Fort Wadsworth

Duke's face reddened with irritation as he stared at Scarlett's photo clipped to a folder. "What are you thinking picking her for your team?"

Falcon looked up from the open file with his usual smirk, "Settle down, big brother. Scarlett knew you wouldn't want her in on the action, but we both know she's too valuable to be left behind."

Duke could barely control his anger. "But this is only an intelligence gathering mission-"

The younger man nodded his head. "And in case you've forgotten, that IS what she does best."

Duke leaned back in his chair. "I won't dispute you on that, but," he paused, knowing this decision was already made. "She'd better get back without a single hair out of place." He shuffled through the papers on his desk. "Who else did you decide to bring along?"

Falcon placed a small stack of folders on the desk next to Scarlett's. "Jinx and Tunnel Rat - I need people I'm familiar with."

"Wow, almost a reunion of sorts. From the stories I've heard, they're not exactly green shirts anymore."

Falcon nodded. "I'm planning on bringing Beach Head as well, to show him how well his training paid off - or how much better I've become since his training."

"Watch that attitude. You know he's still got a short temper."

"Yep, I'm well aware of that. Gotta have some kind of entertainment on the way to our drop point," the younger man said with a smile.

"Have you decided on a final member yet?"

Falcon shook his head. "Not really. Half of the challenge is trying to decide who is the best fit. You made this part of the whole mission seem the easiest."

"It is - because we've got the best to choose from." Duke wheeled his chair back and reached into the top drawer, retrieved an almost pristine file folder, and slid it across the desk. "We've even got some new recruits."

Falcon looked at the name and number quickly. "Hold up, Duke. This guy is greener than Beach Head's balaclava."

"Open it and read closer before you make any more rash decisions."

He flipped open the folder and creased it down.

File Name: Stall, Dwight E

Birthplace: Cincinnati, OH

Primary Specialty: Marksmanship Instructor

Secondary Specialty: Fixed wing aircraft pilot

Code Name: Barrel Roll

"He teaches people how to shoot a rifle AND he's a daredevil who likes to jump of cliffs with a bed sheet strapped to his back? Sounds like a catch. You sure you're feeling ok big brother?"

Duke rolled his eyes. "Very funny. Read on and pay attention. If you're leading a squad, you'd better learn to look for the minor details."

Falcon's eyes scanned the pages and he flipped through them slowly. His head began to nod with each page he turned. "So, this is the new guy who managed to snag a CLAW and modify it for us?"

"Indeed, it is. He had been trying to get in on his marksmanship skills alone, but excellent shooters are something the Joe team has in spades. He brought us something we didn't have – an intact piece of Cobra technology."

"Just how did he manage that?'

"Sounds like Cobra was making a quick strike near where his previous unit was stationed; he managed to take one down mid-flight and by some stroke of luck, it landed in the tree canopy, largely undamaged. He even suggested a few ways to improve upon the original design and give us the edge in low altitude combat."

Falcon closed the file and placed it on top of the stack. "Fine, I'll give him a shot – for you. Guess I have my team. Now, when do we get our orders?"

Duke stood with a smile on his face. "Sooner than you think. Follow me," he said as he walked from the room.

"Cobra Island?" Falcon asked, confusion in his voice. "I was there when we blew that place sky high - Sgt. Slaughter and his Marauders really know how to bring a house down."

Breaker pulled up numerous images on the giant monitor. He motioned to the aerial photos that showed the devastated Terror Drome. "This was taken during a fly over by Ace a few weeks after the battle of Cobra La. As you can see, the Terror Drome was still rubble. We thought that just maybe the snakes had given up their nest." He chewed on his bubblegum as he enlarged a pair of satellite images. "The image on the left is three months ago; the image on the right is from last week."

Falcon looked at the two images. In the first image, some of the rubble had been cleared away and what looked like fresh tracks ended abruptly with no vehicle in sight. Scanning the more recent image, he saw a concerning sight.

"I can see that you noticed it too," Breaker said as he pointed to the small opening in the ground that looked to be swallowing a cargo truck. Where there were trees in the previous image, there was now a makeshift runway – on it, a Rattler with its turbines in the lift-off position.

General Hawk walked next to Falcon and looked closer at the image. "Don't beat yourself up over this, soldier. There was no way of knowing if all of the charges had detonated and there was no way we could ask your team to stick around and sweep through the lower levels - which, according to Mercer, were already expanded outward beyond what existed when he was still a member Cobra."

"Guess my team will have to be a little more thorough this time."

Hawk shook his head. "Negative on that - this is an intelligence only mission. You are to infiltrate the island, observe enemy movement, and try to pick up any localized radio chatter beyond our abilities here."

Beach Head spoke up. "How quiet is this mission?"

"Considering Cobra Island is still recognized as a sovereign state, this mission is very silent. We've been testing the newest stealth technology on the SHARCs and the results seem promising. We should be able to get you in, drop you on the coast, and Cobra will likely be none the wiser."

"Same means of transport in and out?" Falcon asked.

"Obviously," Hawk replied. "If we were to send too many resources, Cobra would be alerted, which means the world would know in moments. As hard as it is to fathom, a few countries have even suggested sending humanitarian aid to Cobra Island due to the damage done during our battle." Hawk said with a shrug of his shoulders, "Just because the barracks the troopers used for shelter were destroyed - it's like the rest of the world has no clue how serious a threat Cobra truly is."

"Hold on a minute, General," Scarlett said with excitement in her voice. "If I may, I think I might have a better idea."