A/N: Thanks for the reviews!

Jacked Up 2

"You wanme .. ah, sir?" Sam guffawed in protest as his latest orders settled in. The details were disturbing to say the least. Get close, take what you need to make this look good and get out, the words were carefully glided to convey a specific message. The meaning wasn't lost on Sam McBride. The thought of it disgusted him. He could do certain things to monsters in this world, but to attack an innocent was something else. It went against every fiber of his morality. "Sir," Sam grunted as silence fell between them.

"You have a problem with those orders soldier?" Colonel Ryan asked the staff sergeant standing in front of his desk.

The icy glare burned a hole through his head as his throat closed up like a vise grip. Man up McBride, he practically yelled in his head. Why would this target be any different from the other? Why? Because it is … this isn't right. This target doesn't have anything to do with Leon Drake or this fricken mission. Sam swallowed hard and mouthed words that audible failed to reach his lips. "How can you be sure this will work?" he finally squawked out, trying to compartmentalize the task in front of him.

"I'm sure you can find a way to play it off. Your record seems to indicate you've been down this road before," Ryan said leaning back in his chair.

"Those accusations were unfounded sir," McBride retorted quickly. Defensively. "Just a girl in a bar with an over active imagination. My girlfriend can attest to that."

"Like I said, I'm sure you'll find a way to play this off," Ryan said smugly. "And lose the girlfriend; it doesn't bode well for your image."

It was all Sam could do to reign in his words. It was one thing to be put on a counter mission against alpha team. It was one thing to force him to go rogue, even though he relished the thought of doing it. Sam was crafty and resourceful and those "boy next door" looks worked in his favor to gain people's trust. While he had all that going for him, it was a completely different story to hold his jaded past over his head and expect him to do something morally wrong. And then ordered to break up with his girlfriend on top of it? Sam sighed silently and stared at a point on the wall just over Ryan's head.

"What if she doesn't resist sir?" Sam questioned as he formulated a plan in his head.

"I don't think you need to worry Romeo," Ryan remarked sitting up in his chair. He shuffled some papers on the desk and handed an envelope to the staff sergeant. "I have it on good authority that she plays on the same team as you and me."

"Meaning she's a lesbian," Sam vocalized the hidden meaning in the colonel's words. Like that is supposed to make me feel better? Sam questioned himself as he pulled the documents from the pouch. Being a lesbian doesn't give the opposition carte blanche to abuse a person, Sam thought in disgust as he stared at the envelope contents.

"As I said, she won't be an active participant."

"And what if she presses charges," Sam started to argue again.

"Sergeant, are you questioning your orders?" Ryan asked standing up at his desk.

"I'm just …"

"You're just what? Worried about the toes you're going to step on along the way? If you're going to make this cover stick, you going to need to stow your morality, soldier. No one ever said being in the unit was easy. We all make sacrifices to be part of the team. All of us. We're expected to do unspeakable things to some of the biggest assholes in this world and there are always causalities. This objective … while the consequences are unavoidable... this objective will understand the reasons and the rules," Ryan growled explosively. "If you have any doubt about your ability to complete this mission, you better speak up now."

"I can complete the mission, sir," Whiplash retorted.

"Play it up good then," Ryan said crisply. "Alpha team won't be fooled by some ragtag theatrics."

Sam McBride stowed the envelope in his jacket pocket and dismissed himself from the office before he decked his commanding officer. There were a lot of reasons to justify what he was about to do … washing out a terrorist cell, killing the man who threatened to wipe out the Alpha team wives and the president of the United States … but there was no excuse to stomach the propellant that would get him there. For now, he reminded himself. These are my orders and I'm duty bound to follow them. Signing on to the unit was like marrying your wife. I Sam McBride do solemnly swear to do whatever it takes to play out my mission and kicked terrorist ass even if it means burning every bridge I've ever built and hurting people I consider my friends along the way. He rolled his eyes and sighed heavily as he neared the locker room.

"My life is just really jacked up," he muttered under his breath.