A Trail of Smoke and Smugglers (Santi/PopexReader)

Tribulation

He could have a different woman every night and I still wouldn't care. I truthfully wouldn't. Why would I? Why should I care?

Why do I care?

My thoughts were running rampant as my boots continued to tread the jungle floor in silent trepidation and determination.

"Pope." Fish's voice broke the silence, causing me to react, my steps slowing as I heard a worried tone in his voice. "Pope, I have kids over here. Does he have kids in here living with him? Cause that's going to make things a whole lot more complicated and is not what I signed up for." He declared into the comms.

Knowing that there were kids in the compound and that I was currently stalking the perimeter like a predatory animal, made my stomach turn in uncomfortable knots of concern and hesitation.

Not as harshly as it did when Santi confessed to having a girlfriend working on the inside.

"The family's not the problem. They're the answer." Pope answered, causing me to raise my eyebrow. I kneeled behind a tree, discovering what would have been another great vantage point, although now I had no access to the gate nor the main doors of the compound.

"Why?" Fish questioned, for both of us because I too was wondering the same thing. If a family was involved, especially children, I would immediately back out from the recce. I would, under no circumstances, involve innocent children in a hellish rampage or any coincidental bloodshed.

I could almost hear the grin on Santi's face as he responded, almost as if he had been waiting to be asked. "Church. Lorea's very devout. Every Sunday morning, he sends three guards to the 6:00 A.M. service. When they get back, he sends the rest of the team, along with his family into town to mass. That leaves him and three guards in that house, and that's our window."

"Why would he do that?" Will inquired through the comms. My eyes tracked the guards that I had access to. I carefully observed their gait and how they carried themselves. It would have to be formulated from serious calculations, but I was positive that if I had my rifle, I wouldn't miss.

The guards carried themselves with a regal, overconfident posture. With their chests puffed out and their back stiffened, not to mention the slight upturn of their chins in haughty ignorance, they were perfect targets for me.

Their hubris made my work even easier.

"Worried about someone taking his kids. And he never leaves his money. Also, I don't think he believes anyone actually has the balls to come out here and rob him." Pope's voice was a whisper as he answered Will. I happened to agree with Santi, as even the guards deemed themselves to be untouchable as the paraded around the assumed impenetrable fortress.

But they never considered the fact that an intruder didn't have to be up close and personal to take their lives.

"It's probably 'cause it's a stupid idea." Will sarcastically stated, and I for once, actually agreed with him as well. Lorea's compound, as simplistic and rudimentary as it looked from our distanced positions, wasn't going to be a simple task as just strolling in.

The comm crackled again, initiating another voice to enter the conversation. "Pope, I got your girlfriend coming up right now. Holy shit. She is beautiful, man." Benny chided easily and with a slight chuckle as he surveyed the gate from his position.

I gripped the handle of the pistol as I heard his words effortlessly irritate me and frustrate me. We had a mission, a fucking recon that I willingly left the States for, and now we were just going to ogle and dote on a person on the inside?

I was tempted into ripping the earpiece out, not wanting to listen to anymore of the conversation. It didn't pertain to the recce, nor benefitted the rest of us from our distanced positions from each other.