They were on a mission. They had been sent to destroy chemical weapons that were in storage somewhere in Syria. Bravo team had been dropped in 10 miles away and had hiked to where the storage facilities were.
The weapons were all stored in buildings and the Bravo team had made it inside the facilities with no resistance so far. They had cleared all the buildings except for one and were about to clear it as well when they heard shouting.
Jason and Ayush moved forward to see what the noise was. Jason moved forward first, weapon at the ready.
He looked out into the courtyard and blinked in surprise at what he saw. There was a group of innocent civilians being held at gunpoint by several ISIS fighters.
He gestured for Ayush to come forward as well.
Ayush came up to him and blinked in surprise as well.
They were a group of children and women. The children looked scared while the women looked angry.
One of the women stepped forward, eyeing them suspiciously. She was clearly their leader.
She said something to the ISIS fighters, who quickly turned on them and began shooting at them.
Ayush quickly turned and started firing back. Jason began firing back as well.
Sonny and Ray came up behind them and started firing as well. Clay followed close behind them and stood over the two women and children who had fallen to the ground.
They continued firing back until there were no more ISIS fighters. They all turned to look at the women and children.
"What do we do?" Sonny asked as they looked at them sadly.
"I don't know," Jason answered. "But I don't want to leave them."
"Me neither," Ayush agreed. "Let's see if we can figure out a way to get them out of here."
They nodded their heads in agreement. The women stood up quickly and began helping their children up from the ground.
"They can stay with us while we clear out the rest of the facility," Ayush suggested. "Then we can find out a way to get the women to safety."
Jason nodded his head in agreement. "Sounds good to me."
They moved forward again, this time with the women and children following close behind. As soon as they came across another fighter, they began shooting at it.
When they were almost finished clearing out the last building, they received a call from command.
"Bravo team," the voice came through Jason's earpiece. "Be advised that you are clear to destroy the weapons. Have a bird incoming to extract you."
Ayush heard the voice through his own earpiece and nodded his head, passing on the word.
The Bravo team moved quickly to finish clearing out the building and began setting up the weapons for destruction. They would blow them up, leaving nothing but rubble in their wake.
Once they were finished, they moved back to the courtyard to meet with the bird.
They had just sat down and were waiting for the bird to arrive when they heard shouting again. They looked around and blinked in surprise again.
ISIS fighters were coming towards them from all sides. They moved quickly, taking up defensive positions in a circle around the women and children. Ayush picked one of them up quickly, placing him in the center of the circle.
"Cover your ears!" he shouted as he placed himself over them.
They looked at him in surprise before doing as he said.
Ayush picked up a grenade from his belt and tossed it out into the ISIS fighters. It landed with a thud, blowing up and killing several of them. He quickly picked up another one and tossed it as well.
The ISIS fighters continued to close in and Ayush tossed another grenade. They continued firing back at them as well and he tossed another grenade. The ISIS fighters continued to come closer and he tossed another one.
As they began to close in again, he reached down to his belt, not seeing any more grenades. He was going to have to use his handgun again. He pulled it from his leg holster and began firing.
The other members of Bravo team continued firing back as well until there were no more fighters. Ayush lowered his handgun, looking around. There was blood splattered all over them.
He turned to look at the other members of the Bravo team, who were all staring at him in shock.
"Holy fuck," Sonny breathed out. "How many did you kill?"
Ayush shrugged his shoulders. "I don't know," he replied. "They kept coming."
Jason looked around slowly and nodded his head in agreement with Ayush. There were dozens of dead bodies lying around them.
The bird began circling overhead as Clay came over to look at them all. He began tending to their wounds immediately. One of the children had been hit by a bullet and was bleeding badly.
"C'mon!" Clay yelled as the bird began dropping down a rope ladder. "Let's go!"
The members of the Bravo team stood up slowly, helping the women and children up. They began moving towards the bird, climbing up the ladder slowly.
Once they were all inside, they collapsed onto the floor of the bird. They were all exhausted from the mission.
"I wonder if Ray's wife went into labor yet," Sonny suddenly said as they flew towards the base.
"Maybe," Ray replied. "Hopefully not."
"Do you think we should tell him?" Sonny asked curiously.
"Why?" Jason replied. "She'll be fine."
"Yeah, but wouldn't he want to know?" Sonny replied back.
"No, let's just wait and see," Jason replied.
Sonny nodded his head in understanding. "Alright."
They landed at the base and were greeted by Davis and Blackburn.
Blackburn was staring at them in shock. "What happened?" he asked, looking at them all.
"We were ambushed," Jason replied as they all climbed off the bird.
"You were?" Blackburn replied in surprise. "We didn't hear anything on your radios."
"We weren't able to call for help," Ayush answered. "It happened too fast."
"Were you guys able to complete the mission?" Blackburn asked next.
Jason nodded his head. "We were," he replied.
Blackburn nodded his head in approval. "Good," he said. "Let's get you guys checked out then."
Davis moved forward with a medical bag. "I'll take care of them," he said as he began examining each member of the Bravo team for injuries. Ayush had none but he had taken some shrapnel in his leg. Davis was able to quickly treat it.
"We heard that you guys saved some hostages," Davis added as he continued to examine them.
"Yeah," Jason replied. "A bunch of kids and women."
"That's great!" Davis said with a smile. "You guys did good."
"Thanks," Sonny said, grinning back at him.
"Are there any other injuries?" Blackburn asked as he looked around at them.
Davis shook his head. "Just Ayush," he replied as he bandaged up Ayush's leg.
Blackburn nodded his head again in approval.
They all followed Davis towards the infirmary, talking about the mission with him. They could see that Davis was eager to hear about it. He rarely got to hear about their missions.
Ray's radio crackled to life suddenly and they heard a voice come through it. "Ray," the voice said.
"You're a dad."
"Congratulations," Jason said as Ray's face lit up. "Your wife gave birth to a little girl."
Ray began grinning widely as the other members of the Bravo began congratulating him as well.
Davis just smiled, shaking his head in amusement. He hadn't been able to tell him yet. He'd barely found out himself.
"Congratulations, Ray," Davis said, nodding his head in congratulations as well.
"Thanks," Ray said, still grinning. "Can I go see them?"
"I'll send someone with you," Blackburn said as he nodded his head.
They moved towards the infirmary and Davis handed them each a water bottle before handing them all pain pills.
"Take two," he instructed. "I'll get you guys something to eat."
They all nodded their heads and followed him into the infirmary. They collapsed down onto the beds and took the pills he handed them.
A few moments later, he returned with sandwiches and water bottles for each of them.
"Here you go," he said, handing them out. "Take your time eating and resting up."
They nodded their heads again in thanks and began eating. The Bravo team was finally getting to rest up after several missions back to back. They deserved it.
Davis moved over to Ray's bed and sat down beside him, waiting for him to finish eating. As soon as he did, Davis helped him up from the bed and they left towards the hospital to see Ray's new baby girl. They would all see her soon enough. They all were happy for their fellow brother. He deserved it after everything that had happened to him in the past.
They followed behind Davis as he led them into the hospital where Ray's wife was staying. They were stopped by a nurse who didn't want them to see her yet but Davis spoke up, telling them that they were okay.
The nurse nodded her head in agreement and they followed behind Davis, moving into the room where Ray's wife and baby girl were staying.
Ray hurried forward as soon as he saw his wife and baby girl. His wife was smiling as she cradled their baby girl in her arms.
"Hey!" she said as soon as she saw him. "You made it."
"Yeah!" Ray said as he leaned down, giving her a kiss. "How are you?"
"I'm great!" she said with a grin. "Meet your daughter."
Ray's eyes dropped down to the little baby girl who was swaddled in her arms. She had big blue eyes and dark hair. He grinned at her as she reached up a hand to him. He picked it up, giving it a kiss.
"She's so cute!" he exclaimed. "Thank you for giving me such a beautiful daughter."
His wife grinned at him. "No problem," she said, giving him another kiss. "I was happy to."
They stayed in the hospital with Ray and his wife, gazing at the little baby girl.
"She has your hair," Clay said, grinning as he gazed at her. "I knew she would."
Ray nodded his head in agreement as he gazed at his daughter in joy. They would all be good godfathers to her.
"We'll protect her," Ayush said softly. "For you."
Ray looked up and nodded his head in thanks as he hugged his wife again.
They stayed in the room with them until they were all ready to leave. The hospital wasn't very far away and they would return often to visit Ray's wife and daughter.
Ray's wife wasn't staying at the hospital for long and would be returning home soon enough.
They left with Ray as they all headed back towards the base. They walked in slowly, talking amongst themselves. They had just returned from a mission and were able to visit Ray's wife and new baby girl. It had been a great day. They would rest up now and return to the fight soon enough.
Jason stopped as soon as they reached the office to talk with Blackburn for a few moments. The rest of them continued on towards the locker room. They were ready to rest now after completing the mission and seeing Ray's baby girl. She was adorable. They were all happy for their fellow team member.
As they reached the locker room, Ayush stopped and looked around at the other members of his team. He had just saved their lives again. They stared back at him in gratitude.
"Thanks, Ayush!" Sonny said as he dropped down onto a bench. "You saved our lives again."
"No problem!" Ayush said with a grin as he dropped down on the bench beside him. "That's what brothers are for."
The rest of the members of the Bravo team nodded in agreement as they began changing into civilian clothes. They would rest for a while and then go out to celebrate the arrival of Ray's baby girl.
They were ready to celebrate now that they had completed the mission and seen the little baby girl. There was nothing better than protecting innocent lives and saving their fellow brother's lives. It was why they were SEALs.
As soon as they were done changing, they all headed towards the bar on base. It was one of the only places where SEALs could drink without being hassled by civilians.
They went inside, greeting everyone as they moved towards the bar.
"Two beers," Jason said as he placed several bills on the counter. "Please."
The bartender nodded his head and began pouring their beers immediately. The other members of the Bravo Team placed their orders as well. They wanted to celebrate and have fun now that the mission was over and Ray's baby girl had been born.
They took their beers and sat down at a table, grinning at each other in happiness.
"We did great," Sonny said with a nod as he took a swig of beer.
"Yeah!" Clay agreed as he took a drink of beer as well. "We did good!"
Ayush took a sip of his beer, smiling back at them in happiness. He was just glad that they all made it out alive.
They had all just saved innocent lives.
"We make a good team," Jason added as he took another swig of beer. "We have each other's backs no matter what."
"Yeah!" the rest of the Bravo team agreed with grins.
They sat in the bar, celebrating and having fun until they had to leave. They were all tired after the mission. It would be a while before they returned to action. They deserved the break.
Ayush walked back into his barracks, grinning in happiness. They had saved innocent lives and Ray's baby girl was adorable. He couldn't wait until he had a daughter of his own.
He dropped down onto his bunk and grinned to himself as he thought of the little baby girl that Ray had shown them. She had been adorable.
He turned his head and saw that Clay was awake as well.
"You're awake?" he asked as he rolled over, facing Clay.
"Yeah!" Clay replied with a nod. "Just thinking about something."
"About the mission?" Ayush asked, arching a brow at him. "Or about Ray's baby girl?"
"No," Clay replied as he shook his head. "Neither."
Ayush nodded his head in response as he closed his eyes. He knew that Clay would tell him when he was ready to talk about whatever it was. They were brothers and had each other's backs.
It wasn't long after that he fell asleep.
He had saved the lives of his fellow brothers again. There was no greater joy than that.
* * *
Bravo team had just returned from their last mission when they were called back into the office once again. This time, there was a new mission.
"I need Ayush for this one," Blackburn said as soon as the Bravo team had all returned to the office. "It's a solo op."
They all looked at each other in confusion.
"What's the mission?" Jason asked as he stared at Blackburn in confusion. "What's the op?"
"You'll need to listen to the briefing," Blackburn said. "The Chinese are moving troops into Afghanistan to aid the Russian government there."
"Is it a prisoner rescue mission?" Clay asked as he frowned. "Is that the op?"
"No," Blackburn replied. "It's not."
"Then what is it?" Sonny asked, frowning as well.
"A Russian scientist and his wife are trying to defect to the United States," Blackburn said.
"That's not new," Sonny said as he frowned harder. "There are defectors all the time."
"They have information that we need," Blackburn added.
"Information on what?" Ray asked, raising a brow.
"The Russian government," Blackburn replied as he began the briefing.
They all listened intently as he continued, speaking of the location and other important information. They all watched in silence as the video played, showing Ayush where he would be going in.
He listened carefully and watched the video intently. He was ready for whatever came his way.
He knew that he was strong and that he had beaten stronger and more dangerous men before. He would do it again and bring home the defectors and the information that they had.
He could sense the eyes of the Bravo team on him and looked up, nodding his head at them.
"I'm ready," he said confidently. "I'm ready to go in and extract them and get out."
"I know you are," Jason said confidently as he gave him a nod of agreement. "You're strong, Ayush."
"We've all got your back," Sonny agreed with a nod.
"I know," Ayush replied with a smile. "You'll all have my back."
"I'll send Clay with you to your jump point," Blackburn said. "But he's not going in with you. You're going in solo."
"Understood," Ayush agreed with a nod.
Clay nodded his head in agreement with him, smiling at Ayush.
"We'll have each other's backs," he said, repeating Ayush's words from earlier.
"We will," Ayush said as he grinned back at Clay.
* * *
Clay went with him to the plane and they both climbed aboard. He stayed with him in the plane until they reached the jump point.
"Good luck," he said as he shook Ayush's hand and gave him a clap on the back. "I've got your back."
"Thank you!" Ayush replied with a grin. "Goodbye."
"Goodbye!" Clay said as he moved to the side.
Ayush grinned one more time and then moved to the back of the plane, jumping out. The parachute opened and he drifted downwards towards the ground. He landed easily, his body taking the impact without any harm.
He immediately removed his parachute and threw it away, knowing that it was useless now. He turned and began moving towards where his target was supposed to be. They were Russian scientists, trying to defect to the US with important information about the Russian military.
The Russian government didn't like traitors and they would be sending soldiers to capture them or kill them. Ayush knew that he had to hurry if he was going to save them. He also knew that it was a dangerous mission and that the odds were against him but he wasn't going to let that stop him. He was going to save those Russian scientists and bring them home with their information.
He moved silently through the woods, keeping alert for any sign of enemy troops. There were none but that didn't mean much. The Russian government could be sending Special Forces in to take out the two Russians who had betrayed them and defecting to the other side. Ayush wasn't going to let them succeed and he was willing to die to save those who needed help. He was a SEAL and that's what SEALs did. They protected and served, no matter the cost.
It didn't take long for him to reach the house where the Russian scientists were supposed to be staying. He moved inside quickly, holding his pistol at the ready and pointing it towards any Russian soldiers who might be hiding in wait.
There were no soldiers waiting in ambush but there were three men waiting in the living room of the house. They were all carrying weapons but they didn't point them at Ayush as he appeared from out of nowhere. Instead, they dropped their weapons and raised their hands in surrender.
Ayush looked at them, confused.
"Where is he?" he asked, looking at the three men in front of him. "Where is the Russian scientist?"
"I don't know," one of the men answered as he lowered his hands to his side. "We are not the scientists."
"You are not?" Ayush asked, raising a brow as he holstered his pistol. "Then who are you?"
"Chinese soldiers," the second man answered. "We were sent to extract the two Russian scientists but they are gone."
"Where?" Ayush asked with a frown as he looked around the living room. "Where are they?"
"We don't know," the third man answered as he stepped forward. "They ran."
Ayush sighed as he raised his hands to his head, running them through his hair.
"You let them escape!" he snapped angrily. "What kind of soldiers are you?"
"We are the best Chinese soldiers!" the second man answered proudly.
Ayush shook his head and then moved forward, grabbing the first Chinese soldier by the throat.
"You are not Chinese soldiers!" he growled as he pulled out a knife from his boot. "You are Russian Spetsnaz!"
The Chinese soldier nodded his head quickly.
"We were sent in to capture them," he said. "We failed."
"I'm going to kill you!" Ayush threatened.
The other two Chinese soldiers didn't make a move to stop him or save their comrade.
"Do it," the second soldier said. "Kill him!"
Ayush frowned, confused for a moment before he realized what the second soldier had said. It was true that he wanted the first soldier dead but that was only because he had been sent to kill innocent lives and betray those who had trusted him and taken him in.
Ayush let the first Chinese soldier go and then grabbed the second soldier by his throat, holding the knife to it.
"You should be dead for what you've done," Ayush hissed as he looked into the eyes of the second Chinese soldier.
The third Chinese soldier still hadn't made a move to try and save his comrade's life. Ayush realized why and let go of the second Chinese soldier, turning towards the third one.
"You're not one of them, are you?" he asked.
The Chinese soldier shook his head.
"No," he said. "I am Chinese."
"Why are you with them?" Ayush asked as he looked at him in confusion.
"They took me from my home," the Chinese soldier answered. "I was forced to fight with them."
Ayush nodded and then turned back to the second Chinese soldier. He grabbed him by the throat once again, holding the knife to his neck.
"If you try anything, I will cut your throat," he threatened before turning back to the Chinese soldier.
He held out a hand to the Chinese soldier and waited for him to take it.
"Come on," he said softly. "I'll take you home."
The Chinese soldier smiled and nodded his head, taking Ayush's offered hand.
"Thank you," he said gratefully.
"Just remember the promise I made," Ayush added with a smile.
The Chinese soldier nodded his head again and then they all left the house together.
They moved quickly through the forest, moving towards the Afghan border. Ayush knew that they would have to move quickly if they were going to make it in time. The Russian soldiers had probably been sent after them. They would be close behind if they weren't already there.
Ayush stopped suddenly as he heard the sound of footsteps behind them. He turned, pulling out a pistol as he pointed it towards the incoming enemy. The first Russian soldier appeared, moving quickly towards Ayush. He immediately fired his pistol at the Russian soldier, hitting him in the head. He dropped immediately, dead.
The other Russian soldiers continued on, moving towards Ayush with pistols in their hands. He fired again and again, dropping several more Russian soldiers. He moved forward, using trees as cover as he fought his way through the Russian soldiers.
He was outnumbered but he was not going to lose. He had too much to lose if he did. He had two innocent lives counting on him to bring them home safely and that's exactly what he was going to do. He wasn't going to let anything happen to them, no matter what it took.
He fought his way through more Russian soldiers, killing them with his pistol until he was out of ammo. He dropped his pistol and then pulled out a knife, using it to kill any who came too close. He was stronger and faster than them and that meant he could beat them.
He fought through more and more Russian soldiers but they kept coming, more and more appearing every minute. Ayush kept fighting, knowing that he couldn't lose. He couldn't let the Russian soldiers win or they would capture the two defectors and bring them back home. It didn't matter if he died in the process of protecting them. That's what a SEAL did.
He fought for a long time, killing Russian soldier after Russian soldier. They kept coming and he kept fighting, determined to protect those who needed protection. He wouldn't stop, no matter what happened.
They fought through the day and into the night but Ayush didn't let up. He fought all day and all night until he reached the Afghan border. There was more Russian soldiers waiting on the other side and he fought through them as well, not stopping until he reached his helicopter and made it home.
He had succeeded and he was proud. He had protected those who needed his protection.
He had saved lives and he had done something good. He could be proud of that. He had been born to protect and that's exactly what he had done. He had fulfilled his purpose in life and he could go to heaven now.
* * *
Back at base, Clay was waiting anxiously for Ayush's return. He paced back and forth in the waiting room, waiting for news. It came several hours later as Ayush jumped out of the helicopter, waving to Clay.
Clay grinned, happy that Ayush had made it back home safely. He ran forward and immediately threw himself at Ayush, hugging him tightly.
"You're alright!" he said happily. "Thank god!"
"I'm fine," Ayush replied as he hugged him back tightly.
"I'm glad," Clay said as he pulled back, grinning at Ayush. "I'm glad you're alright."
"Me too," Ayush answered with a smile back. "I'm glad I'm alright."
"You were gone for a long time," Clay said, concerned. "We thought you might have been killed."
"I wasn't," Ayush said reassuringly. "I fought through their soldiers until I got the defectors home safely."
"You did?" Clay asked in surprise.
"Yes," Ayush answered as he nodded his head. "They are safe now."
"That's great!" Clay exclaimed excitedly.
"I know," Ayush agreed as he smiled once again. "It is great."
"We should tell the others," Clay said.
They immediately moved towards the team room where the other members of their team were waiting for Ayush to come back home.
"Hey, guys!" Clay called as they entered the room. "Ayush is home! He made it back safely!"
The team all immediately turned towards Ayush and broke into cheers, hugging him one by one in congratulations.
"We're glad you're okay!" Jason said as he clapped Ayush on the back.
"Thank you," Ayush replied with another smile. "I'm happy to be home."
"You're welcome," Jason said as they all moved back and took seats around the team room. "How was your mission?"
"It was dangerous," Ayush admitted as he took a seat as well. "They kept sending more soldiers after me."
"But you fought them all off and brought the defectors back," Jason said.
"I did," Ayush nodded.
"That's amazing!" Jason exclaimed. "Congratulations, Ayush! You saved lives today."
"Yes," Ayush smiled. "I did."
"That's what a SEAL does," Jason added. "A SEAL protects those who need protection."
"Yes," Ayush agreed. "That's right."
He knew that was true. He knew that was why he had been born. To protect those who needed his protection and to save innocent lives.