Across the Border, The Third

David left June to get herself to the neighborhood bus stop and we headed to meet the team at the San Diego FBI Office.

When we arrived, the team was gathering around a semi truck and a pair of SUVs. In addition the others from yesterday, was a young man I didn't recognize.

"Douglas," Badger called, "come meet the driver who will be taking it gear down."

The black guy I didn't recognize stepped forward and held out his hand, "Corporal Jerome Carter, ma'am."

I shook his hand, "Alex Douglas, from the New York Office."

"Really, it's good to hear I'm not the only one from Back East; I grew up in New Jersey, before joining the Marines and ending up here."

"Do you like it here?" I asked perfunctorily.

"It's not home, but it definitely has it's up sides."

"Carter, is the truck ready to leave?" Asked Maria, putting an end to our introduction.

"Yes, ma'am. Everything's ready to go."

Turning to me, she said, "Douglas, you've flown into and out of the area too much and we don't want anyone getting suspicious, so you're driving one of the SUVs. David will drive the other. You'll be picking up our shaman in Tijuana and continuing south. You'll spend the night in Guerrero Negro and finish the drive tomorrow. Jackson, Goodrich, and I are flying in and getting set up today."

Thus, I was sentenced to more than twenty hours of driving instead of another two hour flight, yay.

As those three departed for the airport, I spotted David returning with a cooler that he stuck in the back of one SUV, tossing me the keys to the other.

"The plan is to head into Tijuana and grab the team's shaman from the watchpost she was manning during Gracie's infiltration. Then, it's just a matter of the long drive south. We're staying the night in a town called…"

"Guerrero Negro and we'll finish the drive south tomorrow," I finished for him. "Maria already told us."

"Oh, okay. I'll be in the lead car, them the truck, then you bring up the rear. There's a radio in the truck, we'll be using station four. You can also reach us on the phone; you should have gotten a text with Carter's number," I checked my phone and found it. "That should be everything, but I guess we should talk about the food situation."

"No need," Carter chimed in, "you've got high quality MREs."

David beat me to the punch, "But about the food situation, we'll stop in San Felipe, assuming that's not a problem for you," he said, giving me a questioning look.

"No, it's not a problem, just give me a minute to put on sunscreen and we can go."

"Do you need someone to do your back?" Carter asked.

I couldn't figure out if it was him flirting or if he was genuinely trying to help, but I assured him that my back would be fine inside a shirt and pressed into the seat all day, which he accepted as though it wasn't a big deal. And, maybe it wasn't maybe I was just misinterpreting his offer, now that I was free to actually consider romantic offers again.

Our little convoy set out and we reached the border after only a brief slog through traffic. The border guards left us through as soon as David showed them whatever documentation he had and we headed into Tijuana.