Crosshairs

A/N: This is the sequel to Coming Home. While Bobby, Sue and Jack had a mere, wee cameo in Coming Home, it is important to note as it is referenced in this story. Also, this is told from a Jack-centric point-of-view.

Sue and crew are property of Paxson/Pebblehut, SE and crew are property of Hasbo/SonyWonder/DD and all other OC are property of CoblentzInc.

No animals were harmed in the writing of this fiction...unless you count animal crackers. Those were go-o-o-o-o-od.

Rated PG-13.

Crosshairs

Jack Hudson looked down the barrel of his sniper rifle. His movements were slow, precise and unsyncopated. He would advance his hand then pause, waiting an uneven amount of time before shifting his eyes. Patience was a virtue at this point and when it came to outlasting his quarry, he was determined to win.

Over a period of thirty minutes, the sniper shifted, adjusted and set his sights all the while keeping an ear on his surroundings. It wouldn't do to be caught in this compromising position, a gun aimed at a lean-to shelter in the middle of nowhere. He relaxed his visual vigil and tuned in to the world nearest him. Crickets and a host of noisy bugs were going about their merry business. To his far left, he could hear a woodpecker tracing a path, going after its dinner beneath the bark. Everything sounded normal and he slid a glance back over to his mounted sight. Through the crosshairs, he saw two people in the small camp. The shortest of the pair was lean and dark. He sat low to the ground, drawing something with a stick. The second man leaned to the side, looking at the picture, nodding. The smaller man, Jack mentally dubbed him Mouse, pointed to an area northwest of their position. Moose, the taller man, shook his head. Good. They don't know I am here.

Jack moved slightly, careful to keep his movement minute and smooth. He had just reached his goal of adjusting his angle for crosswinds when he heard a sharp crack behind him. He kept his eye on the camp and froze as the pair turned to look toward his position. They aren't looking at me, he realized. Steeling himself to stay immobile, he waited, as the cracking sound grew closer. When a small hoof set down near his face, a small grin appeared. This is perfect. A deer makes a great cover as long as I don't botch it. He tried to reduce his breathing to as shallow as possible. A second, third, fourth hoof passed by. Wow. It wasn't something you saw everyday. But he nearly swallowed his tongue when a second set of hooves, then a third passed over him. Three…a doe and two fawns. What are the odds?

Cracking his sight eye, he saw the pair at the camp gesturing at each other. The taller man made a move to get his rifle and took aim at one of the deer, Jack couldn't risk seeing which. All he could make out was Moose sighting and his finger beginning to pull back on the trigger of the gun. In a heart stopping moment, he wished he had talked to Sue that morning, wished he had told her where he was going, told her that he loved her, like he did every morning. It was entirely possible that the shooter could miss the deer, hit him and no one would know except the other man on his team. And Cooper MacBride didn't know where he was. A bead of sweat rolled down his nose and he bit down the urge to wipe it away. Down at the camp, Mouse motioned for Moose to lower the gun. Thank you, God.

The odd pair was distracted again by another noise this time coming from the tree line. Jack listened as a lumbering sound came from his diagonal left, beyond where the woodpecker had been. In a rush, the deer bounded over and away from him, seeking the shelter of the brush that lay some one hundred yards behind him. Slowly, painstakingly, he shifted his gaze, following the motion of Mouse and Moose as they gathered their gear in anticipation of rapid flight. No, no, no. You have to stay put. He willed the noise to be just another one of nature's creatures.

Out of the trees came a black and gray wolf, tearing madly across the open expanse. Near as Jack could tell, Moose wanted to shoot it too but Mouse was keeping him in check. That's it, Mouse. Don't give away your position or mine. Wait for your buddies to join you and then we'll go from there. He held his breath again as the wolf turned in his direction, as if sensing his presence. I am not here. You don't see me, white paper, white paper. Pausing only to make a sniff in his general direction, the lupine continued on, following its prey, the deer.

As the afternoon crawled on, so did the insects. A colony of ants had decided to investigate his boot and it was becoming uncomfortable. The urge to scratch, to stretch, to simply breathe normally, all had to be suppressed if he wanted to bag his quarry. Just as the ants began their march up his pant leg, movement from the northwest caught his peripheral vision. Two more men, both average height, emerged from the high brush and walked toward the lean-to. Jack watched through his sight as Mouse stood and pulled a small firearm. .45? I have to remember that. The smaller man relaxed and greeted his acquaintances while Moose glared from across the fire pit.

With the ants pushed from his conscious thought, Jack focused on the task at hand. Four perps. At least two rifles and one side arm. It's a safe bet the newcomers are armed as well. The sniper watched as Mouse talked animatedly with the blonde arrival. The four men then gathered around two fairly heavy looking duffel bags. This is it. If they have the contraband, I'll have to take them. He prepared to take action by slowly easing the safety off on his rifle. Four men. Four shots. Clean and clear if I can. Moose was arguing with the blonde man. Whitey is a good name for you. Wonder why Moose is not your friend?

The last man seemed to take offense at the words aimed at his friend. He whipped out a small gun and pointed it at the larger man, yelling loud enough to be heard from Jack's position three hundred yards away. Barky doesn't seem to like Moose either. He lowered his head slightly to line up the camp in the crosshairs. It was a waiting game now. Which would come first? The contraband, nightfall or discovery?

Things quickly settled when Mouse opened a cooler full of beer. Barky looked over at Moose and glared as he picked up his own can. Whitey busied himself digging in the first duffel. Well, boys, are we finally getting somewhere? Out came several bags marked with a logo of a semi-local grocery. Food? Jack's stomach involuntarily let him know it was way past time to eat. To make matters worse, Moose had built a fire in the fire pit and was preparing to cook something that looked like steak. I hate my job at times like this. Where is the stupid contraband? The goal of the mission was to take out the perps if and when the contraband was spotted and definitely identified. Sure, Jack. It'll be an easy mission. Keep your sights in sharp order. Liar.

Dusk fell slowly and Jack still lay patiently, quietly watching the camp. He had activated the infrared scope some time earlier and was currently adjusting to the night sight. With the fire blazing at the camp, it wasn't easy to differentiate between the men but he knew them enough by sight to tell them apart. He had observed Moose downing at least six cold beers while Mouse refrained from drinking any. Whitey had two and Barky was nursing a third one. It seemed as if they had slipped into a relaxed state and…DANG! Jack could barely make out movement in the shadows to the southeast of the lean-to. More company? He waited for any one of the men to notice the movement or the noise at least but all four remained unconcerned. It was then that he realized, Maybe someone else is tracking them…

In the dark it was incredibly hard to discern details but having a sniper's eye stood him in good stead. There were two commandos? Sneaking up on the camp. Head-to-toe black and face paint concealed all the features. Since both were still on the far side of the perimeter, he adjusted his night scope to a slightly shaper image. There. There's one. He watched as the first halted and made a motion to the second. He recognized the language. Military field sign, the same type used by most agencies under the Homeland Security umbrella. Down. Wait. Standard signs. Use those all the time. Jack frowned. The second person signed back in the affirmative. Moose stood and stretched, causing the first man, Shadow, to halt. The large man moved out of the camp light, toward the trees where the second man was waiting. Crap. Should I move and take Moose out or…wait, where did he go? Smoke, as he was dubbed, had disappeared.

Under the cover of dark, Jack could afford to move and stretch a bit. He pinched the bridge of his nose, still trying to figure out how the second guy had vanished so thoroughly. Easing onto his left side, he scanned through the sight, watching Moose's backside as he relieved himself. Not what I needed to see. Adjusting the night sight a hair tighter he began to make out the shape of Smoke. He's still there? The guy must have nerves of steel. Moose finished his business and headed back to the lean-to. Smoke still hadn't moved. Jack watched on and off for nearly twenty minutes as he carefully nibbled a piece of jerky. It's not steak – which had nearly driven him crazy as it sizzled on the open fire – but it will do. Polishing off the last bite, he checked once more on Smoke. Still there. Glancing over to the left, he spotted Shadow. What is the story with this guy? The black clad man was next to the lean-to, rifling through one of the bags. Jack focused his attention. This could be it. If the contraband is here, I could be home before midnight. Out of the bag came several jewelry cases and a locked moneybag. And a steel cylinder. Shadow opened the container to crack, revealing a harsh blue light that he carefully covered. The sniper observed the man as he signaled his partner that the target had been found.

Jack tensed. That's MY target. I worked hard to get here to get it and I'll be darned if it gets away. He rolled into position, making the small tweaks necessary to fire. In the scope, he could see that Moose had dozed off while Mouse stared into the fire. Whitey had pulled out a book and was trying to read by the firelight. Barky was sleeping in the lean-to, inches from Shadow's position. If I want to bag the target, I will have to take him out first because if he gets into the trees, I'll never find him. He slid the round carefully forward into place, letting the gun slowly come to bear on the heart of the Shadow. Gotta make this count. I have him and four other guys to nail before I can recover the target. Squinting into the eyepiece, he tightened his finger, a slow, steady squeeze, almost to the fire point… SNAP

Jack froze. I am not here. You can not…see…me… Iridescent green reflected at him, fire mirrored in the wide eyes. He sees me. The wolf just walked over and sat about five feet away, looking toward the camp. The sniper tried to tune the beast out but every time he made to finish his shot, he could feel the eerie green eyes staring at him. All right, Wolf. I'll wait…what am I thinking? I am talking in my mind to a wolf… At that point, the large lupine rose and trotted in the direction of the group of men. Oh, no. All he could do was watch as the wolf lumbered to the edge of the firelight and stopped, waiting for someone to notice. He's…no…that is just…crazy…

Through the crosshairs, he saw Shadow signaling. Smoke? No, Smoke was now next to Shadow. Jack frowned. The signals looked very familiar, like regular sign, like…They are talking to me… Getting over his initial shock, he read the signs as 'Fire wolf distract get out.' He wasted no time. Drawing a bead on the sleeping Barky, Jack squeezed the trigger. The round flew true, striking the sleeper in the chest. Before the first one had hits its mark, a second was headed toward Moose, impacting him on the left side as he tried to sit up. Number three missed as Whitey still had his book; however, the mid-sized tome smacked the blonde headed man in the face, throwing him off balance. Jack had already fired a fourth round, effectively taking him out of the picture. Mouse was the remaining man and he seemingly disappeared. Rolling to the left, the sniper waited for the dust to settle and was surprised to see the small man up in a tree, the wolf jumping and snapping at his boots. Taking a minute to aim, he tagged Mouse and slowly sat upright.

He tapped the microphone around his neck. "Four perps down. Target ID positive but out of my hands. Over."

"Roger that, Sparky. Secure the camp and wait for me. Over."

"Roger that, Coop. Be waiting for you."

Jack gathered his rusksack and shouldered his gun. The trek to the camp seemed much longer now that he wasn't looking through his scope. As he breached the perimeter, 'Barky' and 'Moose' were beginning to stir. With a smirk, the sniper spoke.

"Jack Hudson, FBI."

'Moose' held out a massive paw. "Tim Grath, DEA. Nice shot." The paint ball had smacked him dead center of the heart. "This is Ray Smith, also DEA." 'Barky' shook hands as well.

"How'd you like that night scope?"

"Pretty good. You can get some sharp images if you know where to look."

They were interrupted by a call "Hey! Can somebody call off the dog? I want to get down!" 'Mouse' was still in the tree, green phosphorescent paint splattered all over his left side.

"That's not a dog, Kelly."

"It isn't?" The smaller man pulled up his legs.

"It's a wolf," replied Jack

"Oh, man, it's gonna eat me!"

"Our man, Tarzan, is Kelly Reyes. FBI So Cal. How you liking your visit, Kel?"

"I hate you, Grath. Now, get me down!"

All three men looked up as a piercing whistle sounded. The wolf withdrew to the tree line.

"Um, we'd better check on Derek." Ray went to help the blonde headed man to sit upright, blood drying on his face.

"Dude, I dink you'd broke by nodes."

Jack hissed. "Ooo, sorry about that. It was the book that threw me off."

"Well, ad lease you didin actually hid by head."

"I wasn't aiming for your head, otherwise, we'd be calling in Mercy Flight and how would we explain that?"

"Boys, boys, boys…" A newcomer arrived from the darkness, dressed in grey and blue. "This exercise is over. We don't need fights over who did what. That's not the point."

Kelly Ngyuen came bounding over, joining in the conversation. "So, how'd we do, Coop?"

The man gave a twisted smirk. "You're dead, Kel. How do you think you did?"

Ray held up the second bag. "So, Hudson, where did you squirrel away the target?"

A hand went through dark brown hair as Jack admitted, rather sheepishly, "I didn't get it. There were other infiltrators in the camp."

This caused a stir among the four 'perps' who all turned on each other. "Did you see anyone else?" "You were supposed to be guarding the bag." "Hey, you drank too many 'beers' and passed out." "Don't point your finger at me, you criminal lowlife…"

A sharp whistle split the air and all four turned to look at Cooper MacBride. "The point of the exercise is to throw in unforeseen obstacles to a mission. We can't depend on Intel to be immediately up to date and sometimes, like it or not, not all agencies are going to be forthcoming with what they have going down. We have to be able to recognize and roll with situations outside what we are trained for." Gray-blue eyes turned to Jack. "You said there were infiltrators, plural. How many?"

"Two men. Commandos from the looks of it. It was too dark for me to make out details but they were tight, quick, silent. Which agency loaned them?"

"The Army and the FBI. They are around here somewhere. A second camp is being raided right now."

Various cries of "What?" and "No way!" rolled for a moment before Coop motioned for silence.

"You guys get this area cleaned up and back to zero. The next group will be in at 05:30 and they don't need your mess to distract them. That includes the lean-to. Take it down. Jack, walk with me."

The pair moved a distance from the camp. "So, what do you think of our training program?"

Brown eyebrows went up. "I like it. It throws in a lot of variables. And I haven't been out in a field, literally, in years. It was nice to practice."

"Didja like my gear?"

"Very nice. We could use something like that."

"It's coming. Soon as DOD releases it," Coop groused.

Jack nodded and stretched his arms. Lying prone for hours on end wasn't comfortable and his body was letting him know in no uncertain terms how the night was going to play out.

"Sore?" There was a hint of laughter in his fellow sniper's voice.

The dark headed man wrinkled his nose. "Ha ha. I'd forgotten how wearing field maneuvers could be."

"It's part of the job, Sparky."

The two men turned to watch as the camp was being disassembled. "So, how often do you guys run one of these?"

"Every couple of weeks, we bring in volunteers from various branches of Homeland Security, including the military. We set some to be perps, giving them a back-story to get into and a vague idea of what they should be doing. Then we set out snipers, commandos, bomb squad members and specialists to finish a 'mission.' For good measure, we throw in variables. You are one of maybe six who actually rolled with the scenario and didn't try to 'kill' the commandos." Coop had a wry look on his face.

"Has anyone scored a hit on them?" Jack was wide eyed.

"Not yet but there have been several close calls. If they get separated, one usually goes to ground while the other wrecks all the camps till they meet up again."

"If you don't mind my asking, how did you end up with an FBI commando? We don't have those."

"Siblings, as best as I can tell. They work well together and really throw the missions for a loop."

Noise erupted from the camp as a howl was heard in the forest. Coop grinned as Kelly squawked and ran for a tree.

"Is the wolf part of the equation here?"

The other man shrugged. "Figure it out for yourself."

"I hate you, MacBride."

"Feeling is mutual, Hudson. Let's go help Reyes."

It was close to midnight as the agents hiked out of the woods to the waiting area. Cooper had them all draw close for final tally. Nearly twenty men and women gathered around. "Good job out there today. I hope all of you learned something different from what you are used to. Mission was accomplished at all four camps. Target was ID'd and neutralized. It wasn't about who got credit but that it was done. A few of you might get called to help with the next round but don't go telling everyone in your group what you were doing. Just apply it and apply it well. If you have constructive comments, forward them to me and I'll send them to the appropriate people. Go home, wash off the dirt and paint and get some rest. "

Slowly, the staging area cleared as agents packed their gear and left for home. Jack and Cooper watched everyone leave while they cleaned their rifles, taking care to stow the scopes and sights. They worked in companionable silence, wrought by several years of friendship.

"So, can I meet these 'commandos'?" Jack made air quotes as he smiled.

Coop shook his head. "Sorry, no can do. Policy is strict on that. We pull them from all over, different agencies and never reveal unless they are 'caught' or 'captured.'"

"Makes sense."

The men got into MacBride's Jeep and headed back toward D.C.

"Thanks for coming out. I know it's been a while…"

"Since training school—" came the interjection.

"But I couldn't let the second best marksman miss out on this opportunity…"

Dark brows lifted as Jack laughed. "Second best? I remember beating you at least twice in competition."

"Hudson, you only wish you were as good as me." The other man waited as his friend finished his fit. "Still, I knew you'd like this set up. We do have to keep it hush-hush simply because we rotate who we ask."

"Ah…don't want to spoil the fun for others, eh?"

Coop gave a wry smile. "Something like that."

"Well, if you ever need an extra hand, call me."

"Will do."

Shaking hands, Jack took his leave and watched the Jeep disappear into the darkness. He made his way to his apartment where email and a shower waited.

To: Jack Hudson

From: Sue Thomas

I missed seeing you today. I hope your day went well.

Come over for breakfast.

I love you.

Sue

The brown-headed agent sighed. How does she do it? I am gone all day, without a note or anything, and she hopes it went well. He smiled to himself. Her ability to hold on and let go at the same time amazes me. Shutting off his computer, Jack headed toward the shower.

Once the water was hot, he stepped in, letting the steam and heat ease his muscles. Dirt and grime were rinsed away as he washed his hair. I must have half the field in here. Standing under the falling water, he let his thoughts wander back to his fiancee. Sometimes, I don't know where I fit in our relationship. She's so easy to trust people and I…tend to hold off. Not that that is wrong but when we conflict…I need to work on that. We've had our ups and downs, more downs, okay, too many downs but she still sees something in me, despite myself. He grabbed a towel, drying off and thinking. I would give anything to protect her. Anything.

Pulling on a pair of worn running shorts, he climbed into bed. Anything.

Morning came too soon. If it weren't for Sue's breakfast invite, Jack would've stayed in bed awhile longer. As it was, he rolled out slowly, bones and muscles protesting all the way. I had better run at least a short while, to work out the kinks. He pulled on his running gear and took off for his favorite park.

Once back home, he took a quick shower and donned a pair of worn jeans and a blue pullover. He ran a hand through his damp hair, collected his wallet, ID, keys and such and headed for Sue and Lucy's.

Levi greeted him at the door as he let himself in. The golden wiggled with excitement.

"He's happy to see you today." A soft voice came down from the end of the hall.

"Hey." Jack looked up to see a shining face. He finished petting Levi and made his way to a warm embrace, one he had dearly missed yesterday. His arms pulled her tightly to him, conveying his need to simply hold her for a while.

The moments passed and she tilted her head back to see his face.

"Is something wrong?" Concern etched her gentle features, hazel eyes echoing the question.

He smiled, one that came from the heart. "Only that when I hold you, I feel whole, complete. And there is nothing wrong with that."

A kiss followed, interrupted by a damp nose. "He's telling us breakfast is ready." 'Hungry.'

'Starved.'

Jack sat at the table, watching her move, thinking of a time when this would be a more permanent part of his life. "Do you want me to help?"

She pushed a blonde strand behind her ear. "No, that's okay."

They ate in silence. The brown headed man didn't know what he enjoyed more: the food she had prepared or watching her eat it.

His intense gaze caught her attention, making her blush. "Jack."

"What? I can't admire the beauty and grace before me?"

Her flush deepened and he grinned.

"It's just breakfast…" she started to say.

He put a hand over hers. "But you made it for me and I appreciate it. I appreciate you. I don't tell you that enough."

She was quiet for a moment before simply signing 'Thank you'.

"Anytime."

In the peace of each other's company, they finished up breakfast. Jack offered to do clean up and immediately recruited Levi as his helper. While he cleared the table, he peeked into the living area to see what Sue was doing. His quick glance revealed her sitting at her computer, answering emails and chatting. Back in the kitchen, he scraped and rinsed, letting Levi have a small portion of the goodies (keeping in mind that overdoing also meant messy clean up).

He took another look as he gathered the last remains of breakfast and saw several windows open, on filled with what appeared to be trash. As he watched, she answered back in the same style. An eyebrow went up. Making quick work of the task, he was done in the kitchen. He walked up beside her, signaling with a gentle tap on the shoulder.

Sue looked up and smiled. "All done? You didn't let Levi help too much this time, did you?" She gave him a knowing smirk.

"Ah, no. I remember what happened last time. Moderation is the key for Wonder Dog." Jack gave her a wink. "So, what's this?" He pointed to at the gibberish on the screen.

"An email from James. It's in a quick code we've been working on, one that we are trying to translate to vibration." At his nod, she continued. "It was an idea we had, sort of a take on Morse code. We just started working on it a short time ago."

The brown headed man pulled up a chair. "That sounds…interesting."

"It's just something different." She typed in a string of alphanumeric and hit send. A reply flashed back almost immediately.

"Wow, that was quick!"

"He wrote the code. I've been learning it." Her fingers flew as she typed a response.

"What does it say?"

Her blonde eyebrow pinned him. "Jack, this is a personal email…"

"Ooooh, my bad." He felt his cheeks flush. Running a hand through his hair, he tried again. "So, tell me about James. I barely saw him at the wedding you took me to."

"You tell me what you saw, leader of the surveillance unit."

He smiled. Okay, if we are going to play that game… "Caucasian male. Blonde. Tall, about six two. Lean, about 190. Quiet, introspective. Knows basic sign. He didn't say much. And who wears shades in the evening?"

Sue had a pretty smirk playing about her lips. "No, he doesn't say much at all. He's very quiet."

Jack returned the look. "Is that all you are going to tell me?"

"What? I saw what you saw…"

He raised his hands in mild frustration. "Where did you meet? How long have you known each other? What's his life story? Is he married?"

A small hand halted the flow of questions. "Mom, where is Jack and what have you done with him?"

"I'm serious." The brown eyes glinted with uncertainty, fear, and...jealousy?

"Jack," she gave an exasperated sigh. "He's very close friend of mine. I trust him implicitly."

"Don't you trust me, too?"

"Yes."

"Then tell me what I want to know."

Both eyebrows went up. "I think you are pushing too hard here."

"I think you are hiding things from me."

Sue blinked. "Excuse me?"

He pulled back, realizing he had moved into her space. "I'm sorry. I care for you so much and I want to make sure you are safe. I feel like you don't trust me if you won't tell me things."

A look crossed her face, one that he couldn't quite decipher. "I thought we had covered this already. There are some things I can't tell you…"

"It's not those!" He interrupted. "It's this whole James thing. You won't tell me anything about him. If I didn't know better, I would think you were seeing him behind my back."

"Like you though I was seeing Hector?" She narrowed her eyes. "I have told you enough. Enough that you should trust me. I've never lied to you."

Ouch. He took a deep breath. "You're right. I am pushing." Sliding his chair back, he stood "I'm going to go. I have a lot to think about."

"Jack…" She raised a hand to him.

He took it and put it to his cheek. "I know, I'm not leaving because I'm angry. Promise."

Out in his car, he rested his head against the steering wheel. Way to go, Hudson. Use those interrogation skills on the woman you love. Smooth going there, Jackson. He popped his hands against the dash before starting the ignition. Shifting into drive, he made his way home, radio blaring something useless. He made it in record time, hitting all the green lights and slowly ascended the stairs. I just want to know. Is that so bad? It is when you demand…He shook his head. I hate it when the voices argue.

Inside his apartment, Jack flopped onto the couch. He thought long and hard about his relationship with Sue. There were times when her ability to connect with people put her in harm's way. There were times when her instincts put her in harm's way. But then, her faith in people made her strong. Her instincts opened paths that other's sometimes didn't see. It was a cautious balance, one that he was having difficulty mastering. Bobby keeps telling me she's stronger than she looks. He seems to have figured out the balance. It probably helps that he isn't in love with her. I'm sure that would cloud his thinking.

Settling back on the cushions, he allowed his eyes to drift closed. Flashes of the past few years crowded his mind. As sleep drifted over him, he started to dream. He could see Sue, laughing and happy, with someone next to her. He tried to see the face of the man but it was obscured by light. Tightly clasped hands teased his curiosity and he again tried to make out details. The ring on her right hand was there, but no ring on her left. The man's hands held only one ring, a wedding band. Shadows whirled around her and he fought to be by her side, only to be bumped away by another. Bobby? The tall Aussie was telling her "I knew you could do it, sheila." The mist spun again, pushing him away. A smaller woman was holding her, murmuring softly, "It was what he wanted to do. It's time to let go." Darkness began to pull at him and he struggled to awaken. He sat up and saw her bent with grief. Reaching out a hand, he cried, "I will protect you!" Hazel eyes turned and her silent scream said, "Let go! You have to let go!" A warning bell sounded as he ducked, looking for incoming fire and found himself face flat on his apartment floor with his cell ringing in his ear.

Whoa…that was… He pressed a hand against his heart to feel it racing. It was too real. Swallowing, he answered his phone. "Hudson, go." Twenty minutes later, he had packed his own gear and was heading out the door.

It was a bit after noon proper when Jack arrived at the staging grounds. He saw Cooper MacBride casually leaning against his SUV, wearing a blue coverall with his gear strapped to his back. A black woolly cap was on top of his unruly light brown hair, topped with a pair of red-lensed goggles. The FBI agent stopped his car next to the other and stepped out.

"Bad day?"

"Just frustrated. What's up?"

Coop explained as Jack began pulling on his own black and gray coverall. "We have three exercises running right now. Two have snipers and one has a covert operator in with the 'bad guys'. Additionally, we have one camp with a bomb scenario going."

"And we're going in why?" The brown headed man pulled on his sniper gear. MacBride handed him a modified rifle and an adapter for the paintballs. He waited as Jack checked the weapon, removing the clip and pulling the trigger several times to make sure the chamber was clear. Slipping the paintball clip into place, he began to place his own sight on the gun, testing the level and setting the focus using a far off tree.

"Well, the brass wanted a change up. Commandos are going in as planned but there are now 'outside' gang influences. That'd be us."

"Who are we after?" Jack looked up in time to see his friend smirk.

"Everybody."

Brown eyebrows shot up. "Really? That's a definite change up."

"We do what the boss men say." Coop adjusted his goggles and grinned at Jack. "I say, let's take 'em all."

"Let's."

Dusk had settled and Jack was getting antsy. The last camp was a tough group. They had chosen their rendezvous point well. A rock wall was behind the lean-to, preventing anyone from approaching that direction. Trees were to the left and right and they had rigged trip wires. Nicely done, guys. Too bad it won't keep you safe… He inched over and took a peek through his sight. It wasn't Coop's souped-up night sight but it was his and he knew it well. Six targets were in the camp. Two men were lazing in the make shift shelter. Sliding over, he spied one of the two women stirring the fire, coaxing it to burn brighter. The better to see you with. Her hands caught his eye. Neither had rings. Lightweight camping togs, hair pulled back in a ponytail. Reddish, no…brownish blonde. He saw her smile at one of the other guys in camp and felt a pang in his heart. Sue could never do this. She would be a sitting duck. The second female joined the first at the fire and the two began roasting hot dogs. Smoke and food…dead giveaways. Raucous noise drifted from the camp and the last two men came into view, a small cooler between them. Right on cue with the 'beverages'…

As the noise got progressively louder, Jack switched to looking across the open expanse in front of the camp. A sniper was out there somewhere, preparing to take out the 'drug cartel' and he needed to find him. Slowly, painstakingly, he scanned inch by inch, watching for a giveaway, any clue as to the location of the other gunner. There…a faint glint by firelight. Gotcha. He eased back down, taking mental note of everyone's positions. He figured the commandos wouldn't try this camp but he wouldn't count them out.

The hot dogs were just about done when the commandos struck from nowhere. Jack sat up and so did the other sniper who took a shot at one. The paintball missed, leaving a large splotch of blue paint on the rock face. That sent the six campers into hiding positions. Projectiles flew fast and furious, blue from the sniper and green and red from the camp. Due to the phosphorescent additive, everything took on an unearthly glow. In the midst of the melee, Jack took careful quiet aim and began taking out the campers, the dayglo violet marking them as 'dead.' Number three went down and the brown headed sniper turned his sights on the other gunner making a clean shot to the chest.

One of the remaining three threw water on the fire causing smoke to billow. Jack swore as he stood, moving carefully in the tree line to avoid the tripwires. He knew the boys in black would be nearby. The smoke cleared slowly and he saw that two of the three were bound and gagged. Where is the third one? A crash signaled that the target was on the run. Raising his rifle, he sighted the runner and took aim. Squeezing, he let the paint fly and was shocked when the ball went off target, or rather, the target went down before the ball got there. In the sight, he could see a dark leg had tripped the fleeing suspect and arms were searching for the trophy. Locking on to the black body, he began to squeeze the trigger, again amazed, as his new target was suddenly not there.

Slinging his rifle back on the strap, he hurriedly made his way across the clearing toward the fallen 'bad' guy. It was the female he'd seen at the fire. She was getting up, albeit slowly. He grabbed a stray paintball and slapped her back with it. "You're down," he said as he jogged by.

"Yeah? Well, not because of you!" The anger in her voice made him grin. Turning, his smile faded upon seeing not one but three dayglo yellow splotches on her chest and legs. "There you go, hot shot."

Jack looked back toward the trees. Tilting his head, he listened, straining for the taletell sound of underbrush being crunched. Nothing.

The fallen agent snorted. "You goin' all Tonto there, hot shot?"

He shushed her. Amazingly enough, she quieted and he heard it. The crack of brush, about a dozen yards to his right. There's one. Where's the other? He got his answer in the form of a hand-hurled paintball that smacked his coverall dead center. Rolling his head, Jack sighed in frustration. A sound behind him caused him to turn.

"You think this is funny?" The words grated out harshly.

The woman stilled. "Why yes, I do. You forgot the first rule. It isn't over, until all the bodies are accounted for. You are down, hot shot."

He clenched his teeth, ready to reply but took a breath instead. She's right. I stopped and forgot it wasn't over. Rookie mistake. Taking a minute to calm his…frustration, anger, embarrassment…he held out his hand. "Hudson, FBI."

"Dean, CIA." She peeled off her over shirt. "Yellow is not my color."

"You the spook that was undercover?"

"Was being the operative word." They fell in step, walking back to the tye-dyed camp.

"Then how…it was you. You put the water on the fire to cover your exit." At her nod, he went on. "But they took you down."

She surged ahead and tossed a comment over her shoulder. "Did they now, Hudson? Were all the bodies accounted for?" And she was gone, into the dark.

Jack stopped and put a hand to his forehead. She painted herself. He grinned. These exercises were definitely making him think about how he looked at things.

After the round up meeting with Cooper, Jack waited next to his car. The Army sniper eventually made his way to his SUV.

"Learn anything new today?" A smirk curled on the other man's face.

Brown eyes widened. "Oh yeah. Never say yes to old school buddies."

MacBride waved him off. "Whatever. You can't resist. Just like in training. I believe you made the same mistake there, too."

"Once."

"Once will see you dead, Jack. That's why we are running these drills. There is too much we are taking for granted. Basic survival." He raised an arm, showing a big yellow patch on his blue coverall. "I forgot to count, too."

Lips twisting wryly, the brown headed man responded, "So, now what? We run everyone through here?"

Coop shrugged out of his coverall. "No, that isn't feasible. That's why we tell everyone to practice what they've forgotten they've learned. And extend that to their teams." He spot treated the paint before stuffing it in a bag.

"How many repeats come to the course?"

"Like you? About ten or so. Those who've scored well we toss into another scenario. It's good for all involved. You up for next week?"

"I don't know. Depends on our caseload. Why? What are you up to?"

"Bringing in a batch of Bomb Boys. There was a case awhile back; some agent had an old style bomb on his desk. The generals want to bring the 'boys' up to speed on lesser technologies." Cooper looked at Jack. "What?"

"That was my office, my agent."

Eyes went wide. "Really? So, you know Manning then?"

"Oh, yeah. Crash."

"He's on the roster to come out on Saturday. You want to come observe or pick them off?"

Standing straight, he sighed. "Call me later this next week. I'll let you know then." Jack got into his car and left.

The drive home was quiet, his thoughts tumbling about. Bobby is good. This exercise will be right up his alley. But what if they start pulling out others? D, probably not. He's going toward supervisor. Myles, maybe. He likes to think he's James Bond. Jack grinned at the thought of the Bostonian out in the brush being fired upon by paintballs. Tara, she could use the experience. I wish there were something Sue could do. This isn't a situation for her. Only trained agents do this. Lucy will be out as well, since rotors aren't field qualified. And she doesn't do outdoors very well.

He shifted his mind into auto mode and made it home. It was still early enough to catch Sue and talk to her. Pulling up in front of her and Lucy's place, he ran up the steps.

A startled Lucy answered the door. "Jack, what are you doing here?"

"Hey, Luce, is Sue home?" He grinned at her.

"Uh, no. She went to dinner with her brother. He came by and picked her up earlier today. I haven't seen her at all."

Brows pulled into a frown. "Then how…"

"She left a note, Jack." Lucy turned and walked into the apartment, leaving him to follow. "So, how was breakfast?" The teasing in her voice made him want to blush.

"It was good."

"Are you ever going to ask her to marry you?"

The blunt statement shocked him, mostly because it was what he had been pondering the last few weeks. "Luce, I…"

"Oh, I'm sorry. I can't help it. I see you watching her and you two look so good together." She wrinkled her nose at the picture in her mind.

Jack rolled his eyes at his friend. "Luce, you know the policy. Sue and I are…" He stopped. Best friends who enjoy a good snuggle? Best friends who love each other? Best friends who keep secrets… A small frown knit his brow. I need to think about this some more. He came back to the present to find a mocha hand waving in his face.

"Yoo hoo? Earth to Jack?"

He blinked and pushed a grin on to his face. "Sorry, thinking."

Arms crossed, she stared him down. "Is there something you aren't telling me?"

"What?" A single brown brow raised in confusion.

"I think you and Sue have been hiding something from me. I want to know. Did you already ask her to marry you and not tell me?"

He raised his hands to fend her off. "Look, Lucy, I don't know where you got that idea but…"

"Listen to me, Jack. I've known you for a long time. I can tell when you are withholding information. I've learned watching the best. You are holding something back. Now, tell me."

Bumping up against the door, he sighed. "Okay, okay, I surrender. The truth is---" He was out the door before she could blink. Down the steps, three at a time and into his car. Could it get any worse?

Tuesday morning, Jack awoke, certain of his decision. If I truly want to pursue a relationship with Sue, I need to step back and do it. A quick run, shower and shave, and he was ready to face the day.

Coming out of the conference room, he was halted by a firm hand to his shoulder. "You sure you want to do this?" D's brown eyes looked for any hesitation.

"Yeah. Let's get it over with."

The pair walked into the Bullpen, where Bobby and Myles were engaged in their ritual bickering over the last donut. In the 'info corner', chatter was blazing fast and furious. It was his team, relaxing, getting ready for the day. He hated to throw a wrench in the works but it had to be done.

Taking a deep breath, Jack called for everyone's attention. "As of today, I will no longer be Sue's training agent. I think it is time for her to get a different aspect by pairing with someone new." He paused as gasps rolled around the room and murmuring started. A glance at Sue revealed her shock but also a hint of…something, something he couldn't put his finger on.

"What?" Lucy was incredulous.

Bobby had the same look as Sue. Inscrutable but curious.

"Is she leaving the team?" Tara frowned.

"No."

"Then who, pray tell, will become our eagle eye's new trainer?" A blonde brow arched in askance.

"That would be you."

Silence dropped like a bomb before the room exploded in questions.

The End

A/N: Bruised Hearts is the sequel to this. I have already started this story and will begin posting shortly. There'll be a whole lotta shaking up going on...Stay tuned.

Kudos to those who caught the A-team shout out...you know who you are.