Chapter Text
Jason Hayes squinted as he clawed his way back to awareness. He was sluggish in his realization that things were not as they should be. What the hell? His cheek was pressed against the dusty ground, wrists tied behind his back and throbbing dully. Rough hands abruptly jerked him upright and he had to fight the snarl that threatened to rise at being manhandled. Whomever the hands belonged to seemed to have caught onto his change in disposition though and a chittering, tssk, sounded from behind him.
"I hope you're not as foul mannered as your companion." The words were thick with an accent that Jason couldn't place. Companion? The master chief's brow furrowed.
The last thing he could remember was Spenser giving him a cheeky grin as the younger man slipped through a window. The pair had split off from the rest of the team to inspect an odd disturbance in the dirt around an adjacent building. He'd left the straps with Sonny, Trent, Brock and Ray.
Ray? Sonny? Brock? Clay? Trent? A pit formed in his stomach as a shuffle of footsteps sounded outside of his cell. A smack whipped his head to the side and Jason gritted his teeth before raising his eyes to meet those of his captor. He'd seen dark eyes before, had seen eyes of all shades and colors but these… these were black and dead inside. "…man is most uncooperative. I thought I'd give the two of you a chance to catch up before I return." Broad fingers were gripping his chin and forcing Jason to look up. "No sleeping."
Hayes could sense the man retreat as the cell door creaked open. There was a muffled curse, stumbling footsteps and then a thud as whoever they had brought in was thrown to the ground. An irrational voice in his head told him not to look, that if he didn't see who was with him then they weren't really here. He ignored it, eyes lifting to find a mop of blonde hair sitting across from him. Clay, the name supplied itself and Jason felt his heart sink. Of all the men to wind up in this situation… the kid is still new to Bravo.
The older seal waited until the voices of their captors faded down the tunnel before studying his operator. Spenser was hunched awkwardly with his ankles bound in a manner that forced him to keep his knees bent. No wonder it had sounded like he had trouble walking earlier. An uneasy grin was plastered to his youngest operator's face as their eyes met.
"You good?" The question sounded dumb as it left his mouth but Jason needed to know.
"Uh, I think?" The reply was uncertain as Clay shifted his legs. "Bound pretty tight. Guess they didn't appreciate my inability to accept being handled like cargo." His face twisted as he pulled at his arms, "Wrists burn boss but they'll be fine."
Jason allowed a brow to raise in relief. "You remember where we are?"
"Nigeria, at least we were. Not sure if we're still there." The kid chewed on his bottom lip as he answered. "You doing alright boss?"
"I'm fine." The words were automatic and Hayes almost snorted when the kid raised a brow in disbelief. "I'm a little stiff and I've got a minor headache." The admission was mumbled as Spenser started to scooch his way closer. The other man's progress was slow and Jason narrowed his eyes. The binding around Spenser's ankles looked off with its rusty color. It wasn't until the kid was within reaching distance that his brain supplied the reason. Barbed wire, who the hell uses barbed wire as a binding? The seal felt his stomach sink with the realization that their captors must have used it to bind his companion's wrists as well.
There was an amused huff from Clay as blue eyes roved over Jason; "Guess they don't consider you much of a flight risk."
The observation made Hayes frown before he sluggishly started to tug on his own bonds. Rope, the material rubbed against his wrists but lacked the spikes of barbed wire. "You say anything?" The question was terse as Jason wiggled his fingers. Movement and feeling were still good for the most part.
"Just that they weren't very attractive." The answer was flippant and a pregnant pause hung between the operators before Clay spoke up again. "You think… you think… how did they know where to intercept us?"
You think the others are alright? The half-spoken question hung heavy in the air and Jason felt his stomach twist. "We'll be out of here in no time kid. Just have to give others a moment to figure out what the hell happened." What had happened? The lapse of memory was disturbing and Jason did his best to mask his unease. "Pretty sure they made it to exfil with the straps."
If Clay was dissatisfied with the answer he betrayed nothing in his expression.