A/N: Hello! Thank you all so much for the encouraging words and awesome ideas! They sure make my day and give me the necessary motivation to continue writing! *hugs*

Now, who remembers Major Xavier Hanston? If you don't, you can return to the second part of Chapter 12 and brush up before the exam lol

Anywho, I hope you enjoy this chapter! Please please please don't forget to review!

Present Time, Halifax, Nova Scotia, Navy Base

It's still dark. The sun has yet to peek its head over the horizon. Major Xavier Hanston glances at the bright red numbers floating above the nightstand. 4:45 AM.

He hurries in buttoning his navy blue uniform top, reaching for his vibrating cellphone.

"Don't answer it."

Hanston's hand freezes at the ominous words spoken from the darkness. He straightens and searches with his eyes. The phone continues to vibrate in the background.

"Who are you?" Hanston asks the dark. "Present yourself or suffer the consequences." Hanston reaches for his gun, the one that's supposed to be on the nightstand.

"Looking for this?" The darkness mocks, as glinting metal hovers above the ground.

Hanston's voice hardens. "Who are you and what do you want?"

"Justice." The darkness bellows.

Hanston growls. "I don't have time for games. I assure you that whoever you are, you will -"

Light showers the room and Matt is standing there, a hooded figure beside him.

Shock crosses over Hanston's face before cold anger settles in. "You."

"Yes. Me." Matt hisses.

"You're supposed to be dead."

"I'm sure. Guess that didn't work out for you, huh?"

"Sam Braddock -"

"Sam Braddock was exploited, manipulated, and threatened by you and your league of assassins!" Matt growls. "He was my best friend and you forced him to turn against me!"

Seeing a possible line to grab, Hanston laughs. "Force him? Now, Matt, how do you know you're so-called best friend didn't have it out for you in the first place?"

"Because, Hanston, I'm right here - on his side. Always have been and always will be." Sam removes his hood, satisfaction gracing his features at the Major's shocked expression.

Quickly recovering, Hanston barks out, "Braddock! What the hell are you doing here?! You're supposed to be on a damned mission you incompetent son of a -"

"I wouldn't be the aggressor if I were you, Hanston," Matt interrupts fiercely, "not when you're on the barrel end of a gun."

Hanston blinks, not looking too sure of himself now as two of the men he once manipulated hold guns to his face. Grasping at straws, the forlorn Major grounds out, "You wont get away with this."

"We already have." Matt pulls the trigger, watching as the syringe wedges itself into the Major's arm.

"What the hell?" Hanston asks in a daze as the drug begins to take effect and he crashes to the ground.

Matt and Sam share a look. Matt smiles softly. "I'm glad I listened to you. Although I really wanted the satisfaction of killing this a**hole, he will definitely get what's coming to him in a military prison."

"Yeah." Sam nods, glad he was able to convince his friend to refrain from murder.

"Now, for the evidence..." Matt trails off, picking up the Major's cellphone and sitting down at the man's desktop. Matt makes quick work of hacking into both devices, exposing the hidden files and documents that were never supposed to see the light of day.

Smiling widely, Matt sits back as the files are downloaded into two flash drives.

"Look at this." Sam suddenly walks over. He was looking around the man's room when something caught his eye. Holding the object in his gloved hand, he approaches Matt. "It's a box, but I can't open it."

Furrowing his brows, Matt takes the small metallic box from Sam. He inspects it. There doesn't seem to be an opening. It's just a metal box. But when he shakes it, clinging sounds come from inside.

"There's something in here." Matt frowns.

"An explosive?"

Matt shakes his head. "Can't be. I shook it and it didn't detonate." He sighs. "Damn there's no lock or even a damned keypad."

As Matt continues to attempt to break open the box, Sam continues to roam the room, searching for pieces of evidence or objects that don't belong.

There's a whole bookcase devoted to books, military strategies, code, weapons, history books, novels, etc. Nothing out of the ordinary. There are maps pinned to the walls, a world globe standing proudly at a metal filing desk, even a small fridge next to the bed. Absolutely nothing to worry about, except for that small metallic box.

"Damn." Matt mutters suddenly.

"What?" Sam walks over.

"Look at this." Matt scrolls down, showing Sam the document he was looking over. "These are the names and information of all the people they quote on quote recruited. It's these bastard's very own database of damned workers."

"Why do you think some are highlighted in red?" Sam wonders, dreading the answer.

Matt hovers over the red. A bubble appears - a date, time, and location written inside.

They both come to the realization simultaneously. "They've been killed."

In order to prove the theory, Matt scrolls to find his name. It's highlighted in red.

"Look at the birth dates of the highlighted names." Sam says suddenly, after a moment of silence.

"What about it?"

"Most, with a few exceptions, seem to be older." Sam frowns. "Looks like these men never had the option to retire."

A silence ensues at that terrible revelation. The fact that these men are not only exploiting military officials to do their dirty work, but also killing them once they age or no longer become useful, is chilling.

Matt decides to change the subject, and begins to explain what he just did with the files instead. "I downloaded all the files into the black flash drive, our flash drive. But I only put in select files into the red one - just enough to prove Hanston's involvement in illegal activities, but not enough for the officers to know what is really going on. The red one is the one we give the officers."

"Yeah. If anyone finds out about this underground group..." Sam trails off. "Let's hope it doesn't happen."

Matt nods, typing at the keyboard, and grinning when the desktop begins to flash red and count down. "I just inserted a virus - everything in this drive will be completely fried in 3, 2.."

"Done." Sam grins.

"Alright, let's get out of here."

The men clear the room one last time, making sure nothing looks out of place. They then place the red flash drive right on Hanston's chest. Major Xavier Hanston should remain out for a couple more hours, giving them enough time to escape the base, and for the Navy officers to find him.

However, in order to make sure that happens, Sam pulls the fire alarm right before they leave, leaving chaos in their wake.

Present Time, Office of Canadian General

"Now, unto more pressing news. This morning Navy Major Xavier Hanston was arrested under charges of high treason and murder, including the death of American ambassador Peter Hollins. Sources say Hanston was transported to the Canadian Forces Service Prison and Detention Barracks, also known as Club Ed, this very morning. Currently, an investigation is taking place, but..."

"Private Miller!" General Zachary Braddock calls out from his office angrily, his eyes not once leaving the newscaster on the television screen.

"Sir!" Private Miller, a young man fresh out of training, immediately comes to attention at the entrance of the General's office.

"I want you to get me someone from the Navy Base at Halifax, Nova Scotia on the phone now!"

Private Miller salutes quickly and goes to do as told.

General Braddock is seething. Military matters are never to be relayed to the mass media - it is in the interest of national security. But in this case, it affects him as well because no one can discover his hand in the matter. He must know exactly what the Navy officers who made the arrest know, and then he can figure out what to do. One thing is for sure, he can't cover it up now, not when it has been divulged to the media. It will seem suspicious, and that's the last thing he needs.

"Sir, Navy Officer Jeremy Lyell of Navy Base Halifax, Nova Scotia is on the line." Private Miller appears back at the entrance, saluting before retreating once more.

Taking a calming breath, the General lifts the receiver.

"Good afternoon, General. I am Officer Jeremy Lyell, the one who made the arrest of Major Xavier Hanston. You wished to speak with me, Sir?"

"Well, Officer, I would like to know why I had to be informed by the morning news and not by one of the men under my command about Major Hanston's arrest."

On the other end of the line, Officer Lyell swallowed ever so lightly, tensing at the General's cold, hard tone. "Sir, we did not give the story to the press. We do not know who did."

"Officer Lyell, are you telling me that an arrest of a high ranking military official was made and that someone found out about it in detail and leaked it to the press?"

"Yes, Sir."

"Well, Officer, unless you want to join the Major on his trip to Club Ed, I would find out who the hell is leaking information from your base! And I want a full report on the arrest, and I mean a very detailed report, on my desk by noon. Is that understood, Officer?"

"Sir, yes, sir."

"Good." With that, General Braddock hangs up the phone. Feeling a headache coming, he reaches into the cupboard under his desk for his bottle of Stoli, and pours himself a small cup.

Because if he finds out who leaked the information or it turns out that people know about Hanston, heads are going to roll.

Present Time, Safe House

"Now, unto more pressing news. This morning Navy Major Xavier Hanston was arrested under charges of high treason and murder, including the death of American ambassador Peter Hollins. Sources say Hanston was transported to the Canadian Forces Service Prison and Detention Barracks, also known as Club Ed, this very morning. Currently, an investigation is taking place, but..."

The men of Team One, in addition to Jules, maintain their focus on the news, attempting to piece together the information, as they eat their breakfasts in silence.

"I thought that all military operations remain closed off to the public." Ed frowns. "Someone leaked this to the press."

"Who?" Spike wonders.

"My husband." Jules says confidently. "He didn't kill him, he left this man at the hands of the law."

"How do you know?" Wordy challenges gently.

"I'm not sure. I just do." She pauses. "But it makes sense. This is the first news on the military anyone has received in a long time, and it turns out my husband is crossing names of a list. Instead of killing though, he has resorted to using the system."

"Guess there is a first time for everything." Ed mutters.

Jules glares at her team leader. "What's that supposed to mean?"

"It means, Jules, that your husband wouldn't have hesitated to kill an innocent man for a flash drive, but suddenly decides to let the bad guys live." Ed grounds out, referring to the close call with Spike. "Not to mention that we're talking about a government hit man, a killer! Are you seriously that blind?"

"Leave." Jules grounds out in eerie calmness.

"What?" Ed asks, shocked.

"If you can't understand that Sam is my husband and family first, then it's this team, then you shouldn't be here. So if instead of helping my family, you will be trash talking my husband, I'm going to have to ask you to leave." She stands facing him, her brown eyes locked on his eyes.

A swirl of emotions tornado within Ed's eyes, anger and hurt being the most prominent ones. "Fine. You know what? I'm trying to help you see. See who this man you keep defending really is. But if your eyes are sealed, I'm not about to stand by waiting for him to hurt you."

With that, in the heat of the moment, Ed leaves, disappearing down the trap door.

Jules simply stares, the silence stretching thin behind her as the guys stand in the aftermath of an explosion.

Present Time, Edward Lane Household

Hours later, Ed arrives home to an empty house. After telling his wife Sophie of his supposed trip, she packed up with Clark and left for her mother's.

So it's just him and his guilt. And hurt. And anger. And so many more emotions that can't be put into words.

He feels guilty, immensely guilty for actual following through and leaving the safe house. Leaving Jules.

The sole reason he went with the guys to the safe house was not because he wanted to help or defend Sam Braddock in any way, but because he wanted to help and protect Jules and her children.

Still, the anger and sense of betrayal stemming from that man's deception clouds his thoughts and he can't help but believe that Sam Braddock will hurt Jules more than he already has.

He can't possibly just stand by and wait for that to happen. He loves that young woman as if she were his very own family.

Which is why her command stung and hurt so much.

Heading straight for the refrigerator, Ed seeks out comfort from that long necked bottle with the numbing liquid.

He's about to sit on the couch when a knock startles him out of his somber thoughts. He walks over, a hand on his glock, and opens the door.

A well dressed man in a black suit is standing there, a gun pointed at Ed's chest.

"Well, well. Looks like I'm not the only one who knows where the door is."

Ed opens his mouth to speak, but doesn't get the chance as the man pulls the trigger