Las Vegas, Nevada

July 10th, 2021

Derek POV

You stepped foot out of your car with Mark as you stood outside of the bar. You wore a sleeveless hoodie and jeans with a bandana wrapped around your face

NATO: This is the place, although I don't understand the need for disguise.

Derek: It's what they told you to wear, right?

NATO: They did say to wear something more... gang themed.

Derek: Well probably because this bar looks shady as fuck, let's just get inside and meet up with them before the prostitutes come out.

You walked inside the bar and looked towards the back to see the group at a booth. You and Mark walked over and sat down

David: Just the two of you?

Derek: Well, yea. Kinda thought we were getting more information.

He leaned over and started to whisper in Falcons ear

David: You did tell them that this was the real deal, right?

Falco: I thought I did.

David: Shit.

Derek: No going back now, what do you got?

David: Plan was you two go behind enemy lines, we know where she's being held, just not exactly where at.

Derek: What do you mean by that?

David: Down the street, there's a run down laundromat that a gang has picked up as their hideout, our friend Lucy-

Rebecca: *scoffs* Friend

David: Point is, they've got her there. She's our second hacker. We'll need you two to get inside, act as if you're doing an arms deal, find out where she is, then signal us. You two will attack from the inside while we move in from the outside.

Derek: Sounds easy enough, consider it done.

NATO: But, Colt.

Derek: Mark, we'll be fine. We'll keep it low this time since it's just the two of us.

NATO: Sure hope you're right about this.

David: We rolling with this plan?

Derek: Yea, you got any Submachine guns to spare? We came with nothing.

David: Don't know, let's ask... Becca?

Rebecca: Yea yea yea, come back around the alley. Got something you can use.

You followed the group outside and around towards the alleyway where their vehicle was located. Rebecca opened up the trunk to reveal a crate that was slid out and placed on the floor. You opened the crate and picked up a modified Colt 9mm

Derek: Colt 9mm? Nice.

NATO: You would choose that.

Derek: Says the one holding an MP9.

NATO: I'll have you know, these things are light and versatile. Perfect for close quarters.

Derek: Yea? When it comes to mid to long range engagements you stand around with your thumb stuck up your ass.

NATO: Yea yea whatever. I expect a thank you next time we have steady comms.

You placed a few mags on your waist and closed the crate. You picked up a Colt Elite Defender

Derek: Don't really have a wide variety of Sidearms do ya?

Rebecca: Eh, who needs em.

Derek: Considering I'm holding a defender as my chosen sidearm? I think they're important.

David: Enough of that, you ready?

Derek: As ready as I'll ever be.

David: Good, once you find her, radio in and we'll engage from the outside perimeter.

Derek: Heard that.

You turned and looked at Mark

Derek: You ready?

NATO: Let's just get this shit over with.

You grabbed the crate and walked back over to your car and placed it in the trunk. You got back in your vehicle and started to head towards the laundromat.

Hereford Base; Female Dorm

3rd Person POV

The recruits sat on the couches as Kenzie flipped through channels on the TV

Ava: You know what's weird?

Kenzie: What?

Ava: We've only been on one mission, yet we got promoted.

Kait: It's like the Lieutenant said, it would be a lot safer if we were on the team than having that shit show happen again.

Ava: It's also a first that you referred to Derek as LT.

Kait: He is our superior, deserves to be named after his title.

Ava: Someone likes to be a sub...

Kait: Listen, I'm not saying much, but he could probably break my pelvis with the force he moves.

Kenzie: I'm sorry... what?

Kait: Don't think that way?

Kenzie: Ahem, not at all.

Kait: If you think about it, he is the definition of a perfect guy.

Ava: Says who?

Kait: Strong, Nice, caring, can protect you with his damn life. That's what every woman wants, someone who has your back. Like for example, Emma, what's Derek like?

Emma: Well, he was pretty attentive and always knew what words to use to make me feel better.

Kait: See? He listens.

Emma: And I'll admit he is... good looking.

The room went quiet as everyone stared at Emma

Emma: What?

Kait: Did I just hear you say he was good looking?

Ava: You've seen his face?

Emma: ... Did that slip out?

Sam: When was this?

Emma: Awhile ago, maybe after their mission in Miami?

Kait: Why haven't we seen it yet.

Emma: To be fair, I was in a rough spot and he did it as a means of trust.

Kait: So, are expectations there?

Emma: I... think it's much higher than what you assumed.

Kait: That just makes me wanna see it even more.

Kenzie: Patience, when the time comes he'll open up about it, they all will.

Sam: Could be for undercover reasons, some members of our swat team covered their faces so they could stay hidden when they went undercover.

Kenzie: That's the issue, Derek normally shows his tattoos, it's a dead giveaway once they see his face.

Ava: He normally wears long sleeves or would use an arm sleeve to cover up. Even so, it's too late by the time they realize. Plus this one for instance, they can still keep their faces concealed since it's a 'local gang'.

Kenzie: Why'd you say it like that?

Ava: It's odd, the job sounds too easy to sway Marks help in their direction. There's gotta be a twist.

Sam: They're helping rescue a hacker, to help Mark. I think the job sounds pretty even.

Ava: Is that why they only sent him and Mark? A larger force outside would've been better. More efficient even.

Kait: Who knows, just hope they're alright.

Las Vegas, Nevada

Derek POV

You close the lid of the cache as you looked at the dealer in dismay

Derek: You're telling me, that even THIS isn't enough?!?

Dealer: We'll need more than just that cache.

Derek: I'm sorry, but this is tens of thousands of dollars in ammunition, what more could you possibly want?

Dealer: More guns... like say your 9mm Colt.

Derek: *laughs* Oh buddy, I'm not giving you my 9mm.

Dealer: Then we have no deal.

Derek: Just take the god damn ammunition and we can be done with this.

Dealer: Not without weapons for said ammunition.

Derek: I'm seriously going to lose my shit. Do you want the ammo or not.

Grunt: You giving the boss attitude?

You looked around as other members stopped what they were doing and looked at you and Mark. You took a step back while putting your hands up slowly.

Derek: Listen, we don't want any trouble. We're just trying to help in way that'll put some money in our pockets.

David: *On radio* We're ready to push whenever you are.

Derek: Is there anything we could get or something else we could do to make this deal work.

Dealer: There is one thing...

He began to pace the room while brandishing a hunting knife that he began to toss across to each hand

Dealer: We recently picked up this girl from a group of mercenaries, she refuses to talk and she has intel that we need. We've also heard know word from the mercenaries themselves so we feel as though knowing somethin' confidential would help sway our offer.

Derek: What're you getting at.

Dealer: Break the girl, get her to spill a few words, then we show her broken self to them. Force them to pay us for the debt they're in.

NATO: What debt exactly?

Dealer: That's something you don't need to know about. But you get her to talk, I'll consider only taking the ammo.

Derek: That's not a confirmed deal? You'd only be considering.

Dealer: Alright, I'll buy the ammunition off of you.

Derek: Lead the way then.

You followed the Dealer through a set of doors, passing groups of gang members until you reached another door. He opened it to reveal a small dark room with a woman handcuffed to the side of a bed.

Dealer: This is the bitch, give you 5 minutes with her.

You stepped into the room as the door closed and the woman looked up slightly.

Derek: We're here to talk.

She remained unphased by your presence, so you had to buy some more time

Derek: David and the others are outside waiting for our signal, we're the group he tasked to move inside.

???: Just the two of you?

Derek: Well we didn't know that it was going to be a mission so we came a bit unprepared.

???: So much for a rescue.

Derek: Your name is Lucy, correct?

Lucy: It is, now did you by any chance know there are mics in here? They can hear every word you speak.

NATO: We already knew, we do have a plan for that right?

Derek: Oh yea, ofcourse my guy.

NATO: Yea, what is it?

Derek: Simple.

You unholstered your defender and shot through the door. You saw the shadow of a body fall as you raised your hand to your earpiece.

Derek: Blow the god damn wall, now!

David: copy.

You looked at Mark and then the girl while quickly looking back at the wall

Derek: Might want to take cover..

The door was kicked open as you drew up your 9 mm and laid suppressive fire. At the same time the wall behind you blew open

Derek: NATO grab the girl and go, I'll cover!

NATO: Yessir!

You continued to fire at any gang members that tried to move into the room. You turned your head and noticed that they were out so you hightailed it and sprinted out of the room through the hole that was made. You turned around and shot another member down before moving towards the fence

NATO: Hop the fence let's go!

You hopped onto a box and climbed over the fence, doing a somersault on your way down

NATO: Show off.

David: No time for talk, we gotta keep going.

Rebecca: Why're we running, we had the upper hand.

Derek: From the outside you might've had the jump, but inside that dumb was a shit load of them, we would've been overwhelmed too easily.

Rebecca: Could give a rats ass about that, just more graves to fill.

Derek: We already got the package, live to fight another day.

You stopped running a few streets down at a parking lot to see your vehicle parked next to their armored Hummer. You continued to look down at Rebecca

Derek: I know you're a gun nut, but you gotta know your own limits. You did a number on them as is, finish them off another time.

NATO: For once you actually agreed on a full retreat.

Falco: You've never retreated?

Derek: More the less only fell back to a newer position. If we got overwhelmed we would reposition and fight from another angle, if we needed to move again, we would.

Rebecca: Bit of a far reposition.

Derek: This is a full retreat, the only objective was to secure your hacker, not wipe the entire place clean. It'd be a different story if we had our proper gear.

Falco: How much different?

Derek: They'd become religious, praying to god while they're being slaughtered one by one.

NATO: Dark..

Derek: Mark, you know I'm the Gods executioner.

NATO: Right, right. We should head back to base and get to the next step of our plan.

Derek: Yea, let's...