"Flint," Duke tried to reason with him. "It's not like we all don't want to see her back. We can't just focus an entire mission around finding her. Our resources are already spread thin enough thanks to our budget," he said bitterly, gesturing at the old equipment in the room.

"Flint," Scarlett said in a softer voice, placing her hand on his shoulder. "Where we'll find Cobra, we'll find her. I miss her too," she added softly, her head bowed.

Flint looked around at his closest friends. Even Snake Eyes was signing to him that he had to be patient. Flint closed his eyes and tried to find his focus, as Spirit had taught him to do. He had started going to the spirit guide after he was finally cornered by him one day and forced to come to reason about the feelings of guilt and depression that sometimes threatened to overcome him on some days. The sessions helped. He was able to focus his anger in more constructive ways and not take it out on his friends….or in a bottle….as he was before.

Scarlett shook her head. "What did they do to her?" she asked softly to the room, not really expecting an answer. What could she have been through, she continued to question, not wanting to voice it as she looked into Flint's sad eyes.

"I thought for a moment…. " he started, then stopped to regain control of himself. "I thought for a moment, she DID recognize me. I mean, it takes a lot to startle Jaye, and I definitely startled her in that hallway."

"And she didn't shoot you," Duke said. "Then again," he joked, "maybe that means she's NOT normal. I can remember some times when it was lucky she DIDN'T have a gun and she was on our side!"

Scarlett rolled her eyes. However, it did force a wry smile out of Flint. "True." He sighed. "I managed to always piss her off pretty good, didn't I?"

Snake Eyes started signing to Scarlett. Her eyes widened at his idea, but thought it was best to keep it to herself. Getting up, she followed him into the hallway.

"Are you sure?" she asked him. He nodded. "Then maybe you need to tell the guys what you think then."

They reentered the room, Scarlett leading Snake Eyes so that they stood in front of the two soldiers who were sitting silently, lost in their own thoughts. She cleared her throat, making them both jump.

"Um," she said, not sure where to start. Snake Eyes gave her an encouraging nod. "Okay," she said, taking a deep breath. "Snake Eyes has some observations to share with you."

"He said," she glanced at Snake Eyes, who seemed impatient for her to begin. "He said," she repeated, "that they have done something to her mind. He could feel it when he faced her during the ambush. It's what made him hesitate, almost getting captured himself. But, when he touched her," she glanced at Flint, who was paying close attention. "When he touched her," she gestured her fingers to her forehead, "he said that she was still inside. Buried deep, but still inside. It's his opinion that she HAS been brainwashed," she finished, sitting down hard on the chair behind her.

"Why didn't you tell us this before?" Duke frowned. Snake Eyes continued to gesture. "Oh," said Duke, getting it, even though he was not very good with sign language, "yeah, sorry, not enough time between capture and battle. Sorry, Snakes."

Flint stood up. "Not sure how I'm going to do it, but I will get her back," he said firmly, his hands clenching into a fist. He turned back to his friends and told about a plan forming in his head.