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

[notjustaface]

"I got shot." He fires back with a clearly terse tone; "I should get hazard pay for this."

Hannibal shakes his head and presses a pair of tablets into Face's hand before patting Murdock's shoulder. "We need to talk, he'll be fine here."

"You realize I can hear you... I wasn't shot in the head..."

[notthatcrazy]

"I'll be back in a minute."

He gives his hand one last pat before reluctantly turning to follow Hannibal.

"Well? If you're gonna chew me out you might as well get it over with."

[notjustaface]

Leading him outside, the colonel lights a cigar - pensively drawing on it for a long moment as he considers what Murdock has to say.

Finally, he says quietly; "You did the right thing."

[notthatcrazy]

"Yeah?"

It's not what he was expecting to hear, but he knows better than to think Hannibal's going to leave it at that.

[notjustaface]

Of course, there's always more to it.

He nods, exhaling sharply. "You also disobeyed a direct order and put all of our lives at risk."

[notthatcrazy]

That's more along the lines of how he thought this talk would go.

"And I'd have done the same for any one of you, so don't you dare try and make this about me and Face."

[notjustaface]

"I am going to make this about you and Face because you didn't do it for us... you did it for him." Hannibal shoots back quickly, with only a little sting to his voice.

"You need to be able to face the worst, Captain. What would you have done if he hadn't made that jump?"

[notthatcrazy]

"Gone on without him."

They both know that's a half-truth at best, though. Particularly as he's avoiding Hannibal's eyes again.

[notjustaface]

"I don't think either of us are stupid enough to believe that."

He lets a quiet, almost awkward pause linger between them before adding; "Your judgement's clouded."

[notthatcrazy]

He doesn't trust himself to say anything, but he does finally manage to look his leader in the eye.

"So what are you telling me here?"

[notjustaface]

"I'm telling you that you need to think about your actions," he raises his eyebrows; "Captain. And how the effect the rest of the team."

He knows he can't ask the situation to be outright avoided, it's not possible, but he needs to consider his actions very carefully.

"We're not playing house here. There's a reason they frown on fraternization in the Army."

[notthatcrazy]

He stifles the impulse to tell him that they're not in the Army anymore, and that he was the one leading them into what they all knew was a trap. He keeps his mouth shut, for a change, staring determinedly at the ceiling.

[notjustaface]

"We all knew the risks tonight... we all know we were flying blind into a bad situation."

He puffs a little more determinedly on his cigar.

"Any one of us could have fallen or been left behind."

[notthatcrazy]

"Yeah."

He's still staring up, not looking at him. He's being a stubborn idiot, he knows, but letting his emotions get the better of him now would only prove him right.

[notjustaface]

Letting out a soft sigh of smoke, Hannibal leans against a column and stares out at the black night - composing his words carefully. After a long moment, he says; "We can't do this forever, Murdock. The longer we go on, the more likely it is that one of us won't make it out."

[notthatcrazy]

"So what do we do?"

[notjustaface]

It's a good question, one he's been mulling over for a very long time.

"I told Captain Sosa we'd be willing to do more work if she's got anything that'll keep us on the radar. I don't want them to forget us, but they need to see that we're doing good things."

He sighs again, shaking his head; "It doesn't help that Face killed one of our gunners."

[notthatcrazy]

Ah. Sosa. That doesn't make things awkward at all, really.

"You gonna ask him what happened?"

He's pretty sure anything he has to say for himself would just come off as more self-justification, but he should at least get the chance to explain.

[notjustaface]

"I don't have to ask." He turns serious eyes back toward Murdock.

"He got sloppy. He panicked when saw something that could take the chopper down."

[notthatcrazy]

He crosses his arms.

"So basically you're saying we're a liability."

[notjustaface]

"You are a liability." He asserted, "But I understand."

And in his own way, he does. At least as much as he can. They're in love... and love's a risk.

Then again, so's family.

"Just... you can't let your feelings override the mission."

[notthatcrazy]

"I don't think you do," he says quietly, turning to go back in.

"Anything else, sir?"

[notjustaface]

Being second guessed digs at him, but they've all had a rough night - they're tired and with a man down emotions are running high, so he lets the remark slide.

"Be careful," he says softly, tossing the burned down stub of his cigar into the sand.

[notthatcrazy]

If it was just the one reprimand he could understand it. But as much as he knows Hannibal sees their relationship from a much different perspective, there's things about the two of them he either can't or won't acknowledge. Not while he still sees Face as the reckless kid he had to rein in to keep him from self-destructing.

He lets the comment go with a silent nod as he returns to Face's side.

"Hey, buddy. How's the leg?"

[notjustaface]

The meds haven't kicked in yet, so his face is red and his eyes are just a little puffy though he won't admit he may have cried a little as he bit down into his fist where small crescent marks are still very clear. But, the sewing part is done and he's got a large patch over the wound and a tight brace around his ankle.

"I'm alive," he manages, rolling his eyes. "Doc says I need to stay off my leg for two weeks - they're scrounging up a pair of crutches."