"I am going to go into work this morning. You can take Emma to the college tour." Alana said, waking Jason up before promptly turning on her heals and going back into the bedroom to get ready for the day.

Pulling out his phone he checked the location of all the members of his team, Clay and Sonny were still at Clay's, Ray and Lisa were at the base, Trent and Brock still at home. Shooting a quick text to Ray, 'Taking Emma on a college tour. Make the Kid take it easy today.'

'Kid and Sonny were still in bed according to Davis.'

'She stay all night?'

'Sounds like it.'

'You with her now?'

'She went for a run.'

'Call me if they need anything.' He said before turning to google to figure out how to make the stupid coffee maker work.

"Look at that fresh coffee, huh? Got the machine to work and all." Jason said twenty minutes later when Alana walked into the kitchen.

"Congratulations, you can take it to your new place."

"Someone's mad at me." Jason dared.

"No." Alana said, wanting to say more but stopping when she saw their daughter of all of their arguments over the years they had never argued in front of their kids.

"Morning. We've gotta get moving, Mom." Emma said bouncing into the kitchen.

"Uh, honey, a broker's open and something came up. Your Dad's taking you." Alana told their daughter who got an instant look of classic teenage horror.

"Wow. Last time I saw you that excited was when we got you a singing bear for Christmas." Jason smirked, he wasn't looking forward to a college tour anymore than Emma wanted him there but at least he would get to spend time with his little girl.

"That was Elmo, not a bear."

"If it's not a bear, what is it?"

"Dad, the tour starts at 8:00, and I won't allow your desire to suddenly understand Elmo's genus make me late for my first college tour."

"Huh." Jason smirked, recognizing his wife in his daughter.

"Can you pour me one, too?"

"Look at you, high octane, when did you start drinking coffee?"

"Since I had to leave for a college tour at the butt crack of dawn...Coffee."

"What about please? Please pour me a cup of coffee. Does that not work in your vocabulary anymore?" Jason asked before turning back to the coffee maker, "Coffee, coming up."

Once the two had their coffees in hand they left for the twenty minute drive to the school. Jason followed Emma around, amazed at how much she was like her mother, talking to everyone and looking totally at home surrounded by a bunch of strangers. Hell, he was on a college campus and every movement his head would swivel. "Dad would you just relax?" Emma asked him, walking up and hooking her arm in his like she had done a million times when she was younger.

"When did you grow up?" He asked her.

"I love you too." Emma smiled at him before kissing his cheek and bouncing off again.

As Jason counted the stairs, closets and emergency exits in each building his daughter never stopped smiling. 'Beat anyone up yet?' Clay text him, breaking him from his thoughts.

'She hasn't stopped smiling. Take it easy today.'

'I'm fine.'

'Sonny and Davis stayed with you last night.'

'Family sticks together...right?'

'Sure does Kid.'

'Emma likes having you there.'

'How do you know that?'

'She told me.' Clay said, making Jason grin. 'Sonny and I are hitting the gym. Don't worry I am just doing the bike today.'

'Thanks Kid.'

"You talking to Clay?" Emma asked, coming back over, "We need to take a picture for my story."

"Yes and what story?" Jason asked, stopping to smile at her camera as she took at least fifteen different shots.

"Instagram." Emma smiled, "And Clay said he was still pretty sore from the jump but that he is fine and he was going to do the bike today while Sonny and Ray lifted."

"How is it that you know more about what happens with my men than I do?"

"What do you mean?" Emma asked, "And I didn't see your chute bag..."

"Not that kind of jump...and you know we aren't suppose to talk about what we do when we..."

"Clay just told me he had a hard jump but was okay...I made him promise to check in...and the way he was talking I knew something happened..."

"Not in trouble. Just surprised is all. You never used to care about the guys."

"That isn't true...Hannah and I always would listen around a corner or pick up another phone or something...since we were little...and every time you guys would go...we would...but then when he got hurt and had to stay here...she still asked questions and would tell me what she heard..."

"Why didn't you ever say anything?"

"It was all you and mom ever got in fights about...I just didn't want...I wanted our time together to be happy."


"Is that Davis?" Sonny asked Ray and Clay, "Davis! Hey, Davis! Davis!"

"Headphones, bro." Ray smirked, looking over at Clay who was trying not to laugh.

"Oh, yeah. It's just so strange, you know. She's not really a morning person." Sonny said as he got up from the weight bench. "So what you get your FRAN time down to? 5:40?"

"Shoulder's strong as hell. 5:45..." Ray told Sonny, "Say what you're trying to say, Sonny, save us the time." Seeing Clay roll his eyes he knew exactly what Sonny was getting on about.

"Well you know, I was in Jason's ear. Bravo machine, it's missing a gear."

"I appreciate it, brother, but with Jason, it's about more than the shoulder."

"Come on, Ray, we've all played hurt, all right? You remember that, uh, convoy take down outside Kabul? Well, the night before, I sprained my wrist punching a tree."

"Okay, Sonny, why'd you punch a tree?" Ray asked, trying not to laugh.

"I got twisted up on that green raisin moonshine that the locals make, you know, and I swear, there was this tree that was kind of looking at me strange. You know, so we got into it, and I knocked that sucker right out of his roots. My point being, is that I didn't tell a damn soul that I hurt my wrist."

"Well, man or tree, no one's gonna eyeball you, Sonny." Ray told him...before switching gears, "Look, man, I...Thanks for having my back, but all of you start going at Jason, taking my side, he'll just double down."

"It's not about sides, Ray. It's about getting the wolf pack back together."

"Brother, you know you're gonna have to wrap your head around something. I may not be back. Give 'em hell, yeah?" He said before walking off, ending the conversation.

"What the fuck is that about?" Clay asked, "Why wouldn't he be back?"

"Bullshit. Fucking bullshit. Jason isn't actually even mad at him...the two talk all the damn time."

"So then what is he talking about?"

"Maybe Adam is trying to get him to stay?"

"Doubt it. Adam wants to go back out." Clay told Sonny before he started pedaling again.

"You hanging around here all day?"

"Going to meet Stella for lunch."

"Sure you are up for it?"

"Haven't exactly spent any time with her since we got back."

"Jason know that you wont be here."

"I don't tell him every detail of my day." Clay rolled his eyes.

"You've just been on your phone a lot today is all and I know the lady professor has morning classes soooo..."

"Emma and Jason are on a college tour."

"How's that going?" Sonny asked and Clay held out his phone so he could see one of the photos Emma had sent him. "He doing okay today?"

"She says his head is on a swivel and wants to know what the hell happened when we were gone."


"I kind of love it here." Emma bounced back over, seeing her Dad try to brush off another dad.

"Is this a safety school for you? Safety? I should know what that is, right?" Jason asked his smiling daughter, he loved that the school was close to home and that he would still be able to see her when he wasn't deployed.

"It means it's a lock that I'll get in here."

"Okay. All right, yeah."

"It's nice. I like it."

"You know what, hey, I support any choice you make. All right? Just, you know, you end up at a frat party, I may have to gather up the boys and crack some skulls, you understand?" When Emma started laughing Jason went on, "I'm not joking."

"Never thought you were. Clay said the same thing." As Jason's phone rang Emma and Jason both felt their hearts drop. "Work?"

"Yup, work."

"Remind me not to pick a career that can turn my life upside down at any moment and screw up my kid's day." Emma teased.

"Right." Jason said feeling horrible.

Seeing the change in her Dad she quickly told him, "It's fine. I'll come back with Mom to see the rest of the school."

"Okay."

"I mean it Dad...its fine." Emma said putting her hand into her fathers and squeezing it. "Doesn't mean I have to like you leaving again though."

"You know I love you...right?" Jason asked once they were back in his truck.

"Yes Daddy." Emma smiled, "Can we at least grab some tacos before you drop me off?"


"Davis, saw you working out early. It's a little out of the ordinary."

"What's out of the ordinary is that you weren't tied up with a bunch of strippers when we got paged."

"Strippers." Jason smirked, he loved that Davis had the guts to stand up to the boys.

"Ooh!" The team collectively laughed.

"Hey, don't be judgy, Davis." Sonny laughed, "Okay, nothing wrong with bunches of strippers."

"Okay, the swarm seems best." Clay chimed in.

"Whoa, whoa, whoa, excuse me there, Mr. GQ, no, no, no, you do not get to comment, okay? Stella pulled you out of that pool, buddy." Jason smirked.

"Really not loving the new nickname there." Clay smiled.

"You're not feeling it? Tell you what, why don't you pick your own, then?" Jason dared him.

"No, it's bad luck to pick your own nickname. I learned that from my good buddy - Footlong." Sonny laughed, "God rest his exaggerating soul."

"Footlong." Jason laughed.

"Bus is waiting Boys." Erik yelled over the laughing and the team quickly shuffled out of their cages, climbing onto the bus...then the plane silently, a stark contrast to the laughter that was coming from them only a short while before. "All right, listen up. Hope you packed your Ambiens, gonna be a long flight." Erik told the team.

"Where we headed?" Jason asked.

"Saudi Arabia." Erik answered. "Three hours ago, Shia extremists took hold of the Qanat of Shaqra. Qanats are ancient tunnel systems that access underground water sources. This particular qanat is at the heart of the largest water source in Saudi Arabia. They intend to release anthrax into the water if their demands are not met within 24 hours."

"What are their demands?"

"Does it matter? They're not getting met. So, the Saudis have asked for our help on this. Anthrax is a self-replicating bacterium. Released into that aquifer, no water there ever again. God knows how many it would just plain kill. Nothing can go wrong here." He said looking around at Bravo. He had no doubt that Bravo was the best, most qualified team when their heads were in the game, but they were still getting their bearings and he knew this would be a rough mission.

As the team gathered around the makeshift table Erik continued, "Our counterparts in Saudi intelligence believe that the extremists are camped out here, the mother well it's the main source of the water."

"How many extremists?"

"Could be up to 20. Not really sure."

"What are we clear on?"

"What we do know is that this modern access tunnel leads directly to their encampment, but the extremists have collapsed the entrance right behind them."

"Well, why don't we help them on their way, blow the damn thing up, call it early and hit a happy hour?" Sonny asked, knowing full well that was not a real option.

"That's great, but the loss of infrastructure would cripple the region for decades."

"There's no way we could clear the rubble?"

"No, not without alerting them to our presence."

"Can't risk it."

"That's way too risky."

"Tell you what, why don't we come at 'em from a different direction, right? There's a vertical access shaft here on the other side of the mother well. I say we rappel in and we roll in quiet. Hit 'em here. That shaft has not been active in 200 years, so it's unlikely these guys even know about it. And there's gonna be anthrax canisters they're gonna be holding onto down there, too. We don't want to be hitting those." Jason and Clay spoke, finishing each others sentences and talking as if they were one person.

"So, based on some ancient maps, we're gonna be jumping into an old hole filled with bad guys, booby traps, and poisonous bacteria." Clay reiterated as Jason looked at him, proud that the Kid had echoed his own thoughts and overall plan.

"And spiders. 100% there'll be spiders there. Them freaky desert kind that haven't seen people since Jesus's time."

"Okay?"

"What the hell is this, Goonies?"

"Yeah, yeah, it's Goonies." Erik smiled.

"This is all solid rock?"

"Yeah. Hundreds of meters, every direction."

"All right, well, comms aren't gonna work then."

"Oh, okay, so what's the solution there?" Jason asked Clay.

"Line-of-sight relays. You know, we just position some men at intervals and that way we can ensure the execution-checklist items are communicated back to Havoc." Clay answered, knowing that Erik and Davis and had already thought of that.

"Yeah, we're good?" Jason asked.

"We're good." Erik answered. "All right, let's get some shut-eye. Riyadh in six hours."

Once Clay was comfortable Jason walked over and sat down by him, "Good catch with the comms, kid."

"Uh, just doing my best."

"How's Stella?"

"She good?"

"Yeah? Supposed to, uh, supposed to meet her parents this weekend."

"Oh-ho, meet the parents. I bet you're hoping this spin up lasts longer than expected."

"Yeah, man. Dude, Stella's freaking stressed out. Starting to think that her parents maybe aren't real happy with her choice, a team guy."

"Yeah? Tell you what, Stella's opinion is the only one that matters. Okay?" Jason told him, "My advice to you is, uh, just-just be you. Keep it simple. That's it. It'll be enough." Even as he said it he knew it may not be enough...but if it wasn't enough it was better to find out sooner than later.

"Thanks." Clay said sarcastically.

"Get some sleep, will you?" Jason told him, knowing he was going to rely heavily on him for this mission and worried about where his head was.

"You need to sleep too Jace."

"You going to get my brain to shut off?"

"Emma really did have fun with you today." Clay told him.

"Yeah?" Jason asked, leaning his head back and looking up at the ceiling.

"Yeah, she said she doesn't get much alone time with you and that she was jealous we get to spend so much time together."

Jason told him, "Like that you look out for her but I don't know why she is jealous."

"I am jealous of her." Clay told him, turning his head to see what Jason's reaction would be.

Without skipping a beat and reaching over to squeeze Clay's shoulder he said, "You are family."

"Having a family is nice." Clay told him, letting the vulnerability ring loud.

Jason left his hand to linger longer than he would with anyone else as Clay pulled his hat down over his eyes and relaxed back. Once he knew the Kid was relaxed he squeezed his shoulder three times before letting go and walking over towards Erik who had watched the whole interaction.


"What's up, Davis? Dodged my question earlier. What was with the early workout routine?"

"What's with you creeping on my workout schedule?"

"I wasn't creeping. All right? You jogged into my line of sight. I've just never known you as a morning person." Sonny said as he arranged his things to make his nest. Picking up his boot his eyes went wide, "What in the hell?" Knowing exactly who was behind the small stones in his boot he went over and yelled, "Kairos. Kairos!" to the newest tag-along to Bravo.

"Hmm?" Summer asked, lifting his hat off his eyes and trying not to laugh.

"You try to put some sort of bewitchment in my boot?"

"I wouldn't do that, man. That type of crystal forms in natural charcoal layers. It's an odor eater. Your boots are a little odorous."

"It's true, man." Clay laughed, "The freaking smell of those things make me want to suck start a pistol."

"I will push you down the stairs and blame it on the dog. You understand me? Keep your hippie bullshit to yourself." Sonny said as he dumped the pebbles onto Summer's chest.

"Don't get Cerberus mixed up in this now...the dog is innocent." Brock smirked as Cerb let out a quick bark in agreement.


As the team walked through the cave they all thought it was kind of cool, being in a place very few alive had ever been...that was until Cerberus sat down and started to whine. "Hold up. Kairos, what's he got?" Jason asked. As Summer looked at the wiring, then relaying the information to Havoc Jason decided to keep moving. "Leaving EOD here. Moving forward." They knew from where they were to the exit was safe and guarded so there was no reason not to keep going.

Hearing whispering it wasn't long before there was a firefight and as Bravo Team took up defensive positions the team was split into two...and then the wall between caved in and Clay could see one of the Saudi soldiers dead, half under the pile of rubble and his mind went to the worst with both Jason and Sonny on the other side.

"Bravo 1, this is Havoc. Radio check, over." Clay heard over the radio.

After getting no response from Jason, Clay responded, "Havoc, this is Bravo 2."

"Read you loud and clear, 2. Give me a sitrep."

"We're down one Saudi counterpart. Bravo 1, Bravo 3, and Bravo 5 are on the other side of a tunnel collapse. Their status is unknown. We got zero comms with the rest of the team." Clay told him as he struggled to remain focused as they started to dig out the tunnel...silently praying that the other half of their team was alive and able to finish the mission.

A couple minutes later Clay heard Erik over the coms, "Bravo 2, our Saudi counterparts are requesting that you exfil immediately."

"Havoc Base, Havoc Base, say again your last?" Clay asked, not believing that Erik would ever ask them to leave half of their team.

"Saudi command is unwilling to risk the poisoning of the aquifer. Need a status report, immediately. They're gonna bomb it."

"Thermobaric, for sure. Bomb like that will turn every bit of oxygen down here into heat as hot as the sun. It'll boil the water, vaporize everything, including us." Summer told Clay as they were working to dig out the collapse.

"Keep working." Clay told his guys before speaking into the coms, "Yeah. Havoc, this is Bravo 2. Myself, the rest of Bravo, we're gonna sit tight. Go ahead and Charlie Mike. Any chance you can send us down some shovels and pickaxes?"

"Bravo 2, you got five minutes - till your final comm window." Clay heard before choosing to ignore whatever they had to say as he crawled his way, throwing rocks out behind him as he tried to tunnel through.

"Damn. I thought you guys could use some help." Jason's counterpart from Alpha Team said as he reached them with the tools.

"Well, you thought right."

"Havoc this is Bravo 2. I need at least three more mikes. We're making some headway here."

"Negative, Bravo 2. You don't have any more time."

"Oh. Hey. Hey! Hey, you guys, shut off your lights." Clay yelled as he saw the water start to glow.

Digging with more urgency Clay spoke once again into the comms. "Havoc, this is Bravo 2. They are alive, they're sending us a signal over here with some chem lights underneath this cave-in. We're gonna proceed with the dig."

"Copy that, Bravo 2." Erik said, taking the time to breathe...until he heard the planes were in the air. "Bravo 2, give me a sitrep."

"Give me a minute, Blackburn, all right? We're trying to hurry."

"Bravo 2, you got a minute left. You're taking this down to the wire."

"Got a big piece here. I got this." Clay said as he pulled a rock out and immediately heard Cerberus on the other side barking like crazy. "Jace!" Clay called out again.

"Bravo 2. Bravo 2. Jackpot. We're good." Clay heard Jason say through the rocks as the man pushed the dog out of the way so he could put his own eyes on the kid.

"Jackpot, jackpot, jackpot. Havoc, this is 1. I pass jackpot. I say again, pass jackpot. Mission complete."

"Copy that, Bravo 1. Head to exfil." Erik said, relief evident in his voice.

Cerberus was the first through the rocks before the men started passing their gear and the anthrax canisters through before squeezing themselves through one by one. Jason being the last one through and pulling Clay into a hug as Clay helped pull him through. "Lets go home Kid." Jason told Clay as he kept his hand on his shoulder as they hiked back through the cave. Sonny and Cerberus sticking close by Clay as well.

As they stepped off the bus Lisa greeted them, going to Sonny first before making her way around all of Bravo, "Blackburn did quite the impression of you today...saved your asses down there."

"What are you talking about?" Clay asked.

"They were going to bomb it...Erik made a comms window for you...bought you more time."

"Made a comms window?" Sonny asked.

"You heard me Cowboy, you guys aren't the only ones who don't always play by the rules." Davis smiled.


"So I'm hearing that, uh, you can do a pretty good imitation of me, Blackburn." Jason smiled at the Commander on the plane once they had taken off.

"Oh, what? I've just been practicing in the mirror." Erik smiled back, he would do anything for his men, even risking court marshal.

"Is that right?" Jason laughed, thankful for his team and support staff.

"Yeah."

"Go ahead, let me see it." He dared.

"I'm Jason Hayes." Erik said mimicking Jason's tone perfectly.

"I'm Jason Hayes? I don't say that. First of all, I don't say I'm Jason Hayes." Jason laughed.

"Whatever. It worked. That is all that matters." Erik told him.

"Thank you." Jason told him.

Not too long after Davis walked up to Jason handing him a phone saying it was Harrington and he quickly disappeared further into the cargo area.


"Aw, nappy-poo time, huh? Get some beauty sleep before you deeply disappoint your future in-laws?" Sonny teased Clay.

"You know, I could've left you in that hole, Sonny." Clay said, knowing full well he never could have left him down there.

"Yeah. Well, you know, you may be a dead ringer for Peter Pan, and Kairos here is liable to worship Beelzebub, but I got to say, uh, you both got big cojones for staying down there like that."

"Vaya con Dios, bro."

"Easy, Kairos."

"Love you too Brother." Clay told him once Sonny came over and set up his hammock next to him.

"I am not sure what is worse...sharks or spiders." Sonny said seriously.

"What about those sharks that grow legs so they can get you in or out of the water." Clay smirked.

"Is that a thing?" Sonny asked, "Davis?! Is that a thing?"

"Is what a thing?" Lisa asked as she walked over to her two boys.

"Sharks that grow them legs and can getcha anywhere?" Sonny asked.

"Oh for Gods sake Clay why did you?..." Lisa asked, reaching over and smacking Clay in the chest as he started laughing hysterically.

"You little Shit." Sonny growled and Clay stopped laughing.

"Just payback for scaring me earlier Cowboy." Clay told him.

"Well both of you scared me today so knock that shit off and go to sleep." She said handing them both an Ambien.

"You stay close?" Sonny and Clay asked her at the same time.

"You know for Navy SEALS you two..." Lisa shook her head and smiled, Bravo was more than family and if she did get in to OCS it would mean saying goodbye to them.

"You make sure we make it home." Clay told her, "You are safe."

"Look at you going all soft." Lisa smiled as she ran her fingers through Clay's hair, "Go to sleep Pretty Boy."

"That mean you leavin?" Sonny asked.

"You know where I will be. Not like I can go far when we are stuck on this plane." She said brushing her fingers down Sonny's arm as she walked away from them.

"She likes you, you know?" Clay asked.

"What? No." Sonny said, instantly defensive.

"You like her too."

"Don't know what you are talking about." Sonny said as he pulled his hat down over his eyes.

"Spend enough time with the two of you...think I wouldn't notice?"


"Oh, there they go." Ray smiled as he saw Bravo Team walking towards the building.

"What's up?"

"Congrats, guys. I heard it got a little sticky down there." Ray said as he hugged, high fived and fist bumped his brothers.

"It was good."

"Yeah?"

"Yeah, you know what, to be honest, Ray, we were a little shorthanded." Jason barked at Ray causing the entire team to freeze in their tracks.

"Saying you needed a little help?" Ray pushed.

"I don't know. Anyone from Green Team worth a damn?" Jason spit out.

"You ever hear the saying "quit while you're ahead," Jason?"

"Quit? That's really funny coming from a guy like you 'cause what I'm hearing is that you're window-shopping other teams." He yelled at Ray.

"You know what?"

"What?"

"I'm done shopping." Ray told him, they both knew no matter how pissed off one of them may be the option to join another team was never an option.

"Uh huh." Jason said, bringing his voice back down to a normal volume.

"Ball is in your court." Ray said, glaring at Jason, "Always has been."

"Then what the Hell was that call I got from Harrington?" Jason said, still pissed that Ray would get others involved...especially Harrington.

"Got your attention didn't it?" Ray said, crossing his arms, "Once you pull your head out of your ass why don't you give me a call."

"Pull my head out of my ass?" Jason dared Ray to come at him.

"You heard me Jason. My shoulder has been cleared for weeks."

Jason turned to look at Sonny and Clay and they led the rest of Bravo into the building, giving Jason and Ray the space to talk. "You lied to me Ray."

"I lied to myself too. I didn't know the shoulder was that bad."

"How many hours do you have in with Adam?"

"More than enough."

"I am not having this conversation now. Not like this."

"Just wanted to get your attention was all. I am dying here."

"I am still pissed."

"Get over it."

"You are an ass." Jason said as he got into his truck, not even bothering to say goodbye to the rest of his team.