Chapter 27

The rest of the hike was pretty simple and without incident. There was the occasional grunt and curse as a team member tripped on hidden roots or rocks. Everyone reacted similarly to their stumbles but could keep going and move on as if nothing had happened.

Clay was walking extra cautiously, trying to be extra careful with each step to avoid any incident. He made it the entire hike, only managing to stumble once, but he was far enough behind the group no one noticed how it took him a bit longer to recover from the stumble and gain his footing. Internally cursing to avoid any heads turning around and seeing him fumble and wince in pain. With his previous fall, the team was a bit more cautious of him and any unusual movements, so he knew one wince, and they would be stopping, and Trent would be assessing his legs for injuries coming across the large gash, now feeling hot on his skin. Since Clay was already a bit behind, he took the opportunity to reach into the side pouch on his ruck and pull out the remainder of his one water bottle and spare Advil bottle. Popping a few hoping to help with the growing pain from the hike in his leg and shoulder and keep the new fever from growing, more than likely from his gash starting to show signs of infection. He was sweating and feeling a little run down and sluggish, but nothing too concerning that he could not push through as the rest of the team was feeling the toll of the heat, humidity, and hike. His flushed cheeks and damp curls would not look any different than the others around him, so he hoped this would not spark any concern that something was going on under the surface with him.

As the rest of his team stopped outside the small clearing they established as the meeting point for the General, he packed his few items away and sucked in a deep breath and attempted to jog up and meet them, playing off any pain.

Jason looked around and assessed his team's red faces, nodding his head, "Ok, everyone good? Quick water break, and then let's set up. He should be here within sixty mikes." Then Jason reached for his comms button to check in with the rest of the team they left behind, "Bravo 2, how are things on your end? We just arrived and should have this meeting done in sixty mikes."

"Everything is quiet and clear on our end." Ray queued in through their earpieces.

"Good copy," Jason replied as he took a sip of water and looked around. He has a gut feeling something was missing but could not place it. All their bases were covered for this mission, but knowingly going into a suicide mission would put anyone's guts in a twist.

"Bravo 8, you head up onto that tree to your ten o'clock and hold overwatch. 4 you to out two o'clock and hold your position as me and 6 go out to meet this General. Once he is secure and clear, we will head out and meet at 8's position. Copy?"

Jason's orders were met with a round of 'yes, boss" and nods as the team grabbed out their waters and stuffed down as much of a Powerbar they could in the minute they were given before heading out to their positions.

As the team waited in their assigned positions, they could hear rustling in the trees across the clearing from Jason and Clay. As guns were raised, they could see a shadow figure emerge from the dark trees illuminated by the moon and final sun's rays as it finished its descent.

"Greyhound"

One single word calmed the beating hearts of the Bravo team. This was their chosen code word given to the General to allow him to approach the unit safely and provide his identity. As the shadow figure finished making its way through the clearing, Jason could start to see the facial details of their HVT. He had a large cheek scar, scruffy beard, cold dead eyes, and salt and pepper hair peeked out from under his hat. He had to be in his late fifties and gave off a gruff, rude demeanour.

"General." Jason reached out to shake the man they were assigned to bring back safely.

The General stood there with a glare as he seemed to assess the two men standing before him. As he stared at Clay, he gave off a scoff and seemed to spit at the ground in front of him.

"They seriously sent a baby to keep me safe. Do they not know what I have for them and how important I am?" General Markov scoffed as he shook his head in disgust.

"Sir, I assure you we are the best there is. Young or not, this team will get you out of here safely, and he is the best on this team." Jason stiffened, going into defence mode for his young team member, for whom he would ultamilty move mountains for. He was not lying when he said Clay was the best of the best; hell, he finally realized that himself and knew even the legendary Jason Hayes held no match for the rising Clay Spencer.

Clay just stood there, trying to hold back everything inside of him. His anger towards the General, the pain that surges up his leg and the start of a headache from the fever, hitting his head, tense muscles in his shoulder that have moved up his neck and feelings of exhaustion as his body was trying to fight against his sniper mind to keep moving. Jason looked over at Bravo 6, trying to assess the stone face beside him, knowing something seemed off as usually his hot-headed teammate would have a smug remark to being spat at.

"We will see about that. Surely, if something goes wrong, it will be because of the baby your country thinks I'm worth." And with that, the General took one more look at Jason, not shaking his still extended hand and turned to walk out of the clearing.

"4, 8, come meet us at the one o'clock positions." This was already going to be a long, exhausting hike back towards the boarder and now add in this large crabby man. Jason mumbled into his comms, not bothering to try and fight the General at this point to follow their plan. They needed all their willpower intact to make it back.

As the team now met along the clearing's edge, the General looked at the four SEALS standing before him, assessing each face in front of him. He surprisingly seemed to accept having a woman on the team even though he would not address her directly and only seemed to talk through Jason, but he still had a problem with Clay. Clay was always in the wrong and was used as his verbal punching bag and one time even took a few hits to the chest as he reached forwards to help steady the General when he stumbled over a few roots. He never held back any comment or movement toward the SEAL as they started their trek back.

As Clay rubbed his chest slightly, not in pain but more shocked, he looked at Trent, who came up beside him and mumbled, "Next time, I'm letting him fall flat on his ass."

Trent smiled and chuckled a bit as he patted Clay's right shoulder and grabbed the Generals arm tugging him forward to walk alongside him to give poor Clay a break.

…

As the team made it almost two hours back through the trees, a slight rustle came from their left side causing five heads to turn with stunning looks lowering to their one knee and the four SEALS to raise their rifles and brace for whatever was approaching.

"Animal?" Sonny mumbled as he crouched beside Clay breathing a little heavily. He could handle the bullets, but teeth were a different story.

And with that, the team peered into the dark trees around them through their NODS, trying to assess anything.

"RIFLE," Liz shouted as she spotted the glint of metal poking out of the tree across from her, followed by the green glow of an arm. "GET DOWN."

Before the team could blink, the quiet air was polluted with the sounds of bullets flying toward them. Trent grabbed the Generals arm with no remorse as he pulled him back further into the trees behind them, setting up behind a fallen tree resting along a clump of rocks and old rotting trunks. Jason and Liz rushed back under cover of fire from Trent as they lined up alongside them behind the large trunk. Sonny and Clay branched left and ran for cover, rotating cover fire like a seamless machine until they managed to get behind two neighbouring trees.

"3, 6 hold cover. We will hold them off, and you can make the run for it here." Jason ordered as he yelled over his shoulder, trying to catch a glimpse of the battle buddies that had to make things hard and run for cover a good distance from them.

"Copy," Sonny called out as he looked over at Clay and saw him double over, taking a deep breath but soon popping back up, returning fire, catching two soldiers with direct headshots. If Sonny had doubts about Clay and his actions seeming like he was injured, they flew out the window, watching Wonderboy again prove his nickname as he set up on his knee and took out another three soldiers. Five soldiers down in less than five minutes is something to earn him a superhero nickname.

As the firefight continued, Jason noted the General seemed to keep clocking the trees heading toward Sonny and Clay. "Don't even think about it." He barked out, giving a warning to the wondering eyes. He assumed the General was looking for a way out. He was about to run.

"I am not risking my life over this. Your team can come and collect me when it's safe." General Markov scoffed out as he shifted, getting ready to bolt.

As Trent clued into the scene beside him, he tried to reach out towards the General's arm, coming up with air as the older man got up and tried to run but ended up looking like a scared man ducking and dodging the bullets not aimed at him. He was egotistic, thinking his men would aim at him over the known enemy.

"Coward." Liz scoffed as she clocked the Generals path and looked over at Jason.

"6 don't let him get away."

"On it, boss," Clay called back as he scanned the trees, trying to track the man.

As he noticed him heading in their direction but further back towards the cliff where a raging river ran, he nodded to Sonny to provide cover and dashed out to grab the coward. As Clay caught up with the man, he received a few unwelcome punches to his chest, left shoulder and face, causing him to recoil back in pain as he was already having difficulty trying to use his arm and fighting a headache. He let out a grunted cry causing Jason to scope out their position and watch the scene unfold. Just as Trent's shot hit the last visible Russian soldier, the team focused on the surrounding trees doing double takes as they waited for any more returning bullets.

"They are retreating." Trent shot out as he faintly heard the Russian shouts leaving into the distance. "They don't want the General dead, and once they saw him run off, they said they would get him down the river. I guess they think he's here against his will."

Jason nodded as they all got up from their secure positions and headed back towards Clay with their heads on a swivel and walking backwards, rifles up, still waiting for another wave.

"6, you good?" Jason called out as they made it towards him, as he finally had the General stopped and standing there glaring at him with his beady eyes. Clay had him at a standstill with his rifle pointing, shouting for him to stop.

"Yeah."

"What the Fuck!" Sonny yelled out as he saw Clay's nose bleeding from a punch the General must have thrown before Clay had to pull a gun on him for his own protection.

"3 take over the General. 6 have 4 take a look at you. I don't need you broken before we get this piece of shit back." Jason spit out as he clenched his fists. He was fuming alongside the possibility of this becoming a suicide mission; they now had to deal with this asshole who could not be the slightest appreciative of what their country was risking getting his ass out of Russia.

Jason started to pace as he watched his team and scanned the river below and the trees surrounding them, trying to assess a new route as she was sure the soldiers were moving and waiting for them down the river as they had herded them in this direction. They were being tracked and directed right into the jaws of the Russian military. Sonny forced the General down onto the rock beside him, causing him to sit and stay put while he kept watching along the trees. Trent and Clay stood closer to the edge of the cliff as Trent brought out his light and ran it along Clay's face while he mopped up the blood still oozing out his nose. Liz set herself beside Clay and Trent, trying to keep an eye or at least an ear on him and hear the assessment.

The team set up shop here and recollected themselves, waiting for Trent to finish and head out. But just as Trent leaned down to pack his supplies away, Clay focused on something he could not make out along the trees right behind Liz as her focus was still across the river assessing for any new threats. As Clay focused on the tree, he froze and glanced down for his rifle, coming up short. It was still slung over Jason's shoulder as he took it from him to allow for his shoulder to get a break and get looked at again by Trent.

"Fuck." Clay mumbled as his vison returned to the trees and he spotted a shine from a bush poking out from the moon's glow. "Get down!"

Clay ran back towards Liz and Jason going to pull them down behind the nearby rock as Trent and Sonny hunched down with the General a few feet from them, clocking Clay's gaze and pulling up their guns, ready to shoot once they zeroed down on the threat Clay noticed.

Just as Clay reached Liz, he hoisted her onto her feet, dragging her by her arm towards the waiting Jason, who was ready to start a cover fire, waiting for his two young members behind the rock. But just as Jason met eyes with Clay, gunfire rang out, and Jason saw a look that broke him flash across Clay's face for a split-second. Pain and worry, something he was not used to seeing at the same time on the young SEALS face. Even when Clay was injured, he did not worry; no, that look was reserved for his teammate's safety, and this time, Jason knew it was for Liz. He was scared and hurting. Trent and Sonny were firing away towards the tree line, hearing their bullets cause grunts as they connected with the remaining soldiers trying to ambush them.

"Clay!" Jason yelled out, breaking protocol, but he could not care now using his name. That look he saw scared the shit out of him as Clay risked everything for others he loved.

Clay, at this point, pretty much threw Liz over towards Jason as he caught her, pulling her down for cover and looking up, seeing Clay start to run over, but his leg faltered as he tripped over a rock and stumbled, crying out in pain. Just as he was slipping down, a sharp pain ran through his left chest and side. His eyes locked onto Liz as the force caused his already stumbling body to redirect backwards.

As the last Russian soldier fell, Sonny and Trent turned their heads to watch the blonde SEAL limply fall over the edge.

"Noo." Liz cried out as she tried to thrust out of Jason's arms and reach for Clay, as his body slipped on the edge and fell into the raging water below.