Morgan's Wife Read Online Free

It's a priority."
    "Don't you think we're upset about it, too?" Jake retorted, his voice irritated. "Unfortunately, Colonel, this world of ours is full of trouble spots. Many of our teams are on dangerous missions. We can't just extricate them without jeopardizing their lives, or other people's lives, in the process. It doesn't make sense to lose two to six lives to save one." Jake tapped a bunch of computer printouts. "I've gone through our mission list twice. The teams with experience are in situations where they can't be pulled. The ones that can be pulled don't have the background you're talking about. I'm not about to put an inexperienced team into the type of situation you're painting for us. We don't throw our people's lives away like the military does."
    Woodward smarted under the remark. He felt heat rising from his throat into his face. Whenever he got angry, his face turned red, and he knew it. "This is an unconscionable position. You've got three lives—one of them the man who owns this damn company—at stake, and you don't have anyone to run a rescue mission?"
    "Back down," Wolf snarled, crossing his arms over his chest and returning Jim's glare. "We're doing what we can with the resources we have."
    "I won't back down." Jim held his gaze for a long moment. "All right, then I'll volunteer for the mission."
    Jake's brows knitted, and he studied Jim for a long moment before speaking. "This is personal, isn't it? Between you and Laura?"
    "That's none of your business, Randolph . What is your business is that you've got someone to take this mission. I can get orders cut to allow me to do this. I'm a Recon. I'm HAHO qualified. I've been in more jungles than I care to think about. I've been in Panama , Grenada and other South American venues on deep undercover assignments." He stopped, his voice low and shaking with tightly held emotion.
    Jake glanced around the table, assessing his team for some inkling of their thoughts. Killian stirred and placed his arms on the table, clasping his hands in front of him. He glanced up at Woodward.
    "Laura is married to Morgan. They love each other," he said quietly.
    Jim recoiled inwardly. "Don't insult me with facts I already know."
    Killian held his stare. " Mercs who have an emotional involvement with the person they're trying to rescue don't live long."
    "That may be your problem, Killian, but it's not mine."
    With a shrug, Killian looked across the table at Wolf.
    Wolf said, "You'll need a partner. We never go in alone. It's two or nothing. Do you have someone in mind who has the same qualifications?"
    Jim hesitated. "Two?"
    "Yes," Jake rasped, "two people on every mission. That's Morgan's law, and it's a good one. If one partner is injured, the other can always bring him out." He lowered his voice. "We have no time for heroics, Colonel. We work as a tightly knit unit and watch each other's backs. I know Recons. I used to be one. You don't go gallivanting off by yourselves, either. You have five men to a team and you know the value of working together."
    "I don't disagree with you, but I can't honestly think of anyone who would volunteer for such a dangerous assignment. The one man who might be willing, a sergeant, is laid up in the hospital with a broken ankle right now."
    Jake shook his head. "Colonel, this mission doesn't go down without two team members."
    Wolf slowly unwound from his chair. He rubbed his temple and looked first at Woodward, then at Randolph . "I know someone who can do it. Her name is Pepper Sinclair. Her brother's a Navy Top Gun and a test pilot. She's a team leader for the National Forest Service's smoke jumpers. In fact, Pepper is in the Hotshots, the elite, highly trained group that goes into dangerous forest hot spots or wildfires. She's got over two thousand parachute drops and is ex-army." Wolf smiled a little. "Matter of fact, I've known her for nearly a year now, and her background is impressive. She was the only woman ever to complete Army