"Ok boys, here's the deal. We're inserting you approximately thirty-six klicks south-southeast of the objective in Kasai Provence. From there, you will infiltrate the rebel held jungle complex to a point a half klick out, and from there, you'll hold in a forward position for seventy-two hours."

"For fucks sake why?"

"Let Murray finish, Salem."

"Let Murray finish, Salem, let Murray…"

"Enough, Salem."

"Enough…"

"Ouch!"

"As I was saying boys, seventy-two hours while gathering intel. This also will allow Giddy's team time to finish the recon, and set up their overwatch position. Once they are all in, you get green lighted, and move on the rebel village. Now remember, this village is misleading, guys. Above ground, it's just like any other Democratic Republic of Congo village. But, below the ground, it's bee hived with diamond mines converted into infrastructure for the rebels. That's our objective. Get into those mines, grab any laptop intel, paper intel ect. Photograph it, upload it whatever it takes and get it back home. Intel suggests a frightening buildup of resources in this complex with ties to making Dirty bombs and biologicals. The radio chatter is rife with hits in and out of this region. It's all jungle, and I know how you both love jungle. So, get upstairs to the infirmary. They have your inoculations waiting. Then, head straight down to staging to meet with Fitz. Giddy's already on the ground in Kinshasa. We go wheels up at 0430 tomorrow."

"After we grab the goods, we taking these tunnels out?"

"Not at this time, Elliot. If they do have Biologicals down there blowing the system might release them. As you are uploading the intel, the client will be assessing it, and will make those decisions prior to you extracting."

"And the client is?"

"Information you two don't need, Tyson. So, off you go. Get your shots updated, and have a good night if you can."

"My maps, ma'am Murray?"

"You'll have the flight over to study them and finalize your plans. So, with that said boys, shots, wrap it up on the home fronts and be back here for lock down by 1700."

Once up stairs Tyson shoved Elliot through the double doors leading into the infirmary.

"Get in there Salem. It's only a few shots. We might even be up to date."

"I hate this floor. It smells like a hospital."

"That's because it is a hospital you moron."

"And how come Giddy shipped without us. I don't like that."

"Now who's acting all suspicious?"

"It is fucking suspicious, Tyse. Not like your fucked up conspiracy plots, I know but, it's just not the way we usually roll, and I hate change. Fuck me twice it's that god damned psycho Clyde."

"Ignore him."

"Well, well, well, looky here it's Mister and Misses Rios. What're you two losers up here for. Getting your birth control Elliot, or having Rios' foot removed from your ass? Maybe both."

"Fuck you, Clyde!"

"Salem."

"Step off a me, Rios. This fucker's mine."

"Ooh you shoved me. Not bad for a little skinny ass bitch. Do it again it felt good."

"Salem, no!"

"Oh come on Rios, let the teeny tiny man off of his leash, or are you afraid I'll ruin that pretty little ass a his, and then, your prick won't have a place to call home anymore."

Rios yanked one more time at Salem's left shoulder, but the smaller man shrugged free, whirled round and followed through with a vicious spinning back fist to Clyde's left cheek. The sneering mercenary staggered back from the unexpected blow, and then lunged straight for Salem. Rios gave up and stepped back.

"Ok, now that did hurt."

Clyde's momentum drove Salem back into and through an office door. The two men grappled with one another knocking over the small stainless steel instrument table and scattering the doctor's supplies across the room. The doctor and the SSC asset he was suturing leaped aside trying to avoid the wrestling men. Salem had Clyde trapped in a head lock beneath his right arm and was bashing the growling man's twisted face with his left fist. Finally, Clyde wriggled free enough to move, and squatted at his knees slightly, before exploding forcefully upwards with his arms wrapped tightly around Salem's thighs. The force of the move drove the smaller man up and onto the small sink counter. Salem grunted when the top, back of his head impacted the upper cupboard causing him to bite through his lower lip. He spit the blood filling his mouth into Clyde's face, and shook his head to clear away the stars twinkling in his eyes.

Clyde charged him, preventing him from fully recovering. Salem, pinned against the wall, and beneath the low upper cabinet, had too little room to work in. He wrapped his legs around Clyde's waist, and before the larger man could grab him too tightly, Salem threw himself hard to his right, off of the counter dragging Clyde with him. They slammed into a tall double door, free standing cabinet and then onto the floor. Clyde continued to roll right trying to break the scissor hold of Salem's strong legs. The older mercenary was shocked at how strong Salem actually was for his size. His counter roll worked, positioning him behind and on top of Salem, trapping him on his hands and knees. The position terrified Elliot, and adrenalin surged through his body. Without hesitation, he pushed back against Clyde, reached upwards, and grabbed Clyde's head between his forearms. Clyde bit savagely into Salem's left arm just above his wrist and the smaller man screamed in pain. The pain only fueled his fury and he slammed back forward from his waist yanking Clyde over the top of his head. Once the stunned man hit the floor, Salem drove into his exposed throat with a right downward elbow strike. Clyde gasped and gagged for air, but Salem, seeing that he had the advantage, followed through with several rapid rabbit punches to Clyde's face. The short fast jabs bounced Clyde's head off the floor with sickening thuds.

Rios, seeing that Salem was not going to let up until Clyde was either unconscious or dead, finally charged into the cluttered exam room, and wrapped his arms around him from behind. He lifted the smaller man straight up and off of Clyde, and then carried him kicking, screaming and squirming like a small child throwing a tantrum back into the now crowded hallway, and into an empty exam room three doors away. Another doctor followed the pair in, and slammed the door closed before locking it. Rios had Salem shoved into a corner holding him still with sheer strength and body weight.

"You want him to tranq you, Salem!"

"Fuck you!"

"Calm the fuck down now. That's fucking enough. It's over!"

"You fucking let me go right now you fat fucker, or…"

"Or what?"

Salem responded to Rios' question with an elbow strike to his right side lower abdomen.

"You little prick. That's it, say goodnight." Rios s growled before slamming Salem's head into the wall forcefully enough to smash a hole into the drywall and knock him out. "There, now you have matching lumps front and back. Fuck me."

He stepped back allowing Salem's limp body fall to the floor, and then doubled over slightly, surprised at how much the awkwardly aimed elbow strike had hurt. The doctor stepped beside him, and placed a concerned hand on his left shoulder.

"You ok, Rios. That didn't seem like much of a hit?"

Rios stood back up and arched his back. Then, grimacing a bit, nodded.

"Yea, Buck. I guess he just caught me just right. Damn it though, and fuck him when he's all torqued like that. Help me get him up, will you."

They settled Salem onto the empty gurney, flat on his back, and stepped away. Buck dug around in the supply cupboard until he found an Amyl Nitrate ampule, and then returned to Rios.

"Better wait until they get Clyde clear of here. Salem's gonna be just as crazy when he comes to."

"Think so?"

"I know so."

"I guess you would know best. He damn sure made himself an enemy in Clyde. Probably gonna need a few stitches too."

"That's old news doc, real old news. That started way back in…"

Before he could finish someone began banging on the door.

"Rios, what have you two done now? Tyson Rios open this door. I take my eyes off of you boys for five damn minutes and, Rios!"

"Ok Murray, ok, hold your horses." The big man moaned, "Wake his skinny ass up, doc. He can explain this shit storm to mom Murray himself."

The first thing Salem saw when he snapped back to consciousness was Murray glaring down at him, and the shock actually cleared away the fog of fury coursing through his throbbing head. Her lips were moving, and she was wagging a neatly manicured right index finger at him only inches from his nose. White he noted, squinting at the wriggling finger and trying to focus on seeing only one of it. Why would anyone paint their finger nails white? It looked scary, like a zombie finger. He squeezed his eyes shut, and took a deep breath. Maybe Nala knew why. She was a bit, well maybe more than a bit, of a tom boy, but was forced to spend a fair amount of time around Samantha and her harpy girlfriends. White the odd shade made his stomach churn. It was opaque. It made her finger look as if there was nothing above the top knuckle. The oddly hued finger distracted him from the fact that despite seeing her lips moving he couldn't really make out her words.

"You have very nice lips Murray. But, why would you paint your nails that sickly white color?"

The statement shut her up. This, she knew, is what Rios had to contend with on a daily basis with Elliot. The man had no bounds when it came to insolence. She furrowed her brow a bit more, trying to impart upon him just how furious she was, but he simple laid there unmoved by what she considered her best wrathful glare.

"What were you thinking!"

"I was wondering why anyone'd paint their finger nails that color that you have there."

"Salem, Clyde? You were ordered to stay clear of him."

"Ordered, hmm, I can see your lips moving again Murray, but I get only static. Did you say ordered? Tyse tell her, me and that word, the O word, we just don't…"

"Why are you so god damned onerous, Salem?"

"Ordered not onerous wrong are you so persnickety, Murray? Wanna go again? You're Q."

"Rios, get his head stitched, get his shots, take him home, pack his shit and get him back here by 1700, and keep him away from Clyde. If he starts up again, it's not going to bode well for either of you. He's your responsibility."

"Clyde started it."

"What Salem!"

"I can hear you now, stop hollering so loud. You're making my damaged head hurt. Clyde started it. I was just defending Rios from the nut jobs cruel barbs."

"No Salem, you started it. You! Your instructions are to ignore him. Your standing R.O.E pertaining to Phillip Clyde are to look the other way and walk away. Not attack the man in the infirmary. Am I clear?"

"That, Alice dear, is a qundom R.O.E. policy. And, why Alice, why are you always so quarrelsome over a quibble?"

"Quibble?" She screeched.

"That we disagree regarding the relevant facts. Clyde started it. Now, your humble and reprehensible accusation that moi is the aggressor here, is retractile, although I can respect your reticence. So…"

"I'm through here! Rios, see my orders completed, and you not another word to me until you get back from Africa!"