A man and his son dreamed of America’s freedom, but the dream became a nightmare when they ended up at Guantánamo Bay. Hasan Makari and his son, Najib, both Lebanese nationals, have dreamed of the day they would experience the shining freedom of America. But when they arrive in the US, they are arrested, accused of terrorism, and incarcerated at the Guantánamo Bay Prison Camp in Cuba, all on false charges. Suddenly, they face the nightmare of death by execution. Their only hope is Navy JAG Officer Matt Davis, who has been assigned to the case of his life—to defend the Makaris in court at Guantánamo Bay. Matt believes his clients are innocent, but he faces monumental opposition—not only from powerful federal prosecutors with a huge agenda and an unlimited budget, but also from the woman he loves who, as a fellow JAG officer, has been ordered onto the prosecution team to convict the Makaris. As the drama unfolds in Cuba, Emily Gardner, a top-ranking TSA lawyer, has just received a larger-than-life nomination as General Counsel for the Department of Homeland Security. While preparing for confirmation by the US Senate, she discovers a shocking scheme that will turn her life upside down. Can Emily expose the truth in time to save the lives of those being accused—and escape with her own life? Somewhere between the war-torn plains of Northern Lebanon and the secret torture chamber of Guantánamo Bay lie the keys to justice. Don Brown is the author of Thunder in the Morning Calm , The Malacca Conspiracy , The Navy Justice Series, and The Black Sea Affair , a submarine thriller that predicted the 2008 shooting war between Russia and Georgia. Don served five years in the U.S. Navy as an officer in the Judge Advocate General's (JAG) Corps, which gave him an exceptional vantage point into both the Navy and the inner workings "inside-the-beltway" as an action officer assigned to the Pentagon. He left active duty in 1992 to pursue private practice, but remained on inactive status through 1999, rising to the rank of Lieutenant Commander. He and his family live in North Carolina, where he pursues his passion for penning novels about the Navy. www.donbrownbooks.com Facebook: Don-Brown Detained The Navy JAG By Don Brown ZONDERVAN Copyright © 2015 Don Brown All rights reserved. ISBN: 978-0-310-33805-5 CHAPTER 1 MEDIA CENTER SS ABRAHAM LINCOLN ATLANTIC OCEAN 45 MILES EAST OF HILTON HEAD, SOUTH CAROLINA 11 YEARS LATER In a room about half the size of a tennis court, a dozen American sailors, most wearing standard-issue blue-gray camouflage Navy working uniforms, stood in line, waiting for a seat to open up at one of thirty computers lining the bulkheads. "Now hear this. This is the executive officer. Set condition River City in five minutes. Repeat. Set condition River City in five minutes. This is the executive officer." The announcement did not sit well for the sailors in line. Some crossed their arms. Many cursed under their breath. Others cursed aloud. A few checked their watches. Others eyed clocks on the bulkhead. The Navy used the term "River City" for a communications blackout regardless of reason. The XO's announcement meant that a communications blackout with the outside world was about to take place. For those standing in line, hoping to drop a hello to a spouse or a child or a parent or a girlfriend, the dreaded fear was that the blackout would come before they could get to a terminal. Although a powerful supercarrier like the USS Abraham Lincoln possessed tremendous broadband capabilities, most of its broadband remained devoted to the ship's war-fighting capabilities. "Come on, man!" "Hurry up." "We got family too!" Some of the more sanitary comments coming from several of the waiting grumblers were exhorting their shipmates to hurry along. "Now hear this. This is the executive officer. Set condition River City in three minutes. Repeat. Set condition River City in three minutes. This is the executive officer." "I ain't got time for this." The chief petty officer, who was next in line, checked his watch and cursed. "Good luck, bud," he grumbled at the aviation boatswain's mate third class standing behind him. Just then the Marine corporal sitting at the far right terminal stood, prompting the duty officer to ask, "All right, who's next?" "That would be me, sir!" The sailor next in line waved at the duty officer. "Make it fast, Makari," the duty officer said. "Lights out in less than three." "Yes, sir. Just need to check my e-mail, sir." Najib Makari made a beeline for the vacant terminal at the end of the line. He sat, tapped the Enter button on the right of the keyboard, then typed the URL for his e-mail. Connecting ... Connecting ... "This is the executive officer. All hands prepare for communications blackout in sixty seconds." The inbox popped onto the screen. Najib pressed the Control and P keys at the same time, sending the email to the laser printer. "This is the executive offi