One
Sinaloa, Mexico
2 years ago
The echo of gunfire in the massive compound told Shadow to be ready. The Diablo Blanco Cartel had planted their base of operations outside the city, so as not to interfere with another major player situated in the capitol of Culiacán Rosales. Frankly, Shadow was relieved not to have to deal with the problems in the city. But their distance from civilization put him and his team at the mercy of the cartel, who controlled all roads in and out of the compound.
Shadow had bigger problems than worrying about his escape route. He’d been tasked with retrieving some valuable documents on behalf of their client. Discretion was everything, so he had to get the goods while not giving away the Business’s part in the takedown. Just some random thief trying to make off with million-dollar information.
Fortunately, he wasn’t the only contractor the Business had sent on this particular mission. He’d spotted the other two agents, despite their attempts to go unnoticed.
Information was his stock and trade, and Shadow’s life depended upon what he knew and didn’t know. Like the fact that Juan Chavez didn’t exactly rule the cartel, despite all evidence to the contrary. He knew the patterned route of the pair of cartel mercs now securing the server room; it took them right past him. He even knew who the guards were and what they’d done.
With one guard running only four minutes in front of the other, he wouldn’t have much time. As soon as the mercenary left the hallway to check on the outer station to the server room, Shadow moved without a sound, came up behind the giant, and slit his throat. The mean bastard with a predilection for young boys should have been disposed of a long time ago, and Shadow’s relief at taking out this piece of trash felt more than right.
He dragged the body back behind a large desk. Normally manned by Chavez’s secretary, it remained unoccupied, no doubt because Chavez was banging the hell out of the young woman somewhere in the compound. Not that Shadow could blame him, but a smarter man wouldn’t give the woman he was cheating on the codes to his security. Especially since she’d known all along about his “whore on the side” who had an appetite for older men.
Jealousy, the emotion that kept on giving. Not that Shadow had ever had a reason to feel it in his lifetime. Seeing the destruction it could cause gave him just one more reason to steer clear of romantic relationships. Nope. Shadow had his fun and left, then focused on the job.
He waited, knowing the remaining merc was too smart to be taken unaware. Adrenaline surged through him, a welcome respite from the tedium of stakeouts and information gathering.
Hiding behind the desk next to the dead body, he prepared himself for gunfire, maybe even some hand-to-hand. Of the two mercs, this one would be harder to beat.
As expected, the man came in firing. Shadow waited for the sound of his footsteps growing closer, heard a significant pause as the merc reloaded. Taking advantage of the lull, Shadow darted out low to slash the man’s Achilles tendon before darting back behind the desk. He peered around it as the merc slammed home a new magazine and turned, continuing to fire even as he crumbled to the ground.
Shadow took a chance and rolled free from cover once more. He threw his knife at his opponent’s throat. A bit of gurgling, some wet coughing, then silence. Once assured the merc would cause no more problems, he entered the server room, memory drive in hand.
He quickly found the correct terminal and downloaded all he needed. Then he systematically destroyed the towers of equipment and started an electrical fire that would burn like a mother.
Pleased at all he’d accomplished in so little time, he slid quietly out of the room, down the hall, and outside, keeping to the dark. Guns continued to fire, the ongoing distraction giving him time to get out. Shouts and panic ensued. Backup must have arrived.
A few explosions added to the chaos steadily growing. It was like the fourth of July on crack, with fireworks of explosives blowing in random bursts, spattered by less than joyful gunfire.
A glance at an overhead skywalk linking the main house to the intelligence headquarters showed Destroyer engaged in close combat with four of Chavez’s lieutenants. A fellow contractor, Destroyer had been deep undercover for months. The poor mercs working alongside him hadn’t expected one of their own to turn on them. But then, Destroyer was good like that. He could pass as the baddy nine times out of ten.
While he occupied the guards and Shadow stole their information, Ice would be taking care of Chavez.
Shadow would have liked to stick around to help, but the client had priority. Time to hustle to make the drop.
Two hours later,another successful job accomplished.
Yet the pleasure he normally felt for a job well done didn’t come. Another dickhead drug dealer, rapist, dictator. Spin the wheel and choose a never-ending swell of villains needing to be swept out from under the rug and drowned in the river of justice. Of vengeance. Shadow wasn’t picky when righting the wrongs of this world.
But right now, he wanted nothing more than to drown himself…in a good beer or tequila, God willing.
He found the tiny cantina as shabby and filled with riffraff as it had been when he’d scouted it out earlier. Thankfully, no sign of any major troublemakers. Just the typical drunks and hardworking people of Culiacán wanting a break.
“Yo.” Destroyer sat down next to him, though Shadow hadn’t seen him arrive.
“Not bad. You’re getting better at being sneaky.”
Destroyer shrugged. “With a body this big, I gotta start stepping lightly.”
“Yeah, or he’ll end up with my foot up his ass,” Ice growled, coming in behind them.
Typically difficult to rouse, Ice didn’t get upset easily. Shadow raised a brow at Destroyer, who seemed to hunch in on himself.
“Aw, come on, man. I said I’m sorry. How was I to know you had him covered? I was just trying to help.” He slid a wink at Shadow. Ah, fucking with Ice. Nothing better.
