A/N: I have read many great stories related to Desperate Times and Desperate Measures but my muse absolutely would not stop filling in the blanks of what might haave happened between the time when they rescued Jaz to when we last saw her watching the sunrise. So, I finally had to give in and start writing.
Disclaimer: The following is a work of fan fiction based on the television series, The Brave. It is in no way intended to infringe on the copyrights of NBC or anyone else who may have legal rights to the characters and settings. I don't own the characters. Only using them for a short time and will return them in relatively the same shape as when borrowed. As always, any errors or inconsistencies are of my doing.
"I got you. You're all right."
"Command, we've got Jaz and are heading out of town," Adam reported, his grip on the young sergeant easing slightly.
"Good to hear Dalton," echoed back through the communication link. "How is she?"
"In rough shape," Top answered, the muscles in his jaw flexing to bite back the anger that swept through him at the thought. "Don't know how bad yet. Will let you know as soon as we are able."
"Copy that," Patricia said, glancing back toward Hannah and Noah and seeing the warring relief and worry that she was feeling on their faces. "Keep us apprised."
The words seeped into her ears and tumbled through her mind. Jaz couldn't quite understand what they meant but something didn't seem right about them. Still, the warmth pressing against her and the comforting smell of her guys told her she was finally safe. That thought caused another whimper to escape her lips.
Taking eyes off of the areas surrounding the vehicle, Top looked down and saw the slight crease of her forehead. "Jaz?" he asked softly moving his head so he could see her face better. "You with me?" Before he received an answer he felt a nudge and saw a bottle of water being shoved at him.
"See if she can take some of that," McGuire urged, pulling a blood pressure cup from his bag. "She's probably dehydrated. That, blood loss, and god knows what else they did to her has her out of it," he murmured wrapping the cup around her arm.
Adam put the bottle to her lips and poured a small amount on her lips to wet them. When she turned toward the bottle seeking more, he lifted it back up only allowing small sips to flow into her mouth. "Easy," he murmured, pulling the bottle back when she tried to get more. "Let's make sure you're going to keep this down first."
Taking his eyes off of her, he looked around. "How long?" he called out to Hossein at the wheel.
"Twenty, twenty five minutes to the truck," the Iranian called back, his eyes darting to the mirror to look into the back. "The good news is that we do not appear to have any one following us at the moment."
A hiss drew Top's eyes back to the woman in his lap and the medic tending her. "McG?"
"Sons of a bitches carved her up pretty good," McG said lowly, easing the edge of the white shirt back to her neck, and shifting to prod gently on her thigh. "Don't think any of them are deep enough to catch an organ or do permanent damage but she can't be feeling very good." Sitting back, he scrounged into his bag. "Some of 'em need stitching but I can't do much right now."
The clank of an ankle chain hitting the side of the van wall echoed in the confined space. "Good to get these off, hey Jaz," Preach soothed seeing her head shift slightly toward the sound. Reaching for her other foot and setting his picks into the shackle lock, a breath escaped between his teeth. "Got cuts down here too," he stated, glancing up to make sure McGuire had heard him.
Locking eyes with McG, Top saw his own anger reflected in the others man's eyes. It was one thing the two men felt strongly about: you did not pick on a woman. And you sure as hell didn't do anything like this to a friend and live. Cocking his head slightly, he watched as the realization they had likely already killed everyone involved in Jaz's torture seep into McG's brain and ease the anger that was there. A visible swallow edged down Joseph's throat before his features softened.
Seeing the tip of McG's head that he was okay, Top refocused his attention and raised the water bottle again. "Easy," he murmured again, as her hand came up to grip the bottle with him. When she began to cough, he pulled it back, shifting her a little to maximize her airway. "Throw up on me Jaz and you're doing my laundry from a month," he threw out lightly watching her to make sure she was not getting into more distress. A smile pulled on his lips when chocolate colored eyes slowly edged upward to meet his.
"Goes both ways," she whispered back, her voice lacking her usual sassiness or energy. Leaning into him, she felt Adam's chest rumble with laughter before his head pressed against hers.
"You're going to be okay," Adam whispered to her before shifting to watch as the final manacle left her wrist. A softly spoken 'you shouldn't be here' drew his attention back to her. "What?"
"You guys were suppose to be gone," Jaz murmured, her eyes seeking out Preach and McG. Tensing, her eyes flashed back to Top. "Amir?"
"In the front," Adam assured her.
"I'm here, Jaz," Amir said, shifting back to touch here shoulder. "We're all going home now. You just rest," he told her, his voice low and soft.
A slow nod acknowledged his words before it was followed by a gasp as the van rumbled over holes in the road. Swallowing hard she fought to keep back the moan that had wanted to escape.
"Jaz," Top called to her when she had settled again, a tinge of regret in his voice. "I've got to ask, did you tell them anything?"
Shaking her head slowly, she met Adam's eyes. "No," she breathed. "Nothing," she repeated, forcing her voice to be as strong as it could to stress her sincerity. "I didn't tell them anything," she said again.
"Okay," Adam soothed. "I believe you. Good job soldier," he added, his voice warm.
"Hand me a pad will ya?" Preach said, gesturing to McG's medical bag. "She's got a bleeder here," he added, pushing her pant leg up so the medic could see. Taking it, he pushed firmly on the slit made by the manacle. "Might want to butterfly this one," he said after a moment, folding the gauze to press again. It did not go unnoticed that Jaz barely reacted.
"We are almost there," Hossein stated, catching Amir's eyes and nodding to the large transport barely visible from the road.
"How far from here?" Amir asked, glancing back to indicate he was thinking about how long before Jaz could get full medical help
"At least three to the checkpoint," the older man replied, putting the van into park. "Six from there to Incirlik."
Slowly Amir nodded, his mind calculating the probable miles. He had no doubt that once they were across, they would be stopping to let McG give Jaz a once over. Glancing back, he lowered his voice. "They will not go easy on us if they are discovered."
A tight smile cross the older man's features. "I will not let that happen my friend," he said before exiting the vehicle.
As Hossein headed to uncover the large transport, Amir swung to the back to open the hatch before moving to the side of the van where McG had already opened the door and climbed out. Reaching out to steady Jaz as she slipped from the vehicle, he tipped his head to look at her. "Good to see you," he said softly, his features reflecting his emotions. "Need a hand?" he added, wanted to make sure she was okay with him touching her.
"Yeah," Jaz breathed, pain evident with every move. Grimacing, she felt Amir slip under her arm and caught her hand on the other side to pull her against him taking the majority of her weight. McG held on to the other as they virtually carried her towards the truck.
"Okay, get her up here," Adam ordered, reaching down to help if he could. "Easy," he added, as she hissed in pain as they lifted her. Catching her, he turned her slightly to guide her to the crate. "Sit over here, " he instructed, easing her down. "You good?"
"Yep," Jaz breathed hoarsely, fighting to get the pain back under control.
Kneeling, Adam got his first true glimpse of her status. A breath caught as haunted eyes met his. Forcing air back into his lungs, he cleared his throat. "Jaz," he breathed, his hand stopping its descent when it met hers. Before he could say anything else, he felt McGuire swing himself up.
Shrugging off his backpack, he plopped it to the floor as he leaned down. "I can't do a lot right now, Jaz, but I need to do a quick assessment and then get you something for the pain." Kneeling, he grimaced as the wood bit into his knee. "I'm afraid this ride isn't going to be very comfortable."
Squeezing her hand, Top stood. "Hossein, Amir, Preach, grab our gear and get changed. We'll change after you get done," he added his eyes scanning the sky line for the sign of anyone approaching.
"Adam, report."
"We're switching vehicles and getting rid of the uniforms right now," he stated jumping off of the truck to move away from it so he could speak more freely. "So far, no indication they know we are here."
"That's good," Patricia answered, nodding toward Noah. Seeing an answering nod, she added, "From what we can tell, they seem to believe you are still in the city."
"Yeah, well, let's hope they don't figure it out for a while then," Dalton said dryly.
"Have you been able to determine our exposure?" the DIA director asked, toying with her necklace.
"Zero," Top reported back. "She said she didn't give them anything."
"And you believe her?"
The question irritated him. Tersely he snapped back. "Of course I believe her." The seconds of silence that followed permeated his haze. Blowing out a breath, he tried again. "Look, she's trained. She was only there one day." Rolling his head back at how that sounded, he closed his eyes. "She didn't say anything," he added quietly.
"How long since you slept?" Patricia asked, her voice soft.
"Too long," he breathed before forcing his feet forward and clearing his throat. "ETA estimated at 10 hours. I'll keep you posted," he said before severing the audio.
Catching the clothes being thrown at him, he pulled the long sleeve t-shirt from the pile. Thrusting it toward the truck, he nodded to Jaz. "She'll need something." Getting a nod in response he stepped to the side of the vehicle to shed the Iranian guard clothing. As he did, Hossein moved closer.
"I'm afraid it won't be very comfortable, but you will be concealed," the larger man said as he tapped the side of the truck. "However, if they find you, you won't be able to escape," he cautioned.
"Then we'll be really quiet," Adam quipped back, throwing him a tight smile. "What about you? Will you have trouble getting back?"
Looking over the countryside, Hossein shrugged. "We will, as you say, cross that bridge when we get there," he replied. A smile pulled at his lips. "Perhaps I will go with you to see your infamous fishing spot."
Gripping the older man's arm, Adam nodded. "Always welcome my friend," he said before sobering. "We better get moving."
Going to the back of the truck, he pulled himself up. "We good?" he asked, kneeling by Jaz and McG.
"As good as we're going to get for awhile," McG threw back, buckling up his medical kit. "After we cross, we'll need to stop so I can do more."
"Jaz?"
Catching Adams eyes, she swallowed. "I'm fine," she said softly. "Ready to get the hell out of here," she added, a soft shiver passing through her body.
Nodding, he laid his hand on her calf in support before rising. "Hossein?" asking how they were suppose to get into the hiding spot.
Climbing up, Hossein began to shove the crates aside to reveal a trap door. "It's will be tight with four of you in there." Seeing a question on Adam's face he added, "Amir can ride up front with me. He won't draw attention."
Moving over, Top peered into the small space. Sitting down, he eased himself into the space. "Cozy" he drawled, shuffling further in. "Let's get Jaz in here and then the rest of us can fit in around her," he said before disappearing from view.
