Cliff Ryder - Aim And Fire

She pulled the Silverado over as he unlocked the handcuff from the bar, but not from Lopez’s wrist. “Ow, man, that fuckin’ hurts!”

Nate yanked the cuffs hard. “That was the point. You’re getting out here, and I don’t want any bullshit from you.

Otherwise, I’ll drag you out by the cuff, comprende? ”

Lopez nodded. “Don’t worry, I ain’t going anywhere with this busted leg, in case you forgot.”

“Cover him while he leaves. I’ll meet you around the other side,” Nate said to Tracy. He slid out of his seat and came around the front of the vehicle. He gave Tracy a look that she recognized immediately, as she had been on the receiving end of it from Gilliam several times during her tenure at DHS—follow my lead, and don’t ask any questions.

She nodded once, but her overriding thought as she turned the engine off, leaving the headlights on, was I’ll go along—for now. She kept her pistol out and trained on Lopez as he hopped out of the Silverado. He almost lost his balance, but managed to stay upright by leaning against the vehicle’s side. Out here, Tracy was surprised how chilly it was, the desert having rapidly lost the heat it had soaked up all day long. She shivered, glad for the long-sleeved shirt as she realized the other reason Nate had brought Lopez all the way out there.

“All right, hobble your way out there in front of the lights and turn around so we can get a good look at your sorry ass,” Nate ordered.

Lopez seemed to finally realize the seriousness of his situation. “Look, whatever you want—drugs, money, women, children—I’m sure we can work something out.”

Nate drew his pistol and pulled the slide back. “Go.”

Lopez hopped out in front of the lights, his satin boxers rustling in the breeze as he tried to maneuver on the hard-packed dirt without falling over.

“That’s far enough,” Nate said.

Lopez managed to turn around and stood in the glare of the headlights, shielding his eyes with one hand. “All right, you made your point. Now what the fuck do you want?”

“I always knew you were a businessman at heart, Lopez.” Nate holstered his pistol and walked out in front of the lights. “Now I’ve got a deal for you.” He reached up and took off the black knit mask, eliciting a snort of disbelief from the Mexican.

“Spencer? You broke into my house, dragged me all the way out here and broke my fuckin’ arm and leg? Do you know how dead I’m gonna make you?”

Tracy didn’t know who was more surprised, her or the gang leader. They knew each other—and had for a while, apparently. She snapped her mouth closed and focused back on the conversation.

Nate tossed the cell phone into the dirt near Lopez. “I’ll be fine, and so will you. I ran into one of your boys near the border, running illegals across the border with a couple of zetas earlier today. When I saw his tattoo, I knew you’d lied to me about what we’d discussed yesterday.”

Lopez tried to cross his arms, but only winced when a stab of pain reminded him of his broken collarbone. “So one of my boys is running wetbacks into the U.S. What’s that got to do with this?”

Nate shook his head. “Don’t shine me on, not now, and definitely not out here. The Barrio Aztecas are involved in everything that comes through El Paso, especially from the south. You knew about the Middle Easterners and that they were carrying something, but you didn’t want to give me any more information than necessary. You told me what you thought I needed to know, including the dead end of your two boys, then sent me on my way, didn’t you?”

Lopez looked as if he was going to plead ignorance again, then shrugged. “Hey, man, when word of the job came my way, I had no idea it would get so out of hand. But once it did, we were gonna take care of it our way, you know?”

“I figured as much—you were also way too cool about your two vatos getting killed. But I’m gonna do you a favor. With your help, I’m gonna take these guys down for you.”

Lopez frowned and shivered in the cool air. “Really?

You can’t even find these guys, but now you’re gonna take care of ’em for me?”

“Yup. After you get on that phone and tell whoever your contact is that one of the illegals survived the slaughter in the desert, and is at Providence Memorial Hospital, in room 305—and get that number right—I don’t need an innocent getting killed over this.”

Lopez nodded as he reached down and picked up the phone. “And you’re gonna set out the welcome mat and see who comes to call, right?” He flipped the phone open, his finger poised to dial. “Huh, can’t believe I get a signal out here.”

“Yeah, it’s as far out as we could get to have this little talk and still have you reach whoever you need to reach.

And just in case you get any ideas about sending a few of your boys over to Providence to wait and see who shows up, remember where you are right now, and who’s your only ride out of here at the moment.”

Lopez paused just long enough for Tracy to realize that’s exactly what he had been thinking about doing.

After making the call, Lopez flipped the phone closed.

“He’ll get the word out, but I’d get your welcome party set up sooner rather than later. My boy wasn’t too keen on not being in on the action himself. I managed to keep him out of the way for you—for now.”

“Good, ’cause I’d hate to have to run him in on obstruct-ing justice and attempted-murder charges,” Nate said.

“Yeah, like bustin’ into my house and dragging me out into the middle of the desert is approved procedure.”

Lopez’s entire body was shaking, and he kept his balance with an obvious effort. “Could we at least finish this in the car. I’m freezin’ my cojones off.”

“In a minute.”

“Goddammit, I made the fuckin’ call—what more do you want! You’re really pushing me, Spencer.” Lopez’s face grew sly as he thought it through. “Or is that what you’re anglin’ for, huh? You doing me this favor so I owe you one, is that it?” He looked down at his limp arm and oddly bent leg. “After all this shit you did to me, we’re not even by a long shot, rulacho, and I ain’t gonna forget it.”

Nate walked over to stand in front of him. “After all this shit I did to you, I’m gonna drive you back to town, and you’re gonna call your homies and they’ll come pick you up, and you’re not gonna to do anything to me, her or anyone else. I’m not doing this for you—I’m doing it for a bigger reason than you can even begin to comprehend.

And after I drop you off, and you tell your boys whatever bullshit story you want to tell them, we’re through. No more deals, no more looking the other way, no more scratching each other’s back. I’m done with you—I’m out.”

Tracy watched the exchange as she tried to mask the shell-shocked look on her face. In the past three minutes, her entire perception of Nate had been wiped away as if it had never existed. “Paths crossed a couple of times,” my ass. Jesus, I fell for his story hook, line and sinker. And if he was withholding on that, what else hasn’t he told me? she wondered, her mind reeling.

“Just like that?” Lopez’s face had run the gamut from patronizing to incredulous to furious while Nate had been talking. “Listen, asshole, you aren’t walkin’ away from me that—”

Faster than Tracy could follow, Nate drew his pistol and placed the barrel against Lopez’s temple. “Yeah, it is that easy. The way I see it, you got two choices. Either you agree to what I just laid out right now, or you don’t, and hop yourself right into a shallow grave. Now what’s it gonna be?”