“You can't save everybody. In fact, there are days when I think you can't save anyone. Each person has to save himself first, then you can move in and help. I have found this philosophy does not work during a gun battle, or a knife fight either. Outside of that it works just fine.” - Laurell K. Hamilton

Luca and the rest of his supposed unit rest in the bushes a few yards away from the house that's on the marijuana farm they're targeting. The foliage rustles against Luca's face which is covered by a terrorist approved ski mask. The same kind that the other three were wearing. Why? What was the point of wearing these things? It wasn't like there was any security concerns or anything...

Roger throws up his left fist then points to two cars on his left hand side. Catherine and Jackson rush as fast they can while crouching over to them as Roger looks over at the man next to him.

Luca looks through the pair of binoculars that were hung around his neck like the metaphorical noose that's choking the life out of him. Nari was his friend, and not in the same way as the four he had sold out. He could actually mean it when he said so.

"The coast is clear."

Luca whispers that to the man on his left. Roger looks over at him and nods. All that meant for Luca was that it was time for his heart to sink.

Time to approach the building.

Out of the bushes the two step in unison, moving as a single person down the dirt road, kicking up dust in their path. Luca kneels down and swings his government appointed AR over his shoulder for a second. He reaches to the ground and grabs a handful of dirt. Clenching the fist as tight as he can, he double times his steps to catch up with Roger, who by this time is already in the field.

"What the fuck, Luca?"

Roger, who isn't impressed with Luca's action glares at him when arrives. Luca however, doesn't say a word and opts to continue forward, which Roger ultimately agrees is the best course of motion. They move through the field, the marijuana plants brushing against their faces when Roger stops dead in his tracks, and Luca steps right into his outstretched hand.

A guard was coming by for his inspection.

Luca places one finger up to Roger's lips and rustles the plant he's standing by. Almost as if he were watching that single plant and no others, the guard springs into action and rushes over. Luca splits the handful into both of his hands. When the guard arrives, Luca hops out in front of him and tosses the left handful into the man's eyes.

He attempts to call out for help, but as soon as his mouth opens the right handful of dirt lands on his tongue! With his hand pressed firmly against the mouth of the struggling guard, Luca pushes him to the ground. He stomps on the man's cheek, leaving his foot there as pulls something from his pocket.

A silenced pistol.

He removes the safety and cocks the weapon, but hesitates for a moment. He places his foot just over the man's mouth to muffle any screams of his. Placing the gun against his temple, Luca whispers to the man:

"Sayonara!"

The trigger is then pulled, and the brain (or what's left of it) is splattered against the dirt like the egg in those "This is your brain on drugs!" PSAs. Roger looks at the corpse, disgusted. It's almost as if he doesn't know what the CIA does to people...

"Coast is fucking clear, let's move!"

Reluctantly, Roger steps out from behind the marijuana, and the two march on closer to the house.

Closer to the moment of truth.






Kicking in the locked back door of the estate could not be any easier. The door opened in a breeze, knocking against the wall with a loud bang. It was unlocked, and now all the guards were alerted.

"God fucking dammit!"

Meanwhile, Roger yelled into his walkie talkie to the other two.

"They know we're here guys, no need to be stealthy anymore!"

The room that the back door led into was an empty storage room. An odd choice to put a doorway to the outside to be honest. The walls were bare, no shelves or anything. There was a box sitting in the corner that had looked like it hadn't been opened in ages, however.

Roger's eyes darted right past the box and to the door that led into the rest of the house. The very same door all of the inside guards would be charging in through. Now Roger had never killed a man before, but that was a secret. He directs Luca in his special brand of sign language to get into the corner that looks at the door from a diagonal angle.

Minutes pass, and there are no guards. No gunfire, no voices. It's almost as if no one heard, or cared. The silence put Roger at ease, as he motions for Luca to lower his weapon.

That's when it happened.

A knife to the back of the commander of the mission.

One perfectly placed stab would that left Roger dead in seconds.

Luca turns and faces the killer, his face is wild. His hair unkempt and his eyes bugging out of his skull. The rags he calls clothes tattered. Through this all however, Luca can recognize him.

"Nari."

"Luca, I should've known we'd meet again."






The man, Nari, steps into the room and shuts the door carefully behind him.

"Wouldn't want to arouse the guards now, do we?"

He snickers as if he heard the funniest joke in world. His eyes narrow in on Luca's, the disgusting shade of vomit green encompassing Luca's entire field of vision. That, and the stain of blood on the spotless knife in Nari's hand.

"What do you want, Nari?"

The eye contact breaks, Nari wanders around the room for a moment. Luca's eyes trained on every single movement he makes. Counting the breaths, timing the heartbeats. Nari takes a seat next to the box and clears his throat. Luca contemplates reaching for the pistol again, but decides to hear the man out.

He owed him that much.

"Well, first I'd like to thank you Luca! You let me leave that infernal fool Heiman with your simple act of leaving! Now don't get me wrong, I had a hard time believing you of all people would go straight, so tell me. Tell me all about how you joined the CIA. I'm sure it's an interesting story."

Nari's eyes instinctively roll during the last sentence, it was obvious he didn't really care. He twirls the knife in his hands, eyes focused on Luca, wanting him to talk. The only thing he wanted to know was exactly what Luca didn't want to tell him.

Why the CIA was here, and what they wanted with him.

"How about you tell me what's in that box, asshole."

Nari's face lights up with shock! How dare Luca think he was the one who asked the questions around here? He paces over to his prisoner in a hurried state, and receives a knee right to his testicles.

"What's in the box?"

Luca's gun reaches the temple of potentially it's second victim in one hour. The shock Nari showed to Luca's defiance is nothing to the fear in his eyes at this point. He coughs a few times, trying to clear some unknown item from his throat.

"You know I was just joking, right?"

Luca doesn't even look interested at Nari's pleading. His eyes dart to the box, back to Nari. To the box one more time, and his vision stays fixated on the cardboard container.

"Fine, there's things from back when I was part of your little gang in there! I couldn't bring myself to throw any of it away, I'm stuck in the past, okay?! I wanted to make myself a little bit like everyone...

I made myself crazy like Kyle when dealing with intruders. I took Victoria's way of negotiating, how to make yourself look like a king even when you're broke. I found a way to get into trouble with everything like Jonathan...

...And I took your way of keeping us all together. Because no matter what happened, you never took sides, always stayed focused. Anyone else would've failed miserably.

I can't hate you. I won't hate you. Because you're just doing what you have to do. At the end of the day, it's only business, right?"

The only thing Luca can do...

...Is to nod as he cocks the gun.

"Yeah Nari, only business."

Luca sighs as he pulls the trigger.

Regret.

He owed Nari that much.