Page 5 of How Much For a Life of Lies?

McKenzie flicked a glance between the LT and me, and I wondered if he understood I was a long way past salutes and shoulders back to Lieutenant Asshole.

Tramell bristled. “Henderson, you are out of order?—”

“Enough!” McKenzie snapped, holding up a hand to stop the LT talking. “Continue, Henderson.”

I stiffened, but didn’t hesitate. “I can maneuver more effectively to provide support or extract you if we take a lower run to drop off. My LT respectfully disagrees. Only what he’s failing to understand is that I’ve done this before, and there’s pressure showing a storm cell in that region that could have unpredictable wind patterns. Flying lower will give us better control over our descent and minimize the risk of being thrown off course by the turbulence.” I was on a roll, and McKenzie wasn’t stopping me. “If we want any chance of getting your team and mine back in one piece, you’ll want to listen to me.”

McKenzie nodded, then turned to the LT, who was red in the face as if he were about to explode.

“And your opinion, Lieutenant Tramell?” McKenzie asked in a deceptively calm tone.

Tramell twitched and couldn’t quite meet McKenzie’s steady gaze. He gestured at me, sneered, then faced McKenzie. “Sir, with respect, Master Corporal Henderson is a loose cannon and?—”

“People will die,” I interrupted. Asshole.

“That’s enough, Master Corporal,” McKenzie said.

I wanted him to listen to me—to respect me—and I reacted on instinct, taking a step forward. Because that was a good move against a highly trained SEAL team, not.

My LT loved this, preening that he’d stopped me from talking. “Mission parameters remain in place,” he said, all oily and superior.

“You’re wrong. Storm Kira wasn’t even on our radar at oh-five hundred and has?—”

“You have your mission, Master Corporal,” the LT sneered. “Rotors spinning in ten.” Then, with another exaggerated roll of his eyes, he stormed toward the comm, and didn’t glance back, all pretense of respect for the SEAL commander gone.

McKenzie turned his attention to me. “You talk to all your commanding officers that way?” he demanded.

“Only the idiots, sir,” I said under my breath, and waited for McKenzie to smack me down. I was unpredictable, quick to anger, and passionate for sure, but I knew my skills.

“Eyes on me, Master Corporal Henderson.” I met his stare, and my chest tightened. He didn’t seem pissed, more concerned. “Are you right about this storm?” he asked.

I wasn’t sure I heard him correctly. “Sir?”

“Are you right about the storm and the approach?” he repeated.

“Damn right I am, sir.” I lifted my chin.

“Who’s the pilot in charge?”

“I’m the PIC, sir.” I gestured at the two others near him. “Copilot Bowers, and Crew Chief Crowley.”

McKenzie nodded at the other two before gesturing back at the men behind him. “This is my team. You remember us, right?”

I nodded, glanced to my left and focused on my SEAL. My gaze lingered for a moment. “Yes, sir.”

“You keep my team and your crew safe,” McKenzie said. “We get this family out safe. We come home. Agreed?”

“Yes, sir,” I replied. “And my orders?”

McKenzie pressed a hand to my shoulder. “You’re the PIC. It’s on you to keep all of us alive.”

“Yes, sir.”

Now, McKenzie was a man I could learn to respect.

FOUR

Kai

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