Zona

Summer passed into fall and winter. Things were quiet except for the annual murder at the fiestas marking the September 16th Mexican independence day. Every year some poor doper was knocked of in what seemed to be a sacrifice for luck in the coming marijuana harvest. Alvaro was busy sending loads over the line into the overgrown trailer park east of town. Eric had settled in to the routine of working the line and doing removal paperwork on people attempting to enter with fraudulent visas and green cards. He and Amy started running around town together after a period of meeting at his house in Sierra Vista to go out. Enough people had spotted them together that it was no surprise to see his car parked overnight at her house.

Amy introduced Eric to her brother David Aguilar. David was happy to see her with someone who didn't seem to mind that she had a son and was very pleased when he saw the two at one of Michael's baseball games.

David walked up the walkway to Amy's house and found Eric sitting on the porch smoking a cigarette.

"Let me put this inside" David said referring to the big brightly colored wrapped box.

An excited voice greeted David.

"Uncle David!"

David came back out with two beers.

"So she's banished you outside to smoke?"

"No, actually she never said anything. I just figured that since she doesn't smoke and Michael hasn't started yet."

David looked angrily and Eric winked and laughed.

"I'm actually starting to quit. I'm down to six a day from a pack."

"So what do you think of our little Douglas?"

"It seems quiet enough. The dopers here are a much mellower breed than in Laredo. They seem more polite when they come through."

"It's probably the size of the two towns and the fact that most of the dopers went to school in Douglas. We all know who they are and they know that the quieter they stay the farther away big law enforcement stays."

"Just don't try to tell the feds here that."

"They're a cocky lot alright. Too bad they haven't been able to put anybody significant away to justify their opinion of themselves."

"What about you?"

"Me, I'm just a beat cop chasing hub cap thieves."

"Yeah, right. One thing I learned in Laredo. The good ones let the idiots make all the noise. Some of these guys around here are pretty fun to watch. They have some big fans in a few of the inspectors. I had one guy to point the dopers out as they drove by and tell me of their exploits. The Burrolas and the Pachecos and of course I've been warned of the "dirty" inspectors."

"Do you think there are any inspectors who are actually dirty?"

"Hell, there's gotta be one or two. That's a given. Now just how active they are is another question."