41
Juárez, Mexico
The pickup lurched to a sudden stop. This was it. The end of the road. Rios tensed at the prospect, her breath shortening and heart galloping. Her short life was speeding to an abrupt conclusion, every precious second slipping away.
And yet a delay in proceedings made it worse. The pickup sat with its engine running. There were shouts back and forth. Too far away to make out the cause of the debate.
Fear was replaced by confusion with her balaclava blindfold whipped from her eyes. Rios looked to the steel floor of the pickup as her eyes adjusted. She squinted into the sunlight and made out Pope across from her, also struggling to see.
After a few seconds more, everything came into focus. Rios peered around the side of the pickup and saw the convoy stopped at a weathe
