“Grundy,” she grunted. Her teammate turned to glare at her would-be drowner now sitting innocently on the other side of the boat.

She noticed Peevy watching her closely, and she pressed her lips shut. She wasn’t about to accuse a classmate of trying to kill her. Not until she talked with Griffin. He’d never briefed her on how to handle attempted homicide, for crying out loud.

Jabrowski growled from beside her, “Sounds like somebody could use a blanket party.”

“No!” she replied sharply. “Don’t any of you guys jeopardize your place on the SEALs for that asshole. I’ll handle him.”

“How?” Smitty asked.

“The powers that be will figure out he’s not a team player. He’ll get his comeuppance sooner or later. But I don’t want any of you guys throwing yourselves on your swords over him. Promise me.”

“Fine,” the Smurfs grumbled.

“I’m serious.” She glared at each one of them in turn until their gazes fell away from hers. Thank God. Point made.

She coughed up about a gallon of seawater and was excused from the final training evolution of the afternoon, a visit to the shooting range that she would have enjoyed, frankly. It reminded her of the range at Camp Jarvis and spooning with Griffin.

She waited for Griffin to show up at her room after supper, but darkness fell and there was no sign of him. Drat. She really needed to talk to him about what had happened and what to do about it.

Did she dare try to go see him?

She was supposed to be a future SEAL, after all. She could get into one man’s room unseen.

The base was quiet tonight. Still, she stuck to the shadows and cut through a parking lot by ducking low between cars.

She made it about five feet inside the front door of the instructors’ quarters before one of the instructors, Chief Vidmeyer, stepped out into the hallway, intercepting her. “Bell’s the other way, Tate, if you’re here to ring out.”

She ignored the jibe. “I need to speak with Master Chief Caldwell. It’s an emergency.”

“What kind of emergency?”

“A classified one.”

Vidmeyer stared skeptically at her, but her own stare back didn’t waver. After a few seconds, he said shortly, “Room 204.”

“Thanks.” She strode past the guy and jogged upstairs.

Griffin answered her knock quickly and looked up and down the hall in alarm as he gestured her into the room.

She said, “I’m actually here on official business. I talked to an instructor downstairs, already. Chief Vidmeyer.”

“Well, hell,” Griffin muttered. “He’s anal enough to put a stopwatch on your visit.”

She smirked at Griffin. “No hanky-panky for you, big guy, unless you’re up for a quickie.”

“I’d rather wait and take my time with you, thanks.”