The Sergeant and His Flower 🌼 (Soap MacTavish × Reader)

15.

Rodolfo led a group of 3 black trucks through the streets of Las Almas. It didn't take them long to get from the base to the city, maybe about a ten minute drive.

Although it wasn't a long drive, it definitely wasn't the quickest one Theresa had. She was sat in between Soap and Ghost in the car, and she had to keep her arms in tight to her side so they'd all fit. It wasn't necessarily uncomfortable, just a bit awkward. Especially since she and Soap hadn't spoken about what had happened in her office.

She looked out his window a lot throughout the drive, and she caught him looking at her every once in a while, and she smirked at him, to which he'd wink at her.

Eventually, a truck passed by them, alerting Soap.

"White truck, four armed in the back." He said quickly, reaching for his gun, making Theresa do the same.

Alejandro noticed and motioned his hand for them to relax.

"Hey - tranquilo. Easy - that's normal here."

"Guns on the street is jurisdiction of the police." He told them, turning back around.

"Where are the police?" Ghost asked, is head almost tilted a bit.

"Well, Las Almas has a very serious problem. There are few here to uphold the law. And many of those who resist corruption... Disappear."

Soap cocked his head to the side while Theresa's eyes widened.

"What about the military?" He asked with a raised eyebrow.

Alejandro was very animated in his descriptions, moving his head a lot, sometimes using his hands.

"Well, because we are well trained, soldiers are recruited by the narcos.." 

"Why not you?" Ghost asked quickly.

"We grew up here." He said simply, turning his head to Rodolfo and smiling at him. "They call us Los Vaqueros.."

"Cowboys." Theresa finished.

"Very good." Alejandro confirmed, nodding his head at the girl.

"We love this place. And we will die fighting for it." He said, turning his head back at the three.

They drove past a balloon stand, where two masked gunmen for the cartel were patrolling, next to a woman and child getting a balloon from the stand owner.

Soap looked back at them as they drove past, looking over at Theresa, then to Ghost, and back to Theresa again.

"Kids, guns and balloons... That's a new one." He said, a twinge of anger in his voice.

"Narcos use generosity to win over the people." Alejandro told them, turning his head back again.

"Even the children?" Theresa asked, already knowing the answer.

"Especially the children.." Rodolfo chimed, looking through the wing mirror.

They stopped moving for a moment, and to the side of the road was crime-scene tape with clothes over two bodies. It almost made Theresa shiver.

"What's under those sheets?" Soap asked, noticing Theresa's uneasiness and placing a supportive hand on her thigh.

"Narcomantas..." He started, his gaze fixed on the sheets.

"Cartel cloths." Rodolfo finished, still heavily focused on the road in front of them. Both of them using somber tones of voices.

"Messages from El Sin Nombre. Warnings, marking territory." He said, his eyes not moving from the sheets. "Our streets are laced with death." He said once Rodolfo started driving again.