Chapter 23
Back at it again. Glad everyone is still enjoying this. I hope I'm doing this right lol. If you ever have suggestions, please let me know. I hope I'm keeping up with my consistency in the story cuz I literally have to re-read my previous chapters to make sure I don't mis-quote myself or timelines lol.
Mandy was released back to her quarters later that evening with strict orders to not overdo it physically. Jason had reassured the doctor that she would take it easy and not rip her stiches again.
"Let me get the door for you," Jason said as he hovered around Mandy as they walked up the steps to her trailer.
"Jason," Mandy huffed out. She may have sounded annoyed but deep down she liked the hovering. It was nice to feel cared for and she knew he had this need to take care of everyone around him.
"Humor me," Jason said with a smile as they walked into her quarters.
Mandy walked in and Jason followed her setting some of her things down. He went to the bed and noticed there were extra pillows for comfort. He smiled thinking about the team all trying to help in any little way that they could.
"Okay, you want to sit down on the bed then we got extra pillows, or you could sit here in the chair. You want something to eat? I can go get something and bring it back. Maybe you're up for some lamb kabobs?" Jason rambled.
Mandy just looked at him and smiled as she stepped up to him. She grabbed his shirt and kissed him as she put her arms around his neck. Jason was caught by surprise but instinctively put his hands on her waist. The two stood there and kissed for a few moments. When they needed to breathe, they pulled back and looked into each other's eyes.
"I will try to take it easy, but we gotta work on finding Al-Hazred," Mandy said. "As far as I know, we have just under two weeks before we go back home."
"We'll find him before we leave," Jason said confidently tucking a strand of Mandy's hair behind her hear.
"So… you gonna treat me to another dinner date?" Mandy teased as Jason chuckled. "Also, who won the bet on us?"
"You know it was Ray," Jason laughed. "Once we're back home, I'm definitely gonna need to step up game. Maybe we can have a Fast and Furious marathon," Jason said thinking back to before his surgery how he called her to meet up at the bar.
"Or you could take me on that road trip," Mandy replied.
"You never did give me an answer about the road trip," Jason said.
Mandy looked at him before answering, "I stopped by the hospital after your surgery and was gonna tell you yes, but Natalie was there. Figured, the moment passed."
"You would've gone?" Jason asked.
"Yeah and still will," Mandy said. "I was even going to suggest we take that convertible of yours for a spin."
"Sounds like a plan," Jason said kissing her again. "Wanna eat here or with the others."
"Well the cat's out of the bag. Let's eat with the others. Maybe I will get an update on what is happening too," Mandy replied as they started to leave her quarters.
Lisa was in HAVOC trying to go through intel. She figured since they had found some of Al-Hazred's family before the attack that maybe they could use that to find him again. She had tried to sleep the night before but wasn't too successful. After confronting Reiss, she seemed to find some closure. She was still angry, part of it at him and herself.
She couldn't get Reiss' words about the dark side of the job out of her head. She didn't understand how someone like Reiss could turn yet you had Mandy who hadn't. Was this what the rest of her career would be? Making decisions with regrets.
She thought back to just recently Mandy asking her to check in on Samin and she had brushed it off as Mandy being paranoid just as Reiss had said. Mandy seemed to have a sixth sense for things unspoken. Would she ever be like that? What had Mandy done that she regretted? Mandy always seemed so driven and it started to make sense. In the last year, Mandy sacrificed a lot of her career to save Bravo. It made Lisa wonder if there was more Mandy had done in the past that no one knew about.
Lisa remembered when she and the team found out that Mandy was no longer attached to Bravo. It had been a few days since Swanny's wake and Jason had looked like he was about to lose it. The team had all been on base without an op but was going over their cages and inventory when Blackburn walked in.
The team had all stopped and quieted down when Blackburn walked in and headed over towards Jason.
"What's up? We got an op?" Jason asked fiddling around with things in his cage.
"Jason," Blackburn said in a tone that caught Jason's attention.
"What is it?" Jason said taking the seriousness of Blackburn's tone.
"The Brass has decided to keep Bravo team together. They're recommending you all take a little time off to re-group though," Blackburn said.
"Okay, that doesn't sound so bad," Jason stated in a confused tone.
"However," Blackburn started. "Ensign Davis will be our new intelligence liaison moving forward."
Lisa was surprised and excited that she'd get to start proving herself. She was a little confused as to why Blackburn was walking on egg shells around Jason though. It wasn't like she hadn't already worked with the team in the past. She looked forward to working side by side with Mandy. Everyone in the room started to congratulate her and give her a hard time.
"That's great so what's the problem," Jason asked.
Blackburn decided to rip off the band aide, "Mandy is no longer attached to Bravo."
All of a sudden the room became quiet at the news of change.
"What does that mean," Ray asked watching Jason's reaction.
Blackburn sighed as he looked around the room, "She is now tied to D.C. field office as an interrogator instead of officer. CIA wasn't happy with her recent decisions. From what I heard, she gave up high value asset to arrange your rescue you guys."
"God damn it," Jason yelled as he threw whatever was in his hand against his cage.
"Maybe we can go talk on her behalf or something. I mean she saved our lives, that's gotta mean something right," Clay said looking around.
"Listen, this is a CIA matter. Bravo Team barely made it out of this intact. Keep your head down as much as it pains me to say," Blackburn said heavily.
"We can't just leave her out to take the fall," Ray said feeling guilty that saving him came with a price Mandy was paying.
Jason all of a sudden walked out of his cage to the door, "This is not happening." He violently opened the room's door and started to storm down the hall. He was going to head to CIA's area and demand to talk to Mandy's boss.
"Jason!" Ray called as he ran to catch up with him. "Jason stop! Let's think about this for a second."
"I knew something was wrong the other night at the bar. She said she was fine. I knew!" Jason exclaimed.
"Listen, I know you want to do something but storming in there guns blazing isn't probably going to work in her favor," Ray tried to reason. "She's CIA and we're Navy, you know how this works."
"So we should just let it go?! She's too damn good at her job to just be tied to a desk here!" Jason replied. "This is my fault. I'm the one that spiraled and she's paying the price."
"Jason," Mandy said softly as Jason whipped around to see her standing there. "I told you I've done a lot of things on this job that sometimes keep me up at night and this isn't one of them."
"I'll just go in there and tell them-" Jason began.
"No! Bravo team barely made it out of this together. You're gonna take the time off their recommending. I'm not fired just have a different title," Mandy said walking up to Jason and giving him a hug to try and calm him down. "It's okay. This isn't your fault," she said as he hugged her back.
"I meant it. I'm never going to forget what you did. This isn't fair," Jason said.
"I know," Mandy replied as she looked at Ray who was grateful she got Jason to calm down.
"Must be and interesting file," Blackburn said startling Lisa. "How long have you been at it?"
"Just trying to find Al-Hazred. Again," Lisa sighed looking up at Eric.
"You eat?" Blackburn asked.
"Not hungry," Lisa replied.
"Davis," Eric chided. "I saw Jason and Mandy headed to the dining hall. I think it's time for a break."
"I just," Lisa began. "I know everyone says it's not my fault and there's a small voice in my head that agrees but there's another louder voice that keeps saying it is my fault. There's also the other part of me that wonders if this job is worth the sacrifice. I mean look at Reiss, he was good and then one op was all it took to change him. Then you have Mandy."
"Mandy wouldn't do what he's done," Blackburn responded immediately.
"I know but you can't deny the job has cost her a lot," Lisa said looking at Blackburn.
"We all pay a price to the job we do. It's not easy paying the price and if it ever does become easy then you know you've lost yourself," Blackburn said. "Listen you and Mandy, you're strong independent women who know how to handle it all. No one is perfect on this job. We see things that most people in this world never will but we're the reason they get to go to sleep at night not worrying about some the worst evils in the world."
"Yeah, thanks," Lisa nodded. "Plus someone's gotta handle the guys on the team," she joked as Eric chuckled as well.
"Time to eat and probably give Mandy an update because I'm pretty sure she's chomping at the bit for anything. Plus, it's karma coming back at Jason for having to deal with a version of himself," Blackburn chuckled as they left HAVOC.
"I can carry my own tray," Mandy said to Jason as they walked towards where the team was sitting in the dining hall.
"Doc said to take it easy," Jason smirked as Mandy huffed ahead of him.
"Hey guys," Ray said scooting over for Mandy to sit next to him and Jason next to her. "Everything good?"
"Yes, I'm fine. Just pulled a couple stiches," Mandy said.
"And she's not to overdo it again," Jason added.
"Any updates?" Mandy asked as she started eating.
"Davis has been working on it non-stop it seems. So far we haven't heard anything," Clay answered.
"Maybe I should take a look," Mandy said as she ate.
"Nope, not tonight," Jason said.
"What? Why? I can sit at a desk and look over intel," Mandy complained.
"Doc's orders. Rest and take it easy," Jason said patting Mandy's thigh under the table.
"I swear we have the most stubborn ladies on base," Sonny muttered.
"And you wouldn't have us any other way," Mandy said as Lisa and Blackburn walked up to the table to join in on dinner.
"Of course not. That's why we love you," Sonny said glancing at Lisa as she settled in. As turned his head back to his tray, Mandy caught his eyes with a knowing look.
"Remember how we searched for any other family of Al-Hazred?" Lisa said to Mandy figuring she didn't want to talk about how she was doing again.
"Yes, did you get a location?" Mandy said looking at Lisa with a grateful look for not posing the question of how she was doing.
"New intel says they're on the move," Lisa replied.
"Moving somewhere northeast of here?" Mandy asked.
"Yeah. I looked into Reiss' files and am trying to cross reference any known locations Al-Hazred could be in but since his family is on the move…" Lisa trailed off.
"We could intercept the family they travel and hopefully get a location," Mandy finished.
"Exactly, as long as we can get the family to corporate," Lisa said.
"Does he have a sister?" Mandy asked.
"Possibly, why?" Lisa replied.
"She'd most likely be the one to give up her brother. His mother may protect him seeing as we killed her husband and sons are typically valued more in this culture," Mandy thought out loud.
Shaking her head, "Tonight I can show you what I've got and we can figure out the best angle."
"You guys really never stop or sleep, do you?" Ray piped in looking at the two women who seemed to have ignored the rest of the table during their conversation.
"Yeah, tonight you're both taking it easy. You both have injuries and the intel will be there tomorrow," Blackburn said. "Those are orders," he added as the two opened their mouths to protest.
"See, orders," Jason said looking right at Mandy with a smirk.
"Fine," Mandy and Lisa said giving in.
The rest of dinner the group talked about everything and nothing. Mandy took a moment to look around at each person and didn't feel like she was alone in the world. Feeling Jason squeeze her hand she turned to smile at him and she knew as long as she had him and the team by her side, they'd get Al-Hazred and eventually Roman.