While receiving help from the DEA, I had made one promise—to return the favor soday.
I had never once broken a promise I made. It was a matter of trust.
And knowing that, it crossed my mind that this might have been exactly what the United States intended.
They wanted to divert even a fraction of my attention away from the Eurasian railway.
Without in the picture, China and Russia wouldn’t be able to move in such tight coordination.
While I was tied up in xico, the U.S. would buy ti and go all-in on its diplomatic offensive.
“This won’t be easy.”
Even with the United States pouring everything into eliminating the xican drug cartels, they hadn’t managed to significantly weaken them.
There was no way I could completely solve it either.
Still, I began investigating the cartels in detail.
The deeper I dug, the clearer it beca just how badly the U.S. had mishandled things.
Their only goal had been eradication—there had been no thought of control whatsoever.
If control had been possible, the flow into the U.S. could at least have been regulated.
“Trying to block it entirely was never going to work in the first place.”
The U.S. itself had once implented Prohibition.
The side effects of that policy were countless.
Mafias that had previously lingered in the shadows, limited to protection rackets and extortion, had jumped into the bootlegging business—and their power had exploded beyond reason.
Cri wasn’t sothing you could eliminate simply by declaring war on it.
If anything, it was better for soone to step in and manage it to a certain extent—both politically and realistically.
“Why are there so many damn organizations?”
After a major cartel leader was arrested, the once-unified organization had splintered into multiple factions.
Since then, conflicts had erupted across xico, and new groups had seized the opportunity to rise.
“Even counting just the major groups, there are about ten. Including smaller ones, around fifty.”
“That’s correct, Boss.”
Before heading to xico, I filtered through potential contacts with Ma Seokdae.
We eliminated the ones not worth eting.
Even then, there were about four major organizations left.
“What about backing a smaller group instead of dealing with the established ones?”
Ma shook his head.
“That could tie us down in xico for far too long.”
“Still, if we support them properly, it might be a viable strategy.”
“Drug cartels are different from other criminal organizations. They’ll stab you in the back at any {N•o•v•e•l•i•g•h•t} mont. That’s why many of them don’t trust their own n and hire rcenaries instead.”
That was true.
One of the more shocking things I’d learned was that cartel leaders often hired rcenaries to protect themselves and their families.
Not all of them did, but many did.
Major PMC firms avoided such contracts, but smaller ones accepted them without hesitation.
No matter how skilled cartel mbers were, they couldn’t compare to professional rcenaries.
“Then we’ll adapt on the ground.”
“Understood.”
“What about the rcenaries we requested from Black Bear?”
“They said it would take so ti. They’ll prioritize xican nationals, but if there aren’t enough, they’ll fill the remaining spots with South Aricans.”
It wasn’t ideal, but it was understandable.
Igor, currently in Africa, couldn’t leave.
With Conte newly elected president and consolidating military power, pulling Igor out would destabilize the situation imdiately.
And xico was a closed environnt—local rcenaries were essential.
“They’re forming a new team by gathering deployed personnel. They said everything will be ready in about a month.”
“Good. We’ll be ready by then as well.”
* * *
A month passed quickly.
Through prior coordination with the DEA and the xican governnt, we secured permission for the rcenaries to enter and operate with equipnt.
Black Bear assembled a team of fifty Spanish-speaking rcenaries.
The DEA assigned one agent to accompany us.
Including my Korean security team, about eighty personnel headed to xico.
We landed in xico City.
The Black Bear team had already arrived, secured a residence, and fortified it like a fortress.
“Charlie?”
A man called out to at the arrivals hall.
After showing his credentials to my guards, he approached.
“You must be Agent Cage Ramos.”
“Yes. Welco to xico.”
“Your English is excellent.”
“I’m Arican. How’s your Spanish?”
“I can manage conversation, but reading is tough.”
“That’s good enough.”
He nodded, satisfied.
“Good enough?”
“Cartel mbers won’t even deal with you if you don’t speak Spanish. Funny, right?”
“I understand. Every group has its own culture.”
“You’re less prejudiced than I expected.”
I smiled slightly.
“Prejudice is the most dangerous thing there is. I don’t put much trust in other people’s judgnts.”
“That’s a good approach. DEA headquarters often ignores my opinions. They portray cartel bosses as demons, but they’re still people you can talk to.”
Hearing a DEA agent speak almost favorably about cartels was... unexpected.
Noticing my look, Ramos quickly clarified.
“Don’t misunderstand. I hate cartels. I just know they can’t be completely eliminated.”
“Let’s move. We can talk on the way.”
We got into the prepared vehicles.
“Boss, we’ll head to the residence first,” Ma reported.
I nodded.
“No other appointnts today except eting the president this afternoon, right?”
“Correct.”
“Then let’s go.”
More than ten vehicles departed the airport in formation.
“xico City is relatively safe, right?”
“Yes. Only xico City. Everywhere else, cartel threats are constant.”
I continued questioning Ramos.
“What’s the president’s stance on the cartels?”
“Hardline. But I think it was a rash decision.”
“Why?”
“After the godfather Miguel Ángel Félix was captured, the cartels were evenly divided under his structure. But when the governnt intervened abruptly, conflict erupted. If you’re not prepared to eliminate them completely, you shouldn’t start at all.”
“And the president’s ties to the cartels?”
Ramos hesitated.
“Do you want my personal opinion, or what’s publicly known?”
“Your personal assessnt.”
“...I believe he receives support from them.”
That made sense.
In a country like xico, you couldn’t maintain power without so level of cartel backing.
“Why do you think so?”
“No matter how much pressure the U.S. applies, major figures are rarely extradited. The ones sent over are small fry.”
Ramos continued explaining his reasoning at length.
“I see.”
“Don’t trust President Fox.”
“I don’t trust people in general. In xico, I don’t plan to trust anyone. Not even you.”
“Smart.”
He didn’t react at all to that statent.
“How long have you been here?”
“I was born in xico, immigrated to the U.S. as a child, then got assigned here after joining the DEA. It’s been about ten years.”
“Have you ever faced a life-threatening situation?”
“No. Cartels don’t touch DEA agents. Unless things get desperate.”
Apparently, after a brutal killing of a DEA agent in the past triggered U.S. retaliation, it beca an unspoken rule not to touch them.
By the ti we finished talking, we had arrived at the residence.
“Welco. We’ve been expecting you.”
Black Bear rcenaries were lined up at the entrance.
After brief greetings, I asked:
“Who’s in charge?”
A man stepped forward.
“Marcelo Castro. I’ll be leading the team.”
“xican?”
“Yes. Born in Chihuahua.”
That region was ho to the Juárez cartel’s stronghold.
“Let’s go inside.”
I brought Ramos and Castro in.
“Get acquainted. You’ll be working together while we’re in xico.”
Then I got straight to the point.
“I plan to et all four major cartel bosses.”
Ramos frowned.
“You an Juárez, Gulf, Sinaloa, and Tijuana?”
“You’re well-inford.”
Those four controlled most of the drug flow into the U.S.
“We don’t even know their exact locations.”
“Don’t worry. I know soone who does.”
“Soone?”
Ramos looked puzzled, but I had no intention of explaining.
I turned to Castro.
“We’ll discuss that later. Today I’m eting the president. Starting next week, we move out to contact the cartels. Be fully prepared.”
“Understood, Boss.”
“In xico City, my Korean security team will handle protection. Outside the city, your role becos critical.”
Despite his relaxed appearance, Castro answered sharply.
“We’ll be ready.”
“Equipnt?”
“All secured. Thanks to negotiations between the U.S. and xico, we brought in most of what we need.”
“Good. I’ll rely on you.”
“You can count on it.”
Satisfied, I turned to Ramos.
“You can monitor if you want. But do your job properly.”
He seed slightly taken aback.
“I know why the DEA assigned you. You’ve been ordered to report daily, haven’t you?”
“That’s... true, but...”
“Report everything as it is. But if you interfere, I’ll leave you behind.”
“That’s not up to .”
“Then discuss it with your headquarters. I don’t want unnecessary conflict. Let’s just do our jobs.”
“...Understood.”
Clean acceptance. Definitely soone experienced in the field.
I checked the ti. It was almost ti to et the president.
“I’ll et the president and return. In the anti, contact your headquarters and find out how much autonomy you actually have. You’re not planning to follow there, are you?”
“No. I’ll wait.”
I stood up and headed out with a reduced security detail toward the presidential palace in the city center.
“Welco, Charlie.”
The President of xico greeted .
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