The many different threads of information they had might've seemed like overkill in theory. Yet in practice, it was nearly perfect. Their plan was quite possibly the most thought out and prepared scheme they had ever created- including when they had infiltrated Division (though, to be honest, that plan was mostly created on the fly). What exactly that said about the team, they weren't sure. But it was better to focus on the positives. They had a solid op planned, as well as backups to fall back on when things inevitably turned to shit. There would be no need for improvisations- no need to bring up uncontrollable variables. They had full confidence in what they had planned. It had the chance to see them through.

First and foremost, the team was going to infiltrate the raid Interpol was organizing. Skarsgard and Johnson had readily accepted and read over the file they had sent them, barely questioning why documents from Alexandra Udinov would arrive weeks after her death. They were probably so excited for the new intel against First Choice, that they simply rolled with it. The organization was able to take the information and better prepare to stop the latest smuggling shipment. They didn't have any ideas of where to proceed from there; their only priority was putting an end to the current illegal activities. But that was where the team stepped in.

Fortunately, the knowledge that the smuggling ring was really a black ops group of thugs made Interpol involve other law enforcement agencies; Michael and Alex got to hide themselves among the SWAT team like they had theorized. The less black badging they had to do the better. No doubt agencies had strengthened their internal security after all the shit the team, Division, Gogol, etc. had pulled in the past. It'd be easier to blend into the heavily uniformed and protected SWAT team than to flash a counterfeit badge. Besides, for their strategy to work, the agents had to be right where the action was.

Usually, the bastards' smuggling routes changed from shipment to shipment; it rotated between being brought in on trains, planes, or boats. The last couple, however, have been occurring at ports. Alex speculated that was probably why they were in Houston when she first stumbled upon them. The bastards were more than likely using the warehouse for storage rather than a staging ground. Though, Nikita suspected it was both. It'd be smart for First Choice to smuggle within the same area they were performing a mission. They were already using dummy corporations and shell companies to hide that side of their business, so why not use the same cover stories whenever they had operations.

Sonya had settled the argument by deciding to follow both lines of investigation. If the bastards were using the same area for their two separate industries, keeping their agents apart from one another, it could help explain how they had been so operative while holding substantial secrets. Sam and Vasquez, after all, only knew of the mercenary jobs. It was as though the bastards had taken the lies and limited intel sharing from Division and Gogol, and kicked it up a notch. The leader and the higher ups kept their agents in groups, limiting their interactions with others. They could never share what was really happening, because they didn't know.

If the bastards weren't (for lack of a better word) bastards, then it'd be a solid strategy. But that wasn't necessarily the focus. And it wasn't as though their procedure in regards to information actually worked. The team, being as formidable as possible, not only established two moles amongst their enemy's ranks as well as a bug on one of the agents, but they also acquired a flashdrive full of intel and a witness. It was certainly a struggle to gather as much as they had, but they finally felt secure enough to be confident in whatever they schemed. Well, as long as they spent enough time on preparation and training.

Interpol's investigation, with Kyle's expertise, was how the team learned the majority of what they currently knew. First Choice's shell companies were no doubt the biggest find. The bastards didn't have government agencies to hide behind, so they had to create their own dummy corporations. Those fake businesses were more than likely how they were laundering the money they made from the smuggling to then put into their mercenary operations. Although Interpol was aware of the laundering, they couldn't make sense of the last step. The organization could then with Alexandra Udinov's intel, yet it wasn't enough to truly build a case; they needed more evidence. On the other hand, the team was done gathering evidence. It was all about attacking from then on.

Kyle worked closely with Sonya to finalize the smuggling information on the bastards. Vasquez and Sam were told to keep them in the loop in regards to mission. And they continued to scan the bug that had been placed on the agent for keywords. The flashdrive was continuously dug through as well, just with new parameters set since they knew about the smuggling. The team got a lot more hits with that in mind. It was a bit overwhelming how much they had to cull through, especially for Kyle. He was still confused on what was occurring. But he felt comfortable enough to share everything with Sonya. It was easier to simply say what he knew and help the team move forward.

And they were doing an excellent job of just marching along. As Birkhoff reconfigured Shadownet and Shadowbot to solely focus on Interpol, the bastards, and the flashdrive and listening device, he prepared for the next battle with Spyder. The rival hacker wouldn't be able to cut him out of the system that time. He was ready for any countermeasures and attacks he could think of. It was fortunate that the nerd knew the former Gogol tech expert, though he never thought he would actually side with an organization; Spyder was always a freelance hacker. Something must've happened to pull him in- it probably wasn't anything drastic, just enough money. Birkhoff shook his head of the thought for the moment. He had much bigger things to worry about at the moment.

Michael and Alex were more or less in the same boat. They were utilizing Interpol's action plans to create their own, but they had to go the extra step of stopping the bastards and not just the smuggling. The two weren't certain what kind of security First Choice would have in place. Vasquez and Sam did their best to get that intel for them, yet it was thin. Since the moles were still only involved with the mercenary business, they could only guess at what kind of maneuvers the other agents would employ. No doubt it would be the same as a 'guns for hire' operation. Except, it wasn't a guarantee.

So, Alex and Michael recounted what they had seen on previous missions, how they knew former Division and Gogol agents moved, and the type of training they had heard through the listening device. The two had a pretty good picture of what they were up against from those. They could at least structure their strategy around it. How the enemy would react and fight against the team was always the most unpredictable part of an operation (and how Nikita responded to that was even more unpredictable). However, they could create ways to combat the surprise and come out victorious. They could also prepare and train, which when it came down to it was more important.

While that chaos of scheming happened around her, Nikita was lost in her own world. She was taking being the dramatic wildcard of the group to heart; she was determined to come up with a way to draw the bastards' leader out of the shadows. It was strange to be fighting against someone who held so much power but didn't flaunt it. Percy and Ari certainly made it known how easily they could destroy the world. The men behind the Shop and the members of Oversight might've been different in that regard, but their presence was still known through forces like Amanda. The bastard leader was strange in that dissimilarity. Yet Nikita couldn't let herself get caught up in it. She had to focus.

Cyrus had finally reached back out to the team. He had completed whatever he was doing, and was ready to help. Nikita redirected him from joining them at the safehouse, however. She had a better idea of where he could use his talents. His arms trading business was still booming, so why not involve himself with the bastards' smuggling. Maybe as a 'customer' he could find some way to meet the higher ups and the leader. Agreeing to the idea, he immediately took off to snake his way into the organization. That was the simpler part of her plan, though.

Whether Michael liked it or not, Nikita was going to join him and Alex in the field. She'd stay out of reach disguised as a SWAT sniper, yet she would still be on site. She wanted to see how everything unfolded and to learn how much damage could occur before the head of First Choice stepped in. According to Kyle, the raid Interpol was conducting would be on a large shipment, but based on the manifest it wouldn't be anything too substantial. She wondered, though, if enough loss of money would cause the leader to snap and come out of hiding. Or, maybe, if they knew exactly who was messing with their money and how the team knew that, they might want to make their presence known.

It was all ideas she had to play with. She couldn't put anything into fruition yet, not with her lack of understanding of the leader. Except Nikita was certain she could get there. The mission would illuminate some things, and help them close in on the bastards once and for all. They had seen before how desperate evil organizations became when their cash supply was messed with. That was just one step in taking them down. As they floundered, the team would step in and save the world- again. After that, however, they had to figure out new and permanent ways to have their freedom.

Just in time for Interpol's strike, the team was prepared to implement their schemes. Birkhoff was ready with his hacks. Sonya and Kyle had compiled damaging information. Alex and Michael were battle ready. Cyrus, Sam, and Vasquez continued to dig for intel. And Nikita had some ideas on how to annoyingly draw out a leader. All of that planning and intelligence gathering didn't come without its frustrations and feelings of hopelessness. However, they got through it as a team (and with the help of a very comforting Barkhoff). They had been through hell together, after all. A well prepared mission they were on the same page for was going to be nothing. They had that op in the bag.