Chapter 3

Finally, on Sunday, the team got the call and was spun up. All the extra training was finally brought to light as they would retrieve one of the CIA's most wanted terrorists. He has been known to work with every known terrorist cell in some form and has one of the highest pulls in weapons sales worldwide. No one truly knows his real name as his alias changes with each cell he works with, and each weapon bought is arranged electronically, but he has gained the nickname of Phantom. Mandy and Davis were working on the target package all week and just waiting on the confirmation of his last sighting by JBad so they could get the green light from the upper brass. This would be a retrieval mission alongside identifying and destroying his primary location for his current weapons stash within his known compound. Wheels up was in 3 hours, and the team slowly filed out of the ops room to gather their go bags and inform their families that they were spun up and leaving right away.

Clay, Liz and Sonny had no one to call or any affairs to really get in order with their partners or homes before they left, so they all headed directly to their cage room to start getting their gear ready to load on the plane. Liz went into her cage and started packing up her ruck and go-bag, but she stopped and focused on the little stuffed donkey in a white tutu and wedding vale Sonny had gotten her after the last mission her can Clay went on recon as a married couple. He always joked they could be a paid of stubborn asses when put together, and he finally found the perfect gift to keep in their cages to remind them of their crazy antics. Clay's cage sported the same stuffed donkey, but his wore a black top hat and tie. All Liz could think about when she saw her donkey was the fun times she and Clay had pretended to be a couple and how she felt safe and loved, even if it was just pretending. But was it act for him, or did he get that same tug in his heart just like her when they were together on recon missions? Does he feel the same affection and security when he looks at the donkey he keeps in his cage on his top shelf beside the seal Davis got for him and his Bravo t-shirted teddy bear Blackburn got for him once he hit his one-year mark after being a rookie for what felt like far too long? Blackburn always had a soft spot for Clay as he was on the same team as Ash, so he met him as a child a few times and knew how growing up with him as his father before he went to live with his Grandparents in Africa was no easy task. He hoped for Clay to get put on Bravo and kept dropping hints about how Clay's personality, gifts and visions would fill a gap Bravo was missing in Jason's ear whenever he could ever since Clay came on as a strap for a mission early in his training. Blackburn saw potential, and he was not going to let it go.

Clay glanced at Sonny and saw him nod his head towards Liz's cage, hinting for Clay to look over. Clay looked over and watched her pick up her donkey and gaze at it for a moment like she was reminiscing and smiling before she put it back on her shelf and continued to gather her gear. He then looked at his own and smiled, hoping she had the same memories of them being together and having fun blending in as a couple while they got the pictures needed for their recon mission. He couldn't help but take a few of her and a couple of selfies of them as they pretended to pose along the fountain in Spain in front of the table their HVT was sitting at while he met with another known terrorist. He kept those pictures in his nightstand at home when Davis gave them back to him, saying how cute they were and that these pictures may have slipped in with the ones of the HVT. She always rooted for Clay to be happy and had a massive grin on her face as Clay's cheeks were painted pink, realizing he was caught trying to hide the pictures and say that the target moved when they were trying to get him in the background while attempting to blend in.

….

"Bravo 1 to HAVOC, we have reached our location. I repeat, we have reached Doberman." Jason communicated as they all filed into line behind the one four-story building he planned to use for overwatch. The team decided to go with dogs' names to honour Cerbs' birthday coming next week.

The team was dropped off about 5 miles East of their target location as the terrain and foliage prevented the chopper from landing closer, and Mandy decided the sound could spook the Phantom. Jason and Ray took this time to reassure the plan would work and confirm the location and security measures. As the team lined up along side the compound from their hike, they took the opportunity to take a small break for water with the building's coverage as a 5-mile hike in the scorching desert on the outskirts of JBad was not an easy task in full gear.

"Good Copy Bravo 1, HAVOC will be out until you reach Jackpot but keep lines open as coms could be glitchy in this location and any interference." Blackburn's voice came in slightly garbled. "Remember there is no ISR with the cloud coverage and foliage once you leave the building."

"Bravo 6 and 8 go up to the roof in Overwatch, 4, 5 you are on the west building that is said to be his weapons holdings. Confirm this intel, set the charges to bring it down, and meet up here. Bravo 2 and 3, you're with me; we will take the north building and go after our HVT. Copy?" Jason ordered as he kept his gaze on Clay, looking for reassurance or any holes in his plan. The Kid reminded him so much of himself, and as everyone says, he can see the Matrix; Jason is not above using his brain for success as much as he can.

"Copy." Rang in from each member simultaneously.

Liz watched Jason's team make their way for a moment on the third level of their building before moving while Clay watched Brock and Trent head towards the west building. Liz and Clay then gathered their rifles and headed up to the roof along the northwest corner to set up on each side of the corner to keep an eye on each group. Everything seemed to go smoothly, as each grouping had no hiccups, which should have been their sign that something here was too easy. To quickly get the legend known as the Phantom, there had to be more at play, and the team did not have to wait long to find out what it was.

"Bravo 1, be advised we had a break in cloud cover and spotted three enemy convoys heading your way along the North Road, about five mikes out." Davis came in over their earpieces.

"Copy HAVOC. Bravo 8, what do you see?" Jason questioned

"Nothing yet, boss, there is a bend along the trees they may be still behind… nope, wait a second, convoy inbound and travelling fast. I won't be able to see them past the bend if there are more on their way." Liz got out as she shifted her gaze along the road, trying to find a gap in the tree line hiding the rest of the road.

"Crap, everyone, take cover NOW." Jason shouted over coms as he, Ray and Sonny were approaching the door to their building and about to enter. "We will proceed and look for our HVT, Bravo 8 watch for a squirter and keep us updated when those trucks arrive. Bravo 6 find a place for 4 and 5 to hide after their explosives are set. 4, I need s sitrep."

"We are just approaching the door…. We have Rottweiler. Setting charges now. Two mikes out." Trent yelled out through coms.

"Bravo 1, the convoy is Two mikes out," Liz informed the team.

"Copy 8, get a move on it 4!" Jason replied. "You need to be out before they land."

"4. I found a place along the trees we came from behind this building that has a four-foot cliff you can escape behind and cover until 1 on his way out." Clay pipped in as he belly crawled back along the roof to set up beside Liz to watch Brock and Trent to the side and have easy propping access to join Liz in coverage to get the rest out of the building to the cliff and make sure all tangos were covered.

"Roger, explosives set and ready, say the word for the convoy to land, and I can set a distraction to get them across the field," Trent called out.

"Less than one mike out," Liz said as she saw 4 and 5 head back towards the building she is set up in and towards the tree line. Clay shifted along their movements until they reached the cliff, turning his rifle to settle right beside Liz, watching the tangos.

"Jackpot!" Jason yelled out in coms. "We got him; 3 took out his bodyguards, so we are in the clear, out in one mike."

"Jase, the convo has landed. You need to get out now." Clay called back.

"Engage, 4 set the charges on my mark," Jason said.

Clay and Liz started to take out as many soldiers as possible before getting out of the trucks. Picking them off one by one until they finally pinpointed their position on the roof with heavy artillery.

"We are under heavy fire here," Clay called out. "We got to move!"

"When the charges go off, 6 and 8 wait until we get to the side of the building, and we will meet you there and provide cover; 4 and 5 will lay cover for us. If you get caught up, meet at the second checkpoint." Jason communicated through his coms and frowned as he noticed it started to break up when 5 tried to respond. He was worried at this point as he did not like having his team split up so much, with nothing but open fields separating the buildings and the tree lines and now spotty coms.

Ray picked up on his tension and put a calming hand on his shoulder with one firm nod, letting him know he was aware and ready to get the team out of there.

"Now 4!" Jason yelled as he pulled the hooded HVT behind him.

Right at that moment, the enemy seemed to catch on that there was another team in another building and started to split their fire toward Jason. Within a few seconds, Trent blew the charges inside the weapons building startling the enemy forces and forcing them to hide behind their trucks for cover, allowing Jason, Ray and Sonny to run across the field towards the building as Liz and Clay continued firing along the trucks to keep their cover.

"Jase, we will meet you at the secondary point; got a bit of a situation here we need to clean up first. One of the charges did not blow." Clay said as he and Liz glanced at each other and decided silently it was now on them.

"Copy, do not stay longer than you have to," Jason replied, a bit unsure as he did not like the idea of leaving them, but if they did not get out now, they would all be trapped down and dealing with their hooded HVT on rough terrain while running and dodging bullets with the enemy troops caught up. Jason knew his two youngest members were more than capable of finishing their task and staying safe while they met at the cleaning below the mountainside, but he had a git feeling that his instincts were screaming at him something was not ok. He met up with Trent and Brock along the cliff and headed towards the next checkpoint.

Clay glanced over and saw them head deeper into the trees, hoping he did not make the wrong decision by sending all backup away. As Liz crawled along the roof toward the west wall, he continued to return fire toward the troops. They concluded Clay would hold off the enemy as she took out the last unexploded charges she could see exposed within the rubble. With only a handful of men left, Clay thought they might get out of this soon and return to the rest of the team. Just as Clay took out one of the last three men, Liz took the shot, and they felt the ground rumble with the explosion.

"RPG!". With the sound of the explosion, Clay's yell was lost as he tried to scream. As their world crumbled down, he jumped toward Liz along the west wall to shield her with his body.