Out of the Pan, Into the Fire

Rock Outcropping

Sonny knelt as Brock and Duncan gripped Clay and laid the unconscious kid on the flat rock. A scan of the area indicated this place would provide them with adequate protection, with the ability to spot hostiles approaching. The overhang offered protection from the elements plus a location for overwatch on top … almost as if it were made especially for their purposes.

With three sides of rock, Sonny and Brock set about creating a small blind so Duncan could use a light to assess Clay's condition. Sonny kept taking peeks at the kid as the medic positioned Clay on his left side and pulled up his shirt again. Once they finished making a small but workable cover, he asked, "How's our kid doing?"

Duncan grabbed his penlight and cupped a hand around it to help conceal the rays.

Sonny took a knee and offered, "I'll hold that for you so you have both hands free."

As much as Brock wanted to stay, he didn't. "I'm going up top to maintain overwatch." A hand signal later, Brock moved out and Cerberus lay at Clay's feet, resting his head on his boots and let out a little whine.

With both hands available now, Duncan pulled back the soaked dressing. Visual inspection of the wound didn't provide any new source for the continued bleeding. He grumbled, "Something internal. Don't see any foreign objects."

"Internal is bad, right?" Sonny said.

"Yeah, not good. Though the flow appears to be slowing some. I may be able to slow it enough to make it to exfil time, but the location needs to change. The bird needs to come to us. Moving him will only cause the bleeding to renew." Duncan pulled out more sterile pads and applied significant pressure, not worried about causing pain since the soldier was already out and stopping the blood loss was more important. "Grab the IV kit from my pack, now that we aren't moving for a bit, I can replace some of his volume."

Sonny did as requested. "Want me to start it?"

"No, you hold the pressure." Duncan and Sonny swapped positions. The medic worked swiftly and Clay didn't even flinch as the needle entered, not that an unconscious man would feel the prick. Duncan taped it into place and tucked the IV bag in Spenser's armpit.

Once Duncan took over applying pressure again, Sonny repositioned to put Clay's head in his lap again and turned on his comms to check in with Jason and Blackburn. "TOC and Bravo One, Bravo Three."

Inside Building Near Nazeri Residence

"Status?" Jason had not stopped pacing since he heard they needed to deviate due to Clay bleeding profusely.

"Kid's holding on. Bleeding slowed and started on IV solution. Buys him time. Can't move him though. Something internal is causing the bleeding." Sonny's guilt soared as he believed him falling on the kid was the cause. "Evac needs to come to us."

"No go." Eric responded from the tactical operations center.

"Why the hell not?" Jason ground out as his fist clenched.

"No place for the helos to land and the hostiles in the area possess RPGs," Davis explained. She wished they had another option … they just didn't.

Jason punched the wall. "Options. I need options. Give me something workable. Something that doesn't end up with Bravo Six bleeding out."

Winds peered at Blaze as an old memory surfaced. Something had niggled at him when they learned the coordinates where the others deviated to. "I think they are at the rock overhang Blondie scouted for us after we crashed."

Blaze nodded. "Sounded familiar to me too. A defensible position."

Turning to the Canadian captain, Jason asked, "Defensible?"

"Yeah, our kid picked a prime spot and managed to drag our asses there after an RPG knocked out the engines in our plane." Blaze meant literally in his case. Blondie dragged the travois with his unconscious body on it, though the kid was suffering lower back injury, a down-to-the-bone laceration on his palm, and a knife wound. "Contact Sutton. He can tell your people the route our evac unit took."

"How defensible is that location?" Jason shook out his hand, hitting the adobe wall was stupid, but at least it released a tiny bit of stress.

"Clear line of sight, uphill, multiple egress directions." Blaze shared.

"Freshwater stream not too distant," Winds added.

Trent stepped into the conversation. "Drop in a couple of guys with a stretcher and anything else Duncan thinks he needs for Spenser and they can carry him out. They can keep the kid more immobile on a stretcher. Less jarring than being carried like a sack of potatoes."

"TOC, will that work?" Jason sure the hell hoped so.

Davis eyed Eric hoping for the go ahead. When he nodded she set to work contacting Sutton again as Eric said, "Workable. We'll drop Bravo support to Bravo Three's location."

"Copy," Jason said and resumed his pacing. He would not relax until Clay was receiving medical care in a hospital. Well, hell, not even then … perhaps once Spenser was on the mend and he knew for sure the kid would be alright.

Forward Operating Base – Tactical Operations Center

Several minutes later, Mandy's eyes widened as she peered at the split screen of the two locations, now that drones hovered over both. "Eric, they have a problem. A huge one." Lisa's and Eric's eyes whipped to the display as she pointed.

Eric's voice came out calm, only through years of experience. "Bravo Three, a force of approximately forty is moving in your direction from the west. No idea if they know you are there. Can't tell if they're armed, but I'm guessing so given the territory. If they stay the course, they'll be on you in ten or twelve minutes. Bravo support scrambled, but is thirty minutes out."

"Shit," Sonny whispered as Duncan doused the light.

Inside Building Near Nazeri Residence

Jason calculated the time to daylight and turned to Ray who was already studying the map and determining the distance. Their eyes met and Ray nodded. They could make it if they went now. Jason no longer cared about grabbing Nazeri … his men, three of them, would be outgunned in a matter of minutes.

Blaze understood the hard glare in Hayes' eyes. He had been in the same position too many times himself. "Go. We will handle Nazeri."

Trent and Ray didn't wait for Jason's decision, knowing full well what it would be and they rushed out of the room and down the stairs to the back door. They halted to drop their night vision in place.

Nodding, Jason noted Ray and Trent heading out. "We owe you one, Blain."

"Nothing owed. Just keep Duncan safe for me," Blaze shot back as Hayes jogged out of the room.

"TOC, Bravo One, heading to their location now. Give me details on their approach." Running full bore, Jason found only one positive in tonight's misadventures. With Clay's condition, his men had not traveled more than a mile. They would arrive in time … just barely to help cover them if the hostiles discovered his guys.

Forward Operating Base – Tactical Operations Center

Davis relayed details as she watched the group of forty slowly moving in the direction of her team. She refrained from mentally asking, what more can go wrong because ever since Clay joined Bravo, it seemed as though they were constantly jumping out of the pan and into the fire.

Carlson seethed. "What the hell? Call him back. Hayes is abandoning the mission. We will lose Nazeri. He is more important than a few soldiers."

Eric rounded on the disgusting CIA operative. "I trust the Canadians to grab him. I will not lose my men when they can be saved. Their lives matter whether you think so or not."

"This is a U.S. op. We can't let the Canadians take over and get the credit for Nazeri's capture." Carlson snarled. All his plans for promotion appeared to be going up in smoke. Exactly the reason he didn't want to work with Hayes. The man went off the reservation when it suited him and Blackburn, the wimp, supported him.

"Get this man out of my TOC and sight before I deck him!" Eric yelled.

Three soldiers rushed forward to do as commanded. No one fucked with Blackburn or Hayes ... and lived to tell the story.

Rock Outcropping

Moving slow and careful, Sonny and Duncan repositioned Clay as far back as they could in the alcove to provide him more protection. Unfortunately, he woke as they were doing so and a hiss of pain eeked out.

Kneeling to place a pack under Clay's head, Sonny let his hand rest a moment on the kid's feverish forehead. The heat seared his hand. "Stay down and quiet. Unwanted company is coming."

Glazed eyes fixated on the shadowy figure in front of him, as Clay tried to make sense of Quinn's comment. Their fall came back to him, though he appeared to be in a different location now. "Give me my weapon."

Sonny snorted. "Not such a good idea given you're doped up."

"Give me my gun. I'm not going out without a fight." Clay tried to push up, but two sets of hands stopped him.

"If you promise to remain still, okay. Move and you start leaking … and you can't afford to lose too much more." Sonny put Clay's pistol in his hand. "Boss is coming, so you hold tight and don't fire unless we start shooting. Got it?"

Blinking to keep his heavy lids open, Clay responded, "Copy."

Sonny motioned up with his chin to Duncan. "Up top with Brock. I'll cover Clay here."

Duncan nodded and moved rapidly to the rock overhang. He lay flat next to Brock and peered out into the night, searching in the direction of the hostiles. "Think we can hold off forty?" He wouldn't have asked if his unit were here. Blaze and Winds always ensured they came out on top."

Brock smiled. "Forty men are no match against one pissed off Hayes."

"Is he pissed off?"

"Most definitely. The kid is hurt and in danger."

Duncan chuckled. "Just like Blaze when Blondie is in trouble. He goes all Papa Bear."

Down below Sonny snickered, as the whispers funneled down to him. Papa Bear applies to Jace when it comes to Clay. Hell, it applies to all of us. He stopped when Cerberus' ears perked up, alerting him the dog heard something they could not see or hear yet. "Be ready," he quietly said over the coms.

Struggling to keep his eyes open, Clay brought his gun up, preparing to fire if need be. No way in hell he wanted any of them to die because he landed on some stupid-assed pyramid thing and poked a hole in his back. The morphine dulled his pain but did nothing to quell the heat. He lifted his other hand to wipe away the sweat and noticed the IV. When the hell did that get there?

"Bravo Three, have your position in sight. Creating a perimeter," Jason said as he and the other two found cover and settled in.

Sonny acknowledged, "Copy," and prepared for a firefight.

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AN: A little slow, but more action in next chapter ... and perhaps more whump for Clay and others.