Check in with Smithers

Alex clicks on his transmitter. "Smithers.... Any new information for me?"

He hears the response. "Alex, I was just about to contact you. Based on the information we have, it seems to Juarez is still on our side. We think he may have been compromised after finding the information he was looking for."

Alex makes up his mind. "OK, Smithers, I might need to pull out quickly, so can you be on standby?"

"Pull out? Dude, you don't need my permission! If the willy isn't wrapped, then don't risk it, and don't wait for me. Um... by the way, just so I can document it in the records, are you gonna blow on her face, ass, or stomach?"

"I'm talking about an extraction," Alex says, trying to retain his calm. "I'm about to go in and try to rescue Juarez. I think he's in pretty bad shape, and I don't think I can get him out of here under his own power. Depending on what I find out in the next few minutes, I may need you to pull me out, as well. This is getting pretty serious."

"Copy that," says Smithers. "Keep this channel open, and keep me posted."

After looking around carefully, Alex cautiously opens the door to the guest house and steps inside. He is immediately confronted with the sight of Juarez, apparently unmoved since seeing him on the monitor. With no one else evident, Alex approaches Juarez and shakes him.

"Juarez! Juarez!! Wake up!"

Juarez groans, lifts his head, looks at Alex, and then drops his head to the other side, struggling for consciousness. Alex reaches out to shake him again when he sees a hint of blue peeking above Juarez's collar. Alex examines it more closely and sees the blue diamond tattoo he has been looking for! Juarez is the courier with the information MI6 is seeking.

"Juarez... Wake up, man! I need your help."

Juarez groans and opens his eyes. He looks at Alex questioningly. "Who the fuck are you?" he croaks, straining to speak.

"I'm with MI6... I know about Dickson and his mission. Blunt and Jones sent me here to follow up. I've been looking for you and am going to get you out of here, but I need the information you were trying to get to us. Do you have it?"

Juarez stares at Alex uncomprehendingly. His eyes roll back and Alex thinks that he is out again, but with monumental effort, Juarez speaks and says, "Iron maiden.": With that, he is out, and despite frantic shaking and pleas, Alex can't reawaken him.

"Smithers, you need to get him out of here. He needs medical attention right away."

"I'm on it," says Smithers, "But Mr. Blunt says we can't risk blowing the mission until you recover the data. Otherwise, all this will be for nothing. Does he have it on him?"

"No... I've checked his pockets. If he ever had it, it's gone now. But wait... Scanlan said that he was about to talk... He wouldn't have had it on him. But where is it?"

"What was that he said? 'Iron Maiden'? Man, are they still performing? I went to one of their concerts when I was in college -- got totally hammered -- but their music was rockin'!"

"I don't think he was talking about that," says Alex. "Isn't an iron maiden some kind of **** device?"

"Yeah... You're right. It was some kind of medieval execution thingy, if I remember right. Just a second."

Alex hears the sound of a computer keyboard and then Smithers' voice returns. "Actually it was 19th century... German origin... it looks kind of like a mummy's coffin, but there are spikes inside. Anyone enclosed in one of those things is gonna get a lot more than a few holes in his stockings.:"

Alex thinks fast. "I'll bet there's one of those in Scanlan's dungeon -- where they do the BDSM stuff. I wonder if Juarez hid the data inside something like that. I'm going to go check it out. Can you get Juarez out of here?"

"Blunt is adamant. No extraction until the data is safely in hand. I'm sorry, Alex."

"Alright. But get that team ready. I'm going after that data, and I have a hunch that I'll need some help to get out of there."

Alex quickly leaves the guest house, and considers the best way to approach the dungeon.