November 2nd, 2022 - 06:00:00, M.O.B. Wild West, questions immediately come up the moment Valeria is set for interrogation.
Graves: Have a seat. Alright, how do you two know each other.
Alejandro: Know is a strong word.
Valeria: (Spanish) Strong words are important. Our word is our worth, right?
Alejandro: (Spanish) Go to Hell, you stupid bitch! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!
[Soap and Rodolfo stop Alejandro]
Soap: Alejandro.
Rodolfo: (Spanish) Calm down, Colonel.
Alejandro: (English) Yeah?! Yeah?! (Spanish) Go on. (English) Tell them.
Valeria: I don't take orders anymore. Even the dogs in Los Zetas know not to bark at me.
Alejandro: (Spanish) Look at this. (English) She's ex-military. We served together.
Rodolfo: Former Lieutenant Colonel Valeria Garza was Alejandro's second in command here.
Valeria: Different squads, same unit. We were the wild ones, huh? "Los Vaqueros!" My squad was clean cut, señores y señoras.
Alejandro: (English) Until the raid on El Comandante Reyes. (Spanish) Do you remember?!
Valeria: (Spanish) I remember perfectly.
Rodolfo: José Carmen N., El Comandante Reyes, was the regional leader of the Los Zetas cartel. Arresting him two years ago was supposed to end the organization for good.
Alejandro: Her team was told to cordon off Oaxaca to keep out El Comandante Reyes's enforcers and prevent the bloodshed.
Valeria: That's exactly what we did.
Alejandro: Well, you kept out his enforcers because you were his enforcers, eh?
Valeria: He was escorted to the mountains without incident. Also, to prevent bloodshed. *smirks*
Rodolfo: He was supposed to go to prison.
Graves: So you killed him... and you took over.
Valeria: I created a power vacuum, and I filled it. Los Zetas needs me.
Alejandro: (English) Los Zetas needs soldiers, not sicarios. (Spanish) And you... (English) you disgrace the Mexican Army. (Spanish) And your brothers, no?
Graves: Why're you doin' this?
Valeria: You tell me, American. Where do you think us cartels learn our way of life from? And you're the contractors, no? What you don't do, your competitors will.
Ghost: You're a Narco harboring a terrorist.
Valeria: Terrorism is good for business. It's insurance.
Alejandro: What the fuck does that mean?
Valeria: (Spanish) CAN YOU GET YOUR FUCKING HEAD OUT OF YOUR ASS FOR A SECOND?! FOR FUCK'S SAKE, ALEJANDRO! (English) As long as there is a war on terror, there will be no real war on drugs.
Ramirez: That is some thick logic. If you helped terrorists attack the United States, then you are a terrorist and we will come for you. Just because you sell drugs doesn't mean you wouldn't be considered a terrorist. Lots of terrorists sell drugs. The Taliban's main export was opium. And a war on drugs is no real threat to you. The last one only increased profits for you fucks. You think we're gonna fall for that 80s nostalgia trick again?
Soap: Are you done, Alex Jones?
[Ramirez looks at Soap and Valeria slowly and coldly and gestures to continue]
Valeria: To find your so-called terrorist and your missiles, you need me. To prevent bloodshed.
Alejandro: No, I'm not doing this.
Soap: Doesn't change anything.
Alejandro: It changes everything! FUCK! Don't make a deal with her. It won't end well. *opens door*
Ramirez: I can't believe we've finally found common ground. I don't trust her.
[door closes]
Graves: Me neither.
Halsey-Brixton: But what choice do we have?
Roach: Then it looks like it's your turn to tell the truth.
Halsey-Brixton: I want the missiles, I want the targets, and I want Hadir.
Bishop: (sarcastically) Thank you very much, Special Agent Kate Laswell.
Soap: Bishop! Remember who's in charge here.
Graves: And you've got ten seconds, or I'm gonna show you the difference between the military and me.
Valeria: (English) I don't know the targets. I'm a courier. I move things. I can tell you where to find the missiles. When you return, I'll tell you where Hadir is. In exchange, you will let me go and get the fuck out of Los Zetas. (Spanish) Now, leave!
Halsey-Brixton: Deal. Until then, you're staying right here.
Chemo: Why do we have to suck at negotiating?
Ramirez: Bureaucracy.
Roach: (quietly) Something tells me that Valeria kneels for no one but Alejandro.
Ramirez: (quietly) Wouldn't surprise me, honestly.
Half an hour of sharing later, Joint Task Force 141/Los Vaqueros seems to be ready to go, but Soap surprises everyone with his and Shepherd's plan for the raid.
Shepherd: Coordinates obtained through interrogation confirm an oil rig 400 nautical miles offshore in the Gulf of Mexico. The rig is no longer active and is currently in use by the cartel as a smuggling dead drop. A cargo ship is anchored 550 yards to its northwest. Surveillance saw personnel moving a large container from the ship to the rig. That container is now on top of the platform. We believe this is one of the missiles. TF 141, Shadow Company and Aegis Defence Services will infil four boat teams for a simultaneous takedown of both targets.
Soap: Bishop, Chemo and Halsey-Brixton will lead the ship assault team. Graves and Foley will engage the oil rig and disarm the missile.
Foley: Interesting strategy, sirs.
Bishop: Agreed.
Chemo: How come you're not going on this one, Captain?
Soap: Well, since we've been leading this tour from Day 1, I figured it's time to let you have your fun without us. Besides, Alejandro was serious when he said he wouldn't do this.
Graves: Much appreciated, Captain MacTavish. We'll get it done.
Foley: Hooah.
Halsey-Brixton: What a fun op this'll be.
Shepherd: All shooters will give no quarter. Your orders are to eliminate all threats.
--
Dark Water
November 2nd, 2022 - 17:00:16
CMDR. Phillip Graves
Task Force 141
Gulf of Mexico
--
As planned, Shadow Team 1 and Hunter Team 2 head for the Oil Rig, while Bishop, Chemo and Crown Team move to take the Cargo Ship. Shepherd, Hotel 6, Ghost and Roach will be handling ISR and logistics from M.O.B. Wild West.
[lightning]
[thunder]
Erikson: Oil Rig is in sight.
Graves: Alright, that's our target.
Foley: Hunter 2-1 to Shadow 1, Hunter Team 2 is moving to hook point, over.
Graves: Roger that, Hunter 2-1. Let's invite ourselves in, over.
Halsey-Brixton: Crown 1 to Shadow 1, ship is visible. Copy that, over?
Graves: (on comms) Copy. Prep for assault, stay on comms, over. (off comms) If Valeria told the truth, we board, clear, disarm that missile.
Dipaolo: And if she's lying?
Graves: Ha. God help her.
Vance: God help us all, too.
Ramirez: Take it nice and careful, everyone. I don't like this shit.
Chemo: Touché.
Bishop: Likewise.
Graves: Gold Eagle, we're set.
Shepherd: Copy, get to work.
[Grapnel Launcher fire]
Graves: Good hook. Up and at 'em.
Soap: Rig assault team, the missile is on that platform. I want full containment.
[KA-BAR Knife hit]
Graves: You've got three Narcos internal.
Foley: Copy. Hunter Team 2, making entry.
[SCAR-H fire]
[M240B fire]
Graves: Dipaolo, on me. Let's cut right and clear through. Vance, Erikson, take left. *opens door*
[door opens]
[DD M4A1 fire]
[DD M4A1 fire]
Dipaolo: Room's clear. Coming out.
[Graves opens a door]
Erikson: Squirters running for the southwest stairwell.
[M240B fire]
Dunn: Fast work, Erikson. Two above you, Shadow Team 1.
[DD M4A1 fire]
[SR-25 ECC fire]
Vance: Southeast stairwell, clear.
Allen: Southwest stairwell, clear.
[door opens]
Graves: Balcony door. Up top.
[DD M4A1 fire]
[Hunter Team 2 goes internal]
Dipaolo: Porta John.
[DD M4A1 fire]
Foley: Clear left.
Ramirez: Clear right. Night Owl 1, Bravo 4-1, we're moving to the main deck. What's your status, over?
Chemo: Boarding the Cargo Ship with Crown Team now, Hunter 2-4, over.
Bishop: Making progress here as we speak, 2-4, over.
Ramirez: Roger.
[DD M4A1 fire]
Graves: Tango down. More movement in this room.
Dipaolo: Tossing Flash.
[Flash Grenade detonation]
[door opens]
[DD M4A1 fire]
[SR-25 ECC fire]
Soap: Should've gone suppressed, rig assault team! All stations, force out! I want eyes on that container now! Copy, over?!
Foley: 2-1 copies, Soap. Hunter Team 2 is exterior. Contact!
[bullets ricochet]
[bullets penetrate]
Graves: Roger. Same for Shadow Team 1.
[flares launch]
Halsey-Brixton: *enemy gunfire* Graves, Halsey-Brixton. Visual on flares coming from the Rig. What's your status?
Graves: (on comms) Crown 1, they're signaling the Ship! They're launching the missile, but it's still in the first stage! There's still time! (off comms) All Shadows, all Shadows, missile is on the helipad! Push up with the Hunters!
The rig assault team may have found an active Topol-M, but the Portable Guidance Systems Briefcase is not in the vehicle itself or its shipping container. An educated guess then points Shadow Team 1 and Hunter Team 2 to the Cargo Ship.
However, despite Chemo, Bishop and Crown Team being more than capable of taking the guidance systems, Graves suggests destroying the mobile ICBM with C4. But Halsey-Brixton rejects the idea while under effective fire.
Graves: Gold Eagle, we got a problem. Missile is armed. The Portable Guidance Systems Briefcase is somewhere on the Ship.
Shepherd: You have your orders, son. Stop that launch.
Allen: Cargo Ship's a mess. Finding that case is gonna take more than a bit.
Graves: And we might not make it. Let's blow this missile. My team's got C4.
Foley: Mine too.
Ramirez: Good call—
Halsey-Brixton: *enemy gunfire* NEGATIVE! NEGATIVE! That's Aegis property! You are NOT authorised to destroy my Topol-M—
[static]
Soap: Repeating Crown 1's last, rig assault team! Do NOT destroy the missile! It's British Government—
[static]
Graves: It's too late for that. Rig it. I'll handle the consequences myself.
Foley: You won't be alone, Graves.
Shadow 1 disobeys Crown 1 and Soap's orders and takes the initiative of keeping the RT-2PM2 Topol-M from launching with the two teams' C4. Once the charges are set, they rappel down back to their RHIBs (Rigid-Hull Inflatable Boat/s) and become a second boarding party for the Cargo Ship.
After dodging some sliding cargo and throwing the Los Zetas Narcos and the Al-Qaeda and Taliban Terrorists overboard, Task Force 141 reaches the boat's bridge and finds the Portable Guidance Systems Briefcase. But then...
Bishop: Clear left!
Chemo: Clear right!
Graves: Crown Team, there's your mobile ICBM's guidance systems. Work your techno-wizardry.
Halsey-Brixton: On it. Cover us. Alright, it's still in the boost stage. We can still stop it. Oh, shit. The ballistic course ends in Washington D.C. Come on, baby. Come— Wait, what the fuck is this?!
Bishop: Crown Team, SITREP.
Halsey-Brixton: System hack?! Where did this come from?!
Graves: There's no time to fuck around here, Halsey-Brixton! Disarm that missile!
Halsey-Brixton: Trying to! This hacker's matching my every move!
Foley: Halsey-Brixton, get a fucking move on!
Chemo: You're wasting time! What the fuck?!
Graves: HALSEY-BRIXTON! IN TEN SECONDS, THIS THING IS BRICKED! LOG IN NOW!
Halsey-Brixton: Yelling doesn't help!
Shepherd: Shadow 1, this is Gold Eagle. What's our status, over?
Graves: Waiting on Crown Team to disarm, Gold Eagle! Five seconds left!
Shepherd: Crown 1, disarm your missile NOW!
Halsey-Brixton: DAMMIT! I think he locked us out! Wait—
Graves: Fine! We'll do it!
[C4 Explosive Charge detonation]
[explosions]
Allen: THAT was TOO close for comfort!
Halsey-Brixton: Wha— WHAT THE BLOODY FUCKING HELL?! You had our Topol-M rigged this whole time?!
Ramirez: You know damn well how precautions work, mercenary! What was that amateur hour shit?!
Halsey-Brixton: WE DON'T FUCKING KNOW! We've never experienced a system hack in our Topol-Ms' controls before!
Graves: You can bill me for blowing up your precious missile later, Halsey-Brixton. Right now, we still need to find the last one. So let's RTB, yeah?
Shadow Team 1: Yep, yep.
Hunter Team 2: Hooah.
Chemo: Sooner we get back, the better.
Bishop: Your job here is done, Aegis. RTB, now.
Halsey-Brixton: *groans* Let's move out, Crown Team. *flips Graves off*
Shepherd: You did the right thing, Shadow 1. Rigging the missile before leaving the Oil Rig was good thinking. Bravo Zulu (well done).
Graves: Tango Mike, Gold Eagle. All Task Force 141 elements are RTB.
[Shadow Team 1, Hunter Team 2, Bishop and Chemo share celebratory pats and hugs]
It turns out that Graves' improvisation saved the day and Washington D.C. in the end because Crown Team could not repel an unknown hacker's unforseen cyber attack in time. While Aegis Defence Services was not happy with the decision, the decision-maker and his friends were, and that is enough.
Technically and officially, Operation Dark Water is a success.
