International waters off South America. Three helicoptors converge on a frieghter waving an Argentinian flag and hover over the ship as ropes are dropped and armed men board the ship. The crew is quickly subdued and the ship secured. A man in a business suit hops out of a chopper that has landed and surveys the scene.

"Muy bueno. This will help in our planned takeover."

*****

U.S.S. Retriever conference room. Sultan and Emerald are talking with Tex's platoon, along with Slide and Pandora.

"The frieghter Bueno Amigo was hijacked this evening off the shores of Peru." says Sultan "It left Buenos Aires last week headed for L.A. with a cargo hold full of various gasses used by law enforcment."

"What sort of gasses sir?" says Tex.

"Laughing gas, tear gas, itching gas, and a number of others. So be careful when go aboard; you don't want to get a bad case of the giggles while trying to hide from the enemy."

"We believe the hijackers are taking the ship to Columbia" says Emerald "For what reason we don't know yet. Get to the mini-sub and stop them. Dismissed."

They rise, salute and leave.

******

An hour later, Tex's platoon is sneaking aboard the ship. Tex ducks as an armed guard passes then stops to light a cigarette. Tex bashes the guard on the head and he's knocked out cold.

"That stuff will kill you someday pal."

Tex and the platoon spread out and search the ship. Meanwhile on the helipad the man in the business suit oversee's several canister loaded onto his plane.

"That should be enough amigo." he says to his second.

"What do we do the rest, senor?"

"Kill the crew, then scuttle the ship."

"Si senor."

"Guess again!"

The spin around and see Tex and several members of his platoon standing there.

"Carumba, Road Rovers! Get them!"

They all take cover as they all open fire; the hijackers with guns, the platoon with laser.

"Did I ever mention how much I hate slug throwers?" shouts T-Bone

"We can't let them get away!" shouts Tex

"I got him!" shouts Mojave

The leader has gotten on the chopper and grabs the nearest gas grenade, pulls the pin and tosses it, just as Mojave kicks him from behind, knocks the pilot out and the leader turns in mid-fall to aim at him and lands. Mojave kicks the gun away and the man kicks out himself right into Mojave's groin. The boss hightails it away from there as laughter is heard.

"Frodo, are you all right?!" shouts Tex.

Frodo's squad has been reduced to bunch of giggling fools.

"Blast. Mojave, T-Bone, come with me, the rest of you help them and round up the thugs we caught. We're going after the top dog."

The three of them follow the hijack leader into the bowels of the ship.

"Remind me that I owe that jerk." says Mojave.

"No problem." says Tex "But get your gas masks on, he ain't going down without a fight."

They enter the ships hold and spread out. A gas grenade flies high and the three scatter as it goes off. T-Bone gets the worst of it and yowls in agony.

"Itching powder!" yowls T-Bone. "Get him!"

"Head's up!" shouts Tex

They take cover again and another grenade goes off in a flash of light. Mojave falls to the deck and doesn't move; a stun grenade.

"It's just you and me now, amigo"

"You can't win here, pal." says Tex "Give up and we might go easy on you."

"The commanders under General Alejandro Xavier do not surrender to a bunch of mutts!"

Tex rounds a corner and rushes the man as he's about to toss another grenade. They go down and the grenade goes off. They're both reduced to laughing fits.

*****

Retriever sickbay, Tex's platoon are ready to file out as Emerald and Bengal step in.

"How are you feeling Major?" says Emerald.

"Much better, sir. Hee hee. The effects are wearing off and we should be ready for duty by hee hee tomorrow."

T-Bone idly scratches his shoulder while Frodo's squad try to keep from giggling again.

"It's very hard to hee hee keep from hee hee laugh sir. That stuff hee hee is really potent."

Several members just break down and laugh again. Emerald turns to Bengal in time to see him compose his face to normal.

"Bengal!"

"What?" he asks innocently.

Emerald rolls her eyes and leaves.

"This is a ship of children."

the end