Chapter 30

Back at it again. David has posted twice a picture of a coffin on the plane. I don't know what to think about it lol. I am grateful that SEAL Team will be one of the shows that will not be necessarily incorporating the pandemic into their story line. Most of the other shows I watch look like they will be which is nice and all but honestly, I get enough about it in my daily life. Anyways, let's see how exciting I can make things in this story. Deployment is almost up here and according to my timeline and we have a journey ahead of us. Enjoy!

The briefing for the op continued and plans were made to carry out everything. Mandy watched Jason closely. She knew he wasn't happy with her going out into the field without anyone or anything. They had a brief stare down after she announced the plan and since he'd avoided looking at her. She could see how tense his shoulders were and the way he was clenching his hand repeatedly around whatever object he had.

Going out into the dangerous field wasn't anything new for Mandy. She was used to going out there without much back up as she was CIA and that's how spies worked. This would be the first time the team would be witness to her out in the field. To make things more complicated, she was also now in a relationship with someone who would care about her well being out in the field. It also meant Jason knew the real dangers to her job and he wasn't someone she just glossed over the details with or claimed she just worked a boring job at the state department. She knew there would be words between the two in private.

"Everyone clear on the details," Blackburn asked looking around the room. "Remember, we want Al-Hazred alive by all means possible."

"Not letting him get away this time," Sonny said. "Bastard isn't getting the jump on us a second time."

"Also, remember that it may not just be Al-Hazred's guys coming at you. Roman looks like he's tying up loose ends around here," Director Thomson added.

"It'll be one fun party once we get there," Full Metal commented.

"Alright then, tomorrow we let the mother and daughter go and Mandy goes off to do her part," Blackburn said.

"We sure there isn't any other way," Ray asked with a glance at Jason who was staring at the maps intensely.

"Listen guys, I know you're worried, but this is what I do," Mandy said walking to the head of the table. "It's not my first rodeo. I've gone in with far less and I've already nearly been killed by my own partner so what more could go wrong," she said trying to lighten the mood. "Trust me like I trust you."

At that, all the guys nodded in acknowledgement understanding there wasn't anything they could do. Jason looked up at her finally after she asked them to trust her. Without a doubt he trusted her, but he wasn't sure if he could trust himself should something happen to her. In the back of his mind, he knew she did this for a living but having to see it firsthand was different.

"If there isn't anything else, then you guys should go prepare to leave within the next 48 hours. Once we have confirmation from Mandy, you guys will deploy out," Lisa said.

Everyone started to get up and leave the room. Jason had gotten up quickly and headed for the door quickly. Mandy took that as her que and followed him out knowing she needed to calm him down.

"Should we stick around?" Clay asked looking at the doorway the two had just left through.

"Nah, if anyone can talk him off the ledge, it'll be her," Ray replied.

"That's gotta be a complicated conversation," Sonny commented, and Lisa looked over at him remembering when they were together and how worried she had been.

"Guys, they'll work it out like they always do," Director Thomson chimed in. "I will say it's nice to see all of you come to my daughter's defense, but she is exceptionally good at what she does. If you knew half of the work that has gone into some of the ops you've run with her, you would be surprised," Thomson said proudly.

"Do we want to know what she's done?" Trent joked.

"No," Thomson said seriously. "Plus, we'd have to kill you," he smirked as he left the room.

"He's kidding right," Sonny asked concerned. "Right?" he asked again as everyone looked at him seriously before getting up to leave with some chuckles. "We agree then, he's kidding."

"Sure Sonny, whatever helps you sleep at night," Clay chuckled patting his shoulder as they left.

Jason had been the first one to leave the room after the briefing. He had so many emotions going through himself. He felt anger at Mandy, for putting herself in danger but most of all there was worry that the worst-case scenario would occur. If that worst-case scenario happened, he knew he wouldn't make it this time. He couldn't lose another person he cared about right now. He was barely holding himself together as it was. He knew also that he was mixing his personal and professional feelings together, but he didn't care. He'd been selfless for twenty years to this job and figured he deserved to be selfish this one time.

"Jason," Mandy said catching up to him and pulling him into an empty room.

"No," Jason said with a fire in his eyes trying to leave the room.

"No, Jason. You're not running away," Mandy said blocking the doorway. "I know, okay. I know. Just talk to me. No walls between us, remember," Mandy said stepping closer to him and putting a hand on each side of his face, so their foreheads touched.

Jason could feel his breath quickening. He grabbed for one of her hands and squeezed it tightly. He was panicking. He was breaking down in front of her and that terrified him. The last time he had broken down, he'd been by himself and then called her afterwards to talk at the bar. He'd then asked her out on a road trip but hadn't gotten an answer from her right away. Mandy had said she had come by to see him, but by then he'd been with Natalie and she'd left him to be. In all honesty, he couldn't blame her for not answering right away. What was between them was unclear and messy. Neither had defined what it would mean had they gone on that road trip.

"Breathe, Jason," Mandy said softly.

Jason took a deep breath and looked into her eyes, "I wanna ask you not to do this."

"I know," Mandy said. "But you know this is a part of the job."

"Yeah," Jason sighed. "It's getting harder to do this job, Mandy. It's getting harder and harder to justify the ends of the means."

"Yeah, it is," Mandy replied. "But we chose this."

"No choice in duty," Jason smiled sadly. "There has to be another way. Maybe Ray can go under with you since he can blend in better."

"And risk Ray not coming back to his family?" Mandy asked with a knowing look.

"You're my family," Jason replied. "There's nothing I can say, is there?"

"Probably not. I can be very stubborn," Mandy smiled. "Like you."

"I can't lose you," Jason said pulling Mandy into his arms. "Promise me," he asked desperately.

Mandy squeezed him back, "I promise."

"You're lying," Jason said. "In this line of work, we can't promise that."

"But we can try," Mandy said. "We're gonna make it through this. We're both going to go out there do our job and get to go home. You told me we, as a team, would take down Roman. We're both going to fight like hell to come back to this. And if something were to happen, you'd be okay. It'd be hard but you'd make it through."

"Not without you," Jason said.

Mandy pulled back and kissed him, "Today we prepare for what's to come. We enjoy the moments we have and look forward to the ones to come."

"When did you start looking on the bright side," Jason asked.

"Someone's gotta look on the bright side in this relationship otherwise we're just going to be two moody dark people," Mandy replied trying to light up the atmosphere.

"Can we just… stay here for a little bit," Jason asked trying pull himself together still.

"Yeah," Mandy said letting Jason take her into his arms. "We can stay here for as long as you want. Whatever you need."

"Just you," Jason said sighing into her shoulder.

The team was in the weapons bunk getting ready for the mission. They were going through their gear making sure they had everything they needed.

"No sign of Jason yet. Is that a good or bad thing?" Trent asked.

"Probably making out somewhere on base," Full Metal chuckled.

"Boss man getting lucky," Sonny laughed.

"Luckier than all of you," Mandy said appearing out of thin air and causing everyone to jump at her sudden presence.

"Jesus," Brock muttered. He then looked down at Cerberus, "Buddy, little warning next time."

In response, Cerberus barked at Brock and then went up to greet Mandy.

"I wouldn't pet-," Sonny started but then stopped as Cerberus took to Mandy.

"What was that?" Mandy said distracted rubbing Cerberus' belly. "Who's a good boy? Cerberus and I are best pals. Makes sure you guys stay in line for me," Mandy said as Jason now appeared in the doorway.

"Stealing my girl there Cerberus," Jason said walking into the bunk to his section of gear. Cerberus barked back as if he was responding back.

"It's okay buddy, you're my one true love," Mandy replied getting up and Cerberus stood as well right next to her.

"Wow, what exactly am I? Chopped liver?" Jason joked.

"No, I thought you knew already. You're just my boy toy," Mandy smirked as all the other guys started hooting and hollering. "Plus, I just came by to see if Trent had his pants on or not this time."

"Sorry boss, I can't help it if the ladies use you to get to me," Trent replied as Jason threw balled up shirt at him.

Mandy laughed with the guys enjoying the light heartedness. She knew the next forty-eight hours were going to be intense and having some carefree fun moments was nice. Mandy looked at the table and saw someone had started to clean one of automatic guns they took out on the field with them. The guys continued to trade blows and Mandy walked up to the table and picked it up.

"Agent Ellis, I'd be careful with that. Wouldn't want to shoot anyone with that," Sonny chuckled.

"Of course not," Mandy replied seriously. She then started shifting parts of the gun and the guys watched in awe as things clicked into place. "I mean if I happen to accidently set this off it'd be a lot of paperwork," Mandy added as she continued to shift and click things into place. Before they knew it, she had the automatic gun put together and pointed right towards Sonny. "But I don't know, maybe we should check if this works," Mandy said as she pulled the trigger and the gun clicked but no bullet went through.

"Holy shit," Sonny said from the floor where he had ducked.

"You palmed the firing pin," Ray said impressed.

Jason looked impressed as well. He was so impressed that all he wanted to do was drag Mandy away and have his way with her. Even though they knew each other so well, there seemed to be things to learn still. He had been with a lot of women who weren't in their field of work. Mandy on the other hand wasn't a civilian. She knew all the gory details about their jobs and apparently had received training in the field apparently.

"I said we needed to make sure it worked," Mandy replied. "My Dad was a SEAL. They adopted me during his last couple years being on teams. Said I needed to be able to fight off the bad guys if he wasn't there," Mandy said thinking back on the memories.

"Sounds like a good Dad," Jason replied. "Didn't realize he'd served. Never said anything."

"Yeah, he does that. Says it keeps him humble and that he doesn't need to brag about it," Mandy said shaking her head. "I think that's why he went with the agency. Wanted to make a difference and show they had the backs of those in special ops."

"And you've continued to do the same," Ray replied earnestly.

"I try," Mandy said.

"You do more than try," Jason said looking at her deeply. "Which is why we'll have your back out there."

"I know," Mandy replied. "You guys make sure you bring Al-Hazred back to me alive."

"You got it boss," Trent said.

"Wait, wait, wait, I'm boss," Jason said looking over to Trent.

"Not anymore," Mandy said giving him a kiss on the cheek and leaving. "See ya later guys."

"I'm still the boss," Jason exclaimed.

"More like whipped," Trent muttered as the guys chuckled.

"What was that Trent?" Jason asked.

"Nothing," Trent replied. "Maybe he should be Bravo 7 now," Trent burst out laughing.

They all continued to talk and joke in the bunk room as they prepared for the next mission.