“So now what?” Miggy asked, his insides starting to crumble as he strained to see his friend’s face in the darkness.

Alonzo moved slightly so he was closer to Miggy. Instead of answering the question, he posed a question. “What would you like to see me do, Mig? Tell me the truth. Straight up, no bullshit, okay?”

Miggy didn’t hesitate. “I’m with you a hundred percent, you know that. But if you want my honest opinion right now, right this minute, then I think we should scatter and make plans to meet up somewhere down the road and into the future or maybe never. We leave, head for Los Angeles, and plant ourselves in the first sanctuary city we find. We can get new identities and blend in. You asked me for my opinion, and for what it’s worth, that’s what I think we should do. The Lobos aren’t going to stick their neck out for us. We screwed up the initiation test, so they owe us nothing, and that’s what we’ll get from them, nothing. As for Hot Shot, I bet he was gone hours ago and is probably on a plane to some foreign country, where he can hide out. There’s no way to track him, and we both know it.”

“We need money,” Alonzo said. “Go inside and tell the boys to search this house from top to bottom. People like the Crickets are bound to have a safe. Gather up all the jewelry they can find, anything we can sell or pawn. Why are you still standing here? Go!”

Miggy entered the house and blessed himself. He whispered the only prayer he could remember from his catechism class. He then did as instructed and rejoined Alonzo on the deck. Fifteen more minutes and the sun would start its slow rise over the horizon. A new day of sun and humidity and blistering heat. And here they were, stuck in this house, waiting for God only knew what.

“I don’t want it to end like this, Mig.”

There was nothing to say to that remark, so Miggy remained silent.

“What do you think of the idea of you and me riding into town and going to visit Mr. Hot Shot? There is every possibility he wasn’t warned. He might be at the office. Just because we got the eyeballs doesn’t mean he got them. What do you think?”