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Carlos Slim hinted that he wanted to hire us, and I accepted.

There was no reason to refuse money being offered.

Whatever Vicente Fox might give him in return for hiring mercenaries was his business.

I had my own things to gain, and I moved accordingly.

Ramos informed me that the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration had withdrawn the extradition request and relayed the American position to the Mexican government.

However, the Mexican government was giving a lukewarm response.

Whether it was because public sentiment had soured due to the sudden outbreak of cartel warfare, or for some other reason, I couldn’t tell.

“Mr. President. We meet again.”

In the meantime, I visited the presidential palace in Mexico.

“Yes. We meet again.”

A bitter smile appeared on the president’s face as he greeted me.

“First, Chairman Carlos Slim has commissioned Black Bear to eliminate the cartels.”

“That matter has already been settled with our government. I’ll be counting on you.”

“But are you sure about this? Even if the United States offers to handle the cartels, you’ve consistently opposed foreign military action on sovereignty grounds.”

The U.S. government had repeatedly expressed dissatisfaction with Mexico’s anti-cartel policies and suggested deploying special forces to wipe them out.

But both the PRI regime and President Fox, who came after, had refused.

“My position hasn’t changed. However, Black Bear is a mercenary company that fights for money, isn’t it? Since it will be operating at the request of our government, it shouldn’t be a major issue.”

It was little more than a convenient excuse, but I nodded anyway.

If he didn’t care, that worked just fine for me.

“You must minimize civilian casualties. If they become too high, our government will bear the responsibility.”

“We won’t target civilians deliberately. As you know, Black Bear has never massacred civilians in any conflict zone.”

Knowing how brutal mercenaries could become in warzones, I had made it clear that civilian harm had to be minimized.

Among PMCs, Black Bear was one of the most disciplined and caused the least civilian damage.

“I’ve heard that. But it’s not zero, is it?”

“When operations are underway, unavoidable situations arise. In those cases, even mercenaries have no choice. Or would you prefer evacuating all civilians?”

“That would be difficult. Even if the government urges evacuation, there’s no guarantee they’ll comply. And the cartels might not allow it. Some citizens might even prioritize cartel orders over the government.”

Cartels enjoyed immense popularity within their territories.

There were even underage kids who said their dream was to become cartel members.

“If civilians assist the cartels, we’ll have no choice but to use force against them.”

“...Just minimize the damage.”

“We will. And I’d like no restrictions on the use of our helicopters and equipment. Without modern support, our casualties could rise. From what we’ve seen, cartel equipment is far beyond what you’d expect from ordinary criminals.”

President Fox let out a deep sigh and pressed his forehead.

“We were surprised as well. To think they’d deploy armored vehicles...”

“Before more soldiers defect to Los Zetas, Black Bear will eliminate them decisively. This will show who the real specialists in warfare are. And all of it will be credited to your government. So I’d appreciate no restrictions on our equipment.”

I pressed the issue again.

After thinking it over, Fox nodded.

“Fine. But once the operation is over, all equipment must be withdrawn.”

“Of course.”

With operational autonomy secured, the last thing I needed from him was related to my deal with the Tijuana Cartel.

“And, as requested by the U.S. government, please release Francisco Rafael Arellano Félix.”

“...Hmm.”

“Even if released, he will step away from cartel business entirely. This is part of turning the Tijuana Cartel into a pro-government force. It’s not a difficult request. Benjamin would be another matter, but Rafael is already past his prime.”

Fox hesitated again. fɾeeweɓnѳveɭ.com

“No matter what, releasing him is still a burden for us.”

“You have a perfect justification—the United States. He’s already served over ten years because of them. Additional charges extended his sentence, and he was scheduled for extradition. But now the U.S. has withdrawn that request. The grounds are sufficient.”

Fox couldn’t respond immediately.

I pushed further.

“This operation must be limited to a battlefield between the Sinaloa Cartel and Los Zetas. If all cartels get involved, it becomes a burden for us. Show a conciliatory gesture. The Tijuana Cartel is tied to the legacy of Miguel Ángel Félix Gallardo. Even if weakened, that legitimacy still matters.”

“I’ll consider it.”

He deliberately avoided giving a clear answer.

“I’d like a decision before we enter Nuevo Laredo.”

I pressed him harder.

“I’ll try.”

“Not try. You must.”

“...Don’t push me too far.”

“I’m not pushing. I’m telling you reality. And... I’ll make sure your relationship with El Chapo never becomes public.”

Fox’s voice rose sharply.

“What are you implying, Charlie?!”

“You know better than I do.”

We had dug into his connections and gathered enough circumstantial evidence.

Not definitive proof—but more than enough to threaten him.

Still, I had no intention of fully playing that card.

“It can remain unknown. Once Guzmán dies, the truth dies with him.”

“....”

“I’ll be waiting for your answer. Now I’ll return and prepare the operation.”

I stood up, but Fox remained seated, staring at me.

He clearly wanted to ask how much I knew—but he didn’t.

It was all over his face.

“We discovered it by chance. Fewer than three people know. None of them are Mexican. I’ll take my leave.”

I exited the office.

Right outside, someone was waiting.

“Charlie.”

“Director? What brings you here?”

It was Genaro García Luna. His expression was urgent.

“If you’re not busy, we need to talk.”

I checked my watch.

“I have about thirty minutes.”

He led me into an empty office and shut the door, even closing the blinds.

“El Chapo has requested a meeting. Tomorrow—”

I cut him off.

“The deadline has already passed.”

“....”

“Director. A piece of advice—erase all evidence related to El Chapo while you still can. That’s your best chance for survival. Instead, meet the Tijuana Cartel.”

His expression twisted.

He had personally led operations against them. They were sworn enemies.

“Forget the past. Move forward together. If you propose a meeting, they’ll accept.”

“It won’t be easy to eliminate El Chapo and the Sinaloa Cartel. If we recruit him—”

“Director.”

I looked at him with clear disdain.

“Read the situation. The president, the government, and Carlos Slim have already decided to destroy Sinaloa. No matter how powerful he is, it doesn’t matter. All legitimate power wants him gone. He might hide for a few years—but how long can that last?”

He pushed back desperately.

“If he really hides, he can survive! Even now, if we align with him—”

“No. I will hunt him until he dies. Black Bear’s intelligence is on par with the Central Intelligence Agency. You’ll see his corpse soon enough.”

His face went pale.

“Director. You want to keep your position into the next administration, don’t you? Provide information on El Chapo. I’ll speak favorably about you to Carlos Slim.”

He said nothing.

“The money promised for arranging the meeting? That becomes El Chapo’s bounty. One hundred thousand dollars to whoever provides decisive intel.”

I patted his shoulder.

“Think it over. I’ll be waiting.”

I left him standing there.

* * *

Time passed quickly.

Over the next few days, I contacted Black Bear headquarters and requested reinforcements.

Two mercenary teams arrived, along with five helicopters and armored vehicles.

Preparation didn’t ⊛ Nоvеlιght ⊛ (Read the full story) take long, given our proximity to the U.S.

The mercenaries moved to seal off Nuevo Laredo.

I established the operations headquarters in Monterrey.

The U.S. deployed DEA and CIA units to Laredo across the border to block any escape.

Inside the command room, a large corkboard displayed photos of El Chapo and key leaders of Sinaloa, alongside Heriberto Lazcano and his command structure.

“This operation is not about capture. It’s about elimination.”

Manager Ma’s words made me nod.

“Good. Let’s wipe them all out. We can’t risk our men dying trying to capture them.”

“Yes. Intelligence reports that other cartel members are also present in Nuevo Laredo. Castro is asking what to do with them.”

“If we eliminate all cartels, it could disrupt our plan.”

“Send a message. They have until tomorrow to withdraw. If they stay and suffer losses, they can’t blame me.”

“Yes, understood.”

After further briefings, I concluded:

“The operation begins in two days. Midnight entry into Nuevo Laredo. Before that, have intelligence locate Los Zetas’ main base.”

“Yes, boss.”

“And Director Luna hasn’t contacted us?”

“No.”

El Chapo wasn’t in Nuevo Laredo.

A shame—but it couldn’t be helped.

“First, we eliminate Los Zetas. Then we move on the Sinaloa Cartel.”

Manager Ma bowed and left.

I slowly stood, took Lazcano’s photo, and pinned it to a dartboard.

Then I threw.

The dart struck cleanly between his eyes.

Two days later—

the mercenaries entered Nuevo Laredo.