one last time

as  Sam was raising a dust cloud on the road to the reservation line, Marvin was sitting in the cozy spot bar. when the farmer came in the usual two customers didn't leave when the bar tender closed and locked the door.  they turned on their stools at the bar and watched the farmer slide into the booth opposite of rigsby.
  " wheres your truck?" the farmer growled
  " parked in the dime store parking lot. nobody picked up the package at the drop point. I was afraid...." marvin stammered
  " give me the keys." the farmer took them and held them up. one of the bar sitters stepped up, took the keys and went out the door. the farmer sat like a sphinx staring at rigsby. his mouth a straight line above his chin. his eyes cold and hard. the farmer pushed his cheap straw hat back on his head as the bar tender slid a cold glass of beer in front of him. marvins glass sat untouched.
  apprehension was taking over rigsby
s thoughts. he looked from the farmer to the remaining man at the bar and for the first time realized these two men who were always there were the farmers men. inwardly the fedral agent began to shake. the realization he maynot live to see tomorrow was very clear.
   the bar door swung open ten minutes later and the man who took the keys walked in through a shaft of light that spilled through the open door. he walked up to the farmer and layed the keys before him and nodded then returned to his seat on the bar.
  taking the keys and a envelope from the front of his shirt the farmer slid them across the table to rigsby. a smile now formed on the farmers face, but the eyes were unblinking like the eyes of a rattle snake about to strike. " the man at  the drop point got picked up. that's why no one got the package. its a good thing I can trust you huh?
   rigsby exhaled and nodded and reached for the keys and envelope .  " I cant do this anymore. theres people watching me and following me around. that's why I parked where I did.  ime going to put in for a transfer out of state. I just cant handle this."
  " ok, but I need you to make one more pickup for me. its simple. those fighter jets scared the bejesus outa that mex pilot. he wont come back. the  next package is coming up by mule. they will put it under the loading chute at the jenkens flat corrals. just pick it up and bring back to town. then your done. " the farmer was almost whispering. rigsby had the feeling that if he said no he would never leave the bar alive. he nodded
   " ok, the package will be there day after tomorrow. pick it up at 4 in the afternoon. the same drop point. ill have a new man there.  he will leave your envelope when he gets the bundle.  then get out of Arizona. I don't want to hear of you again. understood?"
    marvin nodded again, took the envelope and keys and slid out of the booth and looking straight ahead hurried out the door. out in the sunlight he took a big gulp of hot fresh air wipped the sweat from his black brow. he realized the sweat wasn't from the heat outside but from cold fear. he started walking fast toward his truck . one more trip and he was done. he knew better than not make the trip. the farmer would never let him leave town if he didn't do the job. what he didn't realize the farmer wasn't going to let him leave anyway.
  a hour later the farmer was at the sheep camp talking to Santiago. it was time to wipe the slate clean. the farmer didn't  like dirty slates.  the little killer was on the edge of his seat.  Santiago was a remorseless killer. a phycopathic murderer who lived for nothing else. this time he was promised a large sum of money and a new location. what the farmer didn't realize was that Santiago would have done it for nothing more than the sheer pleasure .  the crossed eyed killer looked dispassionately at the farmer who treated him like a unsightly wart. maybe when he was through he would finish the farmer too. but first the black man then the rancher and the Mexican woman.