United Under Fire

Frater

Jace was staring at a photo from his and Ernie's graduation celebration from Green Team. When Julian found out about his sons Ernie was an avid supporter and confidante. He packed it away and grabbed his gear, they were getting ready to hit a new target. They found the bomb maker who designed the explosives used to level the building that the Deltas hit.

Echo Team was going to hit the target building while Sierra Team was designated as their QRF. Jace asked Zach to keep an eye on Bray and report it to his dad and Kara.

The bomb maker, Zaland Lanjwani, had Taliban affiliations since the 90s and a penchant for Semtex bombs lined with chemical accelerants, flechettes, and ball bearings.

They were going to do a callout, they were going to launch Nine-bang into the house to try to drive him out. The team, the EODs, and Staff Sergeant Dane loaded into the Blackhawk and made their trip.

Once on-site, they set up by a house across from the target house, Reese and Miller fired the Nine-Bangers into the windows as Jace shouted into the megaphone.

After a minute a woman stepped outside, she seemed to be in her early twenties, making her way to the team. Jace ordered her to stop. The woman halted and raised her hands, Dane ordered her to hike up her dress to show them that she wasn't armed or carrying explosives. She complied.

She was Lanjwani's daughter, he was inside but barricaded himself inside. She was scared of him, he had become erratic and started using drugs. She tried to leave him but he threatened to make her and her mother stay.

Ward sent Blix into the house. Through the camera attached to his collar, the team watched as Blix searched the house until he reached the basement. He charged through the curtains and tackled the bombmaker.

The team breached the building, making their way to the basement. Once they cornered Lanjwani Jace shouted at him to surrender. His response was to reach for a detonator.

The team fired into the HVT, killing him.

Ward checked on Blix, the blood wasn't his and he was unharmed.

They conducted SSE and searched for the drugs, if he was paid in narcotics then they could trace it back to the field that it came from.

Back at the base, Zach told Jace that Bray had been in his office all day making phone calls, NCIS traced the calls to Javelin headquarters, specifically their R&D Division.

Jace video-chatted with Kara.

"I heard you had a tough one today," said the FBI Agent.

"His daughter was actually relieved that he was dead, she and her mother couldn't get out of there fast enough."

"Building bombs with your wife and daughter in the house," Kara shook her head.

"The FOB analysts are trying to determine the poppy field they came from," said Jace. "He may have been a user but with the amount we found it was too much to be his usual stash and not enough to be a dealer."

"It was his paycheck."

"A country in poverty filled to the brim with drugs and precious metals and the only people cashing in are the guys killing women and children."

Kara shared his frustrations, she knew what the Taliban did to women and kids on a 'good day'.

"How's everything with you?" asked Jace.

"We're following up on a lead," said Kara. "Bray's been making calls to his company headquarters, but they've been getting forwarded to Pakistan."

"Good to know, but you know that's not what I meant."