CHAPTER 7
ADIOS COLOMBIA
Davis was annoyed as hell. She knew that the op in Colombia was a success, because not only they got to dismantle the terrorist cell in Bogota, they captured the leader and two terrorists alive, and got valuable information from them. That is, Dianna got valuable information from one of them, then they handed it to the CIA, who checked and confirmed it. Meanwhile, Jefferson also got some information from the right arm of the leader later on, squeezing him after showing him the intel they already got. But confirming the intel took longer than expected, and Davis didn't have the power to squeeze anyone of the CIA, so now, of course, the members of the other group have fled Bogota. Only one of them was being followed close by the CIA, but they couldn't confirm his whereabouts until now, so the Navy decided to call back Bravo to the States, because the op wouldn't probably take place in Bogota anyways, and they didn't know how long it'd take for the CIA to confirm the terrorist's location.
"That's a bummer, huh" Jason sat next to Davis on the plane, reading her face and thoughts. She had her arms crossed, and Jason sat down a bit more relaxed, but had a stern face. He crossed his arms too when she just nodded, agreeing.
Davis exhaled. "Well at least we got good intel", she glanced at Jason, and he was biting the tip of his thumb a bit, and just nodded slightly, agreeing. They were both serious, not looking glad at all.
They heard Sonny laugh a bit, next to Dianna, they were sitting across them on the plane. "I'm glad she's good" Davis sincerely confessed. "I was afraid she'd be one of those weird ones", she admitted, smiling.
Jason remained stern. "She's good. A bit quirky", and glanced at her joyfully talking to Sonny.
"I like her" Davis stated, raising her shoulders. "And I like the fact that I'm not the only girl on the team anymore".
Jason smirked, and bit his thumb again. "Yeah, but she's not linked to Bravo, right? She'll go to Echo in a few weeks".
"True. But I don't know, maybe I can make some arrangements" she raised a brow to Jason, who raised his eyebrows at her, too.
"You think? Like what" he asked, casually.
"Well, to be honest, I've been having issues with Jefferson's behavior, from the last ops he's been with us. I don't know. Maybe he's not the right guy to work with us".
"Hum. Maybe he's better off with Echo, you say?" Jason looked at her.
"Who knows? Maybe" she smirked. Then she added, "But it's a bit too early to tell, she's just been with us for less than a week. And who knows? Maybe she'd like to go to work with Echo too, to switch things up a bit".
"Hum" Jason grunted. "Doubt it. I think she's doing well here".
Davis smiled, "I think so too. But anyways, we'd still be short of an interrogator, and we'd have to see if the option the CIA send us is actually better than Jefferson. Unfortunately, she can't interrogate solo for the Navy". Then when Davis heard Sonny and Ray laughing about something with Dianna, she got up, because she was curious to know what was going on.
She turned to Jason, "Just keep her happy, will ya? Just in case".
"U-hum" he bit his thumb again, "We'll do".
"What kind of name is The Bulkhead, anyways?" Dianna mocked the guys. Obviously they didn't know how much more creative a bar name could be. "I don't even know what that means".
Sonny released a laughter. "Oh, come on girl, let's just go. If not tonight, then tomorrow".
"I never said I'm not going" she smirked at him. "But I'm only going if Davis is".
"Oooh" Davis had that face when she has to work, with her hands in her pockets, and Sonny came closer to her, grazing his arm a bit on hers, then she just melted. "Alright, then".
Dianna smirked at the scene, it was unbelievable, to her, that they actually thought nobody noticed their flirt. Or maybe they did, but they thought that was it. But Dianna knew better. If they were just flirting, there's no way that he'd touch her like that and they wouldn't have a chill among them; it only happened, in most cases, when the couple hadn't have sex yet.
She thought it was really bold of them, to sleep and work together. She knew that the Navy 'didn't allow' romantic relationships between direct co-workers, with hierarchy differences or not, but she didn't know if it meant it was just frowned upon or if they'd lose their jobs for sure. Or worse. She really hoped it would never happen, she liked them both.
Dianna herself, on the other hand, never slept with a co-worker, at least no one she actually saw everyday at work. One, because she'd feel incredibly awkward at her job, and two, because she didn't think she'd have the patience to date someone and see the guy also everyday at work. She was very independent, and needed to have time for her things too.
And now Dianna was thinking it'd be a bit weird to go out to a bar only with Davis and Sonny. Obviously she'd never go alone with Sonny, because he was trustworthy but also a bit of a flirt, and Davis would be jealous, but now she was thinking that going to a bar with the two of them would also be a bit strange. Like a third wheel. She glanced around the plane.
"Hey, what's up. Sad to leave Colombia?" Dianna sat next to Jason on the plane, surprising him a bit. He was looking at his phone.
"Not really. A bit. It happens sometimes" he quickly fixed his posture, then he felt he was too erect and slid a bit down the uncomfortable bench, trying to act casual. "You?"
"Meh. Whatever" Dianna just dismissed it, raising her shoulders. Apparently she dismissed a lot of things that were out of her control, Jason thought.
She turned a bit to him, and he could see the freckles she had on her cheeks and nose "Sonny is calling everyone to this Bulkbar. Is it good?"
Jason softly chuckled, looking down. "It is. We're always going there" he didn't correct her.
"Good. You're going too?" she widened her eyes to him a bit.
"When?"
"I don't know" she looked strangely at him. "What time will we arrive in VA Beach?" she was terrible with numbers.
"Hum… around 2000 hours".
"You can say '8', you know" she mocked him.
"Why would I say '8'? I'm used to the military time" he answered, a bit cocky.
"Yes. So am I" she looked, serious. "In the rest of the world we just say 'time'. And it's too formal and long. Weird. When we speak, we say 8, not 20 hours, and much less, 2000 hours".
He sighed. "Ok. 8 then. You're thinking about going tonight?"
"I don't know, let me check", and she suddenly got up to ask Sonny, slightly touching Jason's knee with her hand as she passed by him, because the plane moved a bit.
She came back moments later, escorted by Sonny and Davis.
"I don't know. Same by me. What do you think, boss?" Sonny started talking from the other side of the plane and Jason could hear him. He guessed they were talking about what day they'd prefer to go to the bar.
"I don't know. Same" he raised a shoulder, then remembered. "Oh, Emma is picking me up tonight straight from base, we're going out for pizza with Mikey. I almost forgot".
Davis turned to Dianna, "Oh, we'll go tomorrow, then", and Dianna agreed, nodding.
"You guys can go tonight if you want to. No problem", Jason said, and Sonny nodded, in agreement, and added that they could go both days.
Davis and Dianna said no, that they should go the next day. "Tomorrow is best for everyone, Trent and Brock can make it too. So there will be more people" Dianna added, excited.
Davis said the same. "Yeah, it'd be just the four of us tonight if not. So tomorrow it is".
When the plane arrived at base a couple of hours later, Dianna felt really good about the group she chose to work with for the next months. She had already bonded and even share a couple of personal stuff with a few colleagues. She hoped to stay there with them for a while.
She was one of the last ones to leave the plane, carrying her bag, when Jason saw her near the gate and offered to carry it for her, asking if she needed a ride home.
"No, that's ok, I got my car here" she shyly pointed at an older car parked there, close to the gate, but Jason suddenly took the bag from her anyways and carried it to her car. It wasn't heavy, but it was a big bag, so she was, in fact, carrying it a big clumsily, so she thanked him, walking fast to open her trunk. Thankfully, it wasn't full of crap this time, or else he'd think she was a messy person. Which she was, sometimes.
"Thanks" she said, smiling politely.
"No problem. All good for tomorrow then?"
"Sure. At 7" she teased a bit, not saying 1900 hours.
He chuckled, opening a bright smile that dazzled her a bit, in the middle of the night. "Yeah, 7".
Then he waved goodbye and took his own much smaller bag that he left on the floor before, making his way to a big black car. He put his bag on the trunk and she noticed he got in from the passenger seat, and they drove off.
Better this way, Dianna thought.
Dianna was excited about getting to know this famous bar, but she wasn't finding it nowhere on the GPS, so she texted Davis, who sent her the address and the correct name of the bar, so she finally found it. She thought most of the team would already be there, since military are known for their punctuality, but she realized it was just a urban legend. It was 1915 hours and there was only Jason there, sitting at the table, all relaxed, having a beer already. She slowly made her way between a lot of military men, women and tag chasers.
"You're late" he joked, raising an eyebrow, not just because everyone else was late, but because he had actually arrived not even five minutes before, too. But she didn't know that. He didn't stand up to greet her, it'd be weird, since they work together and he saw her the day before.
"My GPS sucks" Dianna blamed technology, as usual, while taking a seat next to him on the round table.
"Couldn't find the 'Bulkbar', huh" he teased again, smiling.
She smiled back. "That was mean".
"What do you wanna drink?" he asked, sitting up straight.
"Hum, I don't know. I guess this isn't the place to ask for a Cuba Libre, right?" she glanced around. They were surrounded by military people.
"Risky" he grinned at her, and she laughed back.
"I think I'll stick to the boring diet coke, for starters".
"What? Come on, we have to start strong. I'll join ya".
"Ok" Dianna nodded, a bit insecure. "I could have a tequila, then".
"That's better. Two tequilas coming right up". Jason tapped the table and stood up from his chair, and Dianna quickly got up too, blocking his way and slightly touching his chest, "Oh no, I thought you were calling the waiter. I didn't see there was none. I'll go order it".
"Calm down, relax, I know the guys here, they'll get my orders in no time, ok" he gently sat her ass down on the chair, grabbing her bare shoulders and pushing her down, then slowly made his way to the counter.
Dianna sat silent and quiet, waiting on the table and staring at the door of the bar, while tapping her fingers on her lap, very erect.
Jason, on the other hand, was standing very erect on the counter, with his back to Dianna, and his hands tapping the countertop, quiet, also staring at the door of the bar. The bartender, going against every rule of bartending that ever existed, approached Jason without being called, and asked what he wanted for drinks. Shocked, Jason slowly turned his head to face him, and calmly asked for two shots of tequila, and told him the number of his table.
The bartender, again, faster than ever, brought back the shots, and smiled at Jason. "Pretty girl. Date?"
"No. No, no. No. She works with me" he answered, gesticulating, without taking the shots from the countertop.
"Doesn't look like she's a military" he noticed.
"U-um, she's not. Civilian".
"Your shots are ready, man". He glanced down.
"U-hum. Thanks." Jason slowly grabbed the small glasses, and took a small sip of one of them, when the bartender mentioned, "Yeah, quick guys here today. Found your friend, there".
Jason immediately turned to his table, where a very, very tall blond guy, probably a military, was leaning on his table, flirting with a very uncomfortable Dianna. He was practically over Jason's beer. He didn't like it, so he finally made his way to the table, and when he was almost reaching it, he saw Sonny getting into the bar.
"Heey, I'm sorry the drinks took so long. Crowded", Jason walked behind Dianna and placed her shot of tequila in front of her, then glanced at the blond guy and silently told him to fuck off, but when Jason sat on his chair, the blond guy showed him he was clueless, because he passed behind Jason and put his hand on the back of Dianna's chair, very relaxed.
"Hey man, you're Jason Hayes, right?"
"Yes" Jason suspiciously answered.
"Who's this" Sonny arrived at the table and bluntly asked, nodding at the tall blond.
"I'm Jared, man. I'm from the Navy. Man, you're famous, Hayes. Glad to finally meet you" he said, very much relaxed.
"I reckon you're not a Seal, huh" Sonny quickly cut him off, annoyed, sitting on a chair next to Dianna.
"U-hum, nice to meet you Jared. Have a good night" Jason cut him off too.
Jared joyfully nodded at them, but remembered why he was there. "So, Danielle, you've got my Insta, so whenever you'd like to chat, just DM me, ok?"
Jason and Sonny turned to Dianna, and she just smiled at Jared, with her lips closed. And nodded.
"What the fuck did he just say?" Sonny asked, confused, while pointing at the blonde.
"He's a bit young" Dianna dismissed, gesticulating a bit.
Sonny raised his shoulders, getting the point, then glanced at their table. "Hey, is it tequila? Wait up, I'll join ya" and stood up from the table, making his way to the counter.
"So" Dianna started, after ten seconds of silence, "You're famous", she said, slowly nodding.
"A bit" he slowly nodded.
"Can I ask why?"
"Just killed a famous terrorist. But it was years ago" he humbly said, as if it wasn't important.
"Bin Laden?" her eyes widened.
Jason's face shut down. "No. Other guy. You don't know. But he was famous between us military men. Terrible guy. Awful." he grumbled.
"That's good. U-hum. If you're famous, it's because he was terrible", she said, stern, then couldn't continue to inflate his ego anymore, so she smiled. "I'm sorry. He probably was terrible, I believe you", her voice was raising the pitch at each word, and she started to laugh.
Jason instantly started to laugh too, a lot, because he noticed she was trying to cheer him up. "That's ok".
"Hey guys" Davis arrived at their table, and Trent and Brock arrived seconds after her. They all greeted each other, and sat at the table. Sonny arrived with his tequila shot, and had to sit next to Brock, because Davis took his chair. "Why you're laughing?" Davis asked Dianna and Jason, who still had tears in their eyes.
Dianna and Jason's tequilas rested unharmed at the table for another ten minutes, because when they raised their glasses to drink, with Sonny, every time someone decided they wanted to join them too, so when finally everyone around the table had their tequilas, they all raised them and drank them.
Dianna's glass was so full that a drop of the liquid passed by her mouth and ran down her neck, and she quickly stopped to clean the drop with her hand. Then she took a napkin and dried the drop and her mouth. The drop had ran down to her collarbone, and she laughed of her clumsiness with Davis. They were the only ones laughing at the table, though. When she finally decided to drink the rest of her tequila, she had a lot of eyes watching attentively, but this time no liquid escaped. She even looked down, to see if the golden liquid had stained her hunter green blouse, she loved that blouse, but Davis assured her it didn't. Nevertheless, Dianna decided to check herself in the bathroom and clean her neck and mouth with water, so she wouldn't be sticky. Actually, those were her exact words to Davis, when she got up from the table. Also very audible to Jason and Brock, who were near them.
"Jesus" Brock muttered, and Jason heard it perfectly.
Dianna got in the bathroom, it was dark and tight, evidently design by a man. But she managed to clean her skin with water, and she checked her green blouse. It was an off-the-shoulder one, it didn't have a deep cleavage or anything, but her shoulders were bare. And she was wearing normal jeans and an ankle boot. The other women at the bar had deep cleavages, sometimes on the front and on the back, and were wearing skirts, so she thought she was dressed ok. Davis was wearing a navy blouse with deeper cleavage too, but it was very classy on her, but still, showing some skin.
"Oh my God, love your blouse" a girl suddenly talked to Dianna when she was applying some raspberry lip moisturizer. She thanked her.
"You're friends with those guys? The ones at your table" the girl asked her, now seeming a bit obsessed.
"Kinda. I work with them"
"Oh really?" the girl now was really excited. "They're Seals, right?"
Dianna knew she couldn't tell her that, it was their choice to tell or not, and the girl seemed like a psycho, so she lied. "Oh no, unfortunately no. I wish".
"Awn, too bad. But it's ok too. For a tag chaser. But I just love frogmen".
"I see" Dianna nodded. "Bye".
She quickly made her way to the table, ready to alert the guys to stay away from that psycho girl.
"Oh, the blonde one? Cute", Sonny said, not minding Dianna's alerts.
"Yeah, this place is full of them. Frog hogs" Trent added.
"Not just this bar, this town is full of them" Jason cockily complemented.
"Jesus" Dianna didn't know if their vanity annoyed her or amused her.
Davis thought the guys were too full of it that night, too, so she decided to tease them. "Well, do you guys have a move that works on a woman that is not a frog hog? Or do you just throw your badges or tags at them?"
"Oh come on now Davis, don't be jealous. You know that those girls would never compare to you. You'll always be part of the team" Sonny mocked.
"Jeeh. Thanks", Davis sarcastically answered.
"Well, I usually talk about Cerb" Brock confessed.
"What is it?" Dianna didn't know what that was.
"Cerberus. My dog. I'm a K9 trainer" Brock charmingly explained to her.
"Cerberus is our team dog. You'll meet him soon" Trent added.
"Awn, really? The team has a dog? What's his breed?" Dianna instantly melted.
"Belgian Malinois" Jason quickly answered that, quicker than Brock.
"Yes" Brock continued, "he lives with me, follows my instructions. Perfect dog. Perfect bomb detector. Cutest face. You'll see".
"Oh my God", Davis interrupted, shocked. Even she was melting from the guys' explanations about the dog. And she'd known Cerb for years. "The dog thing really works".
Dianna laughed, that was true. "And when do you guys think I'll see you work with the dog?"
"Well, Ms. Veiler, you just wait for your cell phone to buzz in the middle of the night or something like that. When you'll get a last minute op is most likely that we'll take Cerb with us". Sonny explained.
"Can't wait" Dianna murmured, trying to hide her excitement.
.