Chapter 14

Nicolette studied the surveillance from above and what the attack drones sent. She gave a slight nod in that they were able to stop the missile. The mission was far from over though. She looked at the screen with a pensive look before looking at Martinez. She gave him a nod and told him he could go. He nodded and mentioned that he would grab them both a coffee.

Coffee sounded good and she probably was going to need it. She needed to track down the most likely targets, reach out to people she knew. She almost wanted to laugh at the potential reaction if she revealed the secret since not all her sources were military or intelligence like her. Another reason why she told the 141 to not ask when they asked her where she got her intel from.

It seems like another mission success.

Nicolette nodded, "This time it was Addy. Thing is we still don't know if there are more out there." She shook her head as she watched the explosions of the rig. She could see the assault teams loading up on the boats.

Jesus, can't you take the win, 6-4?

Nicolette chuckled, "You know me, Lexi. I'm…"

Yeah. The fucking pragmatist. So, is the boyfriend impressed?

"Fuck you, Lexi," Nicolette replied with a chuckle, "Ghost and Soap know I can pull a rabbit out of the hat." She went to where her tablet was sitting on the console and started tapping a few keys. "I saw a possibility and made sure it was covered."

Can I call bullshit? Seriously, I know you're with one of them. Tell me, it's the one with the skull for a face, isn't it? He's your type.

"Don't you have something to do?" Nicolette said, not giving anything away. It was always like this once Lexi got over the grudge from the last op. She was always asking if she had a boyfriend because a lot of her contacts happened to be male.

Maybe. Come on, Nicky. You gotta live a little. Have fun.

"I don't play like that," Nicolette replied with a bit of a firm tone. "I don't toy with feelings unless it's interrogation."

Fine. Like I wanna be reminded of that job in Afghan.

"Fucking saved your life, didn't I?"

And since then, every time I hook up with you, something happens. I'm going on vacation.

"Probably for the best," Nicolette agreed. She pulled up what Addy managed to pull on the missile data she had been sifting through. "I'll call you if I need you."

Knowing you, you will. Take care of yourself.

"You too." Nicolette gave a slight smile when she heard Lexi disconnect. She then went to work on the data. She frowned as she started moving through it. She asked, "Addy, is this correct?"

I checked inventory. It was like they never existed.

"Which is impossible. A missile like that is like an APC, the size of a tank. But then again…" Nicolette started typing in a few keys. She used the tricks that she knew well and made sure that when she went poking, it wasn't noticed.

Change the inventory and it becomes something else.

"Bingo," Nicolette said as she focused. She kept an eye on her detection system since she was tapping into a government system, and she didn't exactly have clearance from CIA or DOJ or anyone else. She checked the number of the missile and muttered, "Looks like there were three…"

S64, I'm detecting an unusual disturbance going on throughout the base.

Nicolette looked up and at the door. "Lock CRC, accessible by Vaquero codes only. Get the cameras online."

Copy that.

Nicolette finished what she was doing. She followed everything just as the noise outside CRC sounded close. Her eyes widened as she realized what had happened. She quickly tapped a few keys and compressed the data to embed it into a picture. It was one of her and Ghost. She heard voices in Spanish, and she heard a couple of voices from Shadow company.

"Detain them. The intel officer remains unharmed." The cameras showed what was going on. Shadow Company was rounding up Los Vaqueros.

I don't think Shadow Company are our allies anymore.

"You'd be fucking right considering what I found." Nicolette finished what she was doing and ordered, "Addy, send this picture to Captain Price."

I don't understand.

"I am initiating Operation Contingency, Addy. Send any and all intel to Captain Price only." Nicolette moved around and started punching in sequences. "I also need you to lock yourself in the base's security system. Be ready to lock out Shadow Company from the system."

Understood. I thought this was for the 141 base?

"It's for any base that is friendly to us," Nicolette replied as she finished what she needed to do. She packed her tablet and checked. "Shadow is now the enemy. Understand?"

Understood.

Nicolette made sure her things were packed. She made sure her kukri knife was in the holster on her belt. She checked and paused to look at the cameras. She saw a few Shadows heading to CRC and they were being detained by Martinez. She had to get out now. She sensed that there was more to the headhunting than meets the eye. She got to the door to CRC. She paused and said, "Addy, I'm going to head out. As soon as I leave, lock down CRC. Radio silence except for the emergency frequency."

Understood. You better go now.

Nicolette knew that. She glanced back once more. She did what she could. "Leaving now," she whispered and left.

Copy. CRC locked down. Going silent. Good luck.

Nicolette stole out of the CRC and headed down the hall to the roof. She had to leave the base, but she couldn't just walk through the door to leave the base. She did know the base inside and out and a few things that Alejandro didn't know until she told him. She could leave via the roof of this building and then cut through the open space and head towards Las Almas, make sure no Shadows followed and then find one of the safe houses.

She was quiet and she had to rely on what she could see and hear in front of her. She couldn't risk letting Graves get his hands on any system. She moved quickly and checked her corners. There was a moment that she thought she was going to get caught in one of the halls, but she managed to slip around another way in what would be a flanking maneuver. She didn't realize that she was holding her breath until she managed to put some distance between her and the two Shadows looking for her.

Taking a risk, she turned on her radio and changed it to the frequency the Shadows were using. She hid in a stairwell as she took stock of what was going on. She also took a moment to take make sure her gear was secure. She felt a bit naked without a pistol, but she had her knives. If there was one thing that she and Ghost agreed upon, it was that you had to take into account that when the bullets ran out, you had to use what you had.

Shadow 4-2, how copy?

Approaching CRC. No sign of the intelligence officer.

Copy that. We're finishing rounding up the Vaqueros. They aren't so tough…

It was easy to get mad at the insults the PMC was saying about the unit that was the best of the Mexican Special Forces. Nicolette couldn't afford it though. She needed to know where the units were so she could make it to the roof and get down on the side facing the wilderness. She listened and continued to climb the stairs.

Shadow-4, at CRC.

Intelligence officer should be in there.

Roger. We can't get in.

Say again.

The door is shut. It's locked. Fuck! It's electronically sealed.

Bitch knew we were coming. Fan out. She couldn't have gotten far.

Nicolette hurried up to the next level and paused before opening the door into the hall. She was quiet about it as she took a peek. She spotted a Shadow with his back to her and another that was heading down the hall that she was intending to get through. She waited until the Shadow rounded the corner before sneaking up behind the one still there. With quick precision, she sliced the guy's throat while keeping her hand on his mouth to prevent him from crying out. She lowered the body to the ground. She would have policed the body, but a sound caught her attention.

Keep searching. Boss wants the bitch alive.

Nicolette pursed her lips and kept going. She found the other stairwell that led to the side of the roof she wanted to be on. She entered it and skipped up the stairs to the roof. She glanced around before heading to where she was going to get down. She only stopped when she heard, "Well look at what we found."

Nicolette turned to find two of the Shadows. They held their rifles and were willing to shoot if it came to that. She raised her hands and said, "So, this is what Shadow Company is. A bunch of fucking traitors."

One of the Shadows backhanded her. She looked at them with a narrowed look. They were laughing at her. One of them said, "I'll call it in. Remember, Boss said alive. Didn't mean we couldn't have some fun."

Nicolette narrowed her eyes and a look passed on her face. Her lip twitched slightly as one of them approached her. His intent was clear in his eyes. Looks like she was going to have a little bit of fun.

The storm had passed inland, and the downpour was heavy as the convoy returned to base. Soap was in a good frame of mind, thinking that he'd spend some time with Nicolette after they finished what they needed to do. He had a couple of ideas that would make it fun unless she had plans to annoy Ghost or hang out with Alejandro.

He wasn't jealous of their relationship. He could tell that the Mexican colonel cared about Nicolette much like she was his sister. His men treated her like she was a princess. They would protect her. In a way, he was glad that she had people around the world that cared about her like that. He understood that he might never meet all of them, but it was a good thing to know.

"Angelita will probably have a meal on. She does spoil the men at least once," Alejandro said and glanced at Soap.

"She cooks?"

Alejandro chuckled. He glanced at Ghost and added, "Even you would like it."

It would have carried on, but the convoy was coming to the base. Soap frowned a little as Graves' vehicle came to a stop, forcing theirs to stop. There were Shadows manning the guard station. That was unusual. Alejandro was out first, and he approached Graves, gesturing to the guards, "What's this?"

Graves closed the door to his vehicle. He had word that things went well at the base. Next was to make sure the transition went smoothly. He replied, "This is the immediate future. Step away from the gate."

Soap and Ghost had exited, wondering what was going on. What they heard didn't sound right. Soap couldn't help but frown and demand, "What?"

Graves stared at the three men. "You heard me."

Alejandro was confused. He remembered giving them space, not the whole base. "You're crazy. This is my base."

Graves was quick to correct that, "It's not a base. This is a sizeable covert facility and I admire it… So, I'm taking it. You boys have been relieved. Thank you for your service."

To Alejandro, this was an insult. Graves was an American. He had no authority. "No, no, no. I don't take orders from you."

Graves decided to use that, "Didn't Valeria say that? Now that makes me wonder what else I don't know about you affiliation with a drug-lord? Or Ryan's either."

Alejandro was getting upset and he was not liking what Graves was saying about his Angelita. He took a step forward, "What the fuck did you just say to me, pendejo?"

Soap was just as upset. He and Ghost knew Nicolette for the better part of three years. The one thing she was consistent in was that she was not a traitor. He warned, "You're out of line Graves." He had his hand on Alejandro's arm to keep him from doing anything rash.

Graves held up a warning finger, "Don't do that. Don't… do that. No one needs to get hurt here."

Ghost had been watching the situation develop. He didn't like it the moment Graves opened his trap and said that they had been relieved. He may not be the best with social skills, but he knew a threat when he heard one. "Are you threatening us?"

Graves looked at Ghost, "Soldier, I don't make threats. I make guarantees. So, let's not do this." He looked at Alejandro and Soap with an expression that they needed to stand down or it would get physical.

Soap stared at Graves before stepping back, "I'm calling Shepherd." He turned to go make the call.

Graves sighed and replied, "General Shepherd sends his regards. He told me y'all wouldn't take this well."

That had Soap freeze and turn back around as Ghost demanded if Shepherd knew about what Graves was trying to do. He sensed that this was going to go south, and they still didn't know the situation of Los Vaqueros and Nicolette. It took a lot for him not to demand about her.

"He's put me in command of this operation from here on out. So, y'all need to stand down. It's time to let the pros finish this."

Soap glanced at Ghost. At least they were on the same page on where this was leading. It was just a matter of waiting for the opportunity. Soap felt his muscles tense, ready to spring to action when needed.

"And why the hell are we talking like this is some kind of negotiation? It's not," Graves added as he looked at the three men warning them for the last time to stand down. He thumped a fist to his chest, "I've got my orders and now you have yours."

Alejandro was having none of it. It angered him that an outsider dared to come into his house and take it. "And who the fuck do you think you are, cabron? My men and Ryan are still inside!"

"I'm afraid not," Graves countered. "Your men have been… detained. And Ryan? Angelita? She's been… reassigned." He looked at Alejandro as he added, "And we'll make sure she's still standing if you get her back."

There were a lot of ways that could have been taken, but it was obvious to Alejandro what it meant. Nicolette may not be of his blood, but she was family and what Graves implied… that would have been a disgrace and one he would not tolerate. Yes, his men were unjustly imprisoned, but his Angelita? To sully a young woman like that… He lunged at Graves and managed to clip the man on the chin before he was pushed into the vehicle where a Shadow zip tied his wrists together.

"Graves, what the fuck!" Soap would have advanced but backpedaled when Graves and another Shadow brought up their guns and open fired. He quickly grabbed the Shadow that was behind him and held him in a chokehold to use as a shield.

Ghost reacted the moment Alejandro lunged. Like Alejandro, he didn't like what was implied with Nicolette. He may have thought her annoying, but he took offense to anyone who thought she was just a piece of meat to pass around. He gave an elbow to one Shadow, giving him a good clock on the head and with momentum, pulled out his knife and shoved it into the jugular of the Shadow in front of him. Knowing there was one more behind him, he pivoted and threw his knife with deadly accuracy.

In the meantime, Alejandro put up a fight to being restrained and was giving a hit to the head with the but of a rifle. Soap managed to pull his hostage's sidearm and popped off a few shots, more for escape and to try and take heat off of Alejandro. He knew Graves would fire back. He just didn't expect the searing pain that tore through his right upper arm and knocked him over. He gritted his teeth from pain and from the weight of the dead Shadow on top of him.

"Go Johnny, get out of there!"

Soap glanced over to see Ghost looking at him and shouting at him. He spotted Graves advancing and tried to get his bearings. He shoved the dead Shadow off when Ghost shouted at him, "Soap, go!"

Soap clambered to his feet and dove for the barrier that blocked the road and led into the wilderness. He managed to hold onto his pilfered gun as he landed on the other side. The slickness of the grass and his effort to scramble caused him to slide down the hill. He turned to return fire ass he slid down the hill to the bottom. He managed to take out one by the time he came to a stop.

The other Shadow kept firing as Soap got to his feet and fired his weapon using his good arm. He kept running and firing until he ran out of bullets. He tossed the gun. His only chance was to run. "Fuck!" He held his right in a sling and started running. There was only one place to go and that was towards the city of Las Almas. It was his best bet to link up with Ghost and then get Ryan.

Ghost made sure Soap made it out before leaving, using Soap's escape as a distraction. To say he was pissed was an understatement. He didn't like what Graves implied about Nicolette and the betrayal was something he should have seen. Then again, should he? He had been working with Shepherd and Shadow Company for months now. He groused as he made his way to Las Almas.

Graves watched as Soap ran out of range. They would catch up to him. Right now, he had to make sure the other one was in his sights. It didn't have to be like this. He probed, "You there, Ghost?" He raised his weapon and advanced slowly to where he was certain the man was hiding. He wasn't taking chances since the man just killed three of his Shadows and without the use of a gun. "You made a big mistake, brother." He inched forward, "It didn't have to be like this."

He sort of expected the man to not be there. What he had seen of the man, he knew Ghost was the kind not to stand still. He gritted his teeth when he saw the place empty and shook his head. "Sonovabitch… Find 'em! Make sure Ryan is secure!"

He knew that Ryan was capable of a few things. He had seen it when on ops. He was impressed that she commissioned two aerial assault drones on their last mission that proved effective on dug in AQ. They hadn't been approved by Shepherd and he suspected that a lot of what Ryan did for the 141 was not exactly legal per military standards. It was like she was a one-man PMC and he liked that.

He turned to his men and signaled them. They needed to check in and get out there. He needed to find the Brits and take care of them. He walked in and was greet by Shadow-04. He asked, "Is the intelligence office secure?"

"Yes, sir," 0-4 replied and gestured towards a building. "Two of my men found her on the roof of the CRC. Left a couple of bodies."

"Little spitfire," Graves muttered as he headed towards the building. He intended on getting everything she knew about the cartel so they could clean house. It was no coincidence that she and Alejandro knew each other. He had seen it the past couple of days. The problem was that she told the bare bones but never any details.

If he were callous, he would have assumed that she was working with the cartel and her response to the corrupt Mex-Army was all for show. She was a fucking spy after all. From what Shepherd gave him, she was former CIA who disappeared years ago on a mission gone bad. He found it impressive that she managed to stay hidden all this time. He needed her skills.

"Fucking cabron! You leave her alone!"

Graves looked at Alejandro as he was being taken away to where his other men were. "Now you see, she has valuable intel and has been holding out on us. Now it makes me wonder if she was just playing you to get in close."

"Angelita would never do that. You don't know her."

"And you do? Tell me, why was she in Las Almas five years ago?"

"On another mission, cabron. She told that as much. As for the other things. She doesn't know you or trust you. It has to be earned." Alejandro glared at Graves with anger in his eyes.

"Oh, she will talk. I'm going to have a conversation with her now." Graves gestured at the building. "And she will tell me everything or I am going to show her the difference between earned trust and forced trust. You get me?"

Alejandro narrowed his eyes in anger and shook his head. He started chuckling until it turned into full blown laughter. He looked at Graves and nodded, "You won't get anything, cabron. If anything, she will show you the difference."

Graves took a look at Alejandro and said, "Take him."

"I mean it, Graves," Alejandro said, struggling. "You fucked with her. She's gonna fuck with you and you will be sorry for it."

Graves rolled his eyes as Alejandro was taken away. "What is it with them hero worshipping her?" He didn't expect an answer and continued towards the building. He entered and he sensed something wasn't right. He nodded at the two Shadows at the door. He put his hand on the door and opened it, "I hope you are ready to talk…"

A/N: And there is Graves' betrayal. I wonder what he'll find when he walks in. Seems Alejandro knows... Next up the mission "Alone"...