about as
foreign to this type of work as I am to his suit.”
“We oughta take him out tonight to get some
boots,” Jake said with a grunt. “Show him there’s more to being a
Texan than drinking.”
“I saw Miguel this morning,” Toni said. “Said
there was some trouble last night?”
“City-girl called me about three. Guess there
were some men out here looking for Alex,” Jake responded.
“Lots of men looking for that idiot.”
“Yeah. I’m afraid they’ll make city-girl a
mark.”
“Howard should know better than to build a
hotel in the middle of the Cortez gang’s trafficking route,” Tony
said.
“You think he's involved?”
“Miguel said that guy Alex owed Cortez and
Perez money and never repaid it.”
"Didn't Alex owe half the shady characters in
town money?" Jake asked.
"Yeah, but Cortez and Perez are the two you
don't wanna cross."
Jake knew of Cortez’s illicit activities in
the area; everyone did. There would never be enough law enforcement
to stop Cortez, not with his guns, men, and money. There were
uneasy truces between him and local law enforcement, which meant
the towns and those in them did not need to worry so long as they
did not wander directly into Cortez's operations. Worse, the Oasis
was nearly at the crossroads of two drug gangs: Cortez and Perez,
who were competitors.
It wouldn't bode well for Madeleine if the
men she saw were indeed Cortez or Perez's men there to collect
Alex's debt. If either thought her and her project a threat to
their operations, they had the manpower for force her out, or if
nothing else, to extort his price from her. If she failed to
comply, she would end up another of the bodies occasionally found
in the desert.
City-girl didn't seem like the kind who would
take extortion very well.
“Maybe that’s why Alex left,” he said.
“Probably,” Toni agreed. “Oughta warn
city-girl.”
“Don’t think it would matter,” Jake said.
“She’s obsessed with this project. I told her whatever we did with
the lobby would have to be torn down after Mr. Howard’s visit. She
don't give a shit.”
“Different people,” Toni said with a shake of
his head. "It really could've been anybody, if Alex was as stupid
as folk say he was."
"This whole thing just smells bad. Thought
Howard was an idiot until I saw the article in the paper about the
proposed bypass to go near here. Would be a gold mine for him. This
godforsaken hotel is an hour from any sort of civilization," Jake
said with a grunt.
"Howard's in a position to know stuff like
that. Would make more sense if he pressured the bypass into getting
passed. It'd be in Cortez's interest, too, since a bypass would cut
the time traveling from the border down quite a bit."
"You never know with these kinds of people.
They're all shady."
They fell into silence and continued working
under the hot sun. It was not long before Eric stripped down to the
T-shirt under his collared shirt. Jake held off their lunch break
until late, still buzzing with angry energy. Toni finally called
the late break, and Eric joined them for a small picnic packed by
Toni’s wife.
The small man drank a quart of water before
glancing around him.
“Quite a day!” he said enthusiastically.
Jake knocked back a quart of water as well
and wiped his mouth. He leaned back to pour the remainder of the
water bottle over his head and neck.
“Good afternoon, boys.” The honeyed voice
made them all turn.
Jake chose a sandwich and began eating,
ignoring the three blonds in tight shirts. One wore snug white
pants, one a mini-skirt, and the third Daisy Dukes.
“Afternoon, ladies,” Eric said, and rose.
“Care to join us?”
“Hi, Jake.”
“Lily,” he said.
The petite blond with manicured nails perched
on a rock near him. He felt her gaze rake over him and remembered a
time when such a look would have boiled his blood. The knowledge of
her rampant infidelity during their years together-- and the fact
she hid well that she was
foreign to this type of work as I am to his suit.”
“We oughta take him out tonight to get some
boots,” Jake said with a grunt. “Show him there’s more to being a
Texan than drinking.”
“I saw Miguel this morning,” Toni said. “Said
there was some trouble last night?”
“City-girl called me about three. Guess there
were some men out here looking for Alex,” Jake responded.
“Lots of men looking for that idiot.”
“Yeah. I’m afraid they’ll make city-girl a
mark.”
“Howard should know better than to build a
hotel in the middle of the Cortez gang’s trafficking route,” Tony
said.
“You think he's involved?”
“Miguel said that guy Alex owed Cortez and
Perez money and never repaid it.”
"Didn't Alex owe half the shady characters in
town money?" Jake asked.
"Yeah, but Cortez and Perez are the two you
don't wanna cross."
Jake knew of Cortez’s illicit activities in
the area; everyone did. There would never be enough law enforcement
to stop Cortez, not with his guns, men, and money. There were
uneasy truces between him and local law enforcement, which meant
the towns and those in them did not need to worry so long as they
did not wander directly into Cortez's operations. Worse, the Oasis
was nearly at the crossroads of two drug gangs: Cortez and Perez,
who were competitors.
It wouldn't bode well for Madeleine if the
men she saw were indeed Cortez or Perez's men there to collect
Alex's debt. If either thought her and her project a threat to
their operations, they had the manpower for force her out, or if
nothing else, to extort his price from her. If she failed to
comply, she would end up another of the bodies occasionally found
in the desert.
City-girl didn't seem like the kind who would
take extortion very well.
“Maybe that’s why Alex left,” he said.
“Probably,” Toni agreed. “Oughta warn
city-girl.”
“Don’t think it would matter,” Jake said.
“She’s obsessed with this project. I told her whatever we did with
the lobby would have to be torn down after Mr. Howard’s visit. She
don't give a shit.”
“Different people,” Toni said with a shake of
his head. "It really could've been anybody, if Alex was as stupid
as folk say he was."
"This whole thing just smells bad. Thought
Howard was an idiot until I saw the article in the paper about the
proposed bypass to go near here. Would be a gold mine for him. This
godforsaken hotel is an hour from any sort of civilization," Jake
said with a grunt.
"Howard's in a position to know stuff like
that. Would make more sense if he pressured the bypass into getting
passed. It'd be in Cortez's interest, too, since a bypass would cut
the time traveling from the border down quite a bit."
"You never know with these kinds of people.
They're all shady."
They fell into silence and continued working
under the hot sun. It was not long before Eric stripped down to the
T-shirt under his collared shirt. Jake held off their lunch break
until late, still buzzing with angry energy. Toni finally called
the late break, and Eric joined them for a small picnic packed by
Toni’s wife.
The small man drank a quart of water before
glancing around him.
“Quite a day!” he said enthusiastically.
Jake knocked back a quart of water as well
and wiped his mouth. He leaned back to pour the remainder of the
water bottle over his head and neck.
“Good afternoon, boys.” The honeyed voice
made them all turn.
Jake chose a sandwich and began eating,
ignoring the three blonds in tight shirts. One wore snug white
pants, one a mini-skirt, and the third Daisy Dukes.
“Afternoon, ladies,” Eric said, and rose.
“Care to join us?”
“Hi, Jake.”
“Lily,” he said.
The petite blond with manicured nails perched
on a rock near him. He felt her gaze rake over him and remembered a
time when such a look would have boiled his blood. The knowledge of
her rampant infidelity during their years together-- and the fact
she hid well that she was
Similar Books
