And we are now down to the wire. I still feel like I'm missing big parts of Jay's character so hopefully I'll be able to squeeze it in at some point. For reference if any of you could describe Jay's character as you see it, it would be very helpful. Thanks to Coffee Monsta for your review (and prodding to get moving on this xD). So I had a plan for this, but then changed it, so the original plan might get written and posted separately. Also skipping the part with the trucks leaving because where tf did those javelins come from snipers don't carry fuckin' rocket launchers.

Thanks for Reading, Fly High Aim Higher

~Spitfire out

Nathan had decided that with Jay suffering from a concussion, it would be best to wait until he was recovered to present the recording to him, and now that Jay was returning to work, he could think of no better time.

"Hey, Jay, hold up a sec," Nate hopped up from his bunk as Jay prepared to leave and held up the device he'd loaded the recording on, "I got you something," he smiled as he handed it to Jay.

"What is it?" Jay asked curiously, inspecting the audio playback device. It was old fashioned, but seemed reliable enough.

"A solution to your problems," Nate answered with a smile, "Press play."

Jay shrugged and pressed the button.

"I love you Jaybird… I'll be home in time for dinner tomorrow," Rhys' voice was cut by static and Jay nearly dropped the device.

"I love you too, Ry, stay safe," Jay's own voice responded, less distorted, but still with the staticky overlay, "Don't make me go out there to get you."

Rhys chuckled, "I won't… and Jason… get some sleep. No falling asleep at your desk tonight, sleep in a bed, okay? I gotta go… I'll see you soon, love you."

There was a click and Jay's eyes were watering as his voice came over the recording again, "Love you too Ry… miss you…"

Jay looked at Nathan, "How'd you get this?"

"Jack dug it up in the archives," Prophet answered, "Now you don't need those nightmares anymore. You have his voice, his real voice not that broken one from the nightmares."

Jay nodded stiffly, "Thank you, Nate, I needed this…"

"I know…" Nathan wrapped an arm around Jay's shoulders, "I hope it helps."

Jay leaned into the contact for a moment before stepping back and wiping his face on his sleeve with a nod, "It will. Thanks… I gotta get to work, I'll see you later." With that, Jay left, Prophet smiling after him.

The next time they saw each other was in the briefing room. The room was packed with the entirety of the Task Force with Shepherd himself at the head, flanked by one of his assistants. He, MacTavish, Ghost, and Price appeared to be discussing things in hushed tones.

Jay, having been busy in the infirmary was the last to arrive.

"What's going on?" Jay asked as he squeezed in next to Prophet, "Why's the whole team here?"

"Makarov slipped up," Prophet whispered back, "We have two locations. Georgia-Russia border, and a scrapyard in Afghanistan."

Jay's eyes widened in shock, "He 'slipped up'? Remind me how long he's been at this?"

"Corporal," Shepherd said from the front as the others took their places, "Do you have a concern as CMO?"

"Yes, sir," Jay answered, "It's too convenient for someone as experienced as Makarov to just 'slip up'. I feel we're walking into where he wants us. We saw with Private Allen that he knows what we're like, he knows our strategy and motivation, he'll know we're coming."

"Noted," Shepherd nodded at him, "but given the chance that you might be wrong, it's a risk we'll have to take."

"Agreed, sir, I can only suggest caution and preparation," Jay replied evenly.

"Duly noted," Shepherd responded, "MacTavish?"

MacTavish stepped up to the head of the briefing, "We'll be splitting into two strike teams. Ghost, Roach, Archer, Toad, Ozone, Scarecrow, and Jay, you're taking the safehouse on the border. Prophet, you'll be here, helping coordinate in the intel room, Meat and Royce will be with you, translating intercepted enemy comms. The rest of you are with me and Price in the boneyard. Split into your teams now. Ghost take yours to briefing room two to go over your plan. Prophet, Meat, Royce, head to intel start getting set up. Gale, you're flying support for Ghost's team, make your preparations and load for bear. We move out when everyone's ready. Everyone clear?"

There was a chorus of yes sirs and MacTavish dismissed them to their preparations.

The plan was, in theory, simple, in practice, however plans didn't exist. No plan ever survived first contact. Ever. That was simply the way things were. As Jay's training sergeant had said: "Anything can go wrong, will go wrong, and if nothing has gone wrong you obviously don't understand the situation." Jay couldn't agree more with that, but the plan, for the moment, was simple, but only in theory.

Land two klicks north east of the compound and approach via a hiking trail that lead a switchback trail down the cliff, Archer and Toad would set up there and the rest of them would wait until they got the signal from command confirming heat signatures at the location. Then they would move in fast and quiet through the trees and go loud once they hit the main road, due to the lack of cover, since they'd probably be spotted immediately at that point. From there it would be a simple sweep and clear.

Of course, it was only simple in theory.

Jay, recording device in his pocket with an earbud in his left ear, playing Rhys' voice over and over, checked his weapon for what had to be the tenth time. For as much as it felt like a trap it also felt like it. Like Makarov would be there. And if he was, it would be a quick end to a long war. As much as Jay hesitated at hurting people, he would have no qualms with putting a round or two through the terrorist. He had killed thousands, maybe even a million. Regardless, the medic would show him no mercy.

Jay hesitated as the thought crossed his mind. Could he really be so cold? Sure the man deserved to die, but… Jay was hard set in his morals, everyone got the same treatment, regardless of uniform, belief, or nationality. He shook his head at himself, Makarov was different. He'd murdered thousands without a second thought. Had probably looked Allen in the eye as he murdered him. Makarov didn't deserve his sympathy. Jay settled that he would indeed turn a blind eye if he saw the man suffering. Just as he'd done to the men, women, and children in the airport. There was no redemption for a man that evil, Jay would not care to give him the chance, as he did for others.

Jay sighed and touched the caduceus on his chest, and then the bright, red cross on his shoulder. The only thing they couldn't take away from him. Jay drowned out the noise of the helicopter's rotors as he recited what the staff on his chest stood for, what it meant to him. He realized as he did that he'd never answered Nate's question about why it was so important.

"LZ in ten!" The voice over the comm in his right ear pulled him out of his head and he checked his kit and weapon one last time before switching the recorder off and tucking the earbud in the same pocket it was held in within his kit.

He shifted to a ready position and noticed eyes shifting away from him. Jay wondered why they'd been watching him and what they'd been thinking, but pushed it away as Gale lowered the Little Bird for a soft touch down before powering down.

"Have fun out there rock jumpers!" Gale shouted after them, "Kick some extra ass for me!"

The hike to the cliff trail took an hour, and by the time they got there Prophet was on the radio, informing them of heat signatures in the trees, most likely patrols. They stopped and waited while Archer and Toad took their positions.

"Snipers in position," Archer's voice was low.

"Strike team go. Engage Makarov on sight," Ghost ordered, moving forward slowly, taking point.

Scarecrow and Ozone responded in their own turn.

"Let's go. Let's go," Ghost repeated, moving faster with restless energy.

They were not far into the woods at the bottom when the first nine popped up and Roach dropped down as Ghost yelled ambush.

Jay saw one pop up next to him and he yanked the nearest man, Scarecrow, down with him. It went off above their heads and suddenly there was a hail of fire coming down from the cliffs they hadn't come from and a smokescreen in front of them. Scarecrow and Ozone both apparently felt the need to keep yelling ambush, as if it wasn't already obvious.

"Left side! Left side!" Ghost shouted as they returned fire.

Jay felt bullets zip past him and ducked behind a tree. He waited a moment before sprinting for the next cover, closer to his team. There was an explosion and Jay shielded himself from the rain of dirt and shrapnel.

"They've got this area presighted for mortar fire!" Scarecrow yelled over the chaos of battle.

"Counter attack into the smoke! Push, push, push!" Ghost ordered back, already running ahead.

Jay followed closely, covering their backs as a few stragglers tried to flank them. They pushed quickly up to the house and cleared the exterior before breaching the doors and clearing the main floor. Ghost sent Roach and Scarecrow down to the basement while he went upstairs with Ozone, leaving Jay to secure the main room.

Jay ignored the radio chatter once the house was clear. There was no sign of the Kingfish himself, but there were enough men here to make him wonder. So, while everyone else was occupied focusing on the conversation, Jay watched their backs. He listened with half an ear as Ghost gave out orders and Roach started the download. Jay set himself in the basement, making sure his team stayed safe at least from that angle.

There was a lull and Jay frowned and bit his lip before reaching for the comm in his ear, "Sniper Team One, check in."

There was a shout and the click of a comm turning off and Jay was already off at a run when Ghost gave the order for him to go check it out.

A few of the Russians simply ignored him, Jay guessed they'd seen the red cross on his shoulder. It was technically a war crime to shoot at him. The ones that did stand in his way did not stand long. Jay knew his importance and held his mission in high regard, no one was going to stop him. He would defend himself and make it to the pair of snipers. He made it quickly to where they were supposed to be and keyed his comm.

"They're gone," Jay reported.

"KIA?" Ghost asked back.

"No, just… gone. They're not here," Jay inspected the area, "Some scuff marks and disturbed leaves and dirt, but no blood, no other sign of them."

There was a pained scream from over the comm, more gunfire, and Jay waited tensely, "Get back here Corporal we'll have to deal with that later. Download is finished and Scarecrow and Ozone are both hit! Evac is inbound one mike to the east!"

Jay clenched his jaw and cast another look around him before sighing, he hated having to leave the snipers behind, "Copy, I'm on my way to the safe house. Rendezvous at evac once Scarecrow and Ozone are safe to move or pop smoke for medevac if they won't be."

"Solid copy. To the east Roach go!"

Jay switched his comm off and focused on making it back to the house.

He caught movement in the corner of his eye and pivoted on his heel, bringing his weapon up as he moved. Only to catch a bullet in the hip. Jay shouted as he went down, left leg giving out as the bullet tore muscle and ligament and splintered bone.

Prophet watched the feed from the small camera mounted to the side of Jay's helmet with his heart in his throat. He watched at the Russian approached Jay slowly. Jay shot him and Prophet let himself be glad that Jay was alive.

Jay got up slowly with a grimace plastered on his face and limped heavily the rest of the way to the house. He had to get to Scarecrow and Ozone. He had to make sure they made it home. He paused inside to quickly patch himself up, the bullet had gone all the way through, the exit wound was easy enough to find. Jay ensured he wouldn't bleed out while he was tending to the others and moved on to find where they had gone down. They were easy enough to find. Both were conscious and able to call out to him.

It took Jay half an hour to ensure that neither man would die of his wounds.

"Corporal Miller," General Shepherd spoke over the comm, "The DSM is secure. I hear you have wounded?"

Jay keyed his comm, "Yes, sir," he answered, "Sergeant Walker and Lance Corporal Young are wounded and stable. Second Lieutenant Richards and Staff Sergeant Williams are MIA."

"You checked their last known?"

"Yes, sir," Jay sat back heavily, wincing as he put too much weight on his wounded hip, "Signs of a struggle, no other sign of our men."

Shepherd hummed and spoke again, "We'll launch a search party for them later. I'm sending Thunder Two-One to pick you up."

"Yes, sir," Jay breathed, "Thank you, sir."

Jay let his head rest back against the wall. And groaned at Prophet's voice in his ear.

"You alright Jay?"

"Yeah," Jay grunted, "Gonna be feeling this a while… but I'll live."

There was a long pause and Prophet spoke again, sounding concerned, "Jay I'm reading four thermal signs in the house moving towards you. Gale and his crew only number two and aren't there yet."

Jay lifted his head and looked around at his surroundings, "Wonderful…" he commented sarcastically, raising his weapon as he heard footsteps approaching.

Jay hesitated at the first Russian to round the corner, but shot first when the other shouted and raised his weapon. The second was prepared and tossed a flash bang before rounding the corner and disarming the stunned medic. Jay fought against the weight holding him on his stomach, but there wasn't much fight he could give with a bullet hole in his hip. The Russian somehow managed to maneuver him and get his vest off as the other two removed his companions' weapons. And started restraining them.

"Hey!" Jay shouted, twisting violently against the man holding him, "Leave them alone! They're wounded!" They, of course, didn't listen, and Jay kept struggling, shouting at them.

He somehow broke free and tackled one of them. Jay landed a few good hits before feeling a pain in his back a split second before a shock surged through him, forcing his muscles to seize. Jay groaned in pain and fell to the side. The shock stopped and Jay squeezed his eyes closed, breathing heavily. He couldn't say he'd ever been tased before. He could say, however, that he could go without it happening again. Jay started pushing himself up, only to be hit again. It felt like it went on for several minutes, but when it finally stopped, Jay collapsed again with a groan.

Some of you, ie a lot of you, are probably very confused right now. That is okay. All will be revealed in the next chapter. By means of another perspective, maybe several perspectives. Anyhow, Happy New Year and start it out right by letting me know what you think maybe? Lol

Thanks for Reading, Fly High Aim Higher

~Spitfire out