Meet the inspiring Characters of the JD Cordell Universe.
The Cordell Family
Mai Cordell
Mother · Survivor · Family Matriarch
Mai Cordell’s quiet strength has shaped generations of the Cordell family. Having endured hardship with grace and determination, she possesses a resilience that inspires everyone around her. Fiercely devoted to her children and grandchildren, Mai reminds them that courage is often found not in dramatic moments, but in steadfast love and unwavering faith.
First Introduced: Serpents Underfoot
Dr. Ellen Chang Cordell
Physician • Humanitarian • Protector
Dr. Ellen Chang Cordell is an accomplished emergency physician whose calm under pressure has saved countless lives. Intelligent, compassionate, and quietly courageous, she balances the demands of medicine with the unique challenges of life beside retired Navy SEAL JD Cordell. Whether treating trauma patients, supporting rescue operations, or protecting her growing family, Ellen embodies the belief that healing is another form of protection.
First Introduced: Montagnard
Curtis Cordell
U.S. Army Veteran · Father · Mentor
Curtis Cordell is a decorated U.S. Army veteran whose quiet leadership and unwavering integrity helped shape the man his son would become. A Vietnam combat veteran, Curtis understands both the cost of service and the importance of living with honor long after the fighting ends. Through his example, he taught JD that true strength is measured not by words or titles, but by humility, discipline, and a willingness to protect others. His legacy continues to guide the Cordell family across generations.
First Introduced: Serpents Underfoot
Dish
Jarai Elder · Warrior · Uncle
Dish is a respected Jarai elder whose courage, wisdom, and quiet strength have earned the admiration of everyone around him. As the adopted brother of Mai Cordell and uncle to JD, his bond with the Cordell family is one of love, loyalty, and shared sacrifice. A leader among the Montagnards of Vietnam’s Central Highlands, Dish possesses a lifetime of hard-earned knowledge and an unwavering commitment to protecting those he calls family. His friendship with JD reflects a truth they both understand: family is defined not only by blood, but by the bonds forged through trust, honor, and sacrifice.
First Introduced: Serpents Underfoot
Dr. Robert Pearce
Orthopedic Surgeon · Husband · Father
Dr. Robert Pearce is a highly respected orthopedic surgeon at Vanderbilt University Medical Center whose calm judgment and steady hands have restored countless lives. Devoted to his wife Annie and their twin sons, Robert has built his life around faith, family, and service. Whether spending weekends hunting with his boys or answering a late-night call to the operating room, he approaches every responsibility with quiet humility and unwavering integrity. Though surrounded by warriors and protectors, Robert reminds those around him that healing is every bit as courageous as fighting.
First Introduced: Serpents Underfoot
Annie Pearce
Certified Public Accountant · Sister · Mother
Annie Pearce is a successful Certified Public Accountant whose intelligence, quiet confidence, and unwavering devotion to her family make her one of the foundations of the Cordell family. Practical and composed under pressure, she has built a career on integrity while creating a loving home with her husband, Robert, and their twin sons. Though her brother JD has spent his life protecting others, Annie has always been one of the people he trusts most. Beneath her calm exterior lies a fierce love for her family and the quiet strength to face whatever life places before them.
First Introduced: Serpents Underfoot
Jimmy Pearce
Student · Nephew · Son · Brother
Jimmy Pearce is a seventeen-year-old high school student standing at the threshold between adolescence and manhood. Athletic, determined, and fiercely loyal to the people he loves, Jimmy is still learning from his mistakes and discovering the kind of man he wants to become. A wilderness trip with his Uncle JD becomes far more than a family adventure—it becomes a test of character, courage, and sacrifice. Faced with impossible choices, Jimmy learns that true strength is measured not by fearlessness, but by the willingness to protect others when it matters most.
First Introduced: Montagnard
Allen Pearce
Student · Brother · Observer
Allen Pearce is Jimmy’s twin brother and one of the Pearce family’s quiet strengths. Thoughtful, perceptive, and remarkably mature for his age, Allen has a gift for noticing what others overlook. While his brother often leads with instinct, Allen approaches challenges with patience and careful observation. Deeply devoted to his family, he understands that courage isn’t always found on the front lines—sometimes it’s found in staying calm, paying attention, and doing exactly what’s needed when others need you most.
First Introduced: Montagnard
Brothers-in-Arms
Carlos Vivas
Former Navy SEAL · Leader · Brother
Carlos Vivas is a former Navy SEAL whose steadfast leadership, quick wit, and unwavering loyalty have made him one of JD Cordell’s closest friends and most trusted teammates. Whether coordinating a complex rescue mission or standing shoulder to shoulder with those he considers family, Vivas brings calm, confidence, and decades of hard-earned experience to every challenge. He understands that true leadership is built on trust, and he has spent a lifetime proving that no one under his watch will ever stand alone.
First Introduced: Montagnard
Joe “Pallie” Palazzolo
Former Navy SEAL · Teammate · Friend
Joe “Pallie” Palazzolo is a former Navy SEAL whose calm confidence, dry wit, and unwavering loyalty make him the kind of teammate everyone hopes is standing beside them when things go wrong. Decades of experience have taught him that the best operators don’t seek the spotlight—they quietly solve problems, protect their friends, and carry more than their share of the burden. Whether planning a mission or watching a friend’s back, Pallie embodies the quiet professionalism and steadfast brotherhood that define the best of the SEAL community.
First Introduced: Montagnard
Jim Maddux
Former Navy SEAL · Teammate · Friend
Jim Maddux is a former Navy SEAL whose quiet reliability and unwavering loyalty have earned the respect of everyone who serves beside him. Honest, dependable, and always ready to shoulder his share of the mission, Maddux is the kind of teammate who never seeks recognition but can always be counted on when the stakes are highest. Over years of friendship with JD Cordell, he has proven that trust is built through actions, not words. Even Ajax, who once seemed determined to test his patience, eventually found one of his closest companions in Maddux.
First Introduced: Serpents Underfoot
Bill Taylor
Ex-Green Beret · Outdoorsman · Survivor
Bill Taylor is an ex-Green Beret whose extensive knowledge of the Adirondack wilderness is matched only by his quiet humility and steadfast character. But the man Taylor is today was hard-won. After a devastating fall that nearly destroyed him, he fought his way back through a long and difficult road to redemption. A lifelong outdoorsman, he provides wisdom, guidance, and practical experience when others need it most. Taylor represents the calm professionalism of a man who has known both failure and redemption—and understands the value of a second chance.
First Introduced: Reciprocity
Friends & Allies
Julie Spencer
CIA Forensics Specialist · Intelligence Analyst · Trusted Friend
Julie Spencer is a digital forensics specialist with the CIA’s Information Technology Directorate, specializing in recovering critical intelligence from damaged and encrypted electronic devices. Intelligent, upbeat, and relentlessly optimistic, she has repeatedly proven her technical expertise invaluable to national security investigations. Julie and JD Cordell forged a friendship built on trust, mutual respect, and shared experiences that continues long after the danger has passed.
First Introduced: Serpents Underfoot
Rick Hahn
Former CIA Contractor · Intelligence Professional · Global Operative
Rick Hahn is a former military officer and veteran intelligence contractor whose career has taken him from the deserts of North Africa to the jungles of Southeast Asia. Decades spent working alongside military, intelligence, and diplomatic personnel have given him an unmatched understanding of people, cultures, and the complex threats that exist beyond America’s borders. Calm, resourceful, and quietly connected, Hahn is often the man who knows who to call—and what questions to ask—when others have reached a dead end.
First Introduced: Montagnard
Hana Hahn
Intelligence Operative · Nightclub Owner · Protector
Hana Hahn is the daughter of veteran intelligence contractor Rick Hahn and a skilled operative in her own right. Raised between American and Thai cultures, she learned the intelligence trade while helping her father—and later used those skills to support Dish’s clandestine operations in Southeast Asia. As the owner of Obsession, one of Bangkok’s most famous nightclubs, Hana fiercely protected her employees while using the club as cover for her father’s activities. Meeting JD Cordell and Carlos Vivas ultimately forced her to choose between the life she had built and the future she never expected.
First Introduced: Montagnard
Mike “Slim” Reese
Former Special Forces · Security Contractor · Combat Veteran
Slim is a former U.S. Army Special Forces soldier whose decades of experience have carried him from some of the world’s most dangerous battlefields to high-risk security contracts across the Middle East and beyond. Lean, unassuming, and relentlessly capable, he relies on discipline, patience, and hard-earned judgment rather than bravado. To those who know him, Slim represents the quiet professionalism of a man who has spent a lifetime solving difficult problems in places where failure was never an option.
First Introduced: Montagnard
Quan Rattansak
Former Thai Special Forces · Chief of Security · Protector
Quan is a former Thai Special Forces soldier who oversees security for Hana Hahn’s Bangkok nightclub, Obsession. Quiet, disciplined, and fiercely loyal, he combines elite military training with an instinctive ability to read people and anticipate danger. To the club’s patrons, he’s nearly invisible, but to those who threaten Hana or her staff, Quan is the last man they ever want standing in their way.
First Introduced: Montagnard
Benh Srisawat
Performer · Loyal Friend · Courage Under Fire
Benh was one of Hana Hahn’s most trusted employees at Obsession in Bangkok. Kind-hearted, quick to laugh, and deeply devoted to the people around her, Benh proved that true courage has nothing to do with appearances. When violence came to the club, she gave her life to save Dish, leaving behind a legacy of loyalty, selflessness, and extraordinary bravery.
First Introduced: Montagnard
Sirichai Kittipong
Bodyguard · Muay Thai Champion · Quiet Professional
A former Thai soldier and champion Muay Thai fighter, Sirichai Kittipong brings quiet confidence and unwavering discipline to every assignment. Though still early in his career, his humility, loyalty, and dedication to protecting others mark him as a rising professional—one whose character is every bit as formidable as his fighting ability.
First Introduced: Reciprocity
Jum Y
Survivor · Loyal Friend · Spring Lotus Foundation
Born into the Jarai tribe of Vietnam’s Central Highlands, Jum Y overcame unimaginable hardship through quiet courage and unwavering resilience. Rescued from a life of exploitation, she became the first young woman welcomed into Hana’s Spring Lotus Foundation, where she began building a future of hope. Fiercely loyal and protective of those she loves, Jum Y stands as a reminder that true strength is measured not by where you begin, but by who you choose to become.
First Introduced: Montagnard
Xuan Minh
Student · Dreamer · Quiet Courage
Raised in a remote village in Vietnam, Xuan dreamed of a future far beyond the life she had always known. Through Hana’s Spring Lotus Foundation, she was given the opportunity to pursue that dream, forming an unbreakable friendship with Jum Y along the way. Though gentle and unassuming, Xuan’s resilience and quiet determination shine brightest when hope seems all but lost.
First Introduced: Montagnard
Latoya Jenkins
Survivor · Future Sailor · Unbreakable Spirit
Latoya Jenkins refused to let the worst day of her life define the rest of it. Kidnapped by human traffickers while walking home from a friend’s house, she was rescued by Pallie and his team before all hope was lost. Determined to reclaim her future, she embraced his simple advice to always stay in the fight. Intelligent, compassionate, and quietly resilient, Latoya is once again pursuing her dream of serving her country in the U.S. Navy, proving that courage is not the absence of fear—but the decision to keep moving forward despite it.
First Introduced: Reciprocity
Lucia Ramirez
Survivor · Wilderness Student · Quiet Courage
When the La Guardia Negra murdered her parents, sixteen-year-old Lucia Ramirez escaped into the Adirondack wilderness with nothing but determination to survive. Hunted by professional killers, she found an unlikely protector in retired Navy SEAL JD Cordell, who taught her that courage is built one decision at a time. Resourceful, compassionate, and stronger than she ever believed possible, Lucia discovers that surviving is only the beginning—and that even in the darkest moments, hope is worth fighting for.
First Introduced: Crossroads
Four-Legged Protectors
Ajax
Belgian Malinois · Military Working Dog
Ajax served beside JD Cordell through some of the most dangerous missions of his military career, earning a reputation for extraordinary intelligence, courage, and unwavering loyalty. More than a military working dog, Ajax was a trusted teammate whose instincts repeatedly saved lives. His legacy continues to remind everyone that some of the greatest heroes walk on four legs.
First Introduced: Serpents Underfoot
Sophie
Sable German Shepherd · Search and Rescue Dog
Sophie is a highly trained German Shepherd whose intelligence, discipline, and gentle nature make her an invaluable member of the Cordell family. Whether searching for the missing, tracking through rugged wilderness, or comforting those in need, Sophie demonstrates that courage and compassion often go hand in hand. She carries forward the proud tradition established by Ajax while forging a legacy all her own.