you?”
“Time’s short. I don’t like to waste it.” He thought about Jordan. Five days had passed without a word from her. Obviously waiting for her to decide she wanted to see him wasn’t the right strategy. He’d have to raise the stakes, or at least give her a gentle nudge in the right direction.
“In that case, no,” Camacho said. “I’ve fired a lot of shots, but I’ve never taken a life. The job isn’t always as dramatic as your movie makes it out to be.”
Jake uncapped a bottle of water and took a drink. So far, one of the hardest parts about this movie was dealing with the desert heat. Especially when it meant sitting in a vehicle in the afternoon sun. “But the movie’s based on a real case.”
“An unfortunate one. You can’t blame that boy’s family, or the Mexican government, for their anger with our agency,” Camacho said. “I have a job to do, and I do it, but I hate to see seventeen-year-old kids lose their life. Sometimes I wonder if we’re fighting a war against drugs, or a war against people.”
The words struck a chord with Jake. His role in the movie appealed to him because he liked edgy, complicated characters, even if he might not approve of his character’s actions. Was it really necessary to fire five shots? In that split second before Foley opened fire, did he truly believe the kid had a gun, or did he know the flash of metal he saw was something else? “What’s the solution, then?”
Camacho shrugged. “You got any ideas? Some say build a wall or an electrically charged fence all along the border to keep people out.”
Jake considered that. “I can’t imagine that would do much for international relations,” he said.
“No. And not all of the people who are trying to get across that borde r are doing it for illicit reasons. Some of them just want a chance at better life.”
***
Jordan had hoped to get an update from Jake about whether Trey got a job with the movie. Instead, she had to hear it from his probation officer. Maybe it wasn’t surprising, given her insistence to Jake that they had no future together. But wasn’t he supposed to ignore her protests and pursue her, anyway? That was how it worked on the soap operas he used to star in.
Instead, Jake just seemed to be ignoring her, which was probably a sign he realized she wasn’t worth the trouble. As true as that was, it still stung.
“Jordan? Are you listening?” The probation officer’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Of course I’m listening, Rob,” she said. “You were saying Trey’s doing well?”
“So far, yeah. He says he likes the work and is learning a lot about the business,” Rob said. “You’ll have to thank your actor friend for giving him the opportunity next time you see him.”
The next time she saw him? How about never? “Sure. I’ll do that.”
“Good.” Rob paused. “There’s something else you should know. It came up in my meeting with Trey the other day”
“What’s that?”
“The real reason Trey held up the liquor store.”
“We already know that. To get money for his mom’s meds.” Still, Jordan frowned as she said it. It wouldn’t mark the first time a client lied to her.
“That’s part of it. He was also trying to get money to send to his family in Mexico.”
“What?” Jordan frowned, thinking back to her past conversations with Trey. Nothing about that ever came up. Jordan was sure she would have remembered. “But Trey’s a citizen.” She was confident of it. If he hadn’t been, there was no doubt the esteemed district attorney would have reported him to ICE for immediate deportation.
“He is, yeah,” Rob said. “The rest of his family, not so much.”
Five minutes later, Jordan hung up the phone wondering what else she didn’t know about her client. She hated surprises.
Almost immediately, Jen buzzed her. “Boss?”
Jordan grimaced. “I’ve told you not to call me that.”
“Right.” Jen paused. “The d istrict
“Time’s short. I don’t like to waste it.” He thought about Jordan. Five days had passed without a word from her. Obviously waiting for her to decide she wanted to see him wasn’t the right strategy. He’d have to raise the stakes, or at least give her a gentle nudge in the right direction.
“In that case, no,” Camacho said. “I’ve fired a lot of shots, but I’ve never taken a life. The job isn’t always as dramatic as your movie makes it out to be.”
Jake uncapped a bottle of water and took a drink. So far, one of the hardest parts about this movie was dealing with the desert heat. Especially when it meant sitting in a vehicle in the afternoon sun. “But the movie’s based on a real case.”
“An unfortunate one. You can’t blame that boy’s family, or the Mexican government, for their anger with our agency,” Camacho said. “I have a job to do, and I do it, but I hate to see seventeen-year-old kids lose their life. Sometimes I wonder if we’re fighting a war against drugs, or a war against people.”
The words struck a chord with Jake. His role in the movie appealed to him because he liked edgy, complicated characters, even if he might not approve of his character’s actions. Was it really necessary to fire five shots? In that split second before Foley opened fire, did he truly believe the kid had a gun, or did he know the flash of metal he saw was something else? “What’s the solution, then?”
Camacho shrugged. “You got any ideas? Some say build a wall or an electrically charged fence all along the border to keep people out.”
Jake considered that. “I can’t imagine that would do much for international relations,” he said.
“No. And not all of the people who are trying to get across that borde r are doing it for illicit reasons. Some of them just want a chance at better life.”
***
Jordan had hoped to get an update from Jake about whether Trey got a job with the movie. Instead, she had to hear it from his probation officer. Maybe it wasn’t surprising, given her insistence to Jake that they had no future together. But wasn’t he supposed to ignore her protests and pursue her, anyway? That was how it worked on the soap operas he used to star in.
Instead, Jake just seemed to be ignoring her, which was probably a sign he realized she wasn’t worth the trouble. As true as that was, it still stung.
“Jordan? Are you listening?” The probation officer’s voice interrupted her thoughts.
“Of course I’m listening, Rob,” she said. “You were saying Trey’s doing well?”
“So far, yeah. He says he likes the work and is learning a lot about the business,” Rob said. “You’ll have to thank your actor friend for giving him the opportunity next time you see him.”
The next time she saw him? How about never? “Sure. I’ll do that.”
“Good.” Rob paused. “There’s something else you should know. It came up in my meeting with Trey the other day”
“What’s that?”
“The real reason Trey held up the liquor store.”
“We already know that. To get money for his mom’s meds.” Still, Jordan frowned as she said it. It wouldn’t mark the first time a client lied to her.
“That’s part of it. He was also trying to get money to send to his family in Mexico.”
“What?” Jordan frowned, thinking back to her past conversations with Trey. Nothing about that ever came up. Jordan was sure she would have remembered. “But Trey’s a citizen.” She was confident of it. If he hadn’t been, there was no doubt the esteemed district attorney would have reported him to ICE for immediate deportation.
“He is, yeah,” Rob said. “The rest of his family, not so much.”
Five minutes later, Jordan hung up the phone wondering what else she didn’t know about her client. She hated surprises.
Almost immediately, Jen buzzed her. “Boss?”
Jordan grimaced. “I’ve told you not to call me that.”
“Right.” Jen paused. “The d istrict
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