A short time later, the unlikely group was gathered around the spacious open plan living area inside the main house, listening intently as Maddie repeated the story she had told Jack in the mine.

"None of this explains why you felt the need to stage your little coup on our property." Zoe glared at her new sister in law, the distrust on her face clearly obvious . She sat herself down on the arm of the chair that her husband occupied and wrapped a possessive arm around his shoulders.

"No, I suppose it doesn't." Maddie sighed. "Though with the setup you guys have here, I could hardly walk up to the front door and knock, now could I." She returned Zoe's glare with one of her own

Shane Schofield looked from one woman to the other, thinking that they looked ready to tear each other to pieces at the slightest provocation. The last thing he felt like doing was breaking up that fight.

"Why don't you tell us your reason for coming here then Colonel." He prompted the dark haired woman, hoping to diffuse some of the mounting tension. Maddie broke away from the glaring contest and turned her attention to his question instead.

"Ever since I received Wolf's Journals, I seem to have a target painted on my back. There have been at least three attempts to steal the journals in the last month and believe me, they didn't care if I was in the way. I tried to track down the lawyer who had forwarded them to me as per Wolf's instructions, only to find out that he had gotten in the way of a dozen point blank hollow tipped bullets two days after he sent the journals. So I guess you could say that I wasn't really sure if I could trust you, so I came prepared." She glanced over at Jack.

"And where are those journals now, Colonel?" General Taylor leaned forward in anticipation of her answer.

"Somewhere safe. I figured if whatever was written in them was so damned important that it was likely to get me killed, stashing them somewhere only I knew the location to was a pretty good insurance policy." Maddie stated. "So I did that, and then went in search of my long lost brother to see if he could give me even the slightest clue as to what I had been dragged into. And so here I am." She shrugged, folded her arms and leaned back in to the easy chair.

"Did you read the journals, Colonel? "General Smithson asked. "Did they mention anything about a dark capstone?"

Maddie was immediately tense, eyeing the officer suspiciously.

"How do you know what's written in them? You would have to have seen them to know that. And how the hell did you and your goons out there know where to come looking for me, or that I even had the journals in the first place." Maddie shifted uncomfortably in her seat.

"The lady has a good point General," Jack West Jnr spoke for the first time since arriving back at the main house. "How did you know she had the journals. More to the point, how could you have possibly known about Colonel Harris's connection to me?" Jack didn't like where this was going. He saw General Taylor quietly signal to the leader of the four man special forces squad standing guard at the door. As one, the small squad moved inside the house and raised their weapons, taking the group inside by complete surprise.

General Smithson sighed as he stood, his six foot four frame looming large as he approached Maddie. Jack glanced around the room, watching as his team ever so cautiously began positioning themselves around the living area in the formation they had practiced so many times before, preparing for a situation just like this. Under the guise of shifting in his seat, Jack slid his hand down the side of the seat cushion and withdrew the pistol that he knew was planted there and waited to see what the next move would be.

"I had hoped that you would be cooperative and we could avoid any unpleasantries, Colonel Harris." The General continued. "I am now ordering you to disclose to me the location of those journals."

"With all due respect, General, you can go screw yourself." Maddie spat at the imposing man. His face began to turn red as he grabbed her arm and jerked her roughly to her feet.

"That's insubordination Colonel, and also disobeying a direct order from a superior officer. Captain Schofield, would you please restrain Colonel Harris. She will be returning with us to assist in the search for the dark capstone, along with Captain West and the rest of his team. Gentlemen, would you do the honors." He addressed the now armed soldiers, nodding in Jack's direction.

"I don't think we'll be going anywhere with you, General." Jack West Jnr met the General's angry stare with a cold one of his own. "And my sister won't be either. I don't know what's going on here, but I don't think any of us are inclined to accept your very kind invitation." Jack drew the pistol and aimed it directly at the middle of the big man's forehead. The rest of the team moved as one as they also rescued weapons from covert hiding places around the room, and joined their leader in the stand off.

"Now let Colonel Harris go General, and I might just let you and the rest of your team get back on your helo in one piece."

"Captain West, you realize that this is tantamount to treason?" General Taylor attempted to regain some control of the situation.

'Somehow I don't think either of you would be in too much of a hurry to drag me in front of a military tribunal. " Jack half smiled. "I mean, you'd have to explain what it is you were doing here in the first place then, wouldn't you? Now let her go, I won't ask nicely again."

General Smithson savagely shoved Maddie at Shane Schofield. He had to grab her around the waist to prevent her from falling. This situation was turning bad very quickly, and Scarecrow was beginning to wonder what the true agenda had been right from the start.

"Get the girl out of here, Captain. We only need her. It would have been helpful to have Captain West and his team along, but it seems that we will have to muddle through without them. Gentlemen, clear the room, with extreme prejudice." The General dropped suddenly to the floor and out of Jack's sights as he rolled behind the couch for cover.

Scarecrow covered the woman he was now holding by wrapping his arms around her and dropping to the floor, protecting her body with his while waiting for the automatic fire to begin from the special forces guys. To his surprise, nothing happened and he looked up from his position to see all four soldiers twitching in pain on the ground and a little girl and a big bearded man standing in the doorway, holding two recently fired tazar guns each.

"Still think I'm too little for the dangerous jobs, daddy?" Lily grinned as her father kicked the weapons out of reach and the rest of the team subdued the two generals.