CHAPTER 11

BOREDOM


Jason was lazily grazing his fingers on the shoelace of his sneakers, making a low sound, bored to death while laying on his bed, belly down. He couldn't sleep.

"Ok, that's enough" Ray got up from his bed and grabbed Jason's sneakers. He angrily looked at Jason, before throwing them to Clay, who was laying on his own bed, a bit further away. Clay grabbed the sneakers on the air and put them under his own bed. Jason just glanced at Ray and Clay, then remained laying on his bed. He turned, to lay on his back, and started to bang his fingers on the bed frame. A few sighs from the Team guys could be heard.

"Boss, you know I love you" Sonny stated, laying beside Jason. "But if you make another annoying sound like this again, I'll rip each of your fingers apart from your hand and use them to stick 'em up your ass", he calmly threatened.

"Jesus" Jason muttered, feeling that Sonny was overreacting a bit. "What's wrong with you, dude".

"Excuse me?" Ray got up from the bed he had just laid on, and now all the team was as indignant as him, sitting on their beds. Except Jason. "What is wrong with you?, we might ask", he said, aggressively, to Jason.

"What do you mean" Jason remained laying on the bed.

"For the last two weeks you've been grumpy and annoying, complaining when it's rainy, or cold, or sunny, or warm, and don't even get me started on your shape", Ray pointed out.

Jason was offended, especially about the last thing. "What about my shape?"

"You've been drinking. And eating, Jason. A lot. And not working out, ever" Ray sat down to let Jason know he was letting himself go.

"Well, I've been bored. I eat more. My body's fine" Jason felt offended by the fact that they noticed he gained a few pounds.

"Boss, you can't even keep up with us during our training series no more" Sonny stated.

"True" Brock confirmed.

Jason got up. "Oh no way. I do not! Of course I can keep up. I told you, my knee hurts sometimes".

"Old people's excuse" Sonny clapped back.

"Dude, you got to go back to the gym. Or stop eating and drinking so much. Or both" Clay advised Jason.

"That's ridiculous. I'm outta here" Jason got out of the bedroom, even though it was the middle of the night, and he walked to the kitchen. He was about to open the fridge, but he stopped himself. But only because he remembered he still had a stash of chips somewhere. He heard the bedroom door opening, so he stopped searching and sat on the table.

"Your chips are gone, man" Clay informed him, as he walked to the kitchen too.

"What chips" Jason tried to disguise it. Clay just smirked.

"Feeling bored, huh, man".

"You know. Just a bit. I don't like training people. Miss the adrenaline". Jason told Clay.

"Oh, true. It's boring as hell. But you're a little out of control, too".

"Well, they did say it'd be a week, ten days at most. It's been three weeks now" Jason glanced at Clay. "You know I hate staying put."

"Oh I know. I do too. You must miss your kids, right? I miss Stella, a lot" Clay said, gently, sitting on a chair of the table.

"U-hum. Yeah. I do. I talk to them a few times a week, but it's not the same". Jason quickly agreed.

"Except" Clay continued, "You've been to deployments a lot longer than this. And even though you were bored after the first week, it wasn't until after those ten days that you started to spin out a bit, huh".

Jason was sitting with his elbows on his thighs. "What do you mean?" he asked, suspicious.

Clay chuckled. Jason would never admit it, and Clay was the only one who knew the reason.

Clay tried a different approach. "You know. Because those ten days were how long we thought we'd be here, at most".

"Yes. Exactly." Jason quickly agreed. "I think it's just a waste of time for a special group like us just be standing here in Manila training the guys. I mean, it turned out to be a Gucci deployment, after all. We just didn't know that."

"Yes, but that's because Echo was supposed to do it, right. Train them." Clay instigated Jason.

"Yeah" Jason got up, annoyed. "These youngsters from Echo now are getting all the fun".

Clay smirked. "True. But they did uncover some heavy shit during that op. I think it's fair for them to see it through".

Jason leaned on the kitchen counter, quiet.

Clay continued instigating. "Dianna really is doing a great job there with them".

"Huh" Jason grumbled, and kept quiet for a while. Then he went to the fridge and got a beer, offered one to Clay, who refused. Took a few sips. "Yep, guess it was a good idea for her to go work with them".

"U-hum. That's how they got to uncover all that shit".

"Yep" Jason kept quiet, taking some other sips, leaning on the kitchen counter and facing Clay.

"You can't be mad at her, man. She had nothing to do while we were here" Clay argued.

Jason glanced at him. "I'm not. Of course". He took another sip of beer, then glanced at Clay again.

Clay chuckled, taking the hint. "She likes them. Echo guys. She DM'd me yesterday. They get along just fine".

"U-hum".

"You're not following her on insta yet?"

Jason took some sips of the beer. "Why would I? I barely look at that shit".

"You know. Just to check on how she's doing. She's posting a few pics of the landscape and stuff. They're nice. Obviously, she doesn't post any pics with Echo. But I heard they're really liking her".

Jason made a sarcastic 'pff' sound.

Clay chuckled again. "Yesterday she also told me they apparently just got the leader. Of the cell. She's coming back to the U.S.…" Clay stopped to think about it, due to the time difference, and the fact that it was past midnight "...tomorrow? Friday, anyways".

Jason put his beer down. "Didn't know that".

"Well, now you do".

"Good. U-hum".

"And Echo is starting their leave when they get back on Sunday. She'll be back to working with us".

"Sure. U-hum. Good for Echo, to have their rest. Good guys".

Clay got up. "So. What do you say we just go take a rest? I'm really tired man".

"Yeah" Jason emptied his beer on the sink. "You're right. Sleep is good. And I think I'll hit the gym tomorrow. You know. Some heavy lifting" he looked down, to his abs, almost absent by now.

Clay smiled. "That's ok. You're a big guy. Chicks dig that, and a dad bod too".

Jason was offended. "I don't have a dad bod. My abs are still here. And I work out to be strong. Healthy. A Seal".

"Of course. Now let's go man. Let's get some sleep". Clay gently guided Jason back to the Team's bedroom. He knew Jason wouldn't leave the gym for those last five days of their training in Manila, and probably would want to train harder their outdoor exercises too. Those would be some exhausting days for the Team and for the poor Filipino soldiers.

And Clay knew exactly why.

.