Rainbow Six: Bloodlines

"TRUE DARK" - Chapter 15

FEBRUARY 23, 2018
CEUTA, SPAIN
Santa Catalina Peninsula

     GEO Captain Emilio Vivas gazed out at the sea from the cliff-side patio behind his large house on the coast. He sipped a glass of rum and eyed his phone impatiently.

     Last night had not happened the way he had planned, and the phone call he was waiting on was nearly half an hour late.

     As if on cue, his phone vibrated. He answered immediately. "About time. The hell took so long?"

     "Watch your tone, Emilio."

     "Don't forget who you're talking to... and that's 'Captain Vivas' to you."

     The man on the other line chuckled. "You might not fear me - but it would do well for you, Captain, to fear who I represent. A little healthy fear can save one's life."

     Captain Vivas's face grew red with anger, but he kept a level tone. "Did he get my message?"

     "Sí. My employer has been informed of last night's complications. Still no word from your Lieutenant?"

     "Not exactly." Vivas sipped from his glass. "Adrian called, from the Hassan woman's house. He gave me the location of the rogue operatives, I sent my men to eliminate them, and-"

     "How many men did you send?"

     "Two fire teams, armed to the teeth. Should have been a cake walk, Arturo."

     "Don't use my fucking name on the line."

     Vivas rolled his eyes. "I sent the fire teams to the safe house, and you know the rest. It didn't go well."

     "Didn't go well?" scoffed Arturo. "That's an understatement. They were absolutely destroyed. Ramírez and Álvarez are still at large. How did this happen?"

     "Let me worry about it."

     "Hey, cabrón  - my employer wants to know, so you will provide a fucking answer."

     Vivas's jaw clenched. "I don't know. I was listening in on my team's communications during the op. They spoke of four gunmen showing up out of nowhere. Surprise attack. Totally devastating." The GEO captain set his glass down and watched the waves crash against the rocky coast. "The entire confrontation lasted less than one minute. My men were overwhelmed. It was no contest."

     Arturo was quiet for a moment. "And we have nothing? Leads from the police? Word from Mount Hacho?"

     "Correct. Nothing... which is why I'm three glasses deep into this bottle of rum. At this point, I'm going to suggest your employer keep his head down. We don't know if-"

     The other line clicked dead. Arturo had hung up.

     Captain Vivas cursed. He contemplated hurling his phone off the cliff, decided against it, and snatched his glass angrily from the balcony before turning to walk back into his house for another drink.

     A few minutes later he entered his living room. The ice clinked against the glass of rum in his hand when he sat down and turned on the TV.

     The woman on the news droned on, but her voice faded into the background. The liquor finally seemed to reach Vivas's head, and he tried to replay the events of the previous evening.

     It had only been five days since the crisis at Hotel Ceuta. Whatever happened there triggered a chain of events that was proving to be more than a thorn in the GEO captain's side.