Chapter 257: The Walls are Closing In
Nina sat in her room staring at her feet, while Alex pulled out some food that he had purchased on the way to her dorm room. The young hacker whose extraordinary skills allowed her to evade the Cartels, despite ruthlessly hacking into their systems and aiding Alex in their downfall, was now all but helpless as she sat in a state of total anxiety.
For starters, Nina was not what one might call a people person. Her only friends were online, and she had never allowed a boy into her room before. For a man to be sitting in her room, across from her while pulling out food, which he intended to share with her. It was both an alien and honestly terrifying situation.
Alex, of course, was all too aware of the girl’s introverted and was quick to force a conversation.
“I honestly don’t know what you like. So I got a little bit of everything. Do you have any allergies I should be aware of?’
Obviously, Alex already knew the answer to this. After all, the system alerted him to such matters regarding heroines and potential ailments they might have suffered . But despite this, he still asked. After all, he didn’t want to come off as inconsiderate to the girl, who was already terrified of strangers, and disliked men like Alex.
Nina was so frightened by Alex that her nails dug into her armrests, something which Alex saw and chuckled at before expressing that he meant her no harm.
“Alright, fine, I’ll have a bite first. You are honestly a bit too paranoid, do you know that?”
Alex then took a bite into the burrito, and swallowed it, showing that it was not at all poisoned or tainted in any way, before he then handed the food to the anxious college student. Nina stared at the burrito, which had a large bite mark on it for some time, debating whether or not she should accept the man’s offer.
This caused Alex to chuckle once more, as he thought the girl was actually quite adorable, and when he looked at her at such, Nina was deeply confused. Even going so far to ask him just what the hell he was staring at.
“What? Is there something on my face?”
Alex, however, shook his head and smiled before revealing his thoughts about the girl aloud.
“No, I just think you’re cute, that is all…”
Nina flushed red for a second, before reminding herself what kind of man Alex was. After all, she had hacked into his own personal files and saw the plethora of videos of him having sex with random sluts.
Despite reminding herself about Alex’s playboy nature, Alex saw an immediate increase in affection.
[Nina is surprised by your kindness!]
[+5 Affection from Nina!]
[Nina’s Affection 10/100]
It turned out that Alex already had a +5 in affection due to the fact that he had helped the girl save Isabella. Something he was not at all required to do, and something that damn near cost him his life. Yet despite these risks, Alex did it without hesitation, even if it was not the best way to guarantee his own personal safety.
It would be higher if not for Alex’s reputation as a killer and a playboy. Both of which were things that terrified Nina to the core of her being. Nina, however, ultimately did not respond to Alex’s compliment, and instead shifted the subject to something far more concerning.
“How did you find me?”
Alex groaned. He really didn’t want to get into a conversation about how he tracked the girl down. In all honesty, he simply narrowed down universities within the city and drove by their campuses, looking for her icon on the mini map.
After all, the dossier he had purchased about her from the in-game store included the fact that she was a university student. But Alex couldn’t exactly explain to this girl that she was living in a Manga, and that he had a system designed to assist him in picking up chicks. Thus, he avoided answering directly, while assuring her that she was perfectly safe.
“It doesn’t matter how I found you, but you can relax. I made sure I wasn’t followed, and that there were no witnesses. Nobody knows where you live but me, and I did not come here to intimidate you, but to show my appreciation for all the help you have given me.
Speaking of… This Carmen woman… Is she going to be a problem for me?”
Nina was relieved to hear that she was still safe in her dorm room, but was perplexed as to why Alex would go through such effort just to thank her when he had paid her for her assistance to being with. Though she couldn’t understand this, the man had asked an important question, and thus she was quick to answer it.
“If you looked at the file I gave you, the woman has essentially gone rogue. The DEA was trying to collect her, but she was avoiding their calls, and missed her extraction. She has even purchased a sniper rifle, which I have no doubt she intends to use against you.
I’m glad that you want to show your appreciation, but Alex, if I may be bold, you have made many enemies here in Mexico. And by coming here, you are putting me at risk. I don’t doubt your skills at evading detection. After all, you were trained by the best. But I would ask that once you finish your food, you please leave me in peace, and don’t try to find me again…”
Despite the fact that Nina was clearly rejecting him, Alex was not going to give up so easily. Still, he had accomplished what he wanted to, and thus he sighed heavily before getting up. Not even willing to finish his meal before leaving.
“Like I said, nobody knows I’m here, but if you’re so concerned, I suppose the next time we meet, we’re going to have to do so at a discreet location. Enjoy your meal Nina, and by the way, if anyone does end up coming after you, I’ll take care of it before you ever see them. Have a nice night…”
After saying that, Alex departed from the girl’s dorm room, shutting the door behind him as he did So. Though he didn’t realize it right now, he had left a favorable first impression on the girl by not trying to intrude upon her any further.
—
Nina was absolutely right about Carmen. She had gone completely rogue, and was now sitting in a hotel room cleaning her newly purchased sniper rifle as she prepared for the eventual showdown between her and her target.
Getting around Mexico now as a DEA agent was extremely dangerous. Though the Mexican Drug War was over, with Los Zetas being the clear victor. Things were far more dangerous for people like Carmen than they ever were before.
The Mexican Government had capitulated too many of Los Zeta’s demands. Meanwhile, the old fools in Washington were debating how to handle this sudden shift in power directly south of America’s borders.
Los Zeta’s sicarios drove around in their armored trucks with impunity. Even in the streets of Mexico City itself, one could see Zetas many soldiers patrolling the streets. Gunfire echoed all across the Nation, as Los Zetas wiped out what remained of their rivals. Whether they came in the form of Jalisco and Sinaloa’s remnants, or smaller street gangs.
The New Order had been established, and at the head of it was La Madre. Who while consolidating her power, had left a river of blood in her wake. Despite being on La Madre’s radar. Carmen had escaped the Drug Queen’s notice thus far. And instead was planning to bring down the Zetas by herself if need be.
But ultimately, her target was not La Madre herself, but her newly appointed Right-Hand Man. Alex “El Cucuy” Smith. So long as the boogeyman walked free from the consequences of his heinous actions, Carmen could not rest easy.
And because of this, the woman was sitting in a hotel room just outside the Zeta’s villa. Though La Madre’s mansion was fortified in many ways, including bullet resistant windows. The veteran DEA Agent had purchased a very powerful rifle. One that was typically used to take out a vehicle’s engine block rather than a human being.
It was this anti-material rifle that Carmen was cleaning, making sure it was perfectly in spec before taking out her target. Which had somehow escaped from the Zetas compound without detection. But Carmen knew he would be back sooner or later. All she needed to do was wait until she could get her sights on him, and then it was game over.
The Bad End that the Queen of Hearts had warned Alex about was just a day or two away….