3:30 AM

The dim light from the rest-stop beckoned to Bro as he hiked out of the black desert. Tired and parched, he inspected the oasis. The establishment had an hourly motel in the rear, a gas station, and a small bar-grill for travelers. A good spot for folks on the run. 

As he arrived, he counted four people wandering about. None of them cartel gunmen. That meant Sis could drive down and fill the tank without getting shot. But first Bro had to call Angel. 

A payphone stood in a dark spot, away from the gas pumps. After checking around, he raised the receiver and pressed zero.  

“Hello operator, I’d like to make a collect call,” he said before a woman’s voice spoke from the dark.

“What a cheapskate.”

"Ah?" In a cold sweat, Bro dropped the phone and spun one-eighty with his pistol drawn. As he turned, his heart skipped as four big men aimed assault rifles at him. But in between the brutes stood a beautiful young woman dressed in a stylish black pantsuit. Her strawberry blonde hair pulled back to display moonlit brown eyes. Bro could only guess her name, and near whispered when he asked, “Are you...Angel?” 

"Surprise, surprise," she answered.   

"Huh." How the hell did she find us?

Angel and her men stood under a low hanging overhead near the gas pumps. The cover blocked any shot Sis could take from the hill across the highway. The bounty hunter was on his own. 

“Hanging out in rest-stops your thing?” Bro asked, his gun aimed at her chest.

“Hmm? Oh, you're asking how we found you?” she said with a coy smile, “Simple deduction. That truck of yours, wherever it is, guzzles fuel. And based on your last location, there were only three gas stations you could travel to off-road within a reasonable distance. This one was the closest. So it was just a matter of time before you showed up, and here you are.” 

Bro glared at Angel. She was no fool and had him cornered. Before he could respond one of her men stepped forward. 

“Fella, you need to put that gun down,” the big guy said as he inched toward Bro. 

“Wait!” Angel barked just as a rifle bullet fired from the hills smashed the ground near the big man's foot. 

"Oh shit!" the man growled and stepped back undercover.

"A sniper," Angel muttered. “Gentlemen, it seems the gunslinger here is not alone.” She glared at him, “Tell me, Cowboy. Is Guadalupe up in those rocks with your partner?”

“Why don’t you go and find out.”

“Heh heh, no need.” She turned to her men, “Boys, go ghost. I’m gonna have a drink with the desert-walker.” 

“Ten-Four,” the goons replied as each one stared daggers at Bro. Within seconds they vanished. 

Angel

"That's a cool trick," Bro said, admiring the disappearing act.

“Not if you're their target.” She turned and walked toward the bar-grill. "Let's go, you!" 

“Oh, right.” 

Bro holstered his gun as he jogged to catch up to her. As they entered the tiny establishment he fixed his hair and eyed all exits before sitting at the bar. 

“Club soda in a can, please,” he asked the shopkeeper. 

“The same, thank you,” Angel said.

When the order arrived, Bro popped the can and took a large gulp. Angel sipped hers and stared at him. Bro turned away. For this woman must use her unquestioned beauty as a weapon. And after walking out of the desert, he was dirty and self-conscious as heck.

"So, are you the brains behind the massacre at Fernando's house tonight?" she asked.

He smirked, "No brains needed. They shot first, we shot last."

“Heh, you’re a cheeky sod,” she said in a full British accent. “But what business brought you to Fernando's house tonight? Were you two friends or something?”

"Who knows," he glanced away, deflecting her attempt to gain info.

"I see. Well, in that case, shall we begin?"

“By all means.” 

“Alright, I have raised my offer to fifty thousand. And if you bring Guadalupe down from those hills, I can pay you right now. Fair offer to end all of this,” Angel spoke with full diplomacy. 

Bro nodded, “I hear you, but the thing is, you’re a bagman, and-”

“What, you can’t trust a bagman? How cliche.” 

“Hey,” he shrugged, “If I would've stopped to get gas with Lupita, instead of walking out of that desert alone, I'd be dead right now."

“That's not the case-”

“Let me finish,” Bro paused as she glared at him. “The way I see it, you're offering me a number that only an amateur would accept. If I agree to take it, then you'll know I'm a chump, and your guys will bury me in the desert with that fifty-thousand. Money your corporate bosses would never miss.” 

"So, you're saying you want my employer to notice the amount?"

"Damn right. If corporate is aware of the money, you're less likely to screw me."

Angel squinted, "Seems you're smarter than you look."

"I have my moments," he ran his finger around the can.

"Right, so how much are you asking for?” 

“One million American. Small bills, in a duffel-bag. Should weigh a hundred-ten pounds,” he said.

Angel's Aura grew black, “So you got this all figured out, yeah?”

“Look, lady, you're the one out here in the middle of nowhere hunting a thumb drive and a girl to kill for. So I know you can pay a million."

Angel leaned back with a smirk. “And what would you buy with that money?”

“A new truck. Since you keep making fun of mine. I'm sensitive,” he pouted. 

"Eh?" Her expression changed to bewilderment, "I see." 

"I'm glad you do. And since you’re giving me a hard time about the money, I guess I'll pay the ransom myself.”

“What? What do you mean?”

“This,” he handed Angel a piece of paper from his pocket. “These are two of the six account numbers your bosses want off that thumb drive. And as a show of good faith, I'm giving them to you."

She eyed the paper, “Ah, paying your own ransom.”

“Yes, ma’am. And I'd bet every shoe in your closet that the accounts on that paper are worth more than a million.”

“I wouldn't know. But this gesture will buy you enough time to talk.” She took the paper, “So, how do you suppose we make the exchange?” 

"Ah," Bro nodded, “First things first. Before I say anything more, you need to take care of the mole in your crew. And until you do, I can’t trust you.”

“I’m sorry? I don’t know what you’re talking about.”

“Yeah, I figured you didn’t.” Bro sat upright, “Angel, no one knew where Fernando was until you spoke to him on the phone. An hour later, the Romero cartel showed up and killed him.” 

“Are you accusing me of leaking info to the cartel?"

“If not you, then someone in your crew is tipping them off. Because once you discovered Fernando’s location, the Romeros showed up.” 

“Enough!" her hand curled to a fist. "I’m not interested in your unfounded stories-”

“Unfounded?” Bro pointed out the window, “Lady, if you don’t have a snitch in your crew then who the hell are they?”

“What?” Angel glanced out at an unmarked police car pulling into the rest-stop. When the cruiser parked in front of the bar-grill, she barked orders into her earpiece, “Do not engage! I repeat, do not engage! I'll handle this.”

Sidearm

Bro glanced out at two plainclothes men exiting the vehicle. “They were sent by the Romeros to kill me because you have a snitch in your crew who told them I was here,” he said and got up from the bar to exit out the back, “Fun meeting you Angel, but I nee-

Before he could move, Angel stuck a pistol in his face.

“You stay still,” she said. Her eyes locked on the men outside, “I’ll handle this.”

“Uh, ok,” Bro muttered and sat back down. 

“There's a good lad.”  

The two men entered the establishment, each wearing a sidearm. Angel positioned herself in between Bro and the entrance. When the men walked in they eyed the slim girl, then glared at Bro. But Angel spoke first. 

“You two are not real cops,” she said as they focused on her, “So who sent you here?” 

The first man appeared ready to slap Angel, and told her in Spanish, “Move the fuck out of the way, bitch, before I choke you.” He then reached out to grab her.

Angel, unflinching, caught the man’s hand. And in one move, snapped his wrist.

“Gaaaaaaah!” 

The man screamed, gripping his arm. But when he tried to step back, she slammed her right palm upward into his nose, breaking it on impact. The man grabbed his face and fell to the side. 

Bro watched dumbstruck as the second fake cop pulled a gun on Angel. And the dangerous girl spun and cracked the man’s throat with an elbow strike.

“Holy shit,” Bro muttered. In seconds, both men were laid out on the floor gasping for air. But worse. From Angel’s display of speed, precision, and epic brutality, Bro figured out what she was, “Oh hell no!” 

Not wasting another minute, he jumped over the bar and beelined for the backdoor. 

“Wait!” Angel yelled behind him and gave chase. 

From the tiny kitchen, he grabbed and threw a giant pot at her. When she ducked he kicked open the back door and rolled onto the gravel ground outside. But as he got up, Angel appeared behind him. 

“Crap.” Bro hopped up and bolted. But as he ran along the side of the bar-grill, the rapid-fire of assault rifles caught his ear. He stopped short at the corner of the building as two more cars full of men engaged in a firefight with Angel’s bodyguards in front of the gas pumps. “I knew this would happen,” he growled. 

But as Bro halted, he turned and blocked a one-two combo punch to his face by Angel. But her strikes were followed by a sidekick to his thigh. Argh, she's fast!

He absorbed the blow but didn't want to fight with her. When the fiery Angel threw another punch, he caught her arm and tried to hip-toss her to the ground. But she grabbed his collar and took him down with her.

"Get off of me!" he attempted to kick her and stand up at the same time. But Angel caught his leg, forcing him to drop face first, "Oof!"

Within a millisecond she was on his back and threw him in a choking headlock.  

“I told you to wait,” she growled in his ear.

“Agh, agh!” Bro fought to breathe, “Romero men...fighting your men...now!” he gasped, trying to reason with her. 

“No worries, my boys will make short work of them.” 

Angel squeezed tighter. But as Bro reached blackout levels, he lowered his head forward, then snapped it back at her nose. 

“Ah!” she yelped as the strike loosened her grip. Bro spun in her arms and pushed off her.  

But as Angel recovered, ready to pounce again, a cartel gunman appeared behind Bro. Before the bounty hunter could react, the gunmen’s head exploded, “Ah?”

When Bro looked up, he spotted Sis firing her shotgun from the passenger side window of the truck while Lupita drove.

“Let’s get outta here!” Sis yelled, shooting in Angel's direction. 

“I'm trying!” When Bro ran to the truck, Lupita hopped in the rear. As he took the helm, Angel retreated back to the bar-grill. 

Good! Bro thought. He didn’t want Angel dead, just literally off his back for a moment. “Let's go, Sis!” he shouted. 

“Copy!” She jumped in the truck. 

With bullets still flying from the cartel gunmen, Bro spotted Angel glaring at him from the bar-grill back door. He yelled out to her, “Angel! Fix your problem and get the money. I’ll call you as soon as I can!” 

He then mashed the gas pedal and raced down the black highway.

 

..

 

 

 

The Twins' Truck: 1989 Ford Bronco XLT 4x4