Content Warning: This section and the source text contain descriptions of abduction and torture, and references to the death penalty.

Patrick Lanigan is living under the false name of Danilo Silva in the Brazilian town of Ponta Pora. Four years earlier, Patrick had faked his own death and absconded with $90 million stolen from his law firm and their client. The firm and client, Benny Aricia, were engaged in fraud against the US government and Patrick, who was not complicit in the scheme, stole the proceeds and faked his own death. Aricia and two insurance companies have spent millions of dollars looking for Patrick to retrieve the money. The insurance companies had paid lucrative policies out to Patrick’s wife and firm over his death and the theft.

Jack Stephano runs a successful detective agency and has been hired to find Patrick. His best tracer, Guy, locates Patrick. He and his team abduct Patrick while he is out running. They have been watching him for weeks, and they notice he is running a little faster than usual that day, but they think nothing of it. They drug him and take him hostage in a cabin in the hills of Paraguay.