Page 12 of Under His Command

“Um...” Maybe there was a SEAL glossary online she could download to her Kindle.

“You’ve heard it called DOR, I bet.”

She frowned, having heard the term somewhere but unable to recall what it stood for.

“You’ve never seenAn Officer and a GentlemanI take it.”

Her frown turned into a blank stare.

“Sorry, bad example. That movie came out before my time, so I know it predates you, kiddo.” His amusement earned him a scowl, although he was checking traffic at another intersection and missed it. “DOR stands for ‘drop on request.’ Pain, cold-wet miserable conditions, freezing to a point bordering on hypothermia, physical and mental exhaustion, and sleep deprivation all take a toll on a man. Those who drop out get reassigned. The few left standing after hell week are the ones with the drive and commitment to make it through the next two phases and to graduation.”

“When do I get them?”

“During land warfare training—Phase 3—which is basic weaponry, marksmanship, and tactical training. That’s where the simulators come in. We do live drills and have courses set up to simulate urban warfare, but it’s not enough. Some of the old-school traditionalistsare against technology training, but these kids cut their teeth on video games and computers. It makes sense to augment their skills using it.”

“With proven results. Wait until you get into one and see for yourself,” Cassie said, brimming withexcitement. “This new platform has opened a whole new world of opportunity. It goes way beyond a PS4 or the most advanced arcade game. It’s virtual reality and can put SEALs in combat situations without actual danger and with much less expense in the long run. The simulations are authentic, too. We’ve got everything from repelling out of a helicopter while taking on enemy fire in Central America, to the crowded neighborhoods of Afghanistan where a sniper can pop up at any moment, or a suicide bomber, all without leaving the training facility.”

He glanced at her, a brow raised, and she adjusted her statement. “Our beta testers were former SEALs who have been there for real. They helped us tweak the scenarios and graphics, so they are spot-on.”

He nodded but said nothing, not dispelling the notion a computer model could come close to simulating reality as others had. She appreciated that because it was never their intent.

“Have you?” Cassie asked.

“Have I what?”

“Been to Afghanistan and Central America?”

His face tightened, and he nodded. “More times than I care to discuss.”

She ended her line of questioning, since he was sensitive to it. “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to overstep.”

“You didn’t. And you need not be sorry. I just don’t talk about it. I’ve put in two decades with the Navy, Cassie. Before becoming an instructor, I was in the field, carrying out missions for fifteen years. What I’ve seen and done is history. Some of it is painful, since I had friends and teammates who didn’t make it home. Therefore, I find it easier to look forward and leave the past where it belongs.”

She could only imagine the horrors he’d seen. It made her want to crawl into his lap and comfort him. But hugging the man who commanded those she would train seemed out of bounds. At a loss for words, she thought it best not to offer meaningless platitudes and remained silent.

When they came to yet another stop sign, he turned to her. “Now, let me ask you a question. Are you confident you can handle this assignment by yourself, or are you covering?”

“Both,” she said without hesitation. “But as I told Captain Hansen, I’m up for the challenge. I can do this, Flynn. I’m a jumble of nervous excitement inside, but I’ve got the skill to make this successful. Once I conquer the butterflies, it’s game on.”

He stared at her a moment before giving her a slow, sexy grin. “A straightforward, honest answer. I like that.”

When they were moving again, she had somehow quelled the desire to jump his bones and simultaneously self-destruct her budding career. “I guess for women, the computer world is a lot like the military. We’re a minority, so we have to prove ourselves repeatedly, and not bat an eyelash when presented with yet another challenge.”

He nodded in approval. “You’ve got brass balls, Cassie Hardwick, something else I like in a woman.”

Great. Even worse than being thought of as a kid, having a handsome man like Flynn Dalton attributing her with a set of balls, brass or otherwise.

Sighing inwardly, she tried to stay focused and pick up the original thread of their conversation. He’d spoken of the physically taxing First Phase, although it was hard to fathom how mortal men, and soon women with the loosening of the regulations, could bear up under the grueling training, or why they would want to. But she was grateful that many like Flynn did.

The Final Phase she understood because it was more in line with what Foster Dynamics had contracted to assist with, but he’d left a gap in the middle.

“What happens in the Second Phase?”

“Seven weeks of combat diving and underwater drills.”

“Seven weeks in the water,” Cassie repeated while shaking her head. “By the time I see them, they will be frozen prunes.”

Chuckling, he turned the Jeep down a side road with new-looking asphalt between several grassy lots on the left, and dunes on the right.

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