Secrets

Shots Fired

We make our way stealthily through the shrubs and brush until Luis' safe house is in sight. "Visual on target location. One guard dressed as a gardener wandering the grounds." I report into my microphone. A thin strap of skin colored plastic picks up the vibrations on my throat.

"You're clear to engage at your discretion. Command out."

Dilan moves to take down the gardener but I stop him. "Look at the windows. There are shadows on them. If you move on the gardener theyll see you. Let's move around back" I suggest.

As we come around we see another guard tendening the carrots. "Why do they have to make our job so difficult?" Dilan complains. "What are they even doing?"

"I think theyre... guard-ening." I say with a chuckle. "Get it? Gardening, guardening?"

"Shut up." Dilan says rolling his eyes.

I hear someone laughing back at HQ and mentally update my scoreboard. Me 1, Dilan 0.

"There are no windows back here. Can i shoot him now?" Dilan whines.

"Is your silencer on?" I ask like a moher who's heard that question too many times.

Without another word Dilan hits the guard as hes bent over watering potatoes and hes dead before he hits the ground. We quickly move to him and drag him into the bushes. With any luck well have all of the building's inhabitants neutralized before anyone notices the body.

I pick the lock on the back door with ease and we move inside, weapons drawn. As we enter we hear Luis giving orders to his men.

"When we make the exchange be ready to shoot the American on my command. He cannot leave, with or without my money."

"Yes sir. Should we deal with his bodyguards first?"

"No. My sniper will deal with them once the American dies. Only one person can outshoot my girl. And its a Phoenix agent."

"We'll have to deal with them too boss. Soon, theyre getting braver all the time."

"One thing at a time Pedro. One should never overburden himself."

Pedro then walks up the,stairs towards where Dilan and I wait. As he comes up we jump silently down. Dilan sneaks up nehind Luis and sticks a tranquilizer in him as I shoot the guard between the eyes.

I make a deliberate crash which draws the other guards to our location and we take them out one by one. From there Dilan and I return to Command with our prize.