have a banner. It’s a Japanese ship that sailed from Cyprus. We believe terrorists commandeered it,” Shaw replied, adding, “We wanted it stopped before it reached port.”

“And of course only the 1st platoon could handle it.” Cassidy spoke, leaning against the back wall. The woman’s tone warned Shaw what would come next. It had been an old argument between them. “Doesn’t the NSA or CIA have any other black bag group they could sacrifice? Why is it always Ethan and the lads?” She pushed away from the wall and walked toward the NSA man. “Want to know offhand how many men your black ops have cost the platoon?”

Brookes didn’t know this strange British woman, except that she was connected to his unit. The too quiet tone and the look in her eyes unnerved him. “Chavez, O’Brien.” He called in the two men who knew something about these strangers.

Cassidy’s mood grew darker. “Let’s start with Syria. Simple job. Go in, blow up a town, get out, and make pick up. It was supposed to be a real bloody cake-walk.”

Shaw coughed. “Cass, this isn’t the time for…”

She jabbed a finger inches from his face. “That job cost Sully his life, and knocked Tex out of the SEALs. Two good men, my men, and they weren’t the only ones.” Her icy blue eyes locked on his. “You want me to name others? Do you?” When she didn’t get an answer, she spouted, “Keith! Scotty! Abe!…and now this! You sent them in with no information and four are dead — more, if I raid that boat and Ethan …” She cut off, refusing to think that. Leaning in, she glared directly into his eyes and hissed, “If any one of them is dead, you had better pray I die, too, because I will find you and…”

Needing to regain control, Brooke nodded to O’Brien who strode across the room. With a deft move, he lifted the woman and set her down a few feet back. “That’s enough of that, little skipper.” He spoke softly, but it cleared the roar in Cassidy’s mind.

“I’m fine!” she protested, then spoke to Shaw again. “Do you have any actual details, or am I flying blind as usual?”

Figuring it was finally safe to speak, Shaw cleared his throat. “We know that ship has a crew of one hundred, but it can house twice that many. We don’t know how many men are on board or if they’re all terrorists. The crew could be innocent, but then…” he shrugged. “You’ll have to use your own discretion.”

“What about prisoners?” West asked.

“Our priority is to take possession of the uranium. A prisoner would be fine, but don’t get killed if you can’t.”

Shaw knew that both the SEALs and the Mavericks worked better unencumbered with restrictions. Therefore, even though his superiors expected prisoners, he wasn’t going to distract them from their main goal.

“A stupid question, but do we have the green light for this?” Jace Adams asked.

Adams was the platoon’s radio operator and took care of all their SATCOM transmissions.

Shaw hesitated, meeting Cassidy’s eyes. “Officially no, and that brings us to my statement of liability.”

“Uh-oh, here it comes.” Gibson slid lower in his chair and closed his green eyes. “The old deniability line that if we’re killed or captured, the United States will disavow any knowledge of our existence. Been there, done that.”

Laughter spread over the room. Even Shaw smiled briefly before waving for silence. “That’s usually the case, but…”

“This job’s illegal as hell,” Cassidy snapped. “I fully intend on finding those men, come hell or high water.

“My mates and I broke a few rules getting you guys, and we’ll probably break a few more before we’re done. This time it’s different, though.” She paused to look at each man. “Someone high up wants you guys to rot in the wind. Shaw can’t get an official green light to raid that boat. Any action taken is illegal and could be considered an act of war.

“Right now, you blokes are legal. But, if you choose to go on this mission and things go badly, you’re risking your careers, your freedom and your lives. We still have a few hours, so think it over because, once we move, there’s no turning back.” She paused for a moment. “Give them your usual speech, Shaw. You don’t need us for that.” Cassidy read Shaw’s concern, but ignored it to motion to West.

As Cassidy and the Mavericks left, an awkward silence filled the room until Shaw broke it. “Damn.”

New revised edition for Flames of Betrayal!

2010-04-20T17:35:00.000-07:00

The first book in the S.E.A.L. Team Omega series, Flames of Betrayal, has undergone an editing and in some cases, a chopping process. It is now back live for Kindle and on Smashwords(there will be a Smashwords coupon for those readers who have read the previous version and would like to read the new edition. Just contact me).
The paperback is pending approval of the proof and when it goes live, it will eventually also have a new price of $8.99 on Amazon.com.

Flames of Betrayal on Barnes & Noble & Goodreads!

2010-01-09T19:16:00.000-08:00

As of today, Flames of the Betrayal is available for sale on Barnes & Noble online! It's also available via local Border stores if you go on and ask for it which is good.
Flames of Betrayal on B&N! and along with my Facebook fan page for the series, it also has a group on Goodreads at S.E.A.L. Team Omega on Goodreads
Stop by and check it out!

Flames of Betrayal Chapter 1

2009-12-17T15:05:00.000-08:00

Here's Chapter 1 for Flames of Betrayal for your previewing pleasure. If interested in more information on the series, check out the rest of this blog or my website and it can be purchased at Amazon.com in paperback or On Kindle on Amazon . It's also available as an ebook on Smashwords .Also, be sure to check out the S.E.A.L. Team Omega Facebook page and become a fan .

Chapter One

The USS Constellation was one of the United States Navy’s premier flagships for one of its carrier groups. It patrolled part of the largest areas of ocean between the Mediterranean Sea and Atlantic.

The normal routine for the large carrier and its group was mainly surveillance and training. At least up until a week ago when orders came from the Navy chief of command of the Atlantic division.

The huge carrier found itself under the temporary command of Colonel Samuel Barnes and his team. The assignment was to locate and stop a renegade Chinese general who had allied himself with a group of militant North Korean and Muslim terrorists with claims of possessing a small nuclear weapon.

It was certainly a switch from fake training to being on the edge of actual combat if called on.

Luckily, Colonel Barnes and his men had been able to handle the terrorists and their nuclear weapon with no lives being lost except for that of some of the terrorists.

Now it was just a matter of dealing with the tedious task of the big boat trudging back across the still waters waiting for a helicopter contact that would take the commandos off ship to a new battlefront.

“Well, Colonel, I’d say this has been one wild week.” Admiral James Horton, the commander of the Constellation and her group, was speaking to Sam Barnes from the front bridge of the battle ship.

Dressed in clean fatigues, Colonel Barnes didn’t reply. Instead, he looked out at the now calm waters after last nights brutal storm and thought back to the previous mission.

A tall man with wavy blond hair that brushed his collar and ice blue eyes, this soldier had gone thru many names in his life before the current guise of Samuel Barnes.

Called the Lone Wolf in the killing fields of Vietnam, Major Jon Stone at one point in his government career but still the name he knows himself as and one that many would recognize as the most famous killer in history, Jared Taylor.

Now as he stood on a battleship after another fight, he silently wondered how cordial the Navy man would be if he knew exactly whom he had on his ship currently.

Taylor and his warriors had been finished with their mission for three days. They were now killing time on the boat either with training exercises or in the case of four of his longtime friends driving the crew crazy.

“Nah, this job was a piece of cake.” Eli Schultz spoke to the Admiral from across the bridge were he was examining electronic gear over a tech’s shoulder. “Usually Sean and Aiden are at each other’s throats.”

The electronic wizard for Lightning Team, the blond haired fighter exchanged grins with his stockier, black haired Hispanic and slender, fair-haired teammates.

“This time, there have been only a few growls.”

One of the two men mentioned, a tall, rangy black haired man with cool blue eyes, turned to cast a dry look at his team members.

“Mainly because this boat is so huge those kids have plenty of room to play and not be in my face.”

Sean Grant was Lightning Team’s boss. A former Delta Force member and ex-cop from Houston, Texas, he had been a lead officer on the task force assigned to capture or kill Jared Taylor but soon left that for the Justice Department and then Lightning Team.

A highly impatient man with a quick temper he was often the brunt of jokes from his teammates and from the young members of the Mavericks, the mercenary unit his foster sister owned and controlled.

“Yeah, but what would you guys do without us to save your butts?” Aiden West asked as he and several of his top team members entered the bridge.

Admiral Horton couldn’t keep the frown from his face as these young men entered his bridge.

The Mavericks were the main subsidiary of Marshall Enterprises, and world-class mercenaries. They often worked with Taylor and the other teams at Eagle’s Rock even though everyone agreed the Mavericks were always happier when they could work alone.

West, a young man in his late twenties or early thirties with long black hair and brown eyes usually hidden behind mirrored sunglasses, smirked at the men of Lightning Team.

The young mercs had been both below decks and out on the flight deck playing with paint guns since Taylor had put his foot down on allowing them to use their actual guns.

It was plain by the paint spots on their clothes that the war had been something of a massacre.

“I, for one, would live better.” Grant shot back but grinned as his sister rolled her eyes.

The youngest of both Lightning Team and their counterparts in Omega Force, Cassidy Marshall was in her late twenties.

A British girl with long auburn hair and blue eyes, she owned one of the most successful corporations in the world but more to her concern, she was also one of the youngest commandos in the world.

“Admiral, Admiral Miller from the USS Liberty is contacting us.” a communication tech spoke up.

Horton turned and motioned the man to go on. “What did he want?”

“They’d like for us to send out a couple of our ‘copters to search for a SEAL team that they lost contact with during the storm last night.” the tech replied.

No one on the bridge noticed the change that came over Cassidy or the present Mavericks.

“Someone was out in that storm?” Evan Garret, the fourth member of Lightning Team, gaped, not believing it. “Why?”

“According to the Liberty, the Seals were looking for a trawler or something they believed to be carrying illegal cargo of some kind but their contact on the ship lost contact with them and the Admiral would like us to send out search parties since we are closer than they are.” the tech explained.

“Yes, I was informed of the situation.” Horton nodded then shook his head. “Please tell Miller we are unable to comply.”

Taylor looked at the man, noticing his adopted sister was frowning. “What were the last known coordinates?” he asked.

As the tech read off the numbers, Aiden West looked at a map on a wall. “That’s about thirty minutes from here. You launch a chopper or two; it would be easy to search for them.”

“I was contacted early this morning from Captain Lewis of Naval Intel and he said that any request to search for this team was to be ignored.” he replied stiffly.

“What SEAL team is it?” Cassidy asked, almost hoping she was wrong but a cold gut feeling told her she wouldn’t be.

“It’s the First Platoon of S.E.A.L. Team Omega based out of Coronado.” Horton replied, shrugging. “Tremayne’s team never should have been out in that weather and now he’ll learn.”

West grabbed his friend by the arm before she could spit a harsh reply at that.

The young woman had a good reason for knowing that SEAL team well as she had spent several months with them as co-leader and had grown quite close to their team leader, Commander Ethan Tremayne.

“Cool it.” he whispered, eyeing the map again then his friend. “We need to handle this calmly.”

“Admiral, one of my men is a licensed pilot. How about letting us go out and look for Tremayne’s team?” he asked calmly, wishing his diplomat had been with them instead of up on the flight deck.

Horton seemed to sneer at the merc leader. “No mercenary is touching one of my aircraft and I have my orders for Tremayne’s unit. They’re dead.”

Cassidy frowned, not liking the tone or words. “Aiden, do something.”

West nodded barely, looking around them. He had three members of his team with him but armed with only realistic looking paint guns. “Reese, you still up on deck with the guys?”

The microphones the team was connected with were small, flesh colored equipment that was taped on the throat and could pick up the softest words so when he spoke, West spoke under his breath but his second in command had no trouble picking him up.

“Yep, got our gear packed and we’re ready to scoot.” Reese Fletcher acknowledged him while keeping an eye on his team and the assembled sailors on the deck.

“How much trouble would it be for you guys to sort of ‘acquire’ two Blackhawk’s?” West asked while silently giving his men directions.

While Taylor argued with Horton on his decision, Grant was watching his sister and the boys. Noticing the change in their behavior told him something was up.

Silence answered West while the dark blond Boston native hesitated over the question, not sure that he had heard correctly. “Ah, yeah, I’m looking at some right now. Is there a reason we’re going to commit a major felony against the Navy?”

“Explain later. Tell the boys, no deaths. Just hold the Navy boys off until we get up to you.” West ordered, looking at Cassidy. “We do this; we blow our freedom if caught and our clearances.”

“I need to find them,” she answered, hating to involve the Mavericks but not seeing any other choice. “I have my Browning, you have a plan?”

West sighed, considering then nodding. “Shoot the radio panel and we’ll hope that we can pull this off.”

“I’m sorry, Colonel Barnes. My orders are firm and…” the gunshot sounded like a cannon blast as the 9mm pistol shattered the radio panel and sent the technician running for cover.

People whirled to stare but as people began reaching for weapons, the present Mavericks had pulled guns.

“Let’s not do that, boys.” West aimed his ‘gun’ at the Admiral but eyed Jared Taylor firmly while Lee Chan went around collecting the guns from the sailors. “Rules are very simple: no one moves or tries anything and things stay fine. Do something stupid and someone gets hurt.”

“What the hell are you doing?” Eli demanded, flabbergasted by this.

Troy McDowell, the Mavericks 4th in command, shrugged as he pointed his weapon at the group. “I think we’re borrowing a couple choppers and going SEAL hunting.”

“Cass, don’t do this.” Taylor declared, eyeing his sister and reading her eyes. “Let me call Washington. Adam can sort this out.”

“That’s too late. By the time Adam and the President talk for hours, Ethan and the lads could be dead.” she returned, backing slowly toward the door with a look of apology. “I’m sorry but…they’re my friends and this all stinks too much for me to let them die like this.”

West jerked his head toward the door. “Don’t worry Admiral. If at all possible your aircraft will be returned.” he paused at the bulkhead door. “Oh, we’re jamming this but be cool. I’m sure one of your sailors will come down and let you guys out.”

“West!” Grant snapped, uncertain if he should be amused or angry. “You really think you’ll get away with this?”

“Probably not Sean but then at least you won’t have to worry about putting up with us any more,” the merc leader replied with a shrug, adding. “They mean a lot to her and what the boss says goes.”

He slammed the door shut with a bang while Troy and Lee blocked the handle with some pipes they had found.

“This won’t keep Taylor very long.” Lee remarked as they ran up to the flight deck.

“It won’t have to.” Cassidy replied reaching the deck to see that the assembled crew had all been locked in a shed off to one side and the rest of the Mavericks were running to two already running Blackhawk helicopters.

Reese Fletcher was sitting in the cockpit of the lead chopper as his team leaders boarded and the door slammed shut.

“Does anyone care to tell me what in the hell we’re doing and more to the point, why?” he asked calmly after the others had donned headsets.

“Tremayne’s team was out in the storm last night and now no one can raise them. Admiral Horton knew about it already but refused to send help so we’re…doing it.” West explained, turning to look back at his employer. “I just hope they’re worth it.”

Cassidy didn’t choose to reply to the comment. Instead, she was digging in a duffel bag for a small computer like box.

“Does anyone have a bloody clue what frequency Grady Shaw usually uses on the SATCOM?” she asked, turning the box over to a young mercenary.

Remy D’Arcy, a native of New Orleans, expertly handled the SATCOM device that the SEALS always used for communicating and the Mavericks had recently adopted.

“I got it. What makes you think Shaw’s on board the Liberty?” he asked curiously, typing numbers in to connect his device with the other mans’.

“Shaw’s usually the only contact we have while in the field. He’ll be on the Liberty and he’s the one who has the information we need.” Cassidy replied, hearing her headset switch to a different frequency and seeing Remy nod that they were connected. “Spook-1, this is your second worst nightmare calling. You listening or napping?”

The snickering of several Mavericks was heard but soon a hiss came over the SATCOM then an incredulous voice.

“Whose my main worst nightmare?” the wary voice of NSA agent Grady Shaw could be heard.

Shaw was a short man in his middle ages with thinning hair and had been the main liaison with S.E.A.L. Team Omega ever since they had started working with the NSA.

One of the rare honest spies in the world today he was still wary about certain things and considering his problems of late, this last call had him both surprised and very wary.

“Oh, I figure Adam Olsen when my brother Jared and Lightning Team get to a working radio.” Cassidy replied, rolling her eyes. “C’mon Grady, my time is limited before the Navy boys on the Constellation send out jets after us so fill me in on what the bloody hell you got Ethan into this time.”

“Oh, sweet Jesus, this can’t be good.” Shaw groaned, leaning back in his chair and shaking his head as if the girl or the mercs could see him. “Do I want to know what you and those wonder boys of yours did?”

“No, now give.” came her short reply.

Figuring the situation was bad if the girl wasn’t seriously jumping down his throat yet, Shaw began to explain.

“Short of it, the platoon got a job to go looking for a trawler that is believed to be carrying several hundred tons of pure uranium, drugs and other illegal cargo. We had no clue what ship or even what nation it’s floating under so last night Tremayne and the boys went out to start searching but the storm blew in.”

“Why the hell didn’t you call them back?” Cassidy demanded. “If you knew how bad that storm was going to be they should have been called back.”

“No doubt, kid.” Shaw agreed, explaining. “The group was dropped off in two IBS boats; by the time we learned how bad that storm was going to be it was too late. No chopper could get to them and back before it hit.”

West had been listening and knew how bad that actually was. “When did you lose contact?”

“Actually, the group had separated to search two targets. We lost contact with Ethan’s unit before the storm even hit. I was on the radio with him when what sounded like a shot sounded then nothing and I haven’t been able to reach Chaning’s team since the storm.”

Cassidy swore violently. “Alright, give me the last coordinates you had for both teams and…Grady, see if you can’t but us some time. Call Shaun or Steven if you have to have help, just try to buy some time.”

“What in hell did you guys do?” the NSA man demanded, taking a paper he was handed and staring at what it said. “You stole two Blackhawk’s? Horton wants the Liberty to send jets after you guys.”

“First off, we ‘borrowed’ the choppers and second, tell him to go to hell. He refused to send help because he was ordered not to.” Cassidy replied, seeing Remy look at his watch and knowing that even SATCOM transmissions could be traced, she decided to cut the call short. “Got to go, Grady, I’ll call back soon.”

Shaw tried to cut in but heard the link cut off and swore to himself as Admiral Lawrence Miller watched him. “More bad news, I take it?”

“Oh, great news if you like the idea of a bunch of loose cannons with Presidential clearance running around with two ‘borrowed’ Navy Blackhawk helicopters.” he replied sourly, reaching for the radio. “The President is going to love this.”

Snippet from Flames of Betrayal

2009-12-10T14:06:00.000-08:00

Since it is now available of Kindle download on Amazon On Kindle here's a snippet from Flames of Betrayal:

Hearing the others in the squad coming Rafael swore. “Keep them back. She doesn’t know them and she will shoot.” of that, he was certain. He had seen her kill and he knew even as hurt as she was that she was still a dead shot.

O’Brien went out to head his squad mates off while Rafael considered their options. ‘No choice’ he decided while holstering his weapon.

“What the hell are you doing, Rafe?” Casey demanded, seeing his friend take a deep breath.

“I’m going to try to talk to her.” Rafael returned, eyeing the younger SEAL. “Failing that, tell my wife that I loved her.”

Before Casey could argue Rafael stepped forward, seeing he had her attention but not liking the glassy look in her blue eyes or the way she was shaking.

“Cass? It’s Rafael, can we talk about this?” he asked softly, careful to keep his voice low and calm despite the thudding of his heart. “Honey, it may not seem like it after this, but you are safe.”

The girl’s eyes had snapped up to meet his as soon as he had spoken but she showed no signs of recognition or of lowering the weapon.

“Get…away.” her voice was whisper soft, the accent heavier as it always was when she was sick or hurt. “Won’t…let you…Get away!” she screamed.

Rafael had taken a step forward but backed away at her cry, raising his hands. “Easy, boss, no one here will hurt you. Hell, my wife would scalp me if I let anything happen to you.”

“Chavez, what in the hell are you doing?” Logan Brookes demanded from the door.

“Duck, LT!” Casey yelled, throwing himself backwards at his officer and knocking the man to the floor just as the bullet flew past where he had been standing.

Meet the Platoon!

2009-12-08T16:32:00.000-08:00

Here's a basic overview of members of S.E.A.L. Team Omega:

S.E.A.L. Team Omega First Platoon, based out of Coronado, California, as part of Naval Special Warfare Group-1, has been assigned solely to the National Security Agency for use in covert actions anywhere in the world. Chain of command goes through the NSA, the Navy C.N.O and the President of the United States. They do not operate by standard Navy protocol.

     Rear Admiral Anthony Sanford: Commander of all SEAL teams on either Coast. He’s based between Coronado, California, and Little Creek, Virginia. Age: 56

     Captain Montel Jackson: He’s the commanding officer of the NAVSPECWARGROUP-1 in Coronado, California. African-American male. Age: 56.

     Commander James St. Clair: He’s the Commanding Officer of the Navy Special Warfare Group 1 S.E.A.L. Team Omega in Coronado, California. Age: 49, 6’1”, 225lbs. Annapolis graduate.

     Master Chief Petty Officer Douglas MacCray: He’s administrator and top enlisted man of all the SEALs in Coronado. Age: 49, 5’8”, 190lbs. Former Senior Chief for S.E.A.L. Team Omega until promotion.

    Grady Shaw: He’s the NSA liaison with S.E.A.L. Team Omega. Gives them their orders and works between the group, the CNO, the NSA and the President. Thinning hair, loyal, and likes to hunt and fish. Age 40

MAIN TEAM:

Commander Ethan Tremayne: Platoon co-leader, Age: 33, 6’6”, 220 lbs. An Annapolis graduate, with seven years in the Navy, two years in the SEALs. This is his first command. His father, (James Douglas) is a vital ex-Senator and current Congressman from Kentucky. Owns a condominium in Coronado, drives a Jeep Cherokee. His weapon is an Alliant Bullpup 5.56mm with a 20mm grenade launcher. He speaks Arabic, French, and German. Blue eyes with collar length black hair.

Commander Cassidy Marshall: Platoon co-leader by special Presidential order. Age: 28, 5’4”, 130lbs. Born in London, raised in Virginia at Eagle’s Rock. In addition, a member of two anti-terrorist teams based from there, owns Marshall Enterprises. Weapons: 9mm Browning Hi-Power, H&K MP-5 SD sub-machine gun. She speaks fluent German, Spanish, some French, and Italian. She has blue eyes with long auburn hair.

ALPHA SQUAD ROSTER:

     Michael Chaning: He’s the Senior Chief Petty Officer & Top EM in First Platoon, third in command. Age: 33, 6’3”, 220lbs. He’s married to Connie, two kids. He’s been in the Navy for sixteen years and a SEAL for five. Expert fisherman, plays guitar in a blues band. His Weapon is an Alliant Bullpup 5.56mm with a 20mm launcher. He’s good with the man, strong and strict but not harsh. He speaks Spanish, Farsi, and some Hebrew. He has brown eyes with short dark blond hair.

     Kendal Chase ‘Casey’ Gibson: Machinist Mate, 1st Class. Lead Petty Officer. Age: 28, 6’, 190lbs. He has a quick mind and a good planner when he applies self to it. Drinks and gambles too much at times, when drunk he sings. He likes to flirt. He’s an Idaho native. He’s an expert with all small arms. Weapon: H&K MP-% submachine gun. He will aid in planning the ops. He has green-eyes with blond hair that’s often past collar.

     Rafael Chavez: Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class. Age: 29, 6’2”, 190lbs. Wife is Sophia, 5-year-old daughter, Pilar. He lives with family in La Jolla. He speaks Spanish, Portuguese, Farsi, and some French. He’s the Alpha Squad sniper with an H&K PSG-1 7.62 rifle. He has Brown eyes, black hair that’s longer than normal.

     Jace Adams: Quartermaster, 1st Class. Age: 24, 6’1”, 240lbs. Born in Rhode Island. Ex-High School football star was going pro until he joined the Navy. He’s divorced, with no kids. Quiet and enjoys readings, mainly classic horror. Platoon Radio operator who carries the SATCOM unit. Weapon is Alliant Bullpup 5.56 with a 20mm launcher. He speaks some Arabic, French, and German. He has green eyes with blond hair.

     Jake Summers: Operations Specialist, 2nd Class. Age: 22, 5’9” 190lbs. Platoon tracker and a quick thinker. Has two years of college. Loves motorcycles and is building one. He enjoys a good party and prefers robust girls. Weapon is either an M-16 with attached grenade launcher or the Alliant Bullpup 5.56 with 20mm explosive round launcher. He speaks several Spanish languages, Farsi and some Chinese. He grew up in Puerto Rico. Has brown eyes and black hair.

     Joe ‘Jo-Long’ Carver: Quartermaster, 2nd Class. Age: 24, 6’1”, 185lbs. Son of an American Marine and a Chinese dancer. Platoon translator who speaks Mandarin, Cantonese and two other Chinese languages, Korean, Russian, and Japanese. He’s a marathon nut. Weapon: H&K MP-5 submachine gun. He’s from Sacramento. He has brown eyes with short black hair.

     Rusty Kayayan: Electrician’s Mate, 1st Class. Age: 23, 6’2”, 200lbs. He was born in the U.S., parents originally from Armenia. He enlisted the day of High School graduation. Played soccer in school, wants to be professional fisherman once hitch in the Navy is up. He’s a good mechanic who loves to tinker in all things electronic. He’s squad machine gunner. His weapon is an H&K 21-E 7.62 NATO machine gun. He speaks Armenian, German, some Hebrew, and Arabic. He has brown-eyes with brown hair that’s always in his face.

BRAVO SQUAD ROSTER:

     Lieutenant (Junior Grade) Logan Brookes: Squad leader for Bravo Squad, second in command of the platoon. Age: 33, 6’3”, 220lbs. He’s originally from Oregon. He’s has ten years in the Navy with four in the SEALs. He loves to paraglide. He’s married to Paige, a corporate lawyer, no kids. An Annapolis graduate, Father is a Navy Admiral. Grew up in 8 States and 3 countries. His weapon is an Alliant Bullpup 5.56mm with 20mm launcher or H&K MP-5. He speaks German, Italian, and Spanish with some French. He has blue eyes with thick, wavy brown hair.

     Darius Ford: Gunner’s Mate 2nd Class. Age: 26, 6’2”, 220 lbs. Single, African-American, played basketball in high school. He’s an artist in his free time who draws and paints in all mediums. He likes to do seascapes. He’s been in the Navy for six years and a SEAL for four. He rides an old low-rider motorcycle. Bravo Squad Sniper with a H&K PSG-1 7.62 rifle. He speaks some Spanish and French. He has brown eyes with black short hair.

     Sloan O’Brien: Hospital Corpsman, 1st Class. Age: 27, 6’6”, 200 lbs. He’s the Platoon Medic, a marathon swimmer, Scottish ancestry. Lifts weights and generally presses 275 pounds. He likes to surf and race. He’s divorced, with no kids and dates frequently. Weapon is the Alliant Bullpup 5.56mm or a H&K G-11 caseless rifle. He has green eyes with red wavy hair. He has an easygoing manner.

     Zak Lani: Yeoman, 2nd Class. Age: 22, 5’6”, 175lbs. Hawaiian native. He loves animals, divorced with four kids. He speaks Hawaiian, Farsi, and Arabic. Expert with knives and can throw with a deadly accuracy. He uses shuriken when possible. He’s very agile. Weapon is the H&K MP-5 Submachine gun. Has brown eyes with short brown hair, deeply tanned. He loves to play jokes.

     Mason Palmer: Torpedoman’s Mate, 2nd Class. Age: 28, 5’9”, 195 lbs. Married to Rebecca, a Navy wife, with 4 kids. He spent ten years in the Navy and four in the SEALs. He’s a demolitions expert. He’s the top pick in the Navy for explosives work. His weapon is an Alliant Bullpup 5.56mm. He speaks German and some Farsi. He was born in Georgia. He has green eyes with short blond hair.

     Mark Robson: Engineman, 1st Class. Age: 22, 5’9”, 190lbs. African-American. He’s an expert with most weapons and always working on them. Weapon is the Alliant Bullpup 5.56mm with 20mm launcher. He loves to play chess. He has green eyes with curly black hair.

     Perry Klein: Radioman, 1st Class. Age: 24 6’1”, 190lbs. Comes from a small town in Wyoming. On both High School and Navy rifle team. Played 2nd base in College baseball. He loves the water and is an expert in using a kayak, canoe, or small watercraft. He’s single, shy with girls. Speaks excellent Japanese, good Spanish. Weapon is H&K MP-5 submachine gun. Has blue eyes and sandy blond hair.

Each week, I will try to expand on one character to give the complete bio so stay tuned. At ease now.

S.E.A.L. Team Omega Flames of Betrayal

2009-12-06T20:13:00.000-08:00

Greetings. I welcome you all to the first posting in the blog for the S.E.A.L. Team Omega series. It's an action series with a twist in some ways so I hope it will appeal to many readers. As these posts go on, I will post small snippets from the first book, along with the occassional brief bio of a character. To see more, there is a page on my webpage, listed on the side under Sierra Rose Links, with all that data. To start off with, here's the blurb of the book which should soon be available on Amazon.com in paperback form soon and the Kindle version soon after that.

BETRAYAL

When a raid on a ship suspected of carrying uranium goes bad, S.E.A.L. Team Omega and its leader Commander Ethan Tremayne are left for dead. Written off by Navy Intelligence, it’s now up to Commander Cassidy Marshall and her associates to find the abandoned platoon before it’s too late. Going against all rules, she leads her men on an onboard assault that unwittingly starts an unexpected chain of events.

After Cassidy is kidnapped by Black Ops agents, working for someone high in Navy Intelligence, Ethan Tremayne must not only get Cassidy back alive, but keep her safe until they uncover their hidden foe and what lies behind his vendetta.

Jump aboard for the first action-filled thriller in the S.E.A.L. Team Omega series, as author Sierra Rose takes readers from a carrier in the Atlantic to the black pits of counter espionage in Flames of Betrayal.

Look for more updates soon or check out at the Ebook at Smashwords by following the Smashwords link on the side.