scars do heal

7. chicago after dark

Four days later.

"Just tell us where the missile is, Valeria!" Alejandro was growing tiresome of Valeria's games. You had all been in this shipping container for hours now. Hours. Most of you had needed to step outside at times when it grew too hot to be in the room. Now you just resorted to keeping the door open to let a little air flow in.

You had resorted to sitting against the container's interior facing Valeria, with Soap on your left. You fanned yourself with one had, fanning Soap occasionally when he nudged your leg with his arm.

"I told you...I don't have it," the woman sat in the same chair Hassan had sat in days earlier said, shrugging her shoulders nonchalantly. "I can't help you, Vargas."

"Don't-!" Alejandro stopped himself, hearing his voice raise several octaves and containing himself. "Don't lie to me, Valeria. You have it. Hassan told us you do."

"Oh, all chummy with Hassan now, are we?" She rolled her eyes. "Working together to get the missile back or something, huh? Then go fucking talk to him about it."

"He's dead." Valeria looked to you as you lifted your head. "And his last words were that you stole his missile straight out of his facility. So you can't sit there and lie," you stood up, Soap watching as you slowly made your way over to Valeria, crouching in front of her. "We're in no fucking mood for games." Nobody else spoke, everyone just had their eyes on you. Your tone felt dangerously low and calm. It felt even more dangerous than Alejandro's shouts of anger. "Tell us where the missile is. Or this is gonna end really badly for you, Valeria." she met your eye the entire time, her breathing calm and steady, but a pang of fear flashed in her eye for a split second when she registered the look on your face.

She took a second to find an answer.

"He's really dead?" She asked you, not casting a single look at any of the men in the room.

You nodded. "I killed him myself."

Valeria cocked an eyebrow before looking around the room and back to you. "Chicago." Alejandro stood up straight and everyone leaned forward as she continued. "My men took the missile to Chicago. We were never going to detonate it, we just wanted leverage on Hassan. He took my weapons, my equipment, killed some of my men. I wanted justice for that and for my people."

"I understand that." you said solemnly. "When we get the missile, we'll give you the location to his main base." Looking over to Price, you watched him nod once for approval before you turned back to Valeria. "When I was there, I saw a bunch of weapons stockpiled in one of the backrooms. Nothing that Hassan's men had ever used, so I'm assuming it's yours. You can go there, take back your stuff, whatever you want."

"I give you the missile...you give me the facility?" Valeria was not expecting a negotiation out of this conversation. But she had no use for the missile anymore. If anything, it would put a target on her back from both government and other terrorist groups alike. She liked you. You were a woman of business. Just like her.

"Deal?" You cocked your head, holding out an outstretched palm. Valeria smirked slightly before taking your hand and shaking it firmly.

"Deal."

You stood up and Alejandro motioned for Valeria to follow them out of the container. You all walked towards the briefing tent and Price quickened his steps to match your pace. "That was some good work back there, rook," he muttered to you, quiet enough so no one else heard. "Good job."

"Thank me when we actually find this missile," you shrugged it off, keeping a watchful eye on Valeria. She agreed to help, sure. But you thought back to what Alejandro said; she's sneaky. You didn't trust her fully. But you trusted her morals for her people enough.