Sonny stood staring at Blackburn's phone for what felt like hours, studying every small detail in the photo. Jason had made the suggestion that they provide a picture of Davis every thirty minutes until contact with proof that each one was current. While Sonny knew this was a good idea, everytime he heard the chime indicating a new text, his anxiety shot through the roof. He hadn't put down the phone since the first text came through twenty-five minutes ago.
What he saw made his blood boil. The picture was grainy, obviously taken on an old phone. Lisa stared at the camera, clearly angry and caught off guard. An old flip phone in her hand displayed the correct date and time. Her face was blurry and the overall picture was dark, but he was able to make out a faint florescent glow and a dark wall behind her. Due to the overall bad quality of the photo, he was unable to really assess Lisa for injuries, but he was able to make out a dark smudge at her hairline. The picture was close up so he wasn't able to see anything about her lower body, but it seemed like her hands were free.
While Sonny waited for the next text, Clay and Ray watched their brother from the corner, Jason and Blackburn talked final logistics with a map unfurled in front of them and Brock and Trent worked in silence as they gathered weapons and packed their gear.
Ray looked at Clay as he watched Sonny, clear worry evident on his face. Ray wondered if Clay knew what was occurring with Sonny and Lisa. Ray had only started to suspect during their most recent mission in Serbia. He had even thought they ended things after Sonny began acting erratically and Davis spent less time with everyone. But something had changed, obviously, because their relationship from the outside seemed to drift back to how it had been. Lisa and Sonny seemed to stop avoiding each other and because Ray was looking for it, he now noticed the lingering glances between the two when no one was watching. He'd planned on talking to Sonny again when they got home - and whether he was going to attempt to shake some sense into him or offer him support, Ray was still undecided.
"He's taking this hard - I mean, we all are, but Sonny especially. I haven't seen him lose his cool like that on the job - well except for when he tried to strangle the ambassador in Sudan after he left you guys behind. " Clay observed, knocking Ray out of his thoughts. Ray looked back at Sonny and saw him using two fingers to zoom into the picture for the millionth time.
"Yeah, he and Lisa are close." Ray said, thinking about how close they actually were and not wanting to elaborate.
Clay glanced quickly at Ray before turning his attention back to Sonny. "Sonny told me that they've been friends for a long time." Ray nodded and Clay continued, his eyes never leaving Sonny, "So them being best friends and together secretly must make this whole thing even harder."
Ray jerked to attention at Clay's comment and choked out, "What?"
Clay looked at him sideways and gave him a fleeting smile. "Common Ray, you think I didn't know? It's obvious. And It's obvious you know too. And it's going to be obvious to everyone on Bravo if Sonny can't keep his act together."
Ray shook his head softly and stared at his friend. He heard a chime and saw Sonny furiously pushing the screen of Blackburn's phone to see the new photo. Ray wanted to check in on Lisa as well, but knew that if he went anywhere near Sonny right now, he was liable to get his head bitten off.
Clay obviously didn't feel the same reservations as Ray because in two strides, he was beside Sonny, looking over his shoulder at the text.
"Any changes?" Jason asked gruffly from his position at the table. Blackburn stood beside him with his hands on his hips and his face drawn into a terse expression.
Sonny ignored the question and continued to investigate the picture, prompting Clay to respond.
"Same as before. Different angle, Lisa is holding the phone up again, head turned to the side."
Sonny added evenly, "Definitely has a head wound. And the side of her face turned towards the camera is swollen like she's been hit. The photo's further back this time, looks like she's got a metal cuff on her foot. Same florescent light - probably in the basement. " Sonny's voice crackled with tension but he remained eerily calm and focused.
"We'll need a tool for the cuff." Clay said, prompting Trent to add another object to their pack.
"Ok, let's go over the plan one last time." Blackburn said, prompting the team to come closer. Sonny hesitated and Clay gently took the phone.
Inside, Sonny was spinning - he had never seen Lisa injured before (though he had watched her slug someone at a rodeo that he made her attend and it was still one of the best moments of his life). He was used to seeing his brothers beaten down, hospitalized, bloody and it never got easier, but this was someone that was supposed to be safe.
The rest of the team looked over Jason's shoulder as he pointed to various locations on the blueprint of the old factory where Lisa was being held. After Clay removed the phone from Sonny's hand, he grasped Sonny's shoulder and said softly, "Man, you have got to get your head in the game. You can't go in there like this - you'll be of no help to anyone. We need you - Lisa needs you on your A-game…wake the hell up."
Sonny's face snapped to attention at Clay's words and he stood a little straighter. "I want those fuckers to pay." He said, just loud enough for Clay to hear. Clay nodded and said, "They will, brother."
Sonny nodded and went to stand beside Jason, crossing his arms and focusing on the task at hand. Jason asked him a question about breaching and Sonny answered quickly, offering another way in that he'd noticed from studying the map earlier. Jason listened intently, satisfied that Bravo 3 was back in.
After details had been sorted, the team began putting on their gear and grabbing their equipment. Sonny was brimming with adrenaline and finally feeling more clear and less panicked. This was easy for him - the calm before the mission. His brain was wired for these situations. He and Bravo would crush the mission like every other one before; this would be no different and it would work.. it had to.