The Heretic: Templar Chronicles Book 1 Read Online Free Page B

behind the attack and will need combat experience to deal with the situation. With your particular expertise, I think you’ve got the best chance of determining just what is going on and coming up with a plan to put a stop to it.”
    Cade stared into the Preceptor’s eyes for a long moment without saying anything. He glanced up at Duncan momentarily, returned his attention to Michaels, then reluctantly nodded his agreement.
    Michaels went on, but Duncan knew by the man’s sudden tension that this was a delicate subject. “You’ll also need to replace the missing man in your unit.”
    Cade’s answer was swift. “My team is fine as it is, sir. ” There was an edge of steel in his voice.
    Duncan tensed, his hand involuntarily moving to the hilt of his sword. He knew there had been a problem with the last Knight assigned to Williams’s team, but the file had lacked any details.
    The Preceptor apparently wasn’t about to bend on this issue just to keep the Echo Team leader happy, however. “We’ve been attacked, Williams. I want every unit at full strength, particularly yours. You can either pick another team member, or I’ll assign one myself. It’s that simple, and I’ll allow no argument on the issue.”
    Duncan fully expected an outburst from Williams and he stood ready to impose himself between the two men.
    Cade surprised him, however. Instead of arguing, the team leader simply pointed past the Preceptor at Duncan, and said, “Fine. I’ll take him.”
    Duncan didn’t know who was more surprised, himself or the Preceptor.
    “He’s the head of my security detail, Commander,” Michaels objected. “Surely there is someone more suitable. Someone not currently under such heavy assignment.”
    “Again, with all due respect, sir, I would prefer not to add another team member this soon. If you are forcing me to do so, then it is my right to select the man I want, as the Rule itself outlines. I’ll take the sergeant. If he’s good enough to guard you, he should be good enough to be on my team.”
    Trapped by his own logic, the Preceptor had no choice but to agree, much to Duncan’s dismay.

CHAPTER FOUR
    Cade left the Preceptor’s office with his new teammate in tow, only to find the other two members of his command team waiting in the hallway outside. It seemed they’d been summoned by the same industrious initiate as he had. With an assignment of this magnitude ahead of them, he was reminded again how lucky he was to have men of such abilities under his command.
    The two men couldn’t have been more opposite from each other. Master Sergeant Matthew Riley was tall, black, and generally imposing, with wide muscular shoulders and a clean-shaven head. His usual grim expression seemed to have taken on an additional weight after learning what had happened here the previous evening. Sergeant Nick Olsen, on the other hand, was slim, short, and white, with curling reddish brown hair and the type of smile that had you constantly looking over your shoulder, waiting for the practical joke. Riley was demo and weapons; Olsen, computers and electronics.
    They’d been with Cade for several years. If he was the mind of Echo Team, they were its heart and soul. Their courage and dedication had been tested under fire time and time again. He trusted them implicitly.
    He quickly filled them in on the details of their new assignment and introduced them to Sergeant Duncan. As he did so, Cade thought about his impulsive decision to use his Sight while in the Preceptor’s office and of the resulting flash of Power it had shown centered around the new man’s hands. It would be interesting to see how the other men in the unit reacted to Duncan’s unique gift when they learned about it.
    But they’d deal with that later. For the moment, it was time to get to work.
    “All right, here’s how we’re going to tackle this. Riley, I want you focused on the identity of the attackers. I want to know who they are and how they got