Hey, thank you so much for the reviews, it's just adorable, encouraging, thank you!
I barely slept those last days since I keep fighting on Twitter to get our show back ( RedeployTBrave it's me ), and I'm encouraging you to do so if you want another network to pick up The Brave… I never thought I was going to use Twitter one day, and here I am, tweeting like crazy!
Anyway, since I'm exhausted, there are probably some mistakes, and I'm sorry for that!
Hope you'll like it and made my day (or my night since it's very late here) by letting me your opinion or just saying Hi :D
Jaz had always trusted her instincts.
When she was just a little girl, she used to anticipate when her father was going to lose it. It wasn't that hard, because the only days he didn't, were the days he wasn't home. But still, she was able to see the blow coming and to hide before it came. Sometimes it worked, other times… Well, she still had scars to remind her that her gut had probably saved her from worse.
When she had met the guys for the first time, she had fought her instincts. By the time she had made it to the Omega Forces, she had built up the thickest walls around her and didn't let anyone be close to her emotionally. People were disappointing, period.
And that, even if Elijah looked like the kindest and funniest man on earth, even if Preach was acting like the father figure she never had, even if she had felt that McG and his handsomeness would be far more complicated to understand than what his bright smile implied.
And even if she felt driven to her CO, more than she should, more than rules allowed, more than she had felt in her entire life.
Her gut was telling her to trust him, and that was so out of character for her. She didn't do trust. Trust meant vulnerability, vulnerability meant hurt. The only place she trusted others was on the field, and that was because she didn't have a choice. It was probably what had led her to be the best sniper. She was the one on over watch, and she was the one the other soldiers had to rely on, while she didn't have to trust them too much.
It had changed, she had changed. Each of her guys had made his way through her walls. She had learnt to trust, and she had allowed herself to hope. For more, for maybe something bigger than just dying on the field. Like a family. And that hope was terrifying her. Losing them was terrifying her. The flutter in her chest anytime her captain was looking at her, or laughing, or just giving her that smile he seemed to keep just for her… It was terrifying her. She could handle one night stand relationships, but the idea of actually being involved with someone was just suffocating. Loving and being loved, that wasn't easy for her. Her parents didn't love each other, they didn't even love her, at least not like parents were supposed to. She had grown up thinking that love was pain and hurt and loneliness. Of course, she had realized how wrong she had been, but it didn't make things easier. He was kind, and respectful, and the best leader she had ever had. She had worked so hard to be in his team, she certainly wasn't going to screw everything by falling in love with him. She could push away those feelings. But she could at least trust him. Trust them. And she had.
Yes, her gut had always been right.
So, when the receptionist of the hotel gave her a package that had been left for her, she knew deep down that it wasn't good.
She took it and went back to her room. She bit her lips and took a deep breath. Whatever it was, it was related to Victor, she could feel it. The man was dangerous, Hoffmann had told them that he had an oversized ego, and if he wanted to seek revenge on her, she wouldn't put her guys in danger. She tried to forget Dalton's worried eyes, and turned off her body cam. She took off her jacket and opened the package. It was a box, with a memory stick in it, and a folded paper with an address written on it. She swallowed hard and licked her lips. She probably should call her team, tell them about the USB and let the DIA deal with it. But she had a computer, and she was supposed to use her burner phone only if it was urgent.
She had been careful while coming back at the hotel. McG had patched her up, Malden had reappeared, as if nothing had happened, and the mission was going on. If MacArthur was really a traitor, then Victor probably already knew what had happened, and was going to act very soon.
She shook her head, and took her computer.
When the video started, her heart stopped. The first thing she saw was a kid. A little dark haired boy asleep on a mattress… At least she hoped he was just asleep...
And he was young, so young. Her heart sank.
The image changed and a familiar face appeared. Victor was smiling at the camera.
"Hello dear, do you remember me? I've been quite disappointed with our last appointment; I believe we have some catching up to do…"
He moved to sit next to the little boy and the camera followed him. Victor took a gun and pointed it casually at the kid. Jaz felt like she was going to throw up with fear. Cold sweat gathered in her forehead while she watched the screen.
"I have something I think you're looking for… What about a deal? You, against the boy? You'll find the address in the little package I left you… See you soon dear… I can't wait!"
The video stopped. The silence in her room was deafening. What was she supposed to do? Top was going to be pissed… She would be lying if she said that she wasn't afraid. She had always thought that she would die on the field, quick and clean with a bullet. Being powerless, at the mercy of a man who probably hated her, wasn't part of the plan. She closed her eyes for a few seconds. She thought again about the letters she had wrote to the people she loved, her team. She thought about her mother, who hadn't seen her daughter for three years and was maybe going to have to deal with the news of her death. She thought about Top, about what she would have wanted to tell him before...
She slowly closed her computer. He was just a little boy.
OoOoOoO
When Jaz's body cam went off, Dalton frowned at the black screen. She was supposed to keep it on, except during the night, or in the bathroom.
"Preach? What's wrong with the body cam?" he asked, his voice tensed.
Preach shook his head while checking on his computer.
"I don't know, I don't think it's a technical issue… Seems like it had been turned off…"
Dalton and the guys exchanged worried glances. He took the phone but the sat phone rang. He huffed in frustration and answered.
"Patricia… Jaz's camera is off, what's going on?"
"I don't know, Adam, I was calling you about a video Jaz had just sent us… It was in a package that had been left for her at the hotel… I think you might want to see this… Look…"
The video showed a little boy asleep, and Dalton knew why this video had been sent to Jaz. He couldn't stop the wave of hatred he felt when he saw Victor, and the flood of panic when the man asked for Jaz to exchange her life for the boy's.
"Shit…" said McG.
Adam's eyes widened in horror, as he realized why her body cam had been turned off, and what she was going to do. He rushed to the cell phone he was using for this mission and dialed Jaz's burner phone.
"Top…"
He closed his eyes briefly, relief overwhelming him when he heard her voice.
"Jaz… What's going on? Why did you turn off your body cam? Are you okay?"
He was met by silence.
"Jaz?"
He heard her take a deep breath.
"I'm sorry, Top… I don't have a choice…"
Dalton shook his head, his heart racing in his chest. He tried to sound calm, while all his instincts were yelling at him to pull her back, to take her out of the mission.
"What are you talking about, Jaz? We'll find a way, like we always do…"
"He's just a little boy, Top…"
Her voice was defeated and determined at the same time. He took a shaky breath and mentioned to Preach and James to go after her at the hotel. Victor wouldn't recognize them, and if they were fast enough, they would be at Jaz's door before she did something stupid. He had to keep her on the phone.
"I know Jaz, and we'll do everything to get him back safe and sound, but you have to stay in your room…"
"Top, I have to go. He's going to kill him, I can stop that, I have to stop that…"
"No, no no, you…"
He stood and began pacing in the room, his voice dripping with anger and fear.
"Jaz" he growled. "You're staying in your room, that's an order…"
He knew that he wasn't going to convince her, but he couldn't just sit there and wait for Preach to make it at the hotel on time.
"Top…"
"You listen to me Jaz, there is no way in hell I'm letting you go, okay? We're a team, we're making the calls as a team!"
"I'm the one he wants…"
"Jaz, as your captain, I'm telling you to stay in your room, it's an order!"
He sounded desperate but didn't care anymore.
"Top…"
"I won't, I can't, Jaz, you can't just go…"
His voice wavered and he had to close his eyes to keep a hold on his feelings.
"You're the best CO I've ever had, and I'm grateful for our team…"
"Jaz, no, NO, you listen to me? You stay where you are, we're going to find a way, we always do, trust me!"
Her voice was strangled.
"Adam… He could kill the kid… I'll do my best to kick his ass… But if I can't… I… I just wanted you to know how proud I am… I… I'm not good with words, but I…"
"Jaz, no, listen to me, okay, everything is going to be okay, you listen to me, it's going to be fine, just please, please stay in your room…" he begged her.
He wanted to run out to the safe house, to race to the hotel, to lock her in the room, where she was safe.
"Don't blame yourself…"
"Jaz!"
"I'm sorry…"
She hung up and he had to stop himself from throwing the phone against a wall. McG's phone rang.
"McG… yeah… Okay…"
He glanced at Dalton.
"Top… Preach is at the hotel… Jaz is gone…"