United Under Fire

Thin Ice

Echo Team Had been selected to be the security detail for Ambassador Laura Waller to Bahrain for her negotiations with Shia and Sunni groups for an upcoming weapons counter-proliferation effort. They would work with the Diplomatic Security Service, Bahraini Public Security Forces, and NCIS. The former two were on the ambassador's security detail and NCIS was there for the counter-proliferation effort. The agents assigned to the operation were Gibbs and Bishop.

Jace had no objections to this, but he wasn't happy about it either, protecting an ambassador in the territory of two warring tribes in one of the most hostile places in the Middle East wasn't his idea of father-son time. Also, despite Bishop's work in Afghanistan, she had minimal tactical experience.

They were going to fly in a week before the negotiations and assess the security risks. A particular problem was the place of the talks, instead of the American Embassy they were going to the Bahrain National Museum. They reviewed the layout of the area, there were several points where a sniper could set up, and with the crowds, it would be difficult to EXFIL.

Waller insisted on a public venue, she had a reputation for being an idealist and having a habit for theatricality.

Neither boded well with the team; their job was to use the facts to create the safest possible escort route to and from the meet point and keep the ambassador from dying. Idealists tended to stray from reality. Dramatic ones even more so.

The plane ride was quiet, Bishop was reviewing data with Grey & Rider, his dad was on the phone with Director Vance, and Jace and his teammates were minding their own. Once they touched down they were going to link up with the DSS and work out details with the Bahrain Security Forces Special Protection Department and Special Forces.

One of Julian's concerns was their support from the local police, since the Bahrainis recruited foreign nationals into their ranks there were language barriers amongst themselves. Not to mention their penchant for brutality and violence when operating. However, the State Department insisted on an even ratio of American operators and locals.

Another 'diplomatic show of good faith and progress'.

Jace cringed at the thought of politicians interfering in matters they didn't understand just so that they could look good even more so when they threw innocent people under the bus when things went south.

Once they reached the airfield Jace and Gibbs went to speak with the RSO. He wasn't pleased with the ambassador's methods either, the tribes involved in the negotiations had begun feuding with each other and amongst themselves since their leaders agreed to hear out negotiations. Violent protests and tribal infighting had been ravaging the streets for months.

The Bahrainis were securing the route and museum, DSS had two agents, plus the RSO, and the convoy was due to depart in an hour. In the event of an emergency, a Marine Expeditionary Unit was their selected QRF, a Special Forces CRF Company was their redundancy, and an 82nd Airborne Division Immediate Response Force stationed in Iraq was 4 hours away. These arrangements were the results of months of planning for the worst possible scenarios and going over what was available to them.

It all seemed solid on paper but in real life, the variables were out of their hands. With this thought Bishop came to mind, she was rigid when it came to procedures but was naive and prone to self-doubt. He recalled their conversation when he paid the Navy Yard a visit during their Vietnam case.

"You let a suspect get away?" said Jace.

"I got distracted, I-I thought he was exiting through the kitchen and he got past me!" exclaimed Bishop. "Ugh, has Gibbs spoken to you about my probation?"

"He said that you were ready to start Phase Two," replied Julian.

"Phase two? Wh-what do you mean?"

"I thought Tony and McGee told you about it, Raya and Ziva both went through it."

"They told me that, high scores meant failing and that low ones meant that I was in."

"He changed his system after Ziva went back to the Mossad a few years back." explained the SEAL. "Raya was the first agent who went through it and Ziva went through it when she joined as a Full-time Agent."

Bishop looked like she was about to collapse, apparently, she confronted his dad about her test and she wasn't graceful about it.

This assignment was her chance to remediate her progress. However, if she overthought things or overcompensated it might diminish her abilities.

The ambassador called for a meeting, last minute changes to the security detail had gone through.

Now what? If the ambassador wanted to make stops to shake babies and kiss hands they'd be over my dead body.

Unfortunately, it was much worse than that, a delegation from the Senate Armed Services Committee was coming along for a week.

Three American High-Value Targets in one of the most volatile countries in the Middle East during a tribal war. Not only that, the Black Market Arms Community was going to come at them with everything they had and more.

Why couldn't this be CAG's problem?

After the meeting, Jace grabbed his gear, he was going to be on sniper detail so he going to pack an MK-11 Mod 0 Sniper Weapon System for his role as the designated marksman and an HK416 with a 14.5-inch barrel with a Trijicon ACOG 4x32mm Dual Illuminated Scope and RMR Type 2 Sight for closer engagements.

Back when he was still in SEAL Team 3 he worked on a security detail for negotiations with the State Department and warlords fighting against Al-Qaeda and the Taliban. Unlike Waller, the negotiator was much more compliant with their procedures.

If he died who would work to keep the peace?

If only they were all so wise.

The ambassador and delegate seemed to forget that their authority was intangible and, therefore not bulletproof. When they wanted a solution they expected guys like Echo Team to pull it out of thin air. This was how plans fell apart, this was how lives became endangered.

When dominoes fell it was always the operators who paid the price.