Thursday comes quicker than expected, and the group all piles together to the airport and hops on the plane under the gaze of power line consultants, nothing more, nothing less.

Val gets stuck in the middle seat and ends up being a pillow for both Benny and Frankie, which Santiago mocks her for from his comfy aisle seat. He chuckles as she flips him off, then turns his head and tries to get some sleep.

Once in Colombia, they all pile into a car, Santiago in the driver's seat and Val in the passenger. The drive down the long freeway in the middle of the vast green forest is a beautiful sight, but one that builds up the anticipation for what is yet to come.

They stare out the window as Santiago drives down the dirt road and passes an old man with his donkey, who's gaze pears beyond into their very souls.

The car is parked in the dense forest. They all hop out and each grab a comm and a gun. This time, it's strictly recon.

" So what's this guy got against banks?" Will asks, " At least a safe."

" The house is the safe," Val states.

" I'm at the gate," Benny says," This looks like everything was done
about 82% right. They got all the toys out here, but these cameras aren't even aimed at the weakest breach point."

" Your girlfriend's making her normal money drop?" Tom asks, as if specifically to piss off Val.

She locks eyes with Santiago, of whom attempts to keep her quiet.

" She's prepared to record the inside of the house," He answers.

" Pope..." Frankie trails, " Pope, I have kids over here. Does he have kids living in here with him? 'Cause that's gonna make things a whole lot more complicated and is not what I signed up for."

" The family's not the problem. They're the answer," Santiago says.

" Why?"

" Church," Val says," Lorea's very devout. Every Sunday morning, he sends three guards
to the 6:00 a.m. service. When they get back, he sends the rest of the team, along with his family, into town to mass. That leaves him and three guards in that house, and that's our window."

" Why would he do that?" Will asks.

" Worried about someone taking his kids," Santiago says, laying in the dirt surrounded by trees as they scope out the compound, " And he never leaves his money. Also, I don't think he believes
anyone actually has the balls to come out here and rob him."

" It's probably 'cause it's a stupid idea."

" Pope, I got your girlfriend coming up right now," Tom states.

Val lets out an angry puff of air.

" I got an execution about to go down over here," Will utters

" Are you at the tennis courts?" Santiago asks.

" Yeah."

" Yeah, that's his spot."

The sound of gun shots echo across the entire compound. It rings in their ears and brings them all back to the life they swore off years ago.

" Why is she doing this?" Frankie asks as he watches the informant go inside.

" She hopes we can get her little brother out of jail," Val responds.

" Did you put him in jail?"

" Not really."

" I'm guessing that's putting her at some risk," Tom says.

" Man, I almost forgot why I got out of this business," Frankie adds," Shit gets so dark so quick."

" Oh, shit, we got ground sensors here," Benny says.

" Did you hit one?" Val asks as she props herself up on her elbows, laying in the mud with binoculars in hand.

" I don't know, I'm not sure."

" Benny, I got two guys on motorbikes coming your way," Frankie adds.

" Hold tight, Benny. I'm trying to get out there to cover you," Will utters.

" A stock boy job at Walmart's starting to look pretty good right now," Benny quips as his brother quietly begins running through the muddy ground.

" Let's get the fuck outta here."

From knee-deep in dirt to a bar they go, shooting down shots of tequila like they're water and laughing off yet another near-death experience.

" You were gonna piss yourself," Frankie remarks.

" I was getting onto the déjà vu part, man," Beny affirms.

" So what's the plan?" Will asks, " Are their guys prepared to operate
across the border? What's the scope of this thing?"

" Sunday soft hit is the way to do it," Tom says," Otherwise, you bring in an army,
you'd start a fucking war up there."

" Mm-hmm. So, when do you need to present to the agency down here?" Will asks.

" I'm not sure I wanna tell them," Val sighs as she sits back in her chair.

" Why?" Tom asks.

" We saw the place. It's full of holes. So maybe we don't tell them... and we do this thing ourselves."

" What?" He exclaims," Now, we each took 17 grand... to help the narcotics unit map out and plan this fuckin' thing. I told you I wasn't even comfortable helping them do it. Now you want us to do it by ourselves? Kill a bunch of fuckin' narcos?"

" If we hit that window, like you said, when they're at church, nobody but Lorea gets killed," She confidently states, "And I'm okay with that."

" Does the agency down here even know about this?"

" What do you mean?"

" Come on, Valentina! Don't fuck around. Who paid our fees?"

Her head turns to meet with Santiago's eyes

" It's complicated, technically..." He trails," you guys were paid through an LLC."

" Mm, no, not that complicated," Tom interjects," It's $100,000. Where the fuck did it come from?"

But instead of a response, a silence falls over the group as a bunch of Brazilian bikers enter the bar. The bill is paid, and the silence resumes as they walk down the wooden steps and head back to the car.

" Whose money is it, huh?" Tom asks.

" It was my money," Val says, stepping up for Santi so he doesn't out himself

"Jeez. What were you thinking?" He exclaims, " That is so irresponsible."

" Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't realize you were my father," She states, " Now, seeing as you aren't, I suggest you refrain from calling me irresponsible."

" So you want me to lie?"

"Alright, alright, alright," Santiago says, stepping in between them to break up the tension," Does that change anything?"

" Yeah, man. You fucking lied to us," Will says.

" No, we didn't lie to you," Santiago counters, " We asked you guys to come down here, do reconnaissance, and make a plan. Now, we can execute that plan alone and take all of the money, or you guys can fuck off, and we'll bring the team from down here in. But I assure you, if we do that, this fucker will find out about it, and he'll be gone, and we need this guy."

" You know how many fucking bad men are out there all over the world?" Tom asks.

"Yeah, well, this is our last one," Val states, earning a few scoffs, " And you may not believe it, but we have been here for the last three years of our lives, trying to make a difference, but it's a fucking mess. And it's all because of Lorea. The thought of leaving everything we've done behind for the last 17 years, with nothing to show for it..."

" Fuck you, nothing to show for it," He sneers

" Look, if... If we had accomplished half the things that we've accomplished in any other profession, we'd be set for life," Santiago adds.

" Hey, man, that's the deal we cut," Will interjects

" Well, it's a shitty deal," Val scoffs," Fish's the most talented pilot I know, and he's grounded on a bullshit coke rap. And how many times can your brother get the shit knocked out of him for..."

"I didn't get the shit beat out of me. I won that fight," Benny corrects.

" Sorry, man," She says, then turns her head to the older Miller," And how many more pep talks
can you possibly give?"

" I'm done, man," Santiago adds," Both knees are shot. That neck operation I got last year made the whole thing worse. So, the question is, do we finally get to use our skills for our own benefit and actually change something?"

As they leave the bar, the tension from the conversation still lingers in the air, casting a shadow over the group. Val can feel her heart racing, her frustration with Tom and the situation bubbling just beneath the surface. She slips into the backseat of the car, sandwiched between Frankie and Benny, as Santiago takes his place in the passenger seat. Will slides into the driver's seat, the engine roars to life, and they begin their journey back to the hostel.

The car ride is initially filled with a palpable silence, each member lost in their own thoughts. Val stares out of the window, her mind a whirlwind of conflicting emotions. She's frustrated with Tom's questioning and skeptical attitude, but she's also aware that his concerns aren't entirely unfounded. They're about to embark on a dangerous mission that could have serious consequences, and the weight of that responsibility presses down on her.

The tension is thick, almost suffocating, as the miles roll by. Val clenches and unclenches her fists in her lap, her mind replaying the arguments and disagreements. The camaraderie that once bound them as a team feels strained, and she can't help but wonder if their differences are too great to overcome.

But as the night deepens, the exhaustion from the fight and the adrenaline rush begin to catch up with them. Val's eyes droop, and she finds herself leaning against Frankie's shoulder. To her surprise, he doesn't push her away; instead, he wraps an arm around her, creating an unexpected sense of comfort.

Benny, always the joker, starts to hum a tune under his breath, attempting to lighten the mood. Santiago joins in with a chuckle, and even Val can't help but smile at their antics. Slowly, the tension begins to dissipate, replaced by the familiarity of their shared history.

Will glances at them through the rearview mirror, his lips curling into a small smile. He turns up the radio, and soon the car is filled with the sound of music, drowning out the weight of their earlier conversation. The wind rushes through the open windows, carrying away the worries and doubts that had crept in.

Val lets herself relax against Frankie, her gaze drifting to the stars above. The night sky is a vast canvas of twinkling lights, a reminder of the world beyond their current troubles. She closes her eyes for a moment, taking a deep breath and allowing herself to let go of the tension that had gripped her.

As the car speeds along, Val feels a sense of unity with her friends. Despite their differences, they've been through too much together to let disagreements tear them apart. She's reminded of the countless missions they've faced, the hardships they've overcome, and the unbreakable bond that ties them together.

She opens her eyes again, her gaze shifting to Santiago's profile in the front seat. He catches her eye and offers her a reassuring smile, his hand reaching out to briefly touch hers.

" So, are we doing this?" Will asks, being the first to break the silence.

" How the fuck am I supposed to know?" Tom scowls," This guy doesn't come through with the one key piece of intel we need to make this decision. For all we know, she could be setting us up to get her brother back."

" We'll know tomorrow," Val sternly states as she keeps her head on Frankie's shoulder, "She should have been recording that whole thing today."

" All right, if it does come back clean, how would you do the Sunday morning version?" Will asks.

" In the first pop, you'd have 40 minutes to get in, get the job done, and get out before the family comes home from church," Tom starts," That's a hard out. We need to breach the fence, sweep the premises, find and subdue the guards, scrub the hard drives in the security room, get rid of Lorea, find the money, pack the money into 18 hundred-pound bags, and then hoof it half a mile to the nearest vehicle. There's only two ways out: the fence in the front, or over the mountain we came down, and I'm too old for that."

" We need to use one of their vans," Will adds.

" There were two vans in the courtyard," Frankie says," But if the family uses those vans
to go to church, then we got nothing. So we need another van. Can your girl work that out?"

" I can ask her," Val utters, " Cuz she's my girl."

" Little rascal," Benny teases with a Cheshire grin.

" Still got your aviation guy down here?" Tom asks," 'Cause we would need a heavy-lift helicopter in 32 hours to get us over the Andes and to the ocean."

" I don't know, but I'll give him a call," Will affirms

" Oh, yeah! Big dog is back!" Benny exclaims excitedly from the backseat, " We're gonna be rich, boys!"

" Now we're talkin'."

The next day arrives, and with the sun high in the sky, Val finds herself in a bustling public square, waiting for Yovanna. She scans the crowd, her eyes sharp and alert, her senses heightened by the knowledge that they're getting closer to executing their dangerous plan. Val knows that their success hinges on Yovanna's cooperation, and she's eager to ensure that the pieces fall into place.

Finally, Yovanna appears, weaving her way through the crowd. Val's eyes lock onto her, and she can see the worry etched into Yovanna's features. Val knows that this is a risky endeavor for Yovanna; her involvement could put her own life in danger. As Yovanna approaches, Val offers a small, reassuring smile.

"Glad you could make it."

Yovanna nods, her gaze wary but determined.

"You better have a good reason for dragging me out here."

Val gestures for Yovanna to walk with her, leading her to a quieter corner of the square. They stand together, and Val gets straight to the point.

"We're moving forward with the plan," Val says, her voice low but steady, "We need another van inside the compound. We've got a window of opportunity, and we can't afford any mistakes."

Yovanna's expression remains guarded as she listens.

"Y mi hermano?"

Val's gaze softens, and she reaches out to place a reassuring hand on Yovanna's arm.

"We're going to get him out of there, I promise. Once this is over, we'll make sure he's safe and out of the country. We've got $2 million set aside for you both, along with the necessary papers to start a new life somewhere far from here."

Yovanna's eyes narrow slightly, skepticism lingering in her gaze.

"And how can I trust that you'll keep your word?"

Val meets Yovanna's gaze with unwavering determination.

"You have to believe that we're committed to this. We're not just doing this for ourselves; we're doing it to make a difference, to bring down Lorea and end the suffering he's caused. You've seen what he's capable of. This is a chance to stop him."

Yovanna's defenses begin to crack, her doubt warring with a glimmer of hope.

"You really think you can take him down?"

Val nods firmly.

"With your help, we can. You've been invaluable to us, Yovanna. Your knowledge and insight are what's going to make this plan succeed. We need you."

Yovanna's gaze drops to the ground as she considers Val's words. Val watches her closely, her heart going out to the woman who's been caught up in a world of danger and deceit.

"I want to trust you," Yovanna admits, her voice barely above a whisper, "But I've seen so many people get hurt, so many promises broken."

Val squeezes Yovanna's arm gently.

" This is our chance to make things right, to bring justice to those who've suffered because of Lorea. And I promise you, we'll do everything in our power to keep you and your brother safe."

There's a tense silence between them, Yovanna's gaze searching Val's for any signs of deception. Val meets her gaze unwaveringly, her sincerity evident in her eyes.

After a long moment, Yovanna sighs, a mixture of resignation and newfound determination in her features. Yovanna nods, a flicker of hope returning to her eyes. As they part ways, Val watches Yovanna disappear into the crowd, a sense of responsibility and determination driving her forward. The pieces are falling into place, and the plan is set in motion.

With Yovanna's reluctant cooperation secured, Val leaves the public square and heads towards the designated meeting point: the freight yard where the rest of the team is waiting. Her heart beats with a mix of excitement and nervousness as she walks through the bustling streets, her mind focused on the task at hand. The weight of the plan presses on her, but she's determined to see it through.

As Val enters the freight yard, the familiar faces of her team come into view. Benny, Santiago, Frankie, Will and Tom are gathered near a stack of crates, their expressions a mixture of seriousness and anticipation. Val's presence is greeted with nods and subtle smiles, a silent acknowledgment of the shared commitment that binds them together.

The freight holder is opened and the light is turned on to reveal all the supplies and the weapons they'll need to accomplish their mission. They all make good work of familiarizing themselves with what they've got, but of course, Tom just has to open his big mouth and start a speech.

" All right, first things first: safety. There is no medevac. There is no ground support. Any injuries we sustain, we're walking out with. Be mindful, each of you has a medical kit in your bag. Number two: you cannot go back to your normal life after tonight. Make no mistake about it. What we are about to do is criminal. We do not have the flag on our shoulders, and no amount of bullshit that we tell ourselves is gonna change that. If we do our job right, we will be committing one murder and one armed robbery. You guys need to own the fact that you are desecrating most of the oaths you ever took. Third: family. If they don't go to church, or if they come home early, it's an abort. Full stop. They are not who we came for. And lastly, it's not too late to go home. We had an agreement with Pope and Shadow, and we fulfilled that. Any man here who wants to walk away now can do so knowing they're the best of us. But it's gotta be now. I wanna make sure we're not leaving that house without taking care of Lorea. If he's there like he's supposed to be, we'll get him. We leave at 0300."

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