United Under Fire

Persona Non-Grata

The Change of Command Ceremony was bitter-sweet, Drake was going to spend the rest of his contract as a Green Team instructor. He already had a job lined up with a private contracting firm started by a retired Team Guy the former served with. Julian scanned the crowd as he and Drake exchanged formalities, neither Ambassador Waller nor the Armed Forces Delegates from the Bahrain operation had shown up. After the standoff at the hospital, Jace had a feeling that they might show up.

After the ceremony, Jace changed into a set of Multicams and got the others ready for a GOPLAT drill. Two new SEALs were coming in, Petty Officers Second Class Matthew Ward and Rodney Clarke. They had served together on the West Coast for the past eight years. Ward had served as a Canine Handler in SEAL Team 5, and his service dog, Blitz, came with him. Clarke came in from SEAL Team 7, specializing in demolition.

The team INFIL'ed on RHIBs, splitting into teams of four, Jace, Reese, Miller, and Ward were going to secure the control room; Clarke was on the team going for the hostages on the east of the rig.

They encountered three OPFORs on the way in, Jace made out three hostile roleplayers and four hostages. They stacked up on the door, they were going to perform a silent entry, and Miller worked the door lock. Once they had their entry, Reese threw a crash grenade as Ward sent in Blitz. The dog tackled a roleplayer to the ground. Reese entered first, eliminating an OPFOR behind the hostage, Jace took out one by the control panel, and Ward secured the roleplayer his dog took down.

In a flash, one hostage roleplayer charged at Ward with a training knife, pinning the SEAL to the wall, unable to go for his rifle he responded with a cover and hit, clocking the roleplayer in the jaw and redirecting the knife into the fake attacker's side. Jace checked on the other teams.

"Control Room secure."

"Copy, East end secure."

Rorke called for an ENDEX, complimenting their cohesion.

"Ward, good job working on the fly," said Jace as they exited the platform.

"Thanks, thought I dropped the ball back there."

"Just keep your head in a swivel and work with the team."

Everyone was securing their gear in the cages when Rorke called them to the SCIF.

"Gentlemen, earlier today an NCIS Agent Anthony DiNozzo was sent to France to retrieve Amanda Kendall the daughter of the Vice-Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, Admiral Kendall," said the Special Warfare Officer.

"He was meant to pick her up at the Marseilles Field Office," picked up Rider. "But when he got there all the personnel had been murdered."

"Witnesses saw Miss Kendall escape through a window at the time of the shooting," said Grey. "Police labeled her as a suspect and confiscated Agent DiNozzo's weapon out of suspicion."

Jace gripped the armrest of his seat until his knuckles turned white, this had the makings of an international incident.

"DiNozzo got word to NCIS that a French Police Inspector was involved and had framed them for the murders."

"They were meant to make their way to the NCIS Rota Field Office," said Rorke. "But they never made it to the border."

"State Department and DOD have agreed to allow us to secure DiNozzo and Miss Kendall covertly. The situation is tied to a security breach in D.C.," said Grey. "However, if we get caught we will be disavowed and prosecuted."

"When do we leave?" asked Jace.

"Immediately," said Rider.

"What about the FBI?" asked Reese. "Doesn't this fall under their interests?"

"The host government has blocked them out," answered Rorke.

"The Agency has a team set up to provide anything you'll need on the ground," said Grey.

Everyone got up and left to gear up.

Damn it, Tony!

Jace had wondered why his career had been so intertwined with his father's ever since he was in SEAL Team 4. The task force had been one thing, but Navy Regulations stated that personnel with familial relations couldn't serve in the same command. His father may be an NCIS Agent but the frequency they operated together would cause concern for certain higher-ups.

Nevertheless, Jace was grateful for his father and his team, Tim and Tony were like brothers to him. Had it not been for them, he'd never been with Ziva. They had gone through hell to save him and he had done the same. They were as much his family as his father and the brothers he fought alongside.

They would use a CIA commercial plane to fly in and use Agency-issued passports to make their way through customs. The NOCs picked them up in three unmarked sedans, taking them to the safe house. The Agency had gathered a considerable amount of intelligence in such a short period.

Tony had boarded a private RV with Amanda Kendall, but a fire on board had forced them off, now they were in the wind. Satellite footage placed them in a nearby restaurant, the team gathered their gear and made their way to their targets. They had to utilize several countersurveillance maneuvers to prevent any law enforcement tails. Once they got to the diner Jace saw Dinozzo go around back. He and Reese followed while the others set security.

They found DiNozzo with Amanda Kendall, it did not look like a pleasant conversation. The latter had just admitted to being a Defense Clandestine Service officer. Jace thought of how much he hated running into cowboy (or in this case cowgirl) spooks.

"Tony, we have thirty minutes to leave," insisted Jace.

The CIA arranged for a private plane to get them out of the country. They would work on finding her human asset.

"We need to find Amir!" said Kendall.

"The Agency is taking care of that," replied Reese.

"If the French are looking into me they'll go after him!"

"FREEZE!"

Everyone turned and saw a woman with a pistol aimed at them.

"Inspector," said Tony. "Fancy meeting you here."

"Weapons on the ground now."

"Was it really all worth it?" Asked Julian. "Killing an entire office of American federal agents. Bitch, you better know what you're doing."

He saw Ward and Blitz close in on Chablis; Clarke recorded the Frenchwoman with a disposable video camera. Careful to keep his teammates out of view.

I knew there was a reason I worked hard to draft these guys in.

"With the money the Iranians paid me I'll be set to hide for a very long time," said Chablis, smugly. "Now dro—"

She never got to finish her rant, Blitz has bitten her forearm, causing her to lose balance.

Ward came in from behind and trapped her in a rear naked chokehold. Jace grabbed her arm, taking control of her weapon and removing it from her grasp.

"The NOCs called, they have Amir," said the New Guy.

Jace and Tony rushed the Kendall girl into the sedan, while Clarke zip-cuffed Chablis to a bike rack; everyone made their way to the private airfield the Agency set up.

During the flight, Jace told Tony that the charges against him and Amanda Kendall had been dropped. Clarke handed over the camera to the NOCs who delivered it to their contacts within the French government.

Overall, it was an easy day.