The Painted Boy (25 page)

Rosalie never brought her dogs into the desert, not even at night when there was no one around. She knew Jay had been doing that, but when she walked them, she didn’t. There was just too much trouble that the dogs could get into otherwise. They could turn into a real hunting pack, going after mule deer or a jackrabbit. Once that started, it was hard to stop them, and it would just cause too much trouble the next time she took them out in the barrio. And then there were the thorns they picked up brushing against the cacti. Working out the fishhook cholla barbs was a chore that neither she nor the dogs enjoyed.

 

 

Somehow those problems had never come up when they were out with Jay.

But Jay wasn’t here, the dogs were at home tonight, and it was just the three of them on the trail, heading up into the mountains: Ramon in the lead, Rosalie following him, with Anna taking up the rear. They each carried a small pack filled with supplies: water, energy bars, flashlights, and small first aid kits. Ramon carried a rope and had a knife sheathed at his belt, but he’d also given each of the girls a compass and a map of the area into which they were heading.

“Why do we need these?” Anna asked as she took the map and compass from him.

“It’s in case we get separated,” Ramon explained.

“Except we’re not going to get separated,” Rosalie said.

Ramon nodded. “That’s the plan. But the desert has a way of messing up plans. It’s always better to go in prepared, instead of running into trouble and then wishing you’d been more cautious.”

Rosalie was nervous, but once they were on the trail, she could feel herself relaxing. The moonlight was so bright that they had no trouble following the slow switchbacks up into the foothills. The saguaro towered high on all sides, casting deep shadows. Something about the giant cacti always brought a feeling of peace.

“It’s all so beautiful in this light,” she said.

Ahead of her, she saw Ramon’s head bob in agreement. “The sacred beauty,” he said. “That’s what the
mescaleros
call the desert in the light of the full moon.”

“I don’t know about the beauty,” Anna said. “This reminds me of the old days when we used to go out and party in the desert. Drink some beer, smoke a little moto.”

“Yeah, a few years makes a big difference,” Ramon agreed. “I guess we were all crazy back then, into the whole party scene. Hell, I even wanted to be a gangbanger.”

“You?” Rosalie said.

She couldn’t hide her surprise. But Anna took it in stride.

“I didn’t know that,” she said.

“There’s lots we don’t know about each other. Everybody’s got a whole hidden world hiding there behind their eyes.”

“But a gangbanger?” Rosalie said. “Why?”

Ramon shrugged. “When you’re a little kid all you see is the low riders and how cool the
bandas
look. They’re styling. Party all the time, pretty girls on their arms. What’s not to like? You don’t see the violence. You think of it as a way of
protecting
yourself against violence because you’re part of a crew. Nobody’s going to mess with you.”

“And then?” Rosalie asked.

He shrugged. “You either stay stupid or you grow up and see it for the lie it is.”

Anna laughed. “You sound like one of the pamphlets Mrs. Mercia keeps in her office.”

“Doesn’t mean they aren’t true.”

Anna was silent for a long moment and Rosalie knew she was thinking about her brother.

“Yeah,” she finally said.

“How are we supposed to summon these desert spirits?” Rosalie asked, to change the subject.

Ramon glanced back at her. “Honestly, I have no idea. Alfredo only told me the best places to look. He said it would become clear once we were in the right place.”

“That’s helpful,” Anna said. “I’m surprised he didn’t tell you that we should get naked and dance in the moonlight.”

“Like you wouldn’t enjoy that,” Rosalie said.

“Out here with cacti?” Anna said. “I don’t think so. For me, Our Lady of the Barrio, it has to be the right time and right place, and this is neither. But I’d love to see
you
cut loose for a change.”

“I’d do it if it could actually help Jay.”

Anna grinned. “Oh, I’m sure you getting naked would be a big help. What do you think, Ramon?”

He turned his head, teeth flashing in the dark.

“I think you’re a troublemaker,” he said, “but it doesn’t make me love you any less.”

“Come on,” Anna said. “I’m just trying to lighten the mood.” She paused a moment, then added, “If it wasn’t for me, we wouldn’t even be out here looking for Jay.”

“How do you figure that?”

“Well, according to Rosalie, I’m the one that drove him away.”

“I didn’t say that,” Rosalie said. “I just . . . you know—”

“Wanted me to look past the end of my nose. I get it. I’m here, aren’t I? But I have to tell you, I don’t think we’re going to find any spirits waiting for us. I mean, yeah, everything looks all mysterious and cool in the moonlight, but really. Helpful spirit guides showing up just because we need them? What are the odds?”

“I don’t know,” Ramon said. “The new boy in town likes you, but it turns out he’s carrying around the spirit of some big old dragon inside him. What are the odds of that?”

“Okay, okay.”

Anna stopped walking and raised her arms up to the sky. The other two turned to look at her.

“Oh great and mighty spirits of the desert,” Anna cried out. “Please come to us. Show us how we can find and help our friend Jay.”

While Rosalie knew Anna was only goofing off, she couldn’t shake the unexpected feeling that something was listening—the cacti, the land underfoot, she wasn’t sure what. But whatever it was, it made the hair at the nape of her neck stand up. Then, as Anna’s voice echoed off into the desert, the world seemed to give a little shiver and Rosalie knew a moment of vertigo. She had long enough to notice that the moonlight suddenly seemed brighter before an unfamiliar voice spoke from directly beside her, saying, “Wow, is she always such a drama queen?”

Rosalie jumped, bumping hard into Ramon. The two of them would have gone tumbling into the cholla except that the stranger, moving more quickly than Rosalie would have thought possible, grabbed them each by an arm, pulling them back onto the trail.

Not only was the stranger quick, Rosalie thought, but she was strong, too. And then she realized who it was.