...

Pick up had happened within six hours. All of his men were geared up and checking weapons. Couslon was watching them with an unreadable look from the otherside of the quinjet. For the moment Delta ignored him. There was only so much surprise one could take. Coulson may have hit his point where he needed to process everything.

Bravo and Gamma had taken to teaching the three SHIELD agents their hand signals. It wouldn't do to have them getting confused in the middle of a firefight. That would end in casualties.

Echo and Delta were huddled over a topographical map they had been given. They would land the quinjet two miles away from the compound. Both were talking about ideas in how to utilize a ten member squad. It was an awkward number for their group.

Echo wanted to simply add an extra person to each teach. Make it four each in the two entering squads. And two working long distance.

Both men remembered a time when they had done this before. A time where they had almost not come back. Unsanctioned suicide mission they had called it.

...

Almanac to Delta! Abandon, abandon! You will respond as ordered. Abandon!

"Snake Lady, Snake Lady! Respond! What are your sector coordinates?"

They were heading into Tam Quan and Delta would not break silence. He knew where they were and that was all that mattered. Command Saigon could go to hell, he wasn't about to give the North Viet monitoring posts an inkling as to where they were going.

"If you won't or can't respond, Snake Lady, stay below six hundred feet! This is a friend talking, you assholes! You don't have many down here! Their radar will pick you up over six-fifty."

I know that, Saigon, and my pilot knows it, even if he doesn't like it, and I still won't break silence.

"Snake Lady, we've completely lost you! Can any retard on that mission read an air map?"

Yes, I can read one very well, Saigon. Do you think I'd go up with my team trusting any of you? Goddamnit, that's my brother down there! I'm not important to you but he is!

"Snake Lady, Snake Lady! Abort! If you can hear me, get out of there and return to base camp. It's a no-win! Do you read me? Abort!."

"What do you want to do, Delta?"

Speaking for the first time since they took off he said, "Keep flying, mister. In three more minutes you can get out of here."

"That's me. What about you and your people?"

"We'll make it."

"You're suicidal, Delta."

"Tell me about it.… All right, everyone check your chutes and prepare for cast-off. Someone help Echo, put his hand on the cord."

"Déraisonnable!"

...

Ten minutes before landing they were all huddled around the map. Delta and Echo had worked it out on how they wanted this to go. The three members of SHIELD stood together watching and listening. They would follow his lead in this. Or this would be the last time Century Team 12 worked with SHIELD.

Bravo asked looking at him," What's the plan Delta?"

Delta answered coldly," Echo you will cover us as a sniper. Sitwell I want you with Echo. Alpha, Bravo, Charlie, and Coulson. You take the the North. Foxtrot, Gamma, Natasha and I will take the South. Any questions?"

Fox looked up acceptance. Gamma didn't even look at him. Just like old times. They would follow his orders knowing he was the only one who could get them out of here. Even the SHIELD agents were quiet. Good. Maybe this plan would actually work.

Couslon asked carefully choosing his words, "Are you sure about this plan? We are facing down Carlos the Jackal."

Delta gave him a withering look as he said, "In the short time I had this is the best I could come up with. This is my brother we are talking about. He might not mean anything to SHIELD but I would go to the very gates of hell to protect him."

Once they has landed they instructed the pilot to wait for them. He would be their extraction plan. Then they made the three mile journey to the compound. Night had fallen quickly after their arrival. It was the best time for then to make their assault. The team took their positions using signals known to them and them alone. The first part of the plan worked. They killed the armed patrolling the perimeter.

The next part didn't go as smoothly. Bravo had been found out just before they reached the door. All hell broke loose at that point. Men came out the back and Delta and Foxtrot killed two. While Gamma killed the third that came out.

The battle began. Delta rammed his shoulder into on of the men before firing into the man's head. It took his head off.

Where these men really the Jackal's men? He honestly thought they would have been better trained.

Natasha too was easily taking out her opponents. He didn't know how Coulson and the other entry point team was doing. He pushed them out of his mind. Focus on the here and now. Otherwise things will go very wrong very quickly.

Those thoughts were interrupted by a searing pain in his shoulder. Instinctively he dropped looking for where the shot had come from. A man stood in the doorway a rifle in his hands. Cold blue eyes watching him. A challenge went through both of them.

If Delta wanted to get brother he would have to go through this man. The man with the cold blue eyes. So be it.

He barked out," Take the compound!"

Without hesitation his men went to do as they were told. Being that there were only seven of them they knew they couldn't afford to lose even one. Losing one man could send their plan into a spiral. A spiral that could very well be the death of the entire team.

Delta had to roll to the side as the man fired at him again. This time it blew apart the ground where he had been standing just moments before.

Delta knew realistically he didn't stand a chance at this range. Not with the other having a rifle. His own weapons consisted of a knife, his glock, and a spool of wire.

It was too dark for him to accurately throw his knife. If he wanted the kill shot he would have to get close. Same with the spool of wire. That was a close range weapon.

His first order of business was to find cover. There was a tree nearby that would provide some cover but would take away some of the distance he had covered. Other wise it was to do the very stupid very Barton thing to do. Rush the bastard and catch him off guard.

Two instincts warred within himself. Finally the Delta in him winning out and he took cover behind a tree. A bullet grazing his leg as he did so. Delta didn't even wince as blood trickled down his right leg.

Pain could be pushed away. Focus in the moment and worry about injuries later. A flash behind him from Echo's position caught his attention. The sniper had seen his plight and decided to help.

The bullet hit his opponent in the shoulder. While the man was well trained it still caused him to drop the rifle in pain. That gave Delta the moment he needed. He fired two shots. One to the chest and one to the head. Both hit their marks and the man was dead before he hit the ground.

Without missing a beat Delta crossed the grounds to the doorway. It was open from where the man had come out. Stepping over the dead body he entered. Sounds of gunfire could be heard on the upper floors. No doubt his men finishing the last of the men inside. That left the basement for him to check.

The basement door had a lock on it. One bullet to the lock was enough for him to pass. A single light bulb illuminated the basement. A figure stood at the bottom of a set of dank steps. Knowing that the person was too tall to be his brother he fired. This time the shot was aimed for the knee. To incapacitate but not to kill. Maybe Alex could get information out of him later.

Quickly Delta reached the bottom of the steps. A quick kick to the side of the man's head sent him into unconsciousness. Better to be safe than sorry later on.

The basement itself was a single room. On the farthest wall from him was a single figure. His hands were chained above him. Sweat listened across his face. Even with the beating the man had taken Delta recognized him. Almanac.