“How can this be your “foolproof fallback plan?” Now I know why you wouldn’t tell me about it,” Alex said.

Jason sighed, looked over, and said, “Like I told you, it had to be kept totally secret. We couldn’t have you Googling it or talking about it. The cops and FBI will interview people, track your searches, and figure out what we’re doing.” Then he looked back down the road and made a small steering correction that sent extra dust into the air.

“So, what about your searches? You must have researched this shit show.”

“I only used library computers. I doubt you even know where the library is.”

“Well, this totally sucks anyway. I’m expecting cartel gunmen or banditos to have a roadblock over one of these hills.”

“Hey, don’t blame me, you’re the one that said Bob was cool. Bob the narc.”

“It is what it is,” Alex mumbled.

“So, stop whining. We just gotta keep our eye out and make it to the next border. Guatemala is supposed to be nice.”

“Isn’t it mostly Guatemalans that are trying to get into the US these days? It can’t be that fucking nice.”

“There you go again,” Jason said.

They continued down the dusty backroad for another twenty minutes or so, watching the desert terrain go by. There was a scattering of scrub brush and cacti, and they could see mountain ridges in the distance.

“What will we do in Guatemala?” Alex asked.

“That’s the cool thing. There’s plenty of wilderness. We just build us a cabin and hang out for a few years. Till this all blows over.”

“In the woods? What the fuck will we eat?” And what will we actually do?”

“Bananas and wild game are everywhere down there. And we find us some hot Senoritas. That’s all we need.” Jason explained.

“Just women and bananas, I don’t know man.”

“It’ll be cool. You know there are nice beaches on both sides of the country. Endless summer.”

“Now that sounds nice. What kind of wild game?”

“What?”

“You said there’d be a lot of wild game.”

“Crap, I don’t know. Probably a lot of deer, monkeys, and shit.”

“I’m not eating no monkeys. They are like relatives or something.”

“What? What are you talking about?” Jason asked. “You mean apes?”

“I don’t know, but it’s part of our family tree or some shit.”

“Whatever, don’t eat the damn monkeys. There’ll be plenty of other animals.” Jason said as they crested a large hill.

“Oh fuck, is that a roadblock?” Alex asked. “Those fuckers have assault rifles. Stop – or go around them!”

Jason swerved the car to the right into a mostly flat expanse of desert raising an extra-large cloud of dust. “Fuck yeah, I’ll just go around them.”

“Damn, a couple pickups are following us. They’re catching up fucken fast!” Alex said while looking out the back window. Then he reached under his seat for his nine-millimeter.

Suddenly there was a hail of bullets, and some penetrated the rear window. One also penetrated the back of Jason’s head sending a splattering of blood and gore onto the windshield. The car then veered out of control and rolled several times before lodging against a large cactus.

Alex couldn’t get his window or door to open. He mumbled, “God damnit. Fucking foolproof fallback plan my ass.”

The last thing his brain registered was a hand holding a pistol in the dusty air outside the car window. He didn’t have time to raise his gun.