Chapter 39 - Grant Promotion
Los Angeles, California - February 2018
The plane landed gently at Los Angeles International Airport. The mood was mild, with the California sun shining hard on the city.
Grant descended from the plane carrying only a black tactical backpack. He wore a cap backwards, sunglasses, and a casual jacket that hid his athletic form. To anyone who looked at him, he just looked like another young man returning from a long trip. But in fact, he was now a sergeant of the most secret and lethal unity of the United States Army.
As he walked through the terminal, he took the phone and sent a quick message from the family group.
- "I landed. I get home in 40 minutes."
Almost instantly, he received an emoji from his mother's heart and a "we are waiting for you !!" of the little sister Lily.
He smiled. Even after all that had gone, coming home was still the best sensation in the world.
As soon as he parked the rented car in front of his parents' house, Grant took a deep breath before leaving. He knew that for his family every return of his was a huge relief.
Even before playing the bell, the door opened with everything and Lily ran to hug him.
- "Grant !!"
He held firmly to his little sister in the air and turned with her, laughing.
- "You grew up since the last time I saw you, huh?"
She smiled.
- "It's that you disappear for a long time!"
When he put Lily on the floor, Mitchell and Cam were already at the door, his eyes shining with happiness.
- "Son!" Mitchell hugged him hard, holding him for a few seconds. Even if Grant was a highly trained soldier, for his parents he was still their boy.
Cam entered the sequence, squeezing him tightly.
- "Oh, my God, look you! It seems stronger every time you come back!"
Grant laughed, feeling the warmth of the reception.
- "I'm just trying to keep fit."
Mitchell pulled him into the house, insisting that he drop his backpack and sit down. The table was already full of food - clearly they had prepared a special dinner.
- "Do you want to eat now or need to take a shower before?" Cam asked, already serving a portion of lasagna.
"Real, I think a shower first. I need to take the trip from me."
- "Sure, of course. Go there, and then we sit down to talk."
Grant took his backpack and climbed the stairs. It was good to be back.
After the shower and with more comfortable clothes, Grant went down the stairs and found the family already gathered at the table. Lily was beside him, while Mitchell and Cam looked at him with expectation.
- "Now yes! So, tell us everything!" - Mitchell said, taking his glass of wine.
Grant took a piece of lasagna and took a deep breath before speaking.
- "Well, I have some news ..."
Cam's eyes widened.
- "Good or bad news? Because I can't handle more scares, young!"
Grant laughed.
- "Relax, it's a good thing. I was promoted to Sergeant."
The silence lasted only two seconds before Cam beating his hands on the table, excited.
- "What?! This is amazing, Grant !!"
Mitchell smiled proudly.
- "Really? My God, son! This is a big step!"
Lily looked confused.
- "Does that mean you're like… soldiers chief now?"
Grant laughed.
- "Something like that. It means that now I have more responsibilities and a little more voice within operations."
Mitchell shook his head, still assimilating the information.
- "Son, do you know how impressive this is? Do you have, 24 now? And you are already Sergeant in a unit that can not even be mentioned?"
Grant shrugged, taking a sip of the beer Cam had put for him.
- "I just did my job. The team trusts me, and I think that's what it told."
Cam wiped a discreet tear in the corner of his eye.
"We're so proud of you, Grant. I can't even put it into words."
Mitchell nodded.
- "This is huge. But ... does that mean more dangerous missions?"
Grant was silent for a moment before answering.
- "Yes. But this is the work."
Lily looked at him, holding her hand.
- "Just promise you will always go back to us."
Grant squeezed her hand with a light smile.
- "I promise."
After dinner, while Mitchell and Cam were still busy in the kitchen, Grant took the phone and called Jay Pritchett.
The grandfather's voice answered after two touches.
- "Hello?"
- "Hey, Jay, it's me."
- "Grant! How is my favorite Ranger?"
Grant smiled.
- "Delta, Jay. I'm delta now, remember?"
Jay laughed.
- "Oh, yes, sorry. My Neto Badass from Delta Force. Better?"
- "Much better."
- "So why are you calling me? Okay?"
Grant took a sip of the beer and rested his feet on the coffee table.
- "I was promoted to Sergeant."
Jay was silent for a moment, then released a low whistle.
- "This is big, boy. I knew you would arrive far away, but I didn't expect it so fast."
- "I don't. But it happened."
- "That means more pressure. More responsibility."
- "I know."
Jay took a deep breath.
- "Are you ready for that?"
Grant smiled.
- "If there's one thing you taught me, Jay, we'll never retreat when such an opportunity appears."
Jay laughed.
- "Good boy."
The following days were of pure relaxation. Grant spent time with his family, went to Dunphy's house to see Claire, Phil, Alex, Luke and Haley, and took advantage of every moment possible from the intense army routine.
But he knew he would soon return to Fort Bragg. And that, now as Sergeant, expectations about it would be even higher.
As he looked at the sunset of Los Angeles, sitting on the porch of his parents' house, he knew that the path he chose was not easy. But he didn't regret anything.
The clearance was not over yet. But the next mission was already waiting for him.
Chapter 40 - A New Role
Fort Bragg, North Carolina - March 2018
The sky was cloudy that cold morning in North Carolina. The smell of the damp land and the newly cut grass hovered as Grant walked through the Delta Force barracks in Fort Bragg.
He wore a black tactical uniform without insignia or any identification. Delta Force did not care about military formalities - what mattered was competence and confidence among operators.
That morning Grant was not just another operator. Now he was a team leader.
He had recently been promoted to Sergeant (E-5), and with this position came a new responsibility: he would now command a group of operators in high-risk missions.
As he entered the meeting room, he felt the eyes of some veterans on him. Many of the guys had over a decade of experience, while he had been in the unit just over a year.
But no one questioned his ability.
He had proved in combat, led successful missions, and gained respect for his companions.
At the bottom of the room, Major Donovan, one of C Squadron's commanders, was standing next to a white board with maps from Syria and Iraq.
- "Good morning, gentlemen." Donovan started, his firm and straightforward voice.
The group responded in unison, some just waving with their heads.
Donovan looked straight at Grant.
-"Sergeant Tucker-Pritchett, congratulations on the promotion."
- "Thank you, sir."
Major nodded, taking a marker to point on the map.
-"Now that you are in charge of a team, we want to put it to lead a team in your first major test. It will be an infiltration mission in northern Iraq. You and your men will work directly with Cia and Special Air Service British units."
Grant kept his posture firm, absorbing each word.
- "Understood. What's the goal?"
Donovan crossed his arms.
- "Identify and, if possible, neutralize an ISIS cell that is regrouping foreign combatants in the region. This cell is responsible for recent attacks on allied forces."
Grant nodded.
- "How many operators on my team?"
- "Five, including you. Two gunmen, an explosive expert, a communications operator and a combat doctor. All with experience."
Grant analyzed mentally. A small but extremely lethal team. It was the pattern for Tier One operations.
Donovan looked at him directly.
- "This means that the responsibility is yours, Sergeant. You make decisions on the ground. Your team will look at you when the situation squeezes."
Grant felt the weight of the moment. Being an operator already required an absurd level of preparation. Being a leader, then meant carrying the lives of men under his command.
But he was ready.
- "When do we leave?"
- "In 72 hours."
After the meeting, Grant went to the training area, where his team was already waiting for him.
He recognized everyone there. Highly experienced men, veterans of various secret operations around the world.
- "Cine!" One of the operators called, referring to the nickname Grant had earned from his time in the Rangers.
Grant smiled.
- "So, gentlemen. Looks like we're going to work together now."
The men nodded, some smiling. Even with years of experience, respect was conquered with actions, not words.
Grant took a deep breath and started talking.
- "Let's go straight to the point. This mission will not be easy. Our goal is to identify and eliminate an ISIS cell in northern Iraq. Let's work in conjunction with CIA and SAS. This means we will need to be extremely discreet."
The men nodded.
- "I know I'm the youngest on this role, but you can be sure of one thing: I'm not here to play. I'm going to take care of you, and I hope the same of you with me."
The explosive expert, a guy named Watkins, smiled.
- "Cine, if there is one thing we know about you, is that you know what you are doing. We are with you."
The other men agreed.
Grant smiled. He could feel that the team was ready.
Now it was a matter of preparing everything before the mission.
The 72 hours flying.
Grant and his team spent the days testing equipment, reviewing tactics and studying the maps of the region. Every detail mattered.
In the night before the match, Grant was sitting on the edge of the bed in the accommodation, checking for the thousandth time his rifle HK416 and his Glock 19 pistol.
He took his cell phone and saw a message from Mitchell.
- "Good luck, son. No matter where you are, we will always be waiting for you back."
Grant smiled.
- "I always come back."
He hung up the phone and took a deep breath.
Tomorrow, he would leave to lead his first mission.
And failing was not an option.
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