The Devil's Highway

Chapter 7 begins on May 19. Mendez wakes and prepares for his day, trying to shake off his hangover from the night before. He thinks about how his confidence has grown. He is not afraid of anyone, but he is nervous about the desert. Anyone would be. When it’s time to go, Maradona has not arrived. Mendez was depending on him. His skills and knowledge were valuable enough that El Negro replaces him with two other guides, Santos and Lauro.

They meet the walkers at a restaurant called Nelly’s. They all separate briefly to buy waters and sodas, and then regroup at the bus station. Given what they are about to attempt, the amount of provisions seems highly inadequate. A few bottles of water and soda against the hell of the desert? And yet, the walkers are acting on the orders of the Coyotes. At no point are they told that they need more or could be better outfitted.

They board a bus and head towards San Luis. They are let off within one hundred yards of the American border, before being packed into a van that takes them to another checkpoint.