RL drove on the dirt road for hours, seeing only a single small farmhouse in the first hour as they proceeded south to skirt the mountains. Wildlife showed everywhere on the slopes, from a bear in the piñon pines on a ridge, to deer and smaller animals on the lower slopes and grassy flats. RL asked, almost absently, “Did you know there were this many animals out here? I always thought it was desolate.”
Hunter said, “It is a high desert, lots of wildlife.”
The armed passenger in the front seat, a dark-skinned Mexican named Pablo Huerta, pointed up the slope,
“And water, too. There is a nice spring up that way.”
RL asked him, “You from this area?”
“Not right here, but across the mountains, Nueva Rosita.”
“We go through there.”
“Yes, and then onto the long dirt road.”
RL thought for a moment, “So you know all this country.”
“Not all, but I explored these mountains with friends, when we were growing up.”
Hunter let them talk as she tried to think of a plan.
RL said, “I used to think that all I would see in deserts was cactus and spines on every bush, maybe a lot of creosote, too.”
Pablo said, “That’s a small part. Deserts are more than that.”
RL turned his head and said, “Hunter, you hear all that? Did you know about all this in the desert?” He glanced at her long, bare legs.
“You let us go, I’ll tell you a lot more.”
“You know I can’t do that. Ellis would have my hide.”
“I thought you liked me.” Hunter turned on the charm.
“I do.”
“You wanted us to go out sometime, right?”
RL’s cheeks showed rose-colored spots as he cast a sideways glance at Pablo, “I still do. But Ellis is tough, so I’m sorry.”
Hunter sighed, “That’s a shame. I would have shown you a great time.”
The tip of RL’s tongue touched his lower lip, “Oh man.”
Pablo punched RL on the shoulder, “She’s baiting you, stupid. She wants to escape.”
RL glowered, “Maybe not. Maybe she likes me.”
Adan piped in, “She does, she told me so.”
Pablo turned and slapped Adan, then pointed a finger at Hunter, “Shut up!”
RL said, “Don’t hit the kid.”
“Then all of you behave.”
RL was three inches taller than Pablo, and thirty pounds heavier, most of it in the chest and shoulders. He said, “You don’t give orders.”
Pablo said, “I didn’t mean you, you’re the boss in this vehicle.”