Chapter 5

Mexican Special Forces confirmed Hassan is moving something sizable towards the U.S. The cargo could be containers housing missiles. We don't know how many, and we don't know the targets.

To find out, we need to capture Hassan and bring him in for interrogation. We'll send your Three Musketeers to link up with the Mexican Special Forces in country along with all the manpower they need.

We can't start a war in Mexico, General.

Certainly not. I'll task Phillip Graves and his Shadow company PMCs to assist. Their rules of engagement can help us cut some red tape and get this done.

Nicolette blinked when Soap tapped her arm to let her know they were landing. She had been asleep the entire flight to Mexico. It was a way for her to compensate for the time zone differences as well as just take a breather after spending hours wrestling with the source coding on the missile they found in Al Mazrah. She stretched and sat up and prepared for landing.

"Awake, Sleeping Beauty?"

Nicolette gave a mock scowl at Soap. "I'm refreshed, Scottish bastard." She fixed her hair in the clip.

She was hard pressed to hold her enthusiasm when she found out they were being sent to Las Almas. It had been nearly a year or so since she was last there. She half expected that she would be left behind and she would have to make her argument that she was knowledgeable about the area and could serve as an interpreter to the Mexican Special Forces. Luckily, General Shepherd said all three of them would go. She looked forward to being in country again.

Soap looked at her as she seemed to be listening to something in her earpiece. He tapped her shoulder and tapped his ear to ask what she was listening to. He leaned over when she removed it to hold it close to his ear. He couldn't help but laugh and looked at her as she fixed it, "So that's your secret?"

"The performers are a particular favorite and I like Pachelbel's Canon in D for piano and violin," she replied, knowing that Ghost was listening.

"Alright, so we're meeting with Colonel Vargas who has intel on Hassan's whereabouts. Ryan, I'm going to need you to make friends on the intel side," Ghost said as he looked at her.

"Solid copy," Nicolette said in an innocent tone. She knew that this was probably going to tick him off but there were reasons for her to keep her associations a secret. And he understood once he calmed down. She cued in, "Addy, we're landing in Las Almas. I'll see about getting you access and more power."

Copy that S64.

The aircraft landed and Nicolette could feel her excitement grow. She was ready to head out once they disembarked with her gear and vest on. When the ramp lowered, she couldn't hold it in anymore. She moved in a fast walk and literally hit Soap and Ghost on the arms as she passed them and broke into a run. She squealed as she jumped into Alejandro's arms, "Alejandro, mi hermano!"

Alejandro had been expecting Laswell's people. He had been acquainted with the woman for some time and they had helped each other out on occasion. It was a serious problem now that a terrorist was involved with the Las Almas cartel. He was willing to let them in and give a hand. A terrorist affected everyone.

He had been waiting when the plane arrived. It surprised him when someone pushed past the two men in front of them and then broke out into a run towards him. He couldn't help but grin and was waiting for her and caught her when she jumped into his arms, "Angelita! Cómo estás?"

Nicolette hugged the man that was more a brother to her than anything. She replied, "Bien, mi hermano. Ha pasado mucho tiempo. I'm glad Laswell reached out to you."

Alejandro smiled at her and set her on the ground. "I'm glad that she sent you hermanita. But I think, you may have a few questions to answer." He gestured to where Soap and Ghost were standing and trying to determine what it was they were seeing. "Still keeping secrets?"

Nicolette shrugged, "Still have to protect mi familia. Yo prometí."

Alejandro nodded at that. He knew full well what she meant. "And I'm grateful hermanita. Please." He gestured for her to make introductions.

Nicolette took it as her cue and walked with him towards her companions. She gestured at Soap, "Alejandro… Sergeant MacTavish."

Alejandro reached out to take Soap's hand, "Sergeant."

"Call me Soap," Soap said, recovering from the surprise he had witnessing what he saw. He wasn't jealous since he took the time to study Nicolette's body language and her greeting to Alejandro was more like that of a family member. He shook the man's hand and gave a respectful nod while shooting a look at Nicolette that said she had a story to tell later.

Nicolette took the hint and moved onto Ghost. "This is the lieutenant. We call him Ghost." She gestured at Ghost. She could tell he was struggling between demanding her affiliation with Alejandro and making introductions.

"Actually, I believe he prefers to be…"

"That'll do," Ghost retorted sharply to Soap. He turned the moment he felt the punch in his shoulder and saw Nicolette looking at him like he just stepped in the house without wiping his muddy boots. He was taken aback by it.

Alejandro saw the look Nicolette gave to Ghost. He kept his thoughts to himself, but he was amused by it. She was in country for five minutes and already she reverted back to what he remembered her to be. It was going to be interesting on this mission. He looked at the men and said, "Welcome to the 'city of souls.'" He turned to escort them to their ride.

"Rodolfo esta aqui?" Nicolette asked, following traditional pleasantries despite the urgency of the mission.

"Sí, Angelita. Esta esperando en el camion," Alejandro replied and gestured at the convoy. "Y que has estado hacienda?"

"Working… with them. It's been fun," Nicolette replied in English. She grinned when she said it.

Alejandro chuckled at that. "La Angelita con pistola chingada," he said with an indulgent smile. "Well, I can't promise it will be the same."

"Don't worry about it. It's their first time in Las Almas," Nicolette said.

Ghost had been silent as Alejandro and Nicolette talked. He was curious to the point of demanding the nature of their relationship. He didn't understand Spanish, but he could tell that they were close. Close enough to have gone on ops together. He realized that she was smoothing the path for them by making the introductions and Alejandro was inclined to trust her. He took his cue when she gestured at him to give the sitrep, "Shepherd's contractors are inbound to reinforce. They're bringing hardware. They'll need room."

Alejandro glanced at Nicolette and then at Ghost. "My base is your base. Angelita, you'll be able to link up to security."

"Gracias, hermano," Nicolette replied.

"Good. Now where's Hassan?"

They had arrived at the convoy to head out. Alejandro led them to the lead vehicle. He liked Ghost's approach that he was no-nonsense. He just felt sorry for the man because of Nicolette and her ability to just tear it apart while doing the job. Then again, the man would already know that. He replied, "Cartel safe-house, ten clicks from here. Get in."

Nicolette opened the door and jumped in before Ghost. Soap had gotten in on the other side so she would be wedged between him and Ghost once they were in. She looked at the driver and said, "Rodolfo!" She leaned forward and gave a sisterly kiss to the man's cheek. She chuckled at the blush and teased, "Sigue siendo el niño tímido."

"Encantada de verte también," Rodolfo replied as he controlled the blush. He gave her a slight smile as she sat back down and adjusted her weapon.

At that moment Alejandro got in with Ghost and introduced Rodolfo to the others. He knew that Nicolette would have greeted Rodolfo in her own way. He saw it when he saw his friend trying to will away the blush that was still on his face. He made the introduction, "This is my second in command, Sergeant Major Rodolfo Parra."

Alejandro turned to look at the three passengers in the back. This was going to be interesting considering Nicolette was laughing at Rodolfo had said about Ghost. He knew that her companions were going to learn Spanish fast since she would certainly be saying things to make them wonder. He chuckled as Rodolfo started forward.

It became sober as they drove through the city. Nicolette was watching the city, remembering the last time she had been there. It didn't take much to slip back into those days and not much had changed. She saw the white truck and tensed.

"White truck, four armed in the back."

Nicolette was quick to put her hand over Soap's when he reached for his gun. Her fingers tapped his hand to stay his weapon just as Alejandro said, "Hey, tranquilo. Easy. That's normal here." He then explained, "Guns on the street is the jurisdiction of the police."

Ghost looked in the direction of Alejandro. He didn't fail to notice how Nicolette stayed Soap's hand. "Where are the police?"

Alejandro thought about how to explain that. It was normal for him but for his companions, they really didn't know. Nicolette did; she learned quickly, and it was automatic for her to revert to that knowledge. He replied, "Well, Las Almas has a very serious problem. There are few here to uphold the law. And many of those who resist corruption…"

"Desaparecido," Nicolette said softly. Her gaze shifted all around to watch.

Soap glanced at her and figured out what she said. He was fast recognizing that she knew quite a bit about this part of the country. He asked, "What about the military?"

Alejandro heard the slight huff from Nicolette. He knew she meant those that succumbed to corruption. He gave a slight nod and answered, "Well, because we are well trained, soldiers are recruited by the narcos, and the price for someone like Angelita…" he left it hanging for them to figure out. He knew Nicolette was well aware of her worth to the narcos.

"Why not you?" Ghost asked the question pointedly. He had been observing Nicolette and Alejandro. He was coming to the conclusion that Nicolette knew the situation just as well as their host.

"We grew up here." Alejandro knew honesty was the best policy. Las Almas was his home. "They call us Los Vaqueros… Cowboys." He heard Nicolette snort and mutter something under her breath. He gave a wry smile at that as he looked out his window. "We love this place." He turned to look back at Soap and Ghost as he added, "We will die fighting for it."

"And that's why they are cowboys," Nicolette said as she sighed and sat back. Her eyes surveyed everything as they continued their drive. She felt Soap touch her hand gently. She thought he was getting bold on a few things. She relaxed a little, but she kept alert.

The drive was quiet for a few moments. Nicolette didn't flinch when she saw narcos around the kids giving out candy and ice cream. It disgusted her. It reminded her of her dealings with Russian oligarchs and a few other choice rich bastards into other things besides legitimate business. It was why she and Alejandro clicked when they first met, and she offered her services. She would have continued indefinitely, but the reason for the current arrangement…

"Kids, guns, and balloons… That's a new one." Soap looked at Ghost. They both hadn't seen that kind of thing. This was a different world than the one they were used to.

"Narcos, use generosity to win over the people," Nicolette said as she looked at her hands. Her finger rubbed the tiger eye stone on the wrap bracelet she never took off unless it was necessary. "It's not as uncommon as you think when you've seen what I've seen."

"Even the children?" Soap was looking at Nicolette, but the question was directed to anyone.

"Especially the children," Rodolfo said. His eyes were on the road, but he was listening to every word. He knew that the narco's involvement with the children was a sore spot to Nicolette. He could see her reaction in the rearview mirror. He just hoped that certain things would not come to pass. He sighed as he pulled up to a halt because of the traffic.

Alejandro saw it and rolled down his window. He responded to Soap's question, "Narcomantras… cartel cloths. Messages from El Sin Nombre. Warnings, marking territory." He paused when he saw a particular message and nearly chewed his lip. "Taunts… Our streets are laced with death."

The name had Ghost's attention. He also had been watching Nicolette's reaction. He knew she was letting Alejandro give the story as was his right, but she knew the score too. "Who's Sin Nombre?"

Alejandro corrected him, "El Sin Nombre. The Nameless. The leader of the Las Almas cartel."

Soap had caught onto why Ghost was asking and asked, "Where can we find him?"

"You can't. No one knows who he is," Alejandro explained. He glanced in the rearview mirror since he could see Nicolette. "But he is everywhere… And this is a challenge, but Los Vaqueros like challenges."

"Add in El Cihuacoatl, and the challenge becomes a little more… fun," Rodolfo added. He glanced at Alejandro, and they shared a look.

"And who's that?"

"More like a group. They resist the corruption here."

"Vigilantes then," Ghost confirmed.

Alejandro shrugged, "You may call it that, but they have always worked with Los Vaqueros. Who knows, they might like that you are here."

Rodolfo made a turn. He could see the checkpoint ahead. Alejandro saw it too and sighed, "Checkpoint. It's the army. Turn right, we'll go around."

It was a lot to process about the situation in Las Almas. Ghost himself felt disconcerted that he had never heard of El Cihuacoatl before. In his mind, they were a wild card. They could either help them or hinder him and it was uncomfortable that he wasn't in a good position to find out. He asked, "Why?"

Nicolette piped up, "Some troops are in the pocket of El Sin Nombre. As Alejandro said… he is everywhere."

"Sí," Alejandro confirmed. He gestured at the road before him, "Cartel is hiding Hassan in the village across the river."

It grew quiet again. Nicolette glanced at Soap and then Ghost. She could tell they were both bursting to ask the obvious question. She looked at Alejandro who was looking forward. She knew he was aware of the situation, and he was letting her take the lead on what was going to happen next. She took a breath and said, "Alright, I know one or both of you is dying to ask the question. So, what's it gonna be?"

Ghost knew he was going to sound rude, but the question was gnawing at him. He looked at her sitting next to him, looking at him expectantly and asked, "Alright, how do you know Alejandro, Ryan?"

Nicolette heard Rodolfo ask Alejandro in Spanish about what Ghost called her. She focused on Ghost and answered his question, "I helped out Los Vaqueros about four, five years ago. Our interests aligned at the time when I was in country on a job."

"Angelita helped us greatly," Alejandro added. "Showed us a couple of things."

"As you showed me a few things," Nicolette confirmed. She took a breath and added, "We did some serious damage to cartel operations to the point where I had to leave." She knew Ghost was going to question if her presence would jeopardize the operation. She explained, "Alejandro insisted I leave. The cartel didn't know about me. It was to let the heat die down. Since then, I've come by once a year. Mostly for a visit."

"And she gives tactical advice," Rodolfo said. He chuckled, "Angelita con pistola chingada y dos juevos."

Nicolette frowned when Alejandro started chuckling. She leaned forward and slapped both of their shoulders. She scolded them, "Cabrones."

Rodolfo rubbed it in, "Alright mamita. Lo siento." He chuckled when he felt the second slap. It was good to have her back.

Ghost accepted the explanation, but he sensed there was more to it. Since he couldn't understand Spanish, he couldn't follow along as much as he would like. Having worked with Nicolette the most after they made up, he could tell when she had more to say about something on most things. Others, she could be tight lipped and deny to the point that she had you convinced she didn't know anything. Then she caught you and revealed that she had known all along. This was the latter. As much as he wanted to grill her, he knew she wasn't the kind to be forced unless it was life and death, and she would come to the conclusion before it got to that.

"Well, if we get into trouble here, Ghost will blend in," Nicolette was saying. She glanced at Ghost with a mischievous grin. When she caught his eye, she gestured at the mask.

Ghost shook his head at her before turning to look out the window. Soap took his chance and reached for her hand when the opportunity presented itself. He picked it up and curled his fingers into hers and gave it a squeeze. His thumb rubbed the top of her hand as he kept it out of sight. He moved it to rub the underside of her wrist, feeling the pulse.

Nicolette felt Soap's hand on top of hers. She didn't move when he wrapped his hand around hers and started rubbing his thumb on her hand. It was soothing and helped her focus on what was happening. She was nervous because she didn't have access to Addy, but she consoled herself by reminding herself that the larger picture was at stake. She was in agreement that she needed all the processing power to sort through the source coding. It bothered her that Hassan had U.S. ballistic missiles. Something was fishy about the whole thing.

She had her suspicions about the missiles, but they were just that. She had been counseled consistently by Jensen that she needed to have ironclad proof. Actionable intel was needed, and she needed to step back and let the military make their decisions. The last part she had trouble with when they decided on a stupid course of action. She never could justify a waste of life in an operation, which was why she would provide support from behind the scenes. She certainly did help the case against Barkov.

It didn't matter that it was false. It was a pretty bad look and Russia wanted to distance themselves from it. She had done the same with some of the oligarchs and other unsavory folks. That was a reason she was feared around the world. This time… she pursed her lips as she looked out the windows as they left the city to head to the village. She felt Soap's thumb shift to stroke the underside of her wrist. It was tempting to purr, but she resisted. She shifted and caught Alejandro's eye in the rearview mirror. No doubt he was going to ask questions.

They pulled up to the cartel safe house that Mexican Special Forces tracked Hassan to. Nicolette peered out the window as she waited for an exit. Alejandro had given the call, "Team leaders, circle up on me. Weapons hot, Vaqueros."

Nicolette followed Ghost out and checked her weapon. She heard the whispers from the Vaqueros. They were not sure if it was her. She made sure that her pack with her tablet was secure. She always carried it since you never knew when you needed to plug in, and she always maxed on ammo. She checked her rifle selections. She could still hear the whispers and called over the comms, "Vamos a divertirnos uno poco, Vaqueros."

She turned towards Alejandro and gave a slight nod. His men knew her well and just by saying a few words had them motivated. She held her assault rifle ready to move while Soap asked, "Where are they holding Hassan?"

Alejandro gestured, "White two-story building. Back of town." He gave a fist bump to Rodolfo and looked at Nicolette. "Como en los viejos tiempos, Angelita."

Nicolette nodded and gave a sisterly punch to Rodolfo's shoulder before joining the others. She gave a head nod to Rodriguez. It was good being with the Vaqueros again. Because of the world they lived in, it wasn't always clear cut with the rules. Sometimes you had to get to the line and stand on it to get the job done. It was how she and Alejandro bonded and he took it further to look after her like she was his little sister, which she took in good humor.

She followed behind Alejandro as they moved to make their entrance on the compound. She was on full combat mode despite the fact she was aware that Soap was stacking up behind her. She held her rifle ready as Alejandro gave the order to execute. She followed behind her brother and helped cover as they advanced.

It felt like a ghost town running through the village. The people had left when the cartels moved in. The violence and fighting drove them away. It was a pang to her heart and steeled her resolve on this. Being abandoned, it was a good place to keep Hassan. It was out in the middle of nowhere and people would have no reason to be there unless they were cartel or Mexican Special Forces making a raid. She could hear the voices of cartel shouting to be ready as she covered Ghost as he opened the gate.

They were fired upon almost immediately. Nicolette had followed Alejandro in and covered as he relayed to the other teams that they made contact. She took cover behind a boulder and took shots when she had the cartel in her sights. She could hear them shouting in Spanish. It was nothing new to hear the foul names they were shouting. They were ready to defend Hassan.

They pushed to clear a path to the first of the houses protecting the house Hassan was supposed to be in. Alejandro took the lead to round the next corner when he was suddenly yanked from the back of his vest. He found himself looking up at the sky and heard the pops of a Sig Sauer M17 going off above him. He rotated to see Nicolette with her left out and he saw a cartel member fall from the balcony where he had been perched.

Alejandro twisted to push himself up to see Nicolette still holding the pistol in her left before she put it back in the holster. He shook his head and accepted her hand up. He said, "You never cease to impress me, Angelita."

"Learned quite a bit, hermano," she replied. "Shall we?" She gestured for him to take point.

A/N: Now we are in Las Almas and it seems more about how Nico seems to know people. Time to hunt Hassan. See ya next time...