Targeted

Disclaimer: I own nothing

A/N:

Chapter 25 (State of the Union)

From the top commanding military officer to the top commanding police officer, Beck wasn't sure trading Mexico for Los Angeles would be different in any form. The minute their boat landed at port, he could see Andre standing with Sam, Freddie and Detective Malone. It was refreshing to see his old friend, and as much as he wanted to run to the guy, he knew it would be best to focus on current happenings.

Andre was quick to greet him, helping him off the boat. "God it's good to see you guys." Andre pat Robbie on the back and sucked in a quick breath of air. "How was Mexico?" He smirked as if knowing the hell that Beck had just endured. Beck let out an exasperated sigh and shook his head.

"One nightmare after another." He pat down his sleeves, then his pants. "A few times there, I wasn't sure I'd get out alive." Robbie walked past him, giving off a light scoff.

"Speak for yourself, you weren't immobilized in a sand filled prison for days on end." Andre looked to Robbie incredulously and Beck gave a low chuckle. "Have to say, it's nice to breathe LA's polluted air again." Robbie moved his hands to his waist and smirked at the pair. "Nice to feel like I'm going to have lung problems on top of everything else."

Andre chuckled softly and placed an elbow to Robbie's shoulder. "Man, it's strange seeing you without that puppet." Beck started to smile, feeling the same though he seemed to only think about Rex now after all this time. Robbie just shrugged, causing Andre to drop his arm with a sigh. "But things are different now, that's for sure. Nothing's going to be the same, I think that goes without saying."

"Yeah." Robbie looked around and took a few steps forward. "So what's been going on here? If I had to guess, I'd say you and Tori aren't on the most friendly of terms." Robbie smirked and Andre began to laugh.

"That's an understatement if I've ever heard one." Andre folded his arms across his chest and looked out to the streets. "LA is definitely not the same as when you guys left, that for sure." Beck walked next to him and watched the cars whizz by. "Detective Malone's been making a lot of arrests, there's a great civil unrest and demands that Chief Vega step down or answer Gary's accusations."

"How are the police force handling things?"

"Poorly," Gary answered, "Half the people on the force are either resigning or being arrested and charged with forms of corruption." Beck frowned as Gary made his approach. "The other half are good officers, either rising up or contemplating leaving the force because of its corruption. Then David sits at the top, still so seemingly untouchable. He isn't, but I haven't been able to go in and arrest him yet."

"Too protected?"

"Yeah. I mean he was a mafia head for so long, they'd see this coming and they would be ready." Gary rolled his head to the left, his eyes sliding towards Andre. "Then your friend here can't get close to the Vega home anymore because David's ordered him arrested."

Beck pushed his hands into his pockets and raised his shoulders with a chuckle. "Of course, Andre, you would go and piss off the cops wouldn't you." Andre flashed a sheepish grin and shrugged.

"What can I say, man? I'm just a bag full of trouble and hot air." Andre paused for a moment and his eyes drooped as his expression shifted. "Jade wouldn't be able to look any of us in the eye after all this, would she?" Beck shook his head sadly and looked over to the woman that travelled with them.

"Some of us less than others, I'm afraid." He had no doubts about himself, but part of him worried that the things he had to do in order to reach her would be so over the top that Jade might even fear him. "I love her and want to be with her, but I think more important, I just want her to be okay."

"Hate to think we might all have to go our separate ways when everything is said and done." Andre pressed his lips firmly together and Beck furrowed his brow. His heart sank at the thought of losing his friends. Even Robbie seemed to bow at the question, turning away slowly.

Nobody wanted to speak, no one wanted to even acknowledge the inevitable. "Jade would hate that," he whispered, "She's always said how she needed us. She clung to her friends so much, I'm not sure what would happen if she didn't have any of us around."

"She'll have you at least, and she should." Beck smiled sadly as Andre glanced his way. "Because after all this, she's going to need that. She's going to need that support system. You know that more than anybody."

"Sure." He breathed in slow, looking to his friends somberly. In his mind he was trying to think of all the ways to keep everyone from going their separate ways, and all the ways they could make their friendships work. "I mean, you have protection, right Andre?" Andre raised an eyebrow and motioned to Sam and Freddie.

"Their families have offered protection, as have they with Gary. That's something important, especially with how heavy things have become." Andre walked forward a bit, his eyes narrowing and lips growing into a firm scowl. "I have to lay low, I can't be seen on major roads or popular hubs." He ran his hand over his neck and sighed. "When you're wanted for harming the Police Chief's daughter, they really go after you."

"Did you really do something?"

"No." He chuckled softly. "I just simply handcuffed her to her own bed." Beck's eyebrows rose and Andre flashed a toothy smirk. "I had to obtain the record book that David used to keep all those on his payroll."

Gary crossed his arms and looked off in the distance. "It doesn't help that his mafia buddies aren't going about things in a totally legitimate way." Beck closed his mouth tight and looked to Gary curiously. "I'm trying to do this legitimately, but a full out mafia war has pretty much blown up."

"Why is that?" Beck glanced to Sam and Freddie. The pair were positioned around a bench. Sam raised her shoulders as Freddie turned his gaze up to her.

"Little Miss Tori tried to have a team sent to my house." Sam rolled her head to the right and her eyebrows closed in together. "Wanted to send a message, probably because I was friendly with Andre. Even still…" She extended her arm, moving her hand in a sweeping motion. "Attacking the daughter of a mob boss is a declaration of war. Inactive or not."

"How did you get out of that?"

"My father likes to have people stationed around me at all times." Her eyes rolled and she shot a glare at Freddie. "So does my fiancé." Freddie ran a hand slowly over his neck, chuckling nervously as her hands dropped to her sides. "I didn't know until a year or so ago, but it's happened all my life-people would be hiding out somewhere…" She closed her eyes and exhaled. "Whether it's the random person at the park peering over his newspaper, or the guy running the smoothie shop-"

Beck opened his mouth, taking a breath as he recalled the smoothie shop from the girl's various stories. "The T-bone guy?"

"T-Bo." The corners of her lips sank back into her cheeks and her eyes reflected the gaze of the sun as she moved her head. "He was one of my family's people. Somehow, I never noticed that I was being watched, but I always felt something off. Either way, some of Tori's associates came to my apartment while I was sleeping. I woke up to the sound of gunfire, saw them being gunned down by my father's people."

"Yep." Freddie pushed his hands between his knees, rubbing them together vigorously. "And because she's part of my family too, the Bensons have gotten involved. Without realizing fully, Tori instigated a full on Mob war with two Italian Mafia Families. Ironically, we don't have a vested interest in the takeover of Los Angeles."

Gary, looking grim, poked a thumb to his chest. "I made sure of that. I'm not willing to trade my city from one mafia family to another, even if they are on our side. Too much corruption." He narrowed his eyes and Beck shot him a look of pride. He was thrilled to see such an honorable man in him, especially in times like these. "I'm certainly not happy about their activity here. People are dying."

"How bad has it gotten?" Robbie inquired. "How bad is this mafia war going on?"

"Police and paramedics are constantly being dispatched because either somebody's been 'hit', or some bomb's gone off at some business. It's become a hellhole where even the gangs are lying low."

"The gangs?"

"Yes. Once these three families started going at it, the city gangs retreated to whatever holes they come from."

Freddie chuckled softly. "No one wants to get stuck in the middle of a three-way mob war." Gary started to walk to the car nearby, groaning above the howling wind.

"Of course, the police don't want to either, but they have to. I have to keep them on top of things, there are still a lot of good men and women on the force." Gary raised a hand to his face, mumbling into his hand. "I am responsible for David. I, the police force, can't rest until he's taken out."

"What about Trina?" Beck's brow furrowed as the others looked his way. "She's the head, isn't she? Where's she stand in all of this?" Sam spoke up, drawing everyone's attention to her.

"My family's sources say she's asked David to take over again, especially in these tenser times. She doesn't feel Tori is ready to handle a full on war, especially since she's made so many mistakes at this point. So, David's gone back to being in charge of LA for a while. Things clearly aren't pretty."

They piled into Gary's vehicle and began driving down the street. As Beck looked around, he didn't see much that would indicate violence in the streets; but he did see the expressions on those they passed. Terror, anger, and so much pain. The people looked almost identical to those in Mexico, and even those in Cuba. "Funny," he said with a low exhale, "We liberated Mexico and even Cuba-I got lucky there-and now we're having to liberate Los Angeles from the Sidero."

"It's not just Los Angeles," Andre replied, "It's everywhere. In David's career, he's made friends and connections that stretch throughout all of California and bordering states. Detective Malone here has had to contact police departments in other areas for help, slowly bringing down these powerful connections…"

Gary's eyes peered back from the rearview mirror, his thumb bounced on the steering wheel and he grumbled angrily. "They've got seeds in place. We have to cut off the head of this snake, otherwise simply arresting David and his youngest daughter won't keep them from taking over the fifty states."

"And another thing we found out recently." Andre hung his elbow out the window and twisted his body towards Beck, seated behind him. "Remember Raul and his wife Ramona? Eldest of David's younger siblings…we thought he was hiding out in Madrid, but he isn't."

Beck leaned his head back. "Where's he at?" Andre turned away, his voice growing deeper and slightly agitated.

"D.C." Beck's heart stopped and his fingertips started to tremble. "He's been smoozing over politicians everywhere. He's been putting Senators in the seats of congress, and he's got a man poised to run at the next Presidential election." His throat constricted and he raised a hand over his mouth, realizing the gravity of the situation. "While we've been distracted here in Los Angeles by one simple police chief and his daughter, Trina's had her uncle continue his plans for the US."

"Did you find that out through Sam and Freddie?" Beck's voice trembled as he watched the couple shake their heads. Gary slowed up to a stoplight and turned partially, meeting Beck's gaze.

"I found that out," Gary replied, "Through my own connections. I have friends in the military, friends in the various departments out there like defense, justice, and I've got connections to the FBI and the CIA. People I've befriended throughout the years of my career…they got a lock on the Sidero clan through me, found out about Raul, and discovered some of his various business dealings."

Then it was a bit of good news that Beck was hearing, Gary had legitimate connections in the US Government who were now aware of the growing threat the Sidero family posed to the world.

"Unfortunately, they're still simply investigating him. No arrest has been made yet; but it's going to happen. One way or another, they will be stopped." The light turned green and Gary started up the car. He smirked for a moment, glancing in the rearview at Beck. "You know Beck, I like what I keep seeing in you. You should consider a career in criminal justice. Get a start in the police department, move up to FBI or better…" Beck's heart swelled with intrigue and his face turned red.

"Maybe…You think they'd take me? I mean, all the stuff that's been going on."

"I would hire you into the force. Help pay for your college and whatnot."

Beck smiled widely and started to puff out his chest a bit. He visualized himself in uniform, standing in the ranks of those most loyal to the code to protect. "I'd probably take you up on a job offer." Surely if he worked alongside Gary, he would know no corruption. "But that's a topic for another day, I think."

"Yes. It is." Gary chuckled. "Hell, you could probably go into counterterrorism, the way you've been operating." Beck gasped, his ever-widening grin still growing.

They pulled alongside a cemetery and Beck turned his attention to the front gates. "Thought we might want to make a stop here," Andre said while turning to Robbie, "Pay some respect to those lost." Robbie frowned, his eyes dropping downwards. "Your family's here, Rob. I know they're happy you made it out." Robbie let out a small scoff and shut his eyes.

"Sure," he breathed out, "Sometimes I'm not even sure why I made it." Gary drove through the open gates. Everyone held their breath a bit, thinking of those buried in these graves. For Beck, it was more than just Robbie and his family, more than any of them. He could see fresh graves everywhere, and for every grave they passed, more and more the gravity of the situation sunk in for him.

It was grim, and he owed it to everyone that lost their lives to bring justice to them and their families.

Elsewhere, in Madrid, Jade stood on the expansive pool deck with a pair of hedge trimmers. She watched Trina and Jason embracing in the pool, laughing together as they enjoyed the crystal clear waters. With a smile, she trimmed the top of the hedges that lined the deck's perimeter fence.

She was thankful that Trina allowed her to be out of the room, albeit with supervision. She wasn't going to run though, she didn't have anywhere to go. Trina wanted her to be comfortable, telling her that a pregnant woman must be comfortable and not stressed. Still, she wanted to do more, so she would oftentimes cook meals with Trina, or do some gardening.

The moment they were in currently, Jason would be leaving for the states soon. He needed to collect his uncle's things. Jade knew Trina was sad to see him go, and a bit concerned. The woman had kept him close and in Madrid for the same reason she was holding Jade there, she didn't want anything bad to happen to him.

There was something more though, a bit of news that brought a pleasant smile to her face. Trina had become pregnant again, when she didn't think it was possible to have a baby. The first pregnancy in of itself was something of a miracle.

"Maybe things will be okay," Jade whispered under her breath while watching Trina kiss her fiancé. She wondered if she couldn't convince Trina to give up her way of life, if it wasn't too much. It might be difficult to do so with the woman, but if she could convince her to give one of her cousins her spot and walk away, she could have a life with her soon-to-be husband and her new baby. In fact, her cousin Monique, daughter of Raul and Ramona, was the same age as Tori but a bit more well-rounded and less impulsive. Perhaps Trina could give her the spot, or talk her dad into returning as head.

Perhaps it was an impossible task; but Jade had to try. She could only imagine what impossible tasks her friends were up to, and if they could achieve theirs, she could certainly achieve hers.

So you see why the chapter title is named such, the Sidero is already making movements towards obtaining the States and corrupting the three branches of government. So our heroes now have the seemingly impossible task of saving the US itself, which they've already been tasked with, but it's more intense than they initially thought it would be. What are your thoughts on the state that LA is in, and even the country? Also, at the end, Jade seeks a different task, one that may be far too difficult. We'll see how that goes...