Depro wasn't some remote Afghan village as Jason sarcastically suggested. Instead, it was a chaotic urban area with a population of hundreds of thousands, featuring a massive marketplace and nine distinct districts.
According to incomplete statistics from the Mexican government, during its "safest" month, Depro recorded 56 murders, 15 carjackings, 10 rapes, 8 fatal shootings, 1 kidnapping, and 7 random street robberies.
These figures, however, were based on severely underreported incidents. Most residents, fearful of the local gangs, refrained from calling the authorities. Meanwhile, the local police were entirely corrupt, rendering them effectively useless.
If their target, González, was hiding in that crowded marketplace, Jack thought they might as well give up. During the day, the marketplace was so packed that not even a motorcycle could navigate through.
At night, while traffic might be lighter, armed gang members with AK-47s patrolled everywhere, making infiltration nearly impossible.
Fortunately, according to intelligence from CISEN (Mexico's Center for Investigation and National Security), González was hiding in a small two-story building on the westernmost edge of Depro, far from the chaotic center.
It seemed even gang members avoided the core of the chaos, likely because dozens of gangs, big and small, shared territory there alongside the powerful Mendoza cartel.
With guidance from Lieutenant López, a local who had grown up in the area, they established a safe point less than 800 meters from their target. This location would also serve as the primary extraction point after the mission.
After winding through several narrow streets, two SUVs came to a halt at a street corner. Two Mexican operatives immediately donned black masks, drawing a curious remark from Deputy Team Leader Ray Perry.
"Are we robbing a bank or capturing González?"
"Anyone who opposes Mendoza ends up dead," replied Colonel Martínez sternly, his face obscured by his own mask.
"Hey, FBI boy," Sonny said, tapping Jack on the shoulder. "You speak Spanish, right? What's their usual battle cry before a mission?"
"'May the Force be with you,'" Jack replied with a straight face, clearly joking.
"Got it. 'May the Force be with you,'" Sonny echoed in Spanish, then turned and repeated the phrase to Lieutenant López, nearly causing him to break character.
The group moved into a defensive formation, back-to-back, as intelligence officer Mandy Ellis's voice crackled through their comms. "Bravo Two, this is Operations Center. Your target is a pink two-story building, 500 meters due east."
The presence of a drone providing overwatch was reassuring. Jack instinctively glanced upward, though the UAV was too high up to spot with the naked eye.
"Copy that, Operations Center. Over and out," replied Ray Perry, codenamed Bravo Two. He turned to their team leader, Jason, awaiting orders.
"Move out. Let's go, people," Jason commanded, patting Bravo Six, Clay Spencer, on the back. Spencer and Bravo Five, Brock Reynolds, took point as the vanguard. The team's K9 unit, Cerberus, was left at the base for this mission.
Jack followed closely behind Jason. Today, the Bravo team was uncharacteristically uniform in their choice of primary weapons: HK416D assault rifles with 10.5-inch barrels, all equipped with suppressors.
Crossing a vacant lot directly in front of the street corner, the team advanced in a two-column formation. After maneuvering through a narrow alleyway, they emerged into a courtyard littered with debris, garbage, and rubble.
A gaunt young man stumbled into their path, startled. He bolted through a small door, disappearing from sight.
Suddenly, loud banging sounds rang out, accompanied by furious Spanish shouting, raising the tension. Jack glanced over to see a one-legged man sitting on a step under an awning. He was furiously banging a gas canister with a baseball bat, yelling out warnings.
It was unclear who he was alerting, but the rules of engagement were clear: no opening fire unless fired upon. They were here to capture, not slaughter, and such small-time agitators weren't worth engaging.
As they crossed the courtyard, the team split into two columns, skirting the open center to avoid exposure. They regrouped in another alley, quickening their pace as Jason urged them forward.
The chaos of Depro worked both ways. Though their movements stirred up the metaphorical nest, the "birds" within couldn't immediately discern who the hunters were after.
Bravo Team's goal was to cast their net before the flock scattered.
"Bravo One, this is Operations Center. We've spotted five armed individuals approximately 1,000 meters north of your position," came the voice of Major Eric Blackburn over the comms.
The cartel's response was swift, but Bravo Team was faster. After navigating through another alley strung with drying laundry, they finally spotted the pink two-story building.
"Copy that, Operations Center. Proceeding with Golden Retriever," Jason confirmed.
"Roger, proceeding with Golden Retriever," Major Blackburn echoed.
The target building had a small semicircular courtyard enclosed by a cement wall and a rusty iron gate blocking their way.
"Breaching," Jason ordered.
Brock Reynolds placed a small packet of C4 above the gate's lock. The rest of the team took cover against the walls, their rifles trained on the surrounding buildings.
With a muffled "boom," the gate blew open. Jason led the charge into the courtyard, with Jack right behind him. Another locked wooden door awaited them inside. Jason and Jack flanked the door, while the rest of the team spread out to cover potential threats from the balcony and rooftop.
Ray Perry unholstered an M870 shotgun, loaded two breaching rounds, and fired at the lock. As the door burst open, Jack tossed in a flashbang.
The grenade detonated, and Jason immediately stormed inside. At the base of a staircase, a gunman armed with an Uzi appeared. Jason took him down with three quick shots.
Jack followed, covering the upper floor. As they advanced, another figure emerged at the top of the stairs. Jack fired, his silenced shots muffled but deadly. The body tumbled down the steps.
As planned, the team split into three groups. Jason, Jack, and Ray cleared the first floor, Trent Sawyer, Brock Reynolds, and Clay Spencer moved to the basement, while Sonny Quinn and the two Mexican operatives tackled the second floor.
While Jason's group swiftly cleared the first floor, they found no sign of González, only two more bodies.
Suddenly, the sound of a shotgun blast echoed from upstairs, followed by Lieutenant López's voice swearing in Spanish. "My eyes!" he shouted. Gunfire from HK416s and AR-15s immediately erupted in response.
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