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Chuch flinched "Shit You don’t call that up on your first try You two pissed off so him in case the salt was a fluke, but it seeine His grandht him well The rest of the world, full of nors that went bue and bitter experience would always separate folks like Chuch, Chance, andhis arded us somberly before he spoke "We did, but I don’t have a choice They havebetween us, Chuch settled on me as most likely to answer his questions I wished I had the answers

"At this point, we’re not sure" I didn’t look at Chance as I filled Chuch in with as much as I knew, anyway Which didn’t amount to a whole lot He see in Mexico City

Chuch said, "I’ll tell you straight The only players in this area who could afford a sending like that are the narcotraficantes Could be two or three different cartels, though" My expression must have reflected disbelief, because he added, "What, you think the cartels don’t pay for hexes? It’s not like Hollywood, prima, all automatic weapons and shady dudes with oily mustaches You live in Mexico; why don’t you know this?"

"Sorry" I conceded the point with a nod, glad I hadn’t offended hi who your ht himself, but I didn’t want to see Chance’s reaction to the slip "Er, what is yourdealers," Chance said savagely He laid down his fork as if he wanted to stab someone with it "She owns a homeopathy store in Taleahts "So she knows things, uses her skill to heal the sick A curandera: that’s what she is now, primo But as she before?"

To my amazement, Chance had no answer for that

I cleared my throat "I think we’d better find out I’ to be So it’s showtiht the button out of my shorts’ pocket Since I had scabs atop old scars on ers and my eyes, I let the pain co down s

Pain unlocked the door

A dim and ht I focused on the i stood around a circle drawn in colored chalk At the center stood a wo as she led the ritual Silver glinted as she raised a knife high

Chicken blood The cement was stained with chicken blood

Sacrifice complete, the men knelt to her and she painted arcane symbols on each brow in turn The spell had the look of a covenant to ned in blood

I watched as she plucked a button from her blouse and flicked it toward the crates She was definitely leaving a trail for me to follow I just didn’t knohether I wanted to find her after what I’d just seen

Feeling the ta the button clatter onto the table It was useless now, like a dead battery My right hand stung but plastic didn’t sear like h I didn’t want to, I shared what I’d seen

The ot that kind of hudu? Could tell that from a button? But you acted like you couldn’t believe the cartels useto control their territory? I think you were bustin’ my balls"

I didn’t bother to say what I did wasn’t ue, sparing e of the table, quietly livid "Thatthat’s wrong They must’ve faked it somehow, planted it for us to find She isn’t--she doesn’t know about--"

Very gently Chuch asked him, "You sure, priht Sometimes the sound track makes all the difference; sometimes I interpret what I see incorrectly It happens But I don’t knohat other spin I could put on this Yi Min-chin led that ritual with expert precision She knew thethe idea that his mom wasn’t perfect In this world, soet of pure generosity, someone who puts our welfare before her own

Mine wore attar of roses and sang "All the Pretty Horses" to me before I slept She’d also practiced her craft openly and unwisely in Kilhbors When that ave her life for hs on me because I feel like I need to live twice as worthy a life in order to make up for her sacrifice And I’lared at us both, as if ere to blame for his shattered illusions Then he dropped his head into his hands I’d never seen hier had the right to coer felt sure he’d welcome my hands in his damp black hair

"It doesn’t matter," he said finally "If she’s in trouble, I have to help her"

Blood never stops calling for blood

Rock and a Hard Place

"I get that," Chuch said, nodding "I’d do the saet yourselves killed if you don’t start playing sht class"

"With all due respect," I returned "You don’t knohat I weigh"

The lance "One forty-two," he decided "If you’re being literal" His accuracy leftas he went on "If not, then you need to fill hnuts Neither guy was stupid enough to say it aloud if they thought it "I’ll let Chance do the honors I have to lared at me, but he already knew Saldana wasn’t our problem, so there wasn’t much he could say He could’ve played the jealous ex, but he wouldn’t want to show that side in front of Chuch Plus they really did have stuff to discuss