Chapter 105: Gisele
Ron and the Chicken Man had a very delicate relationship.
On the surface they were rivals, and Ron had also skimmed a hefty chunk of tax revenue from the Chicken Man's operations. Logic dictated that with Gus's ruthless nature, wiping out Ron's entire family would be the least of his concerns after such massive losses.
But he chose not to retaliate and decisively backed down in front of Ron. This might seem incredible to outsiders, but it made perfect sense to Ron.
Almost everyone in the intelligence community knows that the CIA has been using drug traffickers as assets for foreign operations, and the Chicken Man was one of the CIA's key operatives.
When Ron showed up, he'd essentially revealed his own credentials, and his subsequent actions with Francis were actually messages being relayed to the Agency through Gus. They both understood the game, so Ron didn't have to worry about retaliation from the Chicken Man at all.
Furthermore, even if Gus truly lost his mind and decided to go to war with Ron, he wasn't scared. Never mind the Chicken Man's power base in California—don't underestimate the toughness of Texans.
Forrest Gump, who lived next door to Ron, was more than a match for any gangsters, not to mention the dozen or so brothers he'd brought back from the battlefield.
Each of these elite soldiers possessed formidable combat skills—truly the cream of the crop from America's military—and they all felt they owed Forrest their lives.
And Forrest was Ron's brother-in-law, meaning the Cooper family had over a dozen elite soldiers as their personal protection detail. What kind of security was that? Even high-ranking government officials probably didn't have that level of coverage.
So Ron wasn't worried at all that the Chicken Man or any other faction would use his family as leverage.
Gus's eye twitched. Although he was fantasizing about ordering his crew to riddle this bastard with submachine gun fire, he still maintained his smile: "You know, while we're both in pharmaceuticals, my operation primarily handles methamphetamine, while those people mainly deal heroin. We're actually in different markets, so we don't have much interaction."
"However," Gus added before Ron could get angry, "I did hear through the grapevine that someone's been moving product from Mexico through the southern tunnel networks recently.
Since the roads through those tunnels are treacherous, they've been recruiting drivers from LA's street racing crews. Maybe you could infiltrate as a racer. It just so happens I have an associate who works with Braga's people. Maybe she can help you blend in with those street racers."
"She?" Ron keenly picked up on the pronoun. As far as he knew, drug dealers' crews were typically all-male operations. He hadn't expected Gus to have such a capable female operative. Ron was genuinely surprised.
"You've got a particularly talented female undercover agent too. That's pretty impressive."
"No, I think you misunderstood," the Chicken Man adjusted his glasses and extended his hand to Ron. "She's higher up the food chain, and I can temporarily assign her to you, provided you don't interfere with my business going forward.
Of course, I'll pay the taxes, and if you're concerned, I can even let you station an accountant on-site."
It sounded like the CIA wanted to keep this low-key, which wasn't surprising. Lately, politicians had been grilling the Pentagon-affiliated CIA about questionable fund usage, and the Agency had been in damage control mode.
They didn't want the influential Francis faction stirring up trouble at this critical time, so this could be seen as a way to curry favor with Francis's people.
Furthermore, if Ron's target was Braga, then by extension, he was helping the Chicken Man eliminate his competition. He was essentially working for the CIA, for free. They were thrilled, so why would they possibly object?
"Deal." Seeing no downside to this cooperation, Ron readily slapped Gus's palm.
"Gisele, you can come out now," the Chicken Man called toward the register area, then turned and walked out, leaving the space to Ron. From the back kitchen emerged a stunning woman in a tight leather jacket, her long, toned legs catching Ron's immediate attention.
"CIA operative Gisele reporting for duty, sir," the woman said with a crisp military salute.
Ron nodded approvingly, but internally his mind was racing: Holy shit, it's Gal Gadot.
That's right. The Chicken Man had just assigned him the same female agent who had worked with Dom in Fast & Furious 4. Ron had always assumed Gisele was part of a drug cartel, but he hadn't expected her to be CIA.
The Agency truly was everywhere.
"No offense, but with a body like that, it's a crime you're an agent instead of a supermodel," Ron commented, earning a smirk from Gisele.
Gisele's eyebrow arched slightly, then immediately relaxed as she fixed Ron with a challenging stare. "With all due respect, sir, with a body like yours, it's a shame you're not working as a male stripper in Vegas."
"Again, no offense intended."
"Okay, my bad," Ron rubbed his forehead sheepishly. "I just didn't expect to meet such an exceptional woman in the spy game. I've always felt someone like you would be better suited for Hollywood, starring in a movie adaptation of our story, rather than just being a character in the story itself."
"Oh," Gisele said, her slightly hostile expression softening. "So what do you think I'd be like in a movie? An agent like I am now?"
"Maybe a superhero in armor that barely covers more than a bikini, like Wonder Woman, with a lasso in one hand and a sword in the other." Ron gestured as if cracking a whip.
"That's the Lasso of Truth and the Sword of Athena," Gisele smiled.
"You're into comics too? I have a younger brother who's obsessed with superhero stuff. Maybe you two would have something to talk about."
"No," Gisele shook her head. "I just learned that being able to derail conversations at any moment is required training for every agent. Don't tell me you skipped that class. I don't want an unreliable superior. Your behavior makes me question whether you can successfully infiltrate Braga's trafficking network."
"Sorry, I'm a career-change agent—graduated from Harvard with a degree in American Literature. But who said I planned to infiltrate Braga's crew? Shouldn't the mission plan come from the superior officer?"
It was the first time Gisele had encountered such an unconventional superior. She asked, "So what's your plan?"
"I'm thinking about grabbing some late-night food. Eating fried chicken at night is too greasy. How do you feel about Mexican food? I know this great taco truck. Want to check it out together?"
Ron had a mischievous smile on his face. He was genuinely curious about what the gorgeous Gal Gadot would look like eating messy street tacos. It would definitely be entertaining
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