Disclaimer: I don't own any SEALs
A/N This story takes place before the series starts, early on after Brock was placed with Bravo so before Clay joins the Team.
Oil & Water
"This is the target package," Mandy began laying out Bravo Team's new mission, "Twenty-three hours ago an American spy drone went down coming out of a covert flyover in China."
"Was it shot down?" Jason asked.
Blackburn provided the military's take on the situation, "No, all indications point to a technical malfunction." He then turned the briefing over to Davis.
Davis pulled up satellite photos of a small vessel, "Last known location has it being fished out of the water by a small charter boat."
Nate asked in a bored tone, "Why don't we just blow it out of the water?"
"Besides civilian casualties?" Ray asked sarcastically.
Blackburn expertly interrupted before his men got too far off track in their squabbling, "Too late for that, the boat was caught in a storm last night. It sunk, no signs of any survivors."
"Well great it's at the bottom of the ocean, problem solved," Sonny clapped his hands as if all in a day's work.
"Far from it, we have reason to believe that the Chinese have been alerted to the drone's presence." Davis continued her assigned briefing, "The intel it collected could be seen as an act of war if the Chinese access it."
"We have been authorized to go in, retrieve the drone, and get out, without engaging the Chinese," Blackburn finished laying out the mission.
"Sound easy enough. What's the catch?" Trent asked.
"There is one small wrinkle," Mandy admitted.
"Of course there is. There's always a wrinkle," Sonny rolled his eyes.
Blackburn pulled up a map of the Pacific ocean, "We are right on the border of Chinese-controlled waters."
Mandy cautioned, the US could not afford an international incident with China in their waters, "You need to get in and out with the intel before China sends in troops to collect it."
Jason pointed out on the ship diagram, "A primary breach here, secondary one there."
"It'd be better if we went in here," Brock spoke up.
"The first time dog boy speaks up in a mission briefing with us," Nate interrupted.
"Case of beer," All of Bravo senior members chanted.
Brock grinned good-naturedly before continuing his observation, "I went diving from a boat similar to this one It has a hatch to reach the water here."
"Ain't you just a good idea fairy today," Sonny scoffed, "There's no hatch on the blueprint." The Texan did not do change well. Ray's sudden change of personality, after meeting some nurse, and 30Mike's transfer to Charlie had Sonny feeling tension with the new dynamics among his teammates. Their new rookie just happened to make a convenient scapegoat. The kid wasn't a bad sort, just quiet, which put the boisterous SEAL off. In a team of alpha males, the dog handler just seemed to fade in the background. Which gave Sonny the willies whenever the kid did speak up.
"The blueprints are for the newer model, the one we're after is the older one with the hatch," Brock explained noticing the subtle differences between the models from the satellite photos.
"You sure?" Jason asked.
"Yeah," Brock nodded in certainty.
"Okay. We'll move breach to the hatch."
"Why are you listening to the canine wonder over here?" Sonny demanded. The rookie waltzes in here thinking he knows more about boats than them. That he knows more about the boat they are supposed to infiltrate than Davis, whose job was to research it.
"Because he actually thinks before he speaks," Trent points out defending their rookie. Sonny had been needling the new guy since he arrived. Trying to get him to react, he never did.
He was just too calm and quiet. Like he was hiding something. Sonny didn't trust him.
"China's boat registry is a mess," Davis grudgingly admitted that the ship model could have been filed wrong.
"We leave within the hour," Blackburn halted any more finger-pointing, sharing a meaningful look with Jason. Bravo One nodded in understanding. He watched his men file out. Taking careful notice as his two quietest team members gravitated towards the other's company. Trent put a brotherly arm around the shoulder of their rookie before leading him out. Trent had the kid sorted, so Jason turned towards his problem child. He halted Sonny's retreat from the room with a hand on his arm.
"Sonny I want you to swim in with the kid," Jason gripped the back of his neck, willing his man to listen to him.
"Why do I have to babysit the dog whisper?"
"Because he's our best swimmer."
"You saying I need the kid to bail me out?"
Jason sighed at the growling Texan, "No, I need your experience to temper the kid in case he starts getting cocky."
"You need me to put the pup in his place?"
"Something like that."
"Yes Sir!"
Jason waved Sonny out the door to go get prepped. He'd hoped that Sonny would have come around by now and accepted the new kid. It was going to be a long mission; but if his team grew closer, then it would hopefully be worth it. As long as Sonny and Brock didn't kill each other.
The ship was in a state of distress. It had flipped in the raging storm, trapping its passengers inside its watery grave. It had not quite sunk completely, with the tip of the hull still above water. Sonny hammered the pry bar into the hatch. Brock followed his lead and swam in after him. Once inside they made their way towards the cargo bay. Forcing the door open caused a rapid change in pressure as they discovered the last area of the ship not currently underwater.
Working together the two men secured the door back in place, halting the raging ocean from getting in. Panting from the strain they both pulled off their dive gear to have better mobility. They updated their team, which was keeping watch on the surface, of their status before they began their search. Flashlights seemed to only create more shadows as they moved across the hold. Boxes and crates lay scattered and broken at their feet. The only bodies they'd found so far were the ones floating on their way to the hold.
Sonny shuddered, "It gives me the willies."
"What does?"
"That we're just leaving these guys in this damn tomb."
"The Chinese are on their way."
"Yeah, for the intel."
"They'll make sure their people get home."
Yeah, sure," Sonny wiped at the water dripping onto his face, "Let just hurry this up."
They searched in silence. The moaning and groaning of the doomed boat the only real sound, as it fought its losing battle against the sea. They were running out of time. They wanted to be off the boat before it entered its final resting place and the bottom of the sea. They needed to free of the ruble and steel before it shifted on it descent down in fear of it trapping them as well in its watery grave.
"I think I found something," Brock lifted up a busted drone.
"Jackpot target secure," Sonny called into his radio in relief.
"Copy That Sonny. Get to exfil."
"Reynolds, you ready?"
Brock stowed the memory chip and other important components for transport up to the surface. He nodded, "Yeah, good to go."
The boat groaned. It heaved as it finally lost its battle against the ocean, sinking into its icy embrace. The two tier-one operators sunk with it.
Brock came to with the feeling of water lapping at his face. He let out a pained hiss as his body protested any movement. He felt like one big bruise, but thankfully nothing felt broken, just sore. He pushed his way free from the pieces of crates covering his body. Coughing up water, he freed himself. Water lapped at his legs as he stood swaying, taking in the new situation. The temporary safe haven they'd found on the sinking ship was quickly filling up with water. He needed to find his teammate before they both drowned.
He wadded through water and debris until he found Sonny face down in a growing puddle of scarlet water. As he turned him over the Texan sputtered out seawater. A large goose egg with an oozing gash took up the left side of his face. Gentle fingers probed the wound, finding no breaks or give in the skull underneath. He pried open eyelids and diagnosed a likely concision. When Sonny woke up he'd have a hell of a headache.
He pulled Sonny across the ground by the scruff of his wetsuit to a more secure location. Heaving the limp body up onto a ramp away from the rising tide. His muscles screamed in protest as he pulled himself up next to the other man.
"Bravo One, do you copy?" He called into his radio only to receive static in reply. He was on his own. He needed to work the problem.
He dived beneath the rising water looking for the breach in the hull; hoping to buy them some more time. He found it and felt his heart sink. There was no way to stop the leak. They were quickly running out of time. They needed to leave the ship before it sank too deep. He just hoped Sonny was with it enough to swim out, otherwise, he'd need to find their dive equipment and tow him out.
Brock shook his wet curls from out of his eyes. Sonny was slumped over and deathly pale. He reached for his teammate, hesitating at his neck before feeling for his pulse. He let out a sigh of relief, It was weak but steady. He shook the unconscious man's shoulder trying to rouse him. "Don't make me do all the talking, Son."
"You suck at it," Sonny spoke weakly without opening his eyes.
'Open your eyes," Brock ordered, worried about the sluggish reactions.
Sonny cracked open his eyes with a groan, "If you ain't from Texas, you boys don't know…"
"Don't know what?" Brock prompted trying to keep him awake.
"Don't know when to shut up," Sonny slurred before letting his eyes fall shut again, "Jest let a man get some shut-eye."
That startled a laugh out of Brock, "I've never been accused of that before."
"Smartass," Sonny hissed out as he finally joined the world of the living. He grunted as he pushed himself up to take in their current situation, "Damn, I hate the ocean."
"How you holding up?"
"I'm fine," Sonny growled as he tried to stand up. Only to fall back as his head pounded and the room spun around him. He heaved bile into the rising water.
"Stay."
"I'm not your damn dog," Sonny retorted without opening his eyes.
"Yeah, cause my damn dog actually follows orders," Brock snapped, "Stay here."
"Sir, Yes, Sir. Special Warfare Operator First Class Reynolds."
"Don't be an ass, Percival."
"Them's fighting words, Junior."
Brock was done fighting the brash Texan. He turned without another word. He needed to find their dive equipment. Who knew how far they had sunk, they needed the oxygen tanks to guarantee they could make it back to the surface. Sonny couldn't make it alone. He found one underwater next to the far wall. He reached for it just as the boat shuddered. Metal scrapping against rock as the sinking boat fell across an outcropping. Brock felt the shift in position as water crashed over his head. He didn't have time to break the surface as the items of the cargo hold slammed into him. The air escaped his lungs in bubbles as he screamed in pain as he felt his bone snap. His arm was smashed between the wall and debris.
The air tank, their only hope, fell from his nerveless fingers. He struggled to free himself but he was trapped. Not only was he going to die here but he'd cursed Sonny to the same fate. Sonny, the man that seemed to hate him. Who always questioned him and his abilities. The guy that always busted his chops; teasing and degrading him. His teammate, who he'd still give his life for.
His vision started to blur and dim as his lungs screamed for air. His arm throbbed as he felt wood shift and move. He forced his broken arm to regrip the tank as Sonny towed him back to the surface.
They lay across floating crates in silence just trying to breathe through their pain. Sonny eventually lost his battle against his head injury, falling into darkness once more.
"Sonny!" Brock called in alarm shaking his brother with his good arm. Running out of options the younger man slapped him hard across the face. The Texan came to with a loud curse.
"It's always the quiet ones," Sonny mumbled rubbing his sore cheek, "Jest watchin' and plottin'."
"I thought I didn't know when to shut up," Brock gave a shaky grin of relief, "Can't let you sleep yet."
"Why the hell not?"
"We need to move now or we'll drown."
"Damnit, Brock, we don't even know where we are. We could be miles down and we only have one air tank."
"We either drown in here or maybe drown out there."
"You ain't going anywhere with that bum wing."
"I can make it."
Sonny nodded, letting his growing respect for the younger man show. They were a team it was time he started acting like it. He let a genuine smile form upon his lips.
"I keep telling ya the ocean sucks."
Brock gave a small pained grin, following his lead, "You do realize you're in the Navy."
"Har Har, real funny."
"We good?"
"Yeah we're good," They bumped fists. They'd probably never be best friends. They were too different; liked different things, acted differently, reacted differently, and just saw the world differently. But they were brothers, and that was enough.