Ultraviolence

A big mystery

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It's been 5 days. 5 whole days and you haven't called. Or sent a message. Maybe your phone's dead. Maybe you're just too shy. Too intimidated by him. Yeah, that has to be it. Lalo can't help but chuckle at the thought of you nervously typing and deleting the same message over and over again. You must want to impress him.

Lalo can't think of another explanation for your lack of contact. Because you were so happy to see him, no? He's driven by Los Pollos a few times over the past couple of days. Just to take a quick look at that pretty face of yours. If he drove slow enough, he could see you through the windows. Wiping down tables, helping customers. Always wearing that ugly yellow shirt and red apron. He wonders what you look like when you're not working. How you like to present yourself.

Anyway, enough about you. Sorry, niña, but he still has other matters to attend to. He grabs his binoculars, a notepad and throws a couple of beers and some snacks in a small cooler. He might be gone for a while. He's going to find out what's going on with El Pollero's business one way or another. That chicken farm Ignacio showed him seems like a good place to start investigating. He'll go on his own this time. Doesn't need to hear Nachito's sighs every ten seconds. Guy really needs to let loose. Would be so much more fun if he did. They'd make a good duo.

He hops into his beloved Chevrolet Monte Carlo and drives to a secluded spot near the chicken farm. It's way out in the desert, smart move, Fring. He parks the car, making sure it's decently hidden. He grabs his stuff and looks around for a spot to sit down and do some investigating. His eyes fall on a hilltop, good spot as any. And it is, he can see everything that's going on at that mysterious chicken farm.

It's a pretty good coverup. Nobody thinks twice about a chicken-fastfood chain sending trucks to a chicken farm. Time goes by slowly. Lalo makes sure to write down everything even mildly important. Gus' men are leaving and entering the premises. He writes down how often and how many men there are. This guy seems to have his own little empire, huh. Thinks he's some kind of big shot. He sips his cold beer and hums a Spanish song while he observes the goings-on.

Suddenly there seems to be a wave of panic hitting the farm. Men rushing to their cars. What is going on? Lalo spots El Pollero. The Chilean gets into a car, ready to drive off in a hurry. What the hell is going on, he wonders. Only one way to find out. He grabs his stuff and decides to follow Fring and his men. Curious to see what all the fuss is about. The tires of his Chevrolet cause a cloud of dust as he hits the gas.

After a while, the car Fring is in comes to a halt. At a.. TravelWire? A money transfer office? Now what would Fring be doing here? Lalo grabs the binoculars from the passenger seat and tries to see what's happening from a safe distance. An old, bald gringo gets out of his car and walks into the building.
He seems to be asking the employee for something. After a while, one of Fring's other men gestures it's time for grandpa to come back. They both get in Fring's car, but they don't drive off.

Lalo squints his eyes. The car's windows are slightly tinted, which makes it hard to see what's going on. Looks like the bald gringo is talking to Fring. It actually seems like Fring is listening as well. Lalo doesn't know him, but he must be an important hombre if he's the one that Fring is taking advice from. After a few minutes of what seems to be a discussion of plans, the old man steps out of the car.

Fring's car drives off and Lalo rubs his soul patch, thinking of what to do next. Obviously there's something going on. Now he has to choose his next step. And he has to do it carefully. Following Fring might be too much of a risk. If he were to spot him, well, Lalo doesn't know what would happen. He's not scared of the confrontation, or Fring as a person, but it wouldn't be good for business. Maybe this gringo is worth keeping an eye on.