Page 3 of Her Devoted HERO

“The American ambassador’s daughter, son-in-law, and two small children are missing,” Gray continued. “The Anders’ family was boating in the Mediterranean. The yacht they were on was found abandoned, except for the bodies of the four marines who had been assigned to guard them. The abandoned yacht with the dead bodies was found five hours ago, and we were informed two hours ago. The head of Egypt’s special forces has taken point on this. Our role is an advisory capacity only.”

Dex felt his teammates tense up. No wonder Gray looked grim. Shit, he must be pissed. Marines were dead, and they were sending them in as advisors? What kind of happy horseshit was this?

“Any ransom demands? Anybody taking credit for their disappearance?” Aiden asked.

“No. But terrorist threats have been significant in that region, which is why they had the marines with them,” Gray answered.

“Are you telling me that no bad guys were killed and found on the yacht, and there were four marines?” Dex asked.

Gray turned to the suits, and they shook their heads. Gray turned to the team. “According to 777,” he said referring to Egypt’s special forces, “there were no bodies other than the marines and a couple of crew members.”

“You’ve got to be shitting me,” Dalton Leeds said. All the SEALs nodded.

“The American Military police are expected to have gone over the yacht by the time we get there. They’ll determine if there were tangos whose bodies were taken off the yacht.”

Dex knew immediately that having the MP’s playing in the sandbox along with the 777 was what helped make the mission ‘fluid.’

Captain Hale stepped forward and stood next to Gray. “Men, I know I can count on you and your lieutenant to do the right thing.”

Gray gave the team an imperceptible nod.

Dex and the others got it. These were Americans who were likely held by terrorists. They were going to be rescued by SEALs. To hell with the advisory role. It was just a matter of finding out where they were located.

Gray looked at his team. “Gentlemen, wheels up in ten.”

He went to go talk to the captain and the suits.

***

They were fifty-five minutes from touching down at the newly minted Mohammed Naguib Military Base west of Alexandria when Dex called Aiden and Gray over to him. He had his computer up.

“We’ve got a major curve ball,” Dex told his commander.

“Spill it.”

He pointed to a picture of a jeweled dagger on his computer screen. “Stolen Egyptian artifacts. This one from Cairo’s Museum of Antiquities.”

“What about it?” Aiden asked.

“There’s currently an on-line auction for it. It’s up to three-hundred and fifty thousand USD. Considering the fact that it is supposed to be on tour in Asia at the moment, that’s pretty significant.”

“Go on,” Gray said.

“CIA has been tracing all incoming and outgoing e-mails to the US embassy in Cairo. They found a fishy one that led to this auction. It came from Anders’ computer,” Dex said, referring to the ambassador’s son-in-law who had been on the yacht.

“That’s more than significant. That gives us one more reason why the family could be missing,” Aiden said.

“This could be an inside job,” Gray agreed.

It made Dex sick to his stomach to think that the marines could have been killed by the very people they had been sent to guard. But...

“Why would he abandon everything? He has a pretty sweet deal just selling off artifacts and living a life that allows him to vacation on yachts?” Dex asked.

“Still has to live with his father-in-law” Aiden pointed out.

“Have they passed this information onto the US Army Military Police?” Gray questioned.

“Yes. They’re watching the auction. They want to see how the money would be paid out, and then they can track him.”