Jack walked back to the house after a quick shave and shower. He was dressed in the nicest clothes he could find. He waited for Claudia who walked down the steps and caused Jack to loose his breath as he glared at how beautiful she looked. If it had been a cartoon his mouth would have dropped open and his oversized tongue would be hanging out on the ground, she had shocked him by her looks that much.

"Where too?"

"A club in town. You aren't going to stay around with me." She said half as a question and a demand.

"yeah whatever you want as long as you stay out of trouble." Jack said feeling weird at her sudden change of attitude towards him.

"Good." She said walking out of the house. She stood at the back seat door of the car waiting for him to open it.

He opened the door for her and closed it for her, when he went to the driver seat he said under his breath, "Your welcome queen." He got in and felt like a chauffer sitting in the front by himself. He drove into town and waited for her to give him directions.

When they got to the club he got out of the car and opened the door for her again. He followed her in past the line of people and the bouncer that sat outside. He had a bad feeling, but there was nothing he could do. He couldn't keep her from going out, and he was obligated to go with her. He was tired so he sat at the bar keeping an eye on her. The bartender walked over to him.

"What can I get for you?" The man said in Spanish.

"Do you speak English?" Jack asked in the only Spanish he knew.

"What can I get for you?" The bartender switched to English.

"Coffee fresh, black please." Jack said watching Claudia dance on the floor with some stranger. A woman sat next to him and tried hard to get his attention finally he said, "How may I help you?"

"Hi." She said putting a hand on his leg.

"I'm with someone." He said smiling at her not wanting her.

"But she's dancing with someone else. Don't you want to dance?" The woman had seen him staring at Claudia.

"I can't dance. Excuse me." Jack said standing up and moving down a little further. He was here to do his job, to make sure Claudia was safe, not get hit on or hit on any women.

The woman went away angry, Jack was sure he heard her question his manhood more than once. When he looked back up Claudia was gone, and so was the man she was dancing with. After a quick rush of panic Jack began to scan the floor for them, he didn't see nor hear her. He walked around the room and than something in his gut told him to walk outside behind the club. When he tried the back door it wouldn't open at first. He gave the door a few more shoves till it finally opened and he almost feel outside from the sudden opening of the door.

When he regain his bearings he looked around in the dark back alley and finally saw Claudia trying to push herself away from the man who had her pinned against the wall. Jack walked up to him all calmly and tapped him on the shoulder, "Excuse me Sir do you think you could leave the woman alone. She doesn't seem to want you."

Claudia was relieved to see Jack. She had tried to leave with the man with the intent of leaving Jack inside to worry about her later, and she and the man would go to a different club and than she would proceed to have him take her home, but he clearly had other plans.

"Go away." The man said in a drunk British accented voice.

"I would love to, but she's Hector Salazar's girlfriend and I'm responsible for her safety." Jack didn't want to fight the man, so he dropped Hectors name hoping that would scare the guy away.

"So what. We're just having fun."

Light lit up the alley way and two Mexican police officers got out of the car. "What's the problem?" They said in Spanish. Neither Jack nor the British man knew Spanish and were both slightly confused as to what they were saying. Claudia answered back in Spanish, "Everything's fine. WE were just talking."

One of the officers recognized Claudia and knew it was more than fine. He looked around and than asked in Spanish, "Where is Hector or Ramon?"

Jack recognized Hectors and Ramon's name and knew that this was not going to turn out great. "What are they asking?" He said looking at Claudia who know stood by him.

"Let me handle this." She said in English. She went back to Spanish, "They are not here."

"Who are these two?" The cop asked in Spanish.

"One of them is my friend the other I just meant." She lied she knew if she said Jack worked for the Salazar's they would be hassled.

"What the fu(k is going on here?" The British man said.

The cop who had been speaking Spanish with Claudia switched to English, "That is what I'm trying to find out sir. Why don't you tell me?"

"Me and her were dancing. She asked me to take her somewhere else. So I was going to when this arshole comes out all up in my game saying it was his job to protect her that she was Hector Salazar's girlfriend like I'm suppose to care who that his."

The cop laughed to himself, tourist they were always stupid. "Is that what happened? You work for Ramon Salazar?" The cop asked eyeing Jack.

Claudia looked at Jack hoping he would say no, but she knew they knew already who Jack was.

"Yes." Jack said firmly.

"I heard he had a new guy. Some kick ars American ex soldier and all. Heard you took out Timothy is that true?"

"I don't know who you are talking about." Jack lied, even if he killed Timothy in self defense it would not turn out that way in the end, it was a drug war and it would be considered murder.

"Sure you don't." The cop said walking up closer to where Jack and Claudia stood. "You can go sir." The cop said to the British tourist. "Just be careful who you mess with next time you could get yourself killed easily."

Jack and Claudia started to move when the cop stopped them, "Where do you think you two are going?"

Claudia answered for both of them, Jack having the sense to keep his mouth shut because the cop clearly did not like him already. "I thought you said we could leave?"

"You don't listen well do you. I said he could leave not you two." The cop said taking out his asp tapping Jack's chest with it when he said you two.

It irritated Jack but he hid it, this was not time to loose his temper. The cops could shot them both and make some story up that would most likely work because no one cared.

"What do you want with us? We have done nothing wrong." Claudia said.

"I'll be the judge of that." He said glaring at her, he hated how she spoke to him women should never speak to a man like that. "Both of you turn around against the wall."

They both complied. The cop walked up to Jack his partner now closing in on them too. The cop searched Jack and found Jack Glock. "What's this sir?"

"My gun." Jack answered. "Is there something wrong?" Jack really wanted to say, It is legal to carry one here, but that would have only irritated the cop who already knew the laws so he choose to ask a question rather than state a fact.

"Why are you carrying a gun?" The cop asked.

"I'm a body guard and it is my job to protect the Salazar's from anyone who might want to harm them and I can't very well do it with just my fist. The people who hate them have more weapon power than my Glock."

The cop moved on from Jack placing Jack's gun on the ground. He began to search Claudia feeling her more than he should. Claudia could not hold back when he started to feel up her breast, "What are you doing?"

"Searching you." The cop answered angrily.

"You have no right to be touching me like that. I am going to report this to your supervisors." She said angrily.

"Or are you?" He said looking at her, she had turned around to face him. He smacked her hard in the face. Jack spun around and before he could react the other police officer had his arm placed against Jack's throat pinning him to the building. Jack struggled for a few minutes trying to pull the cops arm away from his throat as it was cutting of his air wave. But after a few minutes he stopped hoping if he stopped struggling the arm would be removed. Claudia finally saw what was going on and she said, "Stop he can't breath."

"Well the tough guy should have thought about that before he went after my partner." The man said still holding his arm firmly against Jack's throat who started to struggle frantically again trying to move the huge cops arm away from him. Jack's vision began to get blurry as his body felt the effects of no oxygen. Before he passed out the cop pulled his arm away from Jack's throat who slid down the wall to the ground gasping for air.

Claudia glared at him, "He just turned around. Don't you have criminals to go bother rather than two law biding people." She was angry and letting her feelings get the better of her.

Jack still sat on the ground trying to get his breath back. The big cop pulled Jack to his feet and said, "I think I have a criminal and a girlfriend of a criminal here."

Jack glared at him, but didn't dare make a move, this guy could have easily of taken him out. He started to wish Claudia would keep her mouth shut before she got them into more trouble.

"Where is your car?" The other cop asked now going through Claudia's purse finding nothing.

"Out front." Jack said in a low voice his neck sore from the force that had been placed against it.

"Where are the keys?" The cop asked remembering he had felt them in Jack's pocket when he was searching him.

"In my pocket." Jack said with his hands at his side, he was not going to give the officers a reason to shoot him.

"Get them out slowly." The cop ordered.

Jack put his hand in his pocket and slowly removed the keys. He handed them to the police officer and than went back against the wall.

"You and me are going to get the car." He said to Claudia.

"I'm not going anywhere without Jack." Claudia said not trust the cop she had heard to many stories about what could happen to either of them.

"You aren't going anywhere without him huh?" He said looking at Jack who just stood against the wall trying to not cause any trouble. "We'll see about that." The cop grabbed Claudia's wrist and began to pull her roughly away.

Jack knew what he had to do, "Is this really called for?" He said trying to get the cops attention he didn't know why the cop wanted Claudia away, but he could only guess.

"What did you say?"

"Is this called for. WE didn't do anything wrong, you found nothing illegal on us, and I think we have been very cooperative even if you have broken a few ethical codes. Why don't we just forget it all and go our separate ways." Jack tried.

The cop looked at his partner and a second later the partner brought his asp down against Jack's head. Jack felt the metal asp crash into his head sending him falling dazed to the ground. Blood dripping down his face onto the ground as he fought to stay conscience. Claudia screamed loud enough to bring a small crowd from the front around to the back. The police officer let Claudia go and said, "Next time listen to us." They left Claudia and Jack throwing the keys down onto Jack.

After they left so did the crowd. Claudia knelt down back Jack and felt for a pulse. She found one and than tried to wake him she couldn't get him to wake up. She struggled trying to move him, but he was to heavy for her to move. She sat down on the ground next to him trying to figure out what to do. She remembered her cell phone and grabbed at her purse. She dialed the only number she knew of all of the Salazar's workers.

When she heard the other line being picked up she said, "Pedro I need you to meet me at the club I go to. I need your help."

"Where's Jack?" He answered in Spanish to tired to speak in English.

"He's here. We ran into some trouble. I need your help and Hector can't find out about it. Can you do this for me?"

"I'll be there in a few minutes. Where are you guys?"

"In the back."

It took Pedro twenty minutes to get to the club. Claudia worried the entire time she never heard a peep from Jack nor seen him move. She wondered if there was more damage done than what she could see.

When Pedro got out of his car he was shocked to see Claudia sitting on the ground next to Jack who had blood dripping down his face. "What happened?" He asked stunned.

"I had Jack take me to the club tonight. I was going to leave him behind and go with this other guy to another club when something happened and than the cops showed up, and they did this to him. I think there is something wrong he hasn't moved or even woken up yet."

"Ok where is your car?"

"Out front. Here are the keys." She said grabbing them off Jack.

"I'm going to go bring it around back. I'll load Jack into it and you drive it back to the house. I'll follow you. So if anyone sees anything they'll just think you two are returning. I'll get Jack in the guest house and we can look over him there. If it's doesn't look good I'll call the doctor in." He said. "if I have to call the doctor I don't know how we are going to keep Ramon and Hector from finding out."

Claudia sat with Jack while Pedro was bring the car around to the back. It felt like it took him forever, and every second she feared that the cops would return to finish what they had started. She was relived when Pedro finally return. She watched him struggle with Jack's dead mass. The only thing she could think of doing to help was open the door. When Pedro got Jack inside he was tired from carrying jack who was heavier than he looked. Claudia reached in and put his seatbelt on him. She started to laugh as if that would help him much. She had gotten him into this and it was all her fault. She continued to laugh hysterically scaring Pedro.

"Are you ok they didn't touch you or hurt you in anyway did they?"

"I'm fine."

She lead them back to the house the entire time going the speed limit to afraid to get pulled over again. When they reached the house she waved at the guard at the front and continued back to the guest house. She parked the car so that the passenger door was closer to the house to help Pedro move Jack a lesser distance. She watched as Pedro moved Jack who had yet to wake up or move. She followed him inside and waited for Pedro to place Jack on the bed. She went to the bathroom and found a towel. She wet it with warm water and went back to the room, she gently wiped the now dried blood of Jack's face she could see where the cut was. It didn't look real bad, and she knew scalp wound bleed bad. She looked it over gently probing it when she heard a low groan escape Jack's throat she was relieved. "I think everything is fine now. Thanks Pedro he has a harder head than I thought." The both laughed and Pedro said goodbye leaving Claudia to tend to Jack.

When Jack finally became fully conscious he said, "That's two times now I"ve been knocked unconscious because of you and this is my fourth time in the past month. Man I need to get a new job." He laughed slightly his head pounding.

"I'm so sorry Jack." She said putting a hand on his cheek gently stroking it.

"I guess I could have gotten knocked out for worse. Like Ramon or Hector." He smiled at her he could tell she felt bad. "Your not mad at me anymore are you?" He went to continue, but she put a finger to his lips and than kissed him gently on the lips and than he continued the kiss with more passion.

An hour later they lay on the bed both out of breath and tired from the exercise. Claudia lay on Jack and gently rubbed his chest. "Take me away from here. Take me somewhere safe. Me and my family. When you leave please."

"What makes you think I'm leaving?" Jack asked.

"You are a good man you just act tough. But deep inside you're a good man."

Jack felt a slight panic had she been on to him. "How do you know I'm a good man?"

"You are always trying to help other and have been nothing but kind. You have to do bad things but that is your job, and truthfully I don't think you like it. I know a good man when I see one and you are one."

"Fine. When I leave, I promise I'll take you and your family with me." He said.

"See what I mean about being a good man." They both laughed and than went at it again. Finally after another hour they both feel asleep in each others arms.

They spent the next few nights together. By day they were two people who just happened to live by each other, and by night they were lovers. They had gone on walks late at night on the grounds enjoying the romantic moonlight. One night Claudia pleasantly surprised Jack with a midnight picnic. Both of them always on alert for anyone to see them, but both sure that no one would because they went away from the guarded areas. They both dreaded Hectors return but inevitably he return with Ramon.

Jack's team was ready for action he was sure of it, and they began many missions. Most of them just scaring the locals into staying quiet or paying a small fee. Other missions were making sure that the trade of weapons for drugs, or drugs for weapons or for cash went down well. His team had proven themselves many times squashing any problems that arouse. With every successful mission Jack gained more of the Salazar's trust.

One night after a successful mission Jack sat in his house. He was worried one of his men had been injured in the gun battled that ensued when a group tried to get their drugs for free instead of paying for them. They were hard to squash but Jack's team did it, with only one of the men getting injured, he was shot in the arm, a minor wound, but it took him out of action. Jack had successful protect Ramon who had been there. The other men went out for a drink, but Jack decided to return back to the house to get some rest. He was still shook up about almost loosing a man, he knew Ramon and the others didn't care but the team had become his team. It was almost like the delta teams he use to lead. He had almost forgotten everyday now that he was undercover. They accepted him for who he was, and they appreciated his talents. He had everything he could want, happiness brought on in drug induced states, respect, no stress or at least not major stress of life it was all surreal down here, and he had his team. What more could he ask for?

While he was on the couch finishing his nightly dose of heroin he laid his head back. He heard voices and than the door to the house open. He pulled his head up and opened his eyes to see Ramon, Hector, and Thomas walking in. He smiled at them.

Ramon laughed, "He's higher than a kite. Did you save some to share with the rest of us?"

"Here." Jack said pushing the shoe back towards them, "Have a seat." He said.

"We came for a purpose. Hector and I discussed it and we want you to stay on. We want you to help train all of the men. You would be third in command." Ramon said. He knew Thomas wanted the spot and had tried hard to get it, but there was something about him Ramon didn't like, he wasn't good enough for it.

Jack smiled at him, "Sure whatever." He said thinking Ramon was joking with him, but than he saw the stoned face look. "What do I have to do?"

"Nothing new. Just work with the men and keep everything running smoothly like you did while we were away. You'll be privy to all information as it will be your job to make sure everything runs smoothly for now on."

"Sure." Jack stood up.

Ramon walked up to him and embraced him, "Welcome to the family. There is one last thing."

"What that."

"A sort of initiation so everyone knows who you are."

"What's that?" Jack said worried.

"A tattoo."

"I already have a few." Jack joked. He knew what was coming he had been waiting for it long enough. That night he sat on the couch while Thomas etched the new tattoo into his skin. He knew it would always be with him, almost like a permanent memory he would always have the Salazar's a part of him now, and he was doing this all for his country he loved, and he could live with it. It was his job to.