Chapter 3

He had a tremendous headache. It felt like he had one too many tequilas and was now hungover. Oscar winced as he opened his eyes and felt the sting on the back of his head. He made a slight groan as he reached with his hand to ascertain the extent of what was causing the pain and felt the dried blood and the lump on the back of his head. Groaning, he lowered his hand and looked upwards at the ceiling.

He swallowed slightly before sitting up. He winced as he felt the pain and closed his eyes to prevent himself from getting sick. He didn't want to show any signs of weakness by puking because of the nausea he was feeling. Taking a breath, he opened his eyes and looked around.

Judging from the furniture, he guessed that he was at Nikolás' estate. The man had a particular taste in his furnishing, preferring the designs of where he was from. There was also some elegance attached to it, giving the subtle hints of money and power. Subtle signs to tell people who was in charge. It was intimidating, and Oscar had seen it work.

Now, he was more concerned that he was found out. It was justified since his boss' men were the ones that gave him the bump on the back of his head while he was talking to Nikolás in the market. His thoughts went back to the proprietors of the restaurant since no doubt they had been bullied into giving up his routine and the boss probably saw through his lie in the marketplace.

Oscar slowly got to his feet to survey the room he was in. It was not like the prisoner cells that Nikolás liked to use when he was 'interrogating' his prisoners. This… it was more like one of the guest rooms. That had Oscar suspicious since he had been clouted on the head and he was certain that Nikolás found out about his being a spy. What reason would Nikolás want him to be comfortable? Something wasn't right about that.

Oscar walked to the windows and tested them subtly. They weren't sealed. He could open them if he wanted. No doubt they were watching him to do that. And they would kill him if he tried to escape. He peered through the window, looking like he was just casually surveying the landscape. In reality, he was looking for any sign of Nikolás' men waiting for him to make a wrong move. He wasn't seeing the sniper laser anywhere but that didn't mean that Nikolás didn't have a man trained on him waiting to take the shot.

Turning away from the window with a casual manner despite the fact that his head was pounding a bit, he surveyed the room to see if there was any sign that he was being watched. Nikolás liked to watch his prisoners when they were left alone. It put a crimp in the idea of escape. It didn't stop a few bold minded individuals from trying though. They never made it, but Oscar had been impressed with the ingenuity. It was up there with some other prison escapes he knew about from history. He knew it was futile to consider an escape, but it was at the back of his mind to do so and he knew he had to.

Coming to the door, he tested it just in case it was rigged. He had seen Nikolás rig the doors on the cells to shock, maim… it was horrible. It fed into a sadistic side but justified as justice for the person for betraying him. Or the person was an enemy from a rival or someone trying to bring him down. Nikolás wasn't afraid of the federales; none of the cartel leaders were. The federales were essentially powerless; like trying to plug in a leaky boat with glue laced with sugar.

Finding that there was nothing going to injure his person, he opened it, pushing it to let it open. Just in case there was something that was triggered from the door opening. He watched and listened and when he was certain, he slowly walked through the door, finding himself in a hall. Turning around, he realized he was in Nikolás' manor and his eyes widened slightly.

It was also disturbing. He didn't even see the regular presence of the bodyguards. They weren't subtle but a visible presence. He remembered when he would visit and… Oscar turned when he heard the sound of children laughing and the sound of footsteps. He looked around until he saw them.

Call it an irony that a leader of a cartel, a murderer, dared to reproduce. Oscar had thoughts and often wondered what would happen if the children learned the horrifying truth about their parent that they idolized and adored. He had seen it and it happened when he was a kid. He grimaced at the memory of that, pushing away the guilt he still carried and looked up. He found a boy of probably five looking at him with wide eyed wonder.

Oscar had no choice but to stare at the kid and offered a timid smile. He hoped that the kid wouldn't be freaked out from any dried blood or anything like that. If there was any. There hadn't been any mirrors in the room, so he really couldn't tell. He looked at the boy and spoke in Spanish in greeting, asking what his name was.

"Memo," the boy answered.

Oscar never thought that talking to a kid might be the way to keep him alive and he toyed with the idea of escape. It made him feel disgusted since his idea meant the kid would be a human shield. He abhorred people who did that but… He kneeled and said, "Memo? That's a cool name. How old are you?"

"Five." The boy frowned and then asked, "Do you know my Papi?"

Oscar felt his throat convulse and would have answered, but another voice entered, coming from the direction of the staircase saying, "Of course mi hijo. He's one of my best."

Oscar turned to see Nikolás join them with that smile that was more predatory than loving despite the loving tones directed at his son. It only told him that he was being cordial for his son's sake, that he wasn't going to put his son in the line of fire. His callous side thought that maybe he could use it to his advantage, but his compassionate side said that it was unnecessary and cruel. Instead, he looked at the man who was looking at him and then at the boy and put on a slight smile, "It's true."

Memo looked at Oscar and then his father. Nikolás looked at Oscar still bearing that predatory look. Forcing back the alarm and fear, Oscar looked at the man that he had worked for the last few years and said, "I suppose we should go and discuss what you asked me here to discuss."

It was a risk isolating himself, but he didn't want to risk the boy. He may despise the man before him, but sins of the father shouldn't be visited upon the son, especially if they don't know the truth. It was a risk he was willing to take though. Even if they did kill him, he knew that his boss had a long reach, even in the most unconventional manner.

Nikolás stood up smiling, "Oh I don't think that is necessary. It's only going to be in the library and Memo likes playing in there. Don't you, mi hijo?"

Memo smiled and yelped, "Yay!"

Oscar kept his cool. It had him suspicious of the game Nikolás was playing. It did occur to him that his boss did it because he knew that Oscar wouldn't try something with a innocent in the room. The reputation he built within the cartel was going to be his undoing. He nodded his agreement and followed Nikolás into his library study. He took care to notice if there were any of the guards he traveled with were around.

"I try not to have too many of my men around. I see no reason to frighten my wife and children. Don't you?" Nikolás gave a pointed look at Oscar, almost as if he were daring him to try something or challenge his assessment.

"Sounds like a responsible thing to do," Oscar offered since an answer was expected from him. He glanced at the boy as he was playing on the floor with his toys. "There is no need for kids to know about such things." He turned to look back at Nikolás and added, "At least until they are old enough to understand."

Nikolás smiled as he walked over to his desk. He sat down in the chair and motioned for Oscar to take a seat in the chair reserved for guests and those that were there to conduct business. Oscar privately called it the interrogation chair and there was a reason for it. The person sitting there often got interrogated. Not always, but you felt like it after sitting in it. He had no choice but to sit in it and he did with as much grace he could.

Nikolás looked at Oscar as he steepled his fingertips while resting his elbows on his desk. He was silent for some time as he looked at the man that he knew would be best suited. It would give him a chance to truly prove his loyalty to the cartel. He didn't want to believe the rumors he had heard, but if that were the case, he may be able to turn it to his advantage.

Oscar broke the silence, "What business do you request of me, Nikolás?"

Nikolás gave a sight smile and nodded. So, he was going to play that way. He had an idea and was curious as to how it would play out. "Do you know how difficult it is to secure one's loyalty?"

Oscar nodded slightly, "Indeed I do. Especially when we move to new territory and oust the other leaders out. People become confused and afraid."

"Indeed. And there are those that bide their time." Nikolás stood up and when to where there was a bird cage. He picked up a small sack that held bird seed and poured some into the dish. "And there are those that come because the hand is held out with what they need."

"People have different reasons, jefe." Oscar used the word he always used to refer to the boss. If he changed now, he could be putting more risk on himself and possibly the boy in the corner. He didn't believe that Nikolás didn't have his most loyal bodyguards around. He was not the type of man to take his security lightly, but he wasn't a pushover either. He wasn't afraid to get his hands dirty if he needed to.

"And what are yours, Oscar?" Nikolás turned and walked to stand in front of Oscar. He looked down on the man and repeated, "What are yours?"

"As I told you when you took me in. What else is there?" Oscar shrugged knowing that he was going to have to dig deeper. The next part was the lie that he had used and one that even his handler was reluctant to use. He looked Nikolás in the eye and added as he narrowed his eyes, "And because I was betrayed by a dead man."

Nikolás nodded, "A dead man?"

"You know him as El Despiadado, but the world knows him as Odysseus." Oscar crossed his legs at the knee. Better to appear like he was not in trouble. The more you played to what you were as your cover, the more others were inclined to disregard anything said against you. It wasn't foolproof, but it was a start.

Nikolás nodded, "True. He was a ruthless one. And yet he was clever in how he got people to follow him."

"He betrayed me. He left me to die at the hands of the Americans."

Nikolás nodded again. He had heard the story and had it checked out. Oscar had been left to the mercy of the Americans and in the end, he had been set free, dumped out in the middle of nowhere. The man showed up on his doorstep, full of anger. There was no mistaken that he was loyal. Maybe he would like to have a moment of revenge.

"You know this, Nikolás. It doesn't explain why you sent your men to capture me like I was a traitor. I would never betray you." Oscar said that with a tongue in cheek. He had a mission and part of that was to convince the man in front of him that his loyalty wasn't to be questioned. "If my decision to avoid capture was a test, then it was a very poor one." He narrowed his eyes in anger.

"And I apologize. I apologize that Hector hit you over the head. I know he doesn't like you." Nikolás gave an apologetic smile, "but I had to be sure of your loyalty. I know that you didn't have information beforehand when I sent my men after you and yet you reacted like you expected it."

"One has to be vigilant. I've been betrayed before."

"Indeed." Nikolás paced for a moment. He glanced at his son who was oblivious to the conversation as he played in the corner. Thank God there was such a thing as headphones and devices for music. He looked at Oscar. Hector had said he was trouble, but he wasn't getting that. He was seeing a man that was disappointed that someone doubted him after loyal service. "Which is why I apologize. I have a plan, a business arrangement and I wanted to see how you would react."

"I follow your orders, jefe."

This was the moment of truth. Nikolás nodded and turned to look at Oscar, "I am planning a partnership with another cartel. Double on everything and could help us deal with our problems with the Michoacan cartel. The best part is that they are not from this country."

"Really?" Oscar gave an appropriate raise of his brow.

"Yes. I want you in charge, but I need to know If you will be able to be professional about it." Nikolás paused to gauge Oscar's reaction. He continued, "It is with the Menendez cartel."

"You look good."

Torres gave a wry glance at David as she checked to make sure she had everything before leaving. "Flatterer," she gave him.

David shrugged as he leaned against the doorway. His daughters had already left for school and he had to get to HQ. There was talk about a potential mission coming up and he needed to oversee and make sure the logistics officer was up to speed. That was the thing with the SEALs. They had to be ready to go at a moment's notice except when they were being rotated in their deployment.

David watched as Torres straightened out her jacket sleeves. It was the one that had the three-quarter sleeves that revealed her arms that appeared delicate but had more deadly power within them than meets the eye. It also gave a good view of the very faint scar on her left from what she said was a training accident. It was only partially the truth, but he knew better than to press.

The jacket went well with the casual slacks and shirt she was wearing. David couldn't resist coming up being her when her back was to him and wrap his arms around her waist in a hug. He rested his head on her shoulder and murmured, "You have everything. Mone."

Torres hummed as she smiled, leaning into his embrace. She maneuvered her head to look at him and replied, "I know. And now you're mussing everything."

David growled at that and gave her a kiss, "Looks better this way."

Torres smirked but accepted the kiss. She turned in his arms and wrapped hers around his neck. "But someone has to look presentable and it sure isn't you." She grinned as she kissed him. Pulling back, she hung her arms around his neck and looked up at him. "You're a nice accessory."

"An accessory?" David was bemused as he raised his brow. He studied her and matched her smile with one of his own. He thought about it for a little but before adding, "Well I did make you look good with President Bosworth."

"Oh, I did that on my own, but you are sweet." Torres smiled as she patted his cheek. She stepped away and picked up the briefcase that held her tablet and a few other things she used. "I'll see you in briefing." She paused at the door.

David turned and put his hands in his pockets of his ACUs. He studied her, taking in her appearance. He long accepted that she was a bit shy about her relationship. It was more of a bolster to his ego that he was her first, but he wasn't one to take it for granted. Plus, he didn't want to get on the bad side of her brothers. He had met them and while they expressed a liking, they also made it clear what would happen if he hurt her.

Looking at her he said, "I know. Love you."

Torres smiled at him. "I love you."

It was a sort of routine in that they never went in to work at the same time and never left at the same time. It was a means of keeping their relationship on the down low and with the general, it was better to make it seem that way. Time away from ops was their own and even then, it was done with some care. David could brazenly say that he didn't care about his career and it was partially true since he wouldn't let anything happen to her, but it wouldn't do them both any good if he was careless.

David watched her leave with a smile on his face before going to collect his gear. He had few things to check on before briefing. In the meantime, Torres drove herself to the main building. She had received a text that morning from Spectre that she had something urgent she wanted to speak to her about. Torres had frowned at that since she didn't know that Spectre was stateside.

Most communication was done, predetermined for a date, time and place. The spontaneous ones were ones that needed to be paid attention to. When Torres received the text message, she studied it. It looked like one of those messages that called for a friendly visit and a get together. Used to them, she knew that Spectre had something important for her and she wasn't going to ignore it.

Working at JSOC HQ put Torres on the frontlines of counterterrorism. She never considered the possibility since she was Secret Service. It was a far cry from sister agencies that handled that sort of thing. After the whole thing with Menendez, it opened doors, but she was still called on occasion to the Hill. More or less it was to see the president after her relocation since Menendez' video incited riots and in one instance setting fire to the White House. There was still recovery and trying to bring back law and order to the country and around the world. It was tough times.

Torres greeted people she passed with a smile and a nod as she headed to where she worked. It wasn't too much different from when she worked at the Treasury. She had an office and a junior officer that reported to her. He was young and eager to prove himself. He was really good with technology and they had a few interesting discussions. She had him working on cracking the Celerium worm in between assignments more for personal reasons and to try and prevent what happened with Menendez from happening again.

Her assistant was out when she entered her office. Not unusual, but the fact that there hadn't been a person in sight when she got to this part of the building had her raise her brow. She smirked a little as she turned towards the window, "When you said let's meet up, I was thinking more of your surprises in briefing."

Spectre turned from where she had been looking out the window at the men training. She looked at Torres and smiled tiredly as she replied, "Oh I still intend on that. But I need to speak with you first. And in private."

Torres nodded in agreement, "Hence why my sector is empty, and I thought I saw a couple of your guys in the hall." She studied Spectre. She hadn't failed to notice how tired the woman looked. No doubt she caught a red eye to get here. It must be very important for Spectre to just up and do that. Taking a step forward she continued, "So, what has you here in on a red eye?"

Spectre looked at Torres and did what she did best. She deflected, "How are things between you and Section?"

Torres gave a wry look to indicate that she didn't like the deflection, but she was polite about it. It told her that Spectre had wrestled with this and it could affect her. She took a breath and replied, "Things have been good. Just trying to make the 'spy' and soldier thing work."

Spectre smiled at that, "Not an easy thing. I am still amazed how Soap and I managed it. I like to think that it's because he trusted me and my judgment despite the fact I told him multiple times it was a recipe for disaster."

"Still think that?"

"Yes," Spectre replied pointedly, "But there are always exceptions to the rule. I have a knack for finding them." She gave a smile that had a bit if her mischievousness in it.

Torres couldn't help but do the same. She moved to sit on top of her desk and said, "Yeah you do. I still wonder why you picked me."

They shared a laugh. It did what it was intended to do: play catch up and create an atmosphere that was less tense. It belied that it was serious, but the amicability kept it from being too grim. It allowed Spectre to get down to business, "I know that the world has continued to turn despite other things, but some things… Well… they're still in the forefront."

Torres frowned a little, "Menendez?"

"Yes."

"But… all we have is riots and…" Torres was confused. She looked at her mentor and asked, "What is it then?"

"It's about you, Simone."

Torres paused and thought about it. The pieces began to click, and she looked wide-eyed at Spectre, "You said that no one…"

"No one on our side," Spectre replied as she raised her hands to calm Simone down. She sighed, "I didn't want to tell you, but…"

"What?"

Spectre looked at Torres to find that she was looking at her with a firm look. It said that she would be angry later. Right now, she was going to listen. It encouraged Spectre to continue, "I've been keeping an eye on Menendez' assets as a drug cartel lord. That includes his legal affairs, which he tidied up pretty well."

Torres rolled her eyes at that and made a sound, "Sounds like him considering that he had been a step ahead of us and it would have been worse if it hadn't been for you."

Spectre nodded, not really agreeing, but acknowledging. The next part was hard, "Menendez' drug operation is still in play. He left orders to keep it running and we suspect that it was the means of supplying the funds for his operations. With a little maneuvering, I got ahold of his legal maneuverings. It wasn't easy, but I managed to get someone to get close and we uncovered a few things. One of them concerns you."

Torres saw the hesitation in Spectre's eyes. She was a little impatient, but she wasn't going to rush. It occurred to her that it took a lot of thought for her to get to this point and it was still bothering her. She pressed gently, "I figured. Spit it out, Spectre."

"According to the last will and testament of one Raul Menendez… he left all of his operations to you, his goddaughter." Spectre looked at Torres with a bland look as she evaluated the reaction.

Torres had never wanted to think about the fact that her father had gotten their family involved with Menendez in order to protect them. She knew that he must had agonized over it. It also gave her time to think about how her mother used to act around her and when her father talked to her in private. It left a wound and one she wasn't sure how to address with her brothers. Now, it seemed that she was going to have to address it and it would be involved in a plan that Spectre had in mind. It made her grateful that she brought it to her first and in private.

Looking at Spectre, Torres took a breath and said, "Give me the deets."

Spectre looked at Torres with a piercing look. She stared for about a minute before nodding. She picked up the briefcase that she had brought and put it on Torres' desk. This was going to take a while.

A/N: Looks like some rivalry going in Mexico and Torres is getting the surprise of her life. More next time on Unfailing Precision...