“Who says you get a plus one? I was barely able to secure seats for the three of you, considering the background checks and profiles needed for all the invited guests,” Wangari said.
“Grace can have my seat. Thank you for the kind invitation, but I will pass,” Isaac said.
Mena remembered Isaac complaining about President Thairu in one of his spirited debates with Grace months ago. She figured he didn’t want to attend a fundraiser for a leader he didn’t support.
“Mena, how about you? Are you and Julian available?” Wangari asked. Mena couldn’t help but notice Grace pout as Wangari offered Isaac’s seat to her.
Mena wasn't sure what Julian would think about attending a Kenyan political fundraising event, but she wasn't about to say no to her boss's invitation. "Of course, we'd be happy to."
Chapter Nine
Julian smirked, as one by one, the members of the TIDES team dropped from the bar, unable to do another pull up. So much for him being out of shape. Dangling low, he looked over at Sunny, who was the last one hanging on with him and banged out four more wide-grip pull-ups. Sunny completed three then dropped to the ground. Just for good measure, Julian did one last set of four before he dismounted, landing with a thud on the soft grass.
“Damn! I can’t believe you were able to do that,” Enzo said, rubbing his arms. He’d been the first to tap out on the last exercise of the session. They’d started the morning with a 13.1-mile run, then followed with a half-mile swim before launching into sit-ups and finally to the pull-ups.
Julian felt good, showing up his new teammates on his first workout with them. They were strong, but none of them had gone through the rigorous SEAL training he’d endured for seven years.
“Looks like we snagged a good one,” Azalea Newton said, stretching forward to shake Julian’s hand.
“So much for the bugger being rusty,” Simon Newton said, rolling his eyes. Simon was the crankier, lesser-half of Azalea, who preferred to be called Zale. The couple hailed from Australia, and had both worked in special forces, but never been allowed on the same team. Growing disgruntled with the separation from each other, they’d decided to leave the military and work for a private security firm where they could do the work they loved together.
Before dawn, as the TIDES crew ran a half marathon, Julian had been an unwitting captive audience to their boring-ass story of falling in love. He’d gotten a brief respite from small talk during the swim, which he’d finished second in the pack, right behind Travis Glaze, the self-proclaimed intelligence officer of TIDES.
“Glaze was my Julian Montgomery until I got the real Julian Montgomery,” said Sunny after introducing them. “Like you, he can track just about anybody down and is a whiz at hacking cell phones and computers.”
Glaze had shaken his hand, looking at him with awe. Julian figured Sunny had regaled him with wild stories of their time in the Navy together.
Resting on the side of the lake, Julian and Glaze were shortly joined by Taye Babalola, a six-foot-five Nigerian. A behemoth of a man, he was the other pilot on the team.
“What was Sunny like back then, when you were in special ops?” Taye had asked.
“A lot nicer than she is now,” Julian had joked, but there was truth in his words. “About the same, really. It’s amazing how much people can change and still be the same.”
“She’s taught me so much about flying and how to get out of dangerous situations. I know the Navy was sad to lose someone with her skills,” Taye continued.
Julian nodded, but the truth was … for every great Broman Garrison, Sunny Tate, and Julian Montgomery, there were dozens more that were just as good, just as fast and just as brilliant. The Navy had an endless supply of excellent operatives because they weren’t found. They were made.
“Let’s go! Time to get the sit-ups started,” Sunny had called out after the last team member, Shiloh Dayan, emerged from the water.
Shiloh was the quiet one of the group, observing but not engaging in much of the conversation. Julian noticed a reluctance in everything she did as if she was overthinking her every move. Hesitation could get her killed in a special ops mission. She had been a part of the Israeli Defense Forces and decided to leave to get more action, which Julian wasn’t quite sure she was ready for. Shiloh had finished last in every part of the training.
“Minimum of fifty, superstar level at seventy-five. Sit-ups, then pull-ups. Go!” Hakeem Underwood had called out to the team.
From what Julian could tell, Hakeem was Sunny’s second-in-command, assisting her in leading the team. He had a boisterous, comedic personality that didn’t seem to get in the way of him getting the job done. Lagging behind with Shiloh, he’d been assigned to make sure she wasn’t alone as the rest of the team proceeded through the exercises.
Julian had banged out seventy-five sit-ups, then ran over to start his pull-ups. He’d missed the competitive nature of working out with a team. The drive to be better than the rest had been instilled in him from his Navy training. Being last meant being dead, and he wasn’t keen on dying any time soon.
Not since Mena had come into his life.
Hakeem jogged over with a notepad, then clapped his hands.
“Good job this morning,” Hakeem said, a sly smile on his face. “I’m sure there’s no surprise here, but our new team member, Julian Montgomery, won the training today by a landslide.”
Julian laughed, then said, “So what do I win?”
“Bragging rights are all we give out, but I guess that’s not enough for a decorated Navy SEAL. Should we make you a star out of grass?” Simon said.
“I got enough stars. Don’t need anymore,” Julian responded, not appreciating the Aussie’s tone.
