CHAPTER SIX
Snow pulled through the gates at the base just before seven-thirty, flashing his credentials to the Marine on duty, who waved him through.
He parked, grabbed his bag, and headed for the team’s building.
The door thudded shut behind Snow as he stepped inside. The place always held a certain energy. It wasn’t loud or chaotic, but thick, like the calm before a storm.
He made his way down the hall, his footsteps light against the concrete floor.
A few doors were closed, others open, revealing rooms filled with gear, lockers, and wall-mounted training schedules.
He turned the final corner and heard familiar voices coming from behind the cracked door of the briefing room.
He pushed the door open and stepped in. Bear was lounging in one of the chairs, messing with his phone. Joker was pacing with a protein bar in hand, and Aussie was leaning against the whiteboard, spinning a pen between his fingers.
“Look what the cat dragged in,” Bear rumbled with a grin.
Snow smirked as he dropped into a chair near the far end of the table.
“You look like shit, man,” Joker added, taking a bite of his protein bar.
“Long night,” Snow responded, wishing this meeting were a quickie.
Aussie snorted. “What happened? Were you amped up on that sugar Amira kept sneaking into your pockets?”
Snow chuckled, shaking his head. “Shit, I wish it was that.”
Bear, who’d been half-listening while scrolling through his phone, looked up and caught the change in Snow’s voice. His expression shifted. “Everything okay?”
Snow ran a hand down his face and sighed. “Yeah. Just that Yvette called last night.”
The room went still for half a second before Joker whistled low. “Damn. That’s a name I didn’t expect to hear out of your mouth.”
Aussie raised a brow. “Out of the blue? I mean, it’s been what, seven or eight years?”
“Something like that. She stopped by my parents’ house a few days ago. Then, when I got home last night, my phone lit up. Next thing I know, I’m neck-deep in a conversation I didn’t ask for and couldn’t escape.”
“How in the hell did she get your number?” Joker asked.
Snow sighed. “My mother.”
“Yikes,” Aussie muttered. “What did she want?”
“Nothing specific. She said she wanted to see how I was doing, though she made sure to tell me that she is divorced now. Then kept me on the damn phone forever, talking about everything and nothing.”
“You didn’t hang up?” Joker asked.
“I could’ve,” Snow admitted. “I thought about it more than once. But I didn’t want to be a dick. My sister, Julie, and Yvette still talk now and then. They aren’t the best of friends, but there’s history. I didn’t want to cause friction between them.”
Bear leaned forward, arms braced on the table. “So, you let her run her mouth for how long?”
“An hour and a half,” Snow said dryly. “She hit every topic but the one that I knew she wanted to talk about.”
“Which was?” Bear asked with a raised eyebrow.
“Her and I. She kept hinting at it, like she was trying to feel me out.”
“Maybe she was,” Joker said. “Maybe she wants to patch things up between the two of you.”
“Yeah, that’s not gonna happen,” Snow muttered, then exhaled hard.
“Saint Snow,” Aussie said with a smirk. “Taking the high road like a damn gentleman.”
“I wouldn’t go that far,” Snow replied. “More like taking the road that leads to the least bullshit.”
Joker shook his head. “Man, I’d have faked a dropped call the second I heard her voice.”
Bear snorted. “Or blamed a mission. ‘Sorry, gotta go save the world.’ Click.”
Snow gave a dry smile. “Trust me, I tried ending it politely several times. Eventually I had to tell her the truth that what we had was in the past and ended a long time ago. I told her that I’ve moved on, and that she should do the same.”
“Still,” Bear said, his tone leveling out again, “you good?”
“Yeah. It just brought up a time that I had buried years ago.”
“Well, if you need anything, we’ve got your back,” Joker said.
Aussie smirked. “Or we sic Amira on her ass.”
The four of them laughed. Snow could only imagine the damage that little firecracker could do to someone like Yvette. Hell, if he unleashed Amira on her, she would probably run for the hills, crying.
“Appreciate your support. But hopefully, last night she got the hint that I wasn’t interested,” Snow said.
Bear offered him a small smile and clapped him on the shoulder as if showing his support.
The teasing quieted again, replaced with that solid, unspoken bond that ran deeper than missions and jokes. These men had been through hell together. And even if they gave each other shit, especially when emotions were involved, they never let one of their own carry the weight alone.
Snow leaned back in his chair, and the tension in his shoulders loosened just a bit.
A few minutes later, the door opened again, and in walked Duke, then Nails right behind him with coffee in hand.
Playboy followed a second later, tossing a nod at everyone as he flopped into a chair.
Jay Bird was the last of the team to trickle in.
True to form, he didn’t say a word as he took a seat.
They waited about five minutes, then the door opened one last time. Derek entered, dressed in his working uniform, closing the door firmly behind him. His expression was unreadable, but the room shifted the moment he walked in.
“Attention on deck,” Bear called out as everyone stood.
“At ease, gentlemen,” Derek stated, not wasting time as he walked straight to the front of the room, pulled out the remote, and pointed it at the TV mounted on the wall. The screen flickered to life, and a map of the Gulf appeared.
“Alright, listen up,” Derek began. “For the last eight months, multiple federal agencies have been investigating a cluster of concerning events happening in the Gulf, approximately a hundred miles offshore, south of Louisiana. These agencies include DHS, FBI, EPA, and NOAA. What ties all of their interests together is this.” He clicked the remote, and an oil rig appeared on the screen.
It was massive, consisting of three separate structures connected by catwalks, surrounded by the endless deep blue of the Gulf.
Eyebrows rose, and the guys exchanged glances. Snow leaned forward slightly.
Derek continued. “The first red flag came from a NOAA buoy in the area. It started registering unusual chemical signatures in the water, along with spikes in low-level radiation. At first, they thought it was a malfunction. But the data’s been consistent, and it’s not isolated.
Not long after, a similar reading popped up at another buoy about forty miles from the first buoy. ”
“Radioactive?” Duke asked, frowning. “That’s not exactly normal in the middle of a huge body of water.”
“No,” Derek agreed. “And that’s just the beginning. In the last four months, there’ve been three major maritime incidents in the Gulf.”
He clicked the remote again, and a list appeared.
“First: a cargo vessel traveling from Miami to Houston lost all power. It went completely dead in the water and floated aimlessly for two days before a rescue tug could reach it. No mechanical explanation was found. The ship’s entire system just died.”
Playboy let out a low whistle.
“Second: a one-hundred-thirty-foot offshore seiner exploded, killing all fifteen crew members. The initial report blamed a cracked gas line. However, some don’t agree with that theory.”
Snow remembered hearing about that incident.
“And third?” Joker asked.
Derek’s expression darkened. “A privately owned research vessel with several college students onboard had been collecting water samples. Everyone on board ended up sick, with two so bad the Coast Guard was called in to medivac them to a hospital.”
“So how does the rig come into play?” Aussie asked.
Derek brought the rig photo back onto the screen. “Every one of these events happened within a fifty-mile radius of this platform. The rig is owned by a company based in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. They have no prior violations, and nothing else to throw up any red flags.”
“But?” Bear prodded.
“But those investigating believe that something or someone on that rig holds the answer to these mysterious events occurring in the water,” Derek said.
“They don’t have proof. All inspections have come back clean—mechanical, environmental, and personnel.
But something isn’t adding up. The feds want eyes on the rig.
They don’t want drones or satellites. They want boots on deck.
The problem is, sending someone in from a three-letter agency would be too risky.
They need someone who knows how to blend in, someone who realistically needs to be there and know what they are doing, and at the same time gather intel. ”
Derek looked at Snow, and Snow knew what was coming.
“Snow, because of your background and some experience in the industry before you enlisted, you’re our best option for this operation.
Snow leaned back in his chair slowly, letting the weight of it settle.
“Is this a solo op?” Snow asked.
“Not quite. You’ll be partnering with an attorney contracted through the acquiring company.”
Snow’s eyebrows rose. “An attorney?”
Derek continued like he hadn’t just dropped that bomb.
“The company that owns the rig is in the process of being acquired. Inspections, audits, and paperwork. It’s the perfect cover to insert assets.
You’ll go in posing as an engineer for the acquiring firm.
Under this disguise, you’ll have full access to the entire rig to inspect equipment, which will allow you to scope the place out and observe the crew.
The attorney will be present to review contracts and compliance documentation.
This person will also be asked to look for anything that seems unusual, inconsistent, legally questionable, or otherwise out of place.
It is all standard process when a rig is switching hands.
So, nobody should question your presence there. ”
Snow’s jaw tightened slightly. “Are we sure we can trust just someone off the street with something like this? I mean, have they been vetted?”
The team had completed many prior joint operations, but the people involved with those ops had already been vetted and trained. This was a civilian.
Derek nodded in understanding. “I don’t have the person’s information yet. However, I can assure you that whoever the government okays for this operation will have been fully vetted.”
Snow nodded, though he wasn’t entirely convinced. Civilians didn’t always understand the stakes. They didn’t always stay in their lane.
Bear leaned forward, resting his forearms on the table. “What about us?”
Derek shifted his attention to the rest of the team. “You’ll be running support from a shadow vessel. You’ll monitor, feed intel, and be ready to move if need be.”
Duke leaned back in his chair. “So, just to be clear, only the acquiring company is in the know about this op?”
“Correct. The FBI has met with Mr. Silverman, the owner, who is cooperating fully. The last thing he wants is to finalize a multimillion-dollar deal and find out he just bought into a problem. The company that currently owns the rig thinks this is just part of the acquisition process.
I forgot to mention that this particular rig isn’t even operational yet. I believe it’s scheduled to begin drilling operations in three or four months.”
“So, it most likely has a limited crew then,” Snow said.
Derek nodded. “That’s correct. There are approximately twenty to thirty crew members currently residing on board.
“That will definitely make it easier to sweep the place.”
“I agree.”
“When do we roll out?” Snow asked.
“Saturday morning,” Derek answered. “We’ll head to Lafayette, Louisiana.
That’s where Silverman Petroleum’s corporate headquarters is.
The attorney will be arriving on the same day.
We’ll make introductions and go over final details before deployment.
Snow, you will spend a day with Mr. Silverman, and he’ll walk you through the specific checks you should conduct to sell your cover while on the rig. ”
A moment passed before Aussie spoke up. “Going back to this attorney. Does this person know what they’re walking into?”
Derek’s lips curved into a knowing grin. “I doubt it. From what I was told, they’ll be made aware of the situation on Saturday when they arrive in Lafayette.”
That got a few looks exchanged around the room.
Snow straightened slightly, his brow furrowing. “What if this person isn’t on board?”
Derek’s smirk didn’t fade. “I’m sure they’ll be cooperative.”
That didn’t exactly inspire confidence. Snow leaned back again, dragging a hand over his jaw as the weight of it all settled in.
Conducting an op on an oil rig didn’t faze him.
But bringing in a civilian, an attorney who had no idea what they were about to walk into?
That was the wild card. And he would admit, if asked, that it made him a bit nervous.
There was a phrase he had ingrained in his head and lived by—get comfortable being uncomfortable.
He exhaled through his nose, eyes narrowing slightly as he looked back at Derek. “As long as this person stays in their lane, I see no issues.”
Derek just smirked before looking around at everyone.
“Any questions?”
Snow had a lot, but not ones to bring up at the moment. Sure, the pieces were falling into place, but not in a way he liked.
The room lingered in silence a moment longer, the gravity of the mission hanging heavy in the air. When nobody answered, Derek passed out folders to everyone.
“Inside are specs and general information on the rig and both companies.” Derek turned to Snow. “Once I have information on your ‘partner’, I’ll get that information to you.”
Snow nodded.
Derek turned to the rest of the team. “I’ll let you know if anything comes my way. Again, be ready to roll out bright and early Saturday. You are all dismissed.”
As soon as Derek left the room, the chatter amongst the team resumed as they all began gathering their things.
“It still seems strange bringing an attorney onto an operation like this,” Duke said.
“Derek wouldn’t agree with it unless there was a reason,” Jay Bird replied.
“I just hope this doesn’t turn into a babysitting job for you,” Nails added.
Snow snorted as he grabbed the folder. “If they’re smart, they won’t need babysitting. If they’re not, then they’re about to get a crash course in following directions.”
He tucked the folder under his arm and headed toward the door. Whoever this mystery attorney was, he just hoped they understood that out there, policies and contracts won’t keep them alive.