Chapter 30
Mongolian base
Standing alone felt eerie as everyone resumed positions after standing, gawking and watching Blackburn get escorted out. Bravo support knew they were walking the line all mission with the Mongolians as they were seen as invading and using their resources for one Russian man. Although they were allies, there was still a sense of pride on both sides that seemed to clash and resulted in some tension. Each group understood the assignment and the need to work together, but sometimes the US forces could enter heavily. As they flew in, things were already tense for the Bravo team, knowing this was a potential suicide mission. So they may have forgotten to put on their appreciation pants when entering the Mongolian TOC that they ultimately would be taking over. Being super appreciative of their allies was there but not always shown by all the members of Bravo and their support team. Things ran differently here, and there were some contradictions in orders and procedures.
This tension ultimately was why Blackburn was escorted out by the local MP twenty minutes ago. The Mongolian General was not a fan of Blacnkburns ignorance of the rules. He could only take to him walking that thin line for so long before he made some calls up the command chain.
Bravo always respected Blackburn and his appreciation or really lack of appreciation of rules if it put any of his men at risk. There was mutual respect, and that was how they ran their team. Everyone on Bravo, their support and close commanders and officers all respected each other's skills and assets; that was how they worked so well together and were the best of the best. No one was drawn the short straw, and everyone put their full effort in to succeed.
When Backburn tried to bend the orders once their General left the line connecting them home to allow Jason to turn back for Clay through Ray's report, that was the last straw for the hard-headed Americans; Davis now stood at her screens alone, so unsure of the next move as she looked around making eye contact with her support team while they waited—waiting for the next move, the following report, and the next check-in.
…...
"Blackburn!" Jason bellowed as he stormed into TOC with the rest of Bravo on his heels, dragging the Russian General behind them. "Eric, what the hell?"
Davis braced herself for the next move. "He's being detained; he's not here."
"Come again?" Jason snapped, lunging further into the room, scanning around and seeing red.
"Jace." Ray squeezed his shoulder, holding him back, trying to get him to calm down, knowing if things did not simmer down inside Jason's head, he would be the next one being detained.
No one knew the details of what happened yet as they entered the room, but they could see and feel the rage coming off the support team and Davis as she started to pace, watching each member shuffle into the room, eyes stopping on Liz as she noticed the gap between her and Sonny. Then it all hit hard; everyone knew Clay was missing but seeing the team return without him was a punch in the face.
"Someone needs to tell me what happened." Jason spat out, trying to calm himself down and breathing through clenched teeth.
"Not here." Davis mumbled as she walked past the team, looking down at Stuart, one of her best techs in support, "You keep me informed and watch those borders for anything. I'm your first call."
With a returned nod, Davis walked out towards the barracks. Bravo was held up in listening to the boots shuffling with a purpose behind her.
As everyone settled in, some pacing, standing and sitting on the edge of their couch, the team braced for impact to get the report. They needed to know what happened so they could grab Cerb from the kennels he was being held in while they were in the field since the Mongolians were not as comfortable with him walking around TOC and then heading back out after their man in the cover of darkness. They had half a day before it would be dusk, so they needed to get everything together if they could sneak out and head back into the forest to retrieve their man. Clay was coming home no matter what it cost them.
"I'm not getting any younger here, Miss Davis. What the hell happened?" Sonny asked as he continued his pacing.
Trent and Brock stood silently in the corner. Jason was pacing across the room from Sonny; Ray sat on the couch alongside Liz, who had not moved a muscle or even blinked, for that matter. Ray knew Sonny, Davis and Jason needed to work out what happened and process things in their own way, which could get a tad violent. Sonny and Jason have been known to damage some knuckles when shit hit the fan, and Ray did not want to leave Liz. She became stoic once when she made it back to the border and loaded into the helo. She was not herself and was shutting off, and he would not let her dig herself too deep she could not get out. He knew Jason, Sonny, and Davis were better suited for this job, but they were having a hard time and would not help her. And the one person she needed the most to keep her from going dark was not here. So, he was next up and hoped he could keep her here until her person was back or the others could step up once they had their moment to process. Everyone loved Clay like a brother, and his fate weighed on them all, but the four others in the room that surrounded him always had a hard time processing emotions and actions needed to work this together in their own ways. Trent and Brock had their way of coping, and it was best to leave them alone to do so.
Davis opened and closed her mouth several times, trying to find the right words. She did not even know what exactly happened in TOC or the field. It all happened so fast, and so many unknowns with this mission. "I don't know much. But I do know that once Ray reported about Clay, Blackburn lost it. He was already walking a fine line with this mission, and then he tried to open a window for you to go back for him, which seemed to disrespect the Mongolian General. He is a stickler for rules and orders, and he called up the chain of command home, and next we knew, their local MP was cuffing Blackburn and dragging him out. I have no idea where they took him since they can not legally lock him up in a foreign country, so I think they have him in the back under guard with Cerb."
"Fuck." Jason mumbled as he ran his hand-ups his face and into his hair. This mission was becoming a shitshow fast, and he could only focus on Clay.
"Did you see where he was hit?" Davis asked with a waver in her voice.
No one responded as they all froze and hung their heads. With the darkness for cover and chaos, they honestly did not know where Clay was hit, and if he did survive the bullets, would he survive the fall and being lost in the water? Everyone held onto the thread of hopefulness, but the looming dread was winning the tug-of-war battle.
"Where was he hit?!" Davis raised her voice as her hands started to shake. She needed to know for her, Jason, Sonny and Liz. He was young and cocky and still managed to weasel his way into her heart, and she knew the team felt the same. No one was ready to let the hold he had on them go. "Did you see where?" His voice was breaking now as she scanned all their faces, almost whispering. Her gaze stopped on Liz, trying to get a read, but all she could see was a stone wall. There was no emotion, no fear, no sadness crossing her eyes. She was cold. Detached.
"We don't know." Jason croaked out as he leaned against the wall and fell to the ground. His adrenaline was wearing thin, and so his feelings were deciding to make an appearance. Hurt and fear ran across his face as he buried his head in his hands, rubbing his face, trying to gain some control over himself.
Everyone seemed to sober up from their adrenaline high simultaneously, and all pacing stopped. No one talked; no one even wanted to breathe as they all sunk deep inside themselves, returning a few hours ago as they watched their brother get hit with a stream of bullets and fall out of sight over a cliff. He was slipping further away from them, away from safety.
"He's not dead." Liz's stone-cold whisper cut through the silence like a knife as she locked eyes with Davis. "He won't leave me."
