If Sam Axe went by what the CIA gossipmongers whispered about the woman standing in the middle of Michaels loft, she was one of the best Covert Operatives that America had today. It wasn't that far fetched, he had watched the woman in one-night transform from a European Socialite, to a French prostitute and then to top it all off a Muslim woman working in a market. All the while sifting through intelligence to allow their four-man team to gather key information that saved the Joe team. Sure, she about died in the process; but hey, Sam thought all in a days work for the insane.
Two years ago the whispers were she left the spy game. Lady Jaye had become a cautionary tale to new agents 'Don't Fall for your Handler'. The Military intelligence agent had been on the fast track; in ten years she could have ruled Langley. Instead, she walked away all for a man. It happens, as much as agents don't want to admit, but to flaunt it and get engaged to the guy that was unheard of. Spies a bunch of bitchy little girls.
Though Lady Jaye's presence had him waxing poetic on the catty nature of the CIA, that wasn't what had him intrigued. Reaching for a beer, he unscrewed that top looking at the the man who had walked up behind her. Ranger, Helicopter Pilot, Warrant Officer Dashiell "Dash" Faireborn, Michael and him knew the man from their days running missions in Europe.
Faireborn stood average height, the Ranger sporting an eternal tan that spoke to the Cherokee blood that ran in his veins, with dark brown hair, wide shoulders and blue eyes. It was no wonder that both Madeline and Fi had given him a double take when he walked in behind Lady Jaye offering yogurt.
Sam remembered Faireborn's time in Europe clearly, the Warrant Officer acted more like a caged animal then a Solider. An internal battle waged inside him, anger creeping up to take control of him. Sam couldn't deny as Fairborn took a seat glancing around the loft something in him had changed. Faireborn was relaxed, comfortable on the path his life was taking him. Sam realized as the younger man checked a message on his cell phone that the kid was happy.
Clipping his phone back on his belt he looked Sam in the eye. "Long time no see Axe."
"Figured after that night, you were making supply runs in Antarctica for the penguins." Sam watched an expression cross Faireborn's eyes. Instinctively he pulled Lady Jaye closer to him. As if the memory, the thought of losing this woman, scared the hell out of him.
That night in question, should have ruined Dashiell's career, trying to get Lady Jaye to safety while being chased by identical twins named Tomax and Xamot. Faireborn racked up a laundry list of infractions: two f-bombs on a communication channel, disregarding three direct orders from a General, landing in a no fly zone and then telling Lady Jaye's First Sergeant to go screw himself. Hell, he was surprised Flint hadn't been pulled up in front of a firing squad.
The morning after, Sam and Michael watched The Warrant Officer with new orders in hand stomping out of his CO's office barely containing his rage. Sam figured that the monster he had been fighting finally broke free. Never hearing the name Warrant Officer Dashiell Faireborn in the present tense cinched his thoughts.
Seeing him here settling Lady Jaye to stand between his legs, wrapping his arms around her waist it was so hard for Sam to believe that this was the same man. "Yeah, but I started to use the penguins to try and take over the world." He said with a shrug. Sam smiled, at least Faireborn's oddball sense of humor was still intact.
"No it was his ego, it was beginning to make an island of its own, we figured we needed to bring him on the team or he'd have his own little nation with the penguins worshiping him." Lady Jaye said with a shrug.
Faireborn wasn't the only one that had changed, though Jaye's was more physical. Her face carried painful looking scars, she didn't hide them, wearing them instead as a badges of honor. The glass eye was a high quality, hand painted it was hard to tell that it wasn't real. What gave it away it didn't reflect the ornery that shown in her left eye. Everyone in the room noticed the disfigurement; but, none of them would comment. Just as they wouldn't ask about the slight limp that Faireborn walked with, Sam had seen the same gait when he was in Washington. Though more natural than others, it was a tell tale sign of a prosthetic.
As Sam took a long drink of his beer he had to wonder what that said about their way of life. Normal people collect stamps, soldiers collected scars and injures.
Faireborn was about to answer a question that Jessie had just posed when Michael's entrance caused Faireborn to comment. "Well Weston, being burned agrees with you."
Before Michael could respond, Jessie gushed. "You know I helped out with the Himalayans' rescue mission?" Sam watched Faireborn squeeze Lady Jaye, the action made Sam suppose that yet another time the young woman's life had been in danger. "I mean Michael's crazy, but no where near Joe crazy."
Sam smiled into his beer as he took a drink. "Don't worry Faireborn, when Jessie gets over his fangirl crushing he actually is helpful."
Michael came closer looking at Lady Jaye and Faireborn with a cocked eye brow. Reaching into the Ranger's front shirt pocket he revealed a can of Copenhagen. "Thought you quit, Chief."
"He got bored, when he was on medical leave." Lady Jaye said rolling her eyes heavenward. Dash rocked her side to side in an attempt to keep her quiet, which caused her to giggle, "Told me it was that or him clawing up the walls, he promised he was going to quit when he came back to the team. I'm still waiting."
Faireborn grinned that lop-sided grin of his. "I'm working on it."
"More things change Faireborn?" Sam asked.
Before the younger man could answer, Michael interrupted. "Oh I guess you haven't heard, Sam."
Sam looked at Michael confused beer in mid drink "Heard what?"
"It's not Faireborn anymore." Michael opened his refrigerator pulling out a yogurt, offering it up which Lady Jaye cheerfully pounced on. "Call him Flint."
Flint found Sam's expression amusing as he took the lid from Lady Jaye's yogurt and licked it clean. As operatives in America's side of the war against terror, GI Joe was the best of the best. Young Special Forces Recruits are told stories of Flint when they got 'tucked in at night'. He was an aspiration for many freedom loving 'boys', reminders of why they were there, what you could achieve once the hell of training you were currently in was over.
"Well I hate to bring this conversation back to the problem at hand, but we do have a bomb found in the lobby of a hotel; that someone may or may not being use to frame Fi." Lady Jaye opened her backpack. "Though the Joe team has some of the best analysts working for us, we still have homework" Lady Jaye explained pulling out file folders
The biggest misconception in the world of intelligence is that a Spy's life is one long James bond movie. That spies are constantly on the run in some high tempo mission escaping assassins, dodging bullets and surviving explosions. Saving the world was only the crème filling, that was sandwiched between hours of research, analysis and surveillance.
Sam took a drink of his beer taking the file labeled 'Hotel guests'. He split the list with Jessie who took one look and groaned.
"Jaye your killing me with the post it notes." Flint complained picking one up off the paper he was looking at, trying to find a place to put it, he settled on the back of the page. That's when he noticed that the next page held two more. "I give up."
Flint reached into the backpack that Jaye had produced the files from, he pulled out a package of highlighters. Taking the box, he hit Lady Jaye on the top of the head playfully giving her stink eye, holding the box everyone took one, Flint glared when all was left were the pink ones.
Michael took a seat on the bed next to Fi as they ran through a list of phone numbers that made calls in the area during the time the bomb would have been there. Fi seemed more amused with Lady Jaye's organization then the rest of the crowd. Taking a post-it-note she stuck it on her boyfriend's forehead.
Michael looking around the post in note frowned, glaring at Flint and Lady Jaye "I hate you two."
Staff Sergeant Kurt "Airtight" Schnurr realized his wife would be happy, a 45-minute drive from South Beach, the Miami FBI office was located in Miramar. Tripwire had already voiced his disappointment that there was not going to be any popping out to the beach to look at bikini clad women while on lunch. Not that Airtight needed bikinis, waiting for him at home was a lacy black secret that his wife was hiding under her dress. As he was on the phone this morning, it took everything in his power not to tell Lady Jaye he'd be there in forty-five minutes instead of thirty.
"All I'm saying is why do the Alpha team always get the cool car and we get the SUV?" Tripwire whining ripped through his thoughts of the kiss his wife bestowed on him as she walked out the door to work.
"Because they got here before us?" Airtight tried to hide his irritation, he didn't mind that Tripwire was late or that they had to take a C130. The aggravation was from the hour that Tripwire left him waiting, was time he could have spent unwrapping his wife from her lace underthings.
SSG Tormod Skoog codenamed Tripwire sensing his mood shut his mouth, The EOD specialist began helping Airtight pull out the cases from the back. Tripwire was the best at what he did, he had seen the man diffuse bombs that were so complicated that if Trip breathed wrong he would blow himself up Kingdome Come. Outside of bomb diffusing the Joe was a wreck; his klutziness was legendary the man had once spilled tomato soup all over General Hawk. So it was no surprise that he had been in a car accident this morning.
This wasn't the first time, nor would it be the last, so Airtight knew it was best to let his anger go as they made their way to the tall building that was modern architecture at its finest. Entering the lobby, he watched Tripwire stumble about taking out a woman in a pencil skirt and FBI jacket.
The Guard look at the two of them and Airtight knew the expression well, it was written over most people's faces when they met Tripwire. How the hell is this guy still alive? "You're the GI Joe bomb techs?"
Airtight opened his mouth just in time to hear Tripwire knock over a pin holder. The Guard went to help Tripwire pick up the container which made the Joe knock the pen holder over on the guard's side of the desk. The guard picked it up putting it back on the counter. Grumbling he snatched the pens from Tripwire's hand placing them back in the cup. Then staring at Trip to take a step back.
With a look of irritation, the guard's attention came back to Airtight. The Joe couldn't help but say, "Trip here is the best we got." Airtight wondered if it was wrong to take delight at the guard's incredulous look.
"Sure." Unconvinced the Guard started punching keys, picking up his phone he dialed. "You will need an escort." He motioned for them to wait over to the other side of the room. Still keeping a careful eye on Trip as he talked on the phone.
If Airtight thought it was odd that they needed an escort into the FBI field office, he kept it to himself. Pulling out his phone to apprise Lady Jaye of their arrival, and the need of an escort, he stopped mid dial when he heard a clanking noise. Glancing over his shoulder he groaned to see Tripwire trying to stop a potted plant from falling. He opened his mouth to chastise his partner when a pretty blonde dressed in typical FBI fashion of sensible shoes and power suit, walked out of the elevators.
"Special Agent Kelly" offering her hand. At that moment, a crashing sound could be heard. Airtight face palmed himself when he saw Tripwire holding a few leafs and the pot in a million pieces. SA Kelly sent Tripwire a scathing look, "Trust me he's the best." Airtight placated her.
Following their escort to the labs he was faced with a young man whose nametag read Marcus Riley. To Airtight he looked like every lab tech he had ever worked with. Blonde nondescript with glasses and a boyish quality about him. The only thing that stood out in his mind was a Time Magazine cover the man was using as Desktop wallpaper.
A young woman in riding leathers stood holding her helmet. Simulated dirt and grime was over her face. Chocolate hair in riotous curls cascade down her back, one green eye flashed ornery while the other one was a skull and cross bones, top it all off was an impish smile that she wore. The splash read "Meet the First Women of Special Forces." The Article was about the Joe team's women, how since the conception of the multi-agency task force had used the opposite sex in the field, their successes had allowed women to go to Ranger School today. The Magazine released three different covers with Scarlett, Cover Girl and Lady Jaye respectively on them.
"Do you know her?" The tech motioned to the computer. "The rumor is that she is over the investigation."
"She's the OIC over Investigations. In a manner of speaking, she is over our investigation." Tripwire might be a klutz but he wasn't stupid. Letting the tech know that Lady Jaye was here in Miami could endanger Operational Security, god knows what information the kid was looking for, true he might just be an interested fan, or he could be something more serious.
"Sorry, stupid question, but look at her." He said pointing to the picture.
"You know she's engaged? Tripwire was disconcerted that this tech seemed to be slightly obsessed with his fellow team mate.
"To Flint, right, I mean some of the boards say she's with Beachhead, come on I've heard the rumors about him." He shared a knowing look. "Then there is a whole thread of people saying she's with Snake-Eyes. That's just crazy." Airtight couldn't believe his ears how did this twerp know about Snake Eyes. "Oh don't worry, its just us in the Bureau, on a secure server."
"Could someone please tell me about these Beachhead rumors." Tripwire asked confused as the tech went off to get the deconstructed bomb.
Airtight smiled, "They are the same ones about Flint and Duke."
"Flint and Duke?" Then realization dawned on Tripwire, "Naw, if he was going to go that way I'd see him with Falcon."
"I don't know I've always seen Flint with Snake Eyes, that way he can hear himself rattle on and on all about himself." Airtight snickered.
Though the Executive Officer was well respected and liked on the team, it was no secret that the Warrant Officer liked to hear himself go on. The tendency had gotten much better since him and Lady Jaye became a couple, one look from her and he would close his mouth. Airtight surmised that it was the power of the female glare, his wife had that same expression when he and his son were getting too rowdy playing video games.
The tech returned wheeling in a table covered with the bomb that had been deconstructed by the FBI EOD specialists handed over a clip board for Tripwire and Airtight to sign. "You have a place for us to set up?"
The tech pointed to a clear location for them to set up their gear. Airtight busied himself with connecting their laptop for communication to Headquarters. Lady Jaye had a hunch, but she wanted absolute conformation, meaning the L.T. wanted a second pair of eyes. Just to make sure things were on the up and up.
Right before Airtight turned joined the team, Storm Shadow out of no where turned traitor, the Ninja aided Cobra in hunting down members of GI Joe in the field. During that night five blocks of C4 disappeared that Snake Eyes and Storm Shadow had signed out. In the confusion of that night it surprised Airtight that was all that went missing from inventory. He found it highly unlikely that Cobra would have it, let alone someone keeping it for this long and not using it.
Jaye was like a dog with a bone, pointing out that five years ago she never would have thought Storm Shadow would turn traitor. She had a suspicion, intel had fallen into their lap when it shouldn't of: loose lips at a bar, a mysterious drop that turned to be a recruiting center for Cobra, and now this bomb in a Miami hotel. The was no way they were this lucky.
Looking over at Tripwire he watched the man take two samples of the explosive, one he was to test here, the other he was sending to be tested by another Government lab for a second set of eyes. If Lady Jaye was right, then there was a traitor in Cobra's rank. The problem is it wasn't one of theirs, who ever doing this could be a powerful ally or a powerful new foe.
"You're in luck Airtight." A cheerful voice spoke on the other end of the video monitor breaking into his thoughts. Abby Sciuto, a pretty black haired Goth in pig tails, with a spider web tattoo on her neck appeared on his monitor. How Lady Jaye had met Abby was a mystery to him. The black haired beauty and the OIC were complete opposites on the outside but something told him the two had more in common than they let on. "Gibbs said I can put priority on the C4."
"Thank Gibbs for me Abby." Yet another contact of Jaye's that would bend over backwards for her. It was easy to see why, not to mention Lady Jaye's outgoing personality, he had watched the girl drop everything for someone she considered friend to help them.
"No problem, the pictures you sent me I have my own thoughts, I'll C.C. you the report I'm sending over to Jaye." She smiled typing on her keyboard. "Let me tell you, the story of her friend, Fi is so cool, I mean she could have her own comic book. Bad Girl, Irish Bomber saving the down trodden."
"Oh, Lady Jaye wanted me to tell you that everything is set for next month, something about 'spa day and grenades'?" Airtight had been at a loss at the final text from the Butterbar, the common nickname given to Second Lieutenants due to the gold color of their rank.
Abby seemed to know exactly what 'spa day and grenades' meant, she broke into a wide smile. "Tell her I can't wait!" He watched as a man walked behind her looking at him strangely.
"Who's that?" He asked more out of curiosity as he held a Caf-Pow in his hand.
"None of your business DiNozzo." With that the screen went black and the NCIS crest flashed up.
"Did you see this?" Tripwire asked looking at the mass spectrometer. "This is just from the connectors. It doesn't make sense."
"Right which means Jaye's hunch was right." Airtight hated that yet again he was wrong and one of Lady Jaye's crazy hunches was right. "We still need Abby to double check it, but it seems that Cobra has a saboteur and we have no clue who it is."
A/N: *The Tabaco usage, get over it. The Cherokee get over it. You want to argue Flint with me bring it on. This is my story go write your own. But if you must know it becomes a plot point in a story later (not this one). The NCIS World, Hawaii 5-0, Burn Notice World Those of you Undercover with the Joes Members remember I was a part of a group that would go have coffee for a few hours and talk writing, this was an idea that we started back then. Like I have said these stories literally have been ten years in the making… notes and short stories written on hard drives I am at this point putting them all together and making something you don't like the characterizations you have been forewarned, but chew on this which would you rather have my Flint or the IDW continuity Flint and if you say IDW then just stop reading because you aren't getting him and I don't know if I want you reading my story.
