In 2003, burnt-out ex-CIA Paramilitary operations officer and former U.S. Marine Corps Force Reconnaissance officer John Creasy visits his old comrade Paul Rayburn, who runs a security firm in Mexico. Because of the extremely high rate of kidnappings in Mexico City for ransoms, wealthy businessman Samuel Ramos hires Creasy through Rayburn to guard his nine-year-old daughter “Pita”. Samuel however is having money problems, and intends to keep Creasy on only long enough to satisfy the requirements to renew his kidnap and ransom insurance on Pita.