Where The Law Fails

Luca wasn't sure what he expected from Kenzie. He remembered well enough that her last treatment made his recent stab wound little more than a scab now, and that she was capable of more miracles like that. But they weren't one-shot cures. It just wouldn't work while he's moving around and rubbing the stuff off. There would be a down period after the warehouse was secured, and Kenzie could have a lot more room to work in there. He nodded as a silent response to Kenzie, grinning a bit at her comment about staying safe. "I'll keep it in mind."

It wasn't too long afterwards that Luca felt the car slow and then stop, seeing the shape in the flat horizon. It was a bit more than a football field's distance away. There wasn't much variety between the buildings, so the layout was already familiar. He didn't have binoculars or anything that could remotely zoom in on the warehouse. Angelo lagged behind a good bit, but he eventually put himself over to the driver's side, rolling down his passenger window to talk over Kain to Luca. "They won't have men posted on the outside like usual. Lociato really thinks this is leading to cartel war, and having people outside ripe for killing is just a waste of men and rifles. You have the Remington from my place, and I have a military-grade submachine gun, so we'll be good on the munitions front."

Luca cut a slit through the air for a moment with his hand, remembering Kenzie's latest words. "We're not dropping everyone in there. We're here on U.S. terms, so we can't be making a stink."

Angelo quickly retorted, not happy to put his methods aside. "Lociato isn't going to release a damn press release about a killing at his warehouse. I agreed to hold back, not take the weapon from my hands."

"Hey, I never said I was going to. You know how to neutralize people without putting them in the dirt, right? Just aim for the fatty bits instead. It shouldn't matter once we get past the first group inside and start working the hallways. A gun will just be a baseball bat in there, anyhow."

Angelo sighed, then reluctantly nodded. "Not a fan of a direct raid. Pulling Thalia out was an unexpected strike on mercenaries that haven't been employed in combat since Desert Storm. This is something Lociato has been expecting after that hit. I'm not worried about me or you's ability, but I am concerned about their gear. That stuff can probably penetrate your coat, even."

Luca got out of the vehicle with a hefty lurch. He could hear Angelo's door shut, too. Angelo leaned into the open car window, pointing to Kain. "Swing this around the depot in a wide circle. There'll be a dug out place with these big metal doors taking up most of it. Park pretty far away from them and not directly in front. When you see them open up, go in and take one of those big trucks. Don't leave until we know which one you're in and the slaves are loaded up." He stood up to full height, looking over the car to his cousin. "We'll get close and look at the place. I have a few rags to make masks out of; local bandannas. Our complexion should look Latino enough. With all hope, Lociato will dress this up as another raid. We can start moving now."

Luca was already moving towards the warehouse as his cousin stayed behind for a moment, opening the door beside Thalia. Extending his hand forward, he'd drop the brass knuckles on her lap. "They're heavy, but that's good. Might be a bit big on your hands, though that won't be terrible. I figured your martial arts background'll use these better than anything else, and they aren't lethal unless you're driving haymakers. I thought about giving them to Luca, but his batons are good enough." With no real goodbye - there was the chance that he'd never see any of them again, he remembered - Angelo closed the door and picked up his pace to catch up with Luca, ready to get a final survey on the place before going in.
 
Kain remained silent through the pregame discussion about the use of force. After all, whatever input he might've given would've been obvious: shoot to kill. For men that worked under the ruling of Lociato, he had no mercy. Much like he had no mercy for Thalia, no mercy on Angela, and, in the future, no mercy for Angelo, either. It was an understandable bitterness, but one that tore his changed self to shreds, a display that disappointed his peers and isolated him from the pack once again. His entire life, from the time of his parents' deaths, felt like a cycle, one that kept repeating: start in a dark place, earn someone's trust, clean up his act, break the aforementioned trust, and it was back to isolation. And the story repeats. Luca did say that there was hope he could be trusted again. But would it matter if Angelo comes after him? If Kenzie longed for someone else? He might as well disappear when this is over in the only life he truly understood: kill or be killed.

Angelo's insistence on the use of force almost made Kenzie speak up against his stance. Yes, she knew she couldn't sway him very easily - hell, she couldn't sway him at all. And being the only actual insider they could use without having to convince otherwise, his word almost felt like law. It was a duel for leadership: the composed young woman in the prime of her youth, already so accomplished, and seeking to right the wrongs of her father, up against the trained assassin, one who lost the love of his life, one who also longed for freedom from the prison of his leadership. Each had their own leading assets - Kenzie's connection to the US government officials, Angelo's insider information about Lociato's operations - Kenzie's medical and book smarts, up against Angelo's street and combat smarts. It was a case of brains balancing brawn. Maybe there was no absolute leader, not like Kain wanted to believe, but rather the two of them side by side. And it was that reason that Kenzie had chosen to leave Angelo be and trust that Luca would regulate him. A power struggle or a head-on altercation wasn't something healthy for the pack. Kain was already an enemy to most of them. They didn't need to start more fights.

Before the cousins took off, at long last, Thalia had gotten what she knew she'd need up against Kain: a weapon. Brass knuckles, not something she saw coming, but a unique choice of material. Probably not lethal - unless she goes to town with a long slew of punches to the face, not something she could keep up with Kenzie nearby - but it would do in case Kain becomes violent. And honestly? She had a hunch he would. He still had a fair amount of hatred and rage in his heart, enough for him to lash out a second time without Luca and Angelo nearby. It scared Thalia to know that she'd almost tasted death once again because of his outburst, and owed her life to Luca at this point. Now, she could most probably hold her own now that she could see a fight coming and defend herself properly with an upper hand. The knuckles were a bit big on her smaller, slimmer fingers, but she could easily maintain a tight grip as to not falter when using them. She clenched the brace in her fist and concealed her hand between her thigh and the seat. She gave Angelo a nod of approval - he understood her capabilities, as well as the potential for Kain to become violent again. Now, it was up to her to protect Kenzie.

The Varundars set out, leaving the trio alone in the vehicle, Kain had his orders, so there was no time to nap. Double around, look for that entrance Angelo had spoken of, and keep his distance. Not something he couldn't have pieced together himself, honestly, but seeing he was being treated like a child, he just sighed and sat up properly with a tight grip on the wheel. He spoke out to the ladies in the back as he ignited the engine once again. "Buckle up."

Did Kenzie fear that Kain would reroute in order to catch her alone? Most definitely, and for that, she lifted her arm up to grab the handle above the window as a support. Not that it was all that protective, but there was always Thalia to her left. She noticed the brass knuckles wrapped around her fist that she was keeping out of Kain's sight, and she recognized that, if push comes to shove, Thalia wouldn't think twice before caving a hole into Kain's cheek with those things. She could only hope she didn't have to beg her beloved to stop before taking revenge in return for her nearly-met fate. Another difference between Angelo and Kenzie as leaders - one seemed to have a knack for starting problems, the other for resolving them. Yet again, another equilibrium in constant action.

Thalia did speak out to break the silence once they were back on the side roads. "What's your plan for Luca? Something you have to do later?"

Calming down, Kenzie figured she could reply. "The original plan was for him to rest at the hotel for today. I had materials to concoct a homemade medicinal bath. Not something exactly pleasant, but what medicine really is?" She chuckled softly under her breath, turning to her college sweetheart with a smile. "But I don't think there's time to set that up anymore. I'm going to just apply the main ingredients to his body, where he was shot, and ask him to lay down. Not conventional at all, and he'll be by no means relaxed like I'd want him to be, but we're going to be on the move for a while. Guess there's no time for formalities. Not like it's the first time we've had to go down this road."

"Sure sounds like a creepy massage treatment. Trust me, I've given quite a few of those."

Kenzie scoffed, extending a rolled fist from her left hand and nudging Thalia's shoulder. "Shut up, you. I'm not massaging him. Just touching him as much as necessary."

Kain tried not to listen in, but once he heard the word 'massage', it only brought his jealous feelings back up to the surface of his mind. Massaging Luca... maybe Kenzie really did hop onto every body she could find. Except his own. Part of him wanted to swerve into some tree at top speed, not only to dent the operation, but to make Kenzie feel his presence. But if he were going to do it, he might as well save it for later. No need to act up now when she doesn't expect it.

But one thing that Kenzie had realized in her conversation, particularly the end, was an improvement in her health that she didn't even notice. Her hand, her bionic finger... it had rolled into a fist along with the rest of her fingers, almost naturally. She didn't have to put any sort of effort or thought into it. It was as if it'd moved like a natural limb. She could only keep her fist rolled for a second, then slowly watch her fingers unroll, the synthetic one in sync. Perhaps her prototype was kicking in faster than she could ever imagine. A few curls of her fingers, ever so slowly, proved as much. Maybe the meds and sheer time waiting were coming into effect. A grin appeared over her face at the sight. She was getting better, ever so slowly.

Finally. Positivity.
 
Luca could hear the rhythm of Angelo's steps behind his own, distinctly unique to his ears. His walking pattern changed from when they were younger; Angelo was more poised on the balls of his feet and quieter, even though he weighed much more than he used to. It was like being followed by a gymnast. Once the two got to the crest of a small hill, they took a knee side by side and looked at the petite building ahead of them. While small on the outside, Luca knew that it was a labyrinth of tunnels underneath as well as the main holding chamber. No guards were posted outside, like Angelo said. There wasn't much to look at; all the planning was going to be improvised once they get in. But, Luca wanted to speak with his cousin first. "Angelo, if I need to get your attention, what should I say? We can't be throwing our names around."

Angelo turned his face to Luca's and answered. "We wouldn't need false names if we went loud. Just use Italian when we get in there. The mercs speak Spanish, and I doubt any of them are bilingual or can recognize Sicilian tongue when they hear it." Luca agreed with a nod, then stood back up. Stepping down the hill a bit, he prompted Angelo.

"So, how should this be done? Lock down the first room with gun and fist?"

"Not much leeway on how to do this, eh? Well, we're not gonna come away from this bloodless. Lociato isn't gonna buy the cartel war bit if there's no dead. I say we clear the first room and use the stragglers as captives. Since they aren't expecting an attack, they'll be split up. We're only dealing with twelve or so here, so the first room should be pretty thin."

"ONLY twelve? That's pretty optimistic."

"Believe me, it could be worse. I'm a hitman, not a military commando. Twelve is my upper limit. Here, put this on."

Luca turned and extended his hand out to grasp the piece of cloth held out to him before tying it over his face, burying his mouth and nose in a bandanna that made him look like a cattle rustler. It was a dark blue. Putting his back against the door of the building, Luca extended his hand above him and reached for the camera, shaped like a black bulb. "No one on camera duty?"

Angelo looked at the surveillance device as well, before looking to Luca again. "Doesn't look it. They're always recording, but paying someone to stare at a screen all day is counter-productive when you can pay them much less to look over the footage by the end of the day. People usually aren't knocking on the front door." Both of the cousins spoke in hushed tones now that they were close to the building. Luca placed his hand on the handle of the door, ready to twist it. Angelo brought up the submachine gun with the fat suppressor, but Luca tapped it down. "Listen." A short pause, and Luca added. "Not too much sound pass this door. I can hear some Spanish, but only three voices. We don't need the gun."

Angelo was ready to argue, but his own ears could pick up what Luca meant. He twisted the gun around and holstered it, sliding a bronze plate into his palm that had a Velcro strip on the back. He looped this strap onto the back of his hand so the metal chunk stayed in his hand. "Avanti, cugino."

Luca pushed open the door and quickly placed a foot in, looking to the shocked faces of two men playing cards at a table, one merc standing against a wall with a cigarette pressed between his lips. All of them had rifles either on their laps or sides, but not in their hands. Luca gripped a lone baton in his hand and dove across the table, pushing off with both feet to tackle one down, the chair crushed beneath their combined weight. With one hand on the grunt's face, Luca swung the baton to his left and struck the knee of the other card-player, picking up the sound of a thick thud across the room. Angelo was in the process of breaking apart the cigarette-sucker with his weapon, the rifle on his hip swinging wildly. Luca's opponents were far more resistant than the average crook, and it took all his might to fight both of them. Twisting in his low position, Luca grabbed the other man's hip and stood up, picking him up before slamming back into the table. The wood snapped as Luca let go, stomping hard on the mercenary he originally tackled. Angelo appeared near him and dragged the man out of the destroyed table, restarting an onslaught of metal beatings while Luca delivered knuckled power into the face of the downed card player. Time passed slowly in his head, but the short battle lasted mere seconds. In Italian, he remarked to his cousin. "See? No bullets needed."

Responding in the same dialect, Angelo responded. "That's not all. More are coming." Luca stepped away from the unconscious men, a bit bruised from their heavy swings. His ribs were not pleased with his acrobatic stunt across the table, but it hardly fazed him at the moment. Pulling the other baton out of its sleeve, Luca constructed the full staff with one twist. Angelo stood near a doorway, and Luca copied him on the opposite side of the room. The silence between them was soon broken by a rain of footsteps. The door nearest Luca opened first, and he swung out the staff with ferocity. A shock ran down the metal piping to his hands from the force, the impact sending a gunman flying backwards before landing. Luca stepped into the narrow hallway outside the door, lowering his stance by a good foot before driving his staff into the gullet of another Lociato thug. A heavy groan accompanied the strong shot. The hallway was narrow enough that Luca could be protected by a lone body. Luca yanked the gun from the dry heaving man's hands and spun him around, placing a hand on the side of his neck and pushing forward. Both of them ran forward, his human body shield propelled by Luca's legs. A few bullets were flung, trying to hit Luca's feet behind the man, but doing naught but scraping against the long tail of his coat. The shooter was soon pressed against the end of the hallway by the mass of his compadre and Luca. It was enough to crack bones, with Luca moving like a train into both of them. Letting go of his shield, Luca swung a knee between the man's legs, propelling him a good few inches off the ground before falling. The other man, relieved of the weight of his chest, scrambled to lift his gun up again. Luca caught the barrel of the gun with his hand, dropping the staff to the floor so that he can place another hand on his adversary's throat. He didn't choke but rather slammed his skull against the wall a few times until the man went limp with pain.

His door cracked open much more slowly, and with softer steps to accompany it. Angelo soon saw a raised rifle sticking out of the door, taking aim on his cousin already in the hallway. Angelo placed his hand on the top rail of the rifle and pushed back, hearing the stock break a delicate nose with a heavy slam. He yanked the gun away from the man, flinging it a few feet behind him. Angelo became a tornado of swift strikes, the metal ball in his right palm flickering in the fluorescent lighting above with every swing. He drove the consciousness out of another man's eyes with a temple strike before delivering a kick into his chest, sending an unconscious body down the hall to collide against another gunman. Wasting no time, Angelo ran forward and leaped upwards, grabbing the long beam of light from the ceiling and bringing it down on the gunman with a crash, shattering glass and putting the hallway into total darkness. He remained still for a few moments, listening. Hearing breaths and more steps coming, he broke into a dash, crashing against a warm mass. Angelo swung his fists out in short jabs, hitting an enemy's chest several times with inch punches. He then brought his hand up, slamming the jaw shut and pushing the man backwards. As soon as he fell, Angelo planted a boot into his face, feeling teeth give out underneath the impact. He bent down to try and squeeze some information out of the man, but soon heard more footsteps. They were too far to fight with hands and certainly not Luca. With a quick, methodical movement, Angelo pulled his pistol out and fired a bullet in the dark. He heard a sharp cry of pain and dashed forward, driving his knee forward to collide with another gunman's face. His bullet had struck him in the knee and brought him to a vulnerable position. Now, he was unconscious, and Angelo kept his cousin appeased.

They both met up back in the main room, pulling bodies out of the hallways and knocking out anyone that was still awake. Both were covered in a good bit of blood, but knew that it wasn't there's. While Luca told Angelo that he was fine, he could see his cousin absentmindedly lay a hand on his ribs. Angelo decided not to press it. Still in Italian, he asked his cousin. "Should you get the slaves, or should I. We're still missing about five guys, and I don't want to leave any of them alone." Luca saw the predicament as well, looking at the unconscious before shooting a glance to the elevator. Sighing, Luca made a reluctant decision.

"Take your gun and take down the rest, and get the slaves onto Kain's truck. Try your best to not kill anyone, though, Like Kenzie said, the U.S. won't be happy with us soiling anything here."

Angelo, ever expressionless, silently agreed before descending down the lift into the crowd of slaves below.

...............................

He herded the women through the long tunnel that connected the depot to the actual warehouse, seeing how many were healthy and which needed assistance from the other slaves. At the moment, he had little over a dozen with problems, but only two that seemed to be in real trauma. The slaves were supposed to be treated harshly, but never harmed. It directly hit Lociato's profits. Angelo could not fathom where some of them got the wounds. Perhaps other buyers, and the slaves were recuperating before being sold again. Angelo didn't run into any other gunman, which worried him. They must all be at the depot. Once he got close to another set of large boxcar-like doors, he turned to the slaves. He spoke in English first, then in Spanish. "Stay here until I give the signal."

It wasn't hard for the slaves to listen; in their eyes, Angelo was a damn saint. Pushing open the door slowly and lifting up so that it did not drag on the stone floor and make a sound, Angelo crept in like a cat into the large chamber. There were three trucks, but only one had a trailer attached at the moment. One of Lociato's thugs was kneeling near one of the rig's tires with a mechanical pump. Angelo snapped his head to the left, then right, bringing his hand across a goon's face to silence his words. Squeezing his throat, Angelo silently brought the man to sleep before stepping over him. He descended down a small set of concrete stairs to the truck bay, pushing the tire-pumper's head down into the rubber. His face crashed against it and bounced off before getting slammed into the metal trailer beside them. Angelo felt the man go rubbery before falling over. Then, he heard some Spanish yell out as he saw the unconscious man near the door. Angelo turned into a blur of speed, sprinting to the sound of the voice. The man was not facing Angelo directly, looking down the open door to see the group of slaves. His back was still to Angelo. He got close to the man and nudged the small of his back with the barrel of his pistol, speaking in rough, aggressive Spanish. "Put the gun down."

With no resistance, he pulled the rifle off his hip and dropped it to the floor. Angelo then delivered a strong strike with the pistol barrel to the guy's head. It was a clean knockout, dropping flat on his face. Angelo lifted his head back up to speak to one of the slaves. "How many guards do you see around here?"

She was dead silent, looking to something behind him. Angelo felt the cold metal of a gun touch his neck, feeling the irony of his position. He let go of his pistol, letting it drop to the floor, before lowering his whole body into a crouch and pushed off the ground backwards, throwing his body into the man who had once threatened him. Angelo then placed himself on the man's chest, raining down punch after punch. Soon, like all the others, he too lost consciousness. Angelo continued their plan, pressing a button on a panel near the big bay doors. They opened, breathing fresh sunlight into the quiet room. If Kain could find the doors, he'd catch the signal. Angelo started one of the rigs before walking back to the slaves. "You're safe now. I have friends that'll use the truck here to drive you to the airport and get you out of the country."

There was no room to object; the slaves would be hard pressed to find a worse situation. They walked past him and crowded around the back of the open trailer, not quite ready to get in. "My allies are Kenzie, Thalia, and Kain. Kenzie is a doctor and she'll help anyone who needs it. You'll all be out of here by the end of the day."

He caught some odd looks from the majority of them for a moment, and he struggled to recognize it. Then, like a rising sun, it dawned on him; it was gratitude.
 
While the heavy-lifting was in the hands of Luca and Angelo for now, it would soon be passed on to the B-team, circling the compound for now to reach the back doors that Angelo had spoken of. Orders were simple: park far away and stay out of sight. Not hard for Kain, who'd done his fair share of stakeouts in the past. He kept to the side roads and far away from the factory so that no sort of security, human or otherwise, would catch even the slightest sight of them. Either way, with the incoming invasion from the Italian cousins, focus would be shifted to them, and Kain wouldn't have to tread with such caution, at least not like before. While driving wasn't the difficult part, keeping his mouth shut would grow to be, especially after hearing talks about Luca's treatment in the back. His jealousy was a fragile device, easily triggered, and his temper easy to set off. It was enough to watch his beloved get swooped away, once again, by some other knight in shining armor, and have to treat her as an equal. All he wanted to do was kick them both out of the vehicle, put a bullet in Thalia, and run before anyone comes back for him. But no weapons, no opportunity to escape without being quickly stopped. Even now, without Luca or Angelo nearby, innocent women's lives depended on Kenzie's well-being, and as cold as he'd become, he meant to harm to women he'd never known. Only to those who'd wronged him.

Besides the initial laughs, Thalia and Kenzie were quiet for most of the ride, taken by each of their individual tracks of mind. To think that three or four days ago, Kenzie was safely at home with a child coming in six months and a divorce in progress, and Thalia was awaiting her next transport and auction to be sold off to some new creep who wanted her. Complicated lives, but further complicated now that they were both deeply involved in a conspiracy neither asked for. And they couldn't just resurface now. Thalia was a runaway slave that wouldn't get off easy for an escape of this magnitude, and Kenzie had a sizable bounty for her head thanks to her father's actions. They couldn't just go home - hell, very few in the US government were aware of their operation from the start. In the eyes of the masses, Thalia was dead, Kain was in federal custody, and Kenzie was missing. Best it stayed that way until this was over and Lociato wouldn't chase after them. For now, gazing out opposite windows at the remote location around them with occasional glares at each other... that was the life to embrace for these two women, as undesirable as it might've been.

But the silence wasn't permanent. And Kenzie didn't care what kind of reaction it was cause from Kain.

"T?"

"Hm?" The redhead turned away from her window back to the inside of the car, concealing the brass knuckles beneath her leg, out of Kenzie's sight.

Kenzie smiled. "I was just... reminiscing at a reality from a few years ago, now coming together full-circle. In one twisted way or another."

"Oh?"

"Remember how you considered a honeymoon in Mexico? Back before you disappeared?"

The memory wasn't one strange to the former amnesiac, which was a relief as she nodded and reciprocated the smile. "Who would've thought? Not quite as glamorous as you expected, right, princess?"

"Oh please. My life is anything but glamorous."

"Gets me wondering... with your, uh, husband... where did you end up on your honeymoon?"

Kenzie froze. Honeymoon.... "I-I didn't have one. We got married in Seattle, then my husband had to travel for work the next day. Couldn't take me. He promised me to take me on one of his work trips, but he just never did. Sucks, I know. At least I had my brothers around for the celebration."

For once, Kain's eavesdropping didn't quite provoke him. If anything, it soothed him. When Kenzie couldn't take a proper honeymoon, he and Dave prepared a night dedicated to just the two of them in their apartment. She stayed the night, slept between the brothers. One of the happiest days he could remember. Sure, he could never have Kenzie as a result of her recent marriage, but at least she was back, when, eight years ago, he never thought she would be. Then she got him out of his arrest, then his rehab... At least it was a form of comfort to have her around. If only he hadn't soiled his chances by letting his fury consume him. Was it too late to calm down? Get on her good side once again? She'd never been bitter with him for this long. Not over the course of two days. By now, they would've usually made up. Perhaps she'd finally had enough?

His grip on the wheel loosened as he listened in on the cheery conversation in the back, keeping an eye on both women in his rear-view mirror. Thalia probably still held a grudge against him for almost cutting her open. How could he blame her for almost making her face death? He could've sworn he'd seen the exchange of a weapon with Angelo, but was she going to use it when it wasn't needed? Just to get revenge? A taste of his own medicine? He sure as hell would be ready to strike back if she reaches over the seat and hinders his sight or makes him swerve off the dirt path.

It didn't even take long for the trio to arrive at the back entrance. Kain could see the shut doors from the corner of his eye, and the car was out of the way of the main road leading out of it. All he had to do was wait for the signal - the door opening. "We're here. Just hang tight. You guys ready to do whatever you have to in the back?"

Kenzie nodded, her tone slightly less bitter and more serious now that she had to speak directly to him. "You just worry about driving, Kain. I can handle the medical side of things. Thalia will quite really just be on guard, okay?"

"So long as she doesn't try to kill me."

In response, Thalia hissed, rather annoyed at that remark. How ironic. "Says the guy who tried to kill me a few hours ago. I'm more afraid of you slitting my throat with your seat belt."

"Hah. Good one. I might be able to if you tested me."

Not a bet Thalia wanted to test. Kain was dangerous. She feared him, much like Kenzie did, and didn't doubt he could make any device a weapon. She kept to herself, arms crossed. She'd have to keep a close eye on him once they dismount and change vehicles. He could change the course of his path and smack one of them, and God only knows if Angelo or Luca will be able to restrain him if he gets the upper hand. No, this time, it had to be Thalia. She'd stay in front when the time comes just to avoid a worst case scenario.

Once again, the car grew silent as the three only looked in front of them, beyond the corner at the doors before them. There was no immediate sign of Angelo or Luca's siege from the outside, but that didn't mean that they were in the ground. Kenzie hoped that nobody was, at least, and wouldn't ask. The less she knows, after all. At least Kain weren't in there, or it would've been an obvious and overly-risky bloodbath they'd be walking in on. He was here, safe, calm, just as he should be. Perhaps keeping him away from the action would bring him back to his old self, Kenzie thought. It could start a process of withdrawl, but not one she couldn't contain, her and Luca. Judging by his hand gestures and grip on the wheel, leaving his words to Thalia aside, he seemed to be controlled. Just as they needed him.

Though the girls couldn't catch it from their place, Kain caught sight of their signal: doors open. He threw himself up to sit properly in his chair and turned the keys in the ignition once again. "Get ready, ladies. Showtime."

As the car was taken out of park and into drive, Kenzie and Thalia braced themselves to have to dismount very soon. The car moved forward, now treading in line with the now-open entrance. They were a distance away, but not too far off to take ages. There were slaves that needed their attention, in who-knows-what condition. Fortunately, the three had been decently desensitized to the horrors of Lociato's business or other medical tragedies, so there'd be no fear someone needing to throw up from the sort of sights not suitable for the faint of heart. The compound grew nearer and nearer, up until they entered through the opened bay doors. The sight inside was quite obvious: a crowd of women in mixed conditions surrounding the bald assassin at the back of an open trailer. That was their mode of transportation, and that's where Kain immediately took to as he hopped out of the vehicle. Fast, too, being in better shape than the women.

Just after, the two back doors opened, too. The women dismounted, Kenzie a tad more slowly, and Thalia stepping towards the trunk of the vehicle. They had a few first aid packs that she'd be holding while Kenzie calls for the masses to remain calm. Her first instinct was to approach Angelo, currently unaware of the suspicious glares between Thalia and Kain as they went to their destinations. She took a look at the slaves, many of them scarred like Thalia was, few were unconscious, some even held up by their companions. Tragic, indeed. This is what her beloved had lived in for so long, what her father was supporting for fifteen years. But now was the time for her to take the reigns. Her heavy lifting. She was short, walked slowly, and even looked intimidating with the bionic finger, but that wasn't going to stop her from asserting herself.

"Listen up," she called out in English at first, her hands parted from her sides slightly. "We're not here to hurt you. Quite the contrary. I'm here to help you. I'm a doctor - my name is Kenzie..." Her eyes lingered behind her to her friend trailing behind her. "... she's also a doctor. A training one, but she's also going to help treat you. We're going to get you somewhere safe. Locate your homes, your families, loved ones..." The frightened, estranged faces weren't going to entirely be convinced by hard facts. They needed a heart-to-heart to relate and follow. "I know how scared you must be. Like you, I've suffered a great deal as well. What I've learned is that we can't get through this alone. You've probably met people that have ruined your faith in a kind stranger. Believe me, I have too. But all I ask of you is to give me a shot to prove that you'll never have to take that chance again. Your dreams of home... they can all come true. And it'll all start by a few checkups me and my friend will run. How does that sound?"

Just as she finished speaking, her companion stepped by her side, two red briefcases in each of her hands, each with a white cross in the middle. First aid kits. In order to compensate for the non-English speakers, Thalia reiterated most of what Kenzie said, but in Spanish, albeit very broken. French was her strongpoint, clearly seen in her accent and fumbled words here and there. Kenzie couldn't tell the difference, though Angelo probably could. It was enough to get the message across: they were here to help, no need to be afraid anymore.
 
Angelo felt the tug of instinct at the back of his neck, more of a robotic program than a thought. He was aware that now would be a perfect time to kill Kain. The man was weaponless, and Luca was out of the picture at the moment. Angelo had a gun, and wasn't someone who would give his adversary a fair fight in any circumstance. But, like he had before, Angelo resisted. He was a patient human being, after all. Instead, Angelo tunneled his mind to watching over the slaves, looking for any break that could cause them some trouble. Any nervous breakdowns would slow them down. Fortunately, the slaves seemed to have gotten those out awhile ago. Now, their nerves were all but eroded to nothing. Kenzie could lead them much better than him; these women wouldn't be trusting of strange men for a very long time. Angelo kept himself silent, repeating Thalia's Spanish in his head for entertainment.

Luca and him had work to do. Angelo could help him decipher whatever's in there with his grasp of the Spanish language and knowledge of Lociato ciphers. A man with a mission, Angelo strove to get moving. "Kenzie, the trailer has an automatic door system. You won't need to close those bigass doors. I'm going to help Luca with restraining these men -" Angelo waved his hand in the direction of two of the incapacitated guards. "- and with finding his wife's name in the travel logs, plus her next location. From there, we can spring directly onto Lociato. I have a plan for getting inside the compound, but I'll tell you later." Picking up his gun from where he had put it on the ground while at gunpoint earlier, Angelo stepped beyond the big boxcar door into the dark tunnel connecting the warehouse to the truck depot. He then pulled the large doors shut behind him, yanking the coiled arms of his with great force. With a little slit between the door and wall left, Angelo gave a few words. "Remember, we come back here. Kain goes to the airport, lets the slaves go, then comes right back. The hotel isn't safe anymore." With that, Angelo shut the door entirely.

As Angelo went back up the elevator lift, he began to hear peculiar sounds. It scuttled on the floor above him rapidly and with no real pattern. He grew on edge, hands immediately splaying out and his fingers curling slightly. Once the elevator reached the main floor, he knew what the sound was. Boots sliding on the floor back and forth, Luca caught swinging fists as several of the henchmen from earlier. There were three of them, with two others splayed on the ground in awkward positions, recent victims of his flying hands. Luca knew Angelo had arrived, shooting half a glance before driving a haymaker into another of the attacker's face and spinning on his back foot, putting a hard punch into a Lociato grunt's gut. Luca then pushed the man backwards, where Angelo caught him. He put the man's arms behind his back before throwing him forward and down, slamming his face directly into the floor. Then, Angelo dashed forward and helped Luca lift the remaining assailant off the ground before bringing them down with a mighty thud. Luca pushed thin air through his lips, breathed deeply once, then stood up proper again. "Thanks for that, Angelo. I just finished disassembling all the guns when two of them jumped me. A few others came in afterwards. I guess we didn't hit them hard enough, or something. Do you have anything to tie them up with?"

Angelo shook his head, replying. "No, but there's probably something they used to restrain the slaves with. We just going to keep them in this big room?" Angelo spread his arms and turned, gesturing to the entire section of the building.

"I don't see why not. It'll be easiest to watch them in here. I tried looking at some of the papers in the computer room, but it's all in Spanish. Did find a list of slave numbers, though. My wife was through here pretty recently. The paper was towards the top of the stack. D-492."

Angelo nodded, ready to relieve Luca's worries. "I speak a good piece of Spanish. I'll look at whatever map they use here, see if we can't trace her route. She's either at the eastern docks, or ready to go there. This is usually the last stop before putting the slaves to auction, though. We have a pretty tight window to get her if that's the case."

Luca shook his head, disagreeing. "No, we just miss this opportunity. If someone buys my wife, I'll just go after them. As long as I'm alive, Sarah has a chance at rescue."

Angelo shot a look to Luca, doubtful for a minute, before remembering how he'd be in that man's shoes. Empathy. It was a weird, new to Angelo. He could imagine his own cousin's emotions after experiencing such similar trauma and passion with a lover of his own. Luca had a permanent half-grin of optimism, but Angelo's analytical mind could read between the lines. Luca was angry, sad, and even a bit scared. The way he never showed it made Angelo's cold, unemotional expression seem like an farce. Luca was a master at hiding his thoughts, in a different way than Angelo. Angelo simply appeared to be thinking nothing while harboring deep thoughts, but Luca could pretend as though his mind had something on it, when it was really thinking on something else entirely. Luca buried a lot of double meanings in that statement of his; Luca was willing to put down more and more criminals to get his wife, and couldn't give up the chase. "Alright, then. We'll look at those documents. Try looking around for any zip ties or similar restraints here." Angelo spotted the pile of gun parts in the corner of the room, well away from everyone else. "Then, you can help me pull some guys out from the truck depot. There's three of them unconscious down there. Kenzie got the slaves loaded up and on the way."
 
Perhaps it was the gentler touch of the words of an educated, sage woman like Kenzie that put the once-enslaved women at ease, even if it was fed through a funnel of rough translation. Scars aside, Kenzie didn't look like some subpar doctor looking to make sure their vitals were barely intact. No, she had a genuine concern for their well-being, and planned to give them proper medical attention, or as much as she could supply on the road to the airstrip. Judging by the long drives, she could expect them to take a while to and from, and thus, giving her and Thalia ample time at least give each of the slaves a moment for examination. As each of them entered the back of the trailer and huddled in clusters towards the walls, Kenzie counted heads, accounting for how many women they'd be treating in a relatively short span of time, and whether or not the medical supplies they'd brought along - a few measly first-aid kits - would be enough to sustain them. As much as she hated being 'barely enough', rationing might be an option to look in to. And with only one proper doctor and an assistant on-scene, all with an unpredictable driver at the wheel, now more than ever did Kenzie have to choose her next actions carefully.

Thirty-two heads, not counting herself and Thalia, entered the truck. And once Angelo gave his good-byes, he shut the door behind her. She was now blind to her foster brother and his actions were out of her control. Was this an opportunity Angelo would take to eliminate Kain from the equation entirely? But if that were the case, who was going to drive them to the jet? Sure, they could give anyone a name and directions and have that covered, but who could they trust in the case of a getaway? Kain had already proved his usefulness as a driver back in Seattle, both for Luca on their undercover capers around the city and for Kenzie while her husband was away on constant business ventures to get her to and from work. He could surely drive well and handle a stressful chase. But what if he decided to drive the entire truck off a cliff to spite Kenzie? After having his feelings hurt, would he end his own life, along with hers, just to make a statement while endangering the lives of a few dozen innocent women? Was that a fate he'd want to tempt? Worse, more presently, the risk of Angelo taking care of him? It was all a chance she'd have to take, as it wasn't her job to drive or handle the heavy lifting with guards or cleaning up the compound. Her work was strictly her focus: the medical side of things.

Now in control, Kenzie put her focus on the slaves surrounding her who'd huddled towards the corners of the inside of the truck, protective of one another like a pack of lost dogs. It was a mentality Thalia was all too familiar with only because she'd done so with many of the other slaves over six years. It's not like strength in numbers was the advantage, but it was more like moral support for one another, even if separation was inevitable. But this time, the women weren't in danger of some guard with a weapon ready to take them off to be transported. These two women leading the escape now seemed... different, and Kenzie and Thalia stood back to back, each taking a panoramic view around the vehicle to get a feel for the victims they'd be treating. Nervousness then hit the two; this seemed a lot more daunting now that the hard part was before them.

"We have 32 women to treat, or at least diagnose, before we hand them off to the jet to be taken to the States," Kenzie began, sighing in an attempt to calm herself as she repositioned her stance to face her lover.

The impact of the situation then hit Thalia, especially after being reminded that they were here for their treatment, after all, not for a fight. "I-I don't see how I'd be of much help there. I'm not a doctor. I can't risk screwing up and ruining one of these women's lives."

"Think I didn't know that? Leave the first aid kits on the ground. I've got a different job for you."

Rather than take that remark as degrading, Thalia did as she was told, but noticed Kenzie reaching into her own pocket. Clearly, it couldn't be for some sort of medical tool, not after establishing she was unfit to handle the heavylifting. Instead, it was nothing more than a black marker. Considering the number of slaves and just the look at some of their conditions, much of the medical attention they'd need couldn't possibly be given here. They'd need a hospital, but they'd have to endure a flight first. Odds are, if they detour at a hospital in Mexico, they'd be flagged by Lociato, and the kingpin would send a man their way to retrieve the slaves. It pained Kenzie to make this next call, as it went against some of her core beliefs to give her all for each patient, but it was a necessary evil. She passed the marker down to Thalia and continued.

"You've been with women like this for six years. That's a quality no one else here possesses. So you should know more than any of us what they were subjected to. You may not be able to give a proper medical diagnosis, but your eye for what you've been exposed to in the past will make my life easier. Mark their foreheads or hands with numbers according to the urgency of their condition: 1 for very mild, and 10 for priority number one. But T..." A rather disappointed sigh came from her this time. "Some of these girls look critical. Beyond what we can do here. And I'm worried I may not be able to help them."

Noticing the concern in her friend's eyes, Thalia took the marker and stepped forward, placing her hands over the doctor's shoulders. "You can. I know you can."

Thalia was a beacon of hope for Kenzie for so many years, hope that a love lost years ago might still be there, somewhere in an entangled world. A hope that came through all along. Perhaps this was another sign from another all-powerful being, that Thalia's return to her life was a message for Kenzie not to give up hope in herself. After losing her family and friends in a week's time, what did she have left to live for? To give her all for? Simple: hope. She continued in whispers in case a slave was eavesdropping and could understand English, "If you fear that someone can't be saved, you put an X over her head, and I'll come to her immediately."

Just mentioning an X was an eerie thought to process. "Promise me you won't leave anyone to die. I know what these girls have seen. They don't deserve to die now that their chance to go home is right in front of them. They deserve a chance to be with their families and friends again. And I know you agree."

Kenzie nodded. "No one is dying on our watch, T. I promise."

As the discussion of the plan came to a close, the sound of an indistant engine caught the ears of everyone in the trailer, as well as a consequent shake of the entire compartment. The truck was about to get moving. Kenzie could only hope for two things: that it was Kain, and that she could trust him not to drive them all to their deaths. Not after promising to preserve everyone's lives. She and Thalia split to do their delegated jobs: marking and treating. Kenzie started off in the back left corner of the truck, Thalia the back right, and they'd move in a counter-clockwise movement around with the slaves. Conventional enough.

Indeed, driving the van was no other than her foster brother, Kain. Shortly after he'd confirmed that the women were loaded and Angelo was gone, he swapped vehicles. Safe, finally. He worried that stepping out would trigger a confrontation between himself and Angelo rather quickly. This was a step to avoid that for Kenzie's sake, and for his own livelihood. Angelo would have the upper hand here, given Kain was unarmed and unprepared for what was in the compound. Starting a fight would be a death sentence, so he simply did as he was told. And he would continue to do that as well. No driving off-course, no bringing the crew to certain death, and no taking risks. After hearing the conversation between Kenzie and Thalia before they were signaled to move forward, it struck a softer side of Kain... maybe this was for the best. Maybe a sibling relationship was better for the two. Maybe Luca was right about their moment of passion being something in the moment of loneliness. Maybe he should let Kenzie rekindle her lost flame and... move on, perhaps. Once this was all over, he'd definitely take his leave and distance himself from Kenzie and Luca. Recollect himself, rebuild what he'd destroyed.

Which lead to him thinking, was plotting to hunt down and kill Angelo truly worth it? Food for thought as he took to the road to the airstrip.
 
In under an hour, the Varundars had all of their victims tied up and together. The bonds that held Lociato's men were a mix of belts from their pants, knotted holsters, handcuffs, and other binding materials. Every trigger-pulling hand was restrained to some kind of larger, mounted object. Luca had more than enough reason to separate each man enough so that they can't touch one another. Angelo and Luca wouldn't be able to alternate overseeing duties as both were going to work on finding his wife. Luca needed Angelo's knowledge and Spanish skills, while Angelo would need Luca to find the proper documents. Though Angelo worked with Lociato for more than a decade, he hardly touched the slave trade. The two both stood in the large room with their captives, arms crossed and looking at each other.

"Will any of these men recognize you?" Luca asked, worried for Angelo's cover.

He thought for a moment, not immediately responding as he usually does. Angelo darted his glance from one unconscious face to another before giving his answer. "No. If don't know who they are, they won't know me. I'm a name, Luca, but not a face. It just wouldn't be fitting for Lociato to keep everyone informed about me. Or any old hitman, for that matter."

"Why did we have to wear these bandannas, then?" Luca undid his as he spoke, shaking his head as he pulled it away from his face.

"It's a Central American thing. I really want to slam home the idea that there's a cartel war happening under Lociato's nose so he stops looking into me so much. After Kenzie and all them get back, we can leave knowing that our captives will tell Demetri they were attacked by the southern countries."

Luca thought about his point, finding himself agreed with it. Angelo reminded him of his violent career once more, which prompted Luca to ask a more serious statement. "You didn't kill anyone. That's surprising. Not like I could've just stopped you."

Angelo shrugged, dismissing it quickly. "Didn't need to."

Luca wanted to push the matter more, but dropped it. Angelo was far from a pacifist, but Luca hoped that his less brutal methods were rubbing onto his cousin. "And what about Kain? You don't need to kill him."

Angelo seemed unfazed on the surface, but his jaw tightened and his overall atmosphere steeled up. "I figured we were done talking about this."

Luca's words were sharp and direct; a tone that scarcely addressed Angelo. "I don't think we ever will be done talking about it until we come up with a solution."

"We have a solution, Luca. Kain isn't going to reform and act as some kind of brother to Kenzie for the rest of his life, you know that. We already saw what happens when someone gets between him and Kenzie. And I...well, I don't have too much to go back to. Me and Kain are similar people, really. We both live outside society, searching for some kind of action. I can go the rest of my life hunting Kain, much as he can go hunting me. It doesn't change, Luca. It's a kind of world that you'll never understand and I don't expect you to."

"So that's that? After Lociato's gone, you'll just go after Kain? What if he stays with Kenzie? Will you kill her, too?"

"N-...No, Luca. I won't. But I know he won't do that; he CAN'T do that."

"Why not? You changed, yourself. Give him the opportunity to do the same."

"I can't, people die when that happens. He's gone far too long without being punished."

"And you're in the position to decide that?"

"No, but you're not in the position to defend him, either."

Luca grimaced, shaking his head. Much as he wanted to keep arguing, he let the issue go for now. It would be better to talk about this with Kenzie here. She could try to get some calm between them. Luca and Angelo had subconsciously closed the space between them a bit, almost preparing for confrontation. "Alright, we'll talk later. Come with me into the recording room and help me translate some documents."

---------------------



An hour has passed. Other than infrequent checks outside for any trouble with their prisoners, Angelo and Luca kept locked up in a small room with piles of paper documents. It was a testament to Lociato's aversion of electronic bookkeeping, but ironically became the soft spot in his defenses. Angelo translated important documents with pen and paper so that Luca could go through them. Although there were tons of papers to look at, they could focus their efforts on isolating the documents that contained Sarah's number. Angelo spread out a road map of their county of Mexico and expanded another map of the entire country. A fat black marker line went from point to point, one veering to the northern edge of the map to indicate Sarah's route from Seattle. Angelo was staring at this line, drawing conclusions from what he was seeing. "Lociato's been moving her fast. Not a lot of stopping between warehouses. Which means no money is being made. Yep, he's planning on selling that whole lot. She just left here two days or so ago."

"How much time do we have before she's out of Mexico?" Luca came over to look at the map as well, his shoulder rubbing against Angelo's.

"Based on this trend...two days, maybe more. This isn't just moving from one place to another; Lociato needs the ship docked, loaded, and the auction prepared before they even leave the coast. He's pretty anal about scheduling. If Lociato needs to turn a ship back for some reason, people die."

"Damn, that serious?"

"Yeah, which works in our favor. Lociato is rushing stuff back and forth, but nothing overseas. That's too messy. He already has to make sure everything undocumented and not watched. Think about it, parking a bigass tanker in a place like Seattle without authority watching over? That's damn hard, even for a rich cartel."

"So you think she's on the coast?"

"No, and I'll tell you more about that when the others are here. It concerns everyone, and it's a pretty long story. I need Kain on board for my plan to work, too."

Luca hated the secrecy with Angelo. It bothered him even more knowing that it was required for whatever it is Angelo was brewing. "Alright, I get it. They'll be back soon enough."
 
Though new to Mexico, Kain knew ahead of time that his only role in this plan was to drive, so he took it upon himself to memorize his path, from Venustiano Airstrip to the motel, then from the motel to Mal Cielo, even if he wasn't necessarily on the wheel for any of these trips. The roads looked familiar enough in his mind to reverse the trip from point A to point B. And with some peace and quiet in the front of the vehicle, all alone. No Luca to guilt-trip him, no Angelo to threaten him with death, and no temptation or jealousy coming from seeing Kenzie and Thalia. It felt peaceful, and driving, even if it were law-abiding, let the stress of the harsh day drain from his insides. He'd almost killed, and consequently, could've been killed, a life he swore not to go back to a few days ago. It wasn't until he tasted blood once again that he felt the urge to take it. Did Kenzie understand that half of him? Did she understand that him 'getting better' wasn't something that would take a day? For sure - she's a doctor after all, and she saw the same explosive behavior from his brother, too, when placed in a similar position. But was Kain giving an honest effort to suppress his violent urges? Not as much as he'd like to believe. At least this was a way to release his anger. He could get used to long drives through the countryside in an effort to stop being so agitated.

With the radio on, Kain couldn't hear a noise from the trailer behind him, and even if he could, he'd choose to zone out entirely. It was just another chance for him to hear a pleasant conversation with his foster sister and her lover, and that was only going to bother him further. Who knows; he might accidentally swerve off-course and crash the truck as he thought to do at one point, even by complete accident. Even if he survived that, he'd surely be a dead man. Best not to disrupt the plan in action. His vengeance would come later. Now was simply a time to think... where did he go wrong? Was how he was his own fault? Could it be if Dave snapped just like he did? And with Henrikson dead in the states, would he be held accountable for his death beyond the constraints of his pardon?

Worst case, he never returns to the States. It might be safer that way for him, and for Kenzie. It wasn't her that he would target in the end, after all.

Meanwhile, inside the actual trailer, it was a race against the clock to ensure that these women were well enough to board a flight to the States and last a few hours until professional help arrives their way when they land. 32 patients, and only one true medial professional on call, and she was only half the woman she used to be. Even with assistance, Kenzie still found the task quite the undertaking. She could easily help the physical wounds and give a temporary cast for the broken bones, but those with more pressing, internal issues would prove to be a problem. She was relying on Thalia's assessment on the urgency of each patient to know where to hop in terms of priorities. The scale of 1 to 10, 10 being a must-see, or an X, in which this person may not be able to be saved. It pained Kenzie to have to discriminate based on that standard, but she couldn't have any more backlash than there already was with Governor Hale barely making her immunity deal happen. The less casualties, the better it would look on her behalf. Maybe she was becoming like her father if appearances mattered this much to her. She simply defended it in her mind as it being her covering her own ass and let the thoughts drown to the bottom of her mind. She couldn't be distracted while working. She'd make it too obvious that she wasn't in full capacity to work and scare the former slaves, which is another problem she didn't need after gaining their trust in her sincerity and competency.

It seemed as though Thalia was more focused than Kenzie at her job as she hopped from corner to corner of the vehicle, marking slaves based on what she could see. She was no expert, but she did know a thing or two about the severity of these slaves' conditions being one not long ago. It equally burdened her, though, when it came to classifying slaves based on the markings on their foreheads. What would they say amongst one another when they ask what's going on and see different numbers between their eyes? And those with an X... would Kenzie be able to treat them? Or was it just her way of knowing who probably can't be saved? Which is why, halfway in, Thalia had left no slave with an X, but kept their numbers relatively high - nobody less than a 4. She couldn't have Kenzie slacking because she was scared of failure. She had faith in her companion, and she needed to see that.

As she stood before a group of three slaves who apparently knew each other and huddled together, she knelt down to their level and give them a visual examination; looks around their bodies for cuts and bruises, feeling across their limbs for broken bones, over the forehead for the off-chance of fever, a look into their eyes to get a feel for the drugs they'd been pumped with... anything that she could manage to point out. She began with the one on the far left, who'd initially retreated back against the wall, but quickly grew to trust the woman treating her.

"Shh... I'm here to help," the redhead whispered as she reached forward and took the woman's arm into her hands, examining it superficially. She'd taken a risk by assuming the woman could speak English, but it was one that proved to be alright.

"Y-You're.... I..." Her eyes took a good look at Thalia, from her face to her tattooed hand. It looked somewhat familiar. She sure wasn't dressed for work as a doctor, but she wasn't dressed for what she knew her as. "I know you."

The woman spoke with an accent, but clear enough for Thalia to understand. Her eyes shot out as she looked up to the woman's eyes. Taking the time to realize that her eyes were bloodshot red, weary, and with a similar dark spot for eye bags beneath like her own, she replied, "You do?"

She nodded. "You are like us, no?"

Thalia wasn't going to reveal the story of how she got out of the ring in an attempt to not stress the woman with details. What if she reacts negatively to the fact that an escape plan was devised simply to spring her from the compound? "I-I don't know what you're talking about, but I can only imagine what you've been through."

Her denial only did more to trigger the woman as Thalia felt over the markings on her arms from improperly-inserted needles. "No. You are like us. You are a slave, too. I've seen you before. I-In the dark place."

Panicking, but still not presented with concrete proof of her being a former slave, Thalia continued her assessment, feeling up the woman's neck and to her face, over her forehead, as she would routinely for each patient. This woman had an occasional shiver to her movements, and her face felt hot, as if on the brink of fever. Was it possible she was delirious? Could her outcries of recognizing Thalia be blamed on that, at least? She couldn't imagine how bad it would look, and how much of an uproar would start, if the slaves knew that one had escaped and did nothing to help the others. It was one of Thalia's regrets of being one of the lucky ones, particularly one of the few that wasn't pumped with as much heroin as the rest. The last thing she needed was this sort of attention.

"Y-Your fever is picking up. You feeling any bit of discomfort?" she tried to change the subject. But this woman wasn't having any of it. She was convinced she'd seen Thalia before.

"You're the attractive redhead that never stays in one place. How did you get out?"

Did Thalia really have that sort of reputation to precede her? She gulped, worried about how to give a proper response without starting a panic. None of the other slaves were this complicated. Most simply wanted a few kind words, even if they couldn't understand, and a hug to go along with it. That, she could've supplied, but an explanation for why she was chosen to be an escapee? Not so easy.

But a stroke of fortune touched Thalia in a way she'd never expect. The truck came to a rather abrupt stop that the women in the back could most certainly feel, all of them leaning a bit forward, surprised at the stop. Kain wasn't this bad of a driver to bring the truck to a sudden halt. Unless it was out of his hand. Instinctively, Thalia took this distracted moment to turn around to her companion, who, fortunately, didn't lose her balance, and stood to her feet. The looks that the two exchanged were similar in nature: confusion.

"What's going on, Kenz?" Thalia asked from across the container, taking to her feet and abandoning the suspicious slave behind her. Whatever was going on, it was best that the other women don't hear.

"No clue..." she whispered back once her friend was close enough to hear. "But I can't hear the engine of the truck anymore. Maybe we've arrived?"

Thalia shrugged. "I thought we'd be longer. We haven't even been through all of the girls yet."

"I know, but there isn't much we can do. It's not like a band of federal agents are just going to let these women show up in Texas in poor shape, or worse."

Their words were cut short as the doors to the container began to emit the noise of unlatching, as if someone was trying to open the doors. Both of them turned their attention to the source of the sound and approached side by side, signalling the women around them to keep calm. So far, this all seemed as natural as it could be, despite the instance of confusion upon their stop. Angelo said the doors were automatic, so whoever was trying to open up must be trying to enable that mechanism from the outside. Was it Kain? He didn't have to go through all of that effort after having seen how it's done. Were they caught by local authorities? Or worse: did Lociato catch up to them, a loose gun who found his score, pulled Kain over, and is now forcing his way into the cargo.

Soon enough, the metal doors opened, and to their relief, it wasn't Mexican authorities or any sort of foe. Rather, allies, though it didn't seem as such at first, as the men on the other side were dressed in suits and had pistols at the ready, pointing directly at the two women at the door. But these weren't just any suits: they were federal, obvious from the badges hanging from their necks with the letters FBI engraved on the front. Kenzie couldn't quite catch the detail, but she could tell feds when she sees them, being around law enforcement for her whole life. Though, instinctively, she and Thalia lifted their hands to surrender to the armed men. Kenzie could only hope that her partner wouldn't recognize this as a threat and act out in an aggressive manner. Hopefully she could see the devil in the details as she did.

And the agent in front of the pack could recognize the face of the leading lady, too. "Mackenzie Andrews?"

She nodded, and that nod is what instantly put her worries at ease. The agent was surprised at how calm Kenzie was to the sight of men with guns all pointing at her. It must've been her traumatic experience back in Seattle that helped her conquer her fear for guns. Did she still hate them? Definitely. But fear? Not anymore. The frontman lowered his weapon, and in response, so did the others. They were safe. These were definitely feds.

"Is this your partner?" he asked, directing his gaze to Thalia with a hint of suspicion.

"Yes. She's helping our small team. I believe that the office in Texas passed that down?"

The agent nodded, lifting his hand up, the badge around his neck in hand. "Agent Michael DeAngeles, FBI..." He then signaled with his finger, almost as if to an animal, to the girls to come along with him as he walked away from the back of the truck. "This way, ma'am," He muttered hastily. With help from the remaining federal agents surrounding the vehicle, as well as Thalia, the injured Kenzie was able to get down from the steep drop from the truck to the ground beneath them. She stepped to the ground with no struggle or pain whatsoever, and took a look around her. Where were they stopped? Was this some sort of unnecessary intrusion that the feds had organized?

In fact, it wasn't. They had arrived at the airstrip they'd initially touched down at. Venustiano Airstrip. Kenzie recognized the area in which they'd met Luca's Asian accomplice, where the pilot of her father's jet had given her one last relic from her past... The feds were here waiting for them to intercept the slave. She just didn't expect them to act so hostile, but she couldn't blame them for it. What if they were caught, and this was an attempt to silence the feds closing in on the scent of Lociato? Of course the FBI wasn't going to risk a band of criminals getting the drop on them. She couldn't blame this cautious move as she examined the surroundings of the airstrip. The jet was waiting at the end of the airstrip, the stairway into the cabin open and ready with her pilot waiting at the steps while speaking to one of the agents on-scene. She wasn't given much time to say hello to Jonas, because she was forced to engage in a conversation with the leading agent, who had Kain standing by the front of the truck, waiting for him to return with the girls. Seemed critical if everyone had to be together. Was their pardon compromised?

"Where's Luca Varundar, Doctor Andrews?" DeAngeles asked immediately now that the four were grouped together.

He meant business, no slacking off or chit-chat here. "He's still at the location where we found the women. He's making sure we don't miss any crucial evidence in the next part of our search. We need to be thorough, so he agreed to stay behind while we deliver the women. He's accompanied by the second ally we've recruited. I believe I already told you this on the phone before we departed."

The agent nodded. "Yes, he did. I just expected I'd get to meet more than just a redhead with gang ink on her hands."

Triggered by his wording, Thalia almost stepped forward to get in his face, but Kenzie's arm extended almost instantly to halt her. "T... don't. He's not worth it."

The redhead huffed in disapproval, glaring at the federal agent in disapproval. He clearly doubted her involvement in this, even if The Clan had been dismantled many years ago. Did he seriously think she could regenerate the group now that their leader had already died by lethal injection?

It wasn't worth it though, and Thalia came to her senses and stepped back, leaving Kenzie to drop her arm. She avoided much contact with Kain, who was standing idly by, listening to what was new. At least he'd be in the loop. "You brought a lot of men here for something this simple," Kenzie mentioned.

"We can't be too careful, even if this is outside our jurisdiction. This is a rescue mission with many women to accommodate for. And seeing the women in that container, your father's jet won't fit them all. Good thing we brought along a backup plane to carry all of these women and my men to tend for their need properly."

"With all due respect for your men, but they need a proper doctor, not some glorified detective with basic first-aid training."

"We've brought along a few doctors, ones we know are qualified to deal with emergencies like this. You have nothing to worry about. But we will be needing the truck to dispose of on our terms. Just a precaution. We have already prepared an unmarked, unbugged SUV for you three to take in order to return to your base of operations, so you won't be left without a ride."

"Understood, Agent DeAngeles." Kenzie didn't feel like arguing over a truck; there's no way they'd leave her up the creek without a paddle, not after this gold mine of information she'd just given them. Plus, if push were to come to shove, she could still bark back and give them hell under the grounds of her pardon agreement that she'd drafted herself. Unlike Amelia had assumed, Kenzie knew what she was doing by getting it passed.

"Do you have a timeline for your next check-in?"

Kenzie shook her head. "We just exhausted Mal Cielo. We're going to regroup with Luca and his cousin, then we need to relocate. You tell your superior that you'll hear word by midnight. A quick check-in to ensure that we're safe, and what our next lead is. But you feds keep your noses out of our business. We've got this under control."

DeAngeles nodded, just slightly impressed with Kenzie's confidence. For a damaged woman who'd lost everything, she was holding herself up surprisingly well. He refused to verbalize his feelings, and instead, moved on to the next matter of business: shooing the trio out of here. "Your vehicle is parked 100 meters west of here with the keys inside. You get out of here and make good on your word to make contact by midnight."

Kain finally broke his silence with that. "Finally. You had me held up like a goddamn prisoner."

Kain's demeanor bothered the federal agent, but he sucked it up and sighed. "Just protocol, Mister Saunders. From what I know, you need to keep yourself on good terms with the government, or else you're gonna get yourself back on the shoot-to-kill list. You hear me?"

The ex-cop remained quiet, only exchanging disapproving glares with the federal agent before turning his back on the circle the four had formed and marched for the car. This was a new approach for a man who, a few days ago, would've gouged this federal agent's eye in a furious outburst. Kain didn't need the extra hatred from Kenzie, or Thalia to fight back against him. Perhaps his safest bet after all was simply silence and solitude - time never healed the hurt he felt for his parents' alleged suicide, but could it heal his damaged relationship with Kenzie?

Though not paying much attention to him, Kenzie did admire Kain's resistance to the urge to kill. Maybe he was only doing it to impress her, maybe it was his own free will to get better. She didn't care, so long as she wasn't letting a mass murderer on the loose after all is said and done. She was placing a small amount of faith in her foster brother... but was it worth it? "T, give me a few minutes with Agent DeAngeles. I need a word passed along back to their base of operations in Texas."

"You sure you wanna be left here alone and walk the distance to the car?"

"Tell Kain to drive up here and pick me up. I'll wait. Just... don't worry too much for me, okay? I'm not completely useless after all. I can walk a few steps without collapsing."

Thalia nodded relucatnatly, following Kain off in the direction of the vehicle. What was this word Kenzie needed to have so privately that even she shouldn't be around for? And why was she so focused on being independent? She was also going out of her way to show strength as well. Was it all necessary, especially in a time where she should be resting? Questions that rang in her mind. All she knew? One way or another, she'd make good on her word to get Kenzie away from her convoluted life and to somewhere better... safer... quite a honeymoon they'd have, one that almost happened six years ago.

...

The private conversation with the federal agent concluded with no incident - on the contrary, a solid agreement that Kenzie would have to talk about later. When asked about it in the car by Thalia, she refused to go into the details. Perhaps it was a surprise involving her case of being pronounced dead? Was it some sort of help they'd get in the states with the feds' help? Thalia could only imagine, while Kain didn't bother ask. He highly doubted it concerned him or any sort of action for his betterment. He knew he'd be on his own soon enough, and more importantly, he didn't need help from Kenzie or the Feds to get back on his feet. Besides the initial questions from Thalia, the ride back to Mal Cielo was nearly dead silent while in the back seats of a relatively fancy SUV - obviously a nice car, as it was gifted from the FBI. Kain took to his usual seat as driver, and, once again, kept quiet and to himself. He resisted the urge to start conversation, or even open up any further. Just keeping his eyes on the road in his own form of private meditation, that, even with his very trigger in the vehicle with him not far away... was helping. The soothing peace he was feeling was a sign for him, personally, that maybe he didn't have to remain a bloodthirsty killer forever. Maybe he needed simple alone time to discover his life beyond what he knew in Seattle. Beyond a cop or a vigilante.

But a vigilante he'd have to stay as the trio pulled up in front of their fellow Italian cousins for partners. Kain put the car in park and turned the keys from the ignition. Almost in unison, Kain, Kenzie, and Thalia stepped out of the SUV and approached the cousins to explain why they'd returned in a different vehicle.

"The Feds were there, as promised," Kenzie explained, stepping forward in front of the others. "They refused to let the truck leave their sights, though. They want to destroy it on their terms and not have us carry it around. They gave us an SUV to get back here. We've already look through it, and it's not bugged. They aren't spying on us or anything. But the slaves have boarded the jet with medical experts on-board, and they're on their way to the airport in Dallas as we speak. The Feds do want an update later tonight, but I've held them off for long enough for us to find a new location to stay. But that's what we've been up to. Did you two find anything inside the compound? Maybe something that'll get us close to Sarah?"
 
Angelo was first to alert Luca of the car pulling in. Unlike when they entred the building, Angelo had drew his weapon and pushed himself out to the main room. Luca followed in suit, batons linked into one staff. Whispering, Angelo brainstormed with his partner. "You think they're back already? A little soon, no?"

Luca was in a similar thought process as the engine died outside, muttering to Angelo. "Not Lociato's men. That's only one car. Put the damn gun away."

With that uttered, Luca pushed open the door and mentally sighed in relief as he saw the trio. He didn't think much of the car; he figured that the agency would want to handle loose ends on their own terms. "Yeah, there was a gold mine of stuff in there. Me and Angelo traced Sarah's route from the past few months and figured out where she'd be heading next. We thought it was the coast, but Angelo has another idea that he wanted to share with everyone."

Angelo reached his hand out, tugging on Luca's shoulder a touch when he stepped forward. "We can talk about that inside. Like I said, it's a pretty convoluted thing." Switching topics, Angelo stepped closer to the SUV. "This, on the other hand, bothers me. It's relatively expensive - good thing I don't pay taxes - and looks like something you'd see in a predominantly white American gated community. Something a wealthy tourist would drive. It paints us like a bull's eye for anyone looking to jack some quick change off of someone in the major cities. I suppose between most of us, that isn't much of a threat. If me and Luca can handle a dozen armed mercenaries, a carjacker's easy pickings. Still, I don't want to be signing off any statements to the police over some incident that could be avoided by taking back roads, but we're on the clock already."

"Well, we don't have to stick around to sign a report, do we? We're essentially off the radar as is."

"I suppose, but its something to think about. I'll let our driver think that one over. Speaking of which..."

Angelo put himself in front of Kain, a few feet away rather than in-his-face like he used to do. "You did alright. Ex-slaves on a jet and free women, Kenzie and Thalia back alright, and you didn't have to get whacked. But I still can't let you have a weapon that's any sharper than one of Luca's batons. After what me and him did in that slavehouse, I know how chaotic you'd get in there. I had the opportunity to kill a lot of people in there, but I didn't. You're too impulsive to be trusted not to do something like that at the moment. Driving? You risk yourself, but when you're behind the barrel of a gun, you're utterly safe. When we head inside to talk about what I have brewing, you stay outside. Kenzie, if there is anything you want to say, do it now. It could change my plan for the days ahead."
 
Kenzie expected that showing up in a fancy FBI-funded SUV wasn't going to be a sight Angelo was fond of, but could she blame him? Going in one vehicle, then coming back in another was beyond suspicious, especially in a car given to them by law enforcement from the states, and one that stood out in such a part of Mexico. If they didn't get Lociato's attention, they'd get the attention of a robber, and therefore, the police if they have to go through paperwork. However, she had some faith in Kain's driving to just move along in case any creep decided to try and break in or stop them on the road, especially after seeing how he'd brought Luca along to her house with a nasty stab wound. She was trying to trust him again, ever so slightly, but not giving him the sort of hand-holding that she'd done for so long. Still, they didn't necessarily have to stop for the police; they could easily speed off in whatever car they have. But they didn't necessarily have to take the SUV. The nearby compound was bound to have some worthy contender as their next getaway car. But soon, before reinforcements arrive.

Angelo stepping up to the plate and getting in Kain's face to partially applaud him and partially keep him in line almost made Kenzie stand in front of him, worried that he'd stab him then and there, making good on his promise for avenging Angela's death. She'd take the shiv before him in a heartbeat, just to preserve her own sense of morality and punish Kain without killing him. But before she could step forward, she felt a hand from behind her grip her forearm in an attempt to halt her. She froze, her eyes slowly turning to the side to see her redheaded companion restraining her. Sure, Angelo didn't actually hurt Kain, but he sure as hell looked like he would. And if that were the case, it almost seemed like Thalia wouldn't mind. Kenzie only gave her a look of disapproval in response. Subtle, but meaningful.

Kain, on the other hand... "You just wanna leave me out of the loop of this whole thing so you can get the drop on me. You think I'm just gonna wait outside like an idiot?"

Still held back, Kenzie pitched in, "Yes, you are. Like the idiot you are, because if that's sensitive information we're dealing with, we can't have you using anything against us, or compromising whatever plans because you saw something you shouldn't or heard too much. You did okay for now, but if you wanna stay on our good books, you prove you can act like an adult and not complain like a child. Just consider it like you're watching as a guard if it satisfies your craving for the action. Got it?"

Almost like responding to his own mother in an eerie manner, Kain glared at Kenzie, clearly showing how he disagreed with this arrangement. But was it his only choice now that he was outnumbered? If he continued to resist, Angelo would most probably knock him out and leave him outside to be picked off first by any incoming reinforcements. But to watch for said reinforcements? Act as guard? It was slightly motivating. He wasn't going to be able to hear the plans of where they're going next, or the multitude of details acquired from Mal Cielo, but all he could do was groan and go along with it. Argue, and he might just get himself killed before he can get the chance to kill.

"Fine. I'll stay outside. But if you try to fuck me over, I won't roll over. Got it?"

"No one's gonna do that. Now, just stay calm out here, and we'll brief you later."

"Mm... okay."

Clearly upset and with steam to blow off, Kain strolled off, still close to the perimeter of the compound. He wouldn't stray too far away from the SUV, but he figured some space would help him. Once he was gone, Thalia released her grip on Kenzie, leaving her free to move again. Not like she'd chase after Kain in such a situation, after all.

That left her interaction with Angelo. Was there something to say? Actually, there was. But not here, and something to Angelo personally. Still....

"Nothing worth mention, Angelo. You already know what happened with us. The slaves are en route to Texas, and the feds haven't pulled the plug on us yet. I guess it's your turn for show and tell. What did you guys find that's so convoluted inside?"
 
Angelo didn't expect his demand to fly well with Kain. He tried to say it professionally - and did well enough - but Kain wasn't a pushover. Angelo knew that enough, but didn't push Kain any farther. He was glad that Kenzie had his side and that Luca stayed quiet, too. Angelo stepped back towards the building, mind brewing with a rather wild plan. "Alright then. Take a seat inside; the mercenaries are restrained and sleeping. Luca, get the map we drew up."

Pushing open the warehouse door, Angelo took a seat in one of the few remaining chairs that weren't destroyed in the fight. He faced the row of unconscious, tied up men with their arms locked together and raised above their heads. "There wasn't anything complicated here, but I've been thinking about something that's a lot more complex than a simple hit like we did here." Angelo's eyes darted to the floor and walls of the main room. It was bloodless, save for a few specks from the noses Luca undoubtedly crushed; Angelo knew the hallway connecting the document room and the main hub was much worse, between the gunshot he let off and the busted teeth. Still, there were no corpses, just like they wanted. Angelo was going to continue what he said, but Luca came back with the map, unraveling it to full size. "We tracked Sarah's path from Seattle down to Mexico. You met her here a few days ago, and she already got moved. Between the records I have of her in Seattle, the ones we found here, and the documents from the factory, we've been able to figure out that Sarah's moving with no stops. No rentouts to buyers or auctions, yet. I thought she was moving for the coast, and so did Angelo, but that's not the case anymore, apparently. He didn't tell me why, though."

"Right, and I'm going to now. Thalia, there's a two year gap between you and Kenzie as slaves. In normal circumstances, you two should never cross paths. The letter groups travel together and are sold together. It makes management easier when you can name your folders A, B, C, and so on. I first summarized it as just Lociato rushing all of his assets out of Washington, but that fallout is over. He recovered and anyone who needed killed was killed. But he's still moving slaves back and forth, hence why we're not having full crews sent out to this yet. He thinks the southern cartels are landing some strong blows on his supply, and wants to get rid of it. Luca, you're not gonna like this next bit, but you're gonna need to listen. Sarah - and Thalia before we got her - is going to be auctioned at somewhere large, secure, and impressive enough for foreign trade members of Lociato's inner circle. We're out of the hornet's nest in Seattle, but the only way we move on from here is to enter the lion's den itself. Lociato's compound."

Angelo stopped for a moment, letting it sink in. He especially watched Luca for anything; it was this man's wife, after all. Sighing, Luca replied. "Is this the only way? Do we know?"

"No, Luca, we don't know. But Lociato isn't moving ships in the water if he thinks he's at war, but he is also not keeping volatile assets like scared, veteran slaves around much longer if he can still make some money off of them. I'm not saying we full on assault the place; I have a plan for that, too. All of you thought about staging as prisoners and using me as a way straight to Lociato. I discarded that idea at first since we wanted slaves, not a dead Lociato at that point. Now? It's the best path. I'm not telling any of you what to do; Kenzie, you have Thalia, and I know how strongly you want to help Luca find his wife again, but this is dangerous, much more than anything we've done yet. You guys are going to be right in the thick of things when everything goes down, and if anything goes wrong, we're dead. All of us. Kenzie, you're a tough girl, but you're not at your physical best. You aren't going to be treated gently the whole way through the compound, and you stand a pretty good chance at getting permanently hurt through this, if we make it out. I wanted to keep Kain out of this discussion since he doesn't trust me on this. I'd be in a pretty good position to fuck everyone over and cash in some millions like any other hitman. I'm asking a lot of each of you in this. I'm asking you to trust me, trust my abilities, and not change your decision no matter what it is. If I know all of you guys are going to do this, Kain will follow. He doesn't like Lociato either, but he especially doesn't like me. I...I'm hoping that after Lociato is dead that our fight is over. The mercenaries stick to paychecks, not their employer. Once the majority of them realize that their wallets aren't getting filled by anyone anymore, they'll quit fighting. That's a maybe. No idea what those thick skulls are thinking. But if it's not, I don't know if we can get out of there. Luca, no matter what, you're gonna need a gun. We aren't getting through this without a bit of blood. Or a lot, if the mercenaries are still a threat. I can't imagine that we'll sneak any in, but I carry a lot more than one firearm, and they won't take my piece away."

"...Damn, Angelo. You put a lot of thought into this."

The men were emotionally exhausted from violence. Angelo's been tiring out for years, and Luca's gone through internal conflict with such things long enough. Both could see it in each other's faces; depression made Angelo look ten years older than when Luca saw him at the hospital. Anger hid in Luca's eyes, but couldn't escape Angelo's observation. "Yeah, I figured it would come to this, eventually. Did you think you would stop after getting your wife? I know you couldn't. I've been with this guy for over a decade and a half; there's a kind of evil reserved for someone like that. I'm no better, but at least I'm aware of it. God knows Sarah wouldn't leave without killing the guy. We were gonna end up here at some point; may as well do it when he's afraid of a southern attack."

Luca's eyes were wide open, looking at Angelo. He saw a side of Angelo he could only suspect before; ready, and prepared, to die. Grunting, Luca looked to his hands, forearms resting on his legs. "Yeah, I see why Kain may not like this. Do you want to talk to him, or should I?"

"Kain isn't going to listen to me. You can do it." To that, Luca nodded, staying in his seat. "I'll do that after the ladies put in their own thoughts."
 
The inside of the disaster now known as Mal Cielo was a sight that both Kenzie and Thalia had both become rather desensitized to, each for their own reasons. Kenzie had received patients in the ER beaten in a similar manner, so the stray flecks of blood and battered men around her really had no effect on her, and that's not including her kidnapping ordeal. Thalia had a different reason for seeing this as normal: her entire youth was based in a life of crime under a ruthless kingpin who killed everyone that didn't obey, and executions were public for everyone in The Clan to see. This scene was child's play in comparison, and there was always the sights and sounds of the slave ring still fresh in her mind. 'Take a seat', Angelo told them, but they both seemed to prefer to stand, especially with whatever pressing matter had to be discussed in private, away from Kain. Not like they'd be able to stay seated with what's to come, a plan that they didn't think they'd ever consider again.

First, they'd managed to trace where Sarah's shipment was off to, the one that separated her from Thalia from the other compound. Not to the coast, oddly enough. If Lociato wanted to protect his assets after hostile attacks, why keep them on the same soil as the attack? But since the exposure in Seattle, the kingpin's behavior seemed to have changed radically, which made his endgame goals rather... confusing, at least to Kenzie. But when given the idea of a final auction, it became clearer. Sarah's time as a slave-for-trade was coming to an end, and a sale was about to made underway at some secure location. Both girls didn't really move too much, nothing more than a concerned look from Kenzie to Luca, and Thalia glancing down in a way to subdue her own emotions... because Angelo also specified that she would've been on the same boat as Sarah had she not been sprung out. Her luck was getting ahead of her. First, recovering the crucial memories of her past in the course of two days, now escape permanent sale by one shipment? She almost felt bad for dodging this predicament, but so fortunate to find a fragment of her past once again. A blessing, and also a curse, that she was taken to freedom while the rest of those slaves in the dark room were probably en route to an auction. Those faces just watching her get carried away... perhaps she had gotten to a point where she was too privileged. Too lucky.

But second.... posing as prisoners to be brought up to the head of the snake himself, by Angelo's hand. And after one look at her lover, Kenzie's reaction came out immediately. "You're not stringing her up and risking her life in a potential gunfight."

Thalia's eyes shot out at how Kenzie's overprotected nature was getting in the way of their plans. "You cannot be serious. I think I'm in better shape than you to be brought into action. Besides, I think it'd make just a bit more sense if it were me. I have tried to escape before, and then got brought back not long after. This could be played out all the same, especially if Angelo isn't connected to my escape from the start."

"How do you know they won't kill you for this attempt?"

Kenzie's concern was in place; Thalia had gotten lucky far too many times, and who was to say that this wasn't the final straw without Angela alive to keep her head over her shoulders? "W-We don't know that, but after all the crazy shit I've done before, they haven't touched me yet. Nothing more than some physical torture, a bit drug abuse. I don't think they'll kill me; they never have."

The doctor shook her head. "I'm not putting my life on that..." She turned her attention back to Angelo for a counter-proposal. "You said Lociato wants more than just a picture proof of my death, right? I'm too much of a high-value target for that to suffice? You bring me in there and execute me for him to see, when you'll really take care of him. How does that sound?"

It was Thalia's turn to rebut now: "Like a way to get yourself killed. Who's to say you won't land a bullet in you too early?"

"What if he was afraid I had information? Wouldn't he want that out of me before he just offs me?"

She stepped even closer to her love, appalled by the entire concept of the idea. "This is downright suicidal. You already told me you were tortured once. I won't let you take another beating for some other man's pleasure."

"What other choice do we have, T? Lociato wants to tie loose ends, and I'm still out there, MIA. But I am a gold mine for him after what my father pulled off. He doesn't have to worry beyond me."

But Thalia disagreed... "Yes he does. He has to worry about that maniac outside looking for blood..." And it was then that a new idea had struck her. Why had this not come up at first? Why did she and Kenzie have to fight over who'd be the sacrificial lamb when they had a much better candidate all along? Now addressing the entire group, she went on: "Kain. He's dangerous, unpredictable, and Lociato knows that. He probably also knows that Kain is out on a manhunt fueled by vengeance. He's already proven to be a threat, so why not offer his head up on a silver platter in order to get close enough? It's a good excuse to get close, too. Can't argue with that."

"No. They might stall and torture me, but they'll kill Kain off without thinking twice, and I'm not having that." Her eyes flickered towards Luca as well, now seeing how an originally insane plan that Angelo had planned so deeply planned out was about to be blown out of proportion with Thalia and Angelo's desire to get rid of Kain. "You can't possibly side along with this, to just punish Kain like this. He's not going to learn from his mistake if he's dead."

Once more, the team was divided, and all over their allegiance to Kain: send him out as a sacrificial lamb to potentially be slaughtered on sight, or risk it with someone far more fragile. Thalia did give her last bit of input as she just glared at Kenzie from afar, shocked at how far this divide was going to take them. "If that's the case, Angelo might as well string up all four of us and bring us in to be killed. Think that's any better?"

"Sure as hell better than Kain going out there alone."

"Hmph..." It might've been the best option, but far too risky for Angelo. He suddenly stumbled upon four gold mines at once? That might not fly.
 
Angelo's mind shifted a mile a minute, his eyes darting from one member of the group to another, ever looking between all of them. There were so many different possibilities to be taken; himself, or with one of them in tow, Kain, or everyone. He hated the idea of doing anything in the first place, but the time for action was now. Lociato was probably scrutinizing him under a microscope these past few days, so anything suspicious would get him killed way too soon. Kain would be the safest and cleanest choice, but there was no time to try to convince Kenzie of that. Luca certainly wouldn't take his side on that.

"Yeah, I don't agree with it, Angelo. Much as Kain has done to us, this wouldn't be right. Not sure if it'll even work. Kain's volatile, and will take any opportunity he can to undermine you at this stage. Kenzie's in no physical condition to be chucked around, and Thalia just got out of slavery. I can do it."

"No, you can't. Lociato knows you guys travel as one, so me taking you would be the craziest red flag we could throw."

Luca shook his head, disgruntled by the state of the situation. He wanted to take action to Lociato's door and get his wife back, but he wanted there to be another way. Try as much as he could, Luca couldn't think of any other way to Lociato's compound. But who was going to be Angelo's key in? It was an issue that threatened the group stability; Kenzie's protection of both Thalia and Kenzie, Angelo's paranoia which may or may not be justified, and Luca's desire to do something. Angelo kept the thinking ball rolling, his own thoughts coming to surface.

"Kenzie, you're right. It's radical to think of all of us getting in there under the pretense that I brought you in. Hell, it's insane. Lociato knows that I'm not loyal. It's one of the qualities he liked about me; My last boss ended up dead because of Lociato, so he knows better than anyone that I'm not a great employee. He doesn't trust me, but he also believes he knows me through and through. Bringing everyone there could be the end of us. Or, it could fit right to my character, being driven by wealth and all. Lociato knows Luca was a boxer and a tough man and also connected him to Sesler a long time ago, but he doesn't know how much of a fighter he really is. I might be able to convince him that I took him down and that you guys didn't have any resistance to me. Maybe the same with Kain, I don't know. This is all up in the air at the moment. It fits the bill of what we want; everyone together, no one being in any more threat than another, and gives us a hand in confrontation. But if there's any doubt to my credibility, we're boned. Simply put, the most we could hope for is a fast death."

Luca stood up from his chair suddenly, things on his mind behind the eyes. "I...I guess that's something to tell Kain. Is there anything else, or is that all? We are rolling the dice and hoping we live, or we die together."

"No, that sounds about right."

There was a lack of passion in Angelo's words, something that scared Luca. His mind rattled with his own voice, berating himself for getting into this situation. New York doesn't seem half bad anymore.

Stepping out into the Mexican country, Luca propped his back up against the wall of the complex, taking a moment to regather his thoughts and process the last few minutes. He looked to Kain, then, a bit of somberness in his eyes. "Angelo has one crazy plan in there, Kain. Something big. I don't know if it'll work, but Hell, we've come this far. It might be the only way to stop Lociato, and this is the only time to do it. He wants to bring us in as prisoners, get us real close to Lociato, and attack him from within the compound, get the slaves out, and ultimately destroy the cartel. It's insane to think about, but it's the only plausible answer at this point. We can't send anyone in alone or it'll be too suspicious. Besides, Kenzie won't let Angelo go alone with you and Angelo won't take me by myself. It's an all or nothing affair, I guess. I know you don't like getting put on the shelf for this, so I figured I'd tell you. We're putting a lot of trust in a man who has killed and robbed his entire adult life. It's my wife on the line here, so I'm definitely a bit worried about our futures. But...what else are we going to do, Kain? We can't attack the place like a military. The only thing we have on our side is surprise and inside knowledge. We're hoping that Lociato's death will cause the mercenaries to leave, but there's no knowing on that."
 
-(Kenzie Andrews)-

Although not the preferred way to go about this, the girls could at least come to terms with going in as a group. No one getting stranded or left behind with Angelo there to decide their fate on his own terms. Everyone was going down with this ship, and it was that condition that sold both Kenzie and Thalia on this modified plan of coming forward as prisoners. Minus Kain, so far, it was unanimous with the nods of heads across the room. Angelo would be taking care of the heavy lifting throughout the operation, and details would be discussed once Kain is briefed on the outline of the plan, which was what Luca had departed to do. That left the girls to do as they pleased. While Thalia strolled off to walk around the compound, taking in the sights and sounds of what was familiar and what wasn't from her time as a slave, Kenzie had something vastly different to propose. To Angelo. She stepped forward, confidence in her stance and gaze. She knew what she was doing, and it was a thought on her mind ever since she'd spoken to that federal agent at the airstrip.

"Angelo," she began, keeping her voice at a moderate volume just in case Kain was eavesdropping. "I know I can't persuade you to back down on your feud with Kain by my own defenses alone, but I would at least like to discuss something about him that's been going on behind the scene in the States..." She looked over her shoulder briefly to ensure their privacy. No one there, thankfully. She returned to look the bald assassin the eyes as she spoke a bit softer. "Jeffrey Henrikson, the old FBI director that Kain butchered in Seattle... he's dead. They aren't giving me details about it, even though a severed hand is extremely painful but not fatal alone unless the paramedics were extremely careless. I know he was slipping under my care, but the cause of his death isn't my concern. The point is that to get in on this operation, I drafted a pardon for myself, Luca, and Kain, one that would give us blanket immunity for most of the crimes we've done in our pursuit of Lociato. But the issue is...."

She gulped before uttering the next words, ones very damning to hear for the wrong ears. "They've voided Kain's pardon. They're charging him for Henrikson's death. Murder, second degree. It might just be a political stunt to throw Kain back under the bus after the news began to spread about his father and brother. Murder is a stretch for what Kain pulled off. I find it odd they didn't charge me for not being able to save him." She shrugged off her doubts, though. She didn't need a jail sentence to top off what they were doing now. "Kain lost his freedom. He can't go back to the States without getting booked on the spot. Killing a federal agent is no laughing matter, obviously. But they are trying to compensate for that inconvenience just so I don't withdraw from our operation. They won't give Kain his pardon back, and quite frankly, I won't argue for it back. I won't even tell Kain that he's a wanted man again. All I asked is that they don't shoot to kill on the spot. He goes to jail, gets a fair trial, he gets what he deserves. But they are also throwing in one extra favor of my choosing. And in that moment, I had an idea."

Her gaze became less troubled, but more optimistic. Even a light smile towards the man before her. "You've been a part of a life of crime for so long, but I saw what you wanted with Angela. You wanted out to be with her, and it's not too late to get out of it. You can do right for her, the woman you loved, by following through on your plans to start over. The right way. I can organize plans with the FBI to get you a new identity, distant from the name that Angelo Varundar had built for himself. I've already discussed it, and all they need is your name and approval. I don't know what official records say about you, but I can bring up your case and vouch for you when we go home. I'll tell them you were a great asset in our black op, that you did have a rough past, but are willing to move on. You leave the talking and negotiations to me, but let this offer sink in. I know, it won't be the same without Angela. You have no idea how devastated I was to hear Thalia was dead after we talked about leaving everything behind and getting married. And when I saw the devastation on your face seeing Angela like that... I knew I could see myself in you. All I need is your go-ahead. Your say that you want me to keep talking to the Feds. You, taking Kain's place in the joint deal with me and Luca. Your chance to move on. What do you say?"

Kenzie wasn't expecting a glowing yes from a broken man like Angelo, but she proposed the idea for him to think about. That favor would carry over beyond today, anyway. That was a piece of political power left behind by her father, one last gift she could use for a greater good.

-(Kain Saunders)-

Once again, Kain's rash and volatile behavior landed him a place outside the decision making process and instead, left to pace and ponder over what the others were scheming behind closed doors. Was this some other ploy to throw him under the bus, to feed him to Lociato as some sort of sacrifice and early judgment? With such thoughts in mind, running was an option, like it was ever since he killed Angela. Who would know where he'd go from here? He had no home, and he couldn't just dash back into the States without following up on his end of the bargain. He could set up in Mexico temporarily while he plots on his own, a convoluted idea to get the drop on Angelo, one that might come at the price of his life. Not like a suicide plan would do anyone harm but himself. Kenzie didn't care, and he'd at least follow his brother to whatever hell he was sent to. He wouldn't be missed if he just strapped an explosive to his chest, lured Angelo up to close range, and just detonated. A cheap move, but he'd do it if it comes down to it.

But he didn't run. He stayed right where he was told, at the door to the compound near the FBI-supplied SUV, just waiting till he was filled in, like before. Nothing like himself and Luca actively devising a plan on the fly, how he'd be in control of the situation with Luca's injury and the connections he had in the area, with a doctor for a foster sister, a cop for a brother, and a police chief for an adoptive father. Now, he was nothing more than the loose end that they could off at any second. Not even a weapon to defend himself, and seen as pathetic to many.

At least Luca was trying his best to stay on his good side. Trying to kill Thalia had already earned him a place on her bad side, and Angelo had every reason to despise him after the exchange had fallen through. Kenzie seemed to be on the fence, furious at his actions, but also looking for a proper reprimand that wasn't death. Luca seemed to side with that notion, and was trying to help him see reason again. Now, he came with the update: what was going on inside the compound? What other useless job would he get next? He didn't even know they were about to enter the belly of the beast, the scariest part of it all.

The plan was risky, and one that put everyone's skin on the line. All five of them, with Angelo taking the other four as prisoners, using the bounties on their heads as away to get close, and it would look like Angelo was chasing his payday. Kain actually found the plan rather fair. It wasn't just him that was going to have a chance to take a dunk into hot water - because so did Luca, Kenzie, and Thalia. Was this a situation he could exploit to off the people he hates? Yet another risk with a questionable success potential. He acts out in front of Lociato, Angelo gets a bullet. He gets a chance before the bullets fly, he can cut Thalia up before she has a chance to think. But Luca and Kenzie? Was this how he was going to thank the two people that had hope in him? Would this do nothing but send him further off the same deep end that Dave had succumbed to out of desperation?

"Fine," he grumbled, accompanying it with a quick nod. "Seems fair enough. I've been dying for a reason to get close enough to see him anyway. Just to see the man who put that word out to have my father killed. The man who destroyed my life. It may not be me putting the killing bullet in him, but just watching him get shot down, even if it's by Angelo, will be satisfying to watch. Seems like a potential jackpot, plus we get to the slaves.... but Kenzie isn't going in."

Would Luca be surprised that Kain was defending Kenzie like this? "Lociato has it out for her father, and bringing in the daughter of the traitor? He'll think she knows something. He'll torture her, and you saw what Nathan Wells did to her. I won't let anything of the sort ever happen to her again. Send us and Thalia in, sure. But Kenzie has to go home. This isn't her fight anymore. She's in no position to protect herself if this gets ugly, too. She's too huge and tempting of bait to swing in front of Lociato. I know you wouldn't dare put Sarah in this position, so don't make Kenzie go through that. Hasn't she been through enough because of me? She hurt me, but I don't think torture for information I know she doesn't have is what she deserves."
 
|:|Angelo Varundar|:|

Angelo watched Luca walk out of the door with a heavy stare, absorbing as much as he could through his eyes. The way his cousin walked, breathed, and otherwise moved through the room was something to analyze. Luca was at his wit's end with this final, radical plan. He didn't like having no other choice to make but the difficult one. Hell, who did? Thalia walked off on her own accord, and Angelo was about to do the same and decompress, but Kenzie rolled him into a conversation, one he scarce expected and did not prepare for. He didn't have any real qualms over a Fed director dying - it was as important to him as the moon cycle - but having it affect Kain pleased him. With the pardon gone, Kain was essentially trapped in Mexico with Angelo until they went back to the States. At least, this was Angelo's first train of thought. Kenzie wasn't just trying to inform him about the happenings in the group, but making an offer.

A heavy, deep offer at that. Kenzie wasn't wrong; he hated the life he lived. God, a new identity and clear slate was a gift worth all of the frozen millions stashed overseas. But could he take it? Could he find a job out there without a high school diploma and a lack of trade skills beyond hunting and killing? There would be no way for him to get the money from Lociato after all this, so he needed to think about his future. Much as he wanted to put Kain in the dirt, he also wanted proper freedom. Would killing Kain be any worse than letting him get put in trial? Kain wouldn't have a chance at getting executed for second-degree, but he'd serve a very long time, if not life. Kain was in his own personal hell. Locking him up was just as good as killing him in Angelo's book. "...Who knows what my record looks like. I'm sure I have one from a botched robbery back in '92, but otherwise...I don't know. I like the idea of being a free man again, but I don't know what I'd do. This is my life, Kenzie, much as I hate it. It's the only talent or skill I really have. I'm as much a killer as him. I just disconnect myself from it and pretend I'm somehow a reputable human being. It almost seems unfair. But I never claimed to a be a fair man. Angela won't come back like Thalia did to you; that's a part of me that stays here in Mexico. There's never going to be a bond between me and Kain. I get these impulses to attack him all the time, much as he does to attack you or Thalia. Am I any better than him to be pardoned? Probably not, but I'm not saying no. There's bad stuff between me and Luca I'm still terrified to talk about. Yes, terrified."

Angelo looked down at his hands for a moment, a bit ashamed to admit that he was frightened by something. Someone. "He's a boiling pot of anger and deeply-sown self-loathing. I think Luca could kill me if he very well wanted to. If he knew what I did, he just might do that. It's why I'm not ready to take this pardon just yet. I don't want to be close to Luca for long. I..."

Angelo stopped speaking for a moment, eyes darting to the door, then around the room, ensuring his own privacy. "I told Lociato that taking Sarah would push Luca into working for the cartel eight years ago. I was going to contact him afterwards with a cartel job in exchange for his wife's freedom, but by then he had already gone off the radar. There's no way he knows I told Lociato and probably chalks it up to be another part of his bad misfortune, but I can't tell him now. Probably never. Do I take the pardon and disappear from my last family member in fear of telling him the truth, or stick together as cousins and lie to his face for the rest of my life? How can I look at Sarah without seeing the girl I took away from her lover and ruined her life for years on end? I wonder if I'm meant to stay outside the law. It's certainly the life I've lived for the past two decades."

Angelo then stood up, a bit of exhaustion now present in his body. Mentally, he was suppressed. "I'll think about it. If things go belly-up, we won't have to worry about any pardons."

|:|Luca Varundar|:|

Luca was glad Kain could agree with the rather insane plan to dive right into Lociato's compound. He could also share the sentiment of not letting Kenzie through. But, much as he hated it, Luca knew there was little he could do about the matter. "Yeah, I don't like it either. But Kenzie's her own woman; I can't make her not go. She's vital in there, too. None of us can take care of any harmed slaves. I hate the idea of letting Kenzie go in there while she's still wounded and I'm not in perfect health, but it needs to happen. Angelo won't let Lociato harm Kenzie, I know that. He's...I don't know, protective of the Kenzie and Thalia, I guess. Not sure how to describe it. Angelo's one fucking weird guy, I gotta say. I'll see if Angelo can't weaken whatever he uses to cuff me with so I can take them off if needed." Luca looked over the horizon for a good while, his mind emptying out like a suitcase after an extended vacation. "Kenzie won't leave until this is done. None of us will." For the first time in a very long time, Luca slipped a white cylinder of tobacco out of its little packet inside his coat and raised it to his lips, lighting it with a handheld lighter. "Guess I don't need to worry about these things killing me, eh? We can be facing certain death very soon. Anything you wanna talk about? I know I have some things."

"I worry a lot, Kain. About myself. I don't think I'm doing fine mentally anymore. These nightmares are coming back hard. I think all that time boxing is starting to make my brain rot. CTE, or whatever they call it. My wife was...pregnant before she was kidnapped. God knows if Lociato let the kid survive or if Sarah got it out of Mexico or wherever she was when she gave birth, but I could have a kid out there right now not knowing who its parents are. There's times where I wonder if I've killed people before without realizing it. Hitting them too hard, stuff like that." Luca stopped speaking for a moment, pulling from the cigarette in a long drag. He coughed a bit, his body not used to the acrid taste like it once was. "I also worry about Sarah. Will she be the same person she was eight years ago? I know I'm not. I doubt she'll recognize me. I don't do my parents proud; I killed and ran from my problems a long time ago, just to end up in more and condemning an innocent girl to suffer for the things I've done. Sometimes I wish I could choose to not believe in a God, just to get rid of that fear, but I can't. I want to help these slaves, I want to do good, but I also want to settle down with Sarah after this. I can't have both, can I? There will always be someone to fight, some organization to take down after Lociato. There's nothing for me to turn back to after this; I can't hold a job to save my life other than boxing. Your life is shit too, Kain. Get a damn hold on it before it's too late. Do something healthy for yourself, even if it hurts when you do it. Put distance between you and Kenzie if you gotta. Rediscover what you want out of life. Don't be bad just because you don't know any better. If we survive this, find a reason to hold on a while longer. For as bad as things may be, it can always be worse. That's a thought that keeps me driving."

Luca tossed the cigarette into the ground, grinding it with his boot.
 
-(Kenzie Andrews)-

The doctor remained poised throughout Angelo's response, taking this reasoning into consideration. Sure, a transition from a hitman to a law-abiding citizen, one with his freedom granted by legal higher-ups, wasn't going to be easy. However, he did have this transition planned out from the start with Angela, albeit she was the one with the contingency mapped out in her mind. But was the plan dead with her? It couldn't be, and Kenzie could sympathize in a heartbeat. The pain he'd felt while burying her and wishing he could've done more... at least at the time, he could bury her. Kenzie didn't get that liberty and was left to visit an empty grave for six years. Angela's grave was no better, an unmarked one in the midst of the desert, unfortunately. It's no mistake that he was a broken man, and Kenzie was taking it upon herself to try and repair him, even if her gesture was one that would sound rather strange to its recipient.

"You keep saying this is your life..." she sighed, stepping around so that she'd stand side by side with Angelo. "You don't think you can change no matter how dark your past was. But let me remind you of something." Kenzie had stood that way because they were both directly facing in the direction of Thalia, who was glancing back and forth and the grounds of the compound, at the remains of the battle that the Varundars had fought. "Look at her. She worked under the same employer as you, though much lower on the food chain. Worse, she worked for a different group of criminals all at the same time, dueling with alliances and trying to keep her word to keep getting paid and stay where she was in life. But for the very same reason as you, she decided to put it all behind her. She found love, and realized it was time to put the rough past behind her as best as she could. You can argue that she... didn't quite get rid of it entirely. Just weeks before Angela had her killed, she was arrested in a string of arrests that had to do with high-rise members of The Clan, but she had it all worked out in an agreement to testify against their leader. She was able to shake them off, but not quite Lociato. But she realized that living like how she did before wasn't going to foster peace. She had to make a change, and that she did. Now, she's more or less free again, and I don't see her backing out of it anytime soon. And you can do the very same thing..."

Kenzie adjusted her sights to look to the side of Angelo's head. He'd dropped quite a massive bombshell upon her, a secret she had to entertain with caution. Kidnapping Sarah was no accident, but a ploy to induct Luca into the organization, too. She almost dropped her jaw in shock, unsure of how to respond to this revelation. These were the events of a different Angelo, and the guilt of it all was catching up to him. Which brought him to being torn between taking the pardon and vanishing with the guilt of this secret, or stick around and continue lying about it? "I..." What could she say? Part of her wanted him to come clean, but the other thought that doing so would create a rift in the group, and Kain was already doing a good job at that alone. "...can't dictate your decisions. Not to talk to Luca about this, not to take the pardon, not even to stop pursuing Kain. But I do see that this burden is one you're looking to atone for. And that, though it really is up to whatever god you believe in, can be... attempted. You are already taking the steps to do that, after all. You just have to follow through, and clearly it's not too late. Maybe Luca won't forgive you immediately if he ever finds out the truth, but trust me when I say that he'll eventually try to. He's already trying to forgive Kain for what he did to Henrikson, and to others. It took me a while to get used to the fact he'd tortured and murdered three cops, but that's another story..."

Getting anywhere else by conversation with a man like Angelo seemed almost futile. He'd made his peace with his position now, and he might just dip into crime again if he does take the pardon. Kenzie simply sighed and finalized what she had to say, "The pardon is still going to be on the table. They gave me that favor, and I don't plan on using it anywhere else. There's no one else I can use it on, after all. You are a resourceful man, so if you ever decide you want it after we finish with Lociato, you can find me. Not like I'll be hidden away after this. Odds are, T and I will try to settle down somewhere away from the northwest and try to rebuild what we had. Your secret will be safe with me for as long as it has to be, but do keep the deal in mind. Keep in mind that you don't have to kill Kain for this, that he can face judgment in a different way. Think of what Angela would want from you. Got that?"

-(Kain Saunders)-

After agreeing, Kain was ready to tune out Luca entirely once he went on yet another cycle of convincing him to try and change, but that was difficult when the topic of discussion continued to revolve around Kenzie, how he couldn't do anything to stop her from coming along. And sure, Kain himself couldn't do anything, either. Maybe before she turned on him, but not anymore. But Luca did want to take measures to ensure she would be safe, and oddly enough, Angelo cared for their safety, too. What reason did Angelo have to hate Kenzie? The inheritance that he wasn't going to get? That wasn't entirely Kenzie's fault, and she was ready to hand it all over anyway. If anything, he expected Angelo to have a beef with Thalia for ruining the plan from the start, but it didn't seem like that was going to continue, either. Whatever, he'd groan to himself every time he hears this, now that he's public enemy number one to Angelo until he's in a grave.

The smell emitted from the cigarette didn't bother Kain as he kept listening on; he'd become accustomed to worse odors that he could faintly recall from childhood. What stuck out more was Luca's words that Sarah was pregnant before taken. He actually turned to face the boxer, wondering how this never came up in conversation, why Luca never said something. Perhaps they weren't all that close to discuss something like that, but it might've emphasized why he was insistent on Kenzie not being out on the front lines of this while she was still carrying her own child. It was a remind of what he'd lost, and no matter whose son she was carrying, he clearly didn't want to see another father lose his own flesh and blood and the woman carrying him. Just the bitter memory of it all.... Dave and Kenzie's son, Kain's nephew, a boy that was long gone because he'd brought her along for the ride and she was too stubborn to quit. It felt like it was his fault for it all, bringing himself and Luca to her front door with all their troubles. But was it too late for Luca's child?

"I still wonder what I'm going back to," Kain sighed. "If I go back to the states, all I am is the kid who was the son of an almost drug lord and the brother to the man who exterminated the Seattle PD and almost bombed a hospital...." His reputation was only building, unbeknownst to him: Fed killer. "I might just stick around here in Mexico when this is over. Play this game of cat and mouse that Angelo wants to do, then move on once he's gone or gives up. Kenzie doesn't want me in her life anymore, and to that? I say fuck it all. I give up. Whatever shape you and Sarah are in, just get out of here, and if I die, I'm sure you'll hear of it from Angelo. If it's the other way around? Well... I think you'll hear about it too. But I don't think I'll be going face to face with my past for a while. You, though, still have a chance to. Whatever happened to your son, whatever condition Sarah is in, I'm sure you two can try to remember and restore whatever you had, in some way. I'll try to on my own, I guess."

With that, Kain eyeballed the doorway back into the compound. The girls and Angelo were inside, and nobody had come out yet. "So... what now? We go in? Am I allowed in? At this point, I don't even know what I can or can't do."
 
|:|Luca Varundar|:|

They were a band of hurt individuals, all of them in their own way. Luca didn't touch much on his own pains and tried to steer them away from their own, but Kain had made a point of reliving it so far in his actions. Angelo had to be kept at arm's length from him, for his own safety. There was a deep tone of regret in Kain, that could be seen. No one had a good past to look back to. Luca's temporary peace in life made him susceptible to hardship once again. It was the kind of thing to drive a man to shut the world out. Something Kain just might do. Did Luca care enough to stop him? Could he, for that fact? He wondered about this at times whenever he looked at Kain for what he was. "It makes it a lot easier to accept this suicide plan, I tell you that. You don't got much to go back to now, do ya? I suppose that means things can only get better from here, but I fuckin' doubt it. I think it's going to get worse before it gets better. No matter how we do this thing, people are going to die and we might make it out. Kenzie could die just as easily as any of us. She doesn't deserve that, but things haven't been fair for any of us so far. And you're right; staying in Mexico just might be the best thing for the both of you. I want you to get better, Kain, but I can't force you to. Angelo's not gonna quit, and I don't feel like getting in his way after I get my wife back. You're the kind of fucks that got me into this place, after all. Once you stop placing value in another human being's life, you can't go back. Or it's really hard to, anyway. There's a reason why I quit doing it. Between a hitman and a trouble child, I don't see a lot of light for either of you. Angelo can screw right off after all of this; I tried to play mercy with him before. I try to trust you Kain, but you make it really hard to. After that shit at the hotel? Maybe I should've left you there. But I didn't, because I figured you can change. You wanna give up? I won't stop you. Never blame someone else for your own life, though. Hopefully coming to terms with the fact that you're a shitty human being will make you wanna change for the better. Then, Kenzie won't be so hostile towards you. She knows how to forgive."

"Let's get inside, hot as shit out here."

|:|Angelo Varundar|:|

Kenzie was something different to talk to. She had seen all kinds of people as a doctor. Probably a lot of contract killers, even. Whether she knew or not was something else, but all hitmen had a similar persona to them. Telling Kenzie his deep secret was a risky move and probably foolish, but it just felt right to say it. Maybe, in a self-deprecating way, he wants Luca to find out, just to see what would happen. Would he accept that Angelo changed since then? Hell, did Angelo ever change? Or is he just now coming to terms with what he is? Much as he could relate to Thalia's story, he couldn't shake from his position. A small part of him kind of liked what he did; taking names, making money. It was a simple, dangerous, and exciting life. But more of him wanted to leave it for something more. Without Angela, he lost a lot of desire to change that. It was hard for him to accept the fact that she wouldn't come back, unlike his father, which was easy enough to get past. By ostracizing himself for many years, Angelo was immune to such losses. He drops his stone-cold guard for a short moment, and it bites him in the ass. Would this be the same? Would the Feds give a damn about his pardon? He wasn't there with Luca to know that Kenzie framed it well enough for all of them, and Angelo always felt a supreme aloofness around administrators.

"Thalia's a stronger person than me. A part of me is rooted here. It's not loyalty to Lociato or anything like that, nor is it some psychopathic joy for killing. It's the simplicity and raw action of life that I've lived here. Not in Mexico, but in this stage of life. Taking another step forward into an early retirement by myself sounds no better than dying in the desert with three bullet holes in my back. I feel as though I could move on one day and find someone else, but let's be frank, who the hell else would live with me? Angela and me were like a modern day Bonnie and Clyde. I just don't see myself finding another partner like that. Most of my personality revolves around what I do. Other than that, I don't have much of one. Kain's flared my temper for the first time in years, and I feel perpetually bogged down by what I lost and what I've done."

Angelo found himself being a bit more animated, moving his hands to speak in a rather stereotypical fashion. He lowered them, turning to face Kenzie head on. "And you're probably right; Luca's been a forgiving man his whole life. But not to people like Lociato. Luca's been driving ahead for years. In all the contracts I've done, none of them required me to dedicate years of my life to it. That kind of stubbornness makes me wonder if he'd be willing to forgive as easily as he does. There's a limit to everyone, and I'm afraid of pushing him to it. He's...something to envy for me, I suppose. It's not like his life was any easier than mine, but he pulled through as a good human being and a husband at that. There's no excuse for what I did in my eyes. If I can't forgive myself, how can I expect Luca to? He's capable of forgiving Kain for his past, but it's not as easy to forgive someone who hurt you directly. I don't know about my own cousin enough to make that choice. I guess I should thank you for keeping this quiet for now; if we're going to do this inane plan, we'll need to be thinking clearly."

Luca came in just as Angelo stopped, impeccable timing on his part. Kain came in shortly afterwards, which Angelo didn't have much to say about. Kain was going to be a part of the plan, and in hindsight should have just been left in the room. Angelo spoke to him quickly, a change of play in mind. "You're not coming as a prisoner. Lociato isn't really aware that you're not going to be drafted as a Hand stand-in. When shit goes down, I need at least one other person to clear whatever room we're in."

Luca cut in with a quick hand motion. "I've thought of that, too. When you cuff us up, loosen or weaken mine in some way. It'll let me get my hands out if things turn sour."

Angelo thought about it for a moment, gritting his teeth in the process. "...It could work. No reason for them to be inspecting all the bonds with a magnifying glass. I need Kain to act as a stand-in to make this whole thing seem more believable. Lociato knows my talents, but it just isn't imaginable to think that I handled this whole cluster by myself. Painting Kain as a turncoat makes it seem much more plausible. Can I trust you on that, Saunders? I wanna hope that you can be given a weapon so we're not as easy to riddle with bullets. You know where I stand on the issue if you get chaotic."
 
With nothing more to say except possibly questions about the plans for the future, Kain nodded, in agreement that pacing around in the Mexican heat was anything but ideal. Luca did bring up a point... what was there left for Kain at this point besides a yearning for redemption and a revenge complex? At this point, not much. And if he wanted to get anywhere near fulfilling his quest for revenge, he would need Angelo and the girls, whether he liked it or not. Besides, it would be two things: the last time he'd ever have to deal with this crowd, and his big break to get face to face the man he blames for ruining his life. Without the strings that Angelo could pull or the expertise offered from Kenzie as a medical professional, he'd be a lone wolf trying to enter the belly of the beast. He needed them just as much as they needed him. For that, bolting wasn't on his mind anymore. Avoiding the ugly glares given to him from everyone in the room? That was a different story, and would be difficult to avoid lashing out. But for Luca, he'd give an effort. He believed he had the capacity to be forgiven, especially from Kenzie, and it was that approval that motivated him ever so slightly to not try and kill anyone on the spot in there.

And they'd returned inside before Kenzie could offer any further input. Honestly, she couldn't do much more than she already has. She was giving Angelo a way out, to move on and try to salvage his life, to honor what he wanted with Angela and get away from everything. But much like the other men in this room, the hitman was as stubborn as they get, so convincing him to put this life of evil deeds aside after he'd been so deeply rooted in it wasn't going to be easy. The doctor would've easily offered her assistance to help him adapt to civilian life, but she couldn't help those who didn't want to be helped, sadly. So, she left him at that, an open offer that he could come forward and take at any time. Not like she'd exhaust this favor anywhere else.

From the moment he stepped inside, Kain heard words he never thought Angelo would utter: he was getting a weapon, and would be uncuffed for the duration of the infiltration. He was entering under the pretense that Angelo had offered him his position as the Hand, and they'd banded together to take Kenzie, Thalia, and Luca as prisoners, then brought them in. All they'd have to worry about is make sure Kain is recognized as a friendly while on Lociato's turf. Otherwise, with the reputation he'd garnered, he'd be shot on sight. The silver lining in it all... he was getting some wiggle room. A weapon, a chance to shoot...

But he wasn't going to shoot friends. Not quite yet. He had no reason to shoot the Varundars or the women in such a situation. His priority with a weapon in such a situation would be Lociato, the bigger fish. He'd have to worry about his closer foes later. Besides, the others would be bounded rather loosely, meaning if Kain attempts anything, he could be restrained quickly. Maybe even take a bullet from Angelo. Risks outweighed rewards far too greatly for it to be worthwhile. He was mad, but not quite as suicidal as he once was. He planned on killing Lociato and living to tell the tale, not go out as a martyr.

"If I wanted anyone dead, I would've driven the slaves off a bridge," he huffed. "I think we've established I won't kill any of you if we have a common enemy."

But Kenzie's take was much, much different, having been on the receiving end of Kain's rage not long ago. "You better hand him something of minimal power." The same disapproving glare went from Kenzie's eyes towards Kain, completely against this entire plan to have her foster brother as a turngoat. "How can we be sure you didn't just pity the slaves and didn't want to risk the Feds catching on to you being rogue?" Bearing the knowledge of Kain's voided pardon, Kenzie could pull it on him at any time. But she'd rather keep it a secret and have him attempt to return to the States, only to be found guilty for a murder he was still unaware of.

Annoyed, he responded, turning his entire body to face her again, instantly noticing her lover step closer, side by side with Kenzie, to her defense. "You don't. Guess we all have to trust each other here. But I hope you realize that I would rather see Lociato dead before any of you. You turned your backs on me this past day. Lociato has ruined the past 15 years of my life. Hopefully that describes my priorities well enough, hm?"

Much like Kenzie, Thalia didn't agree to having Kain take up a firearm. With a melee weapon, he almost killed her. What about something with range? They were all goners the second Kain takes the safety off of a gun. However, she understood the strategy behind this setup, and oddly enough... she agreed. Conditionally. "If you so much as ruffle a hair on her head..."

The threat would've continued from her furious voice had Kenzie not stopped her. "T.... enough. I think we all know what happens if he doesn't obey."

Kain could already notice that small nuances in Thalia's behavior were getting on Kenzie's nerves. It was a sign of the weakness in their relationship. Part of him found it motivating;could he really step forward and try to win her back? Not now. But in time. This rekindled romance was shaky, and that's what he'd hoped for. And over him, more or less. "I understand the repercussions. So let's not kill each other before the actual operation and talk specifics. Because it seems like you have a habit of leaving me outside. I'd like to know what we're all getting ourselves in to."

Finally, a seat in the planning room, he thought as he stepped away from the girls without another word and faced Angelo, who would be his ally in the heat of the action. Kain would face Lociato under the illusion that he'd be working for the very man that destroyed him. It felt numb to realize that these were the circumstances in which he might get his self-proclaimed righteous kill. But it was the moment he'd been thinking about ever since he saw the Chief confess to his brother that he'd been hired to perform the hit. Kain didn't wish death upon Kenzie's father... but rather upon the man that took the noble policeman out of his mind and set him on a course of darkness.

And getting a gun, face to face, no cuffs? Perfect.
 
Angelo could read Luca's face well after the short time they spent together. It was one of his gifts, honed after years on the prowl. Luca, or anyone else, was really going to like Angelo's idea - not even him - but it was a necessary evil to pull this kind of plan off. Dangerous already, he was making it worse by giving a violent man the things he wanted. Angelo was going to have to bite the bullet on this and hope that Kain was more driven to kill Lociato than to harm Thalia. From what the man said, he was, but Kain's words meant little to Angelo. "I didn't plan on giving him a firearm, Kenzie. I know that. But I can't be by myself in there, even if Luca can bust out of whatever I cuff him with." The cuffs reminded Angelo of the assault victims hung up on the wall in the room. People didn't stay unconscious for hours unless they were comatose, so they were awake, albeit groggy from the probable concussions the two men delivered. Angelo expected them to be louder, or at least speak. But they were silent. Was it the perceived language barrier? Perhaps none of them grasped English. "A knife won't help much, either. Those things take a lot of physical strength to use if you're going up against henchmen like them. They're handy if you're striking quick, but we're looking at a drawn out conflict here if things go bad. Luca's batons should be fine; they'll take them off him anyway. Lociato won't permit Kain to go in there with a gun."

Luca wasn't exactly onboard with the idea, either. Kain wasn't a rational thinker anymore in his eyes, so any opportunity to get at Thalia would be taken. Kain would be on a tight leash going in there, even if his hands are free. Luca also wondered if Angelo was planning on Kain to act up, to work a feasible excuse to kill him then and there. Or, perhaps by Lociato's men. There was so many variables to it that Luca felt overloaded. This just wasn't his thing. A week ago, Luca was working alone, taking names from people to get closer to Lociato's ring. The past few days brought him so far, but at a cost. The twisted Saunders family, the Brookes tie-in to it, an innocent girl and her ex-con lover reunited under dire conditions, and his cousin were all burdens he became a part of these past nights. Luca stopped in that moment, no longer thinking, but merely seeing. They were a band of both good and bad people, united under one bigger cause. Not all of their motives were noble, but they were shared. Luca would give anything to go back a decade and keep his wife safe. "Yeah, I can agree to that. The batons don't need a ton of force to use and they're a lot easier to hit than a knife. Hopefully we won't need it to the very end. I understand we're heading into an auction? Will Lociato be in a big crowd, then?"

"Possibly. He's a diplomatic man, so if there's investors at the slave auction, he'll definitely be mingling with them. It'll be tight security around the compound during this, so it's best that we get there before the auction begins. Or, if we're there too late, we might be able to catch Demetri in one of his private rooms with someone important. We're not looking at any kind of collateral damage here, Luca. Kain, you know the gist of our plan from Luca, I know that. There are some small details, though. First, you aren't going to be able to lash out if the girls get handled rough through the compound. I can stop them from interrogating Kenzie, I'm sure, but I can't make them be gentle. You might be searched, so don't try and hide the batons. They'll let me keep my gun, so it's not like we'll be naked in there. You're gonna have to talk to Lociato as "Señor Lociato". Man's a stickler on that. He might not talk to you much just yet. While I'm not one to beat around the bush, we can't just hit Lociato as soon as we see him. I wanna get a sense of the room we're in and any kind of threats. Hopefully, if he wants to talk with you in private, it's before he expects the executions. Otherwise, we might have some resistance. Walking through the compound will be a breeze, though. I don't get the stink eye from security in there."

There was a lot of luck involved in the plan, which he hated. His was never good. They hoped Lociato wasn't in a crowd. They hoped for privacy. They hoped the mercenaries would give up after Lociato died. There's also the matter of other investors at the auction and their security teams. The best case scenario would be that they arrive before the auction, otherwise they'll face a lot more men. "If and when things take a nosedive, Kain, you'll get a gun. Probably from one of Lociato's men, too. I know you're less than rational, but you'd have to be another level of daft or psychotic to shoot an ally in the middle of a battle. I'm hoping for the best, but seriously prepping for the worst. Are you all ready for this? Anything to be said before we head out? We need to move pretty quick if we wanna get there before the auction begins, and this may be the last good time to talk before we potentially die."
 
Beyond the issue of whether to hand Kain a weapon, it seemed as if everyone had reached a compromise and a degree of contentment with the plan. Nobody was being left behind or put on the front lines alone. Even Kenzie didn't seem to object to the idea of possibly being subject to rough treatment again. After an ordeal like the one she'd endured with Nathan Wells, Kain expected her to be the first to back out. He even expected Thalia to stop her or try to convince her otherwise, especially considering how much Kenzie knows about her father. Angelo did promise to have an interrogation avoided for as long as they needed. Thing is, how long would everything be before they spring into action? How long would they have to hold off Lociato and paint smiles on their faces before the actual bullets could start flying? More importantly, it would be difficult for Kain to remain calm in front of the man he blames for his life's terrible turn for the worst. Senor Lociato is how he'd have to address the kingpin, when all he wanted to do was cut him up, piece by piece, keeping him alive for as long as possible to endure the pain much like he himself had for years. He was insane, sure, but still somewhat in his right mind, enough to not shoot the enemy of his enemy at an inappropriate time.

"I'm in," he responded without hesitation. "Like I said, you'll have to trust me, and I'm going to have to trust that Angelo doesn't shoot me in the back of the head when we end up face to face with the devil himself."

"He won't," Kenzie reassured him, though directed to both him and Angelo. "This plan works if we all live and make it to the end. Meaning all your past rivalries are behind you until you part ways. No killing, no funny business. You two look like you're going to be together in the same room with Angelo's employer where anything goes, in a situation filled with risks and chances we're taking. So we can't afford the risk that one will kill the other prematurely, because if that happens, I don't need to tell you that we're all dead. So Kain, since we both know that Luca and Angelo have the self-control to not get trigger-happy, we need your word that you won't. You already have the guarantee that Angelo won't. And you?"

It felt relieving for Kenzie to finally share some sort of words with him, even if they were to make sure he wasn't going to lash out and get them all killed. He did nod, a half grin appearing with an occasional glare to Thalia, who looked displeased in the privilege Kain was getting just for being the vicious rebel. But nobody would believe that she was siding with Angelo after she'd betrayed the organization once before. At least she'd be protecting Kenzie in case she'd be taken for interrogation. No way was she going to let her beloved get tortured again, and their closeness in stance reassured that. But Kain's confirmation to be civil in the beginning alone wasn't enough for Thalia to believe him. Not until he puts it to practice. She'd stand her guard until he proves himself, and even get up to attack Kain if the bullets fly. If people were to die, so would he.

"Let's do this," Kain told the Varundars and Kenzie. "No shooting anyone until your say so, Angelo. Again, not like I'll be able to kill Lociato in his private quarters. We just make sure the girls don't get auctioned off or tortured, and I think this could work. Guess all that's left is for you to lead the way."

It was almost shocking for Kenzie to hear that... that her and Thalia's safety was important? No auctioning them off, no torture... It made her wonder if Kain's heart really was ripped out of his chest, or if some remnant of the old softer side of Kain was still there...
 
Even if Kain was a hidden enemy and wanted to kill Angelo inside Lociato's compound, he wasn't going to admit. While Luca was pleased to hear Kain and Kenzie get back to speaking terms, no matter how curt they may be, Angelo was hardly moved. He was betting on sheer trust at this point, something he didn't enjoy. Regardless, worrying about it wouldn't help him now. "There's also a bit of a plan B, although I doubt there's much to talk about that. Lociato might just prefer that I stream it to him in an isolated room rather than directly, so we'll end up fighting inside the compound long before meeting him. I'm more concerned with getting inside in the first place. Things get a lot easier after that. I won't be able to watch Kain closely, but I doubt it's needed. Luca, we'll take your car."

Luca jolted a thumb over to the silently watching henchman strung up against the wall. "What about them? Are we just going to leave them here?"

"Sure, why not. They'll get themselves out in a few hours, so you don't need to fret over their precious health. By the time they could do anything dangerous like alerting Lociato to another attack, we'll either be flying back to the U.S. or dying in the Mexican sun."

The matter was, to Angelo, settled. Luca didn't like the idea of just leaving them to their own devices, but they didn't have the time to find some more permanent solution. His mind was elsewhere, anyhow. Kain and Kenzie weren't vehemently against each other anymore, and Kain could even show a little bit of concern over their health as well. Chucking the keys up into the air, Luca in a way silently gave Angelo the reins of their journey.

"The girls can ride in the back seat and Kain in the passenger's. Luca...you're gonna have to be in the trunk. It won't be anything of note to see two restrained women - one who wouldn't clear out of a recovery ward at any upstanding hospital in her condition and another who was just a slave these past two days - but a big guy like you right behind me would seem a little too trustworthy."

"I can accept that. What restraints do we have?"

"Well, we had that box of nylon zip ties in the map room. I'd prefer handcuffs since they seem a bit more legitimate than something you'd find in an I.T. closet at some corporation, but we don't have any of those. I'll clip your's with a little cut so you could pull them off if you really need to. Suppose I can do the same for both of the women as well." On that note, Angelo stood up and opened the slavehouse door while Luca disappeared for a brief moment before reappearing with the ties. He gave a final look to the room they all were in, to everyone in the room. Would this be the last real memory he'd ever have? This close to a life away from it all, with a pardon on the table and his lover in the ground? A coalition of cousins, lovers, and a couple of vigilantes ready to die for their own causes with nothing to lose. God, they were pitiful to look at.

"All right, tie up and head out."

Vito Varundar's Impala was, when it was released, a muscle car. Angelo could feel that same power ripping over the asphalt as he went miles over the speed limit. They were on the clock if they wanted to get there before the auction began. While driving, he had called Lociato, exchanging very few words confirming that he had the trio in the back wit the help of Kain. The plan, so far, was working fine. Nothing was suspicious as of yet. Pulling up to the compound was a sight, too.

The building was a complex of different structures. Surrounding the property was a thick and tall sandstone wall with armed men strewn lightly around the edges. Angelo muttered under his breath at the sight of this militarization. "We definitely got them spooked with the South American cartel hoax..."

Angelo knew the layout of the buildings by heart, but the others didn't. As he made eye contact with one of the guards posted next to the large iron gates breaking up the walls, he let out some important information to his passengers. "The main structure - that big one that looks like a rich mansion - is Lociato's home, but the auction will also be hosted there in the indoor theater. When we get inside, we'll probably walk through a lot of doors and hallways until we're underground. There's a few rooms down there just for this kind of thing, among other brutal stuff. I don't see any parked cars outside the home besides those SUVs he's so fond of, so I think we just beat the auction's deadline." As the words left his mouth, Angelo saw shapes in his rear view mirror. He had spoken too soon. Luxury cars were the hallmarks of the wealthy frequenters of Lociato's business. He rolled down his window so that he could speak to the gatekeeper. "Angelo Varundar, Lociato sent for me. Saunders in the passenger seat is with me."

The man looked at Angelo with a hard squint for a few moments before checking the list of expected names in front of him. "Yea, you's be right here." He tapped the spot with a pen in his hand before waving behind him to someone outside Angelo's vision. Soon, the gates opened, and Angelo pulled in.

"I'll take the car around back; there'll be some henchmen there to meet with me and Kain. We'll get out, walk down, and hope Lociato is there in person. Be on your toes, Kain, we might have a fight coming."

Behind the gloriously large house was a rather drab set of doors set into unpainted bricks. Like Angelo expected, burly, armed men manned these metal doors. He pulled up a few dozen meters of these doors and got out of Vito's car, popping open the side passenger door on his side. His voice, while not changed from the slavehouse - certainly carried more weight to it, more aggression. "Get out. Do not speak."

Then, he opened up the trunk, seeing a rather uncomfortable sight of Luca squinting at the sudden sunlight. "You too, get out and listen to everything I say." There could be no mercy in his treatment through this. He had no problem with this, but had to hope Kain didn't react to the henchmen who would certainly disregard Kenzie's injuries. Angelo raised his voice a bit as Luca lurched himself out of the trunk without his hands to help him so that he could speak to all of the hostages. "You all follow me. You're on grounds of death if you start moving out of line."

He approached one of the men, ready to go through the same screening process. "Lociato told you I would be here with them. Kain's with me, he's not a prisoner."

The guy - Jev, Angelo thought his name was - didn't really respond to the statement, walking behind him and tapping each of the lined hostages with the barrel of his gun. A few brief words between him and the other gunmen were shared in Spanish, and they began a process of methodically, aggressively, and invasively searching all of them. Lociato must be really paranoid to think that Angelo might not have completely secured his hostages. It was kind of offensive to him, in a way. There was no way that this would be comfortable for anyone, especially the women, but Kenzie was in no condition to be jostled so. But, he couldn't do anything to really prevent it. All he could do was give Kain a good stare to let him know that a reaction would be a very bad thing to do. One of them, a new recruit considering Angelo didn't recognize him, almost went to search him. "No, not me. I have my gun for a reason."

Soon, though, the search was over as suddenly as it had started. "You're clean. Varundar, we are supposed to escort you underground to the room."

The escort was expected, but still not appreciated. Angelo found himself walking behind them in no time at all, descending down the dark staircase into a cool abyss underneath the home. Through a haphazard set of twists and turns, they finally arrived to a dimly lit concrete chamber with no exceptional features. Entering the room, Angelo was immediately alerted by the fact that Lociato was not in the room. "Alright, kneel down in the center of the room and wait for me to instruct you further." He pointed to where he wanted the trio to go. A quick look around the room found nobody else other than the escorts.

But there was something. A lone laptop was propped on a plastic table facing where the hostages would kneel down. It was what Angelo was afraid of; Lociato planned on streaming the execution instead. Angelo wrapped around the table, facing the computer. The very man who had caused so much pain to countless amounts of people was on the other end of the live camera. Angelo made eye contact with Demetri before turning back to Kain. He couldn't say anything suspicious right there, but hoped to whatever god was listening that Kain did not do anything stupid now. The old man spoke up, bringing Angelo's eyes back to the screen. "I expected you to have them sooner."

"I had troubles initially until Saunders offered his aid. I expected you to personally watch over this."

"Your expectations weren't far off, Varundar. I'm occupied with the slave auction at the moment. Otherwise I would have been down there. Move away from the camera; I wish to see them."

The cartel boss didn't say much at first, his eyes darting between each of them. Finally he did speak, a bit subdued and almost meek for such a powerful being. "I stare at the face of a man killed several decades ago. An unfinished loose end ever to remind me of the consequences of being careless. I see Kenzie Brookes Andrew, widow and orphan. Thalia Griffin, someone who was given far too much leniency in her roles."

Luca nearly stood up when Demetri addressed him, a mix of shock and anger. He never knew his father's killer, but making the connection between Lociato and the New York murder didn't take much thought. Protest, curses, and other things were nearly out of Luca's mouth before Angelo delivered a strong right cross to his face and pointed the polished M1911 at him. His cheek was already turning blue from the bruising and his eyes spoke passionate anger, but he stayed silent. Lociato spoke at this, looking off screen for a moment at someone else. "That's enough. I came to make sure this matter was settled. Let Kain take heed here."

Angelo hesitated, the gun in his hand now cold against his palm. Giving Kain absolute power, even if he expected the man to help him clear the room - which was the only real option anymore - was something he did not like at all. The gun was loaded, and Kain could really do damage with it. These thoughts crossed in less than a second as any more would be lethal. Solidly, sternly, Angelo stuck the gun out handle-first to Kain. He leaned in as he did so, whispering ever silently. "Get the one behind me. I have the one behind you." The words were fast and sharp. Pulling back, Angelo lowered his hands to his waist, one creeping across his chest into his jacket. Now it was Kain's to make the first move.
 
Tension was all that crossed the minds of this small army, especially Kain's now that he'd had time to consider the depth of stepping into the lion's den. This was his chance to face the man who'd ordered the death of his parents, and being in front of him without wanting to step forward and beat him to a pulp would take more restraint than ever. This was a conspiracy only he was convinced of for years, talked down by everyone, including his equally-suffering brother. Part of Kain pinned Dave's death ever so slightly on Lociato, even though it was probably a fact he didn't know or bother to care for either. It was a twisted form of logic to think over. The factory schematics that they'd risked being caught by the FBI for, a brutish decision on Kain's part that caused a split between the brothers and Kenzie, which resulted in the latter being capture, and that brought into light the threats of Nathan Wells for Dave to do his dirty work or allow the mother of his child to suffer. It was that killing spree and near-bomb attempt that got him killed, a part of another conspiracy, indeed. So many people had a hand on the death of this police officer - Wells, Henrikson, Cooper, maybe even Kain himself - but deep down, Kain knew this'd never be an issue had he never got his brother involved in his crusade with Luca, one provoked by Lociato. This was personal: his whole family gone because of Lociato. Kain had no reason not to want to see the man's brains splattered to the wall behind him.

The girls had an equal hatred for Lociato, as they'd lost a great deal to him. From those who weren't even involved in the first place like Phil, Sierra, and Thalia's parents to the ones directly involved in the conspiracy like Edward, it felt like too much blood had been spilled for Kenzie's moral grounds to apply anymore. She knew deep down that if she'd been given the power, Thalia would kill the kingpin, too, but in this case, it was Kain that would be unchained and at the ready to do damage. Though she didn't approve of his brutal, extensive measures of torture before death, a swift death wouldn't make her too angry. On the contrary, it'd give her relief and closure after all of this to know an empire looming over her life would come to an end. Just knowing that a sleeper had been paid to live and attend college with her made her rethink every individual she'd met - was it because they were hired to get close to her until the time is right? Was her life really that much of a charade because Lociato wanted to keep tabs on her father and have leverage ready at any time?

Everyone had lost someone in that car, and that made them all prepared for the worst and, in some ways, wish for it, too.

Bound in the back and with no intention of escaping, the girls had their individual attentions out the windows, watching over the expansive compound, examining it for what it seemed like by face value: highly secure. One wrong or suspicious move from one of them giving the impression that they weren't prisoners, and off all of their heads go. Some of their concern went to Luca in the back seat, others went towards the sort of abuse they'd be subject to. More specifically, concern from Thalia towards Kenzie. She couldn't keep trying to play the role of the daredevil and face evils she wasn't used to. For all she knew, the doctor would offer herself up for execution before her partner if it meant only one had a chance to survive. The thief was like the regulator, stopping her companion from doing something she may come to regret, especially in her physical condition.

Kain, on the other hand, examined the complex more tactically. Planning ahead was his strong suit, slowly withdrawing money from his inheritance ever so slowly to fund his own efforts to chase his parents' killer. But this was different, and on a much shorter time frame. Angelo was leading the way when it comes to conversation with the Mexican brutes at entrances and search points, but Kain was still familiarizing himself with the environment. His eyes explored the compounds for different purposes and the larger, more glamorous one for the kingpin himself. This was his ivory tower, where he hangs his head while slaves and drugs are pushed around the world and lives are consequently ruined. Oh, how he wanted to light it ablaze with all of his riches inside and let it all burn. It was an option if they had the time, and certainly one the others wouldn't mind. Like Angelo, Kain could tell that if there was an auction in place, they might've just beat it. Only more anticipation for the grand finale, all that tension building up to be released in one last rage-fueled outburst.

They parked, and he and Angelo exited from their seats while security dragged the girls and Luca from their places. Just watching them manhandle and roughly drag Kenzie about made Kain's blood boil and tempted him to intervene, even if it were a quick punch to the temple. But he did recognize the looks from Angelo to remain calm. It almost seemed like Kenzie wasn't barking any sort of resistance to the potential harm, even if it was clear she was injured, and even if it wasn't, her name and face was all over the news, including details of her injuries. But they couldn't care less, engaging in an in-depth search that left her feeling more violated than ever. The only resistance came from Thalia, who barked at them, "Hands off her! She's physically not well!"

It was only met by a slap to her face, a sharp notifier to tell her to shut up. Had she been given the freedom of arm usage, she'd reach for the brute's throat and try to fight. But with more men around with guns than them, that was a recipe to get killed. Thalia feared that Kenzie might've enjoyed the misery in one way or another. Perhaps being tortured by Nathan Wells brought a spontaneous recovery of some form of masochism she might've felt from childhood when she was abused. Scary to imagine, but there was no chance of fighting with her now. She could only submit and allow herself to be searched, as violated as she'd felt, and didn't try to start another argument. All while Kain and Angelo watched over until given the all-clear. A relief for everyone. They were in.

The room they were to be taken to seemed to foreshadow the moment of truth. Finally, seeing the face responsible for their woes. Down a dark, eerie flight of stairs and into a dimly lit box with nothing more than a plastic table with a laptop before it. Kain saw it and immediately assumed the worst: this was a streamed execution. No room to spare Luca, Kenzie, or Thalia. The question was: who was the one who would be designated to off their friends? Would Lociato make Kain do it to prove his loyalty? Would it be Angelo to show his disconnection from Luca? Would it be a joint thing? Would it be the brutes accompanying them downstairs? Whatever it was, it seemed all the more likely when the trio were set down, kneeling in the center of the room in view of the laptop's camera. Angelo stood before the camera while Kain stood by the hostages - Thalia to the left, Kenzie in the middle, Luca to the right. He was secretly praying that this wouldn't have to end in killing any of them at this point. As much as he held bitterness in his heart for Thalia, he wasn't going to kill her because he was ordered to. It had to be more personal than that for it to count as revenge in his mind.

And there he was: the man himself: Demetri Lociato. He looked older than Kain had expected, but that might just've been the side view he was getting from seeing him on a computer screen at an angle. So strangling the man wasn't an option here. It did solidify, however, that this would be a streamed execution. He stood his ground firm and strong, keeping an eye of the trio on their knees by his side. Oddly enough, he could tell that Thalia was far more worried than Kenzie, who seemed to give off this more heartless, desensitized vibe. Was she not afraid of death anymore? Was it because so much damage had been done to her before that anything further would simply be child's play? What kind of mindset was that? Sure, it was the same game she played with Jose in that van with Aaron a few nights ago, but the difference was that Jose wasn't allowed to kill her. Lociato? He didn't just want her dead; he wanted to see it for himself. Like Angelo had said, she was a high-priority target thanks to her parents. This would be a mighty payout for the death of Kenzie Andrews. And it still bothered Kain to wonder: who would take it? Who would he have to kill to avenge the loss of the life he loved so much?

It might be Angelo if he dares attempt anything along the lines of what he'd done to Luca: a powerful blow that left a bruise quickly after, causing Kain to clench his fists. It wasn't fatal by any means, but if that went to Kenzie next, sitting right next to him, he knew it would take every ounce of restraint in him to not act up and attack Angelo for it. But he was still stunned at how Kenzie kept staring back at the camera of the laptop, almost as if she were staring Lociato in the eyes - her father's eyes. Did her father ever meet him to know? He must've seen his police puppet in imagery at least once or twice. Angelo didn't present her as the daughter of Edward Brookes, but that much didn't need an introduction given her maiden name and publicity. But Luca getting whacked right by her didn't even cause her to blink. Kain was now more afraid for her than ever... what could she do if left to her own devices? If she were given a gun and given the choice to kill or spare Lociato... it seemed more and more likely she'd happily end his life.

Kain could sigh in relief after Lociato stopped Angelo from continuing, which he release ever so discreetly from his nose. He wanted Kain to step up now. Was this a call to abuse the girls? To hear Lociato's offer to succeed Angelo as the Hand? Or was it something deeper? Whatever it was had Kenzie unfazed and Thalia glaring up at him, almost in an indirect way of begging for mercy. Then came the kicker: handing Kain a gun, which everyone in that room feared greatly. Kain could easily take that opportunity to off Angelo or Thalia, even at the cost of his life. But in that case, neither Kenzie nor Luca would be able to get out of there alive. It was prudent for the survival of them all that Kain not act rashly. He had to, in one way or another, obey the man on the other side of that webcam. Angelo handed off the weapon, handle first, and also whispered a few words to him. Taking men out... was blood about to spill this quickly? Was Angelo ready to end his alliance with Lociato this quickly when the kingpin isn't even there in person?

Don't fuck this up, Kain told himself as his eyes took a quick glance to the corner with the guard behind Angelo, something not easily observable on a video stream. He took the M1911 from Angelo, holding it in both hands as he would in his days as a police officer. The barrel was directed at Thalia's neck, flicking the safety off. It almost served as a threat, not just for now, but for later to the redhead below his gaze. Or it could just be a way to keep the charade going to show he was ready to kill as he gripped the weapon firmly and passed a death glare down to Thalia. "You took her from me..." he hissed, furthering the act he'd been putting on, all according to plan. It looked like at any second, he'd just off her...

But instead, the weapon rose as if it were pointed towards Angelo, but as he pulled the trigger, it sent a bullet ever so perfectly into the skull of the onlooker behind him, giving him no time to react. That meant one thing: showtime. He had Angelo's back; would the bald assassin reciprocate now that blood was spilled? Thalia had her eyes squinted shut as the gun fired... but after noticing she was still alive, she had to quickly look behind her to witness the shootout in progress, even possibly tackle Kenzie in an effort to protect her. The brunette doctor, however, finally showed a glint of emotion, releasing a sharp exhale and a quick blink as the first bullet was fired. It was a relief for her on the inside; Kain was going to cooperate and help them. And this, as it was about to play out, was the beginning of the end.

The question looming in Kain's mind as he took fire and kept the weapon at iron sights was: what now? They'd just shown their betrayal towards Lociato in his heavily armed compound. Men were going to come after them. The kingpin would probably shut off the stream and follow some sort of escape protocol. But this infiltration alone had to be threatening, right? A sign that they were close. But was it close enough?

Most importantly, Kain was playing ball: now it was in Angelo's court. Where to now?
 
Angelo's nerves had reached a previously unattainable level. The hitman relied on his extremely cool demeanor, but Kain was something that went around that. Giving him killing power was not part of the plan. Demetri looked on with a cold glare, not entirely touched by the scene. For him, it was another well-executed job. To Angelo, it was his early retirement plan. God knows what it was to Kain. Revenge on Thalia? Or was Lociato more hated? Any moment, Kain could kill Thalia. Angelo was powerless to stop it. But his fears washed away as Kain raised the gun up and beyond his head, Angelo ducking and leaning so he could raise his shortened machine gun behind Kain and let loose two quick bullets in rapid succession. The gunshot of his 1911 was very close to his ear, giving him a loud ringing sound on his left side. Kain and he were now brothers in arms.

Luca's temper was bubbling severely, the pain on his face dull and numb underneath the rising rage. Knowing that Lociato orchestrated his father's death - and Angelo probably knew about it - made him shudder in temper. He could hate the man no more, but he could surely justify his brutal actions to him. Now the inevitable had reached them; a battle in Lociato's home. They didn't have long before Lociato leaves and cancels the auction, potentially shoving the slaves out as well. Once bullets flew to either side of the room, Luca stood and split his zip-ties in half with a hard pull. As Angelo turned his gun towards the one door, Luca picked up the light plastic table, the laptop streaming Lociato live falling off as the cartel boss spoke fast, angry Spanish to someone off-screen. Luca then folded the legs of the table in such a manner that he could hold it like a flat board against the door, using his body, shoulder, and leg strength to hold it against one of the entrances. There was a sudden charge, like someone ramming the door, that nearly knocked Luca back, but he held fast. "Angelo, where to from here?" His cousin was the only one with any knowledge of the compound hideout.

"We can't stay here long. Lociato will flush the hallway outside with as many people as he got. We need to go upstairs into the main compound - it will be the least populated right now until they get the mercenaries inside and into position. I say we have less than five minutes before we get stuck in this room."

"What about him escaping? What kind of protocol is that?"

Angelo thought for a moment, his eye down the railing of the gun as he aimed at the door still. "Helipad on the roof. His pilot would need to get here and fuel it up first, though. I doubt he expected to use it today for the auction. No idea how long we got."

Luca nodded his head and stepped back from the door, still holding the table. The gunman pushing on the opposite side suddenly launched himself forward through the entrance from leaning on it so hard before losing Luca's resistance. Stumbling, he ran directly into the table, where Luca pinned him against the wall with severe force. The boxer yanked the table back and pushed it forward again, slamming plastic against his adversary several times over. While the table was very light and not damaging on its own, Luca's toned strength made it a brutal weapon. "You and Kain can sweep the hallway; I'll stick with the girls and follow your leads."

"I can agree to that. Kain, exit through the door Luca's blocking while I exit out of the other one. We'll sweep the hallway like the Seattle P.D. taught you, in a semi-circle. I point right side first to the left while you do the opposite. As long as you keep most of your body inside the room, they won't be able to hit you in time."

As Angelo spoke, he continued to aim, pulling off a single bullet as someone started to push open the door under his watch. The sound of lead hitting metal made the henchman quickly pull away. "You lead, Kain."
 
In the blink of an eye, Kain managed to prove his loyalty to the pack once again; despite his impulsive, vengeful nature, he was able to put the harsh feelings aside in favor of the common good and for the termination of the greater enemy. As he expected, once he eliminated the guard behind Angelo, his partner did the same for him, neutralizing the immediate threat in the room, and in doing so, immediately antagonizing Lociato for good. No turning back, no regaining that trust that Angelo had as The Hand. Once he was sure nobody was at the door for a few seconds, he glanced back at the laptop to watch the furious kingpin barking what seemed like orders in Spanish. Unsure of the specifics, it could mean one thing: backup, which made Luca barricading the door to the cement room all the more necessary. It couldn't hold forever, but it was enough to plan their next move. Lociato had to be on the move now, getting the hell out of here before they catch up to him. But in a massive compound, only one person could possibly know where he was in preparation for the infamous auction, which had to be a bust now that he was compromised.

It was a race against the clock to beat a potentially impenetrable wall of mercenaries and the helicopter getaway, and it all started with getting out of the eerie room they stood in. No way they could do it with Luca holding it down or charging head on. Kain could hear several footsteps and words beyond that door, and one almost managed to charge through, but retreated as Angelo took fire and forced him to retreat and for Luca to recompose himself. He looked back to the girls on the floor, Kenzie still not moving much besides her head rotated behind her to see the boxer holding their adversaries back. She wouldn't be able to do much yet, except keep herself safe, and he trusted Luca to do exactly that when he and Angelo storm the gates and go for the head of the snake.

Thalia, on the other hand, wasn't going to sit idly by. Her zip ties weren't weakened as Luca's were, and even if, she didn't think she'd be able to free herself by force alone - she was agile, but strength wasn't her strong suit. However, she did manage to take to her feet and pull of a jump, bending her knees high enough to jump around her bound arms like a jump rope, her wrists now in front of her body instead of behind. Still on her feet, she took a few steps closer to where the laptop had fallen. The screen was still on, surprisingly, but she couldn't see Lociato from the looks of it. But, there was still a microphone and camera that he could observe from. She lifted her foot once again took a stomp with her boot against the location of the camera and microphone in an attempt to damage them and cut off any potential communication; after all, they don't want Lociato hearing them scheming about his demise. But it wasn't just a simple cut-off that would quench her thirst for action.

"I'll protect, too," she pitched in, stepping closer to Kain. All hesitation to get near him seemed to fade in the heat of action. Not like she feared that he'd lay a finger on her before the bullets started flying, but the adrenaline rush did make any and all fears less relevant. She held out her wrists for the ex-cop, then asked, "You mind breaking me out?"

Sighing, and not entirely on board Thalia joining in on the action, he realized that four capable fighters would be better than three in a situation where they'd be significantly outnumbered. She was a formidable opponent in his eyes, and showed it when she worked to protect Kenzie. Shooting through the ziptie was risky, and would be a waste of a bullet. He gave her a brief nod and spoke under his breath, "Spread your wrists, and stay back."

The redhead did as she was told, just watching what he'd attempt. As he lifted the 1911, the thought crossed her mind he might try to shoot his way through, but like that? Not quite. He took a mighty swing back down to the center of the tie, hitting her forearm slightly, but using the edge of the weapon, it broke the ties that bound her enough to free her arms for good. She wasted no time in her freedom and charged for the door, side by side with Luca, to hold the table into place. She was nowhere near as strong as a champion boxer, but wanted to help regardless and take some of the weight off his shoulders. "Can't let you have all the fun, huh?"

Kain stood by the right side of the door, closer to Thalia, and nodded towards Angelo to get to the left, closer to Luca. His weapon was at the ready to open fire the second the table is pulled back. "On my mark, you two pull back, and hide. When we shoot, they won't stop, and you two are unarmed." He couldn't object to the thief giving Luca a helping hand, although Kenzie did seem a bit unnerved as she watched her lover put herself in harm's way once again, dangerously close to an armed Kain. She'd have to trust that he wasn't stupid enough to shoot a friendly now. It was now Kain's call to let the shootout begin. But he couldn't wait forever, but there was a window when their foes were not ramming against the table and a safe distance away. He gritted his teeth, let out a sharp exhale from his nose, then yelled out, "Now!"

The table was pulled back just enough for Angelo and Kain to point their weapons through the opening and take fire, Kain towards the left side, Angelo to the right. Kain managed to pull off three shots, one he was sure was a headshot, another one possibly skimming a man's neck and the third missing and landing into the armor of one of their enemies. The second he saw them lift the guns, he swiftly pulled back before the bullets started flying, waiting for the next window. With a plastic table useless as a bullet shield now, Thalia turned her gaze back to Kenzie, who'd fallen back on her rear the second the true firefight had begun. She turned her focus to Luca and told him, "Cover her." She lowered the table to a horizontal manner and dropped it so that Kenzie would be somewhat protected in case the mercenaries break through and get in here. At least they'd have to go through Luca and Thalia first.

After a few seconds of waiting, Kain peeked back over the corner and took fire again, clearing two more men that he saw. As he saw Angelo clear his share of targets, he gave him a nod of approval and immediately stepped through the door and headed up the stairs, stepping over the bodies they'd left behind, and his weapon at the ready in case another comes up. With Angelo close behind, he murmured, "If we're going to expect more of these guys, we're going to need more bullets, and firepower too.." He took a look at the assault rifles the mercenaries were toting, half considering taking them, but off a more available location rather than a tight stairway, where he felt they'd be more vulnerable.

Being brothers in arms with Angelo was a strange feeling... but it reminded him of his patrol days with Dave when they encountered their first divide in the hallway and Kain rotated quickly to cover Angelo's 6 and take out the armed felon that seemed to be waiting for them. He could hear bullets flying on Angelo's part, assuming he'd done the same. "Where from here, Angelo? This is your home turf, after all."
 
Luca found himself pleased with Thalia's help. While she weighed much less than him and wasn't in peak physical condition, she was another set of eyes and hands. He could trust Kain and Angelo to clear the hallway, so he remained as a defensive vigil over Kenzie. Bullets outside chewed their murderous work through Lociato's men.

In the hallway, Angelo kept his ears ringing with quick pulls of the submachine gun's sensitive hair-trigger, each piece of lead finding a mark somewhere in a warm body. Like Kain, he too pulled back as fire returned in their direction. The ex-cop didn't lose his marksman's touch over the years, luckily. The two of them were perfectly capable of watching behind each other as they moved out into the hall and up the stairs. Kain brought up another problem, too; their weapons were based on a different ammunition type than the stock Lociato's goons carried. They'd need to make a switch at some point. Now at a T-intersection in the hallway, Angelo had to make a decision. "You're right, we need guns. There's an armory down my way of the hall, but we need to bring the others with us. Go down and get them while I secure that room." Angelo was less towards the idea of presenting options and more towards picking the one that appealed to him the most.

Luca had taken a position next to the door again, ear to the wall. Kain and Angelo were too far up the stairs for him to hear them. He could keep Kenzie and Thalia in sight while listening outside. As he did, Luca could hear heavy boots hitting tiles. Kain wasn't wearing any boots. Suddenly, with blood rushing to his face and hands, the boxer put his shoulder against the door once again and turned to Thalia. "Get on this door with me!" As he spoke, Luca's words were turned into a grunt towards the end as the door threatened to pop open.

Angelo wasn't deaf to the impact of the suddenly slamming door. "Go! I can hold up here." As he said so, Angelo bolted down the hallway. The submachine gun was light enough for him to hold it in one hand and properly move with the other. A heavy metal door marked the armory's entrance, the Spanish word posted above. He thanked whatever god was listening to keeping the door unlocked. The inside was small and compact but made out of the same materials as the execution room. The walls were lined with weapons and had no Lociato man in sight. Angelo was lucky enough to make it to the room first. He bolted the door shut behind him and gave himself a moment to gloss over each of the armaments.

The majority of the stock was the Heckler and Koch rifles the mercenaries carried. They were cut and dry assault weapons with no flair or frills to them. They could be semi-automatic, burst, or fully automatic at user discretion. Their design also made them very light to carry. Angelo could deal some damage with them, but their relatively weak caliber bullets wouldn't do shit against the heavier armor the mercenaries wore. Some of the vests were also on a rack. The room had a few niche weapons such as magazine-fed shotguns, machine pistols, and even a high-powered rifle with a scope. There was also a very large box in the corner, which Angelo wouldn't touch until the others were in the room. The crazy amount of weapons almost distracted Angelo from the possibility that his partners could be dead. For now, he would have a go at looking at the weapons in detail and forget the grim thought.
 
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