Free A Sense of Duty: A Former Navy SEAL Falls in Love and Begins a New Journey with his Private Consulting Company: Dark Horse Guardians by Ava Armstrong Page A

Training). He only saw his infant son, William, once before his first deployment.
    Ben became part of a platoon and a valuable team member. When he finally earned the prestigious Navy SEAL Trident at graduation, he knew it would only be the beginning for him. He felt as if he had been trampled to death and literally brought back to life. Ben's area of expertise was asymmetrical land warfare, tactical non-conventional combat, with a specialty in explosive ordinates. He was also a skilled sniper. His time in theater was spent c apturing high-value enemy targets in Iraq and Afghanistan. Setting up drone attacks, Ben also secretly worked in countries bordering the region. He collected high value target intelligence through special reconnaissance missions, as he scouted both enemy installations and enemy movement, setting up air support in battles.
    Twice he was captured by Taliban forces. Once he suffered severe beatings, cigarette burns and mutilation with a rusty razor blade. He escaped. Another time in captivity he was saved by his tactical team, guided by an Israeli operative named Moshe. Gus, Elvis, Javier and Nate found him thanks to Moshe's pinpoint accuracy. Ben was minutes from being beheaded. In fact, the sword that was to be used was now packed in his belongings. He often took the sword out and held it. It was an unusual piece, hand forged and heavy. He never wanted to forget the barbaric enemy he was fighting. The beheading sword served as a reminder that his enemy did not adhere to rules of engagement. They were brutal, savage animals. He never wanted to forget how close he came to dying. It served as a constant reminder to live life to the fullest every day because it could be his last.
    He was just now beginning to conquer the nightmares and insomnia, also suffered by his brothers. He knew the medical explanation of his night terrors was due to the gruesome nature of his missions and going for years without a normal sleep pattern, fueled by caffeine and adrenaline. And his medical training taught him the sleep problems were physiological, not mental weakness. The past ten years his life consisted of irregular schedules and sleep depravation for long periods of time, which threw off the Circadian rhythm. It proved he was a human being. Many nights he woke covered in sweat, giving orders, with the sound of fireworks surrounding him. He automatically reached for his rifle in these dreams. The chair in the corner of the room was sometimes an intruder or someone wielding a razor blade or aiming a gun at him. He slept with a bottle of water to douse himself when he woke from these nightmares. It seemed to help. Also, having Einstein in his life helped tremendously. Einstein loved him unconditionally and as Ben raised him from puppyhood, the task took him out of himself and back to the normal world. Walking Einstein and training him filled many empty hours. The professional dog trainer he worked with counseled him without Ben even realizing it. Einstein regulated Ben's internal clock. But most importantly Ben found himself once again immersed in feelings of love and tenderness as he lived with the dog. A simple game of fetch, a long walk, or a nap together bonded the two. Special consideration was given for Ben to have Einstein on campus with him as much as possible.
    Ben had finally come to terms with Post Traumatic Stress. His physical wounds were nothing compared to the mental anguish, but he managed to deal with it in his own way. He thought of the thousands of fallen heroes who made the ultimate sacrifice in Iraq and Afghanistan. Ben could never bring them back, but he sure as hell could spend his life punishing those responsible. He made his own jihad with the enemy. In his consulting work, he planned each mission with the knowledge that killing one more evil bastard would make the world a better place. He now slept better. Maybe it was because the punishment he meted out was so well deserved. Maybe it was because he