Outcomes like this were not unusual for Rocky. He had just killed a man, but he was more concerned about getting something to eat. The air was fresh and clear. There were no food smells. No tortillas, eggs bacon, no carne asada, beans, nothing. His stomach growled. He hadn’t eaten since he left Hector and this was day two. The only scent was the dry acid odor of sage. He was walking out of buildings and looking at grassy, bushy, boulder strewn open hills.

He reached a high wall compound that did not appear to be a building, but consisted only of thick wooden walls. He reached an opening wide enough for a truck to pass through. The door opened in two halves, which were held together by two bony arms in a clinch-fisted grasp. It was a dead man’s grip that reminded Rocky of the Dead Truckers in the La Rumorosa Mountains.

On each side every wall appeared to be about fifty yards long. The ground around the structure was clean. There were no rocks, grass, brush and it looked cultivated by a furrow. It was flat clean earth.

Rocky spent time inspecting the structure, he pushed pulled and found nothing that would provide a way in. It appeared solid. He looked and listened.

Finally he sat down and leaned back against the rough timbers. What was inside was still a mystery. He thought he heard arguing voices between a man and a woman. At first the conversation was distant, but now was getting louder. They were walking inside the walls and approaching where he was sitting.

“Can’t talk about Lalo,” he killed Lalo. “He was the door for my recruits,” The womans voice was filled with frustration. Rocky dropped him in the grinding stones.”

“What about his people, what did they do?”

“Nothing, they were stupefied with the bone syrup.”

“I hear Rocky is good,” said the male voice. “He’s after me. I’m a little nervous.”

“If he got you, then you could come to me.”

“You know I will, but I’m not ready now.”

“You don’t say that when we’re making love.”

“That’s because I’m only thinking of you.”

There was a feminine sigh.

“What about Beatrice? Have you any thoughts of revenge?”

“Yes, but that may take some time.”

“Did Lalo say where I was?” The male voice sounded nervous.

On the other side of the wall Rocky was guessing who they were. But where was Beatrice? Arongo was just a job. But Beatrice had an insane edge of sinister. And Rocky knew she was dangerous.

“Not that I know of,” said the feminine voice. But that doesn’t mean he doesn’t know.”

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