Relentless

---

1

[Acoustic guitar playing]

[Narrator]

As a kid I watched my dad

show the Salvadoran coffee

farmers how to survive

by streamlining their harvest

to become profitable.

We were some of the last

Americans to leave El Salvador

when the Civil War broke out.

[Helicopter approaching]

[Radio chatter]

[Man shouting]

Our friends Hector

and Milagra

watched their farm

become a battleground.

[Shouting]

- [Shouting]

- [Machine gunfire]

- [Shouting continues]

- [Machine gunfire]

Hector disappeared that day.

[Ronald Reagan on TV] El Salvador is

in the midst of the gravest crisis

in their history.

Thousands of Salvadorian

civilians have been killed

and millions more could be

affected by armed guerrillas

supported by Cuba

and the Soviet Union.

Holly, maybe we shouldn't

let Rob watch this.

Are Hector and Milagra

okay, Dad?

No idea. Haven't heard

from them in two weeks.

- Who are they?

- They supply our Salvadoran coffee.

[Narrator] Hector's wife

Milagra and son Ricardo

were left to keep

the farm running.

[Reagan] The United States

was to help to stop

the advancement of communism

in Central America.

[Shouting]

[Muffled shouting]

[Glass breaks]

[Screaming]

[Men shouting]

[Narrator] Milagra took in

a few war-orphaned children,

offering them a job

and a home.

[Country music playing

on radio]

Just can't get over

So tonight I'll be

drinking myself sober

I can't do it.

You got this.

And the bartender says,

"Forget about her"

As he pours me...

Hey, Mom.

[Narrator] Ironically,

that's when I lost my mom, too.

Holly, take Rob and wait

for me in the back.

Come on, let's go.

I need a lot of money.

[Scoffs]

Kids need their mom.

You got this.

[Thunder]

See ya.

[Acoustic guitar plays]

So long adolescence

Of the frightened soul

You're entering

the ritual...

- [Rob] Will she be back?

- No, not this time.

This bean's

from Papua New Guinea.

These indigenous farmers

are something else.

This is the only farm

in the world

where they grind the bean out of the

coffee cherry and river rock by hand.

The owner's name's Otello.

We're working

getting him Internet.

Give it a taste.

- What do you think?

- I don't know.

Fruity. Sort of.

Ethiopian.

Birthplace of coffee.

Seven years ago,

militants took over the farm

and our friends didn't

get back until last year.

We helped them set up a fair trade

co-op and now they're thriving.

To Ethiopia.

And Salvadoran.

These guys are like family.

Mm-hmm.

Here.

This is me.

Before my dad passed, every year he

used to take me down to harvest.

- [Woman] To El Salvador?

- Yeah.

- Wasn't that dangerous?

- Well, I'm sure he was there with her

- the entire time.

- [Man] Holly.

- Ally's on Skype for you.

- That's my daughter calling.

- From El Salvador.

- Hey, Rob, can you help Carlos unload the truck?

And can you make sure count

before we sign this time?

- I always count.

- Mason, I promised Mikey our tasty Nicaragua.

- Dark?

- Black.

Jesus, Rob.

[Ally]

Hey, Mom.

- Hey, sweetie. Happy Tuesday.

- Thanks.

- Is everything good?

- Just tell her.

- Uncle Rob!

- What's up? Is your report almost finished?

I'm waiting for Ricardo

to send me the soil analysis.

Milagra's guy finally sent me the numbers.

They're in the positive.

Hey, O.I.T. called and they want

your report before orientation.

I just... I need more data.

I haven't really started.

Ally, you need to

take this seriously.

This course is your in

to a full ride.

I know, Mom.

She doesn't want to go.

Jesus, would you just... Really?

- Wow.

- Who's this Laura girl?

Laura, come here.

Come here.

- Meet my mom.

- Hola! Hello!

- And where'd you come from?

- El Salvador.

- [Laughs]

- Uh, she's a neighbor.

Both her parents headed up there

for work and Milagra took her in.

Ally, tell Milagra I'll

be there on Monday, okay?

Have Ricardo come pick me up

from the airport.

I'd like you to come with me

to the fair trade convention.

- Do I have to?

- Yeah, I want to see you. I miss you.

[Milagra and men shouting]

[Truck doors slam]

[Shouting continues]

Laura?

Laura, wake up.

Que pasa?

It's Milagra.

She's in trouble.

[Shouting continues]

They said something

about money. Who are they?

I don't know.

[Door creaks open]

They're coming for us.

[Man speaking Spanish]

- [Whimpers]

- Shh.

[Shouting downstairs]

- [Yells]

- [Screams]

[Shouting, screaming]

- [TV playing]

- [Phone rings]

[Holly]

Rob, will you answer that?

[Ringing continues]

Mm-hmm. Mmm.

[Ringing continues]

Drew's Brews.

[Laughter on TV]

[Chuckles]

[Glass shatters]

Hey, what's up?

Holly?

Yo, dude?

I'll be there at 10 am.

Okay. Bye.

What's going on?

Ally's been kidnapped.

Let's go!

I don't care if you

lay someone on the tarmac,

you do not take off

without me, got it?

20 minutes. Hurry, Rob.

- Really?

- Well, yeah.

Yeah. Under the circumstances,

this seems terribly appropriate.

I don't know why you're not letting me

go with you. I should be going with you.

You gotta keep the shop open

and be my relay.

We can't close the shop for a few days?

It's ridiculous.

I need you here.

Rob, I've got this.

I don't feel good about this.

I'm telling you that right now.

[Spanish P.A. chatter]

What do we know? Gangs?

Do we owe money? What?

- I don't know.

- Well, do we know who these men are?

Do you know these men?

They wore masks.

Rob called the embassy.

They're expecting us now.

- How many hours has it been?

- 10 or so.

What time exactly

did it happen?

We called you right after.

12 hours, 35 minutes.

- Passport?

- [Gate buzzes open]

This way, please.

- Miss Drew?

- Yeah.

Frank Richards. This way.

What do we know?

Is this Los Discpulos Gang?

More than likely.

Please, have a seat.

They run extortion rings

with a lot of the farms

down in San Bartolom

Perulapa.

- They wore masks.

- What about anything

that would

tell you who they were?

Did they make

any gang gestures?

- No.

- Did you recognize their voices?

What about

any distinguishing tattoos?

- No.

- Are you sure?

What's concerning to me is that they

will usually stick to their word.

If you pay, this sort of

thing doesn't happen.

And the fact that they took

your daughter, an American,

tells me these guys

aren't playing by the rules.

What will they do with them?

El Salvador is a supply zone

for human trafficking.

They will probably try to sell

them to Mexican traffickers,

and they will end up there

or in the U.S.

- [Speaking Spanish]

- Now, don't worry.

I already put a call in

to the government's

inter-agency

trafficking task force.

These guys are top notch,

and they're expecting you now.

Time is critical.

The longer they're gone,

the less our chances.

Vamanos!

[Woman] Los Discpulos Gang started

from Salvadorian war refugees

in Los Angeles in the '80s.

The U.S. deported

the violent ones

and now they're our problem,

and yours.

They're the ones trafficking

girls into your country.

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