AN: First, thank you SO much for those who have reviewed, faved and story alerted this story. It's very much appreciated! It's a filler chapter for now. Sorry! But, it's mostly Maeve's SWAT team, so it can't be all bad. :) Also a little look into one of Blair's mercenary men. Hope you all enjoy!

While Ratchet had been busy dealing with Maeve and Barricade and all of that insanity, he had deliberately ignored anything else that had occurred on the base. His priority was his medbay, and that was that. He left everything else to Red Alert, which later on, Ratchet would come to regret, deeply. Red Alert had been given his orders to protect the base, and he would fulfill them to his greatest ability. So much so that it almost caused the deaths of an entire SWAT team.

It was during the time that Ratchet had been at a loss to save the young human femme in his medbay that an unexpected thing happened at the Autobots' secondary base... the very incident that would cause Red Alert to nearly lose it. The sun was struggling to arise in the east over the Arizona high desert and scrubs, a startling mixture of reds, pinks and purples scattering upon the desolate landscape. As dawn began, a certain SWAT team were ready to face whatever they needed to to find their squad leader.

Senior Patrol Officer Hall's Tundra pickup truck had come to a skidding stop in front of the heavy metal gates that secured the Autobot's secondary base East Gate. Two bored human soldiers at the front gate were amazed to see the dust covered truck appear suddenly in front of them, filled with fully uniformed SWAT members carrying fully loaded automatic weapons. The soldiers, who weren't exactly combat ready, gaped in astonishment.

Hall gritted his teeth as he looked at the two soldiers, who had finally gained their senses and started yelling at Hall to turn around and leave, or get out of the truck. Hall noted with a grim finality the deadly weapons the soldiers held at their sides. Was he really willing to risk everything?

Fuck it, Hall thought grimly to himself and slammed on the gas pedal, his tires squealing on the black asphalt as the truck careened through the gate. He winced as the metal screeched along his truck as it propelled onto the base. Soldiers came running from all sides but, in what he later thought was a moment of insanity, Hall nearly felt euphoric until a dozen pops caught his attention and the tires suddenly went flat. Hall had driven over a series of retractable spike strips. Only they hadn't been retracted. His Tundra shrieked to a stop on the dark red dirt next to the road, his tires shredded. Hall swore loudly while punching the steering wheel with a feeling of deep desperation resonating within him.

Murphy, who had hung on for dear life as Hall had driven through the gates, sighed to himself as he thought, Fuck! I should have known better! He looked around at his team, and sighed again. He clenched his fists, scowling. The full gravity of what they had done had finally fallen upon him like a heavy weight. His shoulders sagged with defeat, but that didn't stop the annoyed look in his eyes. Fool didn't even describe what he felt about himself. He had been so determined to find Maeve that he hadn't thought straight. He'd landed them in this mess.

"Sorry, guys." He had led Maeve's team on this fool's mission, and he alone was to blame.

"Oh, now he says sorry." Tiny muttered, shaking his head as he watched with dismay as soldiers surrounded the truck, their faces deep with suspicion as they raised their weapons. Maeve's team stared at the soldiers with a mixture of apprehension and wariness.

Mac Truck and Tor, the two newest members of the team, but still ranking higher in the department than the rookie Lancaster, scowled from their position in the truck bed, grasping their guns tight as they stole glances at the soldiers surrounding them. Adrenaline was coursing through them, and it made them unpredictable. Bauer, being one of the more senior members of the team, glared at the two new SWAT members, and shook his head slightly as his eyes narrowed towards his two young teammates.

"Relax. Now." Bauer whispered to them. He knew that if they acted out that the entire team could be in danger. He knew that the battle-hardened (or at least that's what he assumed) soldiers surrounding them wouldn't hesitate to shoot to kill. Any stupid action by any member of the SWAT team could result in all of them dying, and well, Bauer thought, fuck that!

Ryan "Mac Truck" McKinney scowled, "This is bullshit! We can't let them do this!"

The other rookie, Gavin Torres, nodded his assent to Mac Truck's words, as did several others of the team in the dust covered truck bed. The team was fracturing, devastating violence being an option they were all too willing to consider. Bauer refused to let that happen. Maeve wouldn't allow them to fracture, and he wouldn't either. They had to follow orders, and to hell if he'd let the youngsters dictate what happened next.

Bauer snarled, his eyes dark and facial muscles tight with annoyance, "If we're gonna find Maeve, you all need to shut up, be quiet, and relax! Getting shot isn't going to help find her! Stand down, now! We crashed onto their base, remember? Be quiet and just do what they tell you! We're no good to Maeve dead, dammit!"

The team members in the truck bed shifted uncomfortably, but then relaxed, taking their hands off their weapons. Bauer was right, and they knew it. The fifty caliber machine gun loving man, who was by all accounts one of the more "insane" members of the team, had finally gotten some of them to remember the main reason for their mission. Now it was up to the real leaders in the cab of the Tundra truck to make sure they all didn't die. The members in the truck bed put all of their faith into their leaders, SIC Hall and Lt. Murphy, to get them out of this mess.

Of course, their leaders, Hall and Murphy, weren't exactly feeling too great at that moment.

"Shit." Hall mumbled to himself, placing his head gently on his steering wheel. We're fucked. Totally fucked.

There were at least fifteen soldiers surrounding the truck, their loud voices ordering Maeve's SWAT team to get out with their hands up as the soldiers aimed their M-4 carbines with deadly intent. Hall and Murphy exchanged a guilty look before each exited the cab, hands on their heads, their team members following them from the backseat and truck bed.

After the entire team had been allowed to exit from the truck without a soldier forcing them, they all were shoved violently into the dirt, wrists and arms being grasped harshly and often twisted beyond what most could take. This, predictably, did not go over well.

Mac Truck and Tor took the abuse while proclaiming threats of their own, while Bauer was dangerously silent, his dark eyes taking in the soldiers and memorizing each one. Tiny was glaring daggers at Hall, Murphy and every soldier around him as all of their weapons were taken forcefully and their hands were tied behind their backs with flexicuffs. Rodriguez was cussing up a storm, and Lt. Murphy turned and hissed at him to shut up. A well-aimed kick from one soldier sent Rodriguez sprawling, spitting up blood after the combat boot connected brutally with his mouth, nose and left eye. Another well-aimed combat boot connected with Rodriguez's ribs, fracturing one and breaking another. Rodriguez gasped in pain as blood trickled down his cheek as he lay in the dirt.

"You bastard!" Tiny yelled as he saw what was being done to his fellow brother officer, struggling to break his own bonds, before finding himself a fixture of punches and brutally hard kicks himself. Tiny refused to cry out as pain radiated through his body and blood cascaded down his face. Tiny growled incomprehensible words at every soldier in hearing distance, hissing when he had to when the pain became too much to speak through.

Jack was inwardly cursing himself. He had led them into this mess with his impulsive actions. He had tried so hard to find Maeve, and instead led the rest of her team into what was sure to be a very long incarceration, and several of his subordinates were hurt. Dammit! He was ashamed and angry at himself at the same time as the plastic of the flexicuffs bit sharply into his skin. He began to doubt that any of the aliens were at the base, even though it was secret. And if there weren't any aliens... then he'd get no answers about Maeve.

"Fuck! I'm a goddamn fool!" He muttered to himself, grimacing as one of the soldiers kicked him in the ribs, causing him to cough several times. Another soldier punched him in the face, and blood poured from a cut above his eye. Jack Murphy scowled and wished that death would rain upon those that had hurt him and his team. He was pissed as more of the soldiers punched and kicked the other members of Maeve's team. The smiles on the soldier's faces made him hiss with hatred. He barely heard what one of the soldiers said next as his ears rang.

"Shut up, man." The soldier who had kicked him turned to one of the others that circled Maeve's SWAT unit. "Go get Epps. Now, before the lunatic one shows up. Fucking hurry!"

Hall and Murphy shared a glance as they lay in the dirt that was quickly mixing with blood. Lunatic one? Another part of what the soldier said had upped Murphy's curiosity – the name, Epps. Wasn't that one of the military men that had been at Maeve's home, and had taken him and Janet home? Before he had time to think on it, one of the soldiers grabbed him gruffly, pulling him to his feet. Jack scowled, his eyes blazing with anger as blood poured down from above his left eye and right cheek. He blinked furiously, trying not to let the sting of the blood in his eye hurt him.

"Tell me why I shouldn't shoot you right now." The soldier snarled into his face, spittle landing on Jack's face, mixing with the blood.

"Tell me why you didn't shoot us when we crashed the gate." Jack snarled back, his eyes cold as he flexed his hands behind him, causing blood to rain down as the too tight flexicuffs bit ever more into his skin. Jack's temper was getting the better of him.

A glimmer of uncertainty crossed the soldier's face, before he grimaced. "You surprised us. Guys wearing SWAT uniforms in a truck with Cali plates, we weren't expecting it. You're lucky we didn't, we could have killed you all without a second glance. Now tell me who the fuck you're working for. Which terrorist group? Cartels from Mexico? Or Al-Qaeda? Better tell me now," The man paused, glancing at Jack's SWAT uniform. "Lieutenant J. Murphy from..." A surprised look crossed the man's face. "From Tranquility? Tranquility, California?"

"Yeah, what of it, soldier? You gonna beat us to death, now?" Jack grumbled. He didn't particularly like being manhandled like he was, but he should have known it would have happened. Crashing onto a military base that wasn't supposed to exist, what the fuck did he think was going to happen? But what he didn't like was these soldiers beating the living shit out of his, and ultimately Maeve's men. As he looked around at the team, he could see they were all beat up in one way or another. A harsh scowl crossed his mouth.

The soldier stared at him with surprise, his mouth slightly open, as he stepped away from Jack. The Lieutenant swayed on his feet before crashing down hard on his knees. The rest of the SWAT team glanced at each other uneasily as the soldiers behind them whispered quietly. The team were all sharply aware of the assault rifles still aimed at them.

"You're that woman's superior officer. Why the fuck did you come all the way out here for?"

Jack's head whipped upwards, staring at the man with deep intensity, trying to hide his own surprise. So his instincts had been right. Maeve was here. Or at least, they might know where she was. Before he could answer, the earth began to tremble and he heard in the distance a large thing running towards them in the barely lit dawn, just beyond the gate lights.

Jack groaned. He had an idea what was coming before the first explosion knocked him and his team on their faces into the warm hard packed dirt.

"Fuck! RED ALERT, STOP!" The soldier who had questioned Jack jumped backwards at the first explosion that arced over the gate and left a giant smoldering crater in the once pristine paved road. Another explosion tore a hole through the metal fence, while the third came perilously close to the captured SWAT team. Far too close for comfort for Jack and Maeve's team.

Jack shut his eyes tight as his ears rang sharply. We're all gonna fucking die out here and it'll be my fault. Shit.

Across the base, Epps had been trying to sleep in his shared barracks room with Major Lennox, who was completely dead to the world in slumber, when one of the gate guards burst into the room, yelling at the top of his lungs.

"Slow the fuck down, what happened?" Epps muttered wearily, as he sat up rubbing his eyes. The soldier was at attention, and Epps waved him down. "Just fucking explain, now."

"A truck full of men in SWAT uniforms just busted through the East entrance, sir! Cortez has them surrounded and relieved of all weapons. He asked you come immediately before Red Alert shows up."

Epps' eyes went wide as he heard the news. Sleep be damned. "Oh shit." Epps knew what could happen if Red Alert showed up first. Frankly, Epps preferred live bodies to interrogate rather than charred dead ones. Red Alert was still getting the hang of that particular interrogation technique, and Epps was more than a little worried that he'd show up to a truck full of dead men. The Master Sergeant jumped out of bed and quickly dressed, before running out of the room with the young soldier running behind him.

Lennox was still, miraculously, sleeping.

Epps heard the first explosion minutes after he and the young soldier had exited the barracks, and cursed loudly, running even faster. He came upon the scene, skidding to a stop as the third missile from Red Alert slammed into the dirt inside the base, close to the truck and the captured team.

He bellowed, "RED ALERT, STAND DOWN NOW! That is an order! Don't make me get Optimus!"

The paranoid security director of the base turned to him, his optics shocked as he looked down at the master sergeant. "But, Epps, these men just crashed onto the base! They are a direct threat to us!"

Epps glared at the large red Autobot. "The gate guards didn't shoot them and came to get me before you arrived on scene, these men surrendered right after they crashed through the gate. They may be a threat but not while they are in flexicuffs lying on the ground with their weapons gone!"

Red Alert finally took in the scene and cycled his vents. He was a bit angry, as he overlooked the scene. "Master Sergeant, all I received was a com that the East Entrance had been breached but no such message afterward that the threat had been neutralized. I apologize for the explosions but I was acting according to the rules set for this base."

Epps sighed, rubbing a hand over his head, and glared towards Cortez with sudden anger, who was suddenly looking sheepish. Epps motioned for him to come over, trying to hide his fury, as the SWAT team stared in wonder at what was happening.

"Corporal Cortez, did you send a followup message after they came through the gate reporting that the threat had been neutralized?"

"No, Master Sergeant, I did not and I apologize."

Epps glared hard at the young Corporal. "You're lucky no one died. I'll have to report this, and I can guarantee you that Optimus won't be happy either. You made Red Alert look like a fool, and you could easily have sent him a message the same time you sent PFC Gregory to come get me. You're dismissed for the rest of the day until Major Lennox wakes up and he figures out what to do with you."

Cortez' face fell, but saluted the Master Sergeant all the same. While Epps was Air Force, and Cortez was Army; on this base, everyone respected everyone's rank, regardless of which branch of the military. Epps had every right to relieve him of duty. Cortez turned to leave when Epps grabbed his arm, half out of pity and half out of duty to find out the rest of the story.

"Wait, tell me what you know of them first."

While Cortez gave Epps the rundown, the SWAT team had finally been allowed to stand, even though the flexicuffs stayed tight on their wrists. Hall and Rodriguez were the only ones still sitting on the ground, as a medic from the base looked over the boot print bruise rapidly forming over Rodriguez's face and his ribs as best he could.

Tiny was staring up at Red Alert in both utter terror and curiosity. He hissed to Murphy, "You didn't say these things were massive! That thing is fucking huge! This was fucking stupid coming here and you should have told us that the aliens were this fucking huge! Why didn't you tell us?"

Jack Murphy rolled his eyes before he turned to Tiny, who was shaking. Jack struggled not to snicker. Seeing Tiny of all people shaking in terror was something new.

Jack said, matter of factly, "Yes, I did say they were massive, Tiny. It's not my fault you weren't listening."

Tiny looked over at him, his eyes wide. "You did not! You said they were giant. That is not the same as fucking massive!"

Jack sighed, twisting his hands a bit to relieve some of the pressure the cuffs had on his wrists. He could feel warm liquid running down his hands, and knew he was still bleeding. Great, his face probably looked like hell, and now his hands were bleeding even more than they had been. Slightly exasperated, he said, "Okay, Tiny, I said giant. Last time I checked that's still a suitable synonym to massive. It was a fitting description."

Tiny balked at that, sputtering. "Bullshit, massive is bigger than giant! WHAT THE FUCK, you could have told us they were THIS FUCKING BIG! Goddammit, Jack!"

Jack Murphy just sighed, rolling his eyes and then twisted his hands a bit to make himself more comfortable. Tiny was being a bit melodramatic, he felt. Tiny kept ranting, as Jack tried his best to answer the man's questions truthfully.

Still sitting on the ground, his hands behind his back just like the rest of them, Chris Hall was getting increasingly annoyed. He also was uneasy, as he saw the dangerous look from the red alien standing behind the soldiers. He wondered what exactly would happen if the anarchy within their group continued. He flinched as he imagined the red giant alien shooting them all to kingdom come. Hall had finally had enough of the arguing between Tiny and Jack.

Hall barked, "Will you two shut up? That red one's looking he's going to kill us and eat us for dinner!"

That caused another argument between Jack, Tiny and Hall, and the rest of the team sighed and grumbled with irritation.

Lancaster shook his head before muttering, "I knew this was a bad idea. But no, no one listens to the rookie. Now we're going to military prison and the aliens are going to eat us, and we still haven't found Maeve. Lovely."

A sudden loud chorus of "SHUT UP, LANCASTER!" from every member of the team caused Epps and Cortez to glance at the team with eyebrows raised before they continued talking quietly a little ways off. The team managed to look completely innocent during the time the two stared at them with eyebrows raised. After they had looked away, however, the grumbling began again.

Lancaster just shrugged before looking at Bauer. "What'd I say?"

Bauer frowned, and just shook his head, ignoring the young rookie. He was missing Fifi already and glanced at his goddess with deep longing as she lay in the dirt a few feet away with all of their other weapons. He then looked at the "giant/massive" robot with disdain and deep suspicion. He didn't like them already, and just wanted to find his leader. Maeve had gotten herself into some kind of trouble with these bastards, and Bauer promised himself that he'd make whoever was responsible for her having to leave Tranquility to pay for it.

Red Alert noticed the dark look from one particular SWAT member, one of the larger, older ones; and made a mental note. He was as suspicious of the team as they were of him, but that one... that one could be even more dangerous than the rest of them. The eyes... the eyes were what gave the human away. Red Alert, however paranoid he may be, recognized the dangerous and violent look within those dark eyes. Those eyes promised revenge. Red Alert placed everything he knew about that particular man into one tiny file. The eyes... Primus, they bothered him. The man bothered him. He'd have to tell Optimus once the Prime woke from recharge.

After Cortez had finally told the story, Epps cleared his throat before he walked the short distance to where the team was. He'd have to wake up Major Lennox for this, and he was not looking forward to that. Lennox had had very little sleep as it was, and he was going to be seriously pissed. Epps, as his second-in-command, was going to have to take the brunt of that anger and the Master Sergeant was not looking forward to it.

"Jack Murphy, get your ass up here now." Epps' voice was hard, and ice cold. He remembered the wiry lieutenant and his wife from when Ironhide had blown up the woman McWilliams' house. Epps was not pleased at all that a man that had sworn he wouldn't say a damn thing had instead led an armed SWAT team straight to their doorstep.

Murphy, who had been standing in the middle of the circle of his men, sighed and pushed his way to the front. He hesitantly stepped in front of his men, standing tall as his lips twisted into a dark snarl. "Yes?"

Epps shook his head slightly before crossing his arms. "Man, we told you. You signed that damn form, but you ignored it and broke about a dozen laws just now. What the hell?"

The LT just laughed, surprising the soldiers with his deep amused tone, and bright eyes that stared with sparkling sweetness at Epps. "Yeah, and I told Lennox and you that Maeve's men wouldn't let her just disappear, didn't I?" He grinned, his teeth glistening in the artificial lights.

With a sigh, Epps stepped closer to Jack, keeping his voice low, staring hard into Jack's eyes. "Depending on how this goes, you and your team may just disappear. The Autobots aren't going to like this at all. There's a reason we kept trying to tell you that you should just drop it."

With a sudden turn about, Jack's sparkling eyes and amused smile disappeared. With cold eyes, and an even colder voice, Jack growled, loud enough for all to hear, including the soldiers, "Well, Master Sergeant, it's nice to hear that you'd abandon a team member or your leader if they disappear, but we at Tranquility SWAT don't. Loyalty means a lot to us, even if it doesn't for you. We're a team, and we don't abandon a team member, especially a squad leader, when they are in danger. Get it?"

"Yeah, I got it." Epps sighed as he stepped back. And he really did get it, and agreed more with Jack Murphy than Murphy would ever know. But rules were rules. He had to put them all in the brig, even if he didn't want to.

Dammit, this isn't right, Epps thought to himself. Still, he sighed, and with a simple gesture, several soldiers moved in and grabbed the team roughly.

Epps gazed sadly at the LT, before saying, "You're going to the brig. I agree with ya on loyalty, but you just stepped into something that could ruin all of your lives. You okay with that?"

A single voice, one that was slightly muffled from a bruised swollen lip, echoed loudly from the back of the circle of SWAT members, "If we weren't okay with it, we wouldn't be here. We all took that risk and don't you ever fucking try to guilt trip Lieutenant Murphy again." Rodriguez was being helped up by the army medic, his eyes narrow and sharp as he glared at Epps as he continued, "We all came to find Maeve. She's our Squad Leader and we ain't leaving her. You got a problem with that, you take it up with all of us, not just the LT."

With a look of astonishment, Epps turned to look at Murphy, who was now being held at the arms by two soldiers waiting for the cue to take him to the brig.

That deep amused smile once again crossed Murphy's face as he analyzed the surprise on Epps' face. "Don't ever underestimate the power of a team, soldier. I'm surprised that you're surprised. What, you think I forced them all here? They came of their own free will, and we'll go sit in your brig as long as you want with no complaints." He laughed gruffly, as Epps finally gave the order for the Tranquility SWAT team to be led away to the Autobots' secondary brig. The human brig was just barely finished, and was little more than cement walls and stainless steel.

Soon only Epps and Red Alert were still standing there next to the ruined gate and Tundra truck; Epps struggling to contain both his anger and his surprise. He was pissed at himself at his surprise.

He'd do what that SWAT team would do for Lennox and a handful of trusted soldiers any day. So why were they so irritating to him, and why did their antics surprise him? He didn't know, and that was what most likely irritated him. A single growl escaped him as he placed his hands on his hips. He knew that having that woman's SWAT team on the same base as her was not going to be easy. The Autobot next to him surmised as much.

"They are going to be a handful." Red Alert mused.

Epps scowled, "Yeah, well, it's gonna be hell when that woman finds out they're here... and vice-versa." He stomped after the group towards the brig, to make sure everything went smoothly.

Red Alert, rather surprised by the vitriol in Epps' voice, promised himself that he would watch over the SWAT group. True to his paranoid reputation, Red Alert was good at keeping a sharp optic on others, and he wasn't about to let this new group of humans evade his ever watchful optics. Especially when Epps was so angry. Red Alert nodded to himself, folding his hands behind him as he walked towards the brig. Nothing would get past him. This new group would be just fine to handle.

Yet, of course, Epps' assumption of "Hell" would turn out to be an immense understatement and Red Alert would soon find that they were not going to be "just fine" to handle.

The rain was incessant. Henrik Johansen, a Swedish national who had American citizenship, scowled from the tiny little hut that saved him from the massive amounts of precipitation. He may have been dry from the rain but the excessive humidity surrounded him, drenching the mercenary even as the rain did not. He wiped the sweat from his brows, and scowled darkly.

This is the LAST time I take a job in Nicaragua! He thought to himself, his eyes dark with hatred as he stared out the tiny window of his hastily constructed mud and leaf hut, trying desperately to see his prey through the pouring rain and tropical plants that surrounded his little hut.

Henrik was an average sized man, about 5'8, with nearly platinum blonde hair and icy blue eyes. Henrik had lived most of his childhood in Uppsala, Sweden; before his parents, and ultimately him, had emigrated to the United States when he was nearly a teenager. He had become the upstanding American citizen, the perfect man. And yet he hated it all. He wished to return to Sweden, the land of his birth, the land where he would be truly perfect. Not this strange Swedish immigrant soldier that he found himself to be in the U.S.

Especially not the mercenary that he had become.

A slight movement in the distance caught his eye. Johansen grasped his rifle, bringing it to his chest. He stared into the scope, hoping that it would finally be his prey. He wanted out of this hell hole as soon as possible. He had spent far too long here, and he wanted civilization and all its bounties as soon as he could get to them. Frankly, he wanted a significant movement, something, anything, so he could do his job and leave.

Johansen sighed, blinking quickly. He couldn't let those thoughts overcome him. Taking a deep breath, forcing himself to calm, he once again stared into the scope, looking and hoping he'd find her.

His lips tightened into a sinister smile as he realized that his prey had finally, after weeks of incessant waiting, graced his presence.

Pay day!

She was tiny, just a girl really, perhaps fifteen or sixteen at the most. Her long blonde braids dripped with the humid moisture in the air, as her home-made white flour sack dress was completely drenched by the rain. She looked completely naked except for the quickly disintegrating fabric draping her. The fact she was heavily pregnant didn't bother Johansen, nor that she was only fifteen or sixteen. It didn't bother him that she still looked like a little girl.

He'd get paid, as long as he did what he was told. That's all that mattered to him. The job simply needed to be done. He always tried, tried being the key word, to check his emotions at the door. Being a mercenary required it. Of course, that didn't always happen, as Henrik Johansen was soon to find out.

He brought the rifle to bear as the young pregnant girl did her chores amongst the polygamist farm. She was the last wife of seven to the sole husband. The husband just couldn't afford another child, as he had thirty-five already; especially from the youngest girl he'd married. He'd already sired two children on her, having "spiritually" married her when she was just eleven. The last two children was enough. The girl was just fifteen. She was as innocent as the children she had already borne, and the baby within her. She didn't know any better.

Johansen twitched with uneasiness. She was so young. She was so innocent and pretty as she smiled at the young children surrounding her, helping them, loving them; her laugh infectious even from the distance Johansen was. He could see her laugh; could feel it envelop him. It reminded him of his own daughter; her laugh standing in for the young girl's.

Johansen shut his eyes, and forced himself to breathe before opening his eyes once again. He couldn't let himself feel these emotions, and he struggled to cut them off before they stung too deep.

His ice blue eye behind the scope of the rifle blinked several times. So young! How... how can I take this girl's life?

He swallowed, nervous, as he always was when it came to taking the life of a young child such as she. She was a life giver. He didn't like taking a mother's life, ever. But he needed this; he needed the money. He swallowed, shut his eyes tight before opening them again. You have to. Grab a set and just do it.

Shaking his head at his thoughts while steeling his nerve, his white blonde hair cascaded around his eyes, forcing him to focus again. He needed the money. His daughter needed the money. While it bothered him on a deep emotional level that he was going to murder someone his daughter's age, it otherwise didn't cross his mind. He refused to let it. Everything he did in this business was for his not-so-little girl. And he'd do anything for her.

That was all he needed to tell himself before his finger pressed the trigger. Just a tiny amount of pressure, and that was all that was needed.

A sharp crack echoed in the humid air as the bullet whistled towards its target.

The cries of terrified children arose in the garden as the girl collapsed; skull, blood and brain matter splattering the fertile dirt. Screams began echoing as the dead girl's sister wives found her collapsed on the ground as blood seeped into the fertile soil.

He was gone as soon as he could gather his gear and erase any evidence of him being in that tiny miserable hut. He was glad to be gone, even if the cries of the children and the brutal screams of the sister wives found their way into his dreams.

The polygamist husband of the murdered girl paid him twelve hours later, when Johansen was safe in Mexico City. He smiled as he checked the laptop as the night began to wind down into morning at a 24 hour cafe, even if the image of her dying haunted him. Even if the cries of the young children seeing her skull disintegrate in front of them echoed in his ears. He shook his head slightly, before closing the laptop.

A few minutes later he was at a hotel, nondescript, and certainly not a tourist destination. Perfect for those like him. He checked in to the slightly rundown hotel, smiling sweetly at the young beautiful girl at the check in desk. She blushed as she swept a tiny bit of hair behind her ears. Henrik Johansen smiled sweetly back.

Within ten minutes he was in his room, as private as it could be.

He opened his laptop, activated his security protocols, and checked all of his emails after he was sure no one could hack in.

It didn't take long for one particular email to catch his eye.

Hmm? Haven't heard from you in a long while. Johansen thought to himself as he clicked tentatively on the email from his former command.

What he read next both chilled him and excited him. It took several deep breaths before Johansen had enough sense to respond. He had seen the aliens before; had had the unfortunate pleasure of being in Mission City while he was searching for someone on a bounty. He had seen the utterly horrifying nature of the aliens, and he knew precisely how they both frightened and amazed. He knew that his old boss wasn't lying.

Henrik Johansen sent his former boss just one simple response,

"I am in."

Johansen smiled as he looked around the small room. Finally. Something truly worthwhile. He wondered if his boss was activating the rest of the team. He hoped so. It had been so long. He missed them; he missed his friends and compatriots. And yet... could he be the only one activated? Johansen sighed as he made a quick plane ticket purchase on his laptop, before shutting it down. He wouldn't know if there were to be any more activations for awhile yet.

Sunlight was creeping through his darkened window shades. He needed some sleep. He would be activated within 24 hours. Time enough for sleep and then the flight to Phoenix.

Johansen passed out within minutes on the uncomfortable bed. He was the first of Blair's team. There were five more; five more just like him who were willing to do anything, anything, to be paid.