“Meet Arlo Sanchez.” The picture of a man’s unsmiling face appeared. “Current leader of the Los Dios Cartel.”
“They’re the ones who are rumored to be making a huge name for themselves, right?” Liam asked.
“Huge is right.” Natalia pressed another button.
Like a deck of electronic cards being delt, several more images began rapidly filling the screen. A cache of automatic rifles that had been seized at a port near Charleston and several macabre images that represented only a portion of the lives that had been lost.
“In the last six months, they’ve been linked to multiple murders.” She continued. “By both their own hands and the guns they’ve been smuggling into the U.S. They’ve even become brazen enough to start breeching competing cartel territory.” Another click of the remote. “They show no fear. No hesitation.Just the cold-blooded killing of anyone daring to get in their way.”
“Where do we come into the game?” Brody King asked.
The former SEAL was the most stoic one of the bunch. His short, black hair, matching beard, and persistent death stare only added to the man’s perceivably dark demeanor.
“According to intel, Los Dios has made their way inland.”
“Inland where?” Cade Ellis, Delta’s lead sniper chimed in.
Natalia met the thirty-one-year-old’s inquisitive stare before turning and pushing the remote’s button once again.The images that had been there vanished. Taking their place was a large picture of a shipment of ghost guns…complete with armor-piercing ammo.
“This was part of a cache of weapons and ammo seized last week at North Charleston Terminal. Since then, we’ve received credible intel that a shipment twice the size of that one is headed here. To Chicago.”
“When?” John “Rocky” Rockland was the next Delta member to join the conversation.
Cade immediately followed that with a stark, “Where?”
“IIPD.” Natalia used the abbreviation for the Illinois International Port District. “Shipment arrives two days from today, which means we’re running on borrowed time.”
“Well, what do ya know?” Jagger flashed a sideways smirk. “That’s my favorite kind.”
Ignoring him, Natalia continued sharing what she knew about the upcoming shipment. Liam Cutler raised a hand, as if needing permission to speak.
“Not to bethatguy, but…why us?” A slight shrug. “Gun smuggling cartels are usually the DEA’s thing, aren’t they?”
“In most cases, yes,” she confirmed. “However, with political tensions already running high, the powers that be decided it best to keep this operation off of the public’s radar.”
“And using Delta Team is your way of ensuring that happens?” Cade scoffed.
“Using your team in place of the DEA or other official government agency gives us a much better chance at keeping this thing under wraps, yes.”
Liam shifted his body against his seat’s red leather. “It’s just that we’d be doing this under your direction. And since you’re with Homeland Security, and…correct me if I’m wrong, but thatisa government agency…”
The genius didn’t need to continue for her to understand the point he was trying to make.
“Obviously, this is a Homeland-sanctioned operation,” she agreed before adding a clarifying, “Aclassifiedoperation.”
“But if things go sideways, the public’s bound to find out about Homeland’s involvement.” Liam couldn’t seem to let it go. “And if that happens?—”
“The public isn’t going to find out,” Natalia cut him short. “That’s kind of the whole reason I’m here.”
“She’s right.” Jagger piped up next. “We’ll get in, take care of business, and get out before those gun-smuggling assholes know what hit ’em.. Besides, if something more…noticeablewere to happen, I’m confident our capable handler, here, will make sure it’s reported as nothing more than a worksite accident or something the public will buy. Ain’t that right, Agent Foster?”
That last part came out in a thick, heavy drawl that was solely for her benefit. As if he somehow knew she secretly found the whole southern accent thing a major turn-on.
Impossible.
No one knew that about her. Even living in Texas for the last several years,shedidn’t think anything of it before. Not until him.
Not until?—
