<b>Roo'd</b>

# Roo'd

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# Chapter #41

Everything went according to Tonx’s plan. They cruised into Mexico sometime late evening and found the Denny’s no problem. There wasn’t much room to park the truck in the lot, so Marcus ended up bribing a policeman to issue them a temporary working permit so they could park on the road. Once they got inside Cessus made them move seats twice. Eventually they wound up with their backs to the bathrooms, facing the door.

“Are you always this careful?” asked Poulpe.

“Try to be” said Cessus.

They ordered dinner, Marcus ordering two, and dug in. It was good stuff, better than what Fede was used to at home.

“Denny’s is different down here” he said around mouthfuls of bacon burger.

“Not as greasy” said Marcus. “They add too damn much up in the U.S.”

“This is less grease?” asked Poulpe.

“Hell yeah” laughed Cessus. “After all this is over we’ve got to take you to a Fat Burger joint, man.”

“Fat Burger?” asked Poulpe “Are you for serious? There is a place called ’Fat Burger’?”

Fede almost shot coke out his nose, he laughed so hard.

“It is a strange country I’ve come to” said Poulpe.

“Yeah, the irony’s heavy” said Cessus.

“Besides, you’re not in the U.S., you’re in Mexico. And you’re about to be in China” said Marcus. He raised a finger to signal their waiter.

“Indeed. We are jet-setting, no?” asked Poulpe. “Like rock stars.”

“Except for the people trying to kill us, yeah” said Fede.

“Come on now” said Cessus. “Man’s got a point. Didn’t you ever want to go to China?”

Fede raised his eyebrows and shoveled more fries into his mouth.

“Uno more Sunrise Special” said Marcus to their waiter.

“Yes sir, right away” he replied.

“Fucking English all over the world” said Marcus.

“This is your global economy” said Poulpe. “Are you not pleased?”

Marcus grunted. “I like the prices, but the deculturization is crap. I want to live a quality life as much as the next guy, and can understand the mechanisms that get people to sell out their heritage for it, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it.”

Baby came in the front door, caught sight of them. His tan had faded somewhat and he looked less like a raccoon; Esco had insisted he rub in some tanning lotion before they left the beach. His eyes shifted nervously back and forth across the restaurant, and when the waiter approached he almost jumped through the window.

“How was your drive?” asked Cessus as he skittered over to their table. “Everything go okay?”

“Yeah, yeah” said Baby. “I just don’t like it down here. Mexicans don’t go much for Puerto Ricans, you know?”

“Why?” asked Poulpe.

“Puerto Rican’s get U.S. citizenship automatically” said Cessus. “The Mexican’s just get shipped around as labor. Unequal opportunity.”

“Why is this?” asked Poulpe. “You are such charming people.”

“Puerto Rico is part of the U.S., officially. Means we got U.S. passports real easy” said Baby. “Mexicans don’t, even though they’re right next door and always getting used for labor. We competed for a lot of the same jobs, except we had the obvious advantage. After the deregulation of the border it got worse. Listen, it’s a long story. It doesn’t matter” He pushed his bag under the table. “I’m going to take a piss. Order me a burger, okay? No onions.”

After Baby had had his dinner they sat, waiting. Baby kept ducking under the table to pull on his oversized headset, waiting for messages. Poulpe ordered an ice cream but announced that it was disgustingly sweet as soon as it arrived, and left it on the table to melt.

Fede was stuffed. He leaned back and pulled on his soda, waiting. He didn’t know what was coming next, kept telling himself it was out of his hands. He thought about what Cessus had said, tried to think of it as an adventure, but it wasn’t working.

“China’s not known for its human rights, is it?” he asked.

“Not known for their human rights violations, either” said Marcus. “Not anymore, anyway. They’re still gunning to get their currency established as the international standard.”

“Where the fuck are they?” asked Baby. “Esco’s supposed to comm me as soon as they get on the flight.”

“Probably got delayed” said Cessus. “This is Mexico, after all.”

“That’s not protocol” fretted Baby. “He’s not responding, either.”

“Don’t worry about it” said Marcus, his voice heavy. He glanced up at the clock. “Cessus?”

Cessus smiled wide, big white teeth glimmering. He stood, shouldered his bag.

“Yep. I reckon it’s time to go. Poulpe, Fede, if you’ll follow me?”

He gestured towards the exit.

“What the fuck?” asked Baby. He reached for his pocket, started to stand.

Marcus’s arm fell around his shoulders like a weight and he crashed back into his chair.

“Let’s have a coffee, shall we?” Marcus asked Baby.

“Sorry, man” said Cessus. “That’s business. Tonx’s orders.”

“But we got no comm from them” protested Baby.

“You got no comm from anybody” said Cessus. He jerked a thumb over Baby’s head at the wall behind him. “Men’s room, taped under the sink. Jammer, paired with a fake signal. Gave your comm something to talk to. But your messages aren’t going anywhere. Tonx’s girl worked it up in-between sets out at the beach.”

Baby blinked widely, twice.

“You can keep it” said Cessus. “Some pretty neat wiring in there. The girl’s got mad skills with a soldering iron.”

“Just stay cool and you’ll do okay” said Marcus. “We’re going to sit here for a little while longer while they get on their flight, and then you’re going to go on a sightseeing cab ride. Don’t piss anyone off and I won’t have to explain how a Puerto Rican is trying to rip off a Mexican Denny’s. You follow?”

Baby just nodded, dumbly. Poulpe suddenly made that huffing sound that Fede recognized as laughter.

“Baby” said Cessus, leaning over towards the man. “You’re a good guy, you know? Maybe next time we can work on the same side of a contract.” Baby nodded again, took a deep breath. He shrugged.

“That’s biz.”

Cessus smiled a lopsided grin and turned, ushering Poulpe and Fede out ahead of him.

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