The hotel's private beach was pristine; its waters a deep turquoise and its guests comprised of the beautiful people for whom money was no object. It was an atmosphere of luxury; where time was measured in intervals until the next meal and afternoon siestas became gatherings for exotic sex with a myriad of partners. The sands were dotted with clusters of chairs, cushioned deeply and monogrammed with "E" - the logo for the resort Estrella, or star. Latino music subtly drifted amongst the gatherings while the undercurrent of conversation took place in a dozen languages.

High above the beach, a drone fitted with a long-range lens and camera lofted over the Estrella resort. It had a mission, but that would only be known by its owner. If it was taken down, there would be no trail, no identity. It was programmed to identify a specific set of facial features, and once identified, the drone would fly out over the Gulf of Mexico and self-destruct, having sent the images it sought by satellite to home base. Perhaps the most unique feature of the drone was that it wore a disguise. Those who happened to look up as it passed would only see the gentle, flapping wings of a seagull.

This sort of technology came at a price, but then so did the information it sought. There was only one man willing to pay for this, but for him, there was no price too high. He would give his very life to know.