Rey didn't know how long she sat there, her back up against the rusted old car, listening with only half an ear to the chattering and laughing going on across the square. Her mind was racing, going around and around in circles as she looked back on the last few days. Poe's parting words gave her every indication that he not only intended to get out of Ajan Kloss alive, but that he expected to see her again back in the 'real world.' While she wiped the tears that were still dribbling down her cheeks every once in a while, she prayed that was true. That even though he hadn't said the words, that he loved her and was planning on building a future with her away from this place. A normal future. With kids and animals and regular jobs that they complained about to each other as they got ready for bed every night.

Or maybe she would never see him again.

While that thought made her heart clench, she would be okay with it as long as she knew he was safe and alive and living his life in whatever way made him happy. She shifted the gun in her lap, glancing ahead of her at the dark jungle, suddenly wishing she was back in the middle of nowhere with Poe. A part of her would have been happy to live out the rest of her days lost with him in the jungle.

Shouting coming from behind her got her attention, and she moved up to a squatting position and turned so she could peer over the hood of the car. The men across the square were yelling and gesturing off toward her left. She looked over to see another group of men, about a dozen of them, walking into the square. The two in the front were holding the arms of a struggling man, and as they came closer to the lights of the square, Rey realized it was Poe. Her whole body froze in fear.

Several men came out of the building across the way, one of them an older man Rey assumed was Dominguez senior. She guessed that the men that held Poe were part of the Ricardo Cartel. This was Poe's plan? To get captured by his 'father's' rival cartel? She glanced at the building off to the right where Poe had pointed out the SEALs. She saw two men standing by the door, watching the goings-on with interest.

Three different groups of heavily armed men, Rey thought, surrounded by an atmosphere that felt like it was about to explode. No wonder Poe had told Maz and the others to stay inside for the next few hours.

Luis Dominguez stepped forward, facing the Ricardo men, and began to shout at them. Two of his men flanked him, both looking around them wildly, as if they really didn't like their boss stepping out so boldly and feared for his safety. One of the Ricardo men shouted back, pushing Poe forward so hard that he fell to his knees. He was looking at the ground, and Rey could see a bit of blood by his eye, but over-all he looked okay, just subdued. She saw him raise his eyes to look at Luis, and she thought she could see a smirk on his lips, but it was hard to tell from this distance.

There was more shouting back and forth, and Rey heard her name a couple of times. Were they trying to figure out where she was? What had Poe told them? Damn. She really needed to take a class and learn Spanish once and for all when she got home!

Suddenly, Poe got up and stepped forward, yelling and gesturing at Luis, arguing with him. It was pretty obvious Luis was pissed at him, just like Poe had said he would be, but was also fearful for his safety at the hands of the Ricardo men. Without her there, the Ricardo's really had no reason to kill him, but that didn't make her feel any better.

"Miss Skywalker?"

Rey jumped and spun around, gun up and aimed, but the two men hunkered down behind her were obviously the men she was here waiting for. Wearing camo from head to toe, packs on their backs and weapons in their hands, they looked like something out of a war movie. She lowered her own weapon and leaned back against the car, taking a deep breath, and nodded.

"Captain Wexley, United States Navy," the bearded man told her. He nodded toward the man next to him. "This is Lieutenant Arana. You need to come with us."

"Snap and Iolo, right?" she asked. "Poe told me to expect you." She couldn't help but smile as their eyes widened and they looked at each other with surprise. She turned back to look at the argument still going on in the square. "What's he telling them?" she asked.

She heard Snap sigh and move toward her a bit. "He's told them you were bit by a snake and died on route. The Ricardo men don't believe him and think he's hiding you. Dominguez is just pissed at everybody. Apparently, Dameron killed one of his guys?"

Rey nodded. "Yeah. Teedo. He was going to rape me."

"Fuck," Iolo whispered. "That bastard needed to go. Even Dominguez knew that. He's just using that as an excuse. He doesn't want the Ricardo's to know Dameron stole you away without his permission."

"He's trying to save face in front of his rival," Snap agreed. "Come on, we need to go." He grabbed Rey's arm gently.

With one last worried look at Poe, she began to follow him, but just as they turned away, the shouting rose in intensity and someone started shooting. The three of them ducked down in reaction, and Rey turned to look back toward the square. Men were running around wildly and more shots were heard.

"Shit!" Snap said. "Looks like Dameron's war is starting!"

In the back of her mind, Rey recalled Poe mentioning the 'seeds' he had been planting all this time in hopes the two Cartels would start an all-out war with each other. She hadn't expected him to be literally in the middle of it! Her eyes darted around, looking for him in the melee in the square, finally spotting him running toward Dominguez and his men, ducking and dodging as he ran. From where she was hiding, she could tell he was ducking and dodging his way closer to the building the SEALs were in. The men she had seen there had taken cover inside the little house, and she could see their weapons pointing out the windows. They were not firing; they would only do so if they were directly threatened.

Without warning, she saw Poe's body jerk as he was obviously struck and he collapsed. "No!" she screamed, and unthinking she heaved herself up with the intent to rush around the car and run to him. Snap grabbed her arm, preventing the rash action. "Let me go! He's been shot!" she cried.

Snap and Iolo were watching intently as well, but Snap would not let her go. Rey could see Dominguez, who had ducked back into his own building when the shooting started, yelling out the door at his men, and she knew he was demanding they go and get his son. However, the men were hesitating, not wanting to leave their shelter.

The SEALs were not so hesitant. Two of them rushed out from their building and ran toward Poe, who had managed to push himself up on one arm, holding the other close to his side. They grabbed him and pulled him upright, then dragged him back to the house.

"They got him," Snap told her, and began pulling her away. Rey still resisted. The shooting continued all over the square, with a scream or a shout indicating when someone got hit. "Miss Skywalker!" Snap continued. "Dameron will kill me if I don't get you out of here. Now!" He jerked on her arm, knocking her off balance. She looked at him, logic slowly returning to her adrenaline filled brain. She nodded and allowed herself to be pulled into the dark.

She saw both men drop their own night vision goggles down over their faces and felt a moment of déjá vu as she followed them into the jungle. It wasn't long before she heard the roar of a vehicle. The headlights hit them and she saw Snap and Iolo pull off their goggles as the jeep stopped next to them.

Snap pulled her to the back. "Get in," he demanded, looking back toward the town, where they could still hear gunfire.

"What about Poe?" she argued.

"They've got another jeep at the house," he told her, his brow furrowed. "They'll be coming after us. We have to go!"

With a huff of displeasure, Rey climbed into the back seat of the jeep, Iolo was already in and Snap followed. The two men in the front glanced back. "Captain?"

"Go!" Snap commanded.

Rey twisted her body to look behind them as the jeep started roaring down the road. She could hear Snap talking on his radio and she hoped he was communicating with the men who had grabbed Poe. Suddenly, another pair of headlights appeared behind them and Rey breathed a sigh of relief. That had to be the rest of the team and they had to have Poe with them. She turned to Snap. "Is he okay?"

Snap was still talking into the mic at his throat. He finally glanced at her. "He's stable, but we gotta get him back to base." It was hard to tell in the dark, but he looked worried. "Dominguez will probably send men after us when things calm down in the square and we gotta get to Ahsoka first."

Camp Ahsoka was the name of the U.S. base here in Ajan Kloss. Rey knew that once they were there, they would legally be on U.S. soil and the cartels could do nothing without risking the wrath of the U.S. government.

"They'll think you kidnapped him," Rey said.

"Just protecting our informant," Snap corrected. "Dominguez has known his son was 'in bed' with the Ricardo Cartel, and he believes it's because José has been spying on them for us. Dameron never tried dissuading him."

Rey shook her head. Oh, what a tangled web Poe had built while he was here in Ajan Kloss.

She looked back again, making sure the other jeep was still following. She noticed that the jungle was beginning to turn grey and she knew sunrise was on the way. Trying to settle her still racing heart, she sat back and tried to focus on the road ahead. Eventually, the sky got lighter and lighter. She was able to tell what direction east was as the sun got higher and that told her they were moving mostly north. Toward the coast. Toward Camp Ahsoka and safety.

XXXXXX