That morning, Blake got up early and was preparing burritos with the leftover meat from the night before, also frying a few eggs. She smiled with amusement as she remembered her partner's voracious appetite.
She could still relive every moment of what had happened last night; heat rose to her cheeks just thinking about it. She was a little embarrassed by the words and actions, and wasn't quite sure how to look him in the eye. Her legs still felt weak. Ethan… that damn scoundrel.
Soon, Ethan silently approached from behind and wrapped his arms around her, gently resting his chin on her shoulder. Blake gave a small start, then laughed without stopping the spatula.
—You're going to make me burn these if you distract me —she said playfully.
Ethan tilted his head and left a kiss on her neck, just below her ear.
—If they burn, we'll make more —he murmured, pulling her a little tighter against his chest.
Blake smiled, tilting her face just enough to glance at him sideways.
—Easy for you to say… I'm the one cooking.
She shook her head, though her cheeks were flushed, and kept cooking while he stayed behind her, as if that embrace were the most natural place in the world.
But then came a small silence, as the pan sizzled.
—Something on your mind? —Ethan asked, breaking the quiet.
—Nothing, only that… after being here, it makes me want to keep my grandparents' ranch forever —Blake murmured, leaning her head against his chest.
Ethan turned her around, lifted her, and set her on the counter beside them so they were face to face.
—And then have lots of kids, send them over to the Walker family so we'll have time to ourselves?
Blake's beautiful eyes widened; her silly look was so tender.
—That's silly, isn't it? —she said with a nervous laugh, fiddling with the cup in her hands—. I mean… I know we're not exactly official, I haven't even stopped to think about it.
She paused, lowering her gaze as if searching for words in the coffee's steam.
—It's not that I don't want to… —she continued in a murmur— I just had so many good times here, and I wouldn't want to lose it.
Ethan kissed her lips softly.
—I have to admit it… it only took the Walker family one day to make me like ranch life in Texas.
Feeling a warm hand brush her sensitive skin, Blake blushed until the blood rushed and her voice faltered.
—Let me take care of this, will you? —Ethan said firmly—. I can help you pay off the ranch debts, the inheritance taxes, and the upkeep. You don't have to worry about any of that.
Ethan didn't really understand how a ranch worked, but he knew there wasn't a problem a wad of cash couldn't fix. For him, spending a little on this place meant nothing; with what he made in the casino and what Job laundered, he could maintain it for years without blinking. And who knows, maybe the ranch would even end up making a profit.
—But I can't pay you back… —Blake replied, lowering her gaze—. I can't let you sacrifice your future here.
—Let me worry about you —Ethan answered gently, leaning toward her—. I've got solid investments, shares in profitable businesses. Cash isn't an issue.
—Still… —her voice trembled a little— I can't allow that. I need to do it on my own.
Ethan smiled faintly. He could feel that Texan stubbornness burning in her, the same thing that made him want her even more. He knew she wouldn't accept his help so easily, so he'd have to find another way to convince her.
—Then let's make a deal… —he said finally, with that persuasive spark in his eyes.
Blake looked up, surprised and cautious.
—A simple one —Ethan replied with a calm smile—. I'll buy the acres of land surrounding the ranch, the ones you were going to sell anyway. With that, you'll be able to pay off all the debts, the inheritance taxes, and keep the ranch running.
Blake swallowed hard, incredulous.
—But… I can't let you do all this for me —she said with a trembling voice—. I want to do it myself.
—It's not about doing it for you, it can be an investment for me down the road, and we'll find a way for the ranch to generate income. —Ethan replied softly— You'll have the chance to buy it back with the profits, when you're ready. No pressure.
She lowered her gaze, thoughtful. The idea of depending on someone made her uneasy, but seeing his enthusiasm and confidence gave her a thread of hope.
—Still… —she murmured— I don't want to depend on anyone. I don't want you to think I can't handle it.
—It's not depending —Ethan said, leaning toward her—. It's giving you time and space to do it your way, while knowing that nothing you love will be lost. The ranch will keep growing, and when you're ready, you can buy it back yourself with the profits.
Blake took a deep breath, letting his words sink in. For the first time in a long while, she felt someone trusted her enough to carry the weight of her dreams while she learned to lift them on her own.
—All right… —she whispered at last, with a small, trembling smile—. Deal.
Ethan tilted his head and kissed her gently on the forehead, a gesture more than words, sealing the agreement with the unspoken promise to protect what she loved until she was ready to reclaim it completely.
Then smoke began to rise from the stove, filling the kitchen with a sharp smell. Blake shook the pan like it was a white flag while coughing a little.
—Oh no! —she exclaimed—. I think the burritos just staged a rebellion against me.
By the afternoon, everyone was ready to leave. Walker drove his F150 loaded with camping gear like grills and tents; Emily drove a Subaru Forester AWD SUV with two kids; and Ethan's truck followed last.
After saying goodbye to the two elders, the three vehicles sped off toward the desert borderlands in the southwest.
Perhaps because Emily's car followed behind, Walker slowed down a little, but still drove nearly 90 miles per hour the whole way, a trip of almost four hours.
In the desert, the three vehicles stopped one after another.
—We're camping here tonight. Emily's supply point is right ahead. There are no patrol drones at night, so it's a common crossing for migrants —Walker said, stepping out of the truck and pointing to a spot not far away.
The terrain where they stood was slightly elevated, a small hill of sorts. Walker pointed to a spot less than a kilometer up the slope, where the ground dipped into a gentle descent.
A small trail, clearly marked.
—We've set up three supply points along the surrounding slopes, each with 20 barrels of drinking water and a small amount of food —Emily explained, pointing out the three locations—. We come here every week to pick up the empty barrels and refill them with water and food, thanks to donations.
—Every year, children and frail women die in this desert. This is all we can do —Emily said with resignation.
—Do you always come alone? Isn't it too dangerous? —Blake asked, a little worried.
—Geri always comes with me. She should be here soon, plus I always keep an R-15 in the back of the car, in case anyone causes trouble. —Emily replied, smiling to reassure her.
Blake looked a little puzzled.
—Geri, the bar owner? Your rival? —she asked.
Emily smiled and patted her lightly.
—Geri's our friend, that was a long time ago.
Walker, with a smug look, cut in:
—Don't say more, or they'll make me sleep with the coyotes tonight.
He kissed Emily on the cheek, but she pushed him away, urging him back to work.
Ethan and Walker worked together to unload the grill. The Walker kids were also very diligent and skilled, quickly setting up the three tents.
Ethan dug a shallow trench around the camp with a shovel and sprinkled sulfur powder to repel snakes and insects. In this desert, rattlesnakes and scorpions were the most common visitors.
—Ethan, come see —the kids shouted.
The two Walker kids already knew Ethan. After setting up the tent, they began to wander when Stella suddenly ran off, grabbed Ethan's arm, and darted away.
Somewhat puzzled, Ethan followed her to a rocky outcrop, where he saw a huge rattlesnake struggling against a strange creature.
The creature was large, about half a meter long, and grotesquely ugly. Like a pangolin, it was covered in a hard shell, but also had long, sparse hair. Unfazed by the rattlesnake's fangs, it bit firmly into the vital points of its prey.
The rattlesnake, though seemingly robust, was defenseless against its heavily armored enemy, twisting itself into a ball, unable to break free.
—Is that an armadillo? —Ethan asked.
He had never seen such an animal before. He had only imagined it curling into a ball when in danger. He had never thought it could actually fight a rattlesnake.
Soon, the snake was reduced to a bloody mess, while the armadillo began gnawing at its head.
—Can we catch it and play with it? —Stella, curious, tried to get closer, but Ethan stopped her.
—If I remember correctly, armadillos can carry leprosy —he said.
Ethan took out his phone and snapped a picture of the scene. Then he dragged the two curious kids back to camp. A pickup truck had arrived, and a beautiful woman, very different from Emily, was chatting with the others.
It was Geri, the one they had mentioned earlier. Like Emily, she wore her long blonde hair tied up high, but compared to Emily's gentle demeanor, this girl carried a wilder air.
After a brief introduction, the men and kids were sent off to light a fire and start a barbecue, while the younger and older women carried supplies and went to restock several nearby supply points.
Auggie, bored, put on his headphones and went inside the tent to listen to music. Ethan and Walker lit the grill and talked while getting things ready.
—Tell me, why did you quit your job? —Walker asked with a smile.
—What do you know? —Ethan arched a brow.
—I'll be honest, I checked your record. I must say, it's impressive for someone so young.
Ethan laughed.
—I just got tired. It was a very rough year for the department. After the attack on the station and so many deaths, I started reflecting and rethinking my life, so I decided to take some time off, to travel and see new places.
He tried to describe the experience broadly, avoiding delicate details.
—Yeah, I get it. It's never easy to deal with that kind of thing.
Later that night…
Cordell, Ethan, and Emily arrived at one of the supply points, loaded with water barrels and food packages. They were carefully setting down the supplies when a group of immigrants appeared along the dusty path.
Seeing the weapons in Emily and Ethan's hands, they froze instantly, eyes wide, fear written on every face.
—Easy! —Emily said quickly, raising her hands—. It's all right. We're going to give you food and water. —She spoke in Spanish, her voice calm—. You don't have to be afraid.
The immigrants hesitated for a moment, but slowly began to approach, some still eyeing the rifles and pistols warily. Ethan held his gaze steady, lowering his weapon slightly so they wouldn't feel threatened.
Soon, several pairs of lights emerged from the top of a hill. A group of armed men appeared from the nearby rocks, opening fire on them. Chaos erupted. The immigrants screamed and scattered, seeking shelter among rocks and dry shrubs.
—Take cover! —Cordell shouted, shoving Emily behind a water barrel.
Amid the screams and the gun smoke, Ethan saw a small girl caught in the middle of the crossfire.
—It's the Border Patrol!
—Run!
The sudden shift sparked instant panic; people screamed and ran in every direction. The sharp crack of gunfire echoed as the men in the vehicles kept firing with rifles.
Ethan dodged the first wave of attacks, gathered himself, and ran toward the little girl, who lay stunned on the ground. But before he could even touch her hand, a bullet ripped through her chest.
—Bang!
Hot blood splattered across his face, and a roar of fury built in his throat. The little girl, barely ten years old, was named Anna; she had crossed the border with her grandfather in search of a better life.
Ethan's gaze turned to ice. His eyes locked on the vehicles in the distance, burning with pure hatred. The passengers gripped old rifles, as if they were hunting prey.
Anna's grandfather was also shot down, collapsing in the chaos.
Time passed after the attack. Amid the corpses and dust, Ethan, Emily, and Walker moved cautiously, stepping around lifeless bodies.
—We have to leave now —Walker ordered, his voice firm and tense.
—But we can't just leave them here! —Emily said, helplessness and sorrow painted on her face—. Not like this…
Ethan knelt beside Anna, stroking her hair as his gaze swept across the bodies scattered in the sand. Then he noticed in her hand a photograph and a small pendant of a saint he couldn't identify. He picked them up and slipped them into his back pocket.
—Cordell's right —he said, his voice tense—. They'll come back, and we shouldn't stay here. The kids could be in danger.
Emily had no choice but to nod.
The three of them quickly moved back toward camp, alert to every sound. When they finally arrived, silence reigned among the tents.
Blake, who had been standing guard, saw Ethan's face covered in blood. Her breath caught, and a chill ran down her spine.
—Ethan… —Blake whispered, struggling to keep her voice calm—. Are you okay? I heard shots… is everyone okay? What happened out there?
He looked at her, his eyes burning embers of rage and pain, though he softened for just a moment at the sight of her.
—I'm fine —he said, his voice dry and sharp—
Ethan, Emily, and Walker sat around the extinguished fire, wiping away the blood and dirt, while Blake kept her eyes on the horizon anxiously. They told her what had happened at the supply post.
—I can't believe anyone would do something like that —Blake said quietly, more to herself than to the others—. Who could…?
Emily sighed, running a hand through her hair.
—It's a group that hunts immigrants. They're becoming more common these days. —she explained— Just a bunch of racist bastards who think it's okay to kill innocent people.
Walker spoke up, his tone more pragmatic:
—We need to get back to my parents' ranch as soon as possible. I have to report this to my superiors. If those men are still out there, they could attack again.
Emily quickly grabbed her radio and broke frequency to contact Gira.
—Gira, we need you to come back. Where are you? —she asked, her eyes scanning the horizon as if she might appear at any moment.
There were a few seconds of static before Gira's voice came through:
—I'm on my way. Just finishing securing the second post. I'll be there in a few minutes. What happened?
—I'll explain when you get here… and Gira, be careful.
Emily let out a sigh of relief, though her expression remained worried.
Ethan stepped a little away from the group, lit a cigarette, and leaned against his truck, staring up at the starry sky.
—You can't stop thinking about her, can you? —Blake said, her voice filled with concern—
Ethan exhaled smoke slowly, the glow of the cigarette lighting his bloodied, dirt-streaked face for a moment.
—She was just a child… she died right in front of me. I couldn't protect her.
Blake felt a knot tighten in her throat. Without thinking, she wrapped her arms around Ethan, pulling him against her. For a moment, they stayed that way, surrounded by the desert darkness.
That night, they had to wait for Gira to return from supply post number two. Near dawn, when the first rays of sunlight began to wash over the desert and turn the sand golden, the camp was already completely packed up.
Under the confused stares of Cordell's kids, they all set off back toward the Walker ranch.
When they returned, Ethan and Blake went back to his grandparents' ranch to rest, while Cordell headed to the station with the responsibility of informing his superiors. The forensics team needed to be dispatched quickly to recover the bodies before the coyotes got to them.
Ethan told Blake he was going out to run some errands, urging her to stay and rest. But that was only half the truth. In reality, what he planned was to search for the woman in the photo that the little girl had been clutching in her hands.
On the back of the image was a name and an address; he assumed that was the destination they had been aiming for when they crossed the desert. With that hunch, he climbed into his truck and headed toward downtown Austin.
In the photograph, a woman stood in front of a food truck. She smiled naturally, with the fresh air of someone who feared nothing. On the back of the photo, there was only a name and an address, which made Ethan think she wouldn't be hard to find.
With the image still vivid in his mind, he drove into Austin, following the address. Turning the corner of a dusty street, he saw the same food truck parked next to a small park. The vehicle's paint, its loud colors and sun-faded lettering, matched the photograph in his pocket.
Ethan pulled over a few yards ahead, lit a cigarette, and let it hang from his lips. He stepped out of the truck and walked toward the vehicle.
At the food truck, Ethan looked at the woman with black, curly hair. She was exactly the same as in the photograph he held.
—What can I get you?
The woman lifted her chin toward him, her hands resting on the counter.
Ethan didn't order anything, but smiled and asked:
—You're Letty, right?
Letty didn't answer. The face in front of her was quite attractive, so instead of dismissing him, she looked at him with suspicion.
Ethan pressed his lips together, pulled out the leather necklace the little girl had been holding, and carefully placed it on the counter.
The silver medal glimmered in the sunlight.
Letty stared at the pendant, bewildered for a few seconds, until a memory suddenly struck her.
She abruptly leaned forward, grabbed him by the shirt with all her strength, and with a fierce look demanded:
—Where did you get this? Where's Anna? Where's Sonny?
The nearby Mexican workers scattered around the park turned their heads toward the scene.
From their expressions, it was clear that if Ethan dared to fight back, he would be attacked.
—Easy —Ethan raised his hands to show he meant no harm—. Let me go… I'll tell you everything.
Letty hesitated for a moment, then released his shirt.
Ethan patted down his shirt and began to tell her what had happened earlier that day. When he paused, Letty staggered back two steps and collapsed into her chair, devastated.
From Ethan's condition, and the fury in his words, it was too consistent to be a lie.
In fact, Letty was Sonny's partner, and she regularly financed the immigration of fellow Mexicans into the United States. It was thanks to her help that Anna and her grandfather had set out on their journey.
Many undocumented workers had benefited from her generosity. Even when they were broke and had nothing to eat, they could always count on her for a free meal.
So when they saw the confrontation, the workers around had reacted like that—ready to defend her.
What neither Ethan, nor Letty, nor any of the workers knew was that across from the central park, a silver BMW sat parked. Inside, a blonde woman in a brown leather jacket remained still, her hair tied neatly in a high ponytail.
She held a reflex camera with a telephoto lens, snapping shots of the food truck and the people lined up.
When she noticed Ethan approach, the woman adjusted her lens, aimed, and fired several quick shots, capturing his face from different angles.
—That one's new —she murmured to herself, lowering the camera and switching on a small digital recorder—. Mid-twenties, Caucasian, black hair, about six feet tall, athletic build, sharp gaze… playful air.
She paused for a moment, then added in a dry tone:
—Remember to check the database to confirm identity and criminal records.
She switched off the recorder, tucked it into the glove compartment, and looked back toward the park. Her expression hardened when she noticed Letty seemed to recognize the newcomer.
With a faint sigh, the blonde leaned back in her BMW seat, waiting.
Staring at the silver star pendant in her hand, Letty pressed her lips tightly. She hadn't received any messages that day, and worry gnawed at her that something had gone wrong. Unexpectedly, she had run straight into tragedy.
After a moment of silence, she looked at Ethan:
—Who killed them?
—I don't know.
—Then why did you come to me?
Ethan lit a cigarette.
—I want the same answer to the question you just asked. I thought you might know something. After all, they were coming to you, weren't they?
—I have no idea either —Letty shook her head.
Ethan sighed.
Letty fought back her grief and stood up:
—Why do you want to go after those people?
—I want to do something for Anna. She died in front of me. She never had a chance.
Letty arched her eyebrows.
—Why would you do something like that? You didn't know her. She had nothing to do with you.
Letty squeezed the silver star tightly between her fingers.
—Because those sons of bitches shot at me, and no one who's ever done that before has lived to tell about it. —Ethan tapped the corner of his mouth with his fingers, his expression deadly serious—. Is that reason enough for you?
—Wait… That woman is Immigration Agent Sartana Rivera. We shouldn't be seen together. You'd better leave now.
At that moment, Letty noticed a silver BMW parked across the street, and saw a woman stepping out of it. Quickly, she scribbled her phone number on the back of a receipt.
—Go now. Call me tonight.
—No problem.
Ethan took the slip of paper.
—Give me a Coke, and a carne asada burrito.
Seeing her a little dazed, he insisted again:
—Please. I'm in a hurry, miss.
Just then, the blonde woman stood right behind him.
Ethan turned and saw the newcomer.
Her eyes were deep and captivating, her delicate features perfectly balanced, giving her the exotic allure of a mestiza beauty.
Despite having met countless beautiful women, he still felt a jolt of awe when he looked at her.
But that incredibly stunning woman, with her calm stride, made the nearby Mexican workers scatter as if they'd just seen the devil himself.
—Here you go, honey. A Coke and a carne asada burrito. Enjoy. —Letty slid the Coke through the serving hatch, lowering her voice in a quick whisper at the end—.
It was no wonder the burly workers around them were terrified by such a dazzling beauty that they ran off in every direction. To avoid trouble, Ethan grabbed the cold Coke and made to leave. Before walking away, though, he gave the breathtaking agent one last, careful look.