T Jefferson Parker
The border Lords

Prologue

"Charlie, Gravas here. Reporting live from the Wild West."

"Good to hear from you, friend."

"My machine gun peddlers got a whiff of something. Me waiting there with my cash and meth like a dude with flowers and chocolates. They stood me up. How's my Seliah?"

"She sounded great like she always sounds."

"She doesn't tell you how hard this is for her."

"Neither do you."

"I feel strong, and clear in the eye. I want someone bigger than those machine gun punks anyway. I want someone with heft. I'm making some contacts out here. I'll get within spitting distance of Carlos Herredia if it kills me. Maybe I shouldn't put it that way."

"You're where you need to be. And when it's done you're out and rolling home."

"If Seliah needs something, she's going to call you."

"As always."

"I keep coming back to her, don't I?"

"You're supposed to come back to her."

"Gotta go now. Bad actors, incoming."

"Vaya con Dios."

"Yeah. I always go with God when I waddle around in hell."