AN: New Story Time! I've been working on this one for months now, and after talking things through with hfish7, I think now is a good time to post it. I hope you all enjoy!
Plot: A mission in the middle of the ocean turns into a fight for survival for the members of Bravo.
Chapter 1
"We can't keep this up!"
"I'm on my last mag!"
"You need to call it!"
"No! Not yet! Keep going!"
"I'm on my sidearm! We have to go or we're dead!"
"There's still time!"
"Not for us!"
"I'm Winchester!"
"No, we can—I can still—shit!"
A bullet strikes the metal pole inches from his head. Sparks fly, burning his skin where they land. He falls back on the platform. Something—no, someone—roughly grabs the front of his gear, forcing him to look up at his brother.
"Our exfil window is closing and we gotta get Jase outta here! Ray! We have to go!" Sonny yells over the roar of the fire, the high winds, the constant pinging of the bullets hitting everything but them. "I'm sorry, but we ain't got a choice, brother! Move it!"
Ray is pulled to his feet but stays low. In the chaos around him he can see Sonny returning fire to a small group of tangos above them. Trent shoulders their unconscious leader, gives a sharp nod, and Ray leads his brothers to the waiting chopper that hovered over the crumbling structure.
"Let's go! Go, go, go, go!" Ray yells as Sonny leads them to the chopper while Ray covers their six. He waits for Trent to run by with Jason before following them, returning fire to any tangos still alive on the burning platform.
Perry arrives at the helipad where he sees three sets of hands pulling Jason in as it hovers above the ocean structure. Trent is helped in next as Ray watches, hoping, praying, for a miracle of any kind.
He stares at the area he last saw them.
Squints through the building rain.
But it's just as empty as it was after they fell through.
What have I done?
"Ray!"
Bravo Two forces his legs to move, allows the others to help him in the chopper. He didn't fight as the pilot lifted them into the air and back to base, but his eyes never leave that spot. Not until they were out of range and the only thing he could see was black smoke blending with the black clouds. When he settles slightly, he looks at the state of the remaining members of Bravo.
Jason is being tended to by a medic, his status at the time unknown. Sonny has a cut somewhere on his arm because his left sleeve is stained red and he's holding it tight to his chest. Trent tosses Three a rag, then goes back to helping the medic who is looking over Hayes. And Ray? Well, he's had better days.
"It ain't your fault."
"Like hell it isn't!" Ray can't even bring himself to look at Sonny. "With Jase down, leadership responsibilities fall to me. I told them to go around, get the intel before we lost it. Jason wouldn't have made that call. It was stupid and they paid for it."
Sonny is getting ready to say something when the chopper begins its descent to the ground. Soon they land, and are quickly swarmed by doctors and nurses. Lt. Commander Blackburn is there as well, walking towards Bravo with an unreadable look on his face. The members of Bravo who were not currently unconscious all open their mouths to speak, but he cuts them off. "You are to get yourselves checked out first and foremost. Then you are going to tell me, in great detail, why two members of Bravo are MIA. Dismissed."
No one dare speak and instead shuffled after the doctors to the base medical ward, all wondering where they went wrong.
#
Earlier, Virginia Beach
"Someone please inform young Spenser to not jump off the GOPLAT this time." Sonny quipped at Mandy pulled up an image of their target mid-brief. "If he does, I ain't giving him anything above a 6.3."
"If all goes to plan, you won't need such a hasty exit."
"If?" says Jason from his seat at the table. "If is a big word, Mandy."
"I'm aware. But hitting this oil rig now is our only chance at getting the intel Grizo hid there."
"And you're sure it's on this rusty ol' rig? Not one that is just a few miles away? Or some other location?"
"The CIA intel is solid. You'll be in and out before anyone realizes the rig was breached and the drive gone."
There are audible sighs around the room. "Now you done and gone jinxed it, Ellis!"
"Relax, boys. Grizo is smart, but he didn't want to draw attention to that rig for a reason, even if it is out of service. There will be two, maybe four or six armed guards by the time you arrive."
Clay interjects, "A max of two on each level?"
"We assume so. Take them out, get the drive out of the captains' quarters and hit exfil."
"Quick, just like that." Hayes stands, stretches. "Should be back in time for Mikey's game this weekend."
#
C-17
The flight to the drop off point was one in mostly silence. Since the team needed darkness to make the grab, they left in the middle of the night and would arrive on target just before dawn broke.
Bravo Team was scattered about, either sleeping or talking to someone who wasn't sleeping. Clay was restless. Ever since he was cleared to join Bravo again, he's been rather antsy. The guys quickly picked up on this but figured he would get his nerves out before the op was well under way. Unable to sleep, or lay still long enough to try to sleep, Spenser got up and walked over to the cooler. He notices Brock huddled in a corner with his phone. Man, he really can lay anywhere, Clay thinks as he walks over.
"Hey."
Brock look up from the screen of his phone, sees Spenser holding a bottle of water. "Thanks."
"Sure." Clay cracks his own open and takes a sip. "Everything okay?"
"Yeah, Mac just sent me pics of Cerb in a tux." Brock flips his screen around and Clay smiles. He'd be fooled if he didn't know Cerb was a working dog. "She's undoing every bit of training I've ingrained into that dog, I swear."
"Nah, Mackenzie doesn't seem like that kind of person."
"And you've met her, what? Three times? You don't know Mac. It'll take me weeks to get Cerb back in his tact vest after this."
Clay seems surprised at that. "Really?"
Brock pauses. "No, not really, but the point remains. I think Cerberus is just enjoying his vacation is all."
"What's a vacation?"
"Touché."
Lt. Commander Blackburn walks past Bravo as he heads for the back of the plane. "Okay, boys. We'll be reaching the drop point at 0530. Get some rest while you can."
"That's my cue."
"Hey, Clay? How're things with Stella?"
It is no secret Clay and Stella are trying to give things another shot. The guys weren't thrilled when they first found out, especially since they all remember the way she broke his heart the first time, but young Spenser has been happy of late. Really happy. Maybe Stella knows what it takes to love a SEAL this go around.
Clay only smiles as he takes a seat and tries to get some rest.
AN: Leave a review and let me know what you think!