We boarded the plane the next day, having had matters sorted with the school. We were on a private jet, with George piloting. We all sat together, Drake, Harry, Jake and Gabriel looking about the plane in a sense of awe. Mark turned to us. "Alan doesn't know about this. We stay quiet in Rio... Don't make too much noise."
"How good hearing does he has?" Drake asked. I looked at him.
"He means-"
"I know what he means... Seriously, though. How quiet do we have to stay?" He asked Mark.
"Hmm... Well. Terms of engagement: Kill only if completely necessary. " He said. I think I was the only one who didn't palen slightly.
"Kill?" Jake asked, though he didn't sound afraid, more curious. I looked at him, frowning slightly.
"It might be the only way." I said and he nodded. "Alright. Mark, you have the folders?" I asked and he nodded, bringing out a briefcase, complete with seven folders. He handed one to each of us.
"Alright." He said and opened his. "Here's your briefing. Karim Polk, dead by all accounts. Recent intel proves otherwise. We have pictures to prove it and a few of them place him in Brazil. They aren't time-stamped, so we don't know how recent or old they are. It's gonna be warm in Brazil, so keep that in mind. Blend in with the crowd as best you can. Also, you'll see a symbol in the bottom left corner of the first page. See that, tell me immediately. When we get there, we're going to a bar. Frequent haunt of Polk's, or so we're told. Anyone over fourteen is allowed in, so you'll be fine." He said. I looked at the symbol. Scorched Leaf. "Nice place. Visited there in 2003. You can get drinks, but no alcohol. Coke, lemonade, sasparilla, anything like that is fine. See Karim, tell me. Oh, also, it gets pretty hectic in there. Take these. They're sort of upgraded earpieces. Their batteries'll last you a few days non-stop. If we get seperated, don't worry. I can trace you. App on my phone." He said and we took the earpieces he gave us. "We'll be here in an hour. Josh, help them put them on." He said and I nodded, already having put mine in. I set to work getting Gabriel's put in, as Mark did the same with Drake. Afterwards, I set to work with Jake's, Mark doing Harry's.

We arrived at the airport. As we stepped out of the plane, the sweltering heat hit us. Even at this season, it was still extremely warm. I gasped hot air down my throat, already beginning to sweat. "George is getting people to take our stuff, so don't worry. Let's just get to the bar." He said. "It's about ten minutes' walk from here, so that's what we'll do. Get a better look of the place." He said and I nodded, walking with him, the others talking behind us.
"You sure we're safe here?" I murmured to him.
"Well, yeah. Barman's an old friend of mine... We'll be alright." He said and I nodded.
"Alright, good." I said and slowed my pace, so as to walk with my friends. "So... Liking the experience so far?" I asked and Drake smiled.
"Yeah! It's been good!" He said and I looked at the others. They were all smiling. I couldn't help smiling back, it was contagious.
"This mission seems like a holiday. Odd for it to be like that." I said, looking around.
"Enjoy it! You could do with a holiday!" Harry said to me and I nodded.
"So could we all..." I said and we conversed a little more, until we arrived at the bar. Mark told us to turn our earpieces on but turn them off if we were talking to someone directly. The minute we stepped in the door, we got seperated by a wall of people. Mark was swept away with Gabriel and Jake. Harry, Drake and I were swept in another direction. I grabbed them both and kept a tight hold on them as the crowd pushed me. "Mark! What happened?" I asked, as if I was speaking normally. He'd be able to hear me through the earpiece.
"I didn't expect it to be that quick, if I'm honest." He replied.
"Oh, didn't you? Less hectic when you were last here?" Drake asked and I smiled.
"Yeah, sorta." Mark said. "Just mingle." He said and I nodded. A girl passed by, looking no older than us. She was slender and dressed in a red skirt. This caught Drake's attention and he began to follow. I grabbed his jacket.
"Er, no. Eyes on the mission, Wolstenholme..." I said, laughing.
"He said mingle!" He protested. I groaned.
"Ugh. Fine." I let him go. "No funny business though. We're here for most likely less than a week." I said and he walked off. Harry looked at me.
"We sticking together?" He asked me and I shrugged.
"Go, if you like. I'm a word away, though." I said and he nodded, walking away. I wandered over to the bar. There was a boy leant there. He looked a little older than me. He was caucasian, nicely-set and slender. His eyes were brown, his hair the same shade of chestnut. I smiled at him. He smiled back. I leant next to him. "Noisy place!" I shouted, pretending to itch my ear, where I was really turning the earpiece off, so not to disturb the others.
"I know! My father owns this place! You get used to the noise, don't worry!" He yelled back. I nodded and ordered a Coke. The boy told the barman that I drank on the house. I blinked "Thanks! Why such kindness?" I asked.
"You seem a nice person... What's your name?" He asked in reply.
"Josh! Josh Conlon! Yourself?"
"Pedro! Pedro Lloyd!" He replied.
"Lloyd? Not very Brazilian... Or Spanish, whichever." I asked, frowning.
"Father's British! Mother had pick on my first name." He explained.
"You speak good English!" I said.
"Thanks! My dad taught me!" He said and I looked to my side, where Jake was now leaning, looking slightly out of breath.
"You look roughed up, Arthurs!" I shouted and he looked at me, too out of breath to make a facial expression.
"Yeah, well! Gabriel and Mark got seperated from me. Bloody close to being trampled a few minutes ago!" He yelled back. I tapped my ear and he nodded, switching his back on. I turned my own on.
"You alright?" I murmured.
"Fine... Little out of breath." He replied.
"Come on... We'll get outside for a minute." I said and then relayed onto the channel "Me and Jake are going outside! Come if you like!" We made our way through the crowd, wrestling to get outside. When we finally got outside, the air was surprisingly cool. The streets were still a-bustle. Jake sat on a crate that was near the wall. I leant against the wall, breathing in the cool air. It was dark outside, but not so much that we couldn't see one another. "Sure you're alright?" I asked, concerned.
"I'll be fine." He said, just as Gabriel, Harry and Mark burst out of the room.
"My God! It's bloody chaos in there!" Mark shouted, still adjusted to the noise inside.
"You two alright?" I asked, looking at Gabriel, who looked tired.
"I'm knackered, Josh." Mark said.
"Alright. Take Gabriel, Harry and Jake back with you. Me and Drake'll stay here for a while... I'll get him back." I said.
"Where is Wolstenholme?" Mark asked me.
"Last I saw, talking to some girl." I said and he looked at me purposely. "I told him, don't worry. We're not going to get anything tonight... Too late and crowded. I've associated myself with the son of the owner of the bar." I said and Mark nodded.
"Good." He said, beginning to set off. He turned to me. "Keep Drake out of trouble will you?" He asked and I nodded.

I re-entered the bar, searching for Drake. I found him sitting at the bar, smiling slightly. "What happened to you?" I asked and he looked at me.
"Oh, nothing. She left." He said and I nodded.
"That it?" I asked him.
"Yeah, that's it. We coming back tomorrow?" He enquired.
"Yeah, we are... Like the place?" I asked, ordering a Coke for myself.
"Yeah, it's nice..." He said as Pedro walked over to me.
"Thought I saw you!" He said to me.
"Yeah! I think me and Drake should be leaving! It's getting too crowded!" I said.
"Come back tomorrow, alright?" He asked and I nodded.
"We are, don't worry!" I said, as I took Drake's arm and lifted him off his stool. "Come on, Drake... Let's go."

As we walked back, I told him what little had happened. "It's mental in there." He said.
"Just the place for a terrorist." I said, sighing.
"You're right there." He said and laughed. "Her name's Christina."
"What?" I asked.
"The girl... She's called Christina." He said and I smiled. We began talking about the people we had come across. If we hadn't, I might have noticed the grafiti beside me, reading 'RML'.