The Curvy Seal

Team

"I told her that she doesn't leave her area without her team!" CSM Jared Mitchel shouted over the coms. His daughter is missing! Left her squad to 'investigate' something or other and now she wasn't anywhere to be found.

"I know that sir. We didn't even know she had left." The sad irritated voice of her squad leader didn't ease Jared one little bit. He was angry now... but he knew that going home to tell his wife that their only daughter was missing. Again.

"Find her, and then put her on a plane home!" Jared ground out and felt his teeth tweak him. He opened his mouth, worked his jaw and started breathing deeply. His arm hurt and he reached out to rub it.

"Sir, we're in the middle of nowhere. She couldn't of gotten far. We will find her but we can't just put her on a plane. She is needed for this mission. She is-" A loud bang cut off the Commander and then there was another. And another.

And no response came. Jared moved to the screen of the drone over flight and saw that the infantry was blown up. The tents were ripped. Blood soaking the sand. Nothing recoverable. No one alive.

The other officers eyes were glued to the screen and only moved when the CSM hit the floor unconscious.

___________________________

"I don't care that he just finished his paper work! Pick his ass up and bring him here!" Jared shouted from his hospital bed. A major heart attack wouldn't stop him from getting one of his best officers reenlisted to do one more recovery op.

"Jared! You put that phone down and sit back!" The big bad Commander Sergeant Major winced at being caught by his wife. She had stepped out to make a call to her sister to help with the dogs and she was back sooner than he thought. 

"Dottie, there is something I need to handle." He told her asking her with his shaky hand to come closer.

"And what is more important than your health?" She asked taking his hand and rubbing as she glared at him. That glare... the one passed down to their daughter made him do things he normally shouldn't, or wouldn't do. Like tell his wife why he really had a heart attack.

"Our daughter wasn't there thought right?" She asked gripping his hand so tight he knew that she might be in the bed next to him if she passed out.

"No, she had snuck off." He told her and she nodded.

"Then she is alive." Dottie's words didn't soothe her nor her husband. But they both believed it. They knew it deep down that their little fighter was alive. They had to believe it. "And who were you calling?"

"Ryan Hill. He was in my last squad before I was moved up and out of the field. He went on to be a retrieval expert for the SEALs, too bad our daughter didn't get a chance to meet him. She would have learned how important it is to stay with her team." Jared shot out and leaned back.

"If she had been with her team... she would be coming home right now." Dottie whispered and squeezed his hand again. "We would be getting a coffin and not a hug." She hiccupped and coved her mouth with her hand.

"I know. For once I am glad she doesn't listen. But she will listen to Ryan. He won't take no for an answer." Jared was convinced that Ryan was there best bet. He had worked with the kid, he had trained him. He trusted him. He believed in him.

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Taking a bale of hay and tossing it in the back of his truck wasn't nearly as hard now that he had gained 70 pounds of muscle. Still made him sweat in the Tennessee heat.

"Ryan?" The sweet irritating voice of his little sister reached him as he tossed the 20th bale into the truck.

"Yes G?" He turned and wiped his forehead and crossed his arms facing her.

"You have a call inside. A CMS or SMC or what ever. Jared Mitchel." She said and she knew the look on his face meant it was serious. Gertie had barely seen her brother in the 9 years he had been in the military and he had slowly transformed into her brother again. Slowly. And this military man was going to make it slower.

"CSM." He nodded to her and then took off at a dead run the 400 feet to the house. The floor boards no longer creaked when he or his sister walked on it. The porch was now even, and the crop was almost done. Just needed a 10 minute drive to the third barn on the property.

"You got Ryan Hall." He knew the old phone might be heavy but it was as good as a new one. That was the only thing he planned on keeping in the house that didn't need to be repaired.

"Hall. This is Jared Mitchel."

"What can I do for you?" I asked moving to lean on the wall.

"I need your help." Desperation poured through the phone.

"I'm out sir." Ryan said respectfully before noticing his sister walk into .

"It's my daughter. I know you are out. I checked in on to see your file to help me. And your retirement isn't fulfilled just yet."

"Did your daughter get kidnapped?" Ryan didn't even know his old commander had a daughter. She must be one of those frilly girls who never wanted to visit the base.

"No, she ran off just before her entire squad was bombed. She's stranded with no way to contact a base."

"She's military sir?" Jared chuckled and loved to hear the genuine surprise in peoples voices.

"She's a SEAL." Ryan tried to think through all the women he taught evasive tactics to but a Mitchel never came up.

"I don't think I have met her sir. Shouldn't someone who knows who to look for handle finding her?"

"I have dozens of pictures of my little girl. What I need is a man who will find her, keep her safe, and bring her home." Ryan could make out a woman saying something before the kind of familiar voice of Dottie Mitchel came through the phone.

"Ryan? This is Dottie Mitchel. I don't know much about tactics and teams or squads or all that. But I know my husband. If he knows you can do this... then you can. He might move on to someone else if you absolutely refuse... but I will get on my knees and beg you myself to find our little girl. She's smart. She's courageous and resourceful but she can only last so long." Ryan couldn't say no if he wanted to. The woman was now crying and begging and if it was his sister, or daughter, or anyone else he would want the over qualified man to do it.

And Ryan Hall was that man.

Looking at Gertie he knew that he would have to explain it. She knew just by his face... and she was not happy.

"I need all the information sent to this number." Ryan heard his sister slam her door and pinched the bridge of his nose.

He heard Dottie's happiness and turned to his computer table to see the fax machine off. He turned it on and said his goodbyes and that he would see them when he was done review the file on the MIA.

He didn't receive a photo. He would have to get one from CSM Mitchel. But first... Gertie.