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And then he sets rabs a feet paper towels to clean me up "Thank you," I whisper, as he holds my shorts open so I can step back into them He even pulls up the zipper and buttons theood and ready, he unlocks the door and opens it up We get angry stares froer, and a look of disgust fro in front of the old people, "you gotta grab that moment, ya know? I just never knohich ones will be the life-changers, so I treat theood again So"--he does a little bow to the sies"

He holds s it, actually, until we reach the Huoes around to ju down on the seat of the Hu herlike crazy because it’s hot as hell in here "If you try and explain what took you so long, I will plugla-la-la So just don’t"

"Finally," Jaear "I have a way to render the Smurf speechless"

Andby Me too

Because slow and honest will get ht of the desert when the blood is practically dripping offit outside of an air-conditioned house, that’s another thing altogether And the 1992 Hu power

We ht be in hell

But the desert is a hell I can relate to It’s a hell I belong in It’s a hell that calls me over, invites me in, and offers me sanctuary from my sins The desert heat is a penance I joyfully accept on the off-chance that suffering in the heat is enough to dry the blood ondesert

But when you deal in death, you s can always get worse

Hell could be worse than the Sonoran Desert in the summer Hell could be the Sonoran Desert in the summer with ninety percent humidity

"Um," Harper says, as we stare at the shack Merc calls ‘the Sonoran safe house’ from the tepid comfort of the cli"

"It barely has walls," Sasha adds "I’ in there I bet there are more rattlesnakes inside than there are outside"

She’s probably right about that "Co Merc That assle never coh for me Ever Who has a shithole for a safe house? Mine are stocked with anything you could need on the run I got guns, I got a vehicle, I have first-aid kits in every bathrooet a hotel," Harper offers with a wave of hope in her voice "I’s has nice hotels It’s a resort town, isn’t it?" Shethe feeling she hates the desert too

I turn the engine off and the air-conditioning stops The three of us begin to sweat siet out of the Huh "Come on, let’s just rest a little bit and then we’ll see hoe feel once the sun goes down We should at least stay the night, then start again in the "

"It’s lunchtime, James," Sasha says with an irritated clip as she smacks the back door closed "Sunset is practically tonore the So wherever she wants I’m not her keeper We make for the front door as Sasha checks for snakes and Harper drags her feet behindon her Merc’s place looks like it was built by , walls are the only thing it has going for it Thick--I’ like three feet thick--adobe mud walls I know this because the front door is recessed back about that sa of burningdesert I use my t-shirt to twist the handle and find it unlocked so the door swings inward

A rush of cool air smacks us in the face and all three of us say, "Ahhhh," in surprise

"It does have air-conditioning," Sasha says

We all move forward into the house and then I close the door "No, I think it’s just naturally cool in here because of the adobe walls" We’re standing in a s down to a sunken room Up here on the terrace is another rooot bars on three sides

"It’s a jail," Harper says, looking up at the cell as she walks down the stairs to the living area

"An old jail, from like the cowboys and Indians days," Sasha adds "I bet Jesse Jahs and looks at s in a jail," Sasha says as she follows Harper "If that assle has a style, this is it Retro poky But it’s better in here than outside I guess we can stay These couches look coht, the couches do look comfortable, and the coolness makes everyone love it instantly It’s a helluva lot nicer on the inside than it is on the outside I have un ready in case there’s someone here, but I knohere Merc is, and it’s not anywhere near Pals, so it’s just a formality