We Are War

2. I shot a guy and I liked it

While working on multiple missions in the Middle East, and sometimes on the immortal war zones, Valentine had come to know many gun smugglers, there was always someone who could get you something before you went in. It was a lucrative business, big money went around in those circles – and other forms of payment such as holy and unholy artefacts and voodoo poisons, but it was also a good chance to form some relationships, the more people you know who worked in the grey area of life – the more people you had to go to when the things got rough. Many of the warrior angels, young and old didn't necessarily understand it; gun smugglers after all were a breed who would deal guns to anyone who paid, whether the payer was a demon or an angel, and keeping onto one side of the war (the right side) was more important to the angels than creating good relations around the world. Valentine was always frowned upon when he formed connections with these people, but he didn't care, speaking to the smugglers of all trades was the reason why after being asked for help Valentine immediately knew where to go to and who to go to.

He had met Seti Schwarz six years ago in Africa, it had been before one of his trips to the immortal war zone, and he had needed real weapons to use. Of course usually when Valentine went into any war or fight he usually would fight as a wolf, he was strong in his human form – he could easily keep up with the angels he worked with, but being a wolf was liberating. He would happily charge into the crowd and bite into any flesh he could, he would take out any anger and any frustration on the poor opponent that happened to end up on his path, he would always come back pink with the blood on his white fur. But he had learned already as a child from his dad he should always have measures in place to safe keep his life if he wasn't in his wolf form. So he would always have weapons at hand, usually he had a short sword, or knives - depending on the situation he sometimes had a gun with him as well. And if someone knew guns and what to sell it was Seti. The man was half elf, definitely nothing like they portrayed in the movies, how elves were fair and beautiful, spoke in wise words and had a long hair. Seti was tanned, he had spent many hours in the sun that much was for sure, his human side was from somewhere middle Europe – he spoke with a faint Austrian accent, he had tattoos, he wore nothing but metal t-shirts and black jeans, he looked nothing like an elf. Also he had an ear piercing and septum piercing, very elvish. But whereas the man looked rough and often he had that type of pissed off resting face, where he always looked upset, he was both kind and friendly, something Valentine had learned very quickly after working with the man to find the right equipment he could carry around as a wolf and/or magical enough to keep on him even if he shifted back and forth. If Valentine ever needed anything fast he would go to meet the man, like now.

And Seti was also suicidal, which was big bonus when it came to meddling with the immortal business.

The man was based in Tijuana, Mexico – in the busy city of crime, immigrants and US border right by its side, it was never a quiet day there and for as much as Valentine had been able to gather the business was working well from the Mexican side. Americans would come in and grab their gear from there before moving to their posts, it was the same with immortals and anyone who happened to need to get their hands on a gun in an easy way. Less people who cared of what you did, the crime rate was so high the law enforcement had no interest in keeping an eye on one guy selling couple of illegal guns here and there. And Seti had a lot of immortal customers, he had the means to pay off cops and have a friend here and there to make sure no one would hassle him. It was also easy for Valentine to acquire the right paperwork and the flights to Tijuana on an hour's notice, he had the funds of the angels – which was pretty damn nice to be honest and he knew he deserved it. Where the actual salesman shifted around the city from time to time, but again Valentine's connections were able to pinpoint him a location. He found the half elf at a rather nice local café with double shot of espresso in his hand and the man smiled as he saw Valentine enter the shop.