After returning from the Army Airborne School at Fort Benning, everyone's faces were filled with joyful smiles. They had passed the most difficult part of the SEAL selection. There was still one more training ahead, SQT, but the elimination rate for this stage wasn't very high. If they could endure it, they would officially become Navy SEALs.
Steve Owen wouldn't become a SEAL himself, but he was genuinely happy for his comrades. After nearly eight months together, they had formed a deep bond.
Back on that familiar beach, the trainees stood in neat rows. The original group of 150 had now dwindled to fewer than 30, but each of them radiated energy and spirit.
"Welcome back to Colorado, boys. You've made it this far, and you're the best of the best. There's one final SQT left, and I hope every one of you passes the assessment…"
This time, Instructor Rogue surprisingly broke from his usual style. Instead of yelling or cursing, he offered words of encouragement.
The earlier candidates might not have impressed him, but those who remained were nearly guaranteed to become SEALs.
If PST and BUD/S focused more on screening and elimination, then the upcoming SQT was more like a training course—a course to familiarize these nearly qualified warriors with SEAL-specific skills.
SQT, or SEAL Qualification Training, lasted 19 weeks.
During this time, the remaining trainees would continue to improve their fundamental skills while also learning advanced special operations tactics and new specialized skills.
Only after completing this stage would they truly become SEALs.
They would also undergo a wide range of combat training, study various light and heavy weapons, practice individual tactics, team tactics, squad tactics, land navigation, advanced demolitions, tropical and cold-weather training, combat diving tactics, and much more.
As a special operations force capable of fighting under any condition, every member had to master these skills to ensure they could carry out any mission assigned by their superiors at any time, in any location.
After giving a general overview of the upcoming modules, Instructor Brown dismissed the group. Though they had only been away for three weeks, coming back gave them a sense of familiarity. These guys had already completely forgotten how they had once been pushed to their limits here.
Owen was about to follow the others back to the tents when Instructor Rogue called him over. The three instructors, rarely seen together, led him into an office.
"Owen, I'm really glad you made it through. Your performance has been outstanding—especially in the obstacle course and marksmanship. You achieved results that even surprised active SEALs…"
"Thank you, sir."
Owen knew they didn't bring him in just to say that—it was just the prelude. Sure enough, after exchanging glances, it was Instructor Rogue who finally said, "But I regret to inform you that your training ends here…"
Owen was stunned...
Ten minutes later, Owen walked out of the office, unwillingly rang the bell, and set his helmet down to the side.
Due to special circumstances, he had to quit.
The other trainees rushed out of their tents in confusion. They couldn't understand why someone would suddenly quit at this point. When they saw Owen, all their faces were filled with disbelief.
"Why?"
A trainee who was particularly close to Owen ran up to ask. The two had always stood side by side in formation and were often assigned to the same team for missions. During "Hell Week," there were several times when Owen had wanted to give up, but it was this guy who had slapped him awake. He was the one who could least understand Owen's decision to quit.
"Fall in!"
The instructors didn't give them a chance to ask. The trainees were urgently assembled and training resumed. By the time they were done, Owen would already be gone.
Owen sighed. The reason was actually quite simple.
Owen wasn't in the Navy, so he couldn't become a SEAL.
He was the result of a trial cooperation between CTU and the Navy. Everyone had originally expected him to be eliminated in the early stages, but unexpectedly, he had made it all the way to the final step.
However, SQT was different from the previous phases of training. It was exclusive to SEALs and considered highly classified. There were practically no eliminations at this stage, which meant everyone who participated was expected to become a SEAL.
Owen was an outsider. There was no way SEALs would expose their core secrets to him.
Looking at the distant formation, then up at the blue sky, he realized it had been almost eight months since he left Los Angeles. Due to regulations, he could only make one phone call per week. His mother, Amanda, and Monica were all worried about him. It seemed like it was time to go home.
…
That afternoon, Owen returned to his home in Los Angeles.
He hadn't notified anyone in advance. His mother and Amanda weren't home. Owen took a long, hot shower and then enjoyed a deep sleep. In Colorado, he hadn't had a good night's sleep in eight months, and he'd spent most of his days soaking in seawater, leaving his body with a strong fishy smell.
At dusk, while Owen was still sound asleep in his room, his mother returned home from work. She hadn't even stepped inside before noticing something off at the entrance.
Owen had told her about the incident where Jack Bauer's family had been abducted. Since then, she'd grown wary of relying on alarm systems. After all, if someone could disable them during a critical moment, they clearly weren't foolproof. She decided she needed some extra protection.
After consulting with McCall, he taught her a method: sprinkle a fine powder evenly right at the entrance. Though it looked unremarkable, it served a key purpose.
If someone had sneaked in while they were gone, they'd leave behind a trace.
She and Amanda had always been careful not to step on it. Over the months, there had been no change, and she'd nearly forgotten about it—until today. As soon as she stepped in, she spotted a very clear half-footprint. Her body broke into a cold sweat.
Someone had entered their home while they were away, and the alarm hadn't even been triggered. Her mind immediately went to what had happened to Jack Bauer's family.
Her heart was in her throat, but she didn't panic. She quietly pulled out the Ruger LC9s from her purse. Seeing that there was no immediate danger, she silently retreated.
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Outside the door, she quietly closed it and quickly headed across the street to McCall's house.
The two were dating. She knew a bit about McCall's background—he was a retired CIA operative—and he was the first person that came to mind.
Two minutes later, she was hiding in McCall's bedroom, standing at the window, anxiously watching her house across the street while holding her phone, ready to call the police at any moment.
McCall, the tall Black man, silently appeared outside Owen's kitchen with a pistol. He first taped the glass with duct tape and then broke it.
Because of the tape, the glass didn't shatter loudly. McCall quietly entered the house and began a silent search.
Ten minutes later, McCall opened the front door with a smile, followed by a groggy Owen.
"Steve, you bastard. You're back and didn't say a word…"
His mother's words were sharp, but her expression was pure joy. Her son, whom she hadn't seen in over half a year, had suddenly returned. Words couldn't express how happy she was.
"Sorry, Mom…"
Owen hugged his mother.
As they reunited, McCall tactfully took his leave. Owen gave him a wink.
"Robert, don't forget to come over for dinner later…"
"Of course."
With a smile, McCall walked off, and Owen led his mother back into the house. Seeing the broken kitchen window, he muttered, "Hmm, I'll have to patch that up later. Where's the spare glass?"
He had been gone so long, he actually forgot, but his mother replied, "In the basement. Last time Robert replaced a window down there, there was extra."
"Wow, he helped you replace a window? Looks like you two got along pretty well while I was gone…"
Owen couldn't help teasing her.
His mother didn't get flustered. She answered confidently, "Of course. Robert comes over for dinner every night now. He can't stop praising my cooking."
Seeing her so happy made Owen genuinely glad for her. So far, things seemed to be going well between them. Owen and Amanda both liked their neighbor, and he hoped they would have a happy ending.
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