It had been a long day, thought Jack as he crossed the dry desert like mud heading towards his place. He still felt sick, but the days events had made him push the hangover out of his mind. The deal had gone down well, although it could have turned nasty. The buyer tried to con Ramon out of 10 grand worth of drugs. Ramon, not the quickest thinker almost fell for it, until Jack had intervened once doing the math. It had ended with Ramon coming back with an extra 10 grand in his pocket instead. Jack thought that small detail would slip his mind when he chose to punish him - every detail seemed to slip Ramon's mind when he gets angry. The sun had set hours ago, but the heats presence was still known, more so than the creeping darkness. He closed the door behind him flipping on a light. He turned around to pull the small bolt across the door. It wasn't very secure but there was no lock. Hector had filled him in on the fact that anyone who needed a lock needed to hide something. He didn't like not having a lock, but it would had been suspicious if he'd protested, so he made do with the one bolt. It was better than nothing.

He walked across to the kitchen area, his feet echoing from the hollow wooden floorboards. He poured himself a glass of cold water and gulped it down hoping to cool himself down and get rid of his pounding head ache. He walked over to the couch and slumped down in it. Before long he was lost in his thoughts about Claudia.

He smiled to himself thinking about last night and wondering if he really had a chance with her. She was smart, funny, beautiful... engaged. The problem wasn't that she was engaged, the problem was who she was engaged to. Hector Salazar, the younger brother of the leader of the drug cartel he was infiltrating. He dreaded to think about what would happen if he found out he had slept with Claudia, never mind forming a relationship with her behind his back.

Undoubtedly he would be killed, but the method and duration of his death were a different thing entirely. Putting himself to one side for a moment, he wondered if a relationship was worth the entire operation. Three months of planning followed by eight months of infiltration. Had Jack blown all of that away because of a crush and some drunken antics?

Putting the whole operation to one side now, he began to wonder just how would a relationship between them work? Hector was coming home on four days, what after that? They sneak around like teenagers, hoping he doesn't get suspicious? It would be extremely difficult, but he thought, it would be worth it.

The debate in his mind only made his head hurt harder, so he decided that for the time being he would take things one step at a time and just go along with things. He pulled himself up from the couch and headed towards his bedroom, wanting to change before he saw Claudia. If anyone wanted to know what he was doing there he would claim he was looking for Lais and Ramon to go for another drink. He was pulling his shirt over his head when he herd a crash at the door. Instantly he remembered his mistake this morning, Ramon waiting on him. He headed towards the door hastily, expecting to see someone he wouldn't want to see. He approached the door to see it swinging on its hinges from the force of the blow which had snapped the bolt into two pieces, which were laying on the floor.

He looked around confused, as there was nobody to see. Suddenly, the light went out. Jack spun around quickly to the light switch but was met with the butt of a gun to his nose, sending him to the floor on his back, clutching his nose in pain. Before he knew what was happening there was a man on each arm dragging him backwards through the door frame, then they threw him onto the dusty ground. Jack tried to get up and the two men again grabbed his arms, pulling him up into a standing position. Jack looked around at the men to see if it was anyone he knew. Through the cloudiness which covered his eyes he could make out ski masks on each of their faces. The third man approached him with a baseball bat in his hands. He swung the bat hitting Jack squarely in the stomach bending him over double. As Jack tried to catch his breath the masked man swung again, hitting him on the side of his head. The two men let go of his arms and he fell towards the floor, helped along the way by another hit, this time to the back of the head.

Jack hit the floor unconscious. The three men seemed to have noticed this, but continued their beating as they proceeded to kick him around on the floor. Once they were certain Ramon would be satisfied they left him laid out on the ground, blood beginning to flow down his face from the gash above his eye.

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Claudia sat back on the antique oak chair holding her head in her hands. She was disappointed, Jack hadn't called over to see her. Silently she began to cry, she shouldn't had gotten her hopes up, he was out of her league. She wondered to herself why had lied about his feelings earlier what she had given him the opportunity to get out of it. She silently wondered if he did like her, maybe he was still working? She headed through the hose in search of Ramon, he would know if Jack was working, and if Ramon was away, that would be where Jack was. Most of her hope escaped her when she entered the kitchen, once spotting Ramon pulling a beer out of the fridge.

Knowing it there was a high probability Jack had stood her up she decided to be certain.

"Ramon, I didn't realise you were home. I know it's late, but you must be hungry after working all day in this heat. Would you like me to make you something?"

Ramon smiled at this offer, "Sure, as long as it's not putting you out."

"Of course not its fine, perhaps I should see if Jack and the others want something too?" She tried not to let the desperation show in her voice.

"Jack wont be coming over tonight, I doubt." As he said this a small chuckle escaped from him.

"Why is he still working?"

"No. But he was late this morning when we came to pick him up, so.. lets just say.... he's got a visitor or too."

These words angered Claudia as much as they worried her. "Ramon! Don't you think this whole 'on time' escapade has gone too far, your power mad!"

"No Claudia, I pay people to work for me, to be on time is part of their job. If I was not strict I wouldn't be as successful as I am."

" So what have you done to Jack? Have you hurt him?"

The look on his face was enough of an answer for Claudia.

"God damn it! Are you crazy!"

"Why the sudden interest in Jack?" He asked, suddenly suspicious.

"I am not worried about him, I am trying to understand why you hurt people who are your closest friends, look at what Jack did for you last night, did you forget about that Ramon?"

Her words had finally got to Ramon, as he ordered,

"Enough of this nonsense."

"Fine. I'm going to check on Jack, make sure he is all right. Cook you own meal tonight!!"

She stormed off, her mind in turmoil, worry for Jack, anger from Ramon's arrogance, and a glimmer of hope as she now knew Jack hadn't stood her up after all.

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