Leo added Mitch and Scorpion’s numbers one by one. These ten people were the personnel Saul had assigned to be stationed here long-term. By saving Mitch and Scorpion’s contacts, Leo could still reach them if Panam wasn’t around.
"By the way, one more thing—hold on a second," Leo said, waving at the Aldecaldos to come over. Panam, Mitch, Scorpion, and the rest of the nomads looked at each other, unsure what he meant, but still followed him. They trailed behind Leo to the side of the armored SUV, watching as he popped open the rear compartment.
Leo pointed to several alloy cases inside. "Don’t just stand there. Help me unload these." The Aldecaldos were still clueless about Leo’s intentions but came forward and carried the cases to the ground. Once they were all set down, Leo opened them one by one. Inside were rows of firearms and gear, the sight of which instantly locked their eyes in place.
"Take whatever you like. Everything here is yours."
The Aldecaldos were stunned. They could hardly believe what they were hearing.
"This place might be remote, but there’s no guarantee the Raffen Shiv won’t come sniffing around. If your weapons aren’t up to par, you won’t be able to protect my territory. So, arming you properly helps me too," Leo said as he clapped his hands. "Don’t hold back. Take what you need."
While most were still hesitant, Panam was already charging forward. "Boss, you’re too generous!" she called out as she began choosing her loadout. Mitch and Scorpion exchanged a glance and smiled wryly before stepping forward as well, offering Leo a grateful look before joining Panam. The rest of the Aldecaldos followed suit with growing excitement.
Watching them pick through the weapons with joy, Leo nodded slightly. He knew all too well how poorly equipped nomads usually were—he had once been one himself. In truth, even the Raffen Shiv often had better gear than the average nomad. To an outsider, it might seem like he was giving too much away, but Leo saw it as an investment.
Of course, this wasn’t the end of it. He and Rogue had also placed orders for RPGs, mortars, and auto-turrets—heavy firepower capable of ensuring that if the Raffen Shiv dared attack, none would walk away alive.
A few minutes later, Panam came back over; she now had a G‑58 Dian (tech SMG) holstered at her waist, an A‑22B Chao (smart pistol) at her hip, the Militech M‑179e Achilles (tech precision rifle) slung across her back, and her own SPT32 Grad "Overwatch" (kinetic sniper rifle) hung over her shoulder.
"Thanks, but aren’t you afraid we’ll just take this stuff and bolt once you’re gone?"
Panam was the type to speak her mind. If someone else had thought that, they probably wouldn’t have voiced it. Even if they had no intentions of betrayal, saying it out loud would be awkward for both parties.
"I’m not afraid," Leo replied firmly.
"Yeah, right," Panam said with a hint of disbelief. Her eyes flicked to V and Lucy behind him. In her mind, it made more sense if one of them—or both—was staying behind to keep an eye on things. That’s how these things usually worked.
But Leo’s next sentence stopped her in her tracks.
"If I trust someone, I trust them fully. If I doubt them, I won’t use them. Since I asked you to come here, I’m not afraid of you running. I believe in you, and I believe in the Aldecaldo’s integrity."
For a moment, Panam didn’t know how to respond.
Leo smiled and continued. "Besides, these weapons might look valuable to you, but to me, they’re barely a fraction of what I have. Even if you did betray me and run with them, I wouldn’t lose much. But you would. You’d lose my trust—and you’d lose any chance at something greater."
For some reason, Panam suddenly felt her chest tighten. It wasn’t that Leo was frightening—she was just scared of disappointing him.
Panam composed herself and said seriously, "The Aldecaldos won’t let you down."
"I know you won’t."
That afternoon, Rogue’s people delivered the mortars, RPGs, and automated turrets Leo had ordered. Along with them came a full construction team, tasked with renovating Rocky Ridge and turning it into a vibrant, fortified hub. At the same time, Jefferson managed to secure Leo a certified operational license from the Department of Defense. From this moment forward, Aurora Incorporated was no longer just a private security group—it was a fully licensed, government-recognized private military company.
.............
.......
.
Tijuana, Mexico.
Inside a luxury hotel suite, a woman woke up in a king-size bed and quietly walked into the bathroom. The sound of running water followed. A few minutes later, she stepped back out. Her eyes landed on the young man still asleep on the bed, and for a brief moment, her expression turned sour—like something unpleasant had crossed her mind. She leaned down, gently kissed his forehead, and ran her fingers through his hair and along his cheek.
The young man stirred awake, still groggy. "María... Why are you up so early? Could’ve slept a bit more."
María’s earlier mood was nowhere to be seen—her face now bright, smiling like the sun. "Didn’t you say we’d go see the ocean today, José?"
José chuckled. "Yeah, alright. Let me shower real quick." He got up, grinning mischievously, and scooped María into his arms.
"Hey! I already showered!" she shouted in protest.
Ignoring her, José carried her into the bathroom. "Then let’s shower again."
Half an hour later, the two emerged from the hotel entrance dressed like tourists. Two suited bodyguards followed a few steps behind. One of them jogged ahead to open the car door for them. Once the couple got in, the guards followed and the car pulled out.
"First stop—the ocean. Promised María we’d go see the waves," José said.
"Understood, sir," the driver replied.
The roads were packed. None of the cars were locals—they were all tourists, just like them. With so much traffic, they crawled forward at a snail’s pace. After about half an hour, they reached an intersection where traffic officers were guiding vehicles. The cars ahead were all being directed left, and their car prepared to follow suit.
But when they reached the front, the officer began signaling them to turn right. The driver glanced at the GPS—it would mean taking a longer route. Still, the officer insisted, waving repeatedly. They had no choice but to comply. The driver turned right, and the cars behind them resumed the original route.
Moments later, several of the traffic officers mounted police motorcycles and quietly began following them.
After a few blocks, one of the bodyguards noticed. "Sir, those officers are still on our tail."
"Did we speed?" José asked.
"No."
"Then don’t worry. Maybe they’re just going the same way."
But the police didn’t pass them or didn’t veer off. They just stayed behind. Even someone with no sense of danger would realize something was wrong by now. The two guards exchanged glances and discreetly drew their pistols. They’d heard about the Mexican police—even in the present day, they were notoriously corrupt. Foreigners weren’t usually targeted, but better safe than sorry.
Then, the police flashed a signal telling them to pull over.
The guards hesitated, then looked at José. "Sir?"
"Let’s stop. Maybe it’s just a misunderstanding," María said.
José thought about it—he hadn’t done anything wrong, hadn’t pissed anyone off. Probably nothing serious. He nodded. "Alright, pull over."
The vehicle slowed to the side. The motorcycles followed and stopped behind them. The street they were on was part of a rundown neighborhood—old buildings, garbage-strewn sidewalks. No cars around. A few pedestrians were nearby, but when they saw the flashing lights and police, they fled in panic.
The officers dismounted and began approaching the vehicle from both sides, splitting into two groups and forming a pincer formation. The people inside instantly felt the danger. José and María stiffened. The guards gripped their weapons tighter.
One officer knocked on the window, gesturing for the driver to lower it. The guard hesitated but complied. He rolled the window down and asked, trying to sound calm, "Officer, is there a problem?"
The officer smiled faintly and said nothing.