Draft for review

[Rockwolf66]

***

Maria looked over the doors of the VW Safari that she had stored in Mexico. She had driven it out into the desert again and had dug up her guns. It wasn't that she wanted to kill again it was the fact that someone was threatening her friend. She didn't delude herself that everything would turn out alright. There was a very large chance that things were going to get bloody and she wanted to be ready for it. The thought of simply settling down someplace where noone knew her, getting fat and having lots of kids was a wonderful thought but it just wasn't practical. Still she had invited Johnny to dinner and a movie and he had accepted. her plan on how to get multiple, highly illegal firearms into the US was simple. Volkswagons at least the older models are so well made they float on water. If she got caught by Immigration and Customs Enforcement then she was caught. Usually Illegals were first detected by FLIR cameras and then live officers were directed into the area. Then there was Roving patrols, which radioed in their positions useing coded phrases. Maria had the codes given to her by a bribed officer. It seemed that the Cute little 19 year old College freshman who took the officer back to her place was really a 17 year old illegal with an apartment wired for sound. She knew that she was useing the man for her own gains. Still if she got the chance she was going to give the man the tapes once his usefulness was over. His usefullness ending when the man retired or was sent to prison on coruption charges. Stil she waited for the roving patrol to pass her position and get a couple miles down the road before she turned on her engine and headed into the river.

With the moon only a sliver the far bank was only a dark shadow even though it was much narrower than most people expect.it would bee like swimming across an olympic sized pool. Maria didn't know how to swim but she was putting her trust in the German engineers who designed the car and the silicone caulking that she put around every seam in the bodywork she could find. Still with the load the Safari was carrying she watched the water rise along the side of the door. Slowly the water inched up the side of the doway until there was about six inches between the water and the top of the Safari's doors. Still the air cooled engine sputtered along and the sand tires acted like paddles as the Safari imitated a boat delivering illicit cargo to a hostile shore. She missed her planned exit of the river and found a second several hundred yards down river. Gunning the engine Maria guided the Safari up the bank of the river and into a stand of trees. Stopping the car she got out and walked to the front of the car. from her purse she took out her smartphone and closed one eye. She keyed up the video camera and it's options and chose the nightvison setting. carfully she paced out the next hundred yards of woods. returning to her Safari she heard a rustling in the underbrush. freezing Maria slowly crouched down and listened to the sound trying to locate it. Soon she heard other sounds, grunting, squeeling and the clacking of tusks.

Maria had stopped in the middle of a pack of wild hogs. ICE would have been bad enough as she could always turn back into Mexico and try again latter. Wild hogs were a whole different matter as they were several times her size, territorial and she was unarmed. Normally animals didn't bother Maria and Maria returned the favor. Pigs were pigs and maria didn't get along with pigs unless they were roasting on a spit. Still she got up and slowly walked calmly to the Safari. Lumping over the side she reached over and slipped the shotgun out of it's bag. The shotgun was a Remington Model 870 with pistol grips, top folding stock and the barrel cut back to a meer 14 inches. It was a compact weapon that was currently loaded with a tube of 00 buckshot. Slugs would be much better for takeing the fight out od a pissed off and possibly hungry pig.

Turning the key Maria slipped the car in gear and crept along the trail she had scouted. Once out of the trees she headed north until she encountered a road. She then turned west and kept going until she heard on the radio that a roving patrol was heading her way. Carefully she turned off the road and into a wash and around a bend. Jumping out of the car she took a broom and returned to the road and swept away her tracks. it wouldn't do in the daylight against a skilled tracker but at night it might work. Still she waited behind a rock to observe La Migra making it's rounds.

The SUV slowly made it's way along the road and crept past Maria's position. She scrunched down against the ground while the vehicle passed. it was amazing what being small and quiet would do for you. Wearing an earthtone hoodie didn't hurt eather. When the vehicle disapeared down the road Maria got up and after listening to the patrols for a bit got back into her Safari and headed to an abandoned housing development in El Paso where she would hide the Safari and the guns.

***
Johnny looked at the pile of Chinese food on Maria's plate. He looked down at his own plate as he slipped a pair of chopsticks into his hand. As he poped a piece of chicken into his mouth Maria looked at him.

"Johnny how do you use chopsticks?" She asked sheepishly.

"Wait a minute you don't know how to use chopsticks." Johnny answers. "Take one stick and put it in the web of your hand like so. Then place the shaft on your ring fingernail. Use your middle finger to hold it in place. Use your thumb to hold the other stick against your index finger and use that finger to open and close the chopsticks."

"Like this?" Maria asks holding up her hand and trying to click the sticks together.

"Hold on." Johnny says before correcting her grip. "There you go with practice you should be able to eat rice like that."

The pair ate and quietly made small talk. Johnny kept finding his sky blue eyes drawn to Maria's emerald green eyes. under the table they seemed to keep bumping each others feet. For the pair it seemed that Love was in the air. Johnny paid the bill and the pair left the resterant.

"Johnny I really enjoyed the dinner." Maria said snuggling closer to Johnny.

"I did too." Johnny said looking down on the petite girl. "Now we could go see that movie..."

"Johnny." Maria inturupts him. "Does the rear seats of your Suburban fold flat?"

"Yeah...why." Johnny answers right before Maria kisses him on the lips.

Maria blushes and then says. "Forget the movie I wanna just kiss you forever."

"Don't you think that you are moving a little fast there?" Johnny asks. "What if I'm not looking for a girlfriend?"

"Johnny, I know about Amber and what happened to her. I'm not asking you to 'move on'. I don't have any desire to replace her." Maria says. "She is Tu Amore, your love. I have no right to try and take her place. After Mi Madre was murdered one of Mi Padre's girlfriends tried to act like my mother. I hated her guts and I was really happy when Mi Padre finally dumped her ass. As you said My life is mone to live and so your life is yours to live. I want to spend time with you because you make me feel safe and happy even though I know we arn't."

Johnny slipped his arms around Maria and stroked her nice firm curves. "What if I brought home strange girls to sleep with al the time when I wasn't tieing you down and beating you?"

"Juan would have other girls all the time and he was the one to take a whip to my back." Maria says looking down then stepping closer to Johnny. "You are much different than him. You care about the girls you are around. Even though you are a killer, we feel safe with you next to us. I wouldn't mind the rough stuff with you as I know it would be in fun and I'll be ok afterwards. As far as other girls go....If we are lovers, I'll probably have to share you just to give myself a chance to recover from something of that size."

Johnny leaned down and kissed Maria again. "I haven't even made out with you and we are already lovers. My the sunday confessions you must have."

"I shot the Padre." Maria said flatly.