Author's Notes: So I just bought the movie, which although I really only like the first twenty minutes of it or so, I had to own. Los Bandoleros was really quite good. (Except for the skanks). I thought overall it was well shot and even quite artistic in some frames, but before I sound pretentious I do have one complaint, It wasn't long enough. I wanted more Dom/Letty screen time! Anyway, enjoy this chapter guys. I think the next one will have them meeting up with Vince and Brian.

Chapter 13: Changing Gears

"Could a body close the mind out
Stitch a seam across the eye
If you can be good, you'll live forever
If you're bad, you'll die when you die"

"Ramalama (Bang Bang)" – Roisin Murphy

Braga was awoken by the jarring strain of music bleeding from the tinny speakers of the cell phone lying on the bedside table. He snapped up the phone, groaning about people calling at 6 am. His head throbbed and he rolled onto his side, pressing the phone to his ear.

"What?"

There was a pause, and then Gisele's voice came through the speaker, sounding more than a little shaken. "We have a problem."

He cursed and sat up slowly, the sheets pooling at his waist. "Let me guess. I knew you couldn't handle taking out those civilians. God knows why I even put you in charge there in the first place."

"I'm sorry... I didn't realize those two women would be such problems. Three of my men are dead... I'm not sure what to do..."

He didn't bother asking if she was hurt. He honestly didn't care. "Expect me by tomorrow afternoon." He hung up, tossing the phone onto the bed. Flinging the sheets aside he stood and went to the shower. He would deal with this problem himself.

And he would deal with Gisele too.

0000

Vince sat at the small kitchen table with Mia, eating the breakfast that she had made earlier. It was only about 8am but neither of them had been able to get a good night's sleep in some time. Mia stood to pour herself another cup of coffee as Vince scooped up another fork full of eggs, watching her move easily around the room.

"You work today?" he asked, dropping his gaze back to his plate as she sat once again.

"Yeah, the evening shift." She sighed, pushing her long hair away from her face. "In a couple years maybe I'll be able to get a better position with more ideal hours."

He was about to respond when his phone rang shrilly from its place in his jeans pocket. He fished it out, glanced at the display which told him the caller was "Eddie" and flicked open the phone.

"Yeah?"

"There's been a change of plans. The directions to your destination are being sent to your GPS. I expect you there in two hours. The drive takes at least one. And pack a couple changes of clothes."

The call ended before Vince could reply and he frowned down at the phone.

"What is it, Vince?" Mia's voice brought him back and he looked up at her, his own gaze worried.

Vince tucked his phone away, no longer having an appetite for his breakfast. He lowered himself to his chair, somewhat in a daze before he realized that Mia had spoken. He looked up, his gaze meeting hers.

"It was my contact for the Braga job. I have to leave here in an hour."

"Where are you going?" She looked startled, and afraid.

"I don't know Mia, he didn't give me details. It's better if you don't know."

"No, Vince, you can't tell me to stay here alone while you go and do this."

He sighed, dragging a hand over his face. "You can't come with me. They'll never allow that and I don't want you in danger. Look, I'll call and check in with you but that's all I can promise."

He reached across the table, putting his hand over hers. It felt icy and she trembled briefly, before raising her dark eyes to look at him.

"Vince..." she began, her voice hesitant. She turned her hand to twine her fingers through his, squeezing hard, as if she could hold onto him. "Promise me you'll come back. I can't bear to be alone anymore."

His eyes softened and some unfamiliar feeling moved through him. "I promise."

0000

This late at night the roads were mostly empty but for a few other cars and Dom let his thoughts drift as he followed Leon back towards Rio. The radio was on low, some song he didn't understand and didn't pay much attention to except for the comfort of background noise. In the passenger seat Letty was sound asleep, her head resting against the window. She had knocked out almost immediately after the adrenaline had worn off.

She always slept so soundlessly. Some nights she'd be lying beside him and he could hear the faint sound of her breathing if everything else was silent.

He turned briefly to look at her as the streetlights washed over them, making her bronze skin glow. She did look exhausted, even as she slept shadows hung below her eyes. Her dark hair was loose, having slipped free of its ponytail at some point, and hung around her face in a mass of curls teased out by humidity. Her arms were folded across her lap and he caught the glimpse of the white bandages Syd had dressed her wrists with at the hotel.

When she was asleep she seemed so fragile and vulnerable, like someone he needed to protect. But he knew Letty well enough to know that wasn't the case. She'd always been tough, even as a child. At times he thought she was stronger than him. She was, because she wouldn't let him go.

She had been right that last night in the Dominican Republic when she'd told him she made her own choices. She never let anyone push her around. And here they were, trying to make a run at a normal life and they'd gotten sucked back into danger.

He couldn't blame Leon or Syd for what happened, but he couldn't leave them to deal with the backlash alone either. Letty would agree. Leon had been through a lot with them and his loyalty had never faltered. They owed him as much in return. If the FBI did get involved, then they'd make a break for it, but not before.

0000

Vince pulled off the highway and into the lot of the small private airport about an hour's drive south of home. He spotted Brian's car and some others and a small group of people gathered along the edge of the tarmac. He pulled his car up alongside them and parked, getting out of the car and retrieving a lightly packed duffle that Mia had fished out of Dom's closet for him. He could see the other three drivers with similar bags or small backpacks slung over a shoulder and moved around his car to join the group. Eddie came by with a sensor, quickly running it over the bag to check for bugs or firearms. When he came up clean Eddie went over to stand beside Campos who began to address them.

"I know this is rather sudden, and believe me when I say that this is an unusual job I'm asking of you all, but you'll all be very well compensated for the inconvenience." He indicated the jet sitting several miles away from them being readied by a small crew. "This is my private plane and we're taking it to Brazil. Now I do business all around the world and I have a little something to take care of there, which I need drivers for. If any of you object, speak up now."

"What's the pay going to be?" Juarez, a small Hispanic man with his hair bleached blond inquired, shifting on his feet.

"It will be twice the original fee promised to you. Providing you do the job correctly."

There were no objections to this and so Eddie came around to collect their car keys. "All your vehicles will be stored in our private garage here and returned to you upon our return. You'll all be provided with a vehicle while in Brazil."

Vince glanced at Brian, feeling uneasy about this whole thing, but the other man only shook his head briefly before handing over his keys.

They were led across the tarmac towards the plane and Vince couldn't help the uneasy feeling settling in the pit of his stomach. He wanted to call Mia and tell her what was going on, but wouldn't be able to do that for a while now. Instead he followed the others up the narrow steps and prepared for the trip to Brazil.

0000

It was after dark by the time Leon pulled the Audi into the driveway of the house in Cordoso Moreira. Syd had drifted in and out of sleep in the passenger seat after her initial break down once they'd been safely on the road away from Sao Paulo. She'd been more than shaken. He knew she'd never experienced anything like that in her life, a life so different from the one he'd left behind in LA.

When the adrenaline had worn off she'd been distraught, angry, and scared at turns, before collapsing into an exhausted sleep with her head pillowed against his arm. She was awake now and stepped out at the car, staring up at their home. As she mounted the steps to the front door, excited barking issued from the other side. When Leon unlocked the door Buster was out like a shot, dancing around them, his entire lower half wiggling in excitement that was too much for his nub of a tail alone.

Syd laughed and crouched down to pet him, some of the stiffness draining from her body. She laid her cheek against his soft furry head and watched Dom and Letty approach, weariness in every line of their bodies.

Her stomach growled, reminding her that she'd eaten nothing other than a sandwich nabbed at a drive-thru about six hours ago after a good day lacking in food and sleep. Giving the dog one last companionable pet she headed towards the kitchen.

"I'm going to throw something together to eat and then we can sit down and make a few decisions," she called over her shoulder.

"While you do that I'm going to take a shower," Letty replied, heading for the stairs.

Dom followed her up, leaving Syd and Leon alone in the kitchen. He poured some kibble into Buster's bowl before fetching a beer from the fridge. Nudging a chair away from the table he dropped himself into it, his legs sprawled out in front of him. He popped the top of the beer and watched his wife cart a big pot of water to the stove.

He absorbed the pure normalcy of the moment, and surveyed the house, nursing the beer idly. He liked this place. When he and Syd had found it the house had been in need of work, but it came at a good price, so they'd put up a down payment and gotten to work. After 3 years and a lot of sweat and blood the place was charming. He'd refinished the wood floors himself. They'd worked as hard on the house as they had on the garage and the clinic, building a life for themselves in a once-foreign country that they now called home.

Taking the last drink from his beer bottle Leon knew that nothing would take that away from him. And now that he had his friends with him again, nothing would take them away from him either.