I DROVE AROUND FOR A WHILE. Down to the stadium, then onto I-95, and I lost track of time. When I finally got back to Carol City, I drove over to Gas and Grocery. I parked, walked in, and pulled a bottle of Pepsi out of the cooler. I paid and asked if Angel had been around. The girl simply shrugged her shoulders and turned around, stocking cigarette packs behind the counter.
He was sitting on the hood of the Prism when I walked out. Knowing how cheap the car was, I was concerned he might leave a dent. Hell, the car had so many dents already one more wouldn’t be noticed.
“Angel!”
“Man, how does it go?”
“It goes. Listen, tonight we’re dropping off a piece of mail from our truck into a trash can at Denny’s.”
I’m sure he thought I was crazy. He cocked his bald head and looked at me as if I’d lost my mind.
“You can give it to me. I’ll throw it away right here.”
“No. The Cuban guys asked us to drop it off. They’re going to pick it up and we’re going to try to follow them. We can see where they go and, hopefully, find our friend Vic.”
He shook his head. “You guys are crazy.”
“Yeah, well…” I knew he was right. Angel was much smarter than we were. “Do you want to come along?”
“Yeah. I do.”
The guy was as crazy as we were. Somehow that made me feel better.
“Do you want the complete package?”
“We do.”
Angel smiled, his white teeth contrasting with his dark skin. “Okay, man. I’ll bring everything. We’ll find those sons of bitches.”
The three caballeros. For justice, for a way of life. It was a stupid move on our part, but we were young and there’s an age when you understand death, you watch it happen around you, but you, you are invincible. Soldiers going into war must feel like that. Fear, trepidation, awe, but no doubt that you’ll come away alive and victorious.
“I want to show you something.” Angel motioned to me and we walked behind the Gas and Grocery.
I was invincible. Then, I thought about Em and my kid. I shook. This probably wasn’t a good time to be putting my life on the line.