“Okay, yes, I get it. I just got confused given all the different characters we’re dealing with,” Maggie said. “I’m not sensing any urgency here with any of you, or am I wrong?”

“Yes and no,” Charles said. “I don’t think there’s any immediate danger to Mr. Hershel. I’m sure Meadows is trying to figure out his next move, assuming he hasn’t made it already, and I’d hazard a guess that he’s been in touch with the Scorpions for two reasons. First, he owes them money for the killing of the tenants, if not just for the hit on Cosmo, and he knows they’ll go after him if he doesn’t pay up. He knows what they are capable of, so he might want to offer to pay off his debt to them. Second, he wants to entice them to help him, and the way he’d do that, we assume, is to promise to go to the Lobos and ask them to give the Scorpions a second chance to join their devilish gang. The Scorpions want that more than anything. Will they bite? I’m thinking they will.”

“I’m not getting any of this,” Espinosa grumbled. “What is Meadows getting out of this? What’s his end game? If the Scorpions get inducted into the Lobos, that means they could then take out Meadows. What am I missing here?”

Everyone in the room looked as perplexed as Espinosa sounded. They all turned to look at Charles for an answer.

Charles threw his hands in the air.

“His safety! Nothing else makes sense,” Dennis said. “Think about it. Gangs don’t squeal on anyone. That’s a given. The only person who stands in Meadows’s way is Cosmo Cricket, who is going to live to fight another day, and by that I mean he’ll start talking to the authorities once he’s well enough to do so. He will tell them all about what he suspects, what he can prove and not prove. Meadows has to take it on the lam and get away clean, so he can spend all that insurance money plus the money he got for the sale of Hershel’s casino. He’s looking for safe passage.”

“But he could have left at any time. Right now, in fact,” Jack said. “Why hasn’t he gone to ground already? Why is he still messing around with the gangs and the dark web?”

“Because he needs the Lobos to take out the Scorpions. Once they’re gone, there are no witnesses to what he’s done. He needs that to happen before he can even think about leaving. I’m sure he’s got something all set up, a plan of action, and he just walks out one day and never returns. It’s just my opinion.” Dennis defended his statement when he saw the dubious expressions on everyone else’s face.