Fic: Underneath it all
Title: Underneath it all
Fandom: The Losers
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: None, Jensen and Cougar friendship
Spoilers: None
Timeline: Pre movie
Disclaimer: These men are not mine. No money being made
Warnings: Mentions off screen sexual assault
A/N: Big thanks to katemonkey for her advice and assistance.
Summary: In a world where the best and brightest are owned by big corporations, very wealthy individuals, or the military, Jake Jensen meets his new team.
Jensen shivered in the cold air as his two guards ‘escorted’ him to a warehouse and his new assignment. He’d been with the guards for two days and learned very quickly to cut out the smart remarks. He hated the way they looked at him, undressing him with their eyes. He knew in his gut that if he’d had to spend more time with them, one of them would have went for it. Everyone knew the rule of ‘no touching the tech’ was conveniently overlooked as tech went from owner to owner.
Just like giving your tech over to your friends to pay a poker debt was ignored. He’d been General Grayford’s pet tech for five years. But one night with no warning he’d been used to pay the General’s poker debts. Afterwards the General arranged to have Jensen shipped halfway across the world to some top secret team.
Jensen figured he’d die on some mission and be buried in an unmarked grave. That was fine because he already had his revenge. In six months all the General’s underhanded dealings would be released onto the internet.
His hand tightened on his backpack as one of the guards opened a door. Inside, four men lounged in deceptive casualness. Jensen studied each one, trying to figure out which one was the boss. There was a guy with a scar on his face, another guy with a bald head, and a long haired guy with a hat pulled halfway down over his face.
The fourth guy was looking at him, studying him back, brown eyes, dark hair, dark beard just beginning to go a little grey. Yeah, Jensen thought, this was the leader. The others were all dangerous looking bad asses, but this one had something extra.
One of his guards cleared his throat nervously and gestured with his clipboard. “I need a signature.”
Dark hair got up and scribbled his name on some papers. The guard gave him a copy and both left quickly. Jensen watched the door close before he cleared his throat and looked back at the group of men all studying him as if they were figuring out the best way to kill him and hide his body. He gave the group a small nod and tried to smile before looking at the man standing in front of him, a frown on his face.
“Hey. Um, are you my new guardian?”
The man looked him up and down and Jensen began to sweat. Then the guy spoke, rough voice grumbling out of his mouth.
“Something like that, kid. The papers said you had triple class tech ratings?”
Jensen laughed and relaxed a little. “Yeah, I mean, yes sir, I do. I’ll need a few things once you explain what you want me to do.”
The man stuck his hand out. “I’m Colonel Franklin Clay.” He gestured at the group. “The man with the hat on is Cougar, he does our sniper work. That guy with the bald head is Pooch, he’s our driver and gets us any big weapons we might be lusting over. The pissed off looking guy is Roque. He likes to make things go boom.”
Jensen shook the Colonel’s hand and nodded at them. He’d never really worked with a team before, unless ordered. Back then, he still belonged to the General so the chain of command wasn’t confusing. This Colonel guy was in charge, but they were a team and teams did all kinds of stuff together. He had to know. He leaned in closer and tried to whisper though he knew the other guys could probably still hear him.
“Sir, do I have to service the entire team, or just you?”
He wanted to take a step back as four pairs of eyes pinned him in place. He swallowed nervously and put a mental stranglehold on his mouth. He wanted to apologize or say it was okay, all four were no problem, but it would be a problem. He looked down at his feet and hated that he’d looked down at all.
A quiet “fuck,” almost made him flinch, but it did make him look back up. He met the Colonel’s eyes and felt his face go hot at the look of pity and anger on the man’s face.
“Who’d you belong to kid?”
“General Davis Grayford.”
One of the guys at the table muttered something that sounded like ’asshole’ and it had the other two nodding their heads in agreement.
“Why’d he give you up?”
Jensen wished he’d kept his mouth shut. He didn’t want to give the reason. Then this guy would just see him as some ‘useless slut‘, the General’s words still ringing in his ears. The bruises on his body were nearly gone and the hard slap that had knocked him down in front of a platoon of men had barely left a mark. Not one that could be seen.
His hand tightened on the backpack, and he suddenly didn’t care anymore. His life hadn’t been his since he was seven years old. What difference did it make? He knew a special ops group when he saw one. They weren’t called ‘the walking dead’ for nothing. They’d all die on some mission soon, which is probably why the General sent him out here.
He cleared his throat and straightened up. “The General had poker debts, sir. He decided I’d make good payment to his three friends.” Jensen kept his gaze on the back wall. “Afterwards, he didn’t want me around anymore. I’m sure my transfer papers say different but that’s the truth. Could you answer my question, sir?”
The Colonel studied him for another few moments before sighing and running a hand through his hair. “None of us, kid…Jensen. That’s not what we need. Though one of us will have to mark you. Places we go, they find out you’re a tech, they’ll snatch you if you don’t have anything skin wise saying you belong to someone who will do serious damage to get you back.” He gestured at the empty chair sitting closer to the other men. “Sit down and we’ll talk, then you can tell us what you need so we can complete the mission.”
Jensen didn’t try and look the others guys in their eyes, afraid he’d see the same pity he’d seen in the Colonel’s eyes. Maybe they were all abolitionists. Jensen had never met one, but he knew they existed. He’d been raised in a mostly military setting and the military didn’t talk about the fair treatment of those owned because of their test scores.
He didn’t believe the Colonel about no one messing with him. Maybe they just wanted him relaxed and then one of them would say something, or offer him something in exchange for a blowjob or one of them would just drop the pretense and bend him over. He’d stay alert and when one of them showed their true colors he’d roll over like a good little tech and start planning his revenge.
The Colonel pulled out blueprints to a compound. Jensen leaned in and listened as the Colonel pointed to spots on the blueprint where they needed bugs or a computer hacked.
Jensen didn’t outright argue but he did give his opinion and didn’t try to backtrack while the Colonel thought about his advice and then asked him detailed questions. After an hour he knew what he needed and the Colonel told him they’d go get it in the morning.
“Okay, which one of us is going to do the deed?”
Jensen kept silent as the team looked at each other before looking back at their boss. The Colonel shook his head. “I put my mark on him, he might become more of a target just because some assholes can‘t resist a challenge.”
Pooch shook his head. “Not me. He’d have to go home with me on breaks wouldn’t he? Jolene will skin me alive if I come home with him.”
They all looked at Roque who stared back before barking out a laugh. “Yeah, right. Do I look like a babysitter?”
The team turned to Cougar and he tipped his hat back and stared at Jensen before tipping his hat back down over his eyes and shrugging his shoulders. That seemed to mean yes and the Colonel nodded his head. “Okay, that’s settled. Do it tonight, because it’ll need a few days to heal.”
Everyone went their own way while Jensen sat there and watched Cougar disappear into a room only to come back out in a few seconds with a thin piece of wire. He gestured for Jensen to follow him and they ended up in a small kitchen. Jensen began to get a clue when Cougar cut the wire into two pieces and began to twist. Jensen figured the first wire was going to be shaped like the letter ’C’ and he turned out to be right.
Jensen drew in a shaky breath and let it out. “Question, what happens when I get transferred? My next guardian isn’t going to be happy I have someone else’s mark on me.”
Cougar turned the gas stove on and took the other piece of wire and a pair of pliers and began to twist it. The letters were smaller but Jensen clearly saw the word ‘cougar’ slowly form.
“You will not be transferred again.” He kept working with the wire, going back to straighten something and then bend it again. “Take off your shirt.”
Jensen took his shirt off and tried not to shiver. The kitchen was cold but the thought of being branded like cattle made his stomach churn. Brown eyes studied his chest before Cougar looked down to finish his work.
Jensen frowned. “Why will I not be transferred again?”
Cougar shrugged and said, “None of us will be transferred again.”
Jensen eyed the door and knew his chance of actually getting out the door and escaping were nil. These guys didn’t play and if he pissed them off they might just shoot him and leave his body behind to rot. He glanced at Cougar and found the other man watching him, no emotion visible on his face. The first wired brand was glowing hot in the dancing flame of one of the stove’s burners.
Jensen stayed still when his neck was carefully cleaned along with a spot above his heart. Cougar’s hand was warm on the side of his head as he pressed the first brand into Jensen’s neck. The sizzle of flesh was drowned out by Jensen’s yell. His body instinctively tried to move and get away from the pain. Cougar used his own body to press him tight against the counter. It was over pretty quick, but Jensen hurt and the knowledge that another brand was waiting only made him nauseous.
Cougar picked the second brand up and Jensen closed his eyes. It didn’t stop the pain as it was placed against his chest. He sensed the brand being removed but his body throbbed with pain and adrenaline. He opened his eyes and stared down at the elegant looking script spelling out ‘Cougar’ on his chest. Then he turned and threw up in the sink. Once he was done, he turned on the water and washed out his mouth.
The pain spread from his neck and chest until his whole upper body felt like it was on fire. Cougar was waiting patiently, two cloth covered ice packs in his hands. Jensen let him apply the ice packs and just tried not to throw up again. After a few minutes Cougar took the ice packs away and pulled out a jar. He applied something cool and white to the burns before covering them with a bandage.
Through the pain, Jensen stayed quiet and tried to remain still. He followed Cougar across the warehouse and found his backpack on a cot next to a wall. He sat down and took the pills Cougar gave him. Jensen studied Cougar since he now had the man’s name on his body.
“Not a big talker, hunh?”
Cougar shook his head. “Lie down. I will wake you for dinner.”
Jensen kicked his shoes off, knowing that without the drugs he’d be too nervous to sleep. Since lying on his stomach was out of the question, he opted for lying on his back. He was somewhere new with men that looked more dangerous than any he’d ever seen. His eyes grew heavy despite his wishes.
Someone touched him and Jensen woke with a jerk that set off an amazing amount of pain on his newly burned skin. Cougar studied him for a moment and Jensen wondered what he saw; a slave dependant on him and the rest of the team? Someone who came with a unwanted set of responsibilities in addition to ones he already had?
Whatever he saw he kept it to himself and Jensen appreciated that and at the same time resented it. He was seen by many as a tool and treated as such for most of his life. He’d done what many very smart people did and kept the self awareness that all this was wrong to himself. Emotions gave him clues and helped him figure out how to play this guy and the others. It was just his luck to get the guy that didn’t reveal shit.
Dinner turned out to be chicken and rice. It was pretty good and when he said so, Clay smirked and said, “Roque’s an excellent cook.”
Jensen glanced at the man and quickly nodded before looking away. That was a scary looking guy and based on his experience with other military men, the scary looking ones were always pretty fucking scary. He managed to eat a little more before the pain became too much and he had to put the bowl down.
He looked up and met Cougar’s eyes. No one paid attention as Cougar got up and gestured for Jensen to follow him. In the bathroom, Cougar lifted up the bandages and then gave Jensen more pain pills. These wouldn’t make him as drowsy. Jensen searched for something to say or do. He zeroed in on something most soldiers seemed to have in common.
“Want to play some cards?”
Cougar nodded and Jensen followed the sniper back to the area all the men seemed to be sharing. They had this big warehouse but there were really no rooms to give you some privacy. He spotted the other cots, all spread out at different points around the room. There was a table and chairs set up a little way from where the Colonel and the others were all reminiscing about something.
~
Cougar pulled out a pack of cards and offered the deck to Jensen. The young man that now bore his name on his body took the cards and expertly shuffled them.
“Gin?”
Cougar shrugged in affirmation. That was fine with him. It would give him time to study the newest member of their team. He’d watched him earlier while he was asleep and he’d looked so peaceful except for the occasional movement that made him frown with pain.
When the boss had told them they were getting some tech help on this mission they’d all figured it’d be the usual stuff where they got some guy telling them stuff over a secure radio line or camera feed. Clay said no, they’d be getting there very own genius hacker and Pooch had whistled and said. “That must have cost you some favors.”
Clay shrugged and told them not as many as he’d expected so something else was probably going on. Soon after they met Jensen, they’d found out. Cougar’s first thought had been about how young the kid looked. His second thought was how scared he’d looked. When he’d asked about ’servicing’ them he’d been as pissed as Clay had looked.
Cougar had never spent a lot of time around techs. Most people thought they had it easy, brains equaled a cushy life being taken care of. He didn’t know how it went out in the world, but military techs were rumored to be geniuses at their jobs and in the bedrooms. He’d never had reason to talk to one but he’d seen them from time to time on bases all around the world.
They didn’t look miserable but what did he know? Cougar figured getting gangbanged because your guardian said so was really shitty and it made him think of all the other people out there with nowhere to go. He took the cards dealt him and waited for Jensen to go first. The desire to flee that had flashed across the younger man’s face right before he’d branded Jensen made Cougar wonder something, so he decided to ask.
“You ever run?”
Jensen looked at him and frowned. “You mean like jog?” Cougar shook his head.
Jensen smirked and crinkled his nose. “Oh, you mean run from my pampered life of luxury and security? No, I never tried. I started my training when I was seven. There were a few that tried.”
He shrugged and Cougar waited for him to finish. Jensen picked a card.
“Punishment detail didn’t happen often but it was memorable. They figured a few of the really stubborn ones didn’t need feet or legs to do whatever had been decided that they’d do. After seeing something like that and told over and over how Uncle Sam is just taking care of you, how unsafe it is out there in the world, you fall in line.”
Jensen laid down a card and coughed. “Are you all abolitionists?”
Cougar picked up a card and tossed one down. “No, never really thought about it before.”
He ignored Jensen studying him like he was under a microscope. The kid, and he wasn’t really a kid, but damn if he didn’t seem like he needed protection, had been thrown into a new situation so of course he needed to try and get a feel for the guys around him. He’d need more than his first impression which was probably; scary guys with big guns.
Jensen picked up a card. “Why ask me if I’d ever tried to run? I mean, I don’t plan on running so if you were worried about that, don’t be, though how can you trust anything I say since you don’t know me? But I don’t know any of you either and the whole, ‘no sex’ thing is frankly freaking me out. I know one of you will do something and I’d really just like to get it over with.”
Cougar stared at him, amazed that all of that had come out in one breath. He’d wanted to laugh until Jensen mentioned the sex part. How could he get it through the tech’s head that none of them were going to be coming to him for that? Cougar figured he’d just have to keep telling him until he believed it.
“We’re not going to force you.”
Jensen nodded as if he understood, but his next words showed Cougar that he didn’t. “What if I ask? I mean, is that what you like? Do you want me to beg?”
Cougar hoped he hid his shock well. It never occurred to him that Jensen would want to have sex with one of them after he’d told them about the General. Cougar wasn’t going to lie to himself, Jensen was very handsome. Cougar wondered if Jensen would beg and hoped he would not.
Blue eyes were studying him intensely and suddenly Cougar got it. Power. Jensen had none but if one of them used his body, something that was more concrete than his tech skills, then Jensen gained some sort of power. It wouldn’t be a lot but it had the potential to become more. Cougar felt sorry for him, but made sure nothing showed on his face. He sighed and picked up another card. “We will not touch you. If you ask me or one of the other guys, it will still not happen.”
Jensen didn’t say anything but he seemed to relax. Cougar knew it’d take time for him to actually believe him but patience was a big part of being a sniper, so he didn’t mind.
They ended up playing another game before Pooch came over and got in on the third game. Jensen laughed at a story Pooch told about him and Jolene trying to have a picnic and having mother nature turn against them.
The next day, Cougar escorted Jensen around the base to pick up a computer and some other supplies. He watched the other soldiers look at Jensen and either ignore him or leer at him. Some were smarter and stopped once they saw Cougar. The Losers had a certain reputation that was whispered about on bases and in barracks. No one wanted to get on their bad side.
Once Cougar got Jensen squared away, he took him back to their barracks and then left out to run his own errands. When he got back, Jensen was busy on his laptop clacking away at something. Pooch met his eyes and made a subtle gesture with his head. Cougar headed for the kitchen and Pooch followed. He scratched his head and sighed. “Jensen kinda made a pass at me while you were gone.“
Cougar nodded. He figured Jensen would test someone sooner rather than later and Pooch looked the most harmless out of all of them. Pooch continued. “I told him no and laughed it off but man, if he does that to Roque, Roque’s either going to hit him or take him up on the offer.“
Cougar wished Jensen had come with a manual. “He thinks one of us will hurt him and seeks to get it over with. I will talk to him again.”
Pooch nodded and grabbed a bag of chips. He started to make a sandwich. “Yeah, I got that and it’s fucked up. I always thought techs had it nice, you know?”
Cougar agreed and made a sandwich for himself and Jensen, not sure if the tech knew he could come in and eat what he wanted. When he handed him the sandwich a few minutes later, Jensen smiled and ate it one-handed.
Later that night, after Jensen was asleep from his pain pill, Cougar talked to the Colonel and Roque. Roque made a weird face as if disgusted. “Hey, I like a good time as much as the next person but I’d never tell him yes. I don’t understand why people don’t get that tech slaves are dangerous. I knew this guy in special ops, he attacked a couple of techs. Thought they were his for the taking. He was killed in an ‘elevator malfunction.’”
The Colonel nodded his head. “Yeah, I’ve heard some stuff over the years too. Even without that, I’m not going to take him up on the offer, or get mad. Do you want me to talk to him?”
Cougar shook his head. Clay grinned and patted him on the shoulder like a proud daddy. “I knew you’d look after him.”
Roque smirked and Cougar beat a hasty retreat before the SIC could start teasing him.
~
Jensen was sure he was in some sort of weird dream. These guys didn’t stare at him and make lewd suggestions. They didn’t seem to be watching him to see if he made the slightest mistake and use it as an excuse to ‘punish’ him. No one would dare disobey a four star General and force him, but there were a lot of things that could be done before that line was crossed.
Cougar didn’t give him any rules and Jensen felt like he was free falling when he wasn’t in pain from the brands. He decided to just do things the way he’d always done them and see if that worked. He did his work and played on his laptop and studied the others, trying to catalog strengths and weaknesses. When Cougar left him alone for the first time, Jensen had approached Pooch and used shy and sweet to offer him a blowjob.
Pooch had just stared at him before shaking his head and walking away, a mumbled ‘no, no, I’m good,” trailing out behind him.
It took him three days to approach Clay. Shy and sweet wasn’t going to do it with this man, but Jensen thought a little ‘you’re so wise and have so much on your shoulders, let me relax you’ might work or maybe some ‘I need a strong older man, a daddy, to take care of me.’ He’d done it all with the General so if one scenario didn’t work he’d try the other.
Jensen caught Clay alone and sat near him to talk about explosives and guns because these guys were really into their work and seemed to like making shit go boom. He smiled to himself when he finally got to rub his hand up and down Clay’s arm and say, “You’re really tense. If you want I can give you a great massage.”
He kept the smile on his face even when Clay stopped talking and studied him like some specimen under a microscope. Jensen thought he’d won when Clay brushed a hand over Jensen’s jaw, his thumb briefly running over Jensen’s lips.
“That’s not going to happen. You don’t have to relax any of us, k?”
Jensen had withdrawn his hand and looked down at the floor. He’d nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. Clay’s tone had said he was telling the truth and Jensen wanted to believe that so bad, to feel safe and know he didn’t have to scramble and make sure he wouldn’t be hurt if these men wanted more.
Later he saw Cougar watching him and he plastered on a smile and chattered about comics until Cougar stopped.
Five days later, Jensen went for Roque. He figured he should go for blunt and in your face. From what he’d observed the man had little room for bullshit. Jensen ran into him in the kitchen late at night and let it show that he’d planned it that way.
“You look like a man that wants to fuck. How about it?”
Roque had shook his head and skirted around him as if Jensen were a grenade. “Yeah, no thanks, J. I know you and kinda respect the whole big brain thing, but I‘m not looking for a fuck buddy.”
Jensen was trying to decide how he felt about strike four, when Roque paused and stepped back into the kitchen. His hand disappeared into his shirt and came back out with a pocket knife. He handed it to Jensen and folded his hand around Jensen’s before letting go.
“Any fucker tries to make you get on your knees or bend over, you pull this.” He looked at Jensen’s unsure grip, and smiled. “Me and Cougs will teach you how to use it.”
Jensen gave him a tentative smile and waited until Roque left the kitchen. Then he got something to drink and wondered why anyone carried a knife on them while in their pajamas. Back in his bed, he lay there with his eyes closed. He knew Cougar was awake and probably watching him but for the first time he didn’t feel like Cougar was figuring on when to make a move.
He felt protected.
~
The next two weeks were busy. Their last mission had been scrubbed and they were stuck on base due to a ’situation’ developing where their particular skills might be needed.
Cougar figured things out about Jensen without a manual. Cougar discovered that Jensen liked to talk. And talk some more. Cougar didn’t stop him and soon the rhythm and tone of Jensen’s voice soothed him and gave him clues about the way Jensen’s brain worked.
He’d done well with the knife Roque had given him and once he got over his hesitation, he got pretty good. Cougar figured Roque was already planning to teach him more with different kinds of knives.
Cougar wanted to teach Jensen to handle a gun since he’d never had training. Clay told him to show him a few things but he wouldn’t be able to take him to the shooting range. That part would have to wait until they were out alone on a mission somewhere. Cougar showed him how to clean and put a series of guns back together. Once the brands were healed, Cougar started a physical regimen for Jensen that included lifting weights and other types of exercise.
The tech took to it like a duck to water. Over the next few months, before missions or right after, while they were waiting for pickup, he’d find a deserted field somewhere and teach Jensen to shoot and handle different types of guns. Cougar figured if he got caught, he and the team would be in big trouble because giving a slave such a blatant way to defend himself was probably a big no.
Cougar didn’t care. Jensen was his and he would not have him ignorant of all the ordinance they used. What if something happened and Jensen was the only one that could help them? What if he needed to protect himself? He’d deal with the fall out if it happened. Pooch joined them for lessons sometimes and Clay and Roque would offer suggestions or tell stories about people they knew and the weapons that had saved or failed them over the years.
Jensen still had his laptop and two other computers crowded around him at various times of the day and night, but he started to look happier and healthier. He bulked up some but still seemed skinny and geeky most of the time. The military provided some basic clothes for the tech but Cougar took him shopping and let him buy what he wanted. Most times he wanted colorful tee shirts and jeans. One day Jensen asked for Cougar’s credit card to buy something online and smirked after Cougar handed it over. “I have the number memorized but asking seemed more polite.”
Two days later a series of shirts were delivered along with a leather cowboy hat. Jensen gave it to him and shrugged at the puzzled look Cougar sent his way. “Backup hat in case you lose yours.” He tapped his temple. “Always have a back up hat, Cougs. Might not be able to find the perfect hat right away if something happens to the one you already own.”
Cougar studied the hat, the rich leather smell enticing him to take off his usual hat and try this one. It felt better than his original hat so he kept the new one on his head and ignored Jensen’s blush of happiness.
Six months later
Jensen stayed still and tried to look harmless. These assholes had grabbed him in the alley. They must have known he had a habit of going out back to get some fresh air. He tried to ignore the wet sticky blood on the side of his head. There were three men and one of them kept looking at him and muttering to one of the others. Jensen decided to call him Fred because he looked like Fred Flintstone.
A kissing noise made Jensen look at the man coming out of the kitchen. He held a sandwich out at Jensen and waved it back and forth.
“Techie want a sandwich? It’ll cost you a kiss.”
Jensen resisted rolling his eyes at the guy and tried to look more scared than he actually was. The last six months had proved that Cougar and the rest of the team considered him one of them. At first, yeah, he thought he was just their property, but none of them treated him like that. He was more like the little brother or the team mascot, which beat being the team bicycle.
He’d also learned that Clay’s merry band of misfits bled for each other and would do the same for him. This was the first time someone had actually had the nerve or stupidity; he studied Fred and the others, definitely stupidity, to actually kidnap him. He didn’t move when the sandwich wielding guy came closer and pushed his head to the side. Jensen could feel him staring at the ‘C’ branded on his neck.
Sandwich guy beckoned at one of the other guys, the Tony Montana wanna be. “He’s got a brand.”
Jensen didn’t move as Tony Jr. came closer and studied him. He stifled a gasp when Tony pulled out a knife and cut open his shirt. They all stared at his other brand. Jensen had gotten used to them and being around military people, no one really looked at them or him twice. He liked that his friend’s name could inspire such fear.
“Cougar? Who the fuck is that?”
Fred came closer and they all stood around him like at any moment the answer would pop up over his head in a cartoon bubble. Jensen looked briefly at Scarface 2.0. He was sucking on a toothpick and there was a flash of worry in his eyes. His voice was scratchy.
“I’ve heard stories of a man named Cougar. He kills from far away. They say he’s killed over a hundred men.”
Jensen had no idea how many people Cougar had killed. “Latino guy, long hair, always wears a cowboy hat?” Now the other guys looked worried. Jensen shook his head and made a ‘tsk tsk’ sound. “I keep telling him he needs to keep count but he says that quantity doesn‘t matter.”
He blinked at them and widened his eyes like he’d just thought of something. “You think he might be a little pissed you took me? I mean he did put his name on me.” Jensen smiled the most insincere smile he could dredge up. “You should probably stay away from any windows.”
Sandwich guy muttered something and moved, fist raised. Tony Jr. grabbed his hand. Sandwich guy glared at all of them. “That guy is a myth. This fucker belongs to us now and he’s going to hack those banks and get us all that sweet, sweet money.”
The guy that Jensen expected to say ‘yabba dabba doo’ at any moment nodded. “Yeah. Ain’t no way this guy belongs to anyone important.”
Jensen saw the moment their leader gave in to his greed. “Information will be here in an hour. You do this for us and maybe we won’t pimp you out to half the cartels, understand?”
Jensen nodded and flexed his wrists against the rope binding him. “Whatever, you dumb fucks.” His smart remark got him a backhanded slap across his face. The slap was still echoing around them when sandwich guy’s head disappeared in a spray of blood and bone. The other guys yelled while Jensen’s chair tipped over from the force of the slap.
He blinked as the body fell near him. There was blood on Jensen’s shirt and he tried to move away from more coming his way. Fred went running for the door and went down as a bullet took out one of his legs. Jensen figured they wanted someone left alive to question. Al Pacino 2.0 dived behind a couch, his gun drawn. He looked around frantically before setting his eyes on Jensen.
Jensen shook his head and tried to talk around the pain in his jaw. “Don’t point…” The gun moved to aim at him just as something threw the guy back against the wall. Jensen saw the light go out of his eyes.
Then there was only Fred crying and gasping until the door was blown off the hinges. Clay was the first through the door. Roque followed him while Pooch entered last. Clay didn’t pay attention to the bodies, just searched the other rooms while Roque covered him. Pooch came for him and pulled him back up, chair and all. His knife appeared and Jensen was loose, his arms protesting their sudden freedom.
Jensen’s face hurt and his shirt was tattered and soaked in blood that wasn’t his. His team, his team, had come for him and while he’d known they would, it still shocked him. Cougar came in just as Jensen was taking off his ruined shirt and Pooch was handing him one of his. Cougar looked around before he moved closer and studied Jensen’s face and chest. A gloved thumb wiped a smear of blood off the brand on his chest and Jensen laughed. “You possessive fucker.”
Cougar smirked and Pooch shook his head. Jensen slung a hand around Cougar’s shoulders as Cougar led him out. “I am starving! I want a steak, steak and a baked potato, no!, no!, some fries. I love fries.”
Jensen knew he’d get his steak and some dessert before being debriefed. An assignment had probably come in while he’d been away so he’d take a look at it tonight. Cougar would be a little more vigilant with him while the others would watch and try to subtly do the same. He’d never dreamed he could have this but he did have it and he’d hold onto it like a greedy son of a bitch. He still hated being a tech slave but there was no other place he’d rather be than right here.
End
Fandom: The Losers
Rating: NC-17
Pairings: None, Jensen and Cougar friendship
Spoilers: None
Timeline: Pre movie
Disclaimer: These men are not mine. No money being made
Warnings: Mentions off screen sexual assault
A/N: Big thanks to katemonkey for her advice and assistance.
Summary: In a world where the best and brightest are owned by big corporations, very wealthy individuals, or the military, Jake Jensen meets his new team.
Jensen shivered in the cold air as his two guards ‘escorted’ him to a warehouse and his new assignment. He’d been with the guards for two days and learned very quickly to cut out the smart remarks. He hated the way they looked at him, undressing him with their eyes. He knew in his gut that if he’d had to spend more time with them, one of them would have went for it. Everyone knew the rule of ‘no touching the tech’ was conveniently overlooked as tech went from owner to owner.
Just like giving your tech over to your friends to pay a poker debt was ignored. He’d been General Grayford’s pet tech for five years. But one night with no warning he’d been used to pay the General’s poker debts. Afterwards the General arranged to have Jensen shipped halfway across the world to some top secret team.
Jensen figured he’d die on some mission and be buried in an unmarked grave. That was fine because he already had his revenge. In six months all the General’s underhanded dealings would be released onto the internet.
His hand tightened on his backpack as one of the guards opened a door. Inside, four men lounged in deceptive casualness. Jensen studied each one, trying to figure out which one was the boss. There was a guy with a scar on his face, another guy with a bald head, and a long haired guy with a hat pulled halfway down over his face.
The fourth guy was looking at him, studying him back, brown eyes, dark hair, dark beard just beginning to go a little grey. Yeah, Jensen thought, this was the leader. The others were all dangerous looking bad asses, but this one had something extra.
One of his guards cleared his throat nervously and gestured with his clipboard. “I need a signature.”
Dark hair got up and scribbled his name on some papers. The guard gave him a copy and both left quickly. Jensen watched the door close before he cleared his throat and looked back at the group of men all studying him as if they were figuring out the best way to kill him and hide his body. He gave the group a small nod and tried to smile before looking at the man standing in front of him, a frown on his face.
“Hey. Um, are you my new guardian?”
The man looked him up and down and Jensen began to sweat. Then the guy spoke, rough voice grumbling out of his mouth.
“Something like that, kid. The papers said you had triple class tech ratings?”
Jensen laughed and relaxed a little. “Yeah, I mean, yes sir, I do. I’ll need a few things once you explain what you want me to do.”
The man stuck his hand out. “I’m Colonel Franklin Clay.” He gestured at the group. “The man with the hat on is Cougar, he does our sniper work. That guy with the bald head is Pooch, he’s our driver and gets us any big weapons we might be lusting over. The pissed off looking guy is Roque. He likes to make things go boom.”
Jensen shook the Colonel’s hand and nodded at them. He’d never really worked with a team before, unless ordered. Back then, he still belonged to the General so the chain of command wasn’t confusing. This Colonel guy was in charge, but they were a team and teams did all kinds of stuff together. He had to know. He leaned in closer and tried to whisper though he knew the other guys could probably still hear him.
“Sir, do I have to service the entire team, or just you?”
He wanted to take a step back as four pairs of eyes pinned him in place. He swallowed nervously and put a mental stranglehold on his mouth. He wanted to apologize or say it was okay, all four were no problem, but it would be a problem. He looked down at his feet and hated that he’d looked down at all.
A quiet “fuck,” almost made him flinch, but it did make him look back up. He met the Colonel’s eyes and felt his face go hot at the look of pity and anger on the man’s face.
“Who’d you belong to kid?”
“General Davis Grayford.”
One of the guys at the table muttered something that sounded like ’asshole’ and it had the other two nodding their heads in agreement.
“Why’d he give you up?”
Jensen wished he’d kept his mouth shut. He didn’t want to give the reason. Then this guy would just see him as some ‘useless slut‘, the General’s words still ringing in his ears. The bruises on his body were nearly gone and the hard slap that had knocked him down in front of a platoon of men had barely left a mark. Not one that could be seen.
His hand tightened on the backpack, and he suddenly didn’t care anymore. His life hadn’t been his since he was seven years old. What difference did it make? He knew a special ops group when he saw one. They weren’t called ‘the walking dead’ for nothing. They’d all die on some mission soon, which is probably why the General sent him out here.
He cleared his throat and straightened up. “The General had poker debts, sir. He decided I’d make good payment to his three friends.” Jensen kept his gaze on the back wall. “Afterwards, he didn’t want me around anymore. I’m sure my transfer papers say different but that’s the truth. Could you answer my question, sir?”
The Colonel studied him for another few moments before sighing and running a hand through his hair. “None of us, kid…Jensen. That’s not what we need. Though one of us will have to mark you. Places we go, they find out you’re a tech, they’ll snatch you if you don’t have anything skin wise saying you belong to someone who will do serious damage to get you back.” He gestured at the empty chair sitting closer to the other men. “Sit down and we’ll talk, then you can tell us what you need so we can complete the mission.”
Jensen didn’t try and look the others guys in their eyes, afraid he’d see the same pity he’d seen in the Colonel’s eyes. Maybe they were all abolitionists. Jensen had never met one, but he knew they existed. He’d been raised in a mostly military setting and the military didn’t talk about the fair treatment of those owned because of their test scores.
He didn’t believe the Colonel about no one messing with him. Maybe they just wanted him relaxed and then one of them would say something, or offer him something in exchange for a blowjob or one of them would just drop the pretense and bend him over. He’d stay alert and when one of them showed their true colors he’d roll over like a good little tech and start planning his revenge.
The Colonel pulled out blueprints to a compound. Jensen leaned in and listened as the Colonel pointed to spots on the blueprint where they needed bugs or a computer hacked.
Jensen didn’t outright argue but he did give his opinion and didn’t try to backtrack while the Colonel thought about his advice and then asked him detailed questions. After an hour he knew what he needed and the Colonel told him they’d go get it in the morning.
“Okay, which one of us is going to do the deed?”
Jensen kept silent as the team looked at each other before looking back at their boss. The Colonel shook his head. “I put my mark on him, he might become more of a target just because some assholes can‘t resist a challenge.”
Pooch shook his head. “Not me. He’d have to go home with me on breaks wouldn’t he? Jolene will skin me alive if I come home with him.”
They all looked at Roque who stared back before barking out a laugh. “Yeah, right. Do I look like a babysitter?”
The team turned to Cougar and he tipped his hat back and stared at Jensen before tipping his hat back down over his eyes and shrugging his shoulders. That seemed to mean yes and the Colonel nodded his head. “Okay, that’s settled. Do it tonight, because it’ll need a few days to heal.”
Everyone went their own way while Jensen sat there and watched Cougar disappear into a room only to come back out in a few seconds with a thin piece of wire. He gestured for Jensen to follow him and they ended up in a small kitchen. Jensen began to get a clue when Cougar cut the wire into two pieces and began to twist. Jensen figured the first wire was going to be shaped like the letter ’C’ and he turned out to be right.
Jensen drew in a shaky breath and let it out. “Question, what happens when I get transferred? My next guardian isn’t going to be happy I have someone else’s mark on me.”
Cougar turned the gas stove on and took the other piece of wire and a pair of pliers and began to twist it. The letters were smaller but Jensen clearly saw the word ‘cougar’ slowly form.
“You will not be transferred again.” He kept working with the wire, going back to straighten something and then bend it again. “Take off your shirt.”
Jensen took his shirt off and tried not to shiver. The kitchen was cold but the thought of being branded like cattle made his stomach churn. Brown eyes studied his chest before Cougar looked down to finish his work.
Jensen frowned. “Why will I not be transferred again?”
Cougar shrugged and said, “None of us will be transferred again.”
Jensen eyed the door and knew his chance of actually getting out the door and escaping were nil. These guys didn’t play and if he pissed them off they might just shoot him and leave his body behind to rot. He glanced at Cougar and found the other man watching him, no emotion visible on his face. The first wired brand was glowing hot in the dancing flame of one of the stove’s burners.
Jensen stayed still when his neck was carefully cleaned along with a spot above his heart. Cougar’s hand was warm on the side of his head as he pressed the first brand into Jensen’s neck. The sizzle of flesh was drowned out by Jensen’s yell. His body instinctively tried to move and get away from the pain. Cougar used his own body to press him tight against the counter. It was over pretty quick, but Jensen hurt and the knowledge that another brand was waiting only made him nauseous.
Cougar picked the second brand up and Jensen closed his eyes. It didn’t stop the pain as it was placed against his chest. He sensed the brand being removed but his body throbbed with pain and adrenaline. He opened his eyes and stared down at the elegant looking script spelling out ‘Cougar’ on his chest. Then he turned and threw up in the sink. Once he was done, he turned on the water and washed out his mouth.
The pain spread from his neck and chest until his whole upper body felt like it was on fire. Cougar was waiting patiently, two cloth covered ice packs in his hands. Jensen let him apply the ice packs and just tried not to throw up again. After a few minutes Cougar took the ice packs away and pulled out a jar. He applied something cool and white to the burns before covering them with a bandage.
Through the pain, Jensen stayed quiet and tried to remain still. He followed Cougar across the warehouse and found his backpack on a cot next to a wall. He sat down and took the pills Cougar gave him. Jensen studied Cougar since he now had the man’s name on his body.
“Not a big talker, hunh?”
Cougar shook his head. “Lie down. I will wake you for dinner.”
Jensen kicked his shoes off, knowing that without the drugs he’d be too nervous to sleep. Since lying on his stomach was out of the question, he opted for lying on his back. He was somewhere new with men that looked more dangerous than any he’d ever seen. His eyes grew heavy despite his wishes.
Someone touched him and Jensen woke with a jerk that set off an amazing amount of pain on his newly burned skin. Cougar studied him for a moment and Jensen wondered what he saw; a slave dependant on him and the rest of the team? Someone who came with a unwanted set of responsibilities in addition to ones he already had?
Whatever he saw he kept it to himself and Jensen appreciated that and at the same time resented it. He was seen by many as a tool and treated as such for most of his life. He’d done what many very smart people did and kept the self awareness that all this was wrong to himself. Emotions gave him clues and helped him figure out how to play this guy and the others. It was just his luck to get the guy that didn’t reveal shit.
Dinner turned out to be chicken and rice. It was pretty good and when he said so, Clay smirked and said, “Roque’s an excellent cook.”
Jensen glanced at the man and quickly nodded before looking away. That was a scary looking guy and based on his experience with other military men, the scary looking ones were always pretty fucking scary. He managed to eat a little more before the pain became too much and he had to put the bowl down.
He looked up and met Cougar’s eyes. No one paid attention as Cougar got up and gestured for Jensen to follow him. In the bathroom, Cougar lifted up the bandages and then gave Jensen more pain pills. These wouldn’t make him as drowsy. Jensen searched for something to say or do. He zeroed in on something most soldiers seemed to have in common.
“Want to play some cards?”
Cougar nodded and Jensen followed the sniper back to the area all the men seemed to be sharing. They had this big warehouse but there were really no rooms to give you some privacy. He spotted the other cots, all spread out at different points around the room. There was a table and chairs set up a little way from where the Colonel and the others were all reminiscing about something.
~
Cougar pulled out a pack of cards and offered the deck to Jensen. The young man that now bore his name on his body took the cards and expertly shuffled them.
“Gin?”
Cougar shrugged in affirmation. That was fine with him. It would give him time to study the newest member of their team. He’d watched him earlier while he was asleep and he’d looked so peaceful except for the occasional movement that made him frown with pain.
When the boss had told them they were getting some tech help on this mission they’d all figured it’d be the usual stuff where they got some guy telling them stuff over a secure radio line or camera feed. Clay said no, they’d be getting there very own genius hacker and Pooch had whistled and said. “That must have cost you some favors.”
Clay shrugged and told them not as many as he’d expected so something else was probably going on. Soon after they met Jensen, they’d found out. Cougar’s first thought had been about how young the kid looked. His second thought was how scared he’d looked. When he’d asked about ’servicing’ them he’d been as pissed as Clay had looked.
Cougar had never spent a lot of time around techs. Most people thought they had it easy, brains equaled a cushy life being taken care of. He didn’t know how it went out in the world, but military techs were rumored to be geniuses at their jobs and in the bedrooms. He’d never had reason to talk to one but he’d seen them from time to time on bases all around the world.
They didn’t look miserable but what did he know? Cougar figured getting gangbanged because your guardian said so was really shitty and it made him think of all the other people out there with nowhere to go. He took the cards dealt him and waited for Jensen to go first. The desire to flee that had flashed across the younger man’s face right before he’d branded Jensen made Cougar wonder something, so he decided to ask.
“You ever run?”
Jensen looked at him and frowned. “You mean like jog?” Cougar shook his head.
Jensen smirked and crinkled his nose. “Oh, you mean run from my pampered life of luxury and security? No, I never tried. I started my training when I was seven. There were a few that tried.”
He shrugged and Cougar waited for him to finish. Jensen picked a card.
“Punishment detail didn’t happen often but it was memorable. They figured a few of the really stubborn ones didn’t need feet or legs to do whatever had been decided that they’d do. After seeing something like that and told over and over how Uncle Sam is just taking care of you, how unsafe it is out there in the world, you fall in line.”
Jensen laid down a card and coughed. “Are you all abolitionists?”
Cougar picked up a card and tossed one down. “No, never really thought about it before.”
He ignored Jensen studying him like he was under a microscope. The kid, and he wasn’t really a kid, but damn if he didn’t seem like he needed protection, had been thrown into a new situation so of course he needed to try and get a feel for the guys around him. He’d need more than his first impression which was probably; scary guys with big guns.
Jensen picked up a card. “Why ask me if I’d ever tried to run? I mean, I don’t plan on running so if you were worried about that, don’t be, though how can you trust anything I say since you don’t know me? But I don’t know any of you either and the whole, ‘no sex’ thing is frankly freaking me out. I know one of you will do something and I’d really just like to get it over with.”
Cougar stared at him, amazed that all of that had come out in one breath. He’d wanted to laugh until Jensen mentioned the sex part. How could he get it through the tech’s head that none of them were going to be coming to him for that? Cougar figured he’d just have to keep telling him until he believed it.
“We’re not going to force you.”
Jensen nodded as if he understood, but his next words showed Cougar that he didn’t. “What if I ask? I mean, is that what you like? Do you want me to beg?”
Cougar hoped he hid his shock well. It never occurred to him that Jensen would want to have sex with one of them after he’d told them about the General. Cougar wasn’t going to lie to himself, Jensen was very handsome. Cougar wondered if Jensen would beg and hoped he would not.
Blue eyes were studying him intensely and suddenly Cougar got it. Power. Jensen had none but if one of them used his body, something that was more concrete than his tech skills, then Jensen gained some sort of power. It wouldn’t be a lot but it had the potential to become more. Cougar felt sorry for him, but made sure nothing showed on his face. He sighed and picked up another card. “We will not touch you. If you ask me or one of the other guys, it will still not happen.”
Jensen didn’t say anything but he seemed to relax. Cougar knew it’d take time for him to actually believe him but patience was a big part of being a sniper, so he didn’t mind.
They ended up playing another game before Pooch came over and got in on the third game. Jensen laughed at a story Pooch told about him and Jolene trying to have a picnic and having mother nature turn against them.
The next day, Cougar escorted Jensen around the base to pick up a computer and some other supplies. He watched the other soldiers look at Jensen and either ignore him or leer at him. Some were smarter and stopped once they saw Cougar. The Losers had a certain reputation that was whispered about on bases and in barracks. No one wanted to get on their bad side.
Once Cougar got Jensen squared away, he took him back to their barracks and then left out to run his own errands. When he got back, Jensen was busy on his laptop clacking away at something. Pooch met his eyes and made a subtle gesture with his head. Cougar headed for the kitchen and Pooch followed. He scratched his head and sighed. “Jensen kinda made a pass at me while you were gone.“
Cougar nodded. He figured Jensen would test someone sooner rather than later and Pooch looked the most harmless out of all of them. Pooch continued. “I told him no and laughed it off but man, if he does that to Roque, Roque’s either going to hit him or take him up on the offer.“
Cougar wished Jensen had come with a manual. “He thinks one of us will hurt him and seeks to get it over with. I will talk to him again.”
Pooch nodded and grabbed a bag of chips. He started to make a sandwich. “Yeah, I got that and it’s fucked up. I always thought techs had it nice, you know?”
Cougar agreed and made a sandwich for himself and Jensen, not sure if the tech knew he could come in and eat what he wanted. When he handed him the sandwich a few minutes later, Jensen smiled and ate it one-handed.
Later that night, after Jensen was asleep from his pain pill, Cougar talked to the Colonel and Roque. Roque made a weird face as if disgusted. “Hey, I like a good time as much as the next person but I’d never tell him yes. I don’t understand why people don’t get that tech slaves are dangerous. I knew this guy in special ops, he attacked a couple of techs. Thought they were his for the taking. He was killed in an ‘elevator malfunction.’”
The Colonel nodded his head. “Yeah, I’ve heard some stuff over the years too. Even without that, I’m not going to take him up on the offer, or get mad. Do you want me to talk to him?”
Cougar shook his head. Clay grinned and patted him on the shoulder like a proud daddy. “I knew you’d look after him.”
Roque smirked and Cougar beat a hasty retreat before the SIC could start teasing him.
~
Jensen was sure he was in some sort of weird dream. These guys didn’t stare at him and make lewd suggestions. They didn’t seem to be watching him to see if he made the slightest mistake and use it as an excuse to ‘punish’ him. No one would dare disobey a four star General and force him, but there were a lot of things that could be done before that line was crossed.
Cougar didn’t give him any rules and Jensen felt like he was free falling when he wasn’t in pain from the brands. He decided to just do things the way he’d always done them and see if that worked. He did his work and played on his laptop and studied the others, trying to catalog strengths and weaknesses. When Cougar left him alone for the first time, Jensen had approached Pooch and used shy and sweet to offer him a blowjob.
Pooch had just stared at him before shaking his head and walking away, a mumbled ‘no, no, I’m good,” trailing out behind him.
It took him three days to approach Clay. Shy and sweet wasn’t going to do it with this man, but Jensen thought a little ‘you’re so wise and have so much on your shoulders, let me relax you’ might work or maybe some ‘I need a strong older man, a daddy, to take care of me.’ He’d done it all with the General so if one scenario didn’t work he’d try the other.
Jensen caught Clay alone and sat near him to talk about explosives and guns because these guys were really into their work and seemed to like making shit go boom. He smiled to himself when he finally got to rub his hand up and down Clay’s arm and say, “You’re really tense. If you want I can give you a great massage.”
He kept the smile on his face even when Clay stopped talking and studied him like some specimen under a microscope. Jensen thought he’d won when Clay brushed a hand over Jensen’s jaw, his thumb briefly running over Jensen’s lips.
“That’s not going to happen. You don’t have to relax any of us, k?”
Jensen had withdrawn his hand and looked down at the floor. He’d nodded and swallowed the lump in his throat. Clay’s tone had said he was telling the truth and Jensen wanted to believe that so bad, to feel safe and know he didn’t have to scramble and make sure he wouldn’t be hurt if these men wanted more.
Later he saw Cougar watching him and he plastered on a smile and chattered about comics until Cougar stopped.
Five days later, Jensen went for Roque. He figured he should go for blunt and in your face. From what he’d observed the man had little room for bullshit. Jensen ran into him in the kitchen late at night and let it show that he’d planned it that way.
“You look like a man that wants to fuck. How about it?”
Roque had shook his head and skirted around him as if Jensen were a grenade. “Yeah, no thanks, J. I know you and kinda respect the whole big brain thing, but I‘m not looking for a fuck buddy.”
Jensen was trying to decide how he felt about strike four, when Roque paused and stepped back into the kitchen. His hand disappeared into his shirt and came back out with a pocket knife. He handed it to Jensen and folded his hand around Jensen’s before letting go.
“Any fucker tries to make you get on your knees or bend over, you pull this.” He looked at Jensen’s unsure grip, and smiled. “Me and Cougs will teach you how to use it.”
Jensen gave him a tentative smile and waited until Roque left the kitchen. Then he got something to drink and wondered why anyone carried a knife on them while in their pajamas. Back in his bed, he lay there with his eyes closed. He knew Cougar was awake and probably watching him but for the first time he didn’t feel like Cougar was figuring on when to make a move.
He felt protected.
~
The next two weeks were busy. Their last mission had been scrubbed and they were stuck on base due to a ’situation’ developing where their particular skills might be needed.
Cougar figured things out about Jensen without a manual. Cougar discovered that Jensen liked to talk. And talk some more. Cougar didn’t stop him and soon the rhythm and tone of Jensen’s voice soothed him and gave him clues about the way Jensen’s brain worked.
He’d done well with the knife Roque had given him and once he got over his hesitation, he got pretty good. Cougar figured Roque was already planning to teach him more with different kinds of knives.
Cougar wanted to teach Jensen to handle a gun since he’d never had training. Clay told him to show him a few things but he wouldn’t be able to take him to the shooting range. That part would have to wait until they were out alone on a mission somewhere. Cougar showed him how to clean and put a series of guns back together. Once the brands were healed, Cougar started a physical regimen for Jensen that included lifting weights and other types of exercise.
The tech took to it like a duck to water. Over the next few months, before missions or right after, while they were waiting for pickup, he’d find a deserted field somewhere and teach Jensen to shoot and handle different types of guns. Cougar figured if he got caught, he and the team would be in big trouble because giving a slave such a blatant way to defend himself was probably a big no.
Cougar didn’t care. Jensen was his and he would not have him ignorant of all the ordinance they used. What if something happened and Jensen was the only one that could help them? What if he needed to protect himself? He’d deal with the fall out if it happened. Pooch joined them for lessons sometimes and Clay and Roque would offer suggestions or tell stories about people they knew and the weapons that had saved or failed them over the years.
Jensen still had his laptop and two other computers crowded around him at various times of the day and night, but he started to look happier and healthier. He bulked up some but still seemed skinny and geeky most of the time. The military provided some basic clothes for the tech but Cougar took him shopping and let him buy what he wanted. Most times he wanted colorful tee shirts and jeans. One day Jensen asked for Cougar’s credit card to buy something online and smirked after Cougar handed it over. “I have the number memorized but asking seemed more polite.”
Two days later a series of shirts were delivered along with a leather cowboy hat. Jensen gave it to him and shrugged at the puzzled look Cougar sent his way. “Backup hat in case you lose yours.” He tapped his temple. “Always have a back up hat, Cougs. Might not be able to find the perfect hat right away if something happens to the one you already own.”
Cougar studied the hat, the rich leather smell enticing him to take off his usual hat and try this one. It felt better than his original hat so he kept the new one on his head and ignored Jensen’s blush of happiness.
Six months later
Jensen stayed still and tried to look harmless. These assholes had grabbed him in the alley. They must have known he had a habit of going out back to get some fresh air. He tried to ignore the wet sticky blood on the side of his head. There were three men and one of them kept looking at him and muttering to one of the others. Jensen decided to call him Fred because he looked like Fred Flintstone.
A kissing noise made Jensen look at the man coming out of the kitchen. He held a sandwich out at Jensen and waved it back and forth.
“Techie want a sandwich? It’ll cost you a kiss.”
Jensen resisted rolling his eyes at the guy and tried to look more scared than he actually was. The last six months had proved that Cougar and the rest of the team considered him one of them. At first, yeah, he thought he was just their property, but none of them treated him like that. He was more like the little brother or the team mascot, which beat being the team bicycle.
He’d also learned that Clay’s merry band of misfits bled for each other and would do the same for him. This was the first time someone had actually had the nerve or stupidity; he studied Fred and the others, definitely stupidity, to actually kidnap him. He didn’t move when the sandwich wielding guy came closer and pushed his head to the side. Jensen could feel him staring at the ‘C’ branded on his neck.
Sandwich guy beckoned at one of the other guys, the Tony Montana wanna be. “He’s got a brand.”
Jensen didn’t move as Tony Jr. came closer and studied him. He stifled a gasp when Tony pulled out a knife and cut open his shirt. They all stared at his other brand. Jensen had gotten used to them and being around military people, no one really looked at them or him twice. He liked that his friend’s name could inspire such fear.
“Cougar? Who the fuck is that?”
Fred came closer and they all stood around him like at any moment the answer would pop up over his head in a cartoon bubble. Jensen looked briefly at Scarface 2.0. He was sucking on a toothpick and there was a flash of worry in his eyes. His voice was scratchy.
“I’ve heard stories of a man named Cougar. He kills from far away. They say he’s killed over a hundred men.”
Jensen had no idea how many people Cougar had killed. “Latino guy, long hair, always wears a cowboy hat?” Now the other guys looked worried. Jensen shook his head and made a ‘tsk tsk’ sound. “I keep telling him he needs to keep count but he says that quantity doesn‘t matter.”
He blinked at them and widened his eyes like he’d just thought of something. “You think he might be a little pissed you took me? I mean he did put his name on me.” Jensen smiled the most insincere smile he could dredge up. “You should probably stay away from any windows.”
Sandwich guy muttered something and moved, fist raised. Tony Jr. grabbed his hand. Sandwich guy glared at all of them. “That guy is a myth. This fucker belongs to us now and he’s going to hack those banks and get us all that sweet, sweet money.”
The guy that Jensen expected to say ‘yabba dabba doo’ at any moment nodded. “Yeah. Ain’t no way this guy belongs to anyone important.”
Jensen saw the moment their leader gave in to his greed. “Information will be here in an hour. You do this for us and maybe we won’t pimp you out to half the cartels, understand?”
Jensen nodded and flexed his wrists against the rope binding him. “Whatever, you dumb fucks.” His smart remark got him a backhanded slap across his face. The slap was still echoing around them when sandwich guy’s head disappeared in a spray of blood and bone. The other guys yelled while Jensen’s chair tipped over from the force of the slap.
He blinked as the body fell near him. There was blood on Jensen’s shirt and he tried to move away from more coming his way. Fred went running for the door and went down as a bullet took out one of his legs. Jensen figured they wanted someone left alive to question. Al Pacino 2.0 dived behind a couch, his gun drawn. He looked around frantically before setting his eyes on Jensen.
Jensen shook his head and tried to talk around the pain in his jaw. “Don’t point…” The gun moved to aim at him just as something threw the guy back against the wall. Jensen saw the light go out of his eyes.
Then there was only Fred crying and gasping until the door was blown off the hinges. Clay was the first through the door. Roque followed him while Pooch entered last. Clay didn’t pay attention to the bodies, just searched the other rooms while Roque covered him. Pooch came for him and pulled him back up, chair and all. His knife appeared and Jensen was loose, his arms protesting their sudden freedom.
Jensen’s face hurt and his shirt was tattered and soaked in blood that wasn’t his. His team, his team, had come for him and while he’d known they would, it still shocked him. Cougar came in just as Jensen was taking off his ruined shirt and Pooch was handing him one of his. Cougar looked around before he moved closer and studied Jensen’s face and chest. A gloved thumb wiped a smear of blood off the brand on his chest and Jensen laughed. “You possessive fucker.”
Cougar smirked and Pooch shook his head. Jensen slung a hand around Cougar’s shoulders as Cougar led him out. “I am starving! I want a steak, steak and a baked potato, no!, no!, some fries. I love fries.”
Jensen knew he’d get his steak and some dessert before being debriefed. An assignment had probably come in while he’d been away so he’d take a look at it tonight. Cougar would be a little more vigilant with him while the others would watch and try to subtly do the same. He’d never dreamed he could have this but he did have it and he’d hold onto it like a greedy son of a bitch. He still hated being a tech slave but there was no other place he’d rather be than right here.
End