Rescue Mission - It's a TRAP

[notjustaface]

Leaving Canada was about the hardest thing he'd done yet - harder still knowing that they were all flying into heavy enemy territory where not only would there be insurgents breathing down their necks there would almost certainly be a US Military ambush to capture them.

The mission itself was straightforward, two non-combatant civilians (reporters, Hannibal thinks) were captured three months before and being held in a camp a few miles outside of Baghdad. Three teams had already been sent in to extract them; two came back wounded and empty-handed, the third didn't come back at all. By Hannibal's reckoning the problem was that they were sending in too many people and taking the small compound through a single strategy - the first by air, the second full frontal, the third undercover. The real trick - and the trick to getting out of the trap - was to divide forces.

Hannibal goes in undercover, giving BA just enough time to create a nice explosive distraction for Face to set up with a sniper rifle and start taking out anyone that stands between the prisoners and the gates - no matter whose uniform they're wearing. Murdock had the most important job of all; air support. He'd have to wait undetected as close as possible before coming in and laying down enough cover to get everyone safely in the chopper before getting them the hell out of there... while being shot at.

"Think we can pull this off?" Face whispers quietly as they load magazines together in the relative privacy of their tent - less than two hours before going in.

Comments

[notthatcrazy]

"That's more like it."

He pulls away to stand up, offering him a hand.

"Shall we get the party started, darling?"

His accent's gone British again.

[notjustaface]

"Aye, Captain..." he chuckles under his breath, letting Murdock help him up before slinging the large sniper rifle over his shoulder. Weighed down with gear, his body aches the slightest bit.

"You know, I didn't miss how much crap you need to carry in a war zone."

[notthatcrazy]

"I'll make it up to you later."

A nice long hot shower and a back rub sound like just what the doctor ordered, assuming they both make it out of this in one piece.

"C'mon, Hannibal's probably gonna wanna go over the plan one last time."

It's been a while since he's worn a flight suit, but he figures since the Army's involved this time he might as well go all in. He's still got his very non-regulation ball cap on though.

[notjustaface]

At least he wears it well - Face has always felt like when he puts on a uniform he could pass for any of the usual assortment of grunts. It makes him blend in seamlessly, which is going to work in his best interest in this particular circumstance. Just another GI.

"Right..." he sighs, letting things take their course. Game time.

[notthatcrazy]

He'll never be just another grunt to Murdock. But he knows that already.

He lets their fingers just barely touch as they head for the tent where Hannibal's got everything staged, nodding a greeting as BA joins them. He's quiet - probably still nervous about the flight, not that Murdock can really blame him.

"Ready for duty, Bossman."

[notjustaface]

"Jesus, Face..." Hannibal laughs around the cigar tucked into the corner of his mouth; "you look ready to take on a whole platoon."

"If that's what we're up against, I'll be prepared." He responds in a cold, serious tone that draws the smirk off the colonel's face.

"Right. So we all know our place. Keep an eye on the time - as soon as I go through that gate BA will begin setting charges at the main and side gates." He taps the points of entry on the map going clockwise around the compound. "I don't know where I'll be once they drag me inside but don't worry about that - I'll get loose and make my way to the captives."

Face takes over, pointing to the taller of the two lookout towers. "The explosion is my cue to climb up into the tower and take out the guard on both sides - then cover you both until I see the hostages."

"Exactly," Hannibal nods, "there may be friendlies down there so shoot to disarm but not kill." When Face steps back with a frown, he takes it as his cue to finish the debriefing. "When the hostages are in the open we'll send up the signal flare, Murdock..." He looks the pilot in the eyes, staring him down; "You come in as fast as you can and worry about the ground - we'll pick up Face last."

[notthatcrazy]

"Got it."

He spares a glance at his partner before looking back at Hannibal's face.

[notjustaface]

The word "friendlies" still has him on edge and he's got a toothpick perched between his teeth as he watches from several steps away. His part is simple enough - shoot anything that makes a wrong move - but the thought that Hannibal still considers someone trying to take them in a friendly is beyond him.

Of course, he's never been one for the phrase "just following orders" either.

"How long do you think we'll have before the Army shows up?" He asks boldly, drawing a glare from their leader.

"We don't know for sure if they will at all. Or if they're already there." Hannibal responds in all honesty.

"So what you're saying is that there might not be any civilians at all?"

[notthatcrazy]

"I'm saying we have to keep our eyes open."

Hannibal's voice is practically daring Face to object again. Murdock's drawn back from the conflict, mulling over his part in the mission. He's used to being the glorified getaway driver, but it's still a heavy responsibility having your team's lives in your hands. Just because he and Face are in a relationship doesn't mean he won't give his life to protect any of the others.

He squeezes Face's hand briefly, willing him to calm down. Starting an argument won't make this mission any easier.

[notjustaface]

He doesn't like it, and as far as he's concerned he's made his feelings on the situation clear. That said, there isn't much point in fighting it unless he's planning on walking away now - which isn't his way.

"We should roll," Face says quietly; crossing his arms over his chest. "I want to get this over with."

Hannibal nods slowly, checking his watch. "If anything goes wrong, I want all of us on a clean channel - but we must maintain absolute silence as long as possible. We have no way of knowing how quick they'll be able to pick us up once that channel's open."

[notthatcrazy]

He nods. Radio silence is better than no communication channels at all. (Another circumstance he's all too used to.)

He glances over his shoulder at BA. "You okay, big guy?"

He just growls an affirmative.

[notjustaface]

None of them really looking forward to this, but at least BA has the dignity to take it quiet. Face... well, dignity has never been his strong suit.

"This is suicide." He mutters under his breath, not for the first time when going over one of Hannibal's plans. "We have no idea what we're walking into. For all we know this damn blueprint is bogus. Do you really trust the information the people trying to throw us back in jail are giving you?"

Hannibal puffs deeply off his cigar before responding bluntly; "Captain Sosa handed them to me herself, so you tell me if they're trustworthy."

[notthatcrazy]

Oh, he just had to bring her into it.

"Face." He touches his hand again. "Please don't."

In the event that the op does go bad, he doesn't want his last memory of his boyfriend to be him picking a fight with their CO.

[notjustaface]

With a resigned sigh, he looks to Murdock and then back to the Colonel - wisely keeping his mouth shut on the matter.

"Unless anyone else has something they'd like to say, it's high time we get our asses out there." Hannibal stubs out the cigar with a purposeful look between the pair. "We'll drive blacked out to the chopper and then hike the mile up to the compound. It's dark enough out there, they shouldn't see us coming."

[notthatcrazy]

He hangs back as Hannibal leads the way to the waiting vehicle, more than ready to get this show on the road. He can feel the old familiar excitement starting up, something that's not quite mania but feels quite a bit like it.

"Remember what I said," he whispers to Face. "No regrets."

[notjustaface]

It's just light enough that he knows Murdock sees the grim expression on his face at that thought. No regrets. Yeah. Right.

"We're not gonna have to worry about that." He whispers, sliding into the back of the jeep.

The drive out is silent, and they don't have much time once they get to the chopper.

"Remember keep her low and quiet - it's gonna go fast." He whispers, watching him climb into the cockpit. "Don't look for me, just focus on getting the civilians out of there and if I'm not right behind them you take off as fast as you can."

[notthatcrazy]

"You'd better be," he retorts quietly.

He pulls his headset on, feeling somewhat in control for the first time since they left Montreal. He gives BA a fistbump and the Colonel a salute... he can't give Face what he really wants to give him, so he settles for a nod and a wink.

"I'll be waitin' on the signal. Have fun stormin' the castle."

[notjustaface]

Rolling his eyes, partially at the wink but mostly at the Princess Bride quote, Face shakes his head and presses a small kiss his direction before following behind Hannibal's jog toward the encampment.

He's not sure what to expect, none of them really, so even though it's pretty typical on approach, the hairs on the back of his neck stand up when Hannibal runs ahead to get captured.

As far as risk goes, admittedly the boss is getting the worst of it - posing as a lost missionary he's bound to be captured if they're really up against insurgents. They'll put him in a holding cell - presumably not far from the other civilians - and leave him till morning for questioning. If it's their own dug in there, it'll be a whole lot harder for him to hold up his end of the deal... and they'll know he's not alone.

Working under the impression the enemy knows they're coming, both he and BA follow the orders to the letter - waiting exactly thirty minutes before BA is sent to start setting charges.

He's the picture of stealth, and as soon as he hears the ground rattling series of explosions he takes off running as close to the ground as he can toward the tower.

[notthatcrazy]

Being separated from the team while shit goes down is the worst feeling, but it's one he's gotten used to over the years. He's keeping his ears open, despite the radio silence, but the jolt of the far-off explosions would seem to indicate that at least something is going as planned.

"Come on guys," he mutters to himself. "Give me a sign here..."

[notjustaface]

Climbing the tower proves to be harder than he'd anticipated with the extra gear weight - not to mention the fact that he hasn't had to climb up a fucking rope in a really long time - but he manages it well enough. Listening to the familiar cries of BA doing his thing and laying the smack down, he tries to figure out just how many they're dealing with and maybe what side they might be on.

When he hits the top and knocks out the guard with the butt of his heavy rifle he gets the answer he was expecting.

A lot. Not quite a hell of a lot, but enough that BA's in some trouble and Hannibal is nowhere to be seen. Quickly disabling the guards in the second tower with well placed shots, he settles into the side with the best view of the gates and starts laying down cover fire - one scope shot after another, following BA from the gates toward the building where Charissa had said the reporters were being held.

"Come on... come on..." he whispers, taking a second to look past the compound with his scope until he sees the telltale signs of vehicles coming their way.

Lots of them.

"Guys, we got company..." he says quickly over the secure channel; "at least four jeeps and an APC."

[notthatcrazy]

"You need air support?"

He'll be waiting for the signal unless he's told otherwise, but not knowing what's going on is killing him a little.

[notjustaface]

Hannibal's voice snarls over the line; "Hold your positions until you see my signal. Radios off. NOW."

Without hesitation, Face turns his off and once more takes aim for the few men still standing - taking them out at the legs. Three mags down, he finally sees Hannibal and BA emerge from the building each with someone slung over their shoulder. Setting off the flare is risky - as close as Murdock is in the chopper the Army's even closer - their first of the jeeps already driving through the rubble of their breach.

Turning his rifle on them - aiming to disable the vehicles before they can get any closer - he opens fire.

And then a bright flash of orange sulfur is launched.

"Come on, Murdock... get your ass in here, baby..."

[notthatcrazy]

That's his cue. He brings the chopper in low, trying to be as stealthy as it's possible to be while piloting a near-wreck of an aircraft and singing something that sounds like Ride of the Valkyries as interpreted by the Swedish Chef.

Spotting Hannibal and BA with the civilians, he knows his responsibility is to get them on board first. Like hell is he leaving anyone behind, though.

[notjustaface]

Bullets glance off the jeeps as he takes out tires and glass and fuel lines wherever he can. Thankfully, every returned shot that whizzes past him or buries itself in the tower is one less aimed at the Apache as Murdock flies over them toward a courtyard where he can land long enough to take on passengers.

He doesn't have time to get back to them - not while he's drawing fire and shooting US Army trained soldiers anywhere non-fatal.

"Go..." He whispers, glancing back at them as Hannibal and BA board with the civilians. "Get out of here."

[notthatcrazy]

He lands as softly as possible, helping get everyone onboard before they attract too much enemy attention. He can't help noticing the conspicuous lack of Lieutenant among his passengers.

"Colonel...?"

He can guess the answer without even asking the question. His duty is clear: civilians first.