Page 51 of Nomad

Cann was waiting when she finished getting ready and emerged from the bathroom.

His eyes swept her figure appreciatively. “Jesus. You look good.”

Unused to compliments like that, she flushed slightly. “Thank you.”

“Ready?”

“I guess.”

Gael was waiting at the front door. “You look lovely,” he said. “The car is waiting.”

It took only twenty minutes to drive to the border crossing. Gael was on the phone with Brant.

“Here,” Cann said to Bud as she sat next to him in the backseat. “You take the money.” He handed her all the cash that was left. “Brant and Garland, that’s his wife, are gonna take care of you. So don’t worry.”

“What do you mean?”

“I mean they’re gonna make sure you have a place to stay, doctor appointments, maybe help you find a job. Stuff like that. The details aren’t important. What is important is that you and that baby are not gonna be on the street again. You understand?”

Her eyes were large and liquid. She nodded as a single tear spilled onto her cheek.

“No. No. No. No. Not this again,” Cann said. “It shouldn’t make you sad that you’re gonna be okay.”

“That doesn’t make me sad, Johns. It’s that I don’t know what’s gonna happen to you next.”

“I’ll be fine. You need to show those TV fucks that you’re no little girl.”

She nodded and smiled as she turned her attention to pulling herself together.

They parked a short distance from the bridge and got out of the car.

Bud turned to Gael. “Thank you for everything you’ve done for us.”

He showed Bud his beautifully white straight teeth when he smiled. “It was delightful. You’re welcome anytime.”

A uniformed officer approached, shook hands with Gael and said something to Cann in Spanish. As they walked away, Bud heard Gael telling someone on the phone, in English, that the transfer had begun.

They could hear the noise of a large crowd and see that people were lining the roads on the other side.

“What is that about?” she said to Cann.

“Don’t know,” he replied.

The federale walking next to Cann said, “They’re here for you.”

“Me?”

The man glanced back at Bud. “And her.”

The minute they stepped onto U.S. soil, Russell stepped in front of Cann. “Put your wrists together.” Cann complied. Russell snapped handcuffs on him and said, “This isn’t procedure, as I’m sure you know, but you’re comin’ voluntarily. Right?”

“Yeah,” Cann said. “Voluntarily.”

TV reporters and cameras tried to get close. The three Rangers with Russell kept them at a reasonable distance, but they shouted questions at Cann.

“Cannon! What do you have to say to your fans?”

Cann looked at Russell, bewildered. “Fans?”