AN1 More Who Dares Wins. A quick update 24 hours after my last.
AN2 I understand that most Chuck readers are not interested in this fiction. It's a military story, written in the Queen's English, set in the United Kingdom, and most Chuck readers are from the United States. With all of that said, I know I won't pull outstanding numbers for this fiction. This is why it's important for those who do like the story to remain vocal about it with me.
Who Dares Wins
Chapter Twenty-Eight: Lockdown: Part Seven: Protective Lover
Tuesday, 6 November, 2007
The entirety of Red Team entered one of the two group showers in their barracks together in joyous moods.
The unit moved to occupy positions at different shower heads, and they turned to face each other as the water heated up.
"Best strike team ever, Chuck!" Bryce shouted excitedly, glancing at Chuck.
Chuck turned to face Bryce next to him, and he grinned. Extending his hand out to him, he said, "You played great and was instrumental in both goals."
"Thanks, you did too. We showed them what us Northerners can do," Bryce said as he happily shook Chuck's hand.
Chuck nodded as he held his friendly glance towards Bryce.
"Sarah, you played great too, mate. You kept our lead and didn't look shaky at any point," Jamie said, glancing at Sarah standing next to him.
Red Team, who all overheard Jamie's remarks, nodded.
Sarah smiled at Jamie. "Thanks. Nice elbow on Joe."
Jamie chuckled, nodding.
"I told you all that she was the perfect choice for our goalkeeper," Chuck said, glancing around the team, before finishing his gaze at Sarah, and she met his gaze from where they stood a few yards opposite each other.
"Yeah, she was. We're proud of you, lass," Cole said.
Sarah shifted herself to look at Cole. "Thanks, but you all played great too."
"We showed everyone watching what we can do," Bryce said.
Red Team chuckled in approval.
"You get brownie points for bringing half the squadron along to watch the beasting we gave them, Bryce," Chuck said, grinning.
Bryce nodded, laughing.
"And that shithead Kyle won't be messing with anyone on Red Team again," Big Dan said, laughing.
Red Team joined the laughter.
"After what, though?" Jamie mused, glancing around the team, "Sarah's tackle? Or Chuck going John Rambo in defence of Sarah?"
"Don't start!" Chuck pointed at Jamie, shaking his head in disappointment as the chuckles continued amongst Jamie, Cole, Chris, Dan, Bryce, and John Murray.
John Murray soon stepped out into a central position of the showering facility, and he glanced all around the team. "A note to yourselves, fellas, don't insult, offend, or do anything malicious towards Sarah while Chuck's around."
The laughter continued among most of the team, while Chuck changed his dissatisfied glance towards John Murray instead.
"Do you have to ruin mine and Sarah's good mood right now?" Chuck protested.
Big Dan sincerely waved his hand at Chuck. "Fella, don't worry about it. If anyone pushed my missus and told her to fuck off, then I'd be in jail, so there's no fuck's given from me, and I get why you stepped in."
"Same here," Cole said. "If anyone ever touches Sophie, then I'm doing a long stretch in jail."
Jamie, John Murray, Bryce and Chris promptly nodded.
"We're not even dating," Sarah protested, glancing around the team, and she attempted to sell what she said. It was technically true also.
Immediate scoffs erupted from Big Dan, Cole, Jamie, and John Murray.
While Bryce stayed out of it because he wanted back in Sarah's good books again.
And Chris, as always, remained impartial.
"It's true," Chuck added on, glancing around the team.
Big Dan, Cole, Jamie and John Murray now started to shake their heads.
"Whatever you say, fella, whatever you say," John Murray said back, rolling his eyes.
"Believe what you want. Because what we did was a one-time thing," Sarah continued to deflect and shut down the team's insight into her and Chuck's private life, per the agreement they had made with each other yesterday when they stopped at his place briefly to see Ellie.
"Yep. One time, and one time only," Chuck supported her comments with a straight face as Chuck and Sarah shared a glance. They each knew that what they were saying was doing nothing to convince their team, but from now on, they would conduct their private lives exactly like that, privately, and not as a topic for open discussion with anyone but themselves.
Big Dan, Cole, Jamie and John Murray continued their head shaking.
"Fella, as I told you, your reactions were identical to what all of us in here would do if their missus was pushed around and swore at. You gave away your feelings towards Sarah the moment you did what you did just earlier, but it's fuck all to do with me, fella, and I'll say no more about it 'cause you don't pry into any of our personal lives, so I won't with yours," Big Dan said, nodding at Chuck and Sarah.
Cole, Jamie, John Murray, Bryce and Chris all nodded, and the conversation came to an end.
O-x-O-x-O-x-O
A short while later
Red Team departed the showering facilities changed into civilian wear and armed with their personal sidearms.
"Right then, fellas, let's seek out Blue Team and get our wagers," Big Dan said with excitement.
Chuckles erupted amongst the team.
"They've probably fled to Siberia already by now," Chuck said.
The laughter continued.
"In that case, fella, then we're going hunting after them, aren't we?" Big Dan asked, glancing around his teammates.
"Too right, mate. I'd chase them to the ends of this earth just to get what we're owed," Jamie declared with conviction.
Red Team's laughter intensified.
The team departed their barracks searching for Blue Team, and they soon found them located close to their personal vehicles.
"Heading out somewhere, are we?!" Big Dan shouted over to Blue Team.
"Not without handing us our wagers first, they're not!" Cole said back as Red Team hastily marched over to the other half of Mobility troop.
Stopping in Blue Team's vicinity, Jamie Hughes was the first to speak, "Alright, Joe, mate? Get that wallet out, Sunshine," he said with glee, rubbing his hands together.
Joe Lewis less than enthusiastically got out his wallet, and with great reluctance, he handed Jamie £20, to Jamie's great satisfaction, as Jamie did a joyful dance with his arms before clapping his hands together and chuckling away.
Big Dan was next up, and he walked towards George Russell, and he opened and extended his hand out towards him. "Stick it there, fella."
George Russell handed Big Dan £20.
"Aww, that's lovely that, fella. Nice and shiny, cheers," Big Dan teased, chuckling.
Bryce was next up, and with a massive smug smile, he walked up to Adam Carter. "Alright, Adam? Have you got that twenty you owe me? I don't mean to sound in a rush, but I'm in a bit of a hurry to get pissed with your money," Bryce said, laughing in his face, and a few of Bryce's teammates joined in the laughter.
"You little rat!" Adam Carter said with distaste before he reluctantly handed Bryce £20.
Bryce, with great pleasure, took the £20 from Adam, and he dangled it in his face, which caused Adam to attempt to snatch it back from him, and all of Red Team erupted with laughter.
The following few exchanges passed without incident as Chuck, Cole, John Murray, and Chris collected their wagers.
Sarah was the last up to collect her wager. She had purposely saved herself for last because she wanted the final remarks towards Kyle Rogerson, who had contributed to the abuse towards her, and he had also been the primary instigator of the subsequent harassment that followed the abuse.
Walking up to Kyle, she looked smugly at him, and in silence, she held out her hand close to his face.
Shaking his head, Kyle took out his wallet and he took out a twenty-pound note. However, he had no chance to hand it to her because Sarah quickly moved to snatch it from his hand, and she turned towards her team, who were all glancing at her.
"Right lads, I'll buy the first round, and it's on Kyle!" she said with great satisfaction.
Red Team erupted with immense laughter as many of them clapped their hands excitedly together.
Chuck turned his glance to Kyle. "Cheers for that, Kyle. I'll enjoy my drink from that twenty."
"You can have a double if you want," Sarah said, smiling affectionately at Chuck.
Chuck grinned back at her.
"Fuck off!" Kyle said in protest towards them both.
Red Team continued their laughter, and they began to dangle their new twenty pound notes at Blue Team, who promptly entered their vehicles and departed the base.
Turning their attention to each other, Red Team continued chuckling in victory.
"They never learn," Cole said, smiling.
"And long may it continue, fella," Big Dan said.
"Amen!" Chuck said.
Once the laughter subsided, Chris said, "Right, what shall we do for the rest of the night then?"
Most of Red Team mused over the question, but it appeared Bryce already had the answer. "There's only one thing that we can do, fellas, and that's head to Jim's pub for a few to spend Blue Teams money! It's tradition!" he said, laughing.
"It's risky," Chris said with some reservation.
Red Team nodded.
"Yeah. If we got caught, heads would roll," Chuck agreed with his team leader, though he absolutely wanted to do precisely what Bryce suggested because lockdown was making him feel very depressed, and each passing hour, he became more pissed off with the situation. There was nothing more a soldier hated than losing their independence.
Cole nodded. "I'm all for having a good time, but I don't want to land any of us in the shite as a consequence," he said.
"Come on, fellas!" Bryce encouraged, "It would be absolutely criminal not to sneak off for a few and have a good time! No one would know, and we'll just have a few!"
Red Team mused over Bryce's encouragement, and they soon became excited as mischievous smiles broke out amongst the team, and they entered serious contemplation of the proposal.
"Sarah, what do you think, mate?" Jamie asked suddenly.
Red Team turned their attentions to Jamie to query his sudden question.
"Why are you asking me?" Sarah asked back.
"Because you're usually the most reserved one on the team about breaking regulations, mate," Jamie stated.
Red Team nodded with the assessment. If anyone on the team was going to say no, then it would be Sarah.
"Jamie, after the way Blue Team has treated me for the past few days, I have nothing but complete desire to revel in their misfortunes!" she said, smiling from ear to ear.
Excitement instantly broke out amongst Red Team as wicked chuckles and arm dances broke out amongst the unit. It was clear that Sarah's words did the trick, and it was enough to convince all of them to sneak off the base to have a good time.
"Right then!" Cole said, clapping his hands together, "Off we go!"
Intense daring laughter broke out as Red Team excitedly made their way to their vehicles, and they departed the base to head to Jim's pub.
Red Team arrived outside Jim's pub. They parked up, and they exited John Murray and Chris's cars.
"We can't have many," Chris cautioned everyone, "If we return smelling of booze and anyone clocks us, heads will roll."
"Chris, even if we stay for just one, I'll be over the moon," Chuck said, grinning.
"We'll be having more than one, fella, I can assure you of that," Big Dan said back.
Big Dan's comment kicked the laughter off amongst the team again.
Red Team made their way towards the entrance, but they stopped when Chris paused in front of them, and he extended his hands out to block them briefly so he could pass on instructions, "Right, keep yourselves to yourselves inside. We don't want civilians in harm's way if gunmen come in blasting while in the presence of other people. We would be in serious fucking shit if that happened."
Red Team nodded.
Chris continued with his instructions, "Do not go missing or leave the pub for any reason unless we all leave together. We need to stay compact and vigilant. Keep our eyes open, and don't let your guard down because you want a good time. Keep the potential threat against us in your minds at all times."
Red Team nodded once more.
Glancing around his team, Chris said, "Right, in we go then!" and he pointed his thumb inside.
Joyful laughter erupted amongst the whole team, and Chris promptly turned, and Red Team followed their team leader inside the pub.
Arriving inside, they took in their surroundings inside the pub. It was relatively calm for a Tuesday night.
Jim was behind the bar, and he was not presently serving anyone.
"Jimbo, fella!" Big Dan called out in greeting to him.
Jim met Red Team's gaze, and he grinned at them as Red Team made their way to the front of the bar, and they took up positions side by side.
"Alright, fellas, and Sarah?" Jim asked, holding his grin.
"Fine and dandy," Cole replied.
"I've not seen you for a few days," Jim declared to the team.
"We're stuck on base dealing with something, fella," Big Dan replied.
Red Team nodded.
"So why are you here then?" Jim inquired, glancing around the team.
"Because we couldn't resist your fine establishment, and we won a wager," Chuck declared.
Jim and Red Team laughed.
"And once more, you're here to spend it with me," Jim said, grinning.
"You know us too well, Jimbo," Big Dan said, nodding.
Jim nodded. "Right, so what will it be then?" he asked, glancing around the team of eight in search of an answer.
Sarah took the lead, and she glanced around the team. "What will it be? Same as usual?" she asked.
Everyone except Chuck nodded, while Chuck said, "I'll have the same as you."
Sarah broke out with an affectionate gaze towards him for a long moment. They were separated where they stood by Cole, who was placed between them.
"He's going soft on us already, fellas," Big Dan teased, glancing around the unit.
Red Team nodded.
Chuck shook his head. "Nope, I'm just sick of Sarah being the odd one out all the time with seven of us having beers and leaving her out."
Sarah held her friendly gaze at him while Jamie said, "That's as fair enough of a reason as any."
Everyone nodded, and Jim prepared Red Team's order.
With the order of drinks completed for Red Team after a few minutes, Red Team took their glasses into their hands, while Sarah handed over Kyle Rogerson's £20, and she said, "Keep the change."
Jim nodded, grinning in appreciation, and he moved to store away the banknote.
"Cheers," Staff Sergeant MacDonald said suddenly, glancing around the team.
"Cheers," Red Team said back, while Big Dan said, "Up your ass."
Laughter erupted, and Red Team promptly moved to take a mouthful of their alcohol, which led to immediate moans in delight, which made the bar of the pub suddenly sound not too dissimilar to a pornographic movie.
Returning their drinks onto the wooden bar, Cole said with delight, "That might well be the best-tasting beer I have ever had."
Red Team chuckled softly as every member of the team began to relax their shoulders. This is exactly what they had needed after having been locked onto the base for the past three days and after their time off work had been cut short by a day and a half in the process.
"It's a pity we can't stay in here for a lock-in again, fellas," John Murray bemoaned.
"Don't mention that," Jim complained, "I still have a headache."
Red Team erupted with laughter.
"Jimbo, fella, we'll have to do it again sometime soon as soon as this business we have is concluded," Big Dan said.
Jim grinned.
"Speaking of which, 'cause Sarah and me were left out of this infamous lock-in that I've been hearing so much about, you owe Sarah and me one round of drinks on the house, Jim," Chuck said, pointing at Jim.
The friendly barman suddenly waved his arms out. "Steady on!" he said in complaint.
Chuck glanced beyond Cole at Sarah, who was looking at him. "Sarah, what do you think?"
Smiling at him, she then turned her glance to Jim, and she nodded. "Chuck's right. You owe us both a drink each, and we'll have doubles thank you."
Chuck pointed multiple times in succession towards Sarah. "Very well said, Sarah," he said, as he turned his glance to Jim, "See to it Jimbo, mate."
Jim sighed in resignation, and he prepared two extra drinks for Chuck and Sarah, who were both grinning from ear to ear at each other, and they clapped their hands together in excitement at their fortunes.
"You lucky bastards!" Jamie said enviously.
Sarah and Chuck laughed together.
Jim soon returned with two more drinks for Chuck and Sarah.
Still gazing with joy at each other over their luck, Chuck moved to toast Sarah's glass.
"Cheers, Sarah," he said.
"Bottoms up," she replied.
They kept their gaze towards each other until it was disturbed by Big Dan speaking to Jim.
"Oh, Jimbo, by the way, fella, if the shooting starts, get your head down, ok, fella?" Big Dan said with a straight face. He had waited until Jim had served them their drinks before announcing it so that Jim couldn't kick them out.
Red Team snorted to hold in their laughter over Big Dan's declaration, and they all glanced at Jim, who was grinning at them.
"You're pulling my leg!" Jim said back, still grinning and believing that Big Dan was winding him up.
All of Red Team shook their heads in unison at him, and Jim's grin suddenly faded.
Big Dan promptly motioned Jim towards his sidearm strapped to his jeans, and Jim shot his glance at Big Dan and then at every other member of Red Team in search of their firearms.
"Bloody hell!" Jim cursed as he turned a nervous wreck, and he suddenly didn't feel safe standing with Red Team any longer.
Red Team snorted once more at the fear of the barman, and they all took a mouthful from their drinks.
"Don't worry, Jimbo, fella. If anyone comes in here after us, we'll deal with them very quickly," Bryce said, placing his pint of beer back down.
"Yeah. No one's disturbing our drinking. I'll draw faster than Clint Eastwood if I have to!" Chuck joked.
Red Team snorted multiple times to hold in their laughter, but they were unsuccessful, and the pub turned loud with their burst of laughter.
"I don't want my pub turning into a bloody Gunfight at the bloody O.K. Corral!" Jim shouted back with a straight face, and multiple customers who overheard the comments turned to look at Red Team and Jim.
Jim's comments caused roaring laughter amongst the unit for a long moment.
"Don't worry, Jim, mate," Jamie started as he attempted to stop laughing, "That would imply that they have a chance, but they don't."
"Yeah, fella, you've been good to us. We'll look out for you, don't worry, fella. Anyone comes in here blasting, they'll be neutralized as quickly as this," Big Dan said, and he clicked his fingers to emphasize his point.
Red Team nodded as the laughter continued, and they promptly picked up their drinks, and they took a large mouthful from them.
Jim quick and nervously disappeared away from the team.
"I don't think he'll be back to serve us anymore," Cole declared, chuckling.
"That's ok because me and Chuck already have a second drink anyway," Sarah laughed smugly.
Chuck quickly joined Sarah in laughter, while Red Team stopped laughing, and they darted glares at Sarah for her comments.
"Nice one, Sarah," Chuck said, grinning at her.
She met his gaze, and she smiled into his eyes.
"If those two aren't careful, they'll be the ones who we're fighting against at the O.K. Corral!" Big Dan joked.
His comments set the laughter off amongst the team again.
"Don't worry anyway, fellas. If he doesn't come back, we can always go behind the bar and help ourselves," Bryce suggested, nodding behind the bar.
Big Dan instantly pointed at Bryce in immense approval. "That's not a bad shout at all, fella!"
Red Team all nodded. Because if he didn't come back, that's exactly what they would be doing...
"For his sake, he'd better come back to serve us then. Otherwise, he'll have nothing left!" Chuck laughed.
Chuck's comments set off intense laughter amongst the unit once more.
Once it subsided, Cole sighed pleasurably, "Ah, this was just what we needed..."
"Too right, Cole," Jamie started, "Another few days locked up on base, I'd have been shooting Joe Lewis for fun!"
The laughter and joyful spirits erupted through the unit again, and their stomachs started to hurt from the prolonged period of laughter they had each shed so far.
O-x-O-x-O-x-O
A short while later
Red Team were served their second round of drinks, or third in the case of Chuck and Sarah by Jim, who was now excessively nervous in their company, and he could not relax.
"Cheers," Cole said, glancing affectionately at his comrades.
"Cheers," the whole unit replied back, and they took large mouthfuls from their drinks.
"So, how many rounds will we stay for then?" Chuck asked.
The team mused Chuck's question for a long moment.
"I'm not sure, fella. If we had our way, we'd crash out here, but we can't lose our heads and get caught, or heads will roll," Big Dan said.
Red Team nodded.
"One more round after this one, then?" Cole suggested.
"Yeah, that sounds fair, mate," Jamie said.
Chuck, Sarah, Chris, Big Dan and John Murray nodded.
"We could always stop at the offy on the way back. Once we're back on the base, it's fine to drink anyway," Bryce suggested.
Red Team mused over Bryce's suggestion for a brief moment before they all nodded.
"Someone pat him on the leg for me. His shouts aren't half bad today!" Big Dan said in approval.
Sitting next to Bryce at the bar, Jamie carried out Big Dan's request, and he patted Bryce approvingly on the leg.
O-x-O-x-O-x-O
Red Team received their third and final round of drinks by Jim.
"Last one, fellas, and then we'll hit the road," Big Dan said.
Red Team nodded.
"I need to pee," Sarah declared suddenly.
Everyone turned to query her declaration.
"Chuck, go with her," Chris soon said.
Chuck and Sarah frowned at the request, as did everyone else.
"Huh?" Chuck queried, narrowing his eyes at the request of his team leader.
"You never know if anyone's out there. It wasn't a request. It was an order," Chris said sternly.
"He's right," Cole said.
The team, including Chuck and Sarah, nodded in concession, and Sarah and Chuck departed away from the team, and they entered the split-off area of the pub together.
Arriving outside the ladies restroom, Chuck said, "I won't come in with you. You should quickly sweep it and come back out in ten seconds max. If you're not out in ten seconds, then I'll come in after you."
Sarah nodded. "Ok."
Turning away from Chuck, she entered and cleared the facility. Returning outside, she said, "It's fine."
Chuck nodded, and Sarah promptly turned, and she entered the restroom.
Completing her actions of relieving herself inside the restroom, she returned out to Chuck.
They shared a smile, and Chuck started to turn to exit this section of the pub and return back into the main area, but he paused when Sarah said, "Chuck?"
"Yeah?" he said as he turned to face her, and he paused in place.
Sarah swallowed air, and she gathered her thoughts for a brief moment. "I wanted to ask you something privately. It's been on my mind since the match earlier," she started.
"It's concerning what I did when Kyle pushed you, isn't it?" he asked instantly, staring intimately into her eyes.
Sarah nodded. "Yes. Why did you help me, Chuck? I have the same training as you. I could have dealt with it," she protested.
"Sarah, I don't doubt it. I know you could have put him on the deck, but he could have smacked you too. I've seen him fighting a few times. He was a boxer in the Anglian Regiment. But even if he wasn't as competent as I know he can be, I still would have done it anyway," Chuck admitted.
"Why?" she asked softly, gazing into his eyes.
"Because I have feelings for you, Sarah," he admitted, burning an intimate stare into her eyes.
Sarah broke his intense gaze, and she looked at the floor. "Chuck..." she light protested.
"Sarah, all of the lads, they were exactly right in what they said when we were in the showers," he started, and Sarah rose her gaze back at him, and he smiled at her, "I saw you get pushed and shoved by someone, and I didn't like it. We agreed not to have a committed dating relationship. It's the right call, and I do agree that it's too soon. We should absolutely focus on our careers and as teammates, at least right now anyway."
"I'm sensing there's a but?" Sarah asked, smiling at him, which showed no teeth.
He nodded. "But Sarah, I'm not going to let anyone push you around, nor swear in a confrontational way at you. Until you tell me that you don't want to see me anymore, I will always look out for you in that way. I'm not sure if you will like or even appreciate this. But Sarah, I can tell you that if anybody touches you, then my reactions will be ones of immediate confrontation."
Sarah paused, and she broke her gaze from him briefly as she entered contemplation about how she felt over those remarks. Returning her gaze to his face, she admitted, "I've never had a man who has cared about me like that before."
"Well, now you do, and you always will, until you send me packing, Sarah," he said, not relenting his intimate stare into her orbs, and he held his glance in place until he received a response from her.
A fully developed smile quickly shone through her features, and with her response now given, he grinned right back at her.
Breaking their intimate glance a few seconds later, Chuck looked over his shoulder briefly to ensure nobody was watching them.
With his observations complete, he turned to face Sarah once more, who was gazing attentively at him to observe what he was up to.
Stepping into Sarah's proximity, who did not resist his advancement towards her, he gently took hold of Sarah's shoulders, and he moved in to connect their lips together for the briefest of seconds.
Due to the delicacy of the kiss, which was soft and performed with great care, it was incredibly intimate, and pulling back from Sarah slightly, he smiled at her.
She smiled right back at him.
Chuck lowered his hands from her shoulders, and once he had, Sarah moved to connect her hand with his.
They held their intimate gaze towards each other for a final few seconds until they broke it, and they walked hand in hand to the door to the central area of the pub. Pausing for the briefest of moments, they each drew out a sigh to compose themselves, and with reluctance, they let go of each other's hand, and they headed back to the bar to finish their last round of drinks with the rest of their team…
AN2 Next chapter, Who Dares Wins goes nuclear, and the stakes are raised massively in the story as Red Team deals with the threat.
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