Endangered in Ecuador

by missblueeyes63

Summary:

Clay is still recovering from injuries which might end his days on the team, which he sustained with the building in Dongola collapsed on him. Bravo is spun up for a mission, and Blackburn insists Jason bring Spenser along to show him a potential new path if he can no longer be an operator. Although Jason doesn't want Clay to go, he agrees to keep an eye on the kid. Will Jason's decision cost Clay his life?

Chapter 1: The Decision

Undisclosed Location

"Ray, Clay, go high. Create a path for us," Jason ordered.

"Copy," both responded crouching as they worked their way through the gully which provided the team cover.

"The Ay brothers at it again," Sonny quipped.

"Ay brothers?" Brock asked as he exchanged his empty clip for a full one.

"Yeah, Ray and Clay … both names end in AY." Sonny explained as he scanned the area to the right of them, aimed and took out an enemy combatant.

A hundred yards later, Clay and Ray crawled up and out, staying low once gaining their feet they ran for the hill, taking cover behind brush as they went. Gunfire erupted again, effectively pinning Bravo team and preventing them from moving on their target.

Scrambling up the hill, Clay fought against the ringing in his ear, an intermittent problem for his still-healing ruptured eardrums. Reaching the top, he lay flat and peered down his scope.

"Bravo One, Bravo Two and Six in position. Path is coming up." Ray sighted a target as he said to Clay, "You focus on the east, I got west."

"Copy." Clay took out five in quick succession. He grinned as the rest of the team rushed from cover and made it to the building. Clay fired three more rounds as targets came out of hiding ready to ambush the guys as they exited with the hostage.

"Exfil," Jason ordered as he, Sonny, Brock, and Trent ran like the wind with the hostage they rescued.

Clay stood along with Ray, and they started down the hill at a rapid pace. Halfway down, Clay's equilibrium wavered causing him to lose his balance. One wrong foot placement and he toppled over. Ray attempted to seize Spenser's arm but missed.

Head over heels, Clay hurtled the rest of the way down. He groaned and lay still as he landed at the foot of the hill.

"Bravo One, Bravo Six is down," Ray called out as he scrambled down to him.

"Damn, I shouldn't have let him participate," Jason grumbled as they changed direction.

Trent sprinted to Clay and went to his knee, lifting his NODs and flicking on a flashlight. Within a moment five more lights joined his to illuminate Clay.

"What's the damage?" Jason asked as he unhooked his helmet and took a knee.

"I'm fine," Clay answered as he recovered his breath. The last rock he slammed into stole his wind. He pushed to a sitting position.

"What the hell happened?" Jason demanded after seeing no significant injuries. He stood and raked a hand through his hair, kicking himself for allowing Clay to run this exercise with them.

Clay hesitated, not wanting to acknowledge the real issue, but his shoulders slumped and told the truth because if he lied, the team would find out and he didn't want to betray their trust, even if it meant he would be sidelined longer. "Lost my balance."

"Ringing in your ears?" Trent asked.

"Yeah." Clay took Jason's offered hand to rise, then wobbled and listed to one side. Sonny prevented him from falling with a strong grip on his elbow, as he had done many times in the past month.

Blackburn strode over. "Excellent work until the end. Spenser alright?"

"Yeah, he tripped on a rock," Jason stated. The kid made amazing progress in healing since they rescued him from Dongola, but his perforated eardrums still wreaked havoc with his equilibrium on occasion.

Eric nodded, though he understood the real problem. "Well, let's wrap up the exercise." He eyed Spenser, "And you stop by the doc to be checked out before you go home tonight."

"I got him covered," Trent asserted.

Shaking his head, Eric said, "Not this time. Spenser, the team doctor has the name of an Ear Nose and Throat specialist he wants to send you to. We need you back in action, so you will visit the ENT."

"Copy," Clay replied as he took a step. Thankfully his equilibrium stabilized.

---

Bravo Equipment Cage

Easy banter flew between the men of Bravo on their way back to their building but petered out when Clay broke off from them heading for the infirmary. Exhausted from the night of training, five members shambled into their equipment area to divest themselves of gear and clean their weapons.

Sonny dropped Clay's pack outside the kid's locker before going to his own.

Jason set his weapons on the shelf and turned to Trent. "This ENT, he any good?"

"She, and yes." Trent slumped into his chair.

"What are we going to do if the kid's ears don't heal properly?" Brock asked as he put a bowl of water and kibble down for Cerberus.

"We'll cross that bridge when we come to it. Don't want to lose him, but if he can't stay upright, then …" Jason trailed off.

He truly didn't wish to replace Clay, but his team could only operate as five men for so long. He hoped the new doc would provide a better outlook than 'it takes time for eardrums to heal and there are no guarantees he won't suffer long-term equilibrium issues and tinnitus,' which the doctors thus far had stated.

Sonny slammed his fist into his pack. He didn't like the idea of replacing the kid with someone else from Green Team. They had gelled as a team, and Spenser was an asset, much as he hated to admit the kid had grown on him. He still loved to give him a ration of shit, but what big brother didn't harass a younger brother … and the rookie to boot.

In an edgy mood, Sonny set about dismantling and cleaning his gun. He listened as Ray, Jason, and Trent discussed the probably of Clay's extended absence. Well, this sucks the big one.

---

Parking Lot

Clay gripped the fencing as he staggered again. He didn't bother going to the equipment cage, not wanting to face the others. The doctor cleaned out the embedded dirt and tiny pebbles from his jaw, a result of his embarrassing fall.

He lifted his head and contemplated the distance to his car, wondering if he could make it without face planting … again. The walk from the infirmary to here had been slow, and he toppled over twice. Clay drew in a deep breath and started forward, determined to make it without going down.

His gait made him appear drunk to anyone who might be observing. Things got worse, not better after his trip down the knoll. The ringing in his ears grew more pronounced, playing havoc with his balance and gave him a massive headache.

Making it three-quarters of the way, he went down. His hands and knees caught him before he kissed the asphalt. Worried someone from Bravo, or anyone, would catch sight of him, he crawled the rest of the way and sat with his back against his tire.

Clay gripped his head between his hands and squeezed. Nausea rose as the bells tolled louder in his brain. How the hell am I going to get home? I can't drive, and I can't call Stella since she needs to be up to teach class tomorrow.

Reaching into his pocket, Clay realized he didn't have his keys, and he still wore his uniform. Everything he needed was in his equipment locker. "Damn! Maybe I'll sleep here."

---

Bravo Equipment Cage

Blackburn strode in. "We have a situation. TOC in five minutes." He stopped and glanced at Spenser's cage. "He back from the doc yet?"

"Nope. Clay isn't going on a mission with us, is he?" Jason asked.

"No, he isn't cleared for field work, but we could use his language skills at TOC for this one."

Trent trotted to the door. "I'll swing by the infirmary and grab him."

Jason eyed Eric. "What are you up to?"

"Walk with me." Blackburn pivoted and exited with Hayes following him. Once they were out of earshot of the others, he said, "Spenser's got a lot to offer, even if he doesn't make it back to the field. I want to give him a taste of where he might apply his skills."

"I'm not giving up on him. It's only been a month. The original doctor said it could take up to three months for him to heal. I don't want him getting it into his head he is finished. I want him focused on recovery only."

"Jace, you're doing him a disservice if you don't show him options."

"This isn't an option yet!"

Eric sighed. "It's a way for you to keep him close and keep an eye on him. At least for this mission."

Jason scowled as he considered the merit of Eric's words. Stella had been quite busy lately. She had a life, Jason got that, but she let the kid drive by himself today. Not something he should be doing with intermittent ringing and dizziness. "Alright. He comes, but you make it clear to him this is a one-off thing, and you expect him back in the field."

"Okay. I can do that … both purposes will be served." Eric took his cell and placed it in the holder before he pulled open the door to the tactical operations center.

Trent sprinted towards them. "Jace, he isn't there. Doc said he left thirty minutes ago."

Raking a hand through his hair, Jason muttered, "Where the hell did he go?"

Ray halted next to the group. "He didn't come back to the cage, so he didn't change or grab his keys or phone."

"Could've called Stella to pick him up," Brock suggested joining them.

"Nah, pretty boy told me earlier she has a heavy load and is staying at her place since it is closer. It would be a long drive, and he wouldn't call her. Perhaps a cab?" Sonny said.

"Trent, Brock, go check the parking lot. If you find him bring him here. If not, well, I'll call Derek to search for him." Jason rammed his phone into one of the slots, ticked off and a bit worried Clay didn't return to their lockers.

As Brock and Trent hurried off with Cerberus, the others entered the room.

---

Parking Lot

Cerberus raced forward, straight to Clay's car. "Woof, woof!" I found him! Found our boy. He nudged his boy's elbow and whined.

Stirring, not realizing he nodded off, Clay found a furry face close to his. "Hey, Cerb." He reached out and scratched the pup behind the ears; aware Brock would be close behind. He peered up as Trent and Brock appeared.

"What the hell you doing out here on the ground?" Trent said as he crouched.

"Well, you know thought I'd catch the lunar eclipse," Clay responded with a smart-aleck tone.

"Idiot!" Trent noted Clay wince. "Headache?"

"Bells of St. Mary going off in my ears. So yeah."

"I'll get you something for the pain once we are in TOC."

"Why am I going to TOC?" Clay allowed the guys to pull him to his feet. The dizziness remained, and he put a hand on his trunk to steady himself.

"Blackburn wants you there." Trent took one of Clay's arms and slung it over his shoulder, not giving the kid an opportunity to resist. "Brock, go grab my kit from my locker and meet us there. Let Jace know we found him, but we're taking it slow."

"Got it." Brock turned heel and ran, but Cerberus stayed next to Clay.

As Trent walked Clay, he said, "You gotta quit being so exasperating. You hurt, you come to me. I'll take the pain away. We all understand this is going to take time and there is no shame in needing our help. Were you planning on taking a cab?"

"No, was gonna drive, but I forgot my keys." Clay stumbled along. "Stop … gotta …"

The need apparent to Trent, he dragged Clay to the grass near them and put the kid on his knees right before he hurled. If Clay was in this bad of shape, Blackburn might change his mind about taking the kid with them wherever they were headed.

Chapter 2: Did you pass Everglade?

Aircraft En Route to Ecuador

The painkillers Trent gave him wore off shortly after take-off because they waited several hours for the green light to go. Clay didn't want to bother the medic for more since all of Bravo except him now slept. The sway of a hammock didn't appeal to him since nausea wouldn't abate. So he moved to a corner, sat, pulled his knees close to his chest, crossed his arms on the knees, and laid his head on them. Oh, and he set a bucket near him in case he needed to puke again.

Blackburn's briefing didn't take long, and although he had a difficult time paying attention and hearing, he got the gist of the mission. A radical group of environmentalists took several employees of Enterprise Energy hostage and demanded the company cease operation claiming their proposed plans for a hydroelectrical plant was a violation of ecosystem rights. Ecuador was the first country in the world to recognize legally enforceable Rights of Nature.

However, the extremists believed the government was not doing enough to protect the environment, so they took matters into their own hands. They were involved because three of the five hostages were American and the Ecuadorian Armed Forces asked for their assistance in a joint op.

His role, if he could stand straight and not hurl was to liaison with their counterparts because neither Eric or Lisa spoke Spanish and Ellis was not with them, off on some other CIA gig.

Clay lifted his head when Cerberus nudged him. "Hey, boy." The constant drone of the engine hurt his ears, and the little foam plugs he put in didn't seem to knock down the decibels much. He glanced in Trent's direction and considered waking him.

The lecture he received from Jace, Trent, and Sonny for attempting to leave by himself and not asking for help still rumbled through his mind. Part of him was surprised Jason allowed him to come, though he would not be in the field, so that made a little sense. Privately, he was glad to be here, although he wanted to be going with them into the jungle because teasing Sonny about all the things which might kill him was just too fun.

Pushing himself up, needing relief and realizing he would be in for another major sermon if he didn't ask, Clay started for Trent. Halfway there he noticed Lisa digging through one of the larger equipment boxes. She didn't appear happy in the least. In fact, she had been rummaging around in several boxes by the state of the gear.

"Can I help you find something?" Clay offered.

Lisa stopped and gazed at Clay, noting his squinted eyes indicating he was in real pain. "No. I'll find it soon. I know they are here. I packed them just in case."

"Not like you not to know right where something is." Clay took a sharp breath and grabbed the nearest thing which happened to be Jason's hammock as pain lanced through one ear.

Startled from sleep as his hammock swung Jason opened his eyes, worry instant. "Spenser?"

"Sorry. Didn't meant to wake you." Clay didn't release his grasp as the Hunchback of Norte Dame tugged on the bell pulls causing a cacophony of noise in his head.

"Found them!" Lisa exclaimed excitedly. She strode to Clay and grinned. "Here. Put these on. They'll help."

Clay eyed the neon pink headset. "What the hell? I'm not putting those on."

"They're noise canceling ear muffs. I bought them years ago for personal use. They'll cut out ninety-five percent of the ambient sounds … I know it won't help with the internal ringing, but hey, if you don't have the engines, that's something. Right? Try them on at least."

As Clay stared, all the razzing he would receive for wearing pink ear protection ran through his mind. Is it worth it?

"Put them on," Jason ordered. "And grab another dose of painkillers from Trent's kit. No need to wake him, you know what you need. So take it." Jason laid back, closed his eyes, confident Clay would follow his command without question.

Clay took the headset from Lisa. "Thanks … I guess … but did they have to be pink?"

Lisa laughed. "If they work, I promise to get you any color you want before the return flight."

"How? We'll be in Ecuador." When Lisa lifted a brow and tilted her head, Clay said, "Never mind … you'll use your magic powers which never cease to amaze us." He put the ear muffs on and sighed. "Heaven."

"They work?" Lisa asked.

Clay lifted one earpiece, "What?"

"You answered my question. Now go sit down before you fall. I'll bring you the meds." Lisa moved towards Trent's pack. Everyone was now well versed in which pain reliever worked best for Clay.

Clay replaced the noise-canceling headphones and returned to his place. The lack of external noise quieted the internal bells. He grinned thanks to Lisa as he swallowed the pain meds too. A chuckle emitted as Cerberus dragged over the mat Brock put down for him to lay on.

He rested his head on a section of Cerb's mat as he laid down. Cerberus curled up next to him, and he draped an arm over the empathetic pup … Cerb always understood when he need help. Exhaustion from the day's activities caught up to Clay, and in his blessedly quieter world, he drifted to sleep.

Jason glanced over at Clay, grinned, and then turned to Davis and gave her a thumbs up. They would be lost without her ability to have what they required. She earned their respect from day one. He would be sad if she left for OCS, but she would make a damned fine officer. They could use more like her in the Navy.

Ecuador – Remote TOC

Clay sat in a folding metal chair Davis procured for him. Where she got it, he didn't know, and he started to believe she might possess actual magic powers. Everyone else in the stuffy room stood near tables set up with their monitors and comms gear.

It turned out Sergeant Estrada, the leader of the unit which went with Bravo into the jungle, spoke English which would be a benefit since comms could be erratic given the terrain. And the Ecuador Commander, Major Espinosa, was educated in England until he was fifteen, so he conversed without problem in English too. At this point, Clay was a third wheel, superfluous, and excluded from most of the goings-on.

Bored he rose, and luckily his equilibrium stayed normal. "Gonna grab some air," he said to Blackburn when the man gave him the snake eye.

Davis never took her eyes off the drone footage as she said, "Don't go far. Jason will have your hide if you get lost."

Rolling his eyes, Clay opened the door and stepped into the night. This area so remote no streetlights existed. He wandered to the edge of the building to a rough-hewn wooden bench. Lowering himself, he recalled all the merciless razzing he received when the guys woke and saw the pink headphones he wore.

He ended up with a few new nicknames, which he hoped faded fast. Pinky Pie, Powder Puff, and Prince Gumball. Smiling, Clay recalled the taunts turned on Sonny when the other guys gave him a ration for knowing all the kid's cartoon characters with pink hair. Though he chafed at Kid when he first joined, the moniker felt … well, good and right and he preferred it over Pretty Boy and all the new ones.

Clay stretched his legs in front of him enjoying the cooler air and the sounds of the nocturnal animals. Hushed voices speaking Spanish around the corner drew his attention and set him on edge. As he listened to the exchange, his gut churned.

When the voices faded, Clay stood and pitched forward, ending up in the dirt on his knees. Damn, I don't need this right now. He picked himself up and used the wall to help him make it back into the room. He needed a distraction to get Eric or Lisa close to him. The only one available to him was to let go of the wall.

He took one step and crashed to the ground. As predicted the Ecuadorian soldiers only eyed him as Eric strode over to him, Davis busy with communicating with Bravo.

"Spenser?" Eric asked with concern.

Clay grabbed his arm and pulled him close as he whispered, "Where is Ellis?"

Eric eyed him. "No idea. Some assignment."

Espinosa strode over, "Does your man need medical assistance?"

"No. Just a hand to my chair," Clay answered and held fast to Eric as he gained his feet. In an undertone, he said, "Set me by Davis."

Unsure what was going on, but trusting one of his elite operatives, Eric grabbed the chair and took it along with Clay to Davis.

Once settled, Clay covertly swiped one of Lisa's pens and hunched over hiding his hands under the table as he scribbled two words. Lifting his head, he said, "Pass me water, please."

When Eric handed him one, he spotted Clay's eyes as they darted to his cupped hand. With years of practice, he controlled his reaction when he read Ellis Everglade. He nodded and picked up the receiver, "Bravo One, TOC."

"TOC, Bravo One, go ahead." Jason halted the group. It would be strange for Eric to contact him between checkpoints.

"Did you pass Everglade?"

Jason's eyes widened, and his whole team went on alert when Eric said the distress code. He motioned to Ray who stepped to him and provided the sat phone understanding any further transmission on the situation would happen once they achieved a secure location.

Espinosa glanced at the mission board with names of exotic endangered animals. "What is this Everglade. It isn't on the list."

Without hesitation, Lisa smoothly explained, "A routine checkpoint we no longer bother writing on the board." She glanced at Clay and only a small flare of her eyes bespoke her concern.

"Negative TOC. A bit dense here, slow going," Jason responded.

"Copy. TOC out." Eric set down the mike and peered at Clay. "You need some air. Let's get you outside."

As Clay stood, he deliberately fell forward onto the table. With sleight of hand and both Eric and Lisa covering him as they appeared to rush to his aid, he tucked a satellite phone under his shirt. He remained hunched over as Eric slung his arm over his shoulder and walked him out.

Davis sat down again and controlled her breathing.

"Why do you bring a sick man on a mission?" Espinosa eyed the woman.

Lying through her teeth, Davis said, "Undiagnosed ear infection which the flight exacerbated."

Once outside, Eric moved Clay who really did need help to stay upright, to the side of the building and leaned him against the wall. He took a moment to clear the area before returning. He gave Clay a nod. "Clear. Contact him."

Clay dialed Jason. When the call engaged, he spoke rapidly. "Ellis is one of the employees of the energy company. Her cover was somehow blown. This is a trap to take out her and all of Bravo in one fell swoop. The men with you are in on this and instructed to kill you after you arrive at the target."

Jason listened and then asked, "How did you find out?"

"Overheard men bragging how easy it was to lure us here. Not sure if Espinosa is involved or not yet. But they're planning on taking us out as soon as they receive word you are down."

"Watch your back, kid." Jason wished to hell Clay was at one hundred percent. He wouldn't worry for any of the three if Spenser didn't continue to tip over unexpectedly. At least his eyesight was spot-on. Armed he would be deadly, but if they needed to make a run for it to escape overwhelming odds, Spenser would be at a disadvantage.

Clay hung up after conveying the little he knew and tucked the phone back inside his shirt, it would come in handy if they needed to make a quick exit.

Eric grinned in spite of the situation. "Damned glad you came along and went out for air. Any ideas for how to handle our end of things?" Though higher in rank, Eric realized asking an experienced field operator, a man whose life and the lives of his unit brothers depended on his ability to think through options, would be smart.

His hand going to his sidearm, Clay mused out loud, "Wish I had my assault rifle."

"You and me both, but we've only got your handgun and mine. Davis isn't armed." Eric leaned against the wall too.

"If we take up positions on opposite sides, sandwich the others between us that would be better than giving them one area to focus on. Wish we knew if those inside are involved or if they are expendable in the eyes of whoever is trying to exterminate us." Clay pushed off the wall. "We shouldn't leave Davis alone inside any longer."

Eric gripped Clay's elbow to steady him. "How's the equilibrium now?"

"Comes and goes. So-so at the moment."

"Alright. I'll put you in the chair near Davis. You cover her if things go to hell. I'll move to the other side of the room."

"We gotta lose the drone feed so Bravo can deal with things on their end without alerting those inside."

"I'll take care of that. We experience equipment failures all the time." Eric guided Clay back inside.

Ecuador – Jungle

Jason hung up. He trusted Clay. The kid wouldn't relay information such as this if he didn't feel it had merit. He spoke cryptically to his men, unsure if anyone besides the Ecuadorian leader understood English. "New intel. We will join Echo team after we reach Everglade and another hostage has been identified as Nancy Ryan, not one of the energy company employees. She is a consultant for Marketgroup Solutions."

Ray, Sonny, Brock, and Trent caught the meaning. The emergency signal of Everglade and use of Echo team meant they were being set-up for entrapment and would meet the same fate as Steve Porter and his men when they died in the explosion. And Nancy Ryan was the cover of CIA agent Jane Cole who they rescued from extremists before she could be sold.

"This consultant, do we have a description of her?" Ray asked wondering who the CIA agent was because certainly, it was not Cole again.

"Not much, only dark brown, medium length hair, hazel eyes, slim, and about five-eight." Jason described Ellis as best he could without giving away anything with Sergeant Estrada overhearing.

"So a change in tactics?" Sonny's grip on his weapon increased.

"What is the delay and what is this Everglade?" Estrada asked with a heavy accent as he moved closer wondering what the Americans were talking about.

"No delay. Everglade is the next checkpoint," Sonny stated and moved forward nudging the man away from Jace and Ray so they could devise a plan.

Brock and Trent both picked a man to keep an eye on and moved out along with Sonny.

Alone as they stayed to the rear, Jason whispered, "TOC is in endangered too. Bravo Six will ensure the drone is offline before we make a move. We need to eliminate the five with us and rethink our approach on the encampment."

Ray nodded. "Hope the kid's ears don't cause a problem at the wrong time. Could be bad."

"Blackburn and Davis are there." Jason shoved his worry down, and they separated, each choosing an enemy to target once they received communication the drone was off.

Ecuador – Remote TOC

Clay lowered himself into the chair and sized up their odds with six armed soldiers in the room. If I grab Major Espinosa and hold him at gunpoint, perhaps the others will not fire. That will only work if Espinosa is in on this. If not, they will execute him too. He waited for Eric to make his play.

Blackburn moved to the backside of Davis' monitor, picked up another water bottle, uncapped it, and reached his hand out to Clay. "You need to drink more."

Clay reached for the bottle, but before he grasped it, Eric let go. The water spilled all over Lisa's laptop.

Lisa grabbed the computer, stepped back, and overreacted, as she suspected they wanted her to do. "Hey, electronics here. Don't be frying my laptop or I'll be scorching your ass."

Eric used the distraction as Clay started to apologize for his clumsiness, blaming it on his ears, and using his puppy dog eyes … batting his eyelashes at her in a comical way which drew the attention of every man. He loosened the power connection only enough to prevent current but still appeared plugged in as he said, "Hope to God we don't lose the drone feed."

Moving to a dry area, Lisa set her computer down and tapped a few keys shutting down the drone based on Eric's veiled instructions. "Won't if the battery didn't …" She turned her glare on Spenser and in an enraged tone she yelled, "You electric eel! You fried my battery!"

Clay found it hard not to laugh at the term eel. Not the explicative I expected from her. He assumed a repentant expression as he mopped up the puddle and scanned the room, noting more than one amused face. He overheard one man repeat what Davis said in Spanish for another man. So more of them speak English … interesting.

"Settle down, Davis. Plug in the laptop and all will be fine. I'm the one at fault. Should've ensured he had a decent grasp before releasing." Eric eyed her and Davis complied, still giving Clay a fake scowl.

Lisa shook her head. "Must've done more damage. Even with power, I'm not able to establish the connection. I'll keep trying, but you need to notify Bravo there is no eagle in the sky. They are flying blind now."

She continued to appear to be working, pulling up encoded programs for those observing her, but all her efforts were hidden ploys, communicating with the support team on the plane, apprising them the situation and telling them to standby for now.

Eric lifted the handset and said, "Bravo One, TOC. Be advised eagle eyes down. I repeat drone is offline."

"Copy. Any ETA on when we will get them back?" Jason replied.

"Negative." Eric set the mike down and raked a hand through his hair as he began to pace. He wanted them to believe he was frustrated over the loss of visibility, but his purpose was to move to the other side of the room.

 

Chapter 3: Sorry, Did that Hurt?

Ecuador – Jungle

As soon as Eric's negative sounded in their ears, Bravo acted. In short order, all five enemy combatants had been taken down. Trussed up, tied to a tree, and gagged Estrada glowered at the leader of the Americans.

Jason took a breath before he communicated, "TOC, Bravo One. Passed Everglade. All in hand for now."

"Copy," Davis answered.

Anger welled in Jason, and he got in Estrada's face and yanked out the cloth gagging the man. "Who is involved? Why are we targets?"

Estrada laughed. "No idea. Only following orders. How did you know?"

"So they aren't environmentalists enraged over the government not protecting some endangered animal, plant, or something?" Sonny kept his weapon trained on the soldiers.

"Apparently not," Brock cinched the zip-tie tighter on the last man he secured to a tree trunk. "We just gonna leave them here alive?"

"I'd be happy to put a bullet in each one, starting with him." Sonny put the tip of his gun on Estrada's temple.

"Dial back. We don't want to alert anyone to our presence," Jason ordered as he moved the barrel away.

"Knife works just as well. One slice … nice and quiet." Sonny pulled out his k-bar and grinned at Estrada as he placed the blade on his throat.

"Leave us alive, and I'll talk," Estrada blurted out as he peed his pants. The evil glint in the eyes of the man they referred to as Three scared the ever-living hell out of him.

Trent had to turn away, so his smile didn't give away Sonny's antics. Though in truth, none of them would think twice about dispatching these men for their part in trying to eliminate them if Jason gave the order.

"What can you tell us?" Jason stared at Estrada.

"We were supposed to let you go in the building to rescue the hostages while we secured the perimeter. Once you all were inside and called you located the hostages, the man who arranged this would set off the explosives via a remote detonator."

"Who is this man?"

"Only saw him once and don't really know who he is, but the woman knows him. She became angry when he came into the room and erupted in a string of curses. She called him Carlson. He laughed at her and told her this was what you all deserved. I didn't understand everything. Something about extracting revenge for ruining his career and embarrassing him in front of his superiors."

"And the name of the woman?"

"Carlson called her Ellis, though her passport said, Maria Ellsworth."

"Are there actually five hostages?"

"Not anymore. Carlson had the four others killed leaving only Ellis alive for now."

"You think this is the same Carlson as the one who wanted us to leave the kid?" Ray asked.

"Makes sense. The spineless earthworm didn't give a damn if any of us lived or died so long as he got his target," Brock said.

Sonny seethed as he clenched his fists. "I should've killed Carlson instead of delivering only a few punches."

"What about those in TOC, what happens to them?" Jason demanded.

"Don't exactly know, but once Carlson learned which one of your team would be staying behind, he planned to do something extra special. He hates the guy you left there as much as he does this Ellis woman.

"And by the looks of her face, after he finished beating her, your man will endure enormous pain before he kills him." Estrada peed his trousers again when the enraged American slammed his fist into his gut. He gasped for air.

Jason stalked away before he killed the man. He mentally kicked himself, wishing he left Clay in Virginia. Although Spenser possessed extraordinary abilities, his inability to remain upright would put him in a precarious position, especially since Carlson appeared to want the kid to suffer.

"Where is Carlson?" Ray asked when Jason stepped away.

Sucking in a breath, Estrada answered, "Not at the encampment … probably at TOC or close by so he can know when to trip the explosives."

Gaining control over his emotions, Jason turned to his men. "New plan. We communicate a delay. We rescue Ellis, then high-tail it back to TOC to rescue the others before we call in Mockingbird."

"We need an equipment failure too. Comms need to go down to … be spotty, so we don't need to respond … or we respond but play like we can't receive them," Ray added.

"Agreed." Jason keyed his mike and spoke as if his communication was broken, "TOC, … One. Be advised … avo Five … own … hurt … a monkey … bi … delayed … estimate … thirty mics … ill … com … ext checkpoint."

"Say again. You're breaking up," Davis said.

Jason repeated his message in the same half words. When Davis asked him to repeat a second time he ignored her.

Ecuador – Remote TOC

"Bravo One, do you read?" Davis asked for the fifth time before turning to Blackburn. "Comms are on the fritz, sir."

Eric nodded right before the door flew open and six armed men flooded in, shooting three of Espinosa's men. The major drew his pistol and shot two. As they hit the floor, six more entered.

At the same time, Clay dove at Davis, knocking her down behind a table, and while in motion he drew his handgun and fired off a shot, killing one of the intruders.

Eric had no time to react, closer to the door he was hit in the head with the butt of a rifle and staggered back. Stunned he stared down the barrel of the weapon pointed at his head as blood dripped down his face.

As Espinosa's two guards turned and pointed their guns at the major, he yelled in Spanish, "What the hell are you doing?"

Clay assessed the situation. Espinosa was not in on this, two of his men were, and the three dead ones likely were not. With no exit, outgunned, and no way he could take out eleven men, Clay held still, shielding Lisa with his body.

"No need for Spanish, you speak English well after being educated in Europe," a voice said hidden behind the men. "Disarm and bind them," he ordered.

The assailants took Espinosa's pistol and pulled his arms behind his back before zip-tying them. The same happened to Eric, and he was left in a heap on the floor. Unwillingly, Clay allowed his gun to be taken. He was yanked to his feet and bound as another man grabbed Davis. Her hands were zip-tied in front, unlike the men. Clay, Davis, and Espinosa were herded to the corner where Eric lay.

"Drug 'em all except the woman, we need her to communicate with the others," the disembodied voice instructed.

One man stepped forward and opened a can and poured a liquid on a rag. Clay fought with them as four men held him down and the soaking cloth covered his nose. He tried not to breathe through the gasoline smelling fabric. Clay knew the odor … ether … deadly in high doses. The effects would be similar to those of alcohol intoxication, but more potent, and potentially including distorted thinking, visual and auditory hallucinations, euphoria, and unconsciousness.

Unable to hold his breath any longer, Clay inhaled slightly and let his body go limp, making them think he got a full dose. They removed the cloth after he took a second breath, and although he drew in only a nominal amount of the vapor his head swam and his eyesight became unfocused.

They went after Eric next and the commander's body slumped over beside him. Clay noted the deep cut on Eric's forehead where the rifle struck him. It bled copiously, but head wounds, even minor ones, tended to bleed a lot. Though Clay worried what the combined effects of ether and a potential concussion would do to Blackburn. The assailants dropped the unconscious major on the floor next to him.

When the ether-soaked rag was discarded on his chest, Clay slowed his breathing more, as the vapors encroached and threatened to send him into true unconsciousness. Fighting to remain awake, needing to put a face with a somewhat familiar voice, Clay lay still hoping for a glimpse. He was rewarded as the man stepped into view. Though if he had not been able to see, Lisa's exclaim would've clued him in.

Outrage filled her voice as Lisa set eyes on the man. "You! What are you doing here, Carlson?"

An evil grin crossed Carlson's face. "Seeking vengeance. All of you played a role in killing my career, now I'm exterminating you." He turned his gaze on the men. "Take the blond one to my place and chain him. I have an extraordinarily painful death planned for him. He is the root of my downfall."

"What did he ever do to you?" Lisa challenged.

Carlson backhanded her so hard her lip split and her head rammed into the wall. Lisa didn't back down. Her training took over and allowed her to calm her raging emotion.

"Take the bitch and tie her to the chair," he directed the men. As she struggled, Carlson aimed his pistol at Blackburn's head. "If you don't do exactly as I say, I'll blow his brains out now. You will communicate with Bravo for all checkpoints. If you speak out of turn, he dies."

Clay got his mouth to work as he was being lifted and caught Lisa's eyes. "Do what they say, Arcilla. I can watch out for myself."

Lisa blinked before her mind caught up. She nodded and ceased her struggles as they pushed her into the chair, but didn't tie her as instructed. So he's wearing the watch with the GPS tracker Sonny covertly installed after Clay was taken in Argentina. How did he find out? No matter, at least here I might have an opportunity to get word to Jason and they will be able to locate Clay.

As they dragged Clay from the room, Lisa's mind swirled. "Let me at my computer. We won't hear their checkpoints if I can't reestablish communications. I might also be able to connect the drone again to provide a visual."

Nodding his assent Carlson turned his thoughts to what he would do to Spenser. If the idiot had not arrived ill and gotten injured on the mission to grab Nazeri, his life's work wouldn't have been cratered. He would not have been beaten by the members of Bravo team either. Allowing his anger to emerge to the surface and escape, he lashed out, kicking Blackburn several times in the abdomen.

When that didn't work to alleviate his fury, Carlson said, "Keep a close eye on her. I'm going to deal with the other one. Inform me when they are one step before the target."

Clay's Location

The bindings on Clay's arms were cut and replaced by manacles chained above his head on the concrete wall. They shackled his ankles at the wall's base as well. The location of the bolts holding the chains and the length left Clay standing in a spread-eagle position with only a bit of wiggle room between him and the wall.

As the effects of the ether eased, Clay lifted his head to scan his prison. He hoped Davis understood his reference to the wristwatch. Carlson wouldn't know her first name since Lisa never provided that particular piece of info to anyone beyond their inner circle. Lisa however, would recall the name of the woman who abducted him and stripped him of three GPS trackers.

Sonny thought he had been sneaky inserting the tracker, but Clay had observed him. He left it in and never said anything for one reason. It was an expression of how much the team, his family, cared about him. Well, one other reason … if he hadn't, Sonny might actually try to insert one subdermally, which Clay absolutely would not allow.

Needing to escape and help Davis and Blackburn, Clay tested the strength of his bindings, tugging as hard as he could, but they didn't budge.

"You aren't going anywhere," Carlson said as he entered the room. "Those will hold an elephant."

Clay glared at the man. "What is your endgame?"

"Simple. Kill those who wronged me. For such an elite team, you were easy to ensnare. Too much empathy for your fellow citizens. Ellis poking around down here enabled my plans. Amazing what a little intel passed to the right people can do.

"That and envy. Once Major Espinosa is dead the man who helped arrange this will be able to take his place. Corruption is epidemic here. I should know, this is where I landed after Ellis sent in her scathing report."

Carlson walked to a table and drew back the cloth covering the items. "I'm going to enjoy causing you excruciating pain." He picked up a knife and moved to Spenser. "Elegant piece of artisan craftsmanship. The hilt is made of ebony. Would you like a closer look?"

His captive remained silent as he moved the blade towards Spenser's face. "You're a sniper … you rely on your eyesight. What if I take that away from you?"

Clay controlled his breathing. He refused to show fear, though inside he quaked at the thought of losing his eyes. Living the past month with his perforated eardrums gave him a taste of what life without being a tier one operator would be like, and he wanted nothing to do with that kind of life.

"Or perhaps I take an ear or two … won't be so pretty anymore." Without warning, Carlson plunged the knife to the hilt into Spenser's right shoulder and twisted it.

Clay swallowed his scream as steel impaled his shoulder. Waves of pain forced his breaths to become erratic as he panted through them.

Turning back to his table, leaving the embedded knife in place, Carlson chose his next item. "This one will do nicely." He took the long, iron poker to the fireplace and stirred the embers, heating the tip to glowing orange.

"Should I mark your face? Um. No. A better location. One more meaningful to me." He slid the rod between Spenser's back and the wall before pressing the heated iron to his right flank over the kidney which was the cause of Carlson's excommunication from prime assignments.

A scream erupted from Clay through he tried not to let it escape. The odor of burning fabric and flesh turned his stomach. He struggled in vain to move away from the fiery branding stick, but the chains prevented him. When it was finally removed, Clay's head lolled on his chest.

"That was exciting wasn't it?" Carlson moved back to the fire and buried the poker in the embers, but left it there as he returned to the torture table. "I think we'll do that one again later. I still have so many toys to choose from."

Carlson brought over a vial. "This one will elicit my final revenge. I just want you to know what is coming at the end. This contains the Ebola virus. When I'm done exacting my revenge, you will drink this and you will hemorrhage excessively, and even someone with your level of endurance will die quite unpleasantly."

Going back to his equipment, his toys, Carlson grinned. "I do believe it is time to light things up. Do you feel the excitement and electricity in the air?"

How could a CIA agent be in the field only months ago and be stark-raving mad now? Clay tensed as he spied insulated gloves draped over a battery which Carlson brought closer to him. Ah shit, he's gonna electrocute me. Definitely fucking insane.

Carlson's effervescent eyes glimmered with evil as he eagerly donned the tight-fitting gloves and yanked out the dagger.

Groaning, Clay clenched his jaw to stop from crying out.

"Sorry, did that hurt? I need to use this. I'll give it back in a moment."

Carlson cut open Clay's shirt. He was not wearing body armor because he was only going to be in TOC. Blood from his wound ran freely down his chest. Clay had no doubt what the ebullient man's comment meant; he only wondered where the madman would embed the blade next. He didn't have to wait long. Agony ripped through his left thigh as Carlson stabbed him.

Using his lifeblood instead of water for a conductor, the embittered ex-agent pressed the electrodes against his abdomen causing Clay to jerk as the electrical current zinged through him. Every nerve ending sizzled. Engulfed in endless, extreme pain, Clay had no idea if he shrieked or not. The earth's axis tilted wildly before the encroaching netherworld of blackness pulled him into oblivion. His body hung limply as his head dropped forward to his chest again.

"Damn. You passed out. Guess you're not so elite after all." Carlson dropped the charged wires and extricated his hands from the gloves. As he stared, enthralled by his handiwork, an egomaniacal laugh erupted. This will be an exceedingly slow and excruciating death. Time to grab something to eat and check on the progress of Bravo. They should be near Ellis soon.

Chapter 4: Kid, Hang On

Target Location

With no eyes in the sky, the team spread out to ensure no other soldiers waited to open fire before approaching the sole building. A twenty-by-twenty concrete square with a tin roof, a window without glass or covering of any sort, and one wooden door.

Brock sent Cerberus to sniff out the entrance. His dog sat which told them explosives were present. After Brock checked for tripwires, Jason motioned for them to converge on the door. Sonny took out the hammer and pry bar to break the lock.

Entering the single room first, Jason spied Ellis tied to a chair and blindfolded. Her head lolled to one side, and he feared she was dead. Four bodies lay against the east wall … the other hostages. As Brock, Trent, and Ray searched for the explosives to disarm them, Sonny kept guard at the doorway while Jason moved to Mandy.

"Ellis?" Jason spoke quietly as he reached to remove the cloth tied around her eyes. Wincing as he saw her right eye swollen shut, he expected the rest of her face was covered in bruises, though he couldn't discern that in the green glow of his NODs.

"Trap, get out now. Save yourselves," Mandy croaked out through a parched throat.

"We know. We eliminated the threat … or part of it anyway." Jason took out his canteen and put it to Mandy's split lips. "Slow sips."

Peering at Jason with one eye in the minimal moonlight coming in from the window, Ellis drew a ragged breath after taking several mouthfuls of water. "It's Carlson. His ego is bruised, and he's gone off his rocker. Blames Spenser and me the most for his downfall. He shouldn't have a field assignment. No clue what enfeebled nitwit put him back in the field."

She gazed around and only noted five, her worry easing slightly. "Spenser's safe back in Virginia."

Untying the ropes, Jason answered, "Not quite. He's with Blackburn and Davis at TOC."

"No. No. You have to get to him." Mandy flexed her arms. The strain of being confined for days making them somewhat numb.

"We will. He is aware of the situation. In fact, he is the one who alerted us, though he didn't know who orchestrated everything. Are you aware of who else is working with him?"

With Jason's help, Mandy stood. Her legs shook, and he put her arm over his shoulder. "Some of the soldiers. And those four," she motioned to the dead bodies. "I came down here seeking a leak. They were engaged in espionage, using their cover as Enterprise Energy employees they provided intel to a guerrilla faction intent on staging a military coup."

"Is Major Espinosa involved?" Ray asked.

"No. Never met him but I overheard one of the soldiers bragging he would take his place. Why?" Mandy took several steps with Jason's assistance, finding her legs again.

Trent gave the eviscerated bodies one last glance, before going to Ellis. "Are you able to walk? Are you injured more than your face?"

"He only hit my face. I'm okay otherwise, only a little stiff and hungry," Ellis responded as she took her own weight, letting go of Jason.

Trent slipped off his pack, knelt, and took out his kit. He opened a packet, poured the contents into a water bottle, and shook. Standing he handed to bottle to Ellis. "Electrolytes, orange flavored. Got an energy bar for you too, but not sure if you can chew with the state of your jaw." He offered the bar.

"Water only. Thanks." Mandy sipped before asking, "What's the plan?"

"Get you to safety, then extract the others from TOC," Jason said as he moved to the doorway. "Trent, you stick close to Ellis." He keyed his comms and conveyed, in broken words, the mission code two before the target location to appear to be making slow but steady progress. "TOC, Bravo … slow … up … speed … assed … Tapir … hope you …. eve."

Davis responded, "Copy, passed Tapir," but Jason again ignored it as if he didn't receive.

The team headed out slower than they would've without Ellis, but given the CIA agent's depleted condition she moved fairly rapidly. Jason's mind began strategizing on how they would approach TOC and wished he knew whether the three were okay or not. He hoped Carlson wouldn't attack them until after he called in Mockingbird.

---

Ecuador – Remote TOC

Groggy and a little disoriented, Eric blinked open his eyes. The odor of ether still filled his nostrils, and his head pounded where he was hit with the rifle butt. The tightness on his face told him he had been out long enough for the laceration to congeal and the blood to dry somewhat.

He overheard Jason's broken transmission and assumed it was feigned since the mission step came in clear. He glanced around after Davis responded, glad she appeared to be unharmed. He noted the major next to him, still out, but Clay was nowhere to be seen.

When the door opened, his eyes narrowed as Carlson sauntered in. What the hell is he doing here? As the ex-agent approached Davis, Eric felt ineffectual when she turned, and he spotted her bruised face and split lip. I did a piss poor job of protecting them ... Davis is bruised up and Spenser is missing.

Hoping to find some way to do something, Eric scanned his surroundings. Euphoria filled him as he spied the sat phone Clay had tucked in his shirt earlier. Evidently, it fell out and no one noticed it or thought it would be useful.

Cautiously shifting his body, Eric managed to position himself over the phone. With his hands behind his back, he was able to punch in numbers and hit dial. A long-shot, but with an open line of communication, he might be able to feed useful details to Jason.

Carlson asked, "What step are they on now?"

Lisa glared at the bastard. "Just reported Tapir, which is two locations from the target building."

"What is taking so long?" Carlson groused.

"No idea. They are not receiving us, and we are only getting every other word or so from them."

"Establish the drone connection," Carlson ordered.

"Tried. My computer experienced an issue, and nothing I do has reestablished the link." Lisa glanced over at Blackburn and noted his eyes open. A small relief, she worried about his head injury.

Another slight respite is she had been able to update the support team on the situation, and they were now en route to them with instructions to secure the perimeter and hold until further notice. With Ellis' and Spenser's fates unknown, she didn't want to evoke a response from Carlson which might result in either's death.

In a heavy accent, one of the soldiers asked, "Why won't you let me kill Espinosa yet?"

Carlson turned to him. "He must remain alive until Ellis and Bravo are dead. We will use Espinosa's weapon to kill these two and then stage his death to blame everything on him."

"What about the third soldier?"

"Spenser's mine … I'm going to enjoy making him scream more. Electrocuting him again will be exciting. His body danced so energetically before." Carlson leaned on the wall and grinned as his mind's eyes recalled Spenser's body bucking and jerking as he put the electrodes to his exposed flesh.

Davis swallowed the bile rising as Carlson nonchalantly described Clay's torture. Oh, this man is gonna die the moment I get free, or any of Bravo sets his sights on him. Sonny wouldn't think twice before eviscerating him and yanking out his entrails, so he dies a slow painful death.

Eric closed his eyes, his stomach going sour and churning at the thought of what Clay endured at the hands of this egotistical bastard. I might be a dead man soon too. Jason wanted to leave Clay home in Virginia, but I insisted he come. My fault Clay is being tortured.

---

Ecuador – Jungle

Jason answered the sat phone as soon as it rang. He expected Clay or Eric, but to hear Carlson's voice telling Davis to get the drone back online, and then an unknown accented male asking about Espinosa surprised him. He figured Clay must've dialed him covertly to provide him intel.

This assumption crashed to the ground, and his blood boiled when Carlson spoke about Spenser. Ensuring the phone was muted, Jason erupted. "The bastard is electrocuting the kid for fun! I'm gonna kill Carlson with my bare hands."

"The fuck?!" Sonny shot back. "Gonna skin the fucking bastard alive and feed him his entrails!"

Clamping down on his emotions as he clenched a fist, wanting to punch something, Jason relayed what he overheard. "Carlson is in TOC. Have to assume Davis is being forced to communicate with us, and Blackburn is still alive. We need to move faster."

"Give me a gun and leave me here. I'm slowing you down. You can come back for me once they are safe," Ellis said as she leaned on a tree, wholly exhausted.

"No. Trent, Brock, stay with Ellis. The rest of us will move out," Jason said.

"I'll stay with Mandy. Take Trent with you … the kid might need his services," Ray suggested.

Jason took Ray's counsel and nodded. "We communicate on channel eight." He tossed the satellite phone to Ray. "Monitor their conversation and inform me if things change."

"Copy." Ray put the phone to his ear and listened as he and Brock moved to mirror Mandy's pace while the others sprinted off.

---

Clay's Location

Surfacing to consciousness, the overwhelming agony emerging from the cocoon of blackness along with him, Clay let out a moan. His shoulders bore his weight for an untold amount of time and the fiery pins and needles encompassing them nearly sent him back over the edge into the black abyss.

His fettered legs received a delayed signal from his brain to resume their purpose. Taking his weight on his feet relieved some of the strain from his upper body. Cracking his eyes open he peered at his right shoulder. Blood still oozed from his stab wound. His gaze moved to examine his abdomen. Smeared blood covered the area, but the red-hot sensation told him there would be burns underneath. His right flank hurt like hell and the odor of his scorched skin still hung in the air.

Moving down, he first noted his wet pants. Fuck, I pissed myself. Fodder for Sonny if he finds me like this … likely be called Princess Pisspot from now on. Clay stopped the negative thoughts. His brothers would understand he possessed no control of his bladder when electricity coursed through him. If the roles were reversed and any of them razzed the person who it happened to he would punch their lights out.

Throbbing in his left leg brought his eyes to the ebony handled knife still embedded in his thigh. Ringing in his ears kicked up nausea, and he closed his eyes, panting and attempting to prevent emesis. Puking here and now would only add to his misery.

As the desire to hurl eased, Clay lifted his eyelids and scanned the area again. Up to this point, his mind enslaved by agony, he had not registered he was alone. The psychopath was no longer with him.

What is it with lunatics trying to kill me. First, Arcilla hunted me and shot my ass with an arrow. Now, Carlson is subjecting me to more than any evolution of SERE training prepared me for.

Brothers, I need your help again. Crap this is getting embarrassing. Wish I could forget the number of times you guys have needed to rescue my sorry ass, but no way Sonny will let me.

---

Ecuador – Outside Remote TOC

Jason signaled for them to stop as he spotted a member of the support team in a watch position near the building being used for TOC. A grin broke out as he whispered, "Emerson." As expected the SEAL whipped around at his name.

Relief flooded Emerson's features, "Damned glad you're here. How can we help?"

"How'd you end up here?" Jason asked as Sonny and Trent joined him.

"Davis sent us an encrypted email on a back channel explaining what happened and directed us to secure the area and wait for further instructions. I have men surrounding the building, and three of them are guarding the ten Ecuadorian soldiers we rounded up. They're about a half-a-klick from here."

Jason nodded. "Any idea what we're facing inside?"

"Davis and Blackburn are inside along with Major Espinosa. All others are inside are hostiles. At least five, a few have come out, and we took them down, quiet-like."

"Spenser?"

"No idea where," Emerson said, wishing he had better news.

Jason keyed his comms on channel eight. "Bravo Two, any updates?"

"Nothing inside TOC, but we swung by the five men we tied up. All dead."

"How?"

"Sonny's right … the jungle will kill you. Appears a swarm of army ants on a hunting spree overwhelmed and suffocated them." Ray reported.

"See, told ya. Jungles … everything in them wants to kill ya. Even itty-bitty ants." Sonny shivered.

"We have reinforcements. Davis sent word to the support team. Emerson and his men are here. I'm going to contact TOC with Jaguar, and while they're distracted we'll breach," Jason shared.

"God's speed, brother." Ray turned and shared the details with Ellis since she didn't have an earpiece.

Emerson communicated with his team, then Jason laid out the plan, and they moved into position, preparing to toss in flashbangs. Sonny, Trent, Jason, and Emerson would breach the room.

Switching back to channel one, Jason said, "TOC, Bravo One. Passed Jaguar. Two mics out."

"Copy. You came in clear. Do you copy?" Davis replied.

"Lima Charlie, almost as if I'm right next to you," Jason said using the sign for loud and clear and hoping Davis and Blackburn would understand his vague reference to being right outside.

---

Ecuador – Remote TOC

Lisa withheld her grin as she glanced at Blackburn and prepared to take cover. Bravo would be coming in hot. There was no mistaking Jason's plan.

Carlson grinned. "Only a few more minutes and they'll all be ashes." He turned to his henchmen. "Prepare Espinosa for his execution."

Now awake, Espinosa struggled with the men who grabbed his arms. "You will not get away with this."

"Oh, I beg to dif—" Carlson's words were cut off as loud bangs filled the room. He ran towards the exit wanting to escape.

Davis took cover under one of the tables and held still. She could not see Eric from this position but assumed he remained motionless too, not wanting to become a target. The door crashed open, and gunfire erupted. A body dropped next to Davis, and she noticed he was the one who used ether on the men.

The chaos only lasted seconds before a familiar face crouched in front of Lisa. She smiled at Sonny as he reached out a hand to her.

"Well, little missy, seems you've been a might mistreated," Sonny said letting his Texas drawl come out in force as he viewed Lisa's abused face and helped her to her feet. He took out his knife to cut her bindings.

She scanned the area and noted Trent with Eric, Emerson and his men were kicking away weapons from the dead soldiers, and Jason had his hands around Carlson's throat. Her response to Sonny halted by Jason's shout.

"Where the hell did you take Spenser?" Jason wanted to snap the bastard's neck, but he needed a clue to where Clay had been taken.

"I'll never tell," Carlson snarled, still surprised Bravo was here.

Lisa moved to her computer. "We don't need him. Clay's wearing the GPS watch." Her fingers flew on the keyboard.

"How do you know?" Sonny asked.

"He called me Arcilla and said he could watch his back."

"Little shit knew and never said anything," Sonny groused but smiled. "Damn glad. Now we can find him faster."

Trent assisted Blackburn to the chair. The commander a little unsure on his feet, due to the forceful blow he received to the head. He pulled out a pad pressed it to Eric's wound and taped it in place. "Field dressing will work for now."

Jason squeezed harder and growled, "If he is not living when we find him, you're a dead man." Releasing his hold, he let Carlson fall to the floor, and Emerson came forward to assume custody of the traitor.

"Got him. He's not far from here." Lisa turned her laptop so the guys could view Clay's location.

Jason, Trent, and Sonny rushed out of the room, and Jason signaled for three of the support team to follow.

Blackburn peered at Lisa through squinted eyes, the light causing his head to pound excessively. "Excellent work. Real leadership qualities you exhibited tonight."

"Thank you, sir. I only hope they find Spenser alive." Lisa leaned on the table and rubbed her abraded wrists.

A scuffle on the other side of the room alerted her and Eric. Both reached for weapons as Carlson fought with Emerson for his gun. A shot rang out. Emerson staggered back, dropped to his knees, and his hands reached for his thigh. Two more shots rent the air.

Carlson's expression froze in surprise as two bullets hit him center mass and his body crumpled to the floor … dead.

Lisa drew in a ragged breath as a wisp of smoke exited her barrel. She stared at the first man she ever shot. Her double-tap killed him. The shock of her action caused her to turn and vomit.

As he rose, Eric noted Emerson's teammate helping his leader. Using the table for support, he went to Davis. She managed to shoot before he even grabbed a gun ... he conceded his concussed state made his reaction time sluggish. He uncapped a bottle of water then put a hand on her back as she finished emptying her stomach. "Rinse."

Taking the water, Lisa sipped, swished, and spat three times. Still unsettled she turned her eyes to Blackburn. "Not so officer-like, huh?"

"First time is tough for anyone. I puked my guts out the eight times I had to eliminate someone. Never got easier. Don't think it is supposed to … if you're a decent human," Eric said leaning heavily on the table.

"The guys don't … puke I mean."

"You've never been in the field with them. It happens, but they learn to compartmentalize, or they can't do their jobs. Though, I imagine every kill stays with them in some form." Dizziness overtook Eric, and he listed to the right.

Lisa caught him before he toppled over and guided him back to the chair. "Sit until we evac. You've probably got one hell of a headache."

Eric nodded and closed his eyes to rest a moment before he needed to arrange evac. Explaining this shitshow to my superiors will give me a headache for a full month or more.

---

Clay's Location

Finding the building unguarded, Bravo moved inside as the support team stayed outside. Jason sucked in a breath upon spotting Clay chained to the wall. He stepped in front and spoke, "Kid. Hey, hang on. We'll have you down in no time."

Trent took one look at Clay and said, "Cut the chains, we'll worry about the manacles later."

Sonny reached into his pack for bolt cutters and made short work of the links holding Clay's arms. Jason and Trent were on either side of the kid and took his weight. As he cut the ones holding his feet, Sonny worried about the lack of response from the kid.

"We need to move him to the table over there," Trent stated.

Rushing ahead of the three, Sonny reached the wooden table and sent the medieval torture devices flying with so much force they hit the opposite wall.

Rousing as the pain increased when someone touched his burned back, Clay groaned. He started to fight against those who held him, not aware they were his teammates.

"Stop, Clay. You're safe now," Jason barked knowing the hard tone would break through Clay's disorientation.

As he was lowered on the table on his back, Clay tried to roll to his left side, any pressure on his burn sent explosions of pain rippling through him.

"Lay still," Trent commanded as he carefully pushed Clay's right shoulder down.

"Arrrgh!" Clay struggled against Trent.

"Hold still. I need to examine your wounds." Trent pushed harder.

"Back … hurts … burned," Clay managed to grind out as he fought the blackness trying to take him again.

Trent released him and with Jason's help rolled him to the left. "Jesus Christ!" Trent shouted as he viewed the charred and blistered red flesh. The severity of damage to the epithelial layers suggested a thermal, not electrical burn. "What did that?"

"Iron poker … fire," Clay mumbled as his agony ebbed ever so slightly.

Sonny strode over to the fireplace and pulled out the glowing rod. "I'm gonna brand Carlson with this. Then I'm going to ram it into one of his eyes."

"Jace, hold him while I check the other wounds." Trent set to work, he examined the knife wound in his shoulder, covered it with a dressing for now. He moved to Clay's thigh. "Gonna hurt like a bitch, but I gotta pull the blade out."

Jason gripped one of Clay's hands and put his face close to Clay's. "Okay to scream, Kid. Squeeze too."

Although he didn't want to cry out, as the dagger came out, Clay emitted a half scream before clamping his jaw and crushing Jason's hand. His rapid, erratic breaths through his nose made him lightheaded.

"Breathe slower. Take a deep one in through your nose and exhale through your mouth." As Clay complied with his words, Jason continued to coach him, ensuring he exhaled completely before sucking in another breath.

Sonny began picking the locks on the shackles as Trent cut open a portion of Clay's pants to apply a pressure bandage to stop the profuse bleeding of his thigh. He noted the odor of urine, and it pissed him off more. Carlson would pay for hurting his little brother … for electrocuting him.

That thought spurred him to ask, "Where'd he apply the electrodes?"

"Abdomen," Clay answered as he rested his head on the table fighting to stay with them but wanting to seek relief in passing out.

Trent glanced up, not seeing much other than blood. "How many times? How long?"

"Once. Don't know. Blacked out. Still burns."

After tying off the gauze around Clay's leg, he retrieved another sterile pad and sterile solution. He dribbled some on Clay's lower torso and with a light touch, not wanting to cause more pain he wiped away the blood, revealing the low-voltage burns on the contact sites. Although he could see the surface injury, often tissues deeper underneath the skin could be severely damaged.

Sonny removed three of four iron cuffs and motioned to Jason he needed Clay's other hand.

"Let go a moment so Sonny can get this damned manacle off you," Jason said.

Reluctantly, Clay released Jason's hand as he asked, "Davis, Blackburn, Ellis, are they okay? Carlson hit Davis."

"All safe. A little beat up like you, but okay. You did good, Kid. Saved us all." Jason took hold of Clay's hand as the cuff opened.

"Didn't."

"Don't argue with, Boss. You did. You're heads-up kept us all alive," Sonny asserted.

Clay groaned as Trent went over a particularly agonizing spot.

"We need transport to meet us here. Jostling him too much will not be enjoyable for him," Trent said as he pulled out supplies to start an IV and pain meds.

Jason communicated with Blackburn and found out evac had been arranged for all of them, and a vehicle would be outside for them in about five minutes.

After giving Clay the painkillers, and letting them take effect, Trent dressed the burn on the kid's back. Even with his soft touch, the pain was too much for Clay, and he blacked out, which was probably for the best at the moment.

When transport arrived, it brought Ray and Brock with them. Both men were shocked by the state of their brother. As they put him on the stretcher, Ray said, "Carlson's dead."

"How?" both Sonny and Jason exclaimed.

"Davis shot him after he shot Emerson. Didn't blink. Did what had to be done, though this is her first kill. Emerson's wound is a through and through and he should be alright, nothing major hit. Espinosa contacted his superiors to inform them. They provided the vehicles. Does Clay need a hospital?" Ray's eyes roved over Clay's abused body.

Trent shook his head at Ray. "Not here. I can take care of him until we arrive home."

"Let's go." Jason gripped one of the handles. Trent picked up his pack and the IV bag while Ray, Brock, and Sonny took hold of the other three handles and they exited the room.

---

Aircraft Preparing to Return Home

Strapped to a gurney, a soft pillow under his head, covered in a warm blanket, and a wedge tucked under his right shoulder to keep pressure off his burned back, Clay drifted in and out thanks to high-quality pain meds. He had woken once on the ride back to the plane, but excruciating pain, when they hit a pothole, sent him back to black for the remainder of the trip.

Upon arriving at the plane Trent and his brothers stripped him, washed the blood and urine from him, and put clean boxers on him. Not a single one remarked about him pissing his pants. Then Trent gave him a full dose of morphine and set to work cleaning out both stab wounds thoroughly.

After bandaging both, Trent focused on the burns. Not wishing to rupture the blisters on either burn, he liberally employed a saline wash, lightly patted the surface dry then applied an emollient ointment covered by a layer of wet gauze, followed by dry gauze.

Trent barely finished when the ringing in Clay's ears started again, and he needed to use the emesis basin twice as he retched which exacerbated his already overtaxed abdomen muscles. Again no one said a thing. Jason only held him as he bent over the side of the gurney and Sonny held his vomit bucket.

Ray and Brock would've been there too, but they were tasked with giving first aid to Ellis and Eric. He learned Blackburn required eight sutures and he had a mild concussion. Sounds and lights cause Eric enormous pain, and he had been given strong meds too.

Ellis was dehydrated and might have a fractured cheekbone. With all the swelling it was hard for Trent to tell and they needed to wait for x-rays. Both now lay on gurneys across from him. Although Ellis empathically attempted to deny she needed to lie down, Trent won. He always did when it came to medical issues.

The one person he had not seen since arriving was Davis. Jason assured him she was fine, a split lip and bruises, but otherwise, alright. He learned she took out Carlson too. Perhaps that is why she was making herself scarce before they departed. She might need time to process her emotions without everyone's eyes on her.

Clay closed his eyes as Sonny droned on about army ants and how they killed the five soldiers. They would never hear the end to his fears about the many plants and animals in the jungle which would kill them.

"Hey, you awake?" Lisa spoke in a soft tone, not wanting to wake Clay if he slept.

"Yeah." Clay opened his eyes and winced upon seeing Lisa's black and blue face. "Thanks for catching my drift about the GPS."

"How could I not? You called me Arcilla. How are you doing?"

"No pain … kinda floaty."

"Yeah, Trent gave you the good stuff. Should make the flight home easier on you. I have something else that will help." She brought her hand up and exhibited a blue pair of noise-canceling earphones. "Would've asked you what color you wanted but you were a little busy with well, puking. Figured blue would be better than pink."

"That's where you've been … getting these for me?" Clay asked as he took the headset.

"Yeah, well, I promised, and after everything you did to protect everyone, I needed to follow through."

"Didn't do anything except overhear a conversation."

"Okay, but examine it from our perspective. If you hadn't been with us, neither Blackburn or I would've had a clue we all were endangered, and we'd all be dead now. Your language skills are invaluable." Lisa gave him a soft smile. "So, thanks. I'll let you rest now. We're taking off in about ten minutes."

Clay nodded and put on the headphones. The silence comforting. He glanced over and grinned as Blackburn put on the neon pink headset. The nicknames would evaporate now that the commander wore them too. He noted Davis turn and wink at him. She gave them to Eric on purpose because she could've easily acquired two blue sets.

"What you are grinning at," Sonny asked.

Clay lifted one earpiece. "What?"

"Why are you smiling?"

He replaced the earpiece and quipped, "Because with these I don't have to listen to you yammering on about the jungle." Clay closed his eyes.

"Why you cocky, little …"

"Sonny, he can't hear you, so kindly shut up." Ray grinned as he took his seat for take-off.

Jason scanned his men and breathed a sigh of relief. He never expected they would be endangered in Ecuador quite like this. Part of him wanted to be angry with Eric for bringing the kid, but without Clay, they all would be dead, so he cut the commander slack. He grabbed a beer and moved to his seat, happy they were headed home all in one piece … a few dinged up … but nothing that wouldn't heal with a time.

Notes:

Hope you enjoyed.