10 Weeks Earlier
Medellín, Colombia.
Annie can't sleep.
The Art Hotel Medellin is far more comfortable and lavish than their previous hostel, but luxuries aside, too many things are racing through her thoughts for sleep to even be relatively plausible. Her only comfort is Auggie, who sleeps soundly next to her. They've made good use of the room amenities thus far - namely the couch and the bed. There are fleeting moments she can pretend that this insanity they're caught up in is something else, moments where her imagination allows her to escape and envision a time and place where things are different.
A time and place where they're together, but not like this - not fighting a battle they might not win.
She thinks about sitting with him in the park, and how easy it had been to say those three words that had once terrified her. Now, she's never been more sure of something in her life.
She wouldn't be able to do any of this without him.
She carefully tries to extract herself from Auggie's arm where it's wrapped around her waist. She slides out of his hold, and out of bed, grabbing her laptop off the armoire where the TV sits. She returns to her side of the bed seconds later, propping herself up against the headboard. Auggie stirs next to her, and his hand reaches out. His fingers find the bare skin of her thigh just above her knee. It isn't covered by his t-shirt that she's wearing.
"Everything ok?" He asks, blinking, trying to wake up.
"Couldn't sleep." She replies truthfully, wiggling closer so that her legs are as close to his as possible, glad that he had fallen asleep on top of the sheets.
"Me either."
"Liar."
Auggie chuckles softly, sitting up and leaning over to kiss the side of her head just above her temple. Annie closes her eyes, relishing the feeling, memorizing it. They sit in silence together, shoulders brushing, and Annie opens the laptop up and it quickly fires to life. She glances at the digital clock at the top of the computer screen: 2 AM. At that same moment an email alert draws he attention to a new email from Joan. Annie's brow furrows, and Auggie quirks his head.
"What is it?"
"Hold on…" Annie reads through the email quickly, the black lines of text reflected in her eyes with the glow of the computer screen. "Joan says Solstar executives and investors are headed to Bogota."
"Sound suspicious." Auggie says.
"Only slightly." Annie replies sarcastically.
Auggie's burner phone rings, and they both jump. Immediately Annie's stomach flips and ties itself in knots: Calder is the only one with access to their burner phone numbers. Auggie grabs the phone from the nightstand, placing it to his ear, rolling his neck shoulders - tense.
"Yeah?" Auggie pauses. "Yes, we just got her email."
Annie watches Auggie intently, and she can faintly hear Calder's voice on the other end of the line. She reflexively grinds her teeth, and she balls her hands up, her finger nails digging into the palm of her hand. After a several extremely long minutes of exchange - in which Auggie does mostly listening - he hangs up the phone.
"Well?" Annie crosses her legs now, balancing the laptop in her lap, the email from Joan still open on the screen.
"Solstar isn't the only group that has plans to go to Bogota." Auggie replies grimly.
"The ALC?"
"Yes. Calder's contact is on the inside. He's saying his brother is the man in the photograph. It's complicated though, there are individuals in the ALC who are… unhappy with the current situation. Apparently there's unrest amongst their ranks after Teo's stunt in Vienna. They think he's growing disillusioned to the cause."
"Collateral damage."
"Essentially, but until we find Teo, this is all speculation."
"We have to go to Bogota." Annie reasons out loud. "Shit - it all adds up, the Solstar meeting, everything… Henry is baiting them. It has to be a set up, but why?"
"It get's worse. Calder says word on the street is that they have the missiles. They're planning another attack, Annie."
"Oh God-" Annie grabs Auggie's shoulder, her other hand flying to her mouth, realization paralyzing her.
"Annie?"
"Auggie, the embassy is in Bogota."
A/N: Dun dun dunnnn, the plot thickens.