A dark coil of rope dropping from the tower above landed with a wet thump on the soft rain soaked ground.

Hannibal could have sworn the climber gave a small wave as he jumped off the railing.

Careful not to draw the guards draw attention to where he was looking, BA scowled as he watched the man cradle the M-60 in his arms and descend the tower in the upside down Australian repelling position.

"This dude's crazier than Murdock. Sucka coming down head first. Lucky he didn't fall and break his head."

Face blew out a exasperated breath. "Figures it would be some crazy nut job running full tilt on the Jazz coming to bust us out."

Smith laughed again, "Yeah it does doesn't it."

"Do you think it could be Wild Willie from the VA Colonel?" Murdock pestered at the men. "I mean we have been gone for awhile and I never got a chance to return that tapioca pudding I borrowed."

"You talking bout that 80 year guy in the ward at the VA? Man he can't even see!" BA grumbled.

"It could be him .. he is crazy… and the man would do anything for tapioca. I watched him chew a hole through a sheet rock wall once just to get into the kitchen. And he can to see!... He went right past the creamed peas and straight to the pudding."

BA moved to grab the babbling pilot.

Hannibal held him back. "Captain.." he warned.

"Ate the whole thing…and that's not even the crazy part… crazy part was the door to the kitchen wasn't even locked!" Murdock finished defensively.

The soldier hesitated at the first of the cross supports, twisting a booted foot tighter into the rope. The descent slowed to a stop.

Two men trudged along a worn path up to the guard tower. Heads tucked against the rain, they rang an ancient brass bell nailed to a post. The signal was to alert the guards in the tower to drop the rope ladder so they could be relieved of duty.

Hearing a rustle above them they looked skyward.

Face winced as he saw the rope coil like a snake around the throat of the largest man. The climber swung down using his weight and momentum to jerk the guard of his feet as he dispatched the other with a strike from the butt of the machine gun. The guard fought to get his balance, choking against the serpentine noose. Pulled mightily against the nylon rope the much larger guard leveraged the smaller man's weight, lifting him easily. Twisting upside down, the climber braced his feet on the support and watched through the camo hood as his victim's struggles soon subsided. Releasing the rope both he and the unconscious guard dropped to the ground.

Face lost sight of them as the men were dragged further into the shadows.

"Get ready." Smith ordered unnecessarily. With the surveillance from above neutralized their commando had a clear path to the holding cells. The men were careful to dispersed throughout the cramped cell while maintaining vigil on the approaching soldier.

Slipping along the shadows of the building the soldier moved with quick purpose. Pausing only at the end of the bungalows when Smith made a nearly imperceptible shake of his head.

One of the three guards assigned to watch them that night had meandered up to the bamboo cage. In his slightly inebriated condition he had almost come too close. Catching his mistake he stumbled back a step.

The Colonel acknowledged the man's near fatal mistake with a sneer. Almost.

"What's got you wound up tonight? Eh? You should all be sleeping." He laughed at the men. "Especially you," he poked a wooden baton into Murdock's thin chest. "You are going to have a busy day crazy man."

Smith's eyes hardened as the masked figure leapt.