We arrived at the alley designation point, but I was unable to locate the second squad.

GQ dispatched his men to recon the immediate area. One by one they called in. It was all a big zero.

GQ relayed the intel to me.

"Where the hell are they?"

"They've got to be here," GQ said, his concern growing.

I took out my radio again and punched in a number.

"Havoc for Slayer Two. What's your loc, Slayer Two? Radio check?" my comm frequency was stuck on static.

"We'd've heard gunfire if there was an attack," GQ responded. "If they were able to mount a counterstrike, they would have, if they couldn't, they'd pull back as ordered."

I tried my radio again with the same result. Zip. I wasn't sure if the local cell towers were down or-as I was beginning to fear-nobody was alive to hear me.

I walked the perimeter beyond where the Seal team had checked. Not a single building was intact.

Circling the corner I found a dozen trucks stacked in a pile, all on fire, the stink of diesel fuel smelling up the street. There was something else, too. I stared for a long time then reached for my comm."GQ," I shouted. "Get over here. Right now."

Moments later, the GQ made his way to there I was waiting. "This better be good, Chapman."

I pointed to a doorway, just beyond the burning trucks. Slumped across it was one of GQ's Seals. His equipment, weapons, and extra mags were scattered on the ground around him.

GQ raised Flag on his comm line, then they hurried over to the body.

"He's dead," GQ whispered as he checked the man's pulse. "We'll bury him later, but give me a hand getting him out of there."

Flag joined them and helped GQ pull the body by his shirt and vest where it was been lodged.

"Dammit," GQ exclaimed when he turned the body over and saw his face. "That's Dave Aparo. He was a good man."

Flag nodded. "They all are. Dedicated, no-nonsense, loyal-and kick-ass soldiers."

GQ nodded. "Yeah."

I used my scope to pan the area. "Whoever did this is long gone. I'm not seeing anybody else. I'm thinking those spuds came and snatched up your boys. This one probably fought back and got himself killed."

GQ agreed. "Fighting back was his style. He never gave up." He turned to Flag, red with anger. "We don't leave teammates behind. Let's get our people back."

Flag shook his head.

"Negative," we said in unison. Flag and I exchanged glances.

"We're continuing the mission. They've been taken by those things, they're already dead." Flag continued.

"Rick, you don't know that."

Flag shot him a look that said, Yeah, I do.

GQ's anger swelled suddenly.

I knew how he felt though-It was the way buddies got after spending days huddled together in the trenches on the field of combat. There was nobody closer to you than the people you knew were watching your back, and expected that you'd be watching theirs. Just like now.

The other Seals surrounded Flag, GQ and I, and they were joined later by the rest of Flag's Suicide Squad.

The Colonel had looked them over. Nobody had ankled.

"Okay, I want the Two-Forty on point, Diamond formation. Start picking 'em and putting 'em down. The objective ain't walking to meet us." I made the order, giving GQ a stern look.

GQ wanted to find his lost men and rescue them, but he was a special warfare officer to the bone. The mission, and his orders, always came first. "Yes commander," he said, saluting me. "Understood."

His men started out, with GQ in the lead.

Fifth Avenue was a decimated wasteland, most of it's buildings leveled to the ground, shattered glass and other debris strewn across the street. A window shattered.

Harley batted aside the few remaining glass shards from the window of Northern Lights, a stylish clothing store frequented by millennials aged twenty-one through thirty. She reached in and pulled an expensive crystal purse off its display pedestal. When she turned back to the street, everyone was staring at her. Except for Flag.

He glared at her. "Seriously? What is it with you people?"

Unfazed, she swung the little purse over her shoulder and rolled her eyes at him. "We're bad guys, it's what we do." Harley struck a pose and checked her reflection in in the mirror. "How does this look?" Arms out, she danced a bit, reveling in her new acquisition. "Me like."

I shook my head and walked off. I hoped when push came to shove, they'd do the job Flag needed them to do. Until then, might as well let them have their little fun.

They'll pay for it later, I thought optimistically.

I looked ahead and saw Flag was in a deep conversation with GQ, probably arguing over who had the biggest gun.

Suddenly, Flag shouted. "Everyone take a knee," he bellowed. The Seals immediately formed a perimeter around Flag and GQ. They watched as Flag double checked his map, then pointed to a dark office. "Our VIP's at the top of that building. We get up there, pull the target out of the vault, and make it to the roof. Helos will be waiting for us. After that, it's Miller time."

Deadshot took his monocle and used it to bring the Federal Building into clear focus. Nothing seemed out of the ordinary. "Who's up there?" He asked curiously.

Flag started toward our destination. "Not your concern," he said as the other joined, following behind.

Deadshot wasn't pleased.

The Federal Building was less than a hundred fifty yards away. Flag crouched behind an overturned garbage truck, and watched EA's move in and out of the area, doing whatever the hell EA's did.

He gestured to us, about twenty yards behind him.

We're ready, let's do this.

Moving in pairs, we scurried to our new positions, rifles locked and loaded and ready if any of the creatures spotted us.

None did.

With the Seals in place, Flag darted ahead. He waited for the crowd of EA's to thin out, then gave the sign for us to leapfrog him again. We would continue this way until we were inside the building.

Deadshot hunkered behind the chain-link fence that surrounded the Federal Building. He was rapidly getting impatient with our snail-like pace. He slipped through a break I the fence and made his way to the front door. The creatures, involved in their own tasks, paid no attention to him. I believed they were of a hive mind, fixed on a given task to the exclusion of all others. Unless programmed to do so, a single EA couldn't directly dictate the actions of another. I hoped it would be true. It might make it easier for us to slip past.

Deadshot waved to us, opened the door, and stepped inside.

I used my rifle sight to scan the building's lobby. It was clear. Either the EA's were lousy tacticians and forgot to place guards, or they weren't at all worried that the humans might find them. I prayed it was the former, but I knew better.

I crossed to the guard desk and checked the security monitors, which were still active-they had to have an internal power source. Each was focused on a different area of the building.

"All sectors clear," I said, as Flag and the others followed.

"You were supposed to follow orders, Lawton," the Colonel growled, "And that meant following me, not going off on your little scavenger hunt."

"If I'd listened to you, we'd still be outside."

Flag stopped beside me and turned to the monitors. "You know you're an asshole."

"Better believe it," Deadshot replied. "It's on my business card. Floyd Lawton, asshole assassin. You want, I can tell you where to get 'em printed. All you'd need to do is change the name."

"I don't see the problem here, mates," Boomer said, interrupting. "Looks like we had a spot of luck. A walk in the park. Easy peasy."

"Will you please shut up," I said. "Getting inside was the easy part. Finding the target won't be."

"That was the easy part?" Boomer asked, concerned.

"We're still alive," Deadshot answered.

"What's the hard part?"

Flag checked the building's blueprints on his tablet. Satisfied, he put it back into its case and walked off the left. "Atrium's this way. The stairs are on the far end. Don't wander." He was talking to all of us, but he was staring at Deadshot.

Squad and Seals followed Flag out of the lobby toward the building's second squad.

"Jaz, lead the way." Flag ordered.

I crept ahead of the unit, and scanned the stairs through my rifle scope and stopped just before the stairs, waiting for the others to catch up. "Flag, what's the status on HVT? This place is a ghost town, and we go up those stairs, we could be headed into a kill box."

Flag checked his comms, but received static. "Damn. Still nothin'. Okay, Jaz, take us up."

I didn't keep my eye off the top of the stairs as I lead the way up the stairs.

"Jaz, you good on mags?"

"Yup." I replied quickly.
"Any of you wankers got any clue why we're doing this?" Boomer asked as we made our way through one endless stark white corridor after another. "Just sayin', I'd rather be safe behind bars than get myself killed. Anyone else thinking about that?"

Flag tapped his cell phone holster. "Feel free to make a break for it, Harkness. I'm all for it."

"Calm down, you two." Deadshot said.

Croc stared at Lawton. "Something going on here I don't know? When did you become Mister-Peace-Between-All-Nations?"

"When they put their damned bomb in my neck. It's powerful enough to blow even you to tiny bits."

"There is that, mate," Boomer said, nodding. "We don't have any choice. But Flaggy, I hope you realise that also means we're not actually on your side. We're just going along for the ride until we don't have to anymore."

Flag kept walking. "I don't need your loyalty, Harkness. All I want from you are your boomerangs, doing whatever the hell I need them to do."

"I can just hand 'em over to you, and then go back to sleep in my cell. I'd enjoy watching you try to handle them."

Diablo sided up to Boomer and put a hand on his shoulder.

For just an instant, I thought the big man himself might be ready to set Harkness on fire, but Diablo just wanted to talk.

"This is not the time to fight among ourselves," he said sombrely. "And, it's definitely not the time to argue with him. Flag holds all the cards."

"Yeah, well, according to you, it's never the time to fight. So when, exactly, did you become a loser?"

"When I figured out that fighting destroys you, and killing doesn't strengthen you. Never. Believe me. I know. But that blissful feeling is only temporary. Kills are like drugs. You need more and more to get that same feeling again. Today it's one kill. Tomorrow, two. Next week, it'll be a dozen. Not only is there no end in sight, but after a while you forget why you ever started. Your need for relief, rather than your intellect, takes over-and it's insatiable."

Boomerang laughed and looked at Deadshot. "Lawton, you're an assassin, mate. You wanna tell the boy what you think about killing?"

"I don't," Deadshot responded. "It's just my job. How I pay the rent. Nothing to get emotional about."

Flag turned to him with a look of disgust. "And what does your daughter think about it? How much of that part of your life have you shown to her?"

Lawton didn't like that question. "She…she still loves me."

"Because of, or in spite of?" I asked.

Deadshot closed his eyes, and took control of his anger. "Screw you, G.I Jane," he said aloud. "Don't we have VIP's to rescue and monsters to kill? So how about we shut up and do our job?"

I grinned.

It was only few minutes later when we reached the atrium, a soaring, inspiring cathedral of glass in the center court of the vast complex. Flag checked the blueprints then signaled toward the closest stairwell.

"This way," I said. "Elevator's not trustworthy. We're taking the stairs. It'll be good for your cardio."

"The stairs? For crap's sake," Boomer said. "I definitely did not sign up for that." He looked at the stairs, then back to the others. "Hey. Where's the cuckoo bird? She's not here."

"Maybe a dingo ate her." I retorted.

Boomer laughed. "We can only hope, darling. We can only hope."

The elevator beeped, and Harley waved at us from the glass elevator as went above us.

"Harley!" Deadshot yelled, as we all scrambled up the stairs to catch up with her.

We watched as Harley was under attack from an EA, who swung in through the glass.

She pummeled one of them, then another fell through the roof of the elevator, and swung Harley around like a rag doll.

My breath began to give out as I climbed the stairs, and fell back behind the others in the race to the top floor.

I leaned over the rail, and let the others go ahead, but Hayes stopped and pulled me up.

"You okay, Trig?"

I nodded and panted for breath. "Yeah. Just a bit out of shape, that's all. All this extra weight isn't helping." i pointed to my vest full of mags.

GQ passed us with ease glaring at me as he stomped by.

Croc and Deadshot ran to the elevator to join the fight, but when the doors opened, they saw Harley holding her bat over her shoulders, whistling as she calmly stepped over the EA's corpses as is nothing had happened. "Hi guys," she said merrily. "Don't we have some big-bads to slaughter?"

Flag and the others approached.

The Colonel looked at Harley, saw the shattered glass and two dead EAs still in the elevator and nodded approval. "Okay. We know they're here. Keep moving. Stay together." He looked at me from the corner of his eye, and raced over.

Hayes had his hand firmly around my waist as I dragged myself up the rest of the stairs.

"I'm okay, just a little winded." I defended, trying to stand up straight on the landing.

Flag's face was a calm mask that I recognized well. It was the face he used when he was determined to keep his emotions in check, to keep himself under control.

"We don't leave a man behind, Flag." Hayes scowled, taking hand hands away from my waist.

"Thanks, Hayes. Alpha, Bravo, move out." I strode ahead of them, trying to keep my breathing deep and even, but I think even Flag could hear my pulse racing. His face scowled at Hayes as I passed him. He looked angry that I had allowed Hayes to help me, let alone allowing him to touch me. I'd forgotten how much this face bothered me.

We made our way down a long corridor, offices on all sides. I paused in front of a dark office, and waited for Flag and the others to catch up.

"Ready?" Flag grunted.

I felt the hairs on my neck bristle. "We're walking into a shooting gallery, aren't we? You sure about this?"

Flag shook his head. "I don't like it either, but it's the only way in. Let's do it." He kicked the door open, and I entered.

The office area was larger than I'd expected. Workstation cubicles filled nearly every open space. The lights were down, and Flag and I, weapons ready, entered carefully. The others followed us in. More than likely EAs were everywhere in the building. They had to be here, too.

The cubicles were designed in a clear grid, giving us a series of easy paths via which to conduct our search.

Sticking close to Flag and GQ, I started by moving up the left-most aisle, pausing before each self-contained space, my gun leading me.

Looking for the enemy. Praying none were there.

Nothing.

At the end of the aisle we turned right and started down the second row. We paused at each cubicle. Then we heard breathing. Heavy and laboured.

Something was here with us. Whatever it was, it was too close.

"Who's there?" I shouted. No answer, but the heavy breathing became louder.

Coming from straight ahead. Somewhere down this aisle.

I dispatched a small group of the Alpha Dogs to go back the way they came, then to circle around and come back up from behind the source of the sound, effectively trapping the heavy breather between the two groups.

"Hello," I said again. If there were human beings here, he wanted to give them every possible chance to get past their fears.

No response.

I'd seen how hard it was to kill the bastards, I was severely lacking in ammo, and I had no idea how many of the things were laying in wait.

"This is gonna be a bloodbath," Boomerang whispered nervously.

Flag shot him a dirty look. Shut up, idiot, it said.

We found it, crouched behind a desk in the far cubicle. Breathing ominously. It was wearing tatters of once had been a uniform.

A Seal uniform.

Its eyes were red with hate and less than an hour before this monster was one of us. Other creatures were crouched behind him. Their eyes too, red with bloodlust and hate. All of their hundreds of eyes. Kane, Perez, Sprang, Winslow… GQ's friends and teammates. People with whom he had once trusted his life. Monsters who now only wanted to kill him.

They were waiting.

They were ready.

Time seemed to slow down.

I signaled for Alpha Team to stop.

Deadshot saw the eyes burning red. He pulled on his mask and flipped its monocle into place. Then he saw Harley staring at him, shaking her head, laughing. "Pussy," she said. "Not tough enough? Afraid of them? Did I tell you I took out two? All by myself."

"Shut up." Deadshot snapped back. "I will knock your ass out. I do not care if you are a girl."

Harley laughed again. "Promises, promises. It's like I-"

All hell broke loose before she could even finish her sentence.

The EAs opened fire.

I jumped for cover.

"Ambush front!" Flag bellowed. "Move!"

I was overwhelmed. Three more creatures rushed in through the door. I saw Flag run towards the opposite side of the room, firing anything that moved.

"Where the hell are you going, Flag?" I fired at the scurrying monsters. Though it was close quarters, they were damned hard to hit in the darkness.

"We're out in the open, waiting to be picked off," Flag replied. "We need cover. Find a corner, it'll be easier to defend."

I agreed. "Front. Right. Go." I shouted to the rest of the squad.

Flag ran down the rightmost aisle. He shot at the eyes of the creatures following him, then there was the sound of shattering glass. More EAs streamed in through what had been a side window, and were on his trail.

The way ahead was cut off, too, sandwiching him in, leaving no place to run.

I scanned the room. These things ignored the Seals-they were all targeting Flag.

"They're after Flag!" I shouted to the Tier Ones.

"His problem, I've got my own." Boomerang said.

"No, they're leaving us alone… maybe just for now. Circle up. Circle around him. We gotta save him." I yelled.

"You're crazy," Boomer said.

"Do what I say, goddamn it!"

Hayes rolled his eyes like a teenager. "Yes, Mrs. Flag." He said sarcastically.

Flag was surrounded, but he kept ice-cold calm as he unloaded mags into the things. Suddenly, I grabbed him by the waist and pulled him back. The squad formed into a circle, and I shoved him into the middle of it.

"Get in here," Deadshot shouted.

Flag stared at me. "You crazy? Let me fight!"

"You ain't dying'." Deadshot replied. The circle closed around Flag.

The convicts who hated him were now saving him. The world had turned upside down when he wasn't looking.

"They're trying to kill me," Flag shouted.

Deadshot grinned. "They're gonna have to get in line behind me."

More of the things. I recognised too many of them. They swarmed through the office and rushed the circle, ready to breach it and tear Flag apart.

"Shoot!" I shouted. "Don't stop 'til I tell you to!"

GQ raised his gun and aimed it at an approaching creature. Then he stared at it, surprised and horrified. "Doug?" But then Doug charged him, GQ fired instinctively.

It took ten rounds to explode Doug's head. His legs buckled under him and he collapsed. GQ stared at the body and took out a handkerchief to dry his eyes before anyone else saw him.

General William Sherman was so damn right it hurt. War is hell.

An EA took out Bolland and Conway, two of the Seals assigned to protect Flag.

Three other creatures grabbed their legs and dragged them away, while still more spotted Flag and rushed toward him.

There was a quiet whoosh, followed by the thud of their two heads crashing to the floor. Their bodies collapsed only a second later.

Katana stood behind them and ran her hand down her blade. "You have already absorbed so many souls," she whispered to it. "Sadly, the day is still young."

Another EA leaped at her, pushed her to the ground then dragged itself up to her face. Its thousand eyes stared at her.

"A thousand eyes but you see nothing," Katana said as her blade ripped up through the creatures chest and into its throat. She twisted, and the head fell free, reluctantly joining the others she'd severed.

More streamed into the room. They ignored us Seals and ran toward Flag. Deadshot shot him a look.

"They only want you," Deadshot said questioningly. "They're ignoring the rest of us. Maybe we should let them have you."

"They know who the big kahuna is," Flag responded. "Lop off the boss, and the rest will follow."

"You wish," Deadshot replied.

"Then I'll see you in hell, wont I?"

"Behind you. Shut up and duck." Deadshot opened fire. It took three mags before their crusted, barnacled faced had been reduced to little more than mush. He stared at his gun. He was out of ammo.

Another EA rushed him. GQ saw Grey, the huge Dutchman he had saved less than an hour earlier. He was no longer a soldier. No longer human.

My two SIGs had a full mag in each. I emptied both into the big guy, but Grey refused to go down. He grabbed Flag in a tight bear hug and began to squeeze.

I rushed across the room and retrieved the gun Bollard had dropped then the EAs took him out.

In a practiced move, I checked the mag was fresh. Then, I spun and unloaded it.

Simultaneously, Flag pulled out his hunting knife and hammered the pommel into the things face. Again and again.

Grey refused to fall. He kneed Flag in the stomach and the soldier fell to his knees, gasping for breath.

The big Dutchman raised both fists to finish him off, but abruptly shuddered, then fell forward. I was behind him, and I stabbed the EA again with Flags dagger... Grey turned, roaring in anger and pain, and charged him.

He had a new target to kill. I backed away to give myself more room.

I stared at my attacker and goaded him. "Get away from him you ugly piece of shit!" I slammed the dagger into the EAs gut as revenge, dropping him to his knees. I rushed him, but the thing climbed back to its feet and somehow blocked the blade.

Grey was weak and trembling. He tried to throw another punch, but I easily ducked it, then smashed the dagger through Grey's face, burying it deep into his eyes, mashing them into pulp. The EA again fell to his knees, then shuddered and collapsed to the ground. I slammed by boot into its face and finished him off.

The EA was dead, but still quivering. I stared at it angrily as I raised my boot again.

Hayes stopped me. "He used to be one of us."

"Theirs, not ours." I slammed my foot down hard, watched the EA's body spasm one last time, and then stepped off him. "Now he's nobody's. And that's how it's done. You put 'em down, I flatten 'em."

Boomerang looked at the creature I'd just beaten, and saw it twitch. "Not quite dead enough. Hold on a sec." Boomer rested his foot on the thing's chest, then raised a razor-edged boomerang over its head. As the blade plunged down, the EA jerked to the side. The blade cut a deep gash into its neck but just missed severing it from its head.

The creature pulled back and freed its hand. It was holding a knife. It thrust up and sunk into Boomer's chest. With a gasp, Harkness fell back.

Harley stared at him, falling to his knees. "Oh my God, Boomer." She shrieked. "That thing killed Boomer!"

Boomerang was frightened and confused. He stared at the knife, then angrily turned back to the EA and slammed his boomerang into its neck, this time slicing through flesh and bone. Its head lobbed to the side.

Harley ran to him, staring at the knife still embedded in his chest.

"Omigod, why aren't you dead?" She turned to Deadshot, who was also staring. "He should be dead, shouldn't he?" Harley asked again.

Boomer pulled the knife from his chest, and tossed it aside. He opened his vest and revealed underneath thick packs of money, recently appropriated from the Midway Bank. Miraculously, they had protected him from the blade. Boomer pulled out the pack of bills and kissed them. "Who said money can't buy happiness?"

Flag stared at him, doubled over. "For once, I'm speechless."

I turned to him and helped him stand up. "Are you okay?"

"Yeah, you saved my life so many times today, I'll have to open a tab."

I laughed.

Harley looked at the bills, then glared at Harkness. "Tell me you bought enough for everyone?"

Boomer shrugged his answer.

"Get back," GQ ordered, a grenade launcher rested on his shoulder as he got into position.

"What the hell is G.I. Joe doing?" Boomerang asked. "Nothing's standing for you to knock down."

"There's still nests of EAs. Might as well thin the herd." I tucked my shoulder under Flag's arm and lurched him out of the way as he grasped his vest.

"Sounds good," Boomerang agreed.

Deadshot turned to Diablo. And chuckled. "They used to be people, you know, Moms, Dads, kids. How does wiping out entire families sound to you, big guy?"

Diablo stared back at him, and it was clear that the words had struck home. His eyes flashed with anger, and he clenched and unclenched his fists. "How dare you?" he shouted. His hands erupted with fire, his fingers flaming candles. "You've crossed the line, Lawton."

The skin on his face reddened, and Deadshot was suddenly very afraid.

Lawton edged back, away from Diablo. "Hey, I'm sorry." He said, the uncommon fear washing over him. "I didn't mean anything. I swear it. I went way overboard and I know it. I'm sorry."

Diablo turned away and reclaimed his calm. "Never again, Lawton. Never talk to me again."

Deadshot nodded. "You got it, man. What you say. God with me." He turned to the others. "What the hell was I thinking?"

Flag was grim. "Just don't repeat it."

"No way man, never."

As we backed away, GQ launched a 40mm grenade deep into the office building. We watched and waited.

"Five seconds. Four…

"Three…

"Two…

The grenade detonated. The front windows blew out. Stone, steel, and plaster exploded in all directions. The building shook, blasting creatures off the ceiling, shredding others into pieces. Half and EA crashed close to Flag and I. It was still holding its rifle and somehow it was still alive.

Carter picked up his gun, about to shoot it through the head, but the Thing shot first, killing him.

Croc stared at the dead Seal, then the slammed his foot down on the EAs face, smashing it to a pulp.

No additional combatants appeared, and the remaining Seals whooped, high-fiving each other, celebrating their victory.

Flag stumbled back, letting them have their moment. When push came to shove, they all worked together.

They were becoming a team. I hadn't thought it would ever happen.

I knelt in front of Flag. "Are you okay?" I held his exhausted face in my hands, examining him closely.

His olive eyes locked mine. "Yeah," he breathed finally.

"Thank god." I sighed. Knowing no one ever bothered to check on Flag except me, I brushed my lips against his for a second. "Don't do that again."

"Nothing I can't handle," he grimaced.

I pulled out his dagger from my holster and handed it back to him, blade to me. "Here. I didn't gave it back to you."

He smiled and put his hand on mine. "Keep it. I might need you to save my ass again."

I smirked and flipped it back into my pouch. "We lost another one, Flag. Who's gonna be next?"

He nodded once, his mouth a grim line. "No more, I hope."

"You can't promise that," I stood up, and checked my mags.

"No, But I can promise you won't."

I sighed.

When the team finally calmed down, Flag called out to them, as I helped him stand up.

"It's time." He said. "We're on the clock. Move it. Get off the X."

He headed for the exit, not looking back but confident they were close behind.

Maybe there was hope for this motley crew, after all.

The atrium balcony circled the government complex, imposing a deep vertigo effect on anyone who saw it, from new visitors to long-term employees.

Amanda Waller had worked there for years but she still had to grab the handrail when she made her way from office to office.

Waller was rooted to the ops center, monitoring the enemy as well as Flag and his soldiers. Time was running out, she thought. Her Suicide Squad still had too many EAs to fight before they could complete their mission. She looked to her tech. "Center on Flag." She barked, "but give me a wide shot. I need to see exactly where he's taking them."

"Yes, ma'am," he said, and he reorientated the drone camera.

She watched Flag and the others circle the dizzying balcony.

"They're heading for the stairs," she said. "That's good. That's exactly where I need them to go. How much further?"

The tech pulled up a distance ruler and laid it over the scene. "Approximately eight hundred yards, ma'am."

"Okay, good. He has bases covered. Thank God."

Flag was doing his job. Waller had expected nothing less. She'd harboured serious doubts about his temper, once upon a time, and worried if its quick burn would hamper the assignment. Flag was known to humiliate the soldiers if they didn't snap to attention and follow his orders.

The man didn't have a clue how to play with the others, but he was the best tactician Waller had ever known. She'd decided long ago to put up with his quirks, as long as he achieved the desired results.

Still, she had a reason to be nervous, if he pushed the wrong way with the soldiers, they were required to follow his orders. But if he tried pulling his crap with the villains, they could just as easily burn him before she could activate their detonators.

With Flag she'd traded charm for proficiency. Her rule of thumb had always been, you put the best you got on the field then let them do what they do. As far as this mission was concerned, Waller would hire Hitler himself if he'd get the job done.

Flag was a pro. He'd fought this assignment, but ultimately she'd pulled rank and made it impossible for him to turn it down.

She sat back as the tech scanned the balcony ahead of the soldiers.

Nothing on the horizon. Good.

"Ma'am," the tech said suddenly. "See that?" He pointed at a shadow moving across the wall behind Flag.

"What is it?"

The tech scrunched his eyes and stared at the monitors. "Not sure, but I think it's coming from the catwalk. Hold on a sec, ma'am, let me pull focus and adjust the drone's video range."

Waller watched as the picture on the monitor tilted up, revealing the glass catwalk about twenty feet above the balcony and mirroring its position.

A dozen EA's skittered across it.

"Ma'am, that's what cause the shadows."

"You think?" She glanced at the tech, sitting at his station, waiting for orders. "Idiot. Why are you just sitting there? Sound the alert." She ordered.

The frightened tech hit the alarm, but it was too late. The newly arrived EA's were firing at the squad, and Flag and his men were already running for cover.

Waller quietly cursed. Time was running out.

Flag and the remaining Seals dove into offices, then leaned back out, returning fire.

"You know what to do," he shouted, his voice tinny over the speakers. "Aim for their eyes."

"You think?" Boomerang retorted.

Waller saw two EAs explode. She glanced at another monitor, focused a few yards away, and saw Harkness throwing his explosive boomerangs at the EAs.

Not bad, she mused. He's actually holding up his end of the deal. I wasn't a hundred percent certain he would.