BIG HORN 21

in the little mexican border town of sonoyta was a little, dark cantina. it sat in a old building and was long and narrow. at a table at the back of the room george sat with a mug of warm beer. it was bitter. he really didnt want it but he was killing time waitting for his meeting. through the door came a mexican man. he was dressed in a high end polo shirt, pressed and creased canvas slacks and adidas tennis shoes. a red scarf was knotted around his neck. it was there not for style but to cover a long scare. behind him stepped two hefty mexican me. also dressed impecably. they say down at a table by the door. one of them nodded at the bar tender and pointed out the door. the bar tender scurried out on to the side walk where he lit a cigarett. the first man walked straight to the back table and pulled a chair out and sat down. " ok gringo, when will you be ready for another shipment?" the man asked. george looked at him and shook his head" i dont know yet. we are still trying to make arrangments with the new owners. they are pretty straight up. we might need to open a different rout. move to the next ranch to the east. it has absentee owners." george had a alternative in mind. the cartel man glared at george"but wont that be a longer trail, less water and not as good a load out on the hiway?" " yes, but it wont have as many people moveing about. i never dreamed my exwife would do all the things she is doing. hell, half of casa grande is working out there. we tried to get a mexican employee to work with us. he just moved his family out there. now theres more than before. ill work out the details on the next ranch. ill put water at places along the trail. its empty, no one lives there. its safer."george was selling the new rout the best he could.. the cartel mexican stood up, " we are ready to go with a train now. ill send some armed men to open the trail if possible. you just be at the pick up point in 4 days at mid night. you drop the ball and you wont need to worry about a different trail." the man turned and walked back out the door his two body guards stood up as he passed and followed him into the street. the body guard slipped back behind the bar, visable shaken. george dropped some money on the table and left the warm beer where it sat. he stood there a minute then walked to his car parked outside on the street. he tried not to show it but he was scared stiff.