The Ghost and the Shadow

Chapter 9 - Double Date

The early morning air fills my lungs as we step out of the taxi. There are already people out and about and I can hear music coming from somewhere.

Price and Gaz leave to make their way to the café, and I walk down an alleyway to wait for Laswell. She said she would be meeting me here. I look at my surroundings, I should definitely come here in my free time. Oh, to spend an entire morning just relaxing in the sun at a coffee shop sounds like a dream. I can't even remember the last time I did something like that.

"Bravo-6 to Watcher-1. In position at the café," Price's voice comes through comms after a couple of minutes, "Two at the table to my 3 o'clock, one cartel, one Iranian."

"How cozy," Laswell responds, "What are they up to?"

"Conducting a transaction," Price responds.

"Electronically?" she asks, and Price confirms.

I spot an older woman in a black coat making her way to the alleyway. Laswell. She looks exactly like I remember her. I smile at her as she approaches, and she smiles back, tilting her head to the side for me to follow.

I fall in next to her and we start walking down the alleyway, "Shadow, good to see you."

"You too, Laswell."

Price informs us that there's security around the café and while walking, Laswell puts something in my hand, "Syringe," she says, and I slide it into my pocket.

"Poison?" I ask her in a hushed voice.

"Non-lethal," she responds, "It'll take them out of commission," she stops at the end of the alleyway and turns to me, "Use the needle on the guards and we roll up our cartel friend."

"And you?" I ask.

"Exfil," she says and starts turning to leave, "Say when."

"Roger that," I say, and she starts walking away. I wait a couple of seconds before falling in behind her and heading in the same direction.

She and Price communicate over the radio about what the two men in the café are discussing. They plan to move a package.

I follow behind Laswell at a distance as she crosses a bridge across the canal.

"Hold up. Two cartel guards ahead," she says. I spot them and stop to look down at the canal. They're in conversation with one another.

As soon as they split up, I follow the one heading right and Laswell follows the one heading in the café's direction. I look down and bump into the guard intentionally. While doing so I jab him in the stomach. "Oh shit, I'm so sorry," I say as I guide him to the fall on the bench. He's unconscious.

I inform the team that the guard is down.

"Good work, regroup on me," Laswell says.

"Watcher-01, the cargo is human," Price confirms, "One VIP bound for the US."

"Who John?" Laswell asks as I continue to follow her down the street, looking at the street performers and vendors.

"Major Hassan Zyani," Price confirms.

"That means he's in Mexico," Laswell says, "We need to roll up our cartel friend for a talk. Now."

We stop in front of the café, and I can see Price and Gaz. Price hands Gaz something under the table. Gaz gets up and walks out of the café, heading down an alleyway. Seconds later, I hear a loud bang. This startles one of the cartel guards and he walks to the alley, followed by another.

I walk to follow them, "Gaz, you take one, I'll take the other," I inform Gaz.

"Affirm," he responds.