Page 88 of Lash

A small single engine prop plane is being readied by an older man with weathered skin and gray hair, wearing dirty jeans and a dirty white tank top.

We all pile out of the vehicles; I climb out slowly, wincing.

"Uh, Ren?" Sol asks, eying the plane. "We aren't all fitting in there, buddy."

Lorenzo shakes his head. "No. We have to get Lorenzo and Beatriz somewhere Mercado can't get to them, at least until we take care of Mercado and rescue Sophia."

"So you're sending them…where?" Sol asks.

He shrugs. "I have a friend in El Paso who works for border control. I was thinking I would send them there. Mercado can reach across the border, but not easily."

Scarlett chimes in, then. "I have a better idea. You have your friend get you guys across the border, and then I’ll havemyfriends take you to a safe house I know of in Houston. We’ll put them in protective custody, basically, but off-book. Once shit has settled, if she wants to, we can bring Beatriz and Little Lorenzo wherever she wants to go.”

Lorenzo nods. "I like this plan. Let me talk to her and see what she says.

What follows is a very animated conversation between Beatriz, Lorenzo, and Scarlett. Obviously I cannot follow any of it, but Beatriz does not seem happy, and neither does Lorenzo.

"Yo, yo, yo!” Solomon shouts, silencing everyone. "Whatis the fuckin' issue here?"

Scarlett answers. "Beatriz doesn't like the planatfuckin'all."

Solomon rolls his eyes. "I do speak a little Spanish, you know. So yeah, I caught that."

"I do not speak Spanish, and I caught that," Tatiana says.

"She does not trust us," Lorenzo says. "More accurately, she does not trust our friends in the States. She says if she lets us put her in protective custody, she is afraid she will never be free again. She says the only way she will go along with it is if I go with her."

"Well that's fuckin' tricky," Solomon growls. "You’ve been invaluable."

"I know," Lorenzo grumbles. "I don't like it either. But I know Sophia well enough to know what she would tell me to do."

Sol nods. "She'd say you need to keep Beatriz and the kid safe and trust us to rescue her."

Lorenzo growls a sigh. “So, yes. That is what she would say." He scrubs the back of his neck. "I can still provide assistance remotely. Call me and I will do what I can over the phone."

The pilot finishes his preflight check and shouts something in Portuguese, Lorenzo shouts something back, then turns to the group. "So it is decided. I will go with Beatriz and Little Lorenzo and get them to safety in the United States. Scarlett, contact your people in Houston and send me the details when you have them."

Scarlett nods. "Will do." She extends a hand to him. “It’s been fuckin' real, Ren. You're a hell of an operator."

Lorenzo shakes her hand and then pulls her into a hug, a backslapping, one-of-the-boys sort of hugs. "You are a fearsome warrior, Maria Consuela Rodriguez. I am proud to have fought beside you. We will see each other again soon."

Scarlett nods, swallowing hard, and backs up. "Fuck off with the emotional shit, asshole,” she says, her voice tight. She gives him a two-finger salute. “See you soon, Ren."

Then it's Solomon's turn, and he and Lorenzo embrace, even more roughly, and then push each other away to grip forearms.

"That boy doesn't deserve any of this," Solomon says. "Keep him safe. Her too."

Lorenzo nods, his expression ferocious. "I will. He is a good boy." He shoots a glance at Scarlett. "It has been good for my soul to watch you and her find your love. It gives me hope that Sophia and I can find that for ourselves."

Solomon claps him on the arm. "You will, brother." He pulls up his sleeve and shows Lorenzo the brand. "And when this is done, you and Scarlett can take the brand and become Broken Arrows with the rest of us. You're one of us now, Ren."

Lorenzo hesitates. "It would be an honor to be oath-bound with all of you. But this is not goodbye, only farewell for now."

The pilot shouts again, and Lorenzo gives him a thumbs up.

"We must go. The pilot is impatient. it is a long flight to El Paso." He scans the rest of us. "I will see you all soon. Rescue my Sophia. Please. I have lost her twice. Youmustfind her."

Chance steps forward. "No fuckin' doubt, man. Inez saved us all. She made us Arrows. We’ll pull Mercado's world down around his fuckin' ears or die tryin'."