F.I.S.T. Foreign Intelligence Strike Team

24: Information for Free

May 16th 2022
Brussels Belgium
1:03 PM

Owen Copeland at the moment is sitting outside a cafe waiting for Diego to arrive with the Intel he's looking for.

Diego: "Never figured you for cafes gringo." He says getting Owen's attention as he's dressed casually with tanned skin and dark hair.

Owen: "Would you prefer a dark back alley?" He asks rhetorically with Diego taking a seat across from him.

Diego: "Makes no difference to me, who's your lady friend?" He asks seeing Ivelisse seated at a different table.

Owen: "The friend I was referring to, she doesn't talk much... Now where's the intel?" He asks getting back on point while Ivelisse is looking around.

Diego opens up a backpack and pulls a few files out of it, then slides them across the table which Owen stops with his hand and opens some of them up.

Diego: "The current boss of Los condenados is Hector Silva, son of the previous boss." Which gains Ivelisse's attention.

Ivelisse: "Alvaro is dead?"

Diego: "Nah just retired from what my friends in domestic security say, his current location is unknown but his pup has kept things mostly the same."

Owen: "Should be easy to track him down then... Thanks Alvarez." He says standing up to leave but Diego motions him to sit.

Diego: "I got something else for you, my boss thought it might be useful to F.I.S.T." He says sliding over another file with a USB drive attached to it.

Ivelisse looks at Owen in concern who motions her it's fine.

Diego: "Anyhow I'll be going, see ya gringo, chica." He says leaving the cafe.

Owen and Ivelisse leave the cafe and get in their rented vehicle.

Ivelisse: "How does he know about F.I.S.T.?" She questions while looking the files on Los condenados.

Owen: "He's part of a Black ops unit like us, only smaller in size and has been around much longer... I only know they go by Wraith Squad, anything else is just rumors." He says beginning to drive the vehicle back to base. "But what do you wanna do?"

Ivelisse: "hm... I wanna take these bastards out but John has us focused on the Black Dogs and for good reason."

Owen: "Nothing says we're only allowed to target the Black Dogs firecracker, I'll talk to John about it okay?" He asks seeing Ivelisse nod.

Ivelisse: "Thank you... Owen I... I don't know how I could repay you." She says but Owen chuckles quietly.

Owen: "Firecracker I'm doing this cause you're my friend, nothing more nothing less." He replies which makes Ivelisse smile somewhat.

*

Meanwhile in Southern Italy, Serena is sitting patiently in a car looking at an exchange of texts between her and her son. It makes her smile as it's the one thing she looks forward to everyday.

This is interrupted when she sees Gabrielle returning, causing her to put her phone away.

Serena: "Anything?" She asks as Gabrielle enters the vehicle.

Gabrielle: "Nothing out of the ordinary, the folks there are completely normal and couldn't lie if their lives depended on it." She replies sounding annoyed.

Serena: "Hmm... Onto the next one." She says but Gabrielle gains he'd attention.

Gabrielle: "At this point we may as well be looking for a needle in a haystack... We need actionable Intel and not guess work." She says as Serena is in agreement.

Serena: "Okay let's think, surely the Black Dogs know their operations in Israel would be a bust and that somebody talked."

Gabrielle: "Uh-huh."

Serena: "So I think they'll take time to rethink their strategies but we need to find whoever could be supporting, in France they had a lot of loyalists believing their country needed drastic change."

Gabrielle: "So we're looking for a bunch of nationalists who are also supporting the PMC? Needle in a haystack much?"

Serena: "Very much so, but thankfully I got some some friends in Italian intelligence." She says starting the car and drives off.

*

Meanwhile John is looking at Owen who has told him about what he's been doing as he's holding the files on Los condenados.

John: "I wished you told me beforehand but better late than never I guess, but you said this Diego gave you something else?" He asks as Owen pulls out the USB drive and flips it over to him.

Owen: "Diego didn't say what was on it, only that his boss thought this would be handy to us." He says sitting across from John.

John examines the USB drive and sighs opening up his laptop inserting the drive into it. A variety of photos and operational details on an operation called Black Viking that took place in Prague.

John: "The hell?" Which causes Owen to come over and see what he's seeing. "White phosphorus and weaponry... Provided by a Antoni Nowak... He's an arms dealer who's been on our radar for years."

Owen: "Hold on this happened in March correct? A month before Burning Sword, and before we knew of the Black Dogs." He points out.

John: "Son of a bitch, Nowak's the one who gave them the White phosphorus... As if the fucker supplying the Taliban or Al-Shayatin wasn't bad enough." He says exiting his seat with Owen looking over more of the information.

Owen: "Well if Wraith Squad is after him? I say his time in this world is as good as gone... But with the Black Dogs working with him? I think it's a safe bet that they might still be in Prague."

John: "Nowak is a rat, no way he'd stay there but maybe something is there." He says with Owen nodding in agreement.

Owen: "I can get a team together if you want."

John: "Do it, but Copeland why are you doing this for Ivelisse? I know you're friends and all but this is the most I've seen you do for anyone."

Owen stands there flustered by the question which doesn't go unnoticed by John.

Owen: "I... Just care for her and want the best for her... That's all it is John." He replies rather defensively. A rare sighting for John since Owen is usually more composed and confident.