followed. As they came closer, he heard a man's voice from inside. He took a position just outside the metal door. He looked at Lindsay and put a finger to his mouth. They waited.
But not for long.
The metal door opened, and a large man backed out. Jesse stabbed the needle into the man's neck and emptied the Botox into him. But the man did not go down. He was a big hombre and very strong. He swung around and grabbed Jesse by the neck. Jesse tried to knock his arms off, but it was as if he were hitting tree trunks.
Lindsay knew. She held the syringe like a knife and stabbed the needle into the man's neck and emptied the Botox. Then she jumped on his back and wrapped her arms around his neck and choked him. He swung around with her clinging tight and Jesse fighting him. He was strong, but she soon felt his body slowing. Weakening. Finally he collapsed to the ground.
'You are a tough woman,' Jesse said.
'Like wrestling a calf at spring roundup.'
'Well, he will not have wrinkles for some time,' Jesse said. 'Bring the truck.'
She drove the truck over. The girls came out and helped them load the big man into the back. Jesse covered him with scrap wood and metal.
'What are you going to do?'
'He is a coyote. That is what they call men who bring Mexicans north. I would like very much to kill him, but I cannot. Hippocratic Oath. So I will drive him far into the Chihuahuan Desert and dump him. There he can live among real coyotes. Or not.'
'What about the girls?'
'Take them to the clinic and feed them. When I return, we will take them to the Mexican consulate in Laredo. They will reunite them with their families. Come on, Pancho.'
He got into the truck and drove off.
The governor's last press conference in the State Capitol had drawn two local print reporters and no cameras. But that day he walked into a press room crowded with twenty-five reporters and a dozen cameras; it was the first opportunity for the local media to question Bode Bonner, American hero.
'Governor-are you going to run for president?'
'No, I'm happy being governor.'
'Oh, give it a shot, Governor.'
Carl Crawford, being funny again.
'I told you, Carl, I can't bear to leave you.'
'Really, it's okay.'
'Nope. Won't do that to you. Heck, if I weren't governor, what would you write about? What would you do with your life if you weren't searching for scandals about me?'
'Well, now that you mention it, Governor, I did want to ask you about your last campaign expense report, which shows several questionable charges.'
'Such as?'
'Such as a seven-hundred-dollar charge at Cabela's for a three-fifty-seven Magnum handgun and'-he read from a document-'a camo cami with matching thong.'
A camo cami?
Bode glanced over at Mandy. She winked. He turned back to Carl.
'We used the gun in a commercial.'
'What about the camo cami?'
'I expect I'll see that camo cami pretty soon.'
The other reporters laughed. Who could begrudge a hero a little fun with a camo cami?
'Anything else today, Carl?'
'Yes. There was also a three-thousand-dollar charge at the Gap here in Austin and a six-hundred-dollar dress at Ralph Lauren on Rodeo Drive in L.A.'
Bode pointed at Josefina standing by the door with Mandy. She was wearing the yellow dress.
'I bought that yellow dress for her. And clothes for the kids. And I paid for glasses and dentists and doctors for them. You got a problem with that?'
'Uh… no.'
Carl shut up and sat down. Kim, the student reporter, stood.
'Governor, can we talk to the children?'
'Sure.'
He motioned to Mandy. She led the kids into the room then Bode introduced them. Cameras flashed, and reporters gathered close to the children. The reporters asked no questions about the budget deficit or mistaken executions or even the governor's work schedule this time. All of their questions were directed at the children. Josefina called him ' el hombre ' and ' mi heroe ' again.
These Mexican kids were the best thing that ever happened to Governor Bode Bonner.
'?Futbol? ' Ruben said.
'No. Football americano. ' Bode pointed out to the field. 'See?'
' Si.'
'No. See. Watch.'
They had stopped off at the UT stadium. The Godzillatron showed a clip of Bode Bonner, number 44, running an interception back for the winning touchdown against Oklahoma. That was a hell of a game. ESPN wanted to interview him at halftime.
'Governor!'
The star quarterback ran over to Bode and gave him a high-five and a football signed by the entire team. The scene played out on the massive HDTV screen. The crowd cheered. The quarterback jogged back onto the field. The head coach hurried over to Bode and stuck his hand out.
'Governor! Good to see you! Thanks for stopping by. So what do you think about the team?'
They were playing another orange-white spring practice game. The Mexican boys were excited even though they didn't have a clue what was going on. Mandy was bouncing like a cheerleader, but the attention that day was on the governor of Texas.
'They look like national champions.'
The coach said something into his mike then turned to Bode.
'Third and one. What do you think, Governor?'
'Play action. Go long, Coach.'
The coach called the play, and the quarterback threw the ball. Long. For a touchdown. The coach high-fived Bode.
'I better watch out,' the coach said, 'you might take my job.'
'Don't worry, Coach. I've got an even bigger job in mind.'
'Hidi, Governor!'
'Looking good, Gov!'
'We got your back, Bode!'
'I'm a follower!'
Even Democrats were not immune to celebrity. And Bode Bonner was now a certifiable celebrity in Austin, like Lance Armstrong and Sandra Bullock. So he received no 'You're a fucking Nazi!' greetings that day while jogging the lake with Ranger Hank.
'Hi, Governor,' a young woman said with a coy smile as she jogged past.
Bode glanced back at her and saw her glancing back at him. Damn. The other runners greeted him with big smiles and high-fives as they jogged past. They asked him for autographs and cell phone photos. Democrats! Even the local newspaper called him a hero.
'Everyone loves a hero,' Ranger Hank said.
Maybe Democrats weren't all left-wing lunatics. Maybe living in the capital city wasn't that bad after all. Maybe he'd build his presidential library in Austin.
'The boss really gonna run for president?'
Jim Bob looked over at Eddie Jones sitting on his couch as the sun set over Austin.
