Chapter 10: Down Mexico Way, Epilogue

Unit:E Headquarters, Nevada– some time later

"Well, let's get this show on the road, shall we?" General Bryce said as Cole, Thom, Rosenda, Church, and Sarge walked into his office. "Captain, do you wish to go first?"

Cole grimly nodded as he and the others took their seats.

"Now, I've had the luxury of going over the after-action report of your latest mission, and there are some things I noticed that might be a little…disconcerting."

"Sir, if this is about going outside mission parameters by launching the assault on the MECH facility," Rosenda piped up, "then I'd just like to say it was my idea."

"That's not the part I'm most concerned with. That honor goes to your…cavalier approach to opsec on this one."

"Sir?" Thom meekly asked.

"I'll be blunt with you, Gauntlet– right now, I'd be perfectly justified in having all of you court-martialed."

"General, we're more than willing to keep our mouths shut about this," Church piped up.

"Given the circumstances and your…friends' most recent decision, however," Bryce continued, "I'm willing to overlook the situation. But make no mistake, Gauntlet– if this becomes a trend with you, then don't expect me to be nearly this lenient."

"Sir yes sir," Cole said, a look of relief plastered across his face.

"As for you," Bryce continued, his gaze firmly locked on Sarge and Church, "I need answers about a few things."

"Such as?"

"Why'd you desert in the first place?"

"Considering MECH would have written us off as dead after Clinton-Sherman went up and that the alternative was to get taken prisoner by the Autobots or their buddies, I figured it was our only real option," Church replied.

"And becoming mercenaries?"

"How else were we supposed to make a living with our particular set of skills?" Sarge replied. "Besides, what other job means you can travel the world, kill people, and get paid big bucks for it?"

Bryce looked at Sarge as though he'd grown a second head. "Anyway," he continued, turning his attention back to Church, "you said you'd all be willing to keep quiet about this. Now, what'll it take to ensure you live up to that promise?"

"Got any hardware you're willing to write off as lost?" came the reply. "Because if this mission was anything to go by, we need something a bit more than an armored truck."

Bryce rubbed his chin. "We've got a spare Pelican and Warthog, and we'll give you more if you're willing to work with us again in the future."

"And the robot we picked up?"

"You can keep that too."

"Anything else?"

"No, that'll be all. Dismissed."

Sarge and Church gave silent nods as they exited the room, leaving only Gauntlet behind.

"Now," the trio's superior began, "I couldn't help but notice something the footage from your helmet cameras of the assault on the MECH facility."

"Sir, didn't you say you were letting us off the hook this time?" Rosenda asked.

"I'm not talking about discipline, soldier. I'm talking about those aircraft you encountered."

Thom nervously swallowed. "What about them?"

"The design's one of ours," Bryce said. "It's called the Switchblade, and the fact that MECH's got access to it confirms something I've suspected for a while."

"And that would be?" Rosenda asked.

"That the only other living man who had those particular schematics from Project M.A.S.K might not be nearly as dead as we thought."


"So, where to now?" Grif asked as he saw Sarge and Church enter his field of vision.

"Meet up with the Ellingson rep in Vegas like we planned, get paid, and wait for our next job."

"And the rockhounds from Gabor?"

"I don't know– ask that Armstrong guy about who we contact to discuss that particular issue!"