McDonald Array - Divide and Conquer

As the graphic image of the Colonel’s head exploding on live TV hit the screen, he preyed to God that his uncle was not the gunman and it was some rogue imbecile that had killed the American officer. However, he knew deep in his heart that his prayers would not be answered favorably. It was exactly the type of insane stunt his uncle would pull.

“Oh fuck!” exclaimed Sean as he witnessed the killing.

Katie looked up and caught the body hitting the ground. All she cared about in the world was her son and the pictures on the screen were not of a young boy. She turned and buried her head further into the sofa, wishing everybody would leave and her son and Sean were back home and everything was back to normal. Something she knew life would never happen.

Sean stole a look at Katie, he wanted to help her, needed to help her. But he knew the last thing she wanted at that time was help from a man whom she had thought was her husband miraculously arisen from the grave.

He looked at Luis and from the look on his face, he knew things had just got even worse. “Your uncle?”

Luis didn’t even think before nodding. “Probably!” his eyes glued to the continuing coverage of the soldiers being killed.

“Fuck!!” repeated Sean with more conviction.

As the screen showed the lonely body of Colonel Masters abandoned in the middle of the Juarez-Lincoln International Bridge, Sean considered what he had just witnessed and the implications. Two things were obvious, the border was going to be shut for some time and Luis’ uncle was a fucking good shot.

“Jesus H Christ!!” exclaimed the Governor. It had been less than half an hour since he had spoken with the Colonel.

“Governor, what are you going to do?” came numerous shouts as the press in the room remembered their purpose.

The Governor just stared at the monitor and the man whom he had ordered to defend the honor of his state and country. The somber picture would grace many front pages that morning. Without a word, he stepped away from the monitor and began to push his way through the crowd that had gathered.

“What are you going to do, Mr Governor?” The shouts became louder and more insistent as he reached the double doors he had so nearly exited a few very different minutes earlier. He had insisted, despite Masters’ concerns that they make a big show of the National Guard. It hadn’t been needed of course. The police and border guards were more than capable of closing and securing the crossings in a far less ostentatious way. Eight fucking guardsmen. When that became public, he’d be a laughing stock.

One thing was for certain. Whoever the fucker was that had cost him the presidency was going to pay. It was a defiant Governor that turned to face the press.

“Gentlemen…Ladies,” he nodded to the two female reporters.

“I am going to make a call to our President and insist that we retaliate with the utmost force and speed to ensure that the perpetrators of this heinous crime are brought to justice.”

The Governor’s jaw wavered as he spoke, the anger and emotion clear for all to see.

“And when I say justice,” he looked directly into one of the main networks cameras. “I mean I will not rest until those murdering motherfuckers are dead!” he pointed violently towards the monitor depicting the scene on the bridge before turning and leaving the room.

When Sean’s cell phone began to ring just a few minutes after the governor’s speech, he wasn’t surprised it was Vincent. Although, as he thought about it, nobody else had his number, so it really couldn’t have been anyone else.

What did surprise him was the subject of the call. It was nothing to do with his request for the IMEI and SIM card numbers. Although with Luis sitting on the sofa opposite him, he would have to cancel that request as somewhat surplus to requirements.

“Sean, how are you?”

“I’ve got a new bullet wound!” replied Sean jovially.

“That’s nice,” replied Vincent, uninterested, his mind obviously elsewhere. “I’ve just had the President on the phone!”

Sean looked at the TV screen and the banner. 'Governor calls for death of murderers’. This seriously could not be happening to him. Why had he not just gone to the beach.

“Are you still in Laredo?”

“Yes and just been shot again!”

Vincent only heard the word 'yes’.

“Excellent. I told the President I had a man on location and we’d start hunting down these fuckers straight away!”

“Whoa, you do not have a man on the scene. For you to have a man on the scene would suggest you have an agent on the scene. You know a man at the rough location of the scene,” clarified Sean.

“Whatever,” he really wasn’t taking no for an answer. “Your country needs you Sean. We need to find these fuckers and bring home a world of hurt to them!”

“I have a boy to get back to his Mom and then I am hitting the beach. This is not my fight.”

“Neither is the boy but it’s the right thing to do, Sean. That’s what you do. You do the right thing!” argued Vincent very well.

“I’m sorry V,” replied Sean, the memories of two years earlier played hard on Sean. He would never forgive the man for letting him and his men down.

“I’ll have a team there in four hours. They’ll take over, I just don’t want the trail to go cold. Please Sean, we can’t let these bastards get away with this. We need to find them.”

Sean realized things were about to get seriously out of control. The team Vincent referred to was probably at least a C130 full of ex-Special Forces who would have just one order, do whatever it takes to get the bastards that killed our soldiers. Katie’s son, the son of a drug dealer being in peril would not make the best case for restraint.

“I’ll deal with it,” he said with some conviction.

“Sorry?” replied Vincent, taken aback at the speed of Sean’s U-turn.

“I’ll deal with it! You don’t need to send a team.”

“Did you see what happened?! How on earth are you going to deal with it on your own?”

“Because I already know who did it!”

Between Luis realizing what Sean had just said and Vincent screaming “you what??!!” in his ear, Sean struggled to know who to address first. He held his palm up to Luis. He needed to stop Vincent sending a team. He knew he’d never stop the military coming but at least they would stay within the US, whatever had happened, the US and Mexico would not be going to war. At least not unless Sean failed to calm the situation down. Whereas Vincent’s team could only operate outside the US and as such, Nuevo Laredo would be turned upside down and Katie’s son would be written off as collateral damage.

“I know who did it!”

“Were you there?” asked Vincent incredulous at Sean’s assertion.

“No.”

“So how can you possibly know?”

Sean stopped himself from telling Vincent about Luis and his uncle. Vincent would easily link them all together with the SIM and IMEI number Sean had given him earlier. Sean would not put it past Vincent or the Government to send a few cruise missiles in retaliation, ensuring Katie would most definitely be losing her son.

“Trust me, I’ll deal with it,” replied Sean through gritted teeth.

“The team will be there in four hours,” confirmed Vincent, not willing to move on sending his team.

“They’ll be an hour too late!” replied Sean ending the call.

As Sean lowered the phone Luis exploded. “What the fuck are you doing?”

“Saving the boy!”

“Not by giving them my uncle you’re not!” he spat. “You’re guaran-fucking-teeing his death!” He grabbed his mobile and began to dial.

Between Vincent and Luis putting pressure on an already precarious situation, Sean had had enough.