7: Small mission

**Chapter 7: A Small Mission**

Several days had passed since Marco and Mia's last date. Their relationship was progressing, growing closer and more personal with each encounter. Though Marco didn't say it aloud, he had already crossed a mental threshold: Mia was his, and he belonged solely to her. However, as his feelings for her deepened, so did the conflict within his heart. How could he continue with the mission that had brought him here? He knew that betraying her was inevitable, but the thought burned him from the inside.

He was immersed in these thoughts when a call on his phone snapped him back to reality. It wasn't his regular phone, the one he used to contact Mia or Dominic. It was the other one, the phone that connected him to his past and the orphanage that had raised and trained him to become what he was today: a machine of precision, a silent assassin.

"Marco, my boy, it's been a while," said a deep and familiar voice from the other side. "How's the mission going? I haven't heard anything relevant from you lately, and that makes me… uneasy. You're not forgetting why you're there, are you?"

The voice started in an almost friendly tone but ended with a veiled threat. Marco knew that tone all too well, having grown up hearing it.

"No, sir," Marco responded, without a trace of emotion in his voice. "I haven't reported because I don't have any key information yet. They don't trust me enough yet, but I'll complete the mission soon."

Inside, Marco felt a deep discomfort. The mission they had assigned him forced him to betray those who were slowly starting to matter to him, especially Mia.

"I'm glad to hear that," the voice responded in a more relaxed tone. "But before you finish that main mission, I've got a small task for you. Something quick, you know? There's a little issue in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A clever little group has set up a drug operation under the guise of a chicken restaurant. Yeah, you heard that right—a damn chicken place!" The man let out a mocking laugh. "The client wants you to eliminate the head cook. Max Arciniega is his name. Apparently, he's a key piece in their game, and without him, they think the business will crumble. They want it done fast. Today, if possible. Tomorrow at the latest."

"Understood," Marco replied curtly, before hanging up.

He glanced at his watch: 4:07 AM. *Mia's probably sleeping*, he thought. But that didn't stop him. He silently prepared, quickly booking a flight to Albuquerque and packing his tools of the trade into the special guitar case he used to transport weapons.

His small one-bedroom apartment was his sanctuary. The walls were painted black, and the windows were covered with metal, turning the space into a sealed-off bunker. Weapons hung on the walls like trophies—pistols, knives, rifles. Each one carefully chosen for specific missions. He packed what he needed into the guitar case, ensuring that the special modifications would prevent any metal detectors from going off at the airport.

With everything ready, he called Mia.

"Hey, we need to talk. I'm on my way to your house," Marco said bluntly.

Mia answered, half-asleep and clearly irritated.

"Are you crazy? It's 4:30 in the morning. This better be important, Marco, or I swear…" Her voice was a mix of annoyance and concern.

"It's important. I'll see you in ten minutes."

Marco's serious tone was enough to keep Mia from arguing any further.

He arrived at Mia's house in less than the time promised. When she opened the door, still half-asleep, she looked at him with confusion and some anger.

"What's going on?" Mia asked, rubbing her eyes.

Marco looked at her for a moment before answering, feeling a weight in his chest.

"I'm going to be gone for a while. I have to take care of something important, something from my past… I can't tell you much, but I want you to know I'm doing this for us. I need to close a chapter."

Mia stared at him, a mix of worry and suspicion in her eyes.

"Close what, Marco? What are you hiding?"

Marco avoided her gaze; he couldn't tell her the truth. Not yet.

"Just trust me. I'll be back soon," he said, gently caressing her cheek.

Mia frowned but nodded.

"Just promise me you'll come back."

"I promise."

***

Hours later, Marco landed in Albuquerque. The city stretched before him, with its oppressive heat and dry desert air. He had changed clothes on the plane, shifting from his casual style to a much more discreet appearance: dark jeans, a gray t-shirt, and a black jacket. The guitar case on his back blended in, making him look like any other musician walking through the airport.

His target, Max Arciniega, was a talented chemist who had been lured into the fast money of drug trafficking. His base of operations was in the backroom of a chicken restaurant owned by a man named Gustavo Fring. Marco had done enough research to know that this Fring was a powerful and very dangerous man. Killing Arciniega would be easy, but getting out alive would be another story.

He moved with precision, his training coming to the forefront with each step. He located the restaurant and infiltrated the backroom without much difficulty. The staff was distracted, making his entrance easier. He navigated through the halls until he reached Max's office.

Arciniega was working at a table with various chemicals and utensils. There were no guards nearby. Marco watched him for a moment before stepping in. A single silenced shot was enough to end him. Max collapsed to the floor, his lifeless body surrounded by bottles and formulas.

The silence in the room enveloped him. Marco, always methodical, carefully cleaned up any traces that could give him away. But just as he was about to leave, he heard footsteps. Someone was coming.

He moved quickly, hiding behind some boxes just in time. Two men entered, speaking in low voices. They seemed to be looking for Max. Marco watched them closely. He knew that getting out without being seen would be more complicated than he had anticipated.

He waited for the perfect moment, when one of the men moved away from the door. With precise timing, Marco emerged from his hiding spot, striking the second man on the back of the neck with the butt of his weapon, knocking him unconscious.

He left the restaurant, his mission complete. He knew there would be consequences, that Max Arciniega's name would raise alarms, but for Marco, that didn't matter anymore. He was heading back to Los Angeles with one promise: to close this dark chapter of his life and return to Mia, though he knew the future still held new challenges.**Chapter 7: A Small Mission**

Several days had passed since Marco and Mia's last date. Their relationship was progressing, growing closer and more personal with each encounter. Though Marco didn't say it aloud, he had already crossed a mental threshold: Mia was his, and he belonged solely to her. However, as his feelings for her deepened, so did the conflict within his heart. How could he continue with the mission that had brought him here? He knew that betraying her was inevitable, but the thought burned him from the inside.

He was immersed in these thoughts when a call on his phone snapped him back to reality. It wasn't his regular phone, the one he used to contact Mia or Dominic. It was the other one, the phone that connected him to his past and the orphanage that had raised and trained him to become what he was today: a machine of precision, a silent assassin.

"Marco, my boy, it's been a while," said a deep and familiar voice from the other side. "How's the mission going? I haven't heard anything relevant from you lately, and that makes me… uneasy. You're not forgetting why you're there, are you?"

The voice started in an almost friendly tone but ended with a veiled threat. Marco knew that tone all too well, having grown up hearing it.

"No, sir," Marco responded, without a trace of emotion in his voice. "I haven't reported because I don't have any key information yet. They don't trust me enough yet, but I'll complete the mission soon."

Inside, Marco felt a deep discomfort. The mission they had assigned him forced him to betray those who were slowly starting to matter to him, especially Mia.

"I'm glad to hear that," the voice responded in a more relaxed tone. "But before you finish that main mission, I've got a small task for you. Something quick, you know? There's a little issue in Albuquerque, New Mexico. A clever little group has set up a drug operation under the guise of a chicken restaurant. Yeah, you heard that right—a damn chicken place!" The man let out a mocking laugh. "The client wants you to eliminate the head cook. Max Arciniega is his name. Apparently, he's a key piece in their game, and without him, they think the business will crumble. They want it done fast. Today, if possible. Tomorrow at the latest."

"Understood," Marco replied curtly, before hanging up.

He glanced at his watch: 4:07 AM. *Mia's probably sleeping*, he thought. But that didn't stop him. He silently prepared, quickly booking a flight to Albuquerque and packing his tools of the trade into the special guitar case he used to transport weapons.

His small one-bedroom apartment was his sanctuary. The walls were painted black, and the windows were covered with metal, turning the space into a sealed-off bunker. Weapons hung on the walls like trophies—pistols, knives, rifles. Each one carefully chosen for specific missions. He packed what he needed into the guitar case, ensuring that the special modifications would prevent any metal detectors from going off at the airport.

With everything ready, he called Mia.

"Hey, we need to talk. I'm on my way to your house," Marco said bluntly.

Mia answered, half-asleep and clearly irritated.

"Are you crazy? It's 4:30 in the morning. This better be important, Marco, or I swear…" Her voice was a mix of annoyance and concern.

"It's important. I'll see you in ten minutes."

Marco's serious tone was enough to keep Mia from arguing any further.

He arrived at Mia's house in less than the time promised. When she opened the door, still half-asleep, she looked at him with confusion and some anger.

"What's going on?" Mia asked, rubbing her eyes.

Marco looked at her for a moment before answering, feeling a weight in his chest.

"I'm going to be gone for a while. I have to take care of something important, something from my past… I can't tell you much, but I want you to know I'm doing this for us. I need to close a chapter."

Mia stared at him, a mix of worry and suspicion in her eyes.

"Close what, Marco? What are you hiding?"

Marco avoided her gaze; he couldn't tell her the truth. Not yet.

"Just trust me. I'll be back soon," he said, gently caressing her cheek.

Mia frowned but nodded.

"Just promise me you'll come back."

"I promise."

***

Hours later, Marco landed in Albuquerque. The city stretched before him, with its oppressive heat and dry desert air. He had changed clothes on the plane, shifting from his casual style to a much more discreet appearance: dark jeans, a gray t-shirt, and a black jacket. The guitar case on his back blended in, making him look like any other musician walking through the airport.

His target, Max Arciniega, was a talented chemist who had been lured into the fast money of drug trafficking. His base of operations was in the backroom of a chicken restaurant owned by a man named Gustavo Fring. Marco had done enough research to know that this Fring was a powerful and very dangerous man. Killing Arciniega would be easy, but getting out alive would be another story.

He moved with precision, his training coming to the forefront with each step. He located the restaurant and infiltrated the backroom without much difficulty. The staff was distracted, making his entrance easier. He navigated through the halls until he reached Max's office.

Arciniega was working at a table with various chemicals and utensils. There were no guards nearby. Marco watched him for a moment before stepping in. A single silenced shot was enough to end him. Max collapsed to the floor, his lifeless body surrounded by bottles and formulas.

The silence in the room enveloped him. Marco, always methodical, carefully cleaned up any traces that could give him away. But just as he was about to leave, he heard footsteps. Someone was coming.

He moved quickly, hiding behind some boxes just in time. Two men entered, speaking in low voices. They seemed to be looking for Max. Marco watched them closely. He knew that getting out without being seen would be more complicated than he had anticipated.

He waited for the perfect moment, when one of the men moved away from the door. With precise timing, Marco emerged from his hiding spot, striking the second man on the back of the neck with the butt of his weapon, knocking him unconscious.

He left the restaurant, his mission complete. He knew there would be consequences, that Max Arciniega's name would raise alarms, but for Marco, that didn't matter anymore. He was heading back to Los Angeles with one promise: to close this dark chapter of his life and return to Mia, though he knew the future still held new challenges.

————-

Before you say yes, it was a little cameo from Breaking Bad, thanks for reading everyone, and sorry for not updating, work is taking me like the bitch that I am, unfortunately.