Tijuana, Mexico
The five members of the Crimson Requiem sit around a table in a shady bar on the outskirts of the city.
Around them, nearly everyone is talking about the biggest news story of the day: the body of a wanted member of a Colombian cartel had been discovered inside a van just outside Tijuana, decapitated.
Ordinarily, it would have been the sort of story people quickly forgot.
Except that, the week before, twelve other cartel fugitives had been found dead in exactly the same way.
"Damn it, we've still got another week before we reach New York..." Dorian grumbles. "What do you say we just abandon the mission and head back to Elyndra? We tell your father we couldn't find Mia and call it a day."
He directs the suggestion at Blake.
"We're not doing that. Not even as a joke. Since becoming commander of the Crimson Requiem, I have never failed a mission. I won't let your laziness stain my record," Constantine cuts in angrily.
