“Yes, we do!” Sam quickly responded with an intense sigh of relief immediately afterwards.

“Sam, who is that?!” She heard Sebastian ask from behind, but held her tongue just in case, showing him a “wait” finger and a pleading expression.

“Sir, please, I know you probably can’t do anything about it but we are being hunted, my partners are injured, our vehicle is compromised, and the entire area is under active jamming!”

“Are you not in your LTAC?”

LTAC… My Axiom, she thought as her mind wandered that instant to what always made her feel like she could stand up to anything coming her way. It was always the one thing she could control despite how chaotic any situation may have gotten. It’s scary to think I don’t have anything anymore…

“…No, no we are in a truck.”

Some tense silence followed, sucking some of the hope from Sam’s lungs before Tyrus finally replied: “I don’t know why you are in Colombia, but I think I know who you are dealing with. I am on good terms with some in your area, but I am also unwilling to cross Bishop for the time being. If you are in his sights, I may not be able to do anything.”

Renzo followed the dialogue best he could, picking up the biggest keyword in Bishop. [Bas, you knew Cruella had Underground connections?!]

Sebastian had already heard the details many times how Sam was aided by Tyrus’ Underground as well as how Devin and Tricky saved her life, but it was never revealed exactly how. [Well, yes, to a small extent but not this much!]

“Are you safe?” The voice popped back in.

“Not for long, I don’t think,” Sam responded with more of her hope dissipating. “We really need to get to a hospital. Do you think we are safe to keep moving?”

Another long pause had Renzo itching to move. [We can’t just sit here!] He then turned to Sebastian, looking at his wrapped wound, noting how much blood he had lost. [No, we-]

“Stay put. Samantha, listen, stay put. Lights off. You have company.”

Wait! What?!

Everyone in the cabin was silenced by the ominous advice as adrenaline started to pump once more. And soon after the radio speakers crackled before disconnecting, sucking the last bit of hope from within Sam as she slowly passed Renzo back his mobile and earpiece. “Sorry, I don’t know if…” she started whispering as her eyes darted around. She couldn’t see with the rain and the cracked glass, and no lighting had her heart rate skyrocketing again. “Maybe we should go.”

“Shh!” Renzo hissed as he leaned back in his seat to take out his pistol, then held still with a finger in the air. [Listen, I hear tires.]

The four all froze, and even though Sam couldn’t determine what he was pointing out, she could read the room enough to keep her mouth shut. And not after long she too could hear the approaching sound of tires on wet pavement, but it was a slow approach.

Is that local traffic? Dani and Sebastian both aren’t moving. She then eyed her bag but was too afraid to move. Shit, please be local traffic. Please please be-

The vehicles that rolled up rather quickly must have been coasting in unpowered as they barely made a sound, which was why the subsequent banging of metal from both sides of their truck had them all jump in shock.

[Hands up!] a voice shouted from outside as blinding lights beamed in from inside the other vehicles that pinned them down with their opened doors.

[Weapons down,] Renzo hissed as he was the first to put his up, squinting, trying to make out the men approaching.

Sam instinctively followed suit as both Sebastian and Dani kept theirs up. The four’s collective heart beats were seemingly audible despite the rain and the footsteps and the choking fear was palpable.

Shit, at least let this just be another kidnapping and not what I hope it is. Sam’s hands and feet started quivering uncontrollably as images of the executions she heard of back from her last stint in Bogota flashed across her mind. As far as she could tell, those were the same Rocha men outside.

[Mouth closed, don’t say a word,] spoke the man just outside Renzo’s window, pistol and flashlight pointed now just below his face.

Renzo reopened his eyes, and once the fuzziness and the sharp brightness cleared, his eyes widened with a completely different purpose. [Ro’?] He whispered.

[I said mouth closed!] He angrily shouted back but with a cocking of his head, a smirk, and a wink. [Keep hands where we can see them! Out of the truck and get down on the ground! All of you!]

But as soon as Sam was forcefully coaxed out of her seat, she was quickly pulled away into the vehicle next to her along with Renzo as the two were tossed in rather roughly. “Sebastian!” She cried out before a hand went around her mouth from behind. Panic began to set in as she watched Sebastian and Dani dragged into the truck opposite from them, but something about not only their completely calm demeanor.

Why aren’t they resisting?! Why is everyone okay with this?!

But with a turn to her right she noticed Renzo’s similar aura, and that last look had her convinced enough to let go of her fight.

They all must know something I don’t. Maybe the more I kick the worse I make it. She then forced herself to calm down as the hand was pulled away while the others swiftly took their seats without a word.

.

.

From a distance, a pair of men in camouflaged jackets watched the scene from their oculars using their enhanced night vision and audio enhancements. [What in the… who in the hell?] One of them mumbled aloud in between the bangs of thunder.

[Bender, this is Bright, our target just got intercepted by an unidentified cell,] the other spoke into a communicator. […No, we can’t get a visual ID on their faces, but we heard their voices. They’re local… No, no markings.] He then zoomed out as the intercepting trucks finished loading their hostages, backed away, and pulled out of the parking lot in a hurry.

[Who do we pass this to? We only have one car in pursuit left, and I counted six well-armed men.]

The other put his oculars down and shook his head. [Damn it, they’re headed south of town. Tell Bender if we don’t lift the jamming we can’t track them out of our range.]

[No,] he calmly responded as he put away his communicator and turned to their makeshift tent. [He said let them go. Chances are high it’s Rocha activity, and we aren’t in control of them within their territory.]

.

.

[We’re secure,] spoke the driver of the truck that took Sam and Renzo hostage.

Or so it seemed, as Renzo quickly shouted out from the backseat: [Ro’! Where have you been!?]

Sam could hear his enthusiasm as she turned to look at the driver who just pulled down the cloth covering the lower half of his face. She felt as if she had seen him before.

And it hit her. It was the small pot-looking cup filled with what she thought was grass. That horribly potent smell. The face that drank from it like it was coffee. That face was his. Just like they were all back together at the break room at the Galiano Family compound.

Wait, WHAT?!

“Hey! What are you doing here?!”

[Hey, Cruella, long time!] he turned back to face the road as to not cause a scene accidentally regardless of how empty the roads were.

[Why didn’t you say something sooner, you son of a bitch!] Renzo fussed with a disappointed but relieved shake of his head. [Had us all freaking out! Why the kidnapping act?!]

[Y’all’s friend Emilia said you were in trouble!] The driver quickly answered back. [Our policy is to assume everyone is watching everything and we never show our hand!]

Sam was quickly reminded of her first day stuck in Bogota, having to survive a swirl of rapidly changing situations along with not understanding a single word flying around her head. What the hell are they even going on about!? Was that him for real? This is just like back then- I hate being left out like this! “Hey, I’m still here!”

Renzo realized his folly, but anyone in his shoes would have gotten as distracted. [Yo, she doesn’t have any translation tools right now,] he spoke before facing her to try to explain: “Listen! He is… he is friend Rodrigo! Remember?”

“Yes, but why is he doing this?! Why is HE here?!”

Renzo remembered she had given him back his mobile as he passed it to her. “Here.” [Use the translation tool like before.]

She quickly took it as the two continued conversing amidst the still-ongoing rain and thunder.

[So how did you end up with this outfit!?] Renzo continued, still with so many questions.

[Long story, bro’, but we gotta get you all safe first,] Rodrigo responded as the air finally grew calmer. [At least in here you are safe until we get to our ship outta here.]

[And when you said Emilia… you mean Kaylen, right?] Renzo asked as he straightened back up, looking out the back window. [Hey, wait! Where are the others going?!]

Rodrigo waved the concern off with a reassuringly firm response: [They need medical treatment, right!? I sent them to a secure facility and will meet up with us tomorrow some time! Don’t worry, man! When we get in the air we can contact them, alright?]

Renzo was content with that one aspect but still unnerved by the rest. [Yeah, mind telling me what’s really going on? Glad it’s you and not those gun crazy bastards but shit man I got too many questions!]

[Listen, I gotta keep my communicator up and open so let me keep this quick for now,] Rodrigo started, knowing he had to keep it brief. [You all will be under our watch, Enrai’s watch, until everything settles down. And in the meantime, since everyone’s a pilot, we might have to use you if shit hits the fan. And lemme tell you, bro, as we speak… dudes from Bishop are hijacking a whole fucking Ap50 shipment right here in town. And it’s not even a shot fired, just stolen under Hexa’s noses!]

What!? An Ap50 outfit?! Sam knew what that entailed, guessing the worst. Those things have been shipping eight per order! Whatever this Bishop faction is, why am I only just now hearing of it?! Was it related to the ones attacking Bogota before!?

[Shit…] Renzo closed his eyes in disbelief. [No wonder you guys were already nearby on alert.] He then put a hand on Sam’s shoulder in a reassuring fashion. [Look, Cruella, I never did properly thank you for helping save us earlier. So, thanks.]

“Oh,” Sam awkwardly started, caught completely off guard and not ready to respond properly. The communications between Rodrigo and the other end of the line helped fill in the silence, but she felt even more thrown off being more acknowledged than expected. At least that was how she felt based on past experiences, biased or not. “We uh, we all do what we can to survive.”

[And you helped keep ‘Bas alive for so long- I mean, I never pictured you sticking around for the long haul like this,] he continued with a smile as he took back his hand. [Thank you for that, too. I was wrong about you. I guess I… really need to apologize for being kind of rude to you before. Hell, you even took a bullet for us it seems,] he added, noticing the trail of blood that had soaked into her shirt. Her hair covered her ear, but he knew what had happened.

“I… well,” Sam started with furthered awkwardness. It hit her just how many genuine exchanges of various natures since coming to Earth, and all of them continued through even now in such crazy times. “I was wrong about you and Dani, too. We are all alive thanks to each of us helping one another. I didn’t realize how good of team you all are despite the odds.”

[Don’t forget yourself,] Renzo finished with a bump of his fist on her arm. [Look, we’re pretty damn sure that was my apartment they blew up earlier. We got nowhere to run or stay but wherever it is Rodrigo takes us. We’re stuck together regardless, so like it or not we’re definitely an official team, now, right?]

A team…

Sam remembered the day she started getting feelings for Sebastian all those months back. It was he who told her those same words about being a team.

I have to realize they are brothers who raised each other. If one turned out alright, it makes sense the others were right there all along.

“Right,” Sam returned with a smile of her own.

[Hey, Ren,] Rodrigo spoke up again from the front. [We’re almost there. And by the way, did you ever get any signal throughout the jamming?]

Renzo straightened back up. [No, I knew that had to be it. Once we ran out of the apartment building we’ve been radio deaf since. Why?]

[I think the guys chasing you are trying to pinpoint us now, but to avoid that we have to extend our own scramblers. Hope Hexa isn’t assuming the worst with you three.]

[Bishop?]

[Again, we can’t confirm anything but that’s our best guess.] The truck then came to a stop near an expansive, open field with only more trees and mountains in the backdrop. They pulled up next to a hover shuttle that sized near a smaller city bus, and several men stood guard outside. [We’re here. I’ll hope to catch you sometime soon, bro’,] Rodrigo turned to speak as he held a fist up.

[You not coming with us?!] Renzo fussed as he bumped fists before unbuckling his seatbelt.

[I can’t. At least not yet. Still working on something here with our Bogota outfit and those Bishop boys are kinda’ at the center of it all, you know. You were just a quick detour for us,] Rodrigo responded with a wink. [Stay safe!]