The Serpent and the Crow

Book 2: Chapter One

Wade saw Douglas comforting Catalina in the hospital waiting room. She still wore her medical uniform. There were groans and grunts of agony from patients near the ICU, nothing compared to Catalina's pain. The entire ward filled with the sounds of her sorrow.

He received a call. It was the Chief.

"Hank here. How's it going?"

"You need to make Proctor talk. What else does he know?"

"Not a lot, old Hank admits."

"Well, get Bolívar to make him talk. We need to catch this guy."

"Oh, we're going to get 'em, Wade. May sweet baby Jesus strike my ass like a struck match on the fourth of July, if old Hank's going to hammer the nail into his coffin. Let me tell you, son, Halonie is my goddaughter, and old Hank ain't got a lot of nothing in his life worth doing right by. That son of a bitch will swing on county lines between Solemn and Armadillo if it pleases the court. But Wade... Bolívar and his crew of Illegals are gone."

"What the hell do you mean gone, Hank?"

"As in, say Vaya con Dios, 'cos them fuckers had left faster than my Daddy done did when old Hank was born."

"Proctor?"

"They have served Justice."

"Please tell me he's breathing?"

"Old Hank got to the Fiesta late. The mariachi band made a bloody Piñata out of Proctor. It was hard to tell if he was still alive when they cut his throat open and pulled his tongue through it. I didn't think a Colombian Necktie was a thing. I guess they have the same fashion style in Mexico."

The Dead Men had their own agenda. Proctor had been a significant drag on their operations. But Proctor was their only actual eye witness.

Wade said, "What about the young woman?"

"What, girl?"

"The hostage? The black lady?"

"She's in Armadillo County Hospital with Jador and Cortez."

Douglas and Catalina were talking to the doctor. Wade hung up and approached the couple.

The Doctor said, "She has minor injuries, but she is still unconscious."

Douglas asked. "When will she wake up?"

"Mr Nez, your daughter has gone through quite an ordeal. She's stable, but it's going to take some time for your daughter to regain consciousness. Smoke inhalation and she suffered a severe concussion. The good news is she'll be ok."

Wade thought twice about asking Douglas to come with him to Armadillo and turns towards the exit.

Douglas said, "Where are you going?"

"Nowhere good...you should stay with your daughter."

"He's coming with you, Wade," said Catalina, "my other daughter is still out there, and that means she's nowhere good too."