"SEAL Seven is basically an experimental concept, like the Army's light infantry, a Team that can be deployed anywhere in the world on a few hours' notice. We can draw on equipment stashed at other SEAL prepositioning sites, of course, but the key to making the notion work is mobility. In fact, we're not even tied down to the traditional Group One and Group Two theaters of responsibility. Seven was originally slated to set up shop in Coronado, which is why we got the odd number. The Pentagon decided they wanted us closer at hand, at least to begin with, especially with things so bad in Europe and the Middle East right now."

"So the idea is we could be sent anywhere in the world."

"Right. If a crisis goes down in Iraq, let's say... some UN weapons site inspectors are being held hostage, for example... a SEAL platoon from Seven can be on-site within twenty-four hours to act as forward controllers for air strikes, gather intelligence for a major military operation to follow, or if the opportunity presents itself, grab the hostages and beat it for home."

Murdock had looked up sharply at the mention of Iraq. Now he smiled slowly. "Are you saying, sir, that that 'Special Forces' op in Basra the other day was us?"

"More than that, Lieutenant. It was your new platoon."

The news stunned Murdock. He'd not seen that one coming. "I'll be God damned."

"Hours after Iraqi ground troops blocked the takeoff of the UN transport, fourteen men under the command of Lieutenant Vincent Cotter inserted by parasail into Hawr al-Hammar, crossed several kilometers of salt marsh and swamp, assaulted Republican Guard elements guarding the aircraft and Basra airport, and extracted all of the UN personnel by helicopter. A textbook operation, well planned, well executed. The platoon suffered one KIA: Lieutenant Cotter."

"Damn." Murdock closed his eyes. "I'm sorry to hear that, sir."

"Cotter was a good officer. One of the best. You're going to have to hit the deck running just to keep up with his shadow."

"You know, I had the impression that my transfer was something of a hurry-up affair," Murdock said. "They tagged me smack in the middle of a BUD/S class in Phase One."

"Our replacement pools have been run down with the personnel cutbacks recently," Coburn explained. "And the established Teams have priority for replacements and material. You'll find Seven is still in the process of learning how to fit into the scheme of things out here."

"I understand, sir."

"You know, back in the eighties, SEAL Six was notorious with the rest of the SEALs because they always got the best and hottest of everything. The hot new toys, the nifty James Bond gadgets, unlimited funding. Not to mention the sexy, covert missions. There was a lot of jealousy among the Teams over that." Coburn grinned suddenly. "Well, at Seven it runs the other way. We're like the Marines here, Murdock. We make do with what we have, travel light, and count on the men instead of the gadgets.

"And speaking of men, you've got some of the best in Third Platoon. Your two senior CPOs are Ben Kosciuszko and George MacKenzie. I told you about MacKenzie. He's the guy who was with Six for a couple of years. Kos came in with the UDT, so you know he's been kicking around for a while."

Murdock nodded. The SEALs had been an outgrowth of the old Underwater Demolition Teams, which had formally been swallowed up by the SEALs in 1983.

"You can rely on them," Coburn continued. "I suppose you'll want to meet the rest of your people yourself. You want me to walk you over?"

"Mat's okay, sir. I think I'd just as soon drop in on them unannounced and see just what I have to deal with."

"Well, they know you're getting in sometime today. God knows what you'll find waiting for you. They're a high-spirited bunch."

"I'll take my chances, sir."

"Fine. We have an office for you in this building, just down the hall. The BOQ is just down the road. Anything you need, let me know."

It was clearly the end of the interview. Murdock stood. "Thank you, sir."

"Glad to have you with the Team."

0915 hours (Zulu -5)

Norfolk City Jail

Norfolk, Virginia

"Aw, c'mon, Ray," MacKenzie said. "I'm sure the boys were just blowing' off a bit of steam. You know how it is!"

"Blowing off steam, huh?" Captain Raymond Nagel of the Norfolk Police favored MacKenzie with as dark a glower as the SEAL had ever seen as he tapped a stack of reports on his desk with a bony forefinger. "Look, Mac. I've got thirty-seven complaints here from various parts of Norfolk's east side. Your boys were busy last night."

MacKenzie was already tallying up the possible damages in his head. Thank God that the cop on at the duty desk was an old friend. He'd known Ray Nagel back in Vietnam — he'd been Gunnery Sergeant Nagel of the U.S. Marines then — and since MacKenzie had been transferred to Little Creek, he'd more than once had official dealings with Nagel as representative of the Norfolk City Police Department.

"Are you sure it was my people, Ray? I heard some Marines went off half cocked and..."

"It's your people we've got back there in the tank, Mac." Nagel picked up another sheet of paper and studied it judiciously. "Chief Machinist's Mate Thomas Roselli. Radioman First Class Ronald Holt." He glanced up. "They are yours?"

MacKenzie sighed. "They're mine."

"Just wanted to keep the record straight. Okay, at nine-forty last night we got a call from a bar that a fight was in progress. We get there just behind the Shore Patrol and find twelve Marines that look like they'd had a run-in with a steamroller. No one'd say what happened, but these little tiffs between gyrenes and the SEALs are getting kinda routine, ain't they, Mac?"

MacKenzie spread his hands. "Ray, I can't even say for sure it was my guys who did it. Were they at that bar?"

"You don't know?"

"Hey, I'm asking you, right?"

"Yeah, okay. Fine. At ten-fifteen last night, we get another call from the Night's Rest Hotel up on Ocean View. Seems several guys were seen climbing up the outside of the hotel. Five stories, straight up. Some of the guests thought the place was being burglarized and called the police. There were also complaints about an unusually loud party on the fifth floor, and reports of several young ladies running down the corridor naked, rather loudly pursued by several naked or indecently exposed men.

"By the time the police arrived twenty minutes later, we'd already received another call, this one from hotel security. They said the hotel manager'd gone up to a room on five in response to complaints about the party. When the police reached the fifth floor, they about tripped over a man and a woman copulating in the hall in front of the elevator. Four more men were in a room registered to a 'Mr. Smith,' threatening to throw the manager out of the fifth-story window and into the hotel swimming pool below. Your man Holt had him by the ankles and was dangling him out of the window upside down. That's assault, Mac. It's damned serious."

MacKenzie groaned. After the dustup at Samelli's the night before, they'd hit a bar or two more before Garcia passed out, dead drunk on the sidewalk. MacKenzie had driven him back to the base. This new round of fun and games must have started after he'd left. Damn it, he'd told them...

"What's my boys' story, Ray?"

The police captain made a face. "That they were just having a quiet little get-together with some, ah, friends, that the manager used abusive and threatening language, and that they were just trying to reason with him."

"Uh-huh. That sounds about right."

"The room was a shambles. The bed frame had collapsed, and the thing was disassembled and stacked in one corner along with the mattresses, which I suppose explains why that couple was going at it out in the hall. The bathtub had been filled with something later identified as liquid lime Jello. And there were colored balloons hanging from the ceiling panels that turned out to be inflated condoms. 'Mr. Smith' was identified by the manager as your Chief Roselli. The arresting officers took Holt and Roselli into custody. Both men were under the influence and resisted arrest."