"Dammit..." mutters Lexi. She continues to whack away the vegetation with a stick, in search of the lost pistol.

"I don't think we're going to find it," says Miguel.

"Doesn't look like it," Lexi replies. She pulls the lone magazine from her back pocket, examining the muddied object. She blows out an agitated sigh and stuffs it away. "Let's get the hell outta here."

They continue their descent slowly and cautiously. After another hour of uneventful bush whacking, they break free from the thick foliage. Lexi stumbles forward. Her heart jumps. She looks up at the blue sky. "Praise Jesus," she mumbles in English. In front of her lies a dirt trail, large enough for a car to travel. It's smooth and compact, which indicates frequent use.

Miguel comes to her side. "Thank God," he pants as he leans forward, resting his hands on his knees.

"We're not out of it yet," says Lexi, between labored breaths. She glances both directions. "This way," she finally says, pointing to the left.

"Wait, how do you know we need to go that way?" asks Miguel.

"When lost in the jungle... always head downhill," says Lexi. "Downhill usually leads to water, which leads to civilization." She points to the left again. "This way goes downhill. Come on."

"Can't we just rest for a little bit?" asks Miguel.

"Si. Rest all you want. But I'll be going this way," answers Lexi as she staggers away from him.

Miguel rolls his eyes and groans to himself. "Fine..." he mutters under his breath. Not wanting to be alone, he stumbles forward at a slow pace.

After some silence, Miguel asks, "So where are you from? I'm trying to figure out your accent."

Lexi hesitates. "Mexico," she answers plainly.

"Really?" says Miguel. He senses the lie. "I just wasn't sure Spanish was your first language... And what about the tattoo on your back? It looked like Engli-"

Lexi spins around. Miguel stops, nearly crashing into her. "Miguel, were you watching me take my shirt off?" she asks, narrowing her eyes at him. Although much shorter than Miguel, her deadly personality towers over him.

"No," Miguel lies, suddenly frightened by her accusation. "Maybe?" He steps back, sheepishly. "Well, you did, uh, take off your shirt, like right in front of me... I was just looking at your tattoos and, um-"

Lexi smirks and then chuckles. "I'm just screwing with you, Miguel." She turns back around and continues limping down the road.

Miguel lets out a relieved sigh. He cautiously follows behind her, maintaining a safe distance. "So, uh..." he starts, "what does it mean - the tattoo?"

Lexi reflects on the words imprinted against her back. They remind her of Sam - of the incident in Afghanistan; the same one that plagues her nightmares.

"It says, 'The Fallen One,'" she finally answers.

Miguel processes the words in his mind. "And... what's the meaning - to you, I mean?"

Lexi's thoughts return to her husband. "Someone very special to me once told me, that when an angel falls, it doesn't mean she's evil - just that she now gets to make her own path. I like to remind myself that no one decides my fate."

They make their way around a bend in the road. Lexi's eyes widen. She lifts her arms in the air. A smile spreads across her face as she turns to face Miguel. "Miguel!" she shouts. "We're saved!"

Miguel looks pass her. A collection of small homes sit at the side of the road nearly three hundred feet ahead. He smiles. "I can't believe it," he says. "I thought we were going to be wandering in that jungle for days."

"Come on," says Lexi. "Let's go."

They struggle to increase their pace as they eagerly move toward the tiny village.

Lexi crosses the lawn of the first home. The yellow-green grass thickens as it grows closer to the single level home. She passes a small tricycle, overturned in the front yard. Lexi looks up to examine a run down hatchback, probably twenty years old, parked to the left of the house. The yellow paint on the two-door car is chipped and the original hood has been replaced with a bright red one.

Stepping up to the front door of the home, she knocks three times. They wait impatiently, before a stout woman opens the door. She startles by the ghastly appearance of the two visitors before her.

"Mother of God, what happened to you two?" she asks. Her voice shakes with uncertainty. She keeps the door open only a few inches, as she peeks out at them. Her short black hair hangs loosely on either side of her face.

Looking down at her blood, mud, and sweat soaked body, Lexi replies, "We... we were attacked... in the jungle," She looks at Miguel and then back to the woman. "We were robbed."

"Can we please have water?" asks Miguel. "And food?"

'I'll pass on the water. Don't need dysentery right now,' thinks Lexi.

The woman studies the weary travelers and then glances over her shoulder. "Of course, of course," she says looking back at them. "Um, come inside." She opens the door, somewhat nervously, and ushers them into her home.

Lexi and Miguel step inside. The home is dark and holds a musty odor. Glancing down the hallway, Lexi sees dishes piled up in the kitchen sink. She turns to her right to see the living room carpeted with a thick green rug. Fake wood paneling wraps around the entire house. Everything about the residence appears unchanged from its original 1950's design.

"Wait right here. Um. I'll- I'll be right back," the woman says, apprehensively. Instead of making her way to the kitchen for food and water, she exits her home and shuts the door behind her. Lexi and Miguel glance at one another. Miguel shrugs. Unsure of what to do, Lexi wanders into the living room. She carelessly treks her muddy boots onto the carpet. Glimpsing out the window, she sees the stout woman shuffling her way down the street. "What the hell?" she whispers in English.

"What was that?" asks Miguel.

"Nothing," Lexi replies in Spanish. In front of the window sits an off-white couch. Lexi leans closer, resting her knees on the ancient sofa. The springs groan under her weight, as she places her hands on the back of the couch. She continues to observe as the woman approaches a brown sedan, parked in front of another home. 

Down the dirt road, Lucas watches the woman trotting toward the vehicle in the side mirror. "I think we've got something," he says.

"What?" asks Angel, glancing up from his phone.

"Check it out," Lucas replies.

Peering over his shoulder, he sees a stout woman approaching their vehicle with purpose. Lucas rolls down his window. The woman steps up to the door and leans forward. "You said you were looking for a woman, right?" she asks, between labored breaths.

"Si," replies Lucas.

"And she might be with another man?"

"Si," he answers again.

"A man and a woman just came to my door saying they were mugged. They look like they're in rough shape."

"Caucasian woman? Tattoos?" asks Angel.

"Si," responds the woman. "And they have something to do with the assassination attempt on Senor Perez, right?"

"Si," says Angel. The two man glance at each other. Angel nods. "Thank you, señora," he says, looking back at the woman. "You've done a great service to your country."

Lexi quietly observes the interaction of the woman and the men in the brown sedan. Then suddenly Angel and Lucas step out of the vehicle and turn toward the house, walking with determination. The stout woman remains by the car, watching the deadly men as they prepare to go to work.

"Shhhit," Lexi spits out in English.

"What?" asks Miguel.

Lexi springs from the couch and grabs Miguel's arm. "We have to go. Now!" she demands in Spanish, dragging him out of the living room.

"What's going on?" Miguel asks in a panic.

"They're here," she hisses.

Lexi glances around, frantically. She releases her grip on Miguel. Her eyes finally lock on a set of keys, hanging from a hook on the wall. She quickly snatches them up. "Please be the right set," she mutters.

She then grabs Miguel's arm again and races down the hall, toward the kitchen. On the opposite side of the room stands a flimsy screen door leading to the backyard. She releases her grip on Miguel's arm and throws the door open. It creaks loudly as it swings. Miguel follows her outside and she eases the door shut.

Nicolás' men reach the front door of the home. They draw their pistols. Angel throws the door open and the Lucas charges into the house with his gun poised to kill.

Lexi sprints around the old car, parked by the house. She yanks on the handle and throws the door open. Diving into the driver's seat, she fumbles with the key, trying to find the right one. Miguel jumps into the passenger side and closes the door. "Come on, come on..." he mutters.

Lexi jabs the correct key into the ignition and twists. Nothing happens. She curses and then looks down. The car has a manual transmission. Slamming her left foot down on the clutch, she twists the key again. The vehicle comes to life, complaining as it does so.

The back door of the house swings open and the two men charge out onto the lawn. Lexi throws the stick into reverse and smashes her right foot on the accelerator as she eases off the clutch. Gravel spits out from under the tiny car as the two front tires dig into the earth. The coupe lurches backward.

Angel and Lucas race around the corner. They raise their pistols. Lexi cranks the wheel, throwing the car to the right. She looks back and continues to gun her way down the street in reverse. She passes the commandos' parked car. Yanking on the E-brake, she spins the wheel. The four tires churn up soft dirt as the car spins around, facing the other direction.

Their assailants rush out onto the road. They open fire. Bullets fly pass the car. Two lodge themselves into the metal frame.

"Jesus Christ!" yells Miguel, ducking down.

"Buckle up!" Lexi hollers. She slams into first gear and stomps the accelerator to the floor. Shifting wildly, she charges the old coupe down the road, spitting up dirt she goes.

Lexi, yanks her seat belt around her body, while utilizing all four limbs to drive the small beast. She glances at Miguel. "I'm serious - buckle up."

Miguel promptly obeys.

The dirt trail winds through the small neighborhood. It ends at a paved road. Lexi cranks the car to the left, as it slides across the asphalt. The tires squeal, painting black marks behind them. She drops down to second gear and revs the engine. The needle fires into the red zone. Shifting up, she continues to accelerate down the road.

The two-lane highway drives pass thick foliage. Tall trees mark both sides of the road. Lexi eases off the gas. A large dump truck blocks her way. She tries passing it but is confronted by oncoming traffic. Forced back into her lane, she follows closely behind the truck.

"Goddammit..." she mutters.

Miguel twists his body to look out the back window. "Uhh... I think that's them," he says.

Lexi glances in the rear view mirror. Sure enough, a brown sedan races toward them.

"Son of a bitch!" she growls through gritted teeth.

The commandos accelerate quickly. They close the gap. Lexi swerves into the middle of the road, straddling the line.

"Holy shit!" exclaims Miguel, bracing his hands against the dashboard.

The oncoming traffic dodges Lexi's daring move. A green sedan skids into a ditch, burying itself in the thick vegetation. Lexi punches the horn on the steering wheel, announcing her intentions, as she passes the truck. She shifts down to third gear and slams on the accelerator. The needle launches into the red zone again, as the little hatchback darts forward. She shifts up and moves around the truck.

The brown sedan quickly follows behind her. It closes in. Swinging into the middle of the road, the commandos accelerate and slam the nose of the car into the back-left side of the yellow coupe. A loud bang sounds out - metal against metal. Lexi and Miguel jolt to the left. Tires squeal. The lightweight coupe swings its rear to the right. She quickly compensates. Wobbling back and forth, Lexi manages to balance the vehicle.

She then slams on the brake, dropping behind the brown sedan. Lexi shifts and accelerates toward the commandos' car. She Twists the wheel and jams the front-left corner of her hatchback just behind their back-right fender.

She shoves her foot down on the gas and cranks the wheel. Being much lighter than the sedan, her coupe is unable to spin out the commandos' vehicle as they compensate against her attack.

The sedan slows. It paces its speed with Lexi's yellow coupe. The window rolls down. She looks down the barrel of a .45 caliber pistol. Angel takes aim. Lexi looks ahead - oncoming traffic.

Cranking the wheel to the left, she smashes her coupe into the sedan. The pistol fires. Metal crunches. Glass shatters. The brown sedan plows into a large pickup truck. The back end of the vehicle jolts into the air, twisting to the side. The truck comes to a violent halt, stopping the sedan with it.

The little yellow coupe drives on.

Lexi's heart continues to race. Her breathing is heavy. She slowly reduces the vehicle's speed. Miguel twists his body around to look at the crash. "Holy shit..." he whispers. He glances at Lexi. She returns his gaze with wide eyes.

"Where'd you learn to drive like that?" asks Miguel.

Lexi recalls the countless hours Sam spent training her in tactical driving. Her first session happened to be their first date - a little unorthodox to most couples, but to her, it was thrilling. "I just get a little road-rage sometimes," she finally replies. Returning her attention to the road, she forces her adrenaline-filled hands to loosen their death grip on the steering wheel. She then takes a deep breath. "Well... where to now?"