Manuel could not believe how quickly and quietly Alex managed to take care of the whole thing. The two dead were whisked away in a hearse, the wounded man was taken by helicopter to Tucson, and the remaining prisoner went off to the local substation of the county jail. Wallace had very little to say. Alex did call Chiles and gave him a terse report, promising a written follow-up later. Manuel stood by, feeling useless, although he heard Alex speak well of him to their new boss.
When he had everything under control, Alex turned to him with a tight smile. “Hungry? I might try one of those burro things you had this morning now that it’s well past midday. I’m kind of traditional about breakfast, but after that, I’m game to experiment.”
Manuel’s stomach had still not settled enough to relish
