Praetorians

Driving an inconspicuously dated van which appears vaguely ill in repair but with the engine that purrs ~

Lynx - Driving with Voice next to her in the front, Warden and Jackal in the back.  "So.  We're already friends and you're already friends ... "

Warden - "So to speak."

Lynx - "Right."  Eyeroll.  "Well that's why he teamed us with us and you with you, but why did he team you with us ?"

Jackal - "All standard issue grunts."

Voice - "Lots of that to go around.  What's up with you two."

Jackal - Smiles away from Warden, "I'm all you need.  He's just here because I'm on 'work release'.  And they needed someone to hold the leash."

Warden - "And save his ass regularly, as I did in the prison.  But we're friends, so to speak, because I agree with what he did, on a moral level.  Not so sure about how he did it though ... "

Voice - "Ooo."  To Jackal, "And what did you do ?"

Warden - "Classified."

Jackal - "But he sure as fuck had it coming."

Warden - "Fuck yeah."  Hard bones.

...

Lynx - Adjusts the mirror to her eyes directly on Warden, "Okay.  What's said in the van is classified.  It does not leave this van.  Swear it on your oath."  Moves the mirror to Jackal's eyes.

Jackal - "On my dead brothers."

Warden - "On his dead brothers."

...

Warden - "And my tags.  Whatcha got."

...

Lynx - Adjusts the mirror to normal, "So did we.  Except we actually got away with it."

Voice - Smiles back at Jackal, "Dumbass."

Jackal - Smiles back, "We can  assume by that you're here, that you did not.  But that the chief just happens to agree with what you did.  On his ... 'moral level'."

Lynx - "He wasn't gonna get away with it."

Voice - "We want to know how he knew."

Warden - "So we know who else might."

Chief - On the radio and scaring the fuck out of them, "No one alive.  I put you four together for no particular reason but instinct.  Felt right so I let it fly, and Warden is there, Jackal, because he is a literal brick shit-house."

Warden - "That is true."

Chief - "And because he always gets his man."

Warden smiles over to Jackal's roll of the eyes. 

Chief - "And good hunting.  I'm turning this fucking thing off.  Annoying.  Call it in when you're done or you're dead."  Static out.

...

Voice - "Wait.  Does ... that mean he did already know or that he didn't already know."

... they wait for a sound ...

Jackal randomly bursts out laughing uncontrollably until Warden shocks him again. "Hmm."  A snicker and a look out the window.

~ Praetorians ~

Credits as the van passes the people walking like it's to the rhythm, until here and there as they drive along, they're all starting to dance as the van passes.

Poking their way through the marketplace pedestrians twirling across as though it were nothing, then toward the city's edge.  A salute from all before the police car is seen, then all to normal and the music cuts out.
________________

A head from behind watches Ghost leave the coffee shop, pulls the phone and texts, "got him"

Still seen from behind, he leaves the shop and drops the phone in the passing trash.  Elsewhere in the world another sends another message.  

Images across the web encoding that information in ways only those who already know will understand.  References to ghosts and hauntings, references to things crossing over.  An article with a decorative pic of a coin flipping, tourist services to Guadalajara.

Around the world the suits see the screen and pass another message to another and another, all branching out into a network like a web across the world.

Emilio drives while Libra eats chocolate in that same shitty truck, now painted shitty white with and sprayed with dirt, both in civilian clothes.

Libra - "So what's up with the armor thing ?"

Emilio - "Prototype dragon-scale designed for the American military.  But it was debatably too expensive to make in mass production at twenty-five g's a pop, so their soldiers never saw them.  Mine was a demonstration model."

Libra - "Nice.  How'd you score it ?"

Emilio - "It was my specific fee, to be paid in advance, for a high fire solo infiltration.  Requisitioned so to speak, to be repaired upon completion."

Libra - "And ?"

Emilio - "And I was the god of death for a day."

Libra - "Ha !  Those are the good ones."

Emilio - "What about you what's your thing ?"

Libra - "Psychological infiltration like Monroe, but not by the same means.  I saw she picked you up you didn't sleep with her.  Neither did Joe.  I've never worked with her but I do know of her.  We're like the exact opposite sides of the classic female infiltration model."

Emilio - "Between you it covers a lot of territory."

Libra - "It's actually why we've never worked together.  Purely redundant."

Emilio - "But you don't sleep with them."

Libra - "No, I study them.  And I let them want to be studied.  I make them feel interesting, which would immediately cease upon sleeping with them.  It's a lot like being a reporter.  So what do you usually just ... walk in and shoot ?"

Emilio - "Honestly, yes.  That's ... what they call me for."

Libra - "But you're interested in expanding your repertoire."

Emilio - "Ah.  That's what you do."

Libra - "That's what I do.  It is genuine curiosity, I'm a curious person.  But right now it concerns the chief.  I think he agrees you're capable of more or you wouldn't be here with me in civi clothes instead of armor.  How's it feel ?"

Emilio - "I'm honestly kind of loving it, I have so many tiny pistols on me right now you have no idea."

Libra - "I fucking love my tiny pistols.  Need a light ?"

Emilio - "Got my own ... including the pack."

Libra - "Half my make-up and the bag itself."

Emilio - "Belt buckle."

Libra - "Cleavage piece."

Emilio - "Under each forearm."

Libra - "Child's play.  My heel's are fucking shotguns."

Emilio - "No shit ?"

Libra - "I can do a full splits hand-stand."

Emilio - "This will be required viewing."

Libra - "Hardcore lesbian."

Emilio - "Gay as fuck."

~ High fives.

Emilio - "I just don't think you can do that."

They drive sight-line from the outdoors cafe slowing down a bit, special guard at the gate to the seating with a metal detector and surprised guests, in the truck they burst out laughing.
____

Joe - Over the monitors huddled with many of the rest, watching the street-cam feed while the chief laughs evil ... "You're a mean old man."

They unload it all to the duffel all of the above mentioned and a few other things, though really the silenced pistols were the thing.  While in the cafe the governor appears nervously defiant, surrounded by guards.
________________

Governor - In Spanish at the cafe, "Can anyone even tell me who the Hell, this 'Carlos' Even Is !?"

On entering they act as the rest do, startled with a nervous laugh at the metal detector and armed guards then shooing away as though a bit scared.  To the table then set for them an order of coffees and menu request.

Libra - From a glance to the governor on the phone, "Well what do you think ?"

Emilio - "Wondering why it's not a good sniper gig, look at this fucker hanging out here in the open like this."

Libra - "No proper angle in this neighborhood, his security at least thought that far.  And it's election year he's got something to prove.  'Tough on cartels'."

Emilio - "There's a short life span."

Libra - "Exactly.  Good for votes but then no one's surprised.  We think the ones we hunt set him up for a hit to shut him up.  Knows things, but they don't give a fuck about this town."

Emilio - "So their cover's already in play for us, leaving it to the lieutenant governor.  How's he ?"

~ LG - With tears in his eyes, "Anything."

Libra - "The chief chose this town well.  Surrounded by cartel in a circle of protection that give every reason for any random acts of violence we need."

Emilio - "The perfect FOB."
____

Chief - "I actually chose it because it's where the party was at."

Agent Corvallis - "Good enough for me."  Turns to leave.
____

Libra - "Seriously though, how are we gonna kill this guy ?"

Emilio - "There was no particular plan on your end ?"

~ Chief - To Libra, "So I want you to kill this guy."

Libra - "Non specific."

~ Chief - To Emilio, "Just try to enjoy yourself."

Emilio - "Same here."

Libra - "Well we've got silverware."

Emilio - "Steaks it is."  The menus arrive, the nods and smiles til departed.  "How long do you think before the effects of their plan reaches here."

Libra - "Maybe never.  Keeping the local signals cleared of it is why we need full control.  America's fucked though, and so is Europe.  Riots everywhere, Russia too.  The Korea's are at war ... I don't think either will survive."

Emilio - "Destroy themselves and calling it conquest, leaving everywhere without them the safest place in the world."

Libra - "That's why Russia's been networking in removed places.  We tap theirs next."

~ They order.

Emilio - "What about China ?"

Libra - "They don't fight wars, they make the bullets everyone else needs to win them.  It's how it's been for literally seven hundred years.  Suffice to say they've closed their borders.  No one even knows."

Emilio - "Damn.  So this really is it then."

Libra - "It is."

They note the governor walking with four security and joining the two more with his family at the table."

Emilio - "Jesus he's got his kids with him."

Libra - "That's why I'm here, scaring children is my specialty."

Emilio - "That's what they say ... but I was hoping it was just a thing they say."

Libra - "They say a lot of things."

Emilio - "Kill any ?"

Libra - "One.  Teenager if that counts.  Followed in daddy's footsteps.  Industry cultists."

Emilio - "Heard about them."

Libra - "Everything they say is true.  See the two children there ?  There were very briefly once three.  Called it a miscarriage."

Emilio - "Jesus.  So why did they team us up ?  Any one of us could do this hit.  You I get but why me ?"

Libra - "You tell me, you're a friendly.  If you ever want to talk, I'm here and you have my word I won't fuck with you.  Clearly I'm not gonna judge you."

Emilio - "You actually make that sound reasonable."

~ They get their steaks and knives.

Libra - "Therapy paid the bills.  Three of my targets were clients, including that kid.  Must have thought he was talking to a priest telling me all that shit.  Here we go."

They watch the two children escorted by two security inside.