Undeclared War Read Online Free Page B

in an area they could call home.
    The SEALs’ mission had been a complete failure. It wasn’t because of any lack of action on their part. But the people they had been trying to help were dead, and there wasn’t anything that could be said to make that result easier to accept.
    One of the things that had been bothering Reaper during the entire drive back to their headquarters was just who the hell the village attackers had been. The bodies that the SEALs had searched revealed very little—but what they did find looked important.
    The Afghan Pakol hat the one raider had been wearing was odd, but the really significant find had been the pocket copy of the Koran that had been on the body, the small book neatly wrapped in waterproof cloth. There was no way that a Serb raider would have been carrying a copy of the Koran. A Serb might have considered the Muslim holy book to be a source of paper at most. He certainly wouldn’t have been carrying it carefully wrapped and protected as its owner had been. No, the raiders had been Muslims—and they had killed their own people.
    As the SEALs entered the house, Captain Paxtun was waiting in the front room. It was immediately obvious to Paxtun that his orders had not been obeyed—the tear in the front of Reaper’s vest and the damage to the weapon hanging across his chest were plain to see. It wasn’t the kind of thing that could happen to a man who was in a vehicle accident. Reaper had been in combat, against direct orders.
    â€œChief Reaper,” Paxtun said, “are any of your men casualties?”
    The tone in Paxtun’s voice gave Reaper the impression the captain would have preferred that all ofthe SEALs were casualties. There probably would have been less paperwork for them than for the kind of attack that he and his men had witnessed.
    â€œNo, sir,” Reaper said. “My troops and I are fine. I would like to dismiss them to stow their gear and grab some chow.”
    â€œFine, Chief,” Paxtun said, “dismiss them. You and I have to have some words about the incident this evening.”
    â€œYes, sir,” Reaper said.
    Turning to Bear, Reaper continued, “Clean yourselves and your gear, get something to eat and grab some sack time.”
    â€œChief…” Bear started to say.
    â€œBelay that,” Reaper said, “you have your instructions.”
    Reluctantly, the SEALs left the front room, leaving the two officers and their chief behind them.
    â€œWhere is Lieutenant Franklin and the rest of the men?” Reaper asked.
    â€œThey’re out on another scouting mission,” Paxtun said. “I don’t expect them back for some time.”
    â€œI hope their operation goes a lot better than ours did,” Reaper said.
    â€œChief,” Captain Paxtun began, “there are cause-and-effect situations here that you have no knowledge of. The political situation is at a critical stage and we cannot afford another Serb incident making the news for…”
    â€œSerbs,” Reaper exploded. The frustration and shock he felt since almost being killed that evening evaporated in a wave of anger and rage. “How the hell can you jump to that conclusion? Those weren’tany Serbs who killed those people. Those raiders were Muslims themselves. No Serb would ever be caught with this in his pocket.”
    With that statement, Reaper threw the Koran that he had in his pocket down onto a chair next to where Paxtun was standing.
    â€œAnd just where in the hell do you think a Serb would have gotten this?” Reaper said and he threw the Pakol hat into the captain’s face.
    Ducking to the side, Paxtun dodged the cloth hat and allowed it to fall to the floor behind him. The officer was almost shaking with rage at the SEAL chief standing in front of him.
    â€œChief,” Paxtun snapped out. “You will get hold of yourself right now, soldier.”
    â€œWrong, sir,” Reaper