The Water Knife

At the Vet’s compound, everyone watches as smoke rises in the west. The Vet’s men begin scrambling and jumping into trucks. Damien runs past Maria and tells her, “Got to go put some Merry Perrys in their place” (312). Everyone, including the Vet, leaves the compound to go join the fray. Maria can hear the gunfire in the distance. After some time, Toomie comes to free Maria. Before Maria leaves, she releases the hyenas inside the Vet’s compound. She tells Toomie, “If the Vet comes back, maybe he gets a surprise” (314). Maria and Toomie slowly make their way back to Toomie’s house. Maria tells Toomie that she’s going to try to cross the border and get out of Phoenix. When Toomie tells Maria that she’ll die trying to cross, she responds that she’s dead in Phoenix, too. Toomie offers to hide Maria with him but Maria refuses. Maria offers to help Toomie cross with her, but Toomie says he can’t cross the river with his bad leg.

Angel hallucinates that he’s a child again, helping his mother make tamales. Angel wakes up to Lucy reviving him with CPR. He goes under again and hallucinates the sicario talking to him.