The assassination of Rafael Padilla, the Tijuana Cartel top financial wizard, lit the fuse on a conflict that had for the most part been below the surface. The autodefensas, chief among them were the "Baja Battalion," had spent over a decade organizing to secure the support of politicos within the municipalities of the Baja and Sonora.
Bribes, protection and threats were levied on both sides for influence in Mexican political life. Assassinations were a common occurrence among politicians who stood up to the MegaCorps threats. The violence escalated between local forces on one hand and the cartel forces on the other. Key positions in the Baja Peninsula and the major cities in Sonora were taken over the course of a few years. All along, Independent Texas had been a lifeline for these organizations, providing funds and equipment as well as valuable intelligence. As important as Texas was to their mission, the political leaders in Mexico had another ace up their sleeves.
If you will recall, in an earlier episode titled "La Milf de la Martinique," I mentioned that during the "Fourth Corporate War," one of the combatants, the Arasaka Corporation, released AI-powered self-replicating mines designed to target hostile military vessels. However, the A.I. came to the conclusion that in order to maximize damage to the enemy, the Militech Corporation, it would destroy almost all vessels on the open seas. The Arasaka scientists tried to correct this error with a software patch, but the A.I. rejected the update as a virus. Global shipping came to a halt, and the economy cratered. It was a time in which most people struggled to survive.
Okay, now you might be asking yourself, "How is it that a cruise was able to dock in Galveston without being blown up?" And that is a great question. The minefield was designed to target ships on the open seas away from major coastlines. So even if a small fishing vessel traveled too far from the mainland, it was usually blown up. It was in the Caribbean nations where desperate local engineers and fishermen found a strange but effective solution. They talked to it.
No, seriously, the engineers found a way to communicate with the A.I. and explain that the corporate conflict was over. Needless to say, the A.I. dismissed these reports as enemy propaganda. The A.I. is designed to evolve and adapt over time. It became clear that trying to convince it of the truth was futile, so the local officials did the next best thing. They negotiated a compromise with it and managed to create an exemption for fishing vessels of a certain size and weight range.
After the deal was announced, local politicians joined fishermen on a fairly large fishing boat out to sea and returned to the Island triumphant with a decent catch. It seems bat-shit crazy in hindsight that reasoning with an A.I. was the thing that worked, but it was an immense relief to the entire Caribbean. Over time, other nations tried and failed to reach a similar deal with the A.I., hoping to re-establish global shipping, but for now, only boats of a certain size and weight were permitted. The cruise ship was far larger than what was acceptable. I will explain how that happened later. This bit of history brings us back to the ace up their sleeve, pirates.
Nomads weren't just road warriors; many were outcasts and corporate wage slaves during the 2nd corporate war took to the sea in boats of various types for better prospects. Some became wanted bandits early on, stealing cargo and taking hostages for ransom in the hopes of surviving "the Collapse." But for the most part, these boat people were just that.. people. People in search of decent work, mostly rebuilding cities on the coast that had succumbed to damage from rising sea levels. New Orleans, New Galveston, Veracruz, Fort-de-France, Port-Au-Prince, many such places had fixers with connections to various sea nomad clans in need of work.
Over time, the Thelas Nation (sea nomad organization) developed its own armed security force, the "Thelas Marines," to keep its members safe on the lawless open seas. Fixers in the Gulf of California region made contact with these nomads for the Autodefensas, who in turn traded cash for arms, intel, and even political support. However, if the secessionists were going to be successful in defeating the corporate forces, they were going to need "active" support. That meant bringing the Thelas Marines into the fight, so to speak. It was a tough sell, but if the rebels stand up against the cartels and the quisling Mexican military, they would have better odds in bringing allies on their side.
************************************
Cumpas Municipality,
Free State of Sonora,
August 2095
************************************
To covertly operate in a foreign country, even one as close to Texas as Mexico, just walking across the border and changing your name isn't enough. Behind every operator, there is a team of agents creating false IDs, accounting for dark money, keeping track of fake back stories, etc. Hell, some people's entire job is to visit vacant office buildings just to keep up the ruse of business being done inside. Our entry into Mexico was meticulously planned. Our base of operations was a small office space in the business district. We were supposed to be an A.I. data analytics firm with a focus on the mining sector or some such bullshit. We each had to memorize the details of our made-up lives down to the letter. Paperwork and documentation were handled by the Foreign Service and the Military. Aside from the Foreign Service's infinite lists of contacts and informants, our team maintained our list of people who owed us favors from our assignments in T.B.I. (Texas Bureau of Investigation).
The primary focus of our operation was to escort our "special guest" to an abandoned Militech facility situated inside a mine shaft. Texas intelligence suggests that the facility is home to the infamous "cynosure program," a R&D project set up to capture rogue A.I.s from behind the blackwall. It's not clear to us what the military wants with this tech, but these were our orders. Our contacts inside Mexico will aid us in our efforts. Once we have entered the facility, Alejo will decrypt and examine any data that might prove useful. Terrence Williams, my senior partner, was to lead the operation. Get in and get out, textbook covert action.
Cumpas was an odd town. Nestled in the desert hill country of the Mexican Plateau, the small town of seven thousand was a quiet spot in a restless region. Cacti and small grass dotted the landscape. The declaration of independence by the secessionists was greeted with hostility from Mexico City. The Mexican armed forces had stayed in their barracks initially, with the leaders in charge calculating that appearing on either side of the conflict between a corporate paramilitary and a highly organized autodefensa would be detrimental to their standing in the country. Mexico City responded with a show of force, mobilizing two divisions to the south near Obregon. Despite the rising tension in the area, people in this sleepy cattle town seem unfazed. Perhaps they figured their little slice of heaven was safely out of the way of the missiles.
The main man in charge of the corporate cutout was named Mateo. A 5'11, soft-spoken gentleman with salt and pepper hair from Hermosillo, he was manager of the A.I. analytics firm. His right leg was a cybernetic replacement; he had lost his real one in a bar shootout he was trying to run away from. Sporadic violence in the borderlands was not out of the ordinary. However grim life could be, Mateo never lost sight of the good in people. Lawrence Wilkes aka Lucky, was the first of our team to arrive in town. He met up with Mateo in the parking lot of the three-story office building.
"Oi, Lucky, welcome to Cumpas!" Mateo said. The two men shook hands. Mateo was wearing slacks and a button shirt along with his boots and stylish Stetson hat. The man was a silver fox with a heart of gold.
"How's the countryside treating, amigo?" Lucky asked.
"She's been treating me well these days. Better than my exes, that's for sure." He smiled, "Come with me, I'll give you a tour of the company. It was smart for our principals to choose this location. You'll see in a moment."
The two walked into the immaculate reception area of the building. A gorgeous receptionist with wire-rim glasses and dressed in business attire rose from her chair to greet us.
"Buenos dias, Mateo." She said with a warm, welcoming smile. Her crisp white shirt unbuttoned at the top offered an enticing view of her ample cleavage.
"Buenos dias, Frida," Mateo replied. Lucky smiled and waved his greeting to the woman.
Lucky observed some clients in a conference room sitting through a presentation by one of the employees. Both men took the elevator up to the second floor, which was where the bulk of the workers were. The second floor was divided into three sections: the servers and electronics room, the work cubicles, and the large conference rooms for work meetings. In the conference room, Mateo introduced Lucky to the dozen or so employees as a contractor brought on to improve operations. The meet and greet went on for a while over cardboard-flavored pizza. Lucky took his time chatting with the people, who he would be working with. After several hours, Mateo escorted Lucky back to the elevator for the final leg of the tour.
"These are good people here," Lucky commented. He then asked, "Are they locals?"
"Si, people here work hard to earn their place. Let's be honest, you didn't come all the way out here just for the company."
The older man pressed down on all three buttons on the elevator panel for five seconds. A pair of scanners popped down from the ceiling and started scanning them, verifying their identifications before returning to their previous positions in the ceiling. The elevator panel flashed a negative one on the screen twice before the elevator descended toward the hidden basement. The lower level was where the real magic was to commence. The elevator slowed to a halt, and the doors opened to reveal the covert operation center for the team: A windowless circular room with computer terminals on the desks and monitors on the walls. A holographic projector in the center of the room for communication and presentation. In the main hall, an armory stocked with various sniper rifles, assault rifles, machine guns, handheld guns, grenades, plastic explosives and loads of ammo. Displayed on the screen above was a live feed of the training course with faux buildings and autonomous robots used for target practice lined up on both sides on a rack.
"Well, what do you think?" Mateo asked Lucky, who was smiling ear to ear.
"This will do nicely."
_______________________
Abandoned Copper Mine
Nacozari de Garcia,
Free State of Sonora, Mexico,
September 2095
_______________________
"Well, shit," Terrence mumbled under his breath.
"Boss?" I replied, wondering what had him so concerned.
Our team leader, Terrence Williams, and I had traveled to the outskirts of the target location. According to the intel, the old copper mine close to town was home to an old covert Militech weapons R&D facility. The mine hasn't been in operation for decades, so the only resistance we could expect to meet would have been from the automated security inside. It was our job to recon the area. Once the drone was in the target area and cloaked to avoid detection, Terrence inserted the shard, allowing him to see what the drone's camera captured. Judging by his demeanor, it wasn't good news.
"Looks like we got Raffen moved into the area. I spot automated gun turrets and proximity mines close to the abandoned office trailers. Multiple vehicles are parked near the open pit and the vertical entrance. It looks like they arrived recently; there are still security gaps." Terrence said in a monotone voice, "Possible sniper's nest in the hoist house. Some gangoons are standing around near the entrance."
Fuck me. For those who have been living under a rock for the last century, Raffen shiv are outlaw nomads. When you think of Raffen, think drug addicts, murderers, kiddie diddlers, nomads who have been tossed aside by their own clans for conduct that would make even cold-hearted assassins blush.
"Can you get closer to the entrance? Maybe we can get a sense of how many we are up against." I asked.
"Give me a second... I don't think they have been here long. There are noticeable gaps in their security perimeter. There may be more scumbags in the lower levels."
"Preem," I mumbled sarcastically. We are going to have to fight our way in just to access the facility. Using my data pad, I double-checked the schematics of the mine itself. The open pit section was dug parallel to the ramp, leading further down to the lower level. I noticed in the plans that there was a ventilation shaft close by.
"Boss, do you see the vents?" I asked.
"Yes, both down and up-cast shafts present." Terrence turned to look at me. His eyes glowed as his neural implants processed the last of the drone footage.
"You know what I am thinking, boss?"
"I do. But first things first, Sara is waiting for us back at the warehouse. I'll recall the drone."
"Got it."
While we were on the road back to the abandoned industrial park, which served as a temporary base for our team. Alejandro's "Raiders" were already on site a day or two after taking care of some biz of their own. Most of the [town] was filled with refugees due to fighting around the northern border against cartel forces. Danny stayed in town, hitting up local bars looking for juicy gossip about the situation in the region. The crew had a few informants in the countryside. My guess is he's probably deep inside some senora's guts by now. Raul busied himself with repairing their vehicles. Sara was preparing some coffee for Terrence and me to drink as soon as we got back, while Alejandro and "Maria" took full advantage of their empty nest.
Those two lovebirds were perched up in the office room overlooking the rest of the warehouse, kissing passionately. Despite his short stature, the "sarapero samurai" was well known as a seducer of many women. Standing at 5'9 with short brown hair, piercing brown eyes, and a devilish smile, Alex was a hit with the ladies, that's for sure. He lifted Maria up by her hips and brought her down on the control panels. Alex took a moment to remove his combat jacket and green shirt. Maria couldn't help but gaze up and down his muscled chest and rippling abs. The dog tags he wore came to rest within the valley between his bulky pecs. Alex leaned forward to continue kissing Maria while lifting her shirt off over her head. Her almond-shaped chestnut brown eyes shone with sweet anticipation. He ran his free hand down her bare stomach into her pants and started playing with her pussy. She moaned into his mouth as they kissed passionately. It was a good thing the windows in that room were opaque.
"Maria" was not her real name. It was an alias of sorts; her real name isn't important. She had grown up in Thailand, one of the many Han Chinese living in the capital, Bangkok. Officially, she was a high-level fixer with connections to various arms manufacturers, business people, socialites, and politicos in East Asia. Her participation in the operation to assassinate Rafael Padilla (a Linex Corp Exec/ Tijuana Cartel Crime Boss) was to provide assurances that the secessionists were making progress to their backers. That was true, but it wasn't the whole truth. Alex didn't want her there for the mission; he had doubts about her combat skills and thought she might be a burden. At about 5'6 and weighing 140 lbs soaking wet, raven black hair, and a pear-shaped figure, most men wouldn't think her to be much of a threat. They would be wrong. Behind her slim, thick physique, she proved herself just as much a competent fighter as anyone else in the group.
"Ah! Mmmph," She moaned, perhaps louder than she intended. Alex ran his other hand up her torso and fondled her B-cup-sized breasts, giving her nipples a slight pinch before sucking on them. Maria rubbed at his thick cock through his pants. It seemed all she could think of now was having him inside her. Removing his hand from her pants, he dropped his pants to the floor and kicked them away. Alex tugged on Maria's pants down to the floor and buried his face between her legs, eating her out with abandon. Maria ran her fingers through his hair as she writhed and squirmed from the sensations. Any concern she had about being too loud went out the window at that point. He took his time and looked her in the eyes while he was devouring her, which made it all the more erotic. Her thick legs made for good ear muffs as the decibel level in her voice rose with each moan of passion.
Alejandro stood up and removed his underwear. His 8 1/2 inch girthy dick sprang forward as it was released from confinement. Alex aimed his cock and slowly pushed himself into Maria. She bit her bottom lip as he filled her needy pussy. Alex brought one of her legs up and began drilling her with long, deep strokes.
"Ugh! Fuck! AH! Yes! Harder!" In that position, Maria had an excellent view of his chiseled abs as well as the fat schlong he was stuffing her guts with. Alex flashed a devilish smile as he picked up the pace and force of his thrusts. It had been too long since they were able to knock boots uninterrupted by kinetic events. With both of her legs wrapped around his waist, she worked her hips, hoping to fit more of his dick inside of her. Small beads of sweat drizzled down his pecs onto his abs as the two lovers went at it. Her perky tits bounced wildly as he drilled her insides. Maria had never felt such a large member between her legs before.
"Oi, Chinita, I have been too easy on you. Time to take this up a notch." Alejandro withdrew his piston, turned her around by the waist and bent her over the desk onto her stomach. Alex took a second to admire the view of Maria's plump tush. For someone of her size, her peachy rump was a wonder to behold. He peppered her fat ass with a few sharp swats on her right cheek, leaving red handprints on each cheek. Maria yelped and moaned, looking back at her lover as he reentered her pussy. Alejandro ran his fingers down from the base of her neck to the muscles of her lower back. With one last swat on her fat bottom, Alex began plowing her fields, not holding anything back. He gripped her waist with one hand and her shoulder with the other.
"Ugh! Ugh! Oh Fuck! D-Don't stop! Nng! AH!" Maria was in ecstasy, her orgasm building to a blissful crescendo. The sounds and smells of sex filled the control room. Alex was mesmerized by Maria's plump backside jiggling from his thrusts. She looked back at him over her shoulder, her eyes beaming with delight as her climax came closer and closer. Alex pressed his fingers past the folds of her vagina and gently manipulated her clitoris. That sent her over the edge; her body convulsed and spasmed. Maria cried out as her orgasm overwhelmed her. Alejandro continued clapping her cheeks as her insides pulsed, gripping his cock, practically milking the cum out of him.
****************************************
Meanwhile, on the ground floor
****************************************
While the two degenerates on the top floor were practicing their debauchery, Terrence and I met with Sara May. Sara was our liaison with the Baja Battalion and the special mission unit known as the "Baja Raiders." The lovely Ms. May was a former Southern California highway patrol officer who went south to take the fight to the cartels directly. Terrence informed her of the Raffen Shiv camped up near our destination. The meeting started despite the periodic sounds of moaning and the vibrations coming from the top floor. Sara smiled, amused by the sporadic disruptions. Terrence was unbothered by the noise. He had more experience dealing with these casts of characters. I took a sip of my coffee. What we needed were certain weapons to deal with these outlaws. Sara had a lot of connections in this region of Mexico.
Those two going at it was annoying for me. It had been at least a month since I was able to get laid. Shortly after Alejo ducked out from under his security detail to sneak into my hotel room for a rough pounding, his family office assigned him a professional bodyguard and babysitter. A solo (assassin) who had been under the employment of the Pena's, a family close to the elite in Colombia. Yannis was an Albanian in his 50s, with greying black hair, sunken eyes (one of them being cybernetic with a soft red robot glow), he wore clothing padded with armor, black boots and a traditional stetson hat. Yannis was a very friendly person, his English was passable, and he was also (unfortunately) very good at his job. There was little Alejo could do to escape his ever-watchful eye. Thus, my blue balls are a testament to the man's skill at keeping spoiled brats in line.
"Shit, I guess it's not surprising the Raffen moved in." Sara lit a cigarette and took a drag from it, "The military has been conducting operations in the countryside. It's a show of force against the rebels. I have heard that some gangs in the south were given the boot by the army."
Oh, Fuck! Ah! (muffled sounds of humping)
"So now they're licking their wounds, seeking shelter where they can." Terrence sipped his black coffee.
Mmph! Ah Yes! Oh God! Fuck! (more muffled thumping sounds.)
"The army is planning to put down the rebels? How long do we have before they push north?" I asked, slightly annoyed by the hump-fest going on upstairs.
Ahhh!! Ah! Oh, haha (muffled sounds of orgasmic bliss)
Sara, a brunette 7 years my senior (with the hot bod of someone much, much younger), smiled at my discomfort and took another drag on her cig before replying, "The military brass would rather keep their distance from this shit show. Besides, they have their hands full in the Yucatan already. The army is here to provide support for LinexCorp's private forces; they will be the ones doing the dirty work." After a few more minutes of euphoric moaning and cursing from upstairs, the two lovebirds went silent. At least I could think more clearly now.
"And if the rebels win? Mexico City's just gonna take it lying down?" I was curious as to how this plays out.
Sara turned to look at me, "My guess is the Army will step in next. The cartels have been a pain in the ass of Mexico's political establishment for a long time. Letting them go into the meat grinder first is probably the smartest move they have made in a while."
"Whatever happens here, we need to access the facility. Can you secure us the weapons we need?" Terrence asked, bringing us back on topic.
"Sure," Sara said as she took another puff, "Of course, I know a fixer close by; he owes me a favor."
"I'll contact Yannis and Lucky with the detes." I took another sip of coffee and continued, "And when exactly were you going to tell us anything about the [Redacted]?"
Terrence crossed his arms over his broad chest and looked in her direction. Sara furrowed her brow, annoyed at the question. It was clear she knew this question might be coming.
"Fucking Alvarez," she cursed the Texas spychief, " Does the rest of the leadership know about her background?"
"Actually, this information came from a friend in the Corpo world. If the Foreign Service doesn't know about her now, they will. You know how bad this is going to get if the politicians catch wind of this?" Terrence asked. Sara closed her eyes and pinched the bridge of her nose.
"Look, if the local people are going to succeed, they need allies where they can get them. We don't have the luxury of just go it alone wi–"
Before she finished her answer, the door swung Alejandro walked freshly showered and dressed in military fatigues (or at least I hope he showered).
"Terrence, it's been a while, amigo," Alex said. The two of them shook hands. I think I saw Terrence smile for the first time in ages. Alex had that effect on people. "You'll forgive Maria, she is a bit indisposed at the moment." He winked.
"Ha, you're a fucking dog. It's good to be back in Mexico." Terrence replied.
"Not a problem," I said as I reached out my hand to shake his. His eyes were full of an intensity that I couldn't describe; it was unnerving. The profile had him as a demolition specialist; he was familiar with the massive mining operations in Sonora. The feeling of his hands told me he was packing mantis blades or some other cybernetics in his forearms. No doubt their connections granted them many perks, including access to advanced tech.
"We should hit the mine tomorrow, daytime. It will give us the element of surprise." Sara said as she put out her cigarette in the ashtray. "My dealer will have our special treats delivered by then."
"Absolutely, but tonight we drink. I want to hear all the gossip on what's happening across the border."
_______________________
Raffen Shiv Camp,
Abandoned Copper Mine
Nacozari de Garcia,
_______________________
It was high noon when we decided to make our move on the camp. Visibility was relatively poor due to the heavy cloud cover. Alejandro and I were suited up in desert camo with large packs, watching. A Raffen patrol entered their vehicle and drove onto the road out of camp while Alejandro and I approached the perimeter. We hid behind an old mobile crane. As we expect a sniper set up in the hoist house and was watching over the camp.
"Lucky, we are close to the camp. Do you have a clean shot?" I asked.
"Stand by," Through the scope of his high-tech Nekomata rifle, Lucky spotted the sniper but waited for a more opportune moment. Under the camo blanket reflecting the desert landscape, he held his rifle steady. The Raffen in the hoist house was looking over the camp with binoculars and occasionally smoked a cigarette. Two stories down, a few guards were smoking cigarettes. He needed to wait until the guards moved to a different position. Five minutes in, the guards split off to various positions. As soon as they were out of earshot, Lucky aimed his rifle and fired one round into the gonk's forehead.
"He's done, you're good to proceed," Lucky replied.
"Finalmente," Alex whispered before moving from cover toward the perimeter. I followed him, wary of the mines Terrence and I spotted earlier. As the office trailers came into view, I noticed a camera system that wasn't there before.
"Alex, you see the cameras?" I whispered into my mic.
"Si, I have got it." Alejandro's eyes glowed as he hacked the cameras and deactivated them.
"Guys, you have an armed field mine in front of you. It looks like a Militech antipersonnel mine with a proximity sensor." Lucky said.
"I've got it."
"Wait, Alex, can you switch them to friendly. That patrol will be back soon enough; it will buy us more time." I asked.
"Yes, smart thinking, hermano." Alex used his neural implants to deactivate a stretch of the mine field. It gave a clear path to the office trailer nearest to our position.
Once he was done, Alex signaled to me that we should move forward. When we reached the empty trailer, Lucky informed us he was moving to a more advantageous position. I jimmied the lock open, and we moved in quickly to confirm it was empty. It looked like the camp was using this space for junk storage. The windows were smeared with dirt and grime, but we were able to make out some of the goons walking around. Alex alerted me to one of the gonks walking toward the entrance. I took up a position next to the door. As the Raffen entered the office and closed the door again, I got in close and put the gonk in a headlock, covering his mouth with my hand.
"MMH!" He tried to scream for help, but it was no use.
"Easy there, buddy," I said as his body went limp. While I stashed the corpse, Alex took up position on the door.
"Alright, I'm in position. What's your status?" Lucky asked.
"We had an uninvited guest, but he is resting now," Alex replied. Two automated turrets were on both sides, covering the perimeter closer to the mine entrance. We counted seven hostiles walking around the open area, possibly more. Vehicles were parked close together on the left. Old machinery littered the open area.
"Hold." From Lucky's vantage point, he saw two Raffen dudes smoking in close proximity. Slowly, he crawled into a better position. The angle was just perfect here. He quickly lined up the shot and fired a high-powered round through the first guy's head into the second guy's chest. Two birds, one stone.
"They're down. Clear to proceed." Lucky said. Alejandro, who saw the shot occur behind the broken mobile crane, turned to look at me. He was impressed.
"Your man has serious talent." Alex flashed a devilish smile.
"There are only a few of them left. Can you deactivate the turrets?" I asked.
Alex replied, "Only for a short time, we'll have to be quick... Ready?"
"Do it," I said. Alex deactivated both turrets through his neural implants, which only gave us 30 seconds to a minute to finish these gonks. I readied my rifle and prepared to expect the unexpected.
"Done. Let's go." Alex swung open the door and exited the building. I followed behind. Two outlaws at three o'clock noticed our presence.
"What the–, we got intruders!" One of the Raffen yelled out before a sniper round from Lucky collided with his head.
The other reached for his Malorian pistol and fired off multiple rounds. Alejandro zeroed him with five rounds to his chest. Before I saw her, I heard her footsteps. One hostile burst through the office trailer behind us with a submachine gun; it was a smart weapon. She fired multiple rounds, which curved in the air toward me. I dashed out the way and fired my rifle, hitting her two times in the chest and once in the head. She went limp after a fourth round blew her brains out. Three more gonks wearing body armor rushed to our position and fired their weapons. Alejandro and I took cover behind a pile of junk. On my left, I saw a wraith running toward the entrance.
"Thermal out!" I yelled over the sounds of bullets, before throwing an incendiary grenade in front of the raffen charging at us. Two gonks were scorched by the flames. I raised my weapon and zeroed those punks. Alejandro moved from cover, firing on the Raffen's position before ducking down behind a pile of tires. The Raffen rose and fired back, but Alex was quick. He drew his pistol (more like a hand cannon) and shot off two rounds between the gonk's eyes. I moved forward, my rifle at the ready for any more surprises. We both got to our feet and disabled the turrets manually.
"Lucky?" I asked.
"No visible hostiles, but I did see some of them flee into the mine. You don't have much time, move to phase two." Lucky said.
"Got it." I signaled to Alex, and we moved toward the down draft vent, a large tube descending into the ground. I yanked the open grate near the entrance and dropped my pack. The vent was still operational. Sara's fixer had come through with the weapon we needed: 6 six medium-sized canisters of MOLODETS toxic gas. Alex and I retrieved the canisters from our packs. Placing them in the back of the tunnel, I set the timer for 20 seconds. Lucky watched over us both while Alejandro repaired the circuit board and increased the downward air flow. "Those dickheads down below won't know what hit em."
"Fucking right, Hermano!" Alejandro smiled, pleased with our efforts.
I called Sara using my phone, "Sara, bring the rest of the group forward. We will be done soon."
"Understood." She said, adding, "The sooner, the better." She sounded annoying.
"What's up?"
"Your guest won't stop bugging me with stupid questions one after the other," Sara steamed.
"Oh, well, shit. I'll take care of it. Just get your asses over here." I ended the call.
Alex and I made our way to the mine entrance and descended the slope. The tunnel's infrastructure was mostly intact. Supply crates and mining equipment littered the path ahead. According to our intel, Militech's covert facility was situated between levels -1 and -2. As we descended, I could hear the sounds of footsteps approaching.
"Alex?"
"Yeah, I hear them." Alex said, "Get ready."
With that, Alex exchanged his rifle for his Katana. A group of armed Raffen spotted us and opened fire. I shouldered my rifle, switched to full auto, and provided covering fire as Alex dashed forward. He cut two men down while I zeroed another with a few rounds to the chest. We moved forward. A grenade landed between us and detonated, throwing us back a bit. But it wasn't long before Alex and I were back on our feet. One nasty-looking wraith attacked us with mantis blades embedded in his forearms. Sparks flew as that one traded blows with Alex, their blades danced at dazzling speed while I finished off the last two outlaws with several rounds to the chest and a frag grenade. I looked back to see Alex catch the wraith off guard and slice into his midsection, sending him falling to the ground into two pieces, dead.
I reloaded my weapon, beads of sweat running down my forehead. "Did you have fun with that one?"
Alex smiled and sheathed his weapon, "Quite a bit, actually."
"Alright, let's keep going. They'll be here any minute."
We continued further downward. At around level -2, we heard the sounds of coughing. I signaled to Alex, and both put on our gas masks. Around the second turn downward, we saw a mass of soft green toxic gas flooding the tunnel below. The rest of the Raffens lay there dying or dead, coughing up toxic Phlegm. If there were any more dangerous psychos below, they were gone now.
****************************
Fifteen minutes later
****************************
It took what felt like forever before we were able to find the entrance embedded in the rock. The door control panel was still active, which meant the power was still on. Sara, Terrence, Yannis and Alejo met up with us shortly after our engagement with the Raffen ended. They were all wearing their gas masks. Despite that, it was clear from his face that Alejo had never seen a dead body before, let alone a dozen of them. I tapped on Alex's shoulder, gesturing toward the kid.
"You okay, Princess? You're looking a little pale there." I teased him. Alex chuckled.
Alejo straightened up, putting on a brave face, "Fine." He lied. Not far behind him was Yannis, the ever-present assassin-turned caretaker. The grizzly scene didn't faze him, he smiled and tipped his hat to me.
"Alright, we need this door open. We can rest up once we are inside." Alex gestured for Alejo to work on bypassing the locks. Quantum encryption was his specialty of study; the kid was an excellent netrunner, which is why he was here. Alejo found a control panel and jacked in with his cybernetics. His eyes glowed blue as he bypassed the security. A pair of scanners popped out from the bedrock and started scanning us.
"Don't move. I'm almost done." Alejo said.
The scanners returned to their positions after the scan concluded. Alejo removed the link from the control panel. I could hear the locking mechanism shift. The bedrock rumbled and opened up slowly, revealing a well-lit, sterile hallway. Alex took point walking down the hallway, and I followed. The automated door at the end of the hallway opened up to a large multilevel complex. Militech's logo was visible from multiple angles. This facility had extensive living quarters, a cafe, bio labs of various hazard levels, a control room, and an armory. The power was still on, which meant that the automated security might be active as well. But so far, the security system remained docile. It seemed as though this lab was meant to be sealed for the long term.
Alex whistled, "Impressive. How much money do you think they spent building this place?"
"Too much, obviously," Sara said while taking off her mask. The air was clear in here, and the rest of us took off our masks.
The control room was a treasure trove of information. Internal corporate communications, research data, contacts, and other juicy finds. No doubt, HQ would be pleased with the results of the mission. All in a day's work. Alejo was working his magic, decrypting the data on the main terminal. Sara, Alex and Terrence were busy inspecting weapons in the armory. Lucky was still above ground, keeping watch over the mine entrance. It was just Yannis, Alejo, and me in the control room monitoring their progress.
I turned to look at the kid. He was busy typing away at the holographic keyboard. Alejo Pena, the son of a politically connected Colombian shipping magnate, was highly educated and spoiled rotten. Like a lot of rich kids, he never wanted for anything in this world, and yet here he was in an underground Militech facility, putting himself at risk for a mission that didn't concern him. Maybe that was the point. Alejo, who was in his 20s at the time, stood at around the same height as Alex, but that's where the comparisons end. He was slim with a boyish cherub face, caramel soft skin, brown eyes, longish black hair and silver EMP threading running from his eyes down his cheeks. He was a sexy little twink with an ass that defied the laws of physics. Fuck, I needed to be inside him again. If only I could get rid of Yannis.
I turned to my left. Yannis was leaning against the wall near the door. He seemed to be bored with the whole thing. Maybe I could use that.
"Alejo, how long is this gonna take exactly?" I asked, looking at him.
"I don't know. It could be a while; the encryption protocol is sophisticated. This is Militech after all." He said.
Yannis yawned. I turned to him. "Yannis, didn't you used to work for Militech?"
"SovOil," He said with a thick accent, "Pay not so good."
"At least they kept you supplied with good liquor." I laughed.
He smiled, "T'would be nice right now."
"Cafeteria's on the same level, maybe someone kept a stash?" I asked.
He smiled. In that moment, I got the sense he may have known what I was up to, "You two stay. If I find something, maybe, I let you know." Yannis chuckled and walked out of the room.
I wasn't quite sure how this was going to play out. We didn't have much time. I turned to look at Alejo, who was busily examining the data.
"So, Yannis seems nice," I said somewhat sarcastically.
Alejo sighed, "Yes, he is too nice. My parents are willing to send me on a dangerous mission like this, but insist on hiring a babysitter."
"They're just trying to keep you safe... So how long do you think we have?" I asked.
He turned to look at me, "I told you I don't know how long it will take t–"
"I'm not talking about the data. I think you know what I mean." I stood up and reached out to cup his cheek in my hand. He was startled and looked around to make sure no one was nearby.
"You want to do it, now?!"
"Yes, now. Before Yannis comes back." I pulled him in by the waist and kissed him. Our tongues danced as we made out right there in the control room. My greedy hands traveled down his back to grope his prodigious backside through his pants. He moaned into my mouth as I felt him relax. We broke our kissing off.
"Come on, let's go somewhere less exposed." I said.
There were very few private spaces available down here but we found some shower stalls next to the locker room. It wasn't long before we were naked and making out under the warm shower. We held each other close. My hands roamed over Alejo's muscled abs as he ran his fingers through my hair. His body was smooth, not even so much of a blemish compared to my worn skin. Alejo was slim, weighing about 140 lbs altogether, with much of that mass located in his bum. He moved his free hand down my torso to my pelvis and stroked my cock. His other hand explored my torso, his fingers hovering over scars from a previous battle.
"Fuck, it's been too long." He said. His eyes were bright with excitement.
"It's too bad we can't take our time. Probably best that I don't wear you out."
He raised an eyebrow, "Are you sure you have the energy for that, Abuelo?" He snickered.
I grabbed a handful of his silky black hair, yanking his head back to look at me. "Oh, you, better believe it." I grabbed his shoulders and him around, pushing him up against the wall. He turned to look over his shoulder, somewhat surprised. I landed a smack across his right ass cheek, causing him to yelp.
"Ohh! We're getting straight to it, huh?" He asked. I reached for a small bottle of lube and lathered a generous amount on my 10-inch python. Sounds of the water falling to the tile shower floor should drown out the noise we were about to make.
"No time for foreplay, I'm afraid." I lined my cock up to his back door and pushed in. He tensed up before relaxing as I buried my cock in his ass, inch by inch. At about halfway in, I paused to let him adjust my size. Alejo looked back at me and wiggled his ass. He looked incredibly sexy, soaking wet. I swatted his left cheek hard a few times; he winced and moaned.
I took a second to reposition before continuing to thrust my dick in and out of his tight ass, each time going deeper and deeper. Girly little moans escaped his lips, followed by a series of grunts. I leaned forward to gently bite on his right ear, sucking on his lobe. With my free hand, I held onto his shoulders as I bottomed out in his biopussy, with the other one I stroked his six-inch pecker. My lube palm must have felt amazing to him, because I could feel his heart beat quicken in the veins of his dick. Eventually, I started thrusting in and out of him, some real force. It always gave me a sick satisfaction to see him twitch and tense up when I buried myself deeper than he expected.
"Ah! Oh! AHH! Ah! Nng!" He turned to look at me over his shoulder. I slowed my pace, and I leaned in to kiss him. His wet hair smelled of flowers, like lavender. I pulled away from his lips to land more kisses on his neck. He suddenly twitched and reached down to stop me from jerking him off.
"Already?" I asked.
He nodded. His breathing was heavy. I grabbed his hips with both hands and started popping his ass with long, deep strokes. He cried out in surprise before covering his mouth with his hand, trying to stifle the grunts and moans. I loved watching his bulbous cheeks ripple from the force of my hips. We kept fucking like that for a few minutes. I could feel my bloated nuts aching from smacking against Alejo's smaller sack. The twink had started to spasm and convulse. He arched his back as the orgasm hit him like a tsunami.
"AHHH–," I brought my hand but to stifle his cry as he sprayed the stall wall with hot spunk. His insides pulsed and gripped my staff like a drunk wine mom giving a hand-job. Nevertheless, I kept pounding his prostate as his orgasm reached its peak and started to subside. I pulled him close to me. He was panting hard, trying to catch his breath, but I had other plans. I grabbed both of his wobbly legs and lifted him up into a Nelson position.
"Whaa? No, espera!"
"Too late." Before he could squirm, I began thrusting upward, mauling his guts with abandon. It felt like I was stabbing his guts with the strength and speed of my invasion. Alejo grunted and cursed like he was being ripped apart. My balls were practically boiling when I managed to loop my hands around the back of his neck, pinning his arms out of the way. I bit into his shoulder as I shoved my cock as deep in him as I could, one last time.
"Fffucckkkinngg!" I exclaimed. The explosive force of my cum spraying his insides felt like a gun going off. Volley after volley of cum filled his anal passage. Oh fuck, I needed that! I took in a few deep breaths and laughed before letting him down. He wobbled a little on his feet, so I held him close.
"Oh man, I'm going to be so sore tomorrow." He wined, rubbing a hand on his battered bum.
"Hey, that's how you know you had fun." I squirted some soap into my hand and lathered him up. "A little hangover after a party never hurt anyone."
Alejo looked at me, one eyebrow raised, "A little hangover?"
I smiled. 'I think I'm in love with this kid.' I thought to myself.
____________
Nearby
____________
Yannis hadn't been born yesterday, despite what those two may have thought. As he left the room, he had used his cybernetics to hack the camera and audio systems in the control room. He hadn't put two and two together until now. Alejo's request to have this particular ranger team accompany him on this mission was unusual, given the circumstances.
His family office was resistant at first until their contacts in the Texas government vouched for them. The family probably had no clue about their son's sexuality or why he actually wanted them here. Senor Pena would not be happy if he found out. He might even order Yannis himself to neutralize the ranger, Max; this could prove very useful. Already, the old Albanian was thinking of ways to leverage this information for his own personal gain.
To be continued...
