The sun ran over everything in sight. An oppressive heat poured over anyone brave enough to venture out during the daylight hours. Even the lizards, so common this far into the Mexican desert, were nowhere to be seen. The droning of locusts made the oppressive heat seem all the more sweltering.

Carlos wiped the sweat from his forehead with an already sweat drenched sleeve. He hated being out in this heat. His eyes hidden behind mirrored sunglasses, he looked over the man before him for the hundreth time. Trim and fit, the man would have looked in good health had it not been for the deep skin of dirt that covered him entirely. Deep, wise brown eyes stared back from underneath shaggy brown hair. No matter how he was addressed, or what was said, a rueful smirk of acceptance was the only way the man communicated.

…

As the pickup drove away into the sunset, Carlos thought again of the gringo left in the desert. He saw the man standing in his own grave, still with that smirk on his face. Carlos shook his head.