Chapter 1

Cole's POV

"Cole Chadwick! Look what you did!"

The second I stepped inside, Dana Poole, my newly-wedded wife, rushed me, phone clutched tight, eyes glossy.

On the screen—a shot from the scene. Me ripping open the hostage's clothes. Cropped just right. Twisted.

"My friends keep asking how my husband could strip a girl in front of everyone. What am I supposed to say? You embarrassed me."

Her voice shook, full of blame.

I shrugged off my jacket, stiff with soot and sweat. "It wasn't a normal bomb. Wires and pressure sensors covered her whole body. If I didn't remove her clothes, I couldn't do my job."

"Then why not at least leave her underwear on?" Dana broke down. "I get you were saving her, but what about her dignity? There were cameras everywhere. How is she supposed to live with that? You could've covered her. You were so rough—no care at all."

I looked at her, exhaustion hitting hard.

I didn't say anything else. No point arguing.

The next day, I got back to base. Something felt off.

Captain Jacob Todd called me into his office. He slammed a stack of printed comments on the desk, jaw tight.

"Look at this. The whole internet's calling us violent, saying we don't respect hostages."

He lit a cigarette, took a hard drag. "Cole, I know how you work. You do things your way. But right now, we're in a media storm. I need you to take a stance. Give the public an explanation."

He shoved a blank form at me. "Write a statement. Admit your handling was inappropriate. It was excessive. Then go on suspension, cooperate with the investigation, and wait it out."

I stared at the paper. Didn't touch it.

I knew exactly what this meant. Lieutenant Ryan Cocke, the unit's deputy captain, finally had his opening.

He'd never liked how I worked. Always pushing his "standard procedures" at meetings.

A few days later, it was official. Suspension.

Pulled off the front line.

I went back to my office—half workshop, half chaos. Custom tools everywhere. Notes on unconventional explosives scattered across the desk.

I powered up my computer and started wiping it clean.

Research notes. Blueprints. Tool mods. Gone.

One file at a time. Permanently deleted.

I left one thing behind.

The standard bomb disposal manual.

A week later, the unit packed into a formal briefing. The vibe was tight, heavy.

Jacob stood onstage and dropped my suspension in that loud, polished voice, hammering "standard procedure" and "humanitarian concerns" like it was gospel.

I sat in the corner, face blank.

Then his tone flipped. "Next, Lieutenant Cocke will serve as acting leader of Alpha Squad."

Ryan stood, smoothed his spotless uniform, cleared his throat.

He stepped onto the stage, eyes flicking over me. "Thanks for the trust. Every op stays inside the rules—with humanity. We're disciplined, not savages. We save lives at any cost—but never the hostage's dignity."

Clean, righteous. Message received.

A few newer guys bristled for me. The longtime guys who'd run missions with me? Silent.