Incarna

84 - Border Team

Day 12 Evening, California Mexico Border Patrol

Riles kept his eyes on the flickering flames of the camp fire. He watched the others glance at him without lifting his head and definitely without making contact. Never look directly at your prey, especially another predator.

Clay broke the silence created out of the implications of his own question. "I was visiting an old friend down Houston way last weekend. He's had it real tough and now lives in a tent with a few others off the end of one the military airfields south of Houston. He told me 'bout the time not long ago when he was nearly knocked over by the damn ANR F-16s do a low run over the field."

Riles knew where this was going but it was all part of the stalking. "All the boys there get checked over by the MPs reg'lar like," went on Clay, "and get left alone longs they don't do drugs or get drunk, so the boys call it the Dry Zone. He goes see's 'is kids ev'ry weekend and then hangs in the tent week days cause he can't control his anger no more an' two days with the wife is enough." Clay lifted his glass and looked at Riles over the rim.

"Anyways, so's he's hangin onto his tent 'n watchin these goddam flyin' Texas Rangers do'in rolls over the field then these bloody Osprey gunships come on in 'scorting this little red flying sportscar. So word gets 'round yah know. An agent done hit the Mex cartels big time!" Chuckles and sniggers go round the camp fire and Mirek picks up the story.

"Next we know we see mini B2 bomber drones flying near on top of us down Arizona border. And later all across TV and interweb there's all these drone strikes take out drug shipments and houses and mansions. I not see such since cruise missiles in Baghdad!"

Riles looked up from the fire but stil meet any ones gaze. "It's not the agency wants your coopreation, it's me, and just me!"

"Now yah talkin' snowflake," added Cornben his dark skin dancing with the flickering light. "Ah knew who ya were as soon as you showed up at the range for us to check ya'll out. Talkin's one thing but putting a whole clip of 243 into 1 minute of arc at 500yds is damn fine shooting in anyones book!"

Mason handed Riles a plate and he nodded graciously. "I must say Agent, you've checked us out and we knew you from the start but why the subterfuge." Peter stood with hands on hips and his back to the fire and frowned. "It's not as if we're some part time group of old boys. I'm was Homeland, Cornben was Bureau, Mirek Agency, Wilson Seals, Carter NSA and Clay was in charge of the nukes on a goddam aircraft carrier."

Clay frowned at the mention of his past then turned to Riles, "So as I said Tex whaddya want wi' tha likes o' us?"

Riles forked in a mouthful of Mason's venison stew and chewed it slowly, stalling for time. Holding his fork as if it was the staff off Odin he pointed skywards, "Weren't a drone strike!" He forked in another mouthful and chewed even more slowly as he let the squad mull over his statement.

Ron pointed his glass at him in the twilight. He still wore just his daytime shirt whereas the others already wore hoodies or camo jackets. "So the Web goss was right hey! ... and the so called real story was the actual cover story!"

Cornben cut in, "Jeezuz, you boys dun mind fuck a lotta folks out thah. Sure gonna be sum right pissed off good ol' boys now sure 'nuff!"

Clay waited till the chatter subsided, "So this Incarna is real then?" Riles frowned and for the first time looked Clay right in the eye. "Can't say it's real but it's real 'nough for the people involved."

"Ain't that the truth," added Cornben. "Ar've seen bruthah's try to cut these Incarna devils out of 'emselves, when no-one else see's 'em." There were comments of agreement and shared sorrow all round at this. "Ar've alsa seen bodies left in alleys with their hearts ripped out an' dey weren't nobodies friend. Seems like the scum was gettin one treatmunt an othuhs just freakin' out."

Cornben turned directly to face Riles, "does yah knah de differunce there Tex?"

Riles put his empty plate down and nodded to mason who nodded back in thanks. He stood and stepped over to the fire and turned his back to it. He let out a long slow breath. "I'm now longer with the Agency or Bureau or anybody. I'm a dead man walking and I'm no use to anyone anymore. Sooner or later some cartel motherfucker's gonna find me with my guard down and pffftt, I'm gone." He rubbed his stubble covered chin with his right hand then pushed his hair off his forehead. "So's I figure I know more about them than they do about me and I ain't waitin' around up in Canada or in Australia or anywhere's else they've asked me politely to 'retire' to."

Riles shrugged, "and I need a team. Smart, capable, no bullshit, but also with nothing to prove cause I don't have time to nurse maid would be heroes. So before you start asking, I've the new head of joint Security backing me as a freelance. Basically whatever I need I can probably get."

"You gotcha self a plan Tex?" Clay jumped in first. "I've got contacts with the Zapatista and the Aztecca. As for the rest of Mexico, it's all cartel controlled now from the top to the bottom. The situations moving fast with the Sinaloa moving to be head honcho's and making Mexico their own. I reckon there'll be close to full scale war if that happens so best cut the head off the viper now. The Incarna interventions across the world have started something and I mean to be part of that or use it or whatever, but I'm gonna see the end of the cartels and I know how!"

There was silence from the squad members as the full impact of this sunk in, and in, and in!