Richie POV- Richie, Seth, Gonzalez, and Alexa were gathered around a small table looking at a map Gonzalez brought.
"There was a tunnel under the barn. We never figured out where it led to" Gonzalez said pointed at a mark on the map.
"It leads to Amaru. Then your wife and kid must be close by" Richie said.
"And that's all that matters" Gonzalez said.
"Technically, it's not all that matters" Richie said slowly trying not to upset Gonzalez.
"It's not Richard but he's right. So how would we even start?" Seth asked.
"I've got a Ranger buddy. He's got access to a ground-penetrating radar" Gonzalez explained.
Richie chuckled a little.
"Penetrating" Richie said laughing a bit more.
He saw Alexa smile but also roll her eyes.
"Forgive him he can be a tad immature" Alexa apologized.
"Hey…"Richie said.
"You're not gonna want us around" Seth said to Gonzalez.
"I'll take Burt and the Professor. Who knows what we'll find down there."
Suddenly Scott came crashing into the room rolling across the floor. All four grabbed their guns and aimed them at the doorway.
"Jesus Christ. What the hell happened to you?" Seth asked as they lowered their guns.
"I did" Kisa said entering the room with a man in a cowboy hat and a bandana over his face.
Again they all raised their guns.
"I caught her outside. You guys never told me she was a friendly" Scott said sitting on the ground.
"She's not" Seth said.
"Forget her who's he?" Alexa asked her gun was pointed at the man.
Kisa pulled off his bandana and the man took off his hat.
"Well well well Humpty fucking Dumpty" Richie said.
"I understand you…infants… still haven't stopped the Queen of Hell. Perhaps I can be of some assistance" the man said.
"I want to shoot him" Alexa whispered loudly to Richie.
"I say go for it" Seth told her.
"Really?" Alexa grinned taking aim at the man's face.
"No! We need his help" Kisa said quickly.
"Fine. Then tell me who is he?"
"His name is Carlos and we chopped him up last year" Richie said.
"Hmm" Alexa nodded.
"And who are you Chiquita?" Carlos asked.
"None of your damn business" Richie said.
"Ah I see. She's your…new Queen" Carlos said grinning as he looked between Kisa and Richie.
Then both of them looked at Alexa's neck and the fresh bite mark from Richie, and Carlos kept grinning. Richie stepped in front of her just a little but the protective stance just gave Carlos a look of satisfaction.
Seth helped Kisa chain Carlos up to a metal support beam.
"Hell is coming and I'm the only one who can stop it. And you guys chain me like a dog. I mean, who are you people? Ragtag band of criminals and blood suckers fighting for what? Truth? Justice? The Mexican-American way?" Carlos said with a wink.
Seth turned around and grabbed the Xibalban sword off their weapon table. Slowly Seth pressed the sword against Carlos' throat clearly making Carlos nervous.
"You know if I decided to chop you up with this... outcome's gonna be a little different" Seth said.
"Yeah the Xibalban's make great weapons. And their Queen is also going to win. Unless we take what she wants. Unless we take Venganza" Carlos said.
"We?" Seth asked.
"I will tell you where and I'll tell you how. But I want in. I always wanted to work with Los Hermanos Gecko" Carlos said.
"Just rip his fucking face off. We'll start from there, work our way down. He'll talk. Won't you Carlitos?" Kisa said.
"Nah. Carlito wants to play… he can play. Way I see it we probably can use the extra cannon fodder" Seth replied.
"Really?" Carlos asked clearly stunned.
Seth tossed the sword back on to the table before leaning back against it.
"You're in. Now talk" Seth said.
"You do know why Amaru killed the Lords" Carlos said first.
"They ate her. They kept her blood which is how it got into Kate" Richie said.
"Did you know that she kept the bones?"
"Let me guess. Venganza's the only one who knows where they are" Seth said.
"You get Venganza you get the bones. War is over" Carlos said.
"Forgetting something? What does this mean?" Seth said holding up the card they took from Carlos. It had a red smear across it nothing else.
"Rio Sangre. It's a prison just over the border. Culebras and humans side by side. The worst of the worst. The humans provide insulation and the weak ones nourishment for the Culebras. Some of them have been in there for centuries. No warden. The inmates are in charge. However they serve at Venganza's pleasure. She lets them fight it out and the toughest, the strongest humans or Culebras they're allowed to run the place. I guess you can say she runs it like a snake pit. She's surrounded. She's protected. The only way you're going to get to her is if I take you in myself" Carlos explained.
"Okay. He's in? I'm out. You guys got plenty of hands on deck. I'm gonna grab the boys and track down those tunnels" Gonzalez said.
"Fair enough. Stay in touch" Seth said as Gonzalez walked out.
"All right you two we need a plan. A big one all right?" Seth said to Richie and Alexa.
They both nodded and walked out the side door. However just after the door closed Richie wrapped his arm around Alexa's waist pulled her close and kissed her. She immediately kissed him back.
"Mmm you're either scared as hell about this or you're feeling protective. Whichever it is it's okay. We'll nail the plan and forget all about those two in there. Neither Kisa nor Carlos can faze me or mess with my head okay? I love you" Alexa assured him.
"You know me so well" Richie said as he smiled cause truth was he was both.
He was sacred about what was coming and worried what Kisa or Carlos may do to mess with her.
"I love you too. I'll keep you safe" Richie promised.
"Back at ya babe" Alexa winked.
Then they spent the next few hours brain storming the mother of all plans.
"…Seth's not going to like it. Hell Richie, I don't like it and I helped come up with it" Alexa said leaning back against the wall.
"I know and I'm not okay with you being bait. But it's the best shot to win" Richie said caging her against the wall with his arms and body looking down at her.
"I get it. I just don't trust them. Especially Carlos" Alexa said looking up at him.
"No one trusts Carlos."
"All right let's go share our plan then suit up" Alexa said with a sigh.
Richie leaned down and lightly kissed her, he couldn't think about the plan not working cause if it didn't he didn't want her to get hurt.
Once they explained how Alexa was going in with Seth and Carlos as the leader and as a tempting piece of bait and how Kisa and Richie were going to bite some guards and transform into them, Seth immediately said he didn't like it. But since he didn't have a better plan it was the one they went with.
Alexa POV- Just as Alexa was about to slide into the back seat behind a chained up Carlos Richie walked over to her.
"I'm still not a fan of you being partnered with your ex" Alexa teased trying to make him smile.
"Me either but I'm more worried bout you with him" Richie said nodding at Carlos.
"I have a Xibalban knife if he gets out of hand" Alexa replied.
Richie placed his thumb under her chin lifting her face a little as he gave her a soft kiss.
"Be safe" he said quietly.
"You too" she replied.
Then she got into the car and Seth pulled out. Richie was so worried about her he hadn't even noticed her outfit.
"So how long have you and Richard been together?" Carlos asked.
"That's none of your business. All you need to do is give directions" Alexa said.
"It's a bit of a drive. I was just trying to have some conversation" she could hear the grin in his voice.
"Plus last time I saw Richard he was too busy using everyone close to him to get what he wanted. That and he was obsessed with his Queen, Santanico" Carlos said.
"Yeah I heard all about that. It's over and she prefers Kisa now" Alexa replied.
"Over? Are you sure?"
"Look just because you're still hung up on her doesn't mean he is. Now shut up until it's time to say 'turn here'" Alexa said.
Although Carlos did keep his mouth shut other than to give directions Alexa remained tense the rest of the drive. It was completely dark by the time they pulled into the prison.
Alexa and Seth got out of the car. Alexa stood by the hood smiling at the guards while Seth dragged Carlos out. The guards led them inside to an elevator. Their hands on their rifles the entire ride down. Alexa walked out first heading down a long dark tunnel. The sounds of the inmates growing louder.
She was the 'chick' bait. She would lead and Seth would follow. She'd dressed in thigh high black boots, which had a secret hole sewn on the inside of each one for her knives, a mini dark purple pleated skirt and a tight black tank top. It was an outfit that screamed sexy yet it was easy to fight in, it didn't hinder any of her movement.
They stopped at an empty desk and were searched for weapons. When one guard started to simply cop a feel on Alexa she reached down casually and snapped his wrist. The guard backed off cradling his now broken wrist glaring at her. Then a man, someone clearly in charge, walked up to them. He spoke first in Spanish then switched to English as he circled them.
"Who told you you could come up here and ask for a sit-down?" the man asked Seth.
"Hey got a question ask me" Alexa said smiling.
"Sorry Carino but here you're just gonna be a toy before you're food. And while Mr. Gecko is a feed bag too at least he's a fighter and a brother to a Culebra."
Alexa nodded to Seth to answer the man.
"She cleared this didn't she?" Seth said talking about Venganza.
"She did. The burglar, the play toy and the impresario huh? Is that really how people see you? It doesn't matter behind these walls. Because behind these walls the only thing that matters is how I see you."
The guards used their Taser batons on them as the man nodded to them. Carlos hit the ground first then Seth. To Alexa the electrical current hurt but nowhere near bringing her to her knees. However, wanting to blend in she faked a pain filled cry and dropped down to her knees.
"Oh fuck" Seth groaned.
"Culebras have a lot of gifts I have to make sure you are who you say you are" the man said kneeling next to them.
"All right look she's gonna wanna talk to this asshole. Trust me. So first why don't you wipe that shit-eating grin off of your face…and point it into the camera. And tell her we're here" Seth said as they all stood up and he pointed at the camera.
They all looked at the camera and the light on the door lock turned green to let them in. Carlos said something in Spanish and Seth nodded.
"What he said" Seth said pointing at Carlos.
"It's been a while since you did time Mr. Gecko. You're going to love it here. Culebras and feed bags living side by side. It's just like home" the man said just as Alexa led the way through the door.
One guard followed while the other closed the door before catching up. Alexa held her head high giving the outward appearance of confidence and sex appeal while inside she was nervous this wouldn't work or things would go sideways.
A gate slid open allowing them to walk into the area where the cells were at. There were cat calls and wolf whistles directed towards them but they kept walking. Alexa kept her gaze focused straight ahead but out of the corner of her eye she saw Seth looking around nervous.