Chapter Text
The first time Dalton laid his eyes on this guy, he didn’t like him.
First of all because he was a politician dressed in a uniform. And he didn’t like politicians, no matter what they were wearing. He sure loved his country, he was ready to die in duty, and he trusted the DIA with his life, literally, but politics were not his thing.
Secondly, because when the guy came by their Quonset hut, his eyes went directly to Jaz, who was laughing to something McG had said to Amir. And Dalton didn’t like what he saw in the man’s eyes. Surprise, interest, and something far too close to lust for his liking, making him narrow his eyes and clench his fists.
Of course he was aware of the way many men looked at her, he wasn’t stupid or blind. Jaz was beautiful, fiercely stunningly beautiful, whether she was wearing her old, used training clothes, or going undercover in a fancy dress. She was still beautiful. But since she used to keep any one but her guys at arm length, he didn’t really mind, even if sometimes, he had to restrain himself from kicking some asses, although she was completely able to handle herself. Those times, he reminded himself that he was her CO, and that whatever he was feeling would only cause her troubles.
The man came to him and extended his hand to Dalton with a smile and a nod.
“Captain Dalton, I’m Edward MacArthur, I’m here in the name of lieutenant colonel Bradley. Nice to meet you, I’ve heard a lot about your team…”
His eyes lingered back to Jaz, who was now boxing with Preach. Dalton took the extended hand and shook it a little bit too hard, making MacArthur wince and turning back to him.
“To what to we owe the pleasure?”
“A mission… A direct order from the White House…”
Dalton raised his eyebrows and mentioned for the man to follow him. They passed McG and Amir, who looked curiously at them. Jaz and Preach didn’t even notice them, and Dalton was kind of glad for that. He hated the way this man looked at Jaz, and he hated how little control he had over his feelings in moments like this.
Once inside, they settled around the table. Dalton crossed his arms and waited. McArthur took a seat and studied his surroundings, before looking back at him.
“Let’s cut to it. We have an issue.”
He opened his wallet and took a thick file, of which he took off a picture showing a man sitting in a restaurant.
“This is Mike Malden, an undercover agent whom we suspect of high treason. He infiltrated a young and powerful international criminal organization, whose members call themselves “The New World”. We have serious evidences against him, but we need to send someone to check things, and to eliminate the threat if treason is established. “
“Why are you telling me this?” Dalton asked coldly.
Patricia was the one to call them for missions, and to have the representative of a lieutenant colonel coming all this way for a mission made him nervous.
MacArthur didn’t seem to notice.
“The New World is active in every sector. Drugs, pimping, human trafficking, organs trafficking, money laundering… It’s well organized; it seems to have eyes and ears in every continent, they are impossible to catch… We don’t know who the gang leader is, and Malden was supposed to provide us information… The thing is, we need someone inside. Someone who could approach him, someone who speaks different languages fluently and who can eliminate a threat if necessary… like someone who can shoot a moving target from a moving point…”
Dalton tensed and frowned. He didn’t like where this was going, he didn’t like it at all.
“Sergeant Khan had been recommended by your superiors for this mission…”
Dalton had to keep himself from storming out. Of course MacArthur had read their rapports. Of course, he had read how Jaz had managed to shot the target from a moving car. Damn it.
He was holding his breath and felt like his lungs might explode. The idea of Jaz going undercover alone…again… It was making him sick. He couldn’t even think about it without feeling terror churning his stomach. He had thought once that he had lost her… He had spent hours not knowing what had happened to her, waiting while she was tortured. He couldn’t go through that again; he would lose his mind… But he was her CO, and he was supposed to obey orders, no matter the cost. Every feeling he had tried so hard to compartmentalize was spinning out of control. He tried to stay composed when he answered.
“What are you waiting from us?”
“She would be going alone. We can’t risk for your team to be compromised, it could ruin the whole mission…” MacArthur said with a meaningful glance.
So, he had read all the reports.
“Look, we’re still deployed; Sergeant Khan will be needed here…”
“She’ll be gone for a month, we’ll provide you a snipper until she comes back. Like I told you, it’s a direct order from the White House, I didn’t come here to ask for your permission, but to inform you. Still, I’ll let you break the news to your team, I’ll be back tomorrow to talk with Sergeant Khan… Thank you for your time, captain Dalton.”
Dalton shook the extended hand and watched the man leaving the Quonset hut, while Preach was coming in. He had never wished that much that he had other choices than obey orders.
The phone rang and Dalton knew immediately who it was. When Patricia’s face appeared, she looked at him and sighed.
“Judging by your face, you’ve already met MacArthur… I’ve just learned what they are planning to do, but I didn’t know they would be that fast…”
“So, direct orders from the White House, hum?”
“I hate this, but I’m afraid we don’t have a choice Dalton… “
He ran a hand in his hair and over his beard, making Preach come to sit next to him, sensing that his CO was distressed.
“I have a meeting with lieutenant colonel Bradley in fifteen minutes; I’ll keep you in touch…”
Dalton nodded and cut out the connection. He kept starring at the black screen, deep in thoughts. It had been eight months since Iran, six since Hoffman. Preach was back, and Dalton was hoping that everything would come back to normal. Just the five of them, missions, horseshoes, and soccer. Their last deployment had been rough, they deserved normal.
“Top?”
Dalton swallowed the lump in his throat.
“They have a mission, an undercover one… And they want Jaz to do it…”
“Without us having her back?”
“Without us. Direct orders from the White House…”
Preach shook his head in disbelief.
“Okay, then… What are you going to do?”
Dalton closed his eyes. He didn’t have much a choice. He had to tell her.
“We’re soldiers, Preach. Orders are orders.”