United Under Fire

Anew

It had been a few months since Ziva decided to stay in Tel Aviv, and routine had not been easy to re-establish. Jace was heading to Afghanistan with his father, Amato, and McGee to look into a women's shelter that was connected to a woman using the identity of a deceased Marine. Ever since Ziva departed from NCIS he had seen the team less frequently, he needed to process her absence on his own.

Echo Team was staying back at the FOB, if anything went wrong they were their QRF. Jace heard of the area, these 'honor killings' were tragically frequent. Whenever he dealt with Afghan police forces he noticed some of them had a habit of poor conduct whenever it came to detainees, especially if they were women.

He noticed the way locals were eyeing them, particularly Amato. He kept his hands on his weapon and scanned the crowd.

Jace went with Amato to interview the girls, his stomach churned once he heard their stories. He had heard many like them during his time in the Middle East. As McGee and his father spoke to Tony on a secured line a brick crashed through the window. Jace and Gibbs checked the windows and saw no sign of the assailant.

Lieutenant Gorman informed them of intel about an incoming attack on the shelter, and their orders were to pull out. The older Gibbs was adamant about staying, and Raya shared the sentiment.

"I have orders to protect these agents," said Jace. "If they stay so do I."

McGee came back in after calling Tony, telling them that their UN support would take time.

Jace radioed Echo Team, Commander Rorke informed him that they had been ordered to stand down until they were given proper authorization.

"Without an armed escort, we can't evacuate."

Jace and the others started fortifying the shelter's doors and windows.

Once it was sundown Jace activated his NODs, he couldn't conduct a patrol of the perimeter so he did his best to identify everything in his line of sight. He and his dad caught the eye of a bonfire, and Tim relayed Tony's findings. An armed group of assailants was on their way to their location on foot.

Jace relayed this to the TOC. Echo Team was given the go once they were issued the proper vehicles for the escort from the FOB motor pool.

"Cavalry will be here in fifteen," said Jace. "We need to buy time."

"Lay down suppressive fire?" suggested Amato.

Jace was carrying an HK416D145RS, with a full magazine, six backups on his chest rig, a full mag in his SIG, and three spares. McGee and Raya had their Sigs, fully loaded, each of them Tim had two spare magazines and Amato had three.

Jace shook his head. "No, we open fire without being engaged we give them the right of self-defense."

Their attention went to the windows once MTAC alerted them of six fighting-age males approaching the shelter.

Jace looked to his father, they knew what they had to do.

Jace shouldered his weapon and followed Gibbs outside, staring down the assailants.

They laughed at the sight of the two Americans. The leader ordered two of the others two remove them from their path. The two snipers countered the attempt and violently drove them to the ground. Jace rammed the stock of his weapon into the ribcage of his assailant, he could hear the bones crack from the impact.

The leader mockingly waved an unlit Molotov cocktail, his laughter cut sort when a round shattered the bottle. The group readied their weapons, Jace had already zeroed his rifle at the leader.

"کله چې زه مړ شم زه به ستاسو څخه څومره چې کولی شم له ځانه سره راوړم."

"As I die I will bring as many of you as I can with me."

Jace thought about his daughters, he thought about his sister and his mother. He thought about Kathleen. Some of the most meaningful women in his life had been taken away from him unjustly out of greed and radical ideals. The families of the women in the shelter had been targeted out of rigid, unfair biases that previous generations had refused to evolve from. He couldn't be a bystander, not now.

Not ever.

Just as he prepared to pull the trigger the sound of a man shouting in Pashtu and the blinding lights from humvees and MRAPs circled them.

It was Echo Team.

The assailants raised their hands and fled.

Dave and Hall went up to him, both giving him a fraternal slap on the back.

"You got stones, Senior," replied Reese.

"Come on, let's get the women into the MRAPs," said Drake.

Once all the refugees were in the vehicles they made their way to the FOB. Jace sat in silence, he knew that it would take time for the State Department to provide diplomatic aid and the Immigration Department wasn't going to be happy with them. Hopefully, NCIS would be able to fight for them.

. . .

A week after the incident Raya told Jace that she was transferring to a liaison position between NCIS and the State Department. She wanted to coordinate between the two to help women in the Middle East. Now it was down to him, Dad, Tony, and McGee. It was the reality of the world, even if others came and went the bonds that were forged are forever.

. . .

November Team was being briefed for an Omega-Class Operation in Serbia, the mission was to gather intelligence on a weapons smuggling ring with Russian roots and suspected of planning on selling a dirty bomb to Al-Qaeda-affiliated terror groups. They were going to be gone for four months, six tops. Jace was ready for this, this was the type of mission that ensured the well-being of his country and his daughters.

It had been a while since he had spoken to his dad and the others from NCIS. Honestly, he needed the space, he loved them like family but he couldn't fit his life as an operator around their investigations.

This was going to be a joint operation with a team from CAG's G Squadron. Jace knew the team leader from their time in Task Force Sword & Shield. Master Sergeant Zachary West, did six years in the 3rd Battalion of the 75th Rangers, transferred to the 5th Special Forces Group, then was drafted to join Delta Force.

Zach made team leader shortly after Jace did, serving in both Alpha and Golf Squadrons. Served as a Sniper since the 75th, and shot about as well as Julian did.

They met during a Joint Operation burning down poppy fields and detaining smugglers. One of the raids turned into a full-blown firefight, and Jace and Zach covered for both teams until air support arrived. Three were injured but no one was killed.

The operation was in good hands.