In Dust

By Megan@Midnight

Sheldon Jeffrey Sands has been in Mexico for nearly a month and half. He's had some fun, but it's time to get back to work. Mexico isn't going to balance itself, after all. He does have a job after all. But he also has needs. He needs El Mariachi, well he wants El Mariachi. El was the one who help fuck up his little plans last time, now he's going help. If Sands can ever figure out how to make him.

"I could just kill everyone you've ever met, but then you'd just kill me and that just doesn't do it for me. What does it take, El? How do I get inside your head? How do I make you do what I want?" Sands ponders this for a minute, sitting in a dirty little restaurant, fingers tapping random patterns on the tabletop. And he has an epiphany. "Well, that was obvious. By making it what you want. Obvious. Should have done that the first time." He shook he head at the nonexistent mariachi sitting across from him. "But then I didn't think you wanted anything. I thought you were dead. I missed that little spark, didn't I ? My bad, really." Sheldon Sands laughs quietly as his food arrives. "Now I know better."

CIA Agent Sheldon Sands is making his presence known in Mexico. He burned Culiacan (part of it anyway), annoyed a mariachi, and left the payment for his eyes in a hole in rocks on a Mexican beach. Now he has a country to balance and a mariachi (the mariachi) to play with. Let the games begin.

Sands has found, or paid for, a little theater in a little town that's playing what he wants to see. And that's close enough to bring his friend out of the woodwork again. "And here he is," he says as El stands at the edge of row of seats and looks down at him. "The legend himself."

"What are you doing here?"

"Hmm… Well, El let's think about this. I'm in a movie theater. I bought a ticket, got some popcorn, didn't shoot the attendee cause it's not really that good and I've claimed a seat. Looks like I'm here to watch a movie."

"You are not."

"Am so. Care to join me?"

"Not really."

"Shame. At least sit down, you're blocking the row."

The mariachi sat, though he managed to look really grumpy about doing it.

"Why are you here?"

"We've been over this. Here to see a movie."

"You are not."

"Okay fine, I'm here because I forgot."

"You forgot?"

"Yep. I forgot you are a very dangerous man."

"That is true."

"Won't happen again." Quirky little smile.

"Why did you bring me here?"

"You followed me." Sands grins at him
"You wanted this meeting. You planned this."

"I did. That's what I do. But you still followed me."

"Why me?"

"You're a legend. I like that."

"You want me to kill someone."

"Not unless you really want to, no." Sands smirks at El. "Right now I don't want anything from you."

"You are a liar."

"I might be. But think back. I never lied to you. I told you exactly what was going to happen and what I wanted from you." He's right and El knows it. "Didn't I?"

"You did." It's said through clenched teeth. Sands is pleased. Getting El to admit that Sands never lied. He manipulated, but El knew exactly what was expected of him when he agreed to it. That's the best part.

"That's right. You screwed my pretty plan to powder, but you joined me of your own free will."

"That will not happen again."

"Yes it will."

"No. This is the last meeting I will have with you."

"Wanna bet?"

"Yes."

"Now El, buddy we both know that isn't true. You've seen what I can do; you've heard what I did. We dead men have to stick together."

"I am not dead."

"Neither am I. But I was. And so were you." "That's why we keep meeting like this. You can't not keep an eye on me."

"You also are a dangerous man."

"Not to you."

"To Mexico."

"It's possible. I'm also necessary and we both know it."

"That is not true."

"I don't why you insist on calling me the liar. I don't make agreements with people then break then just because I've been resurrected. Shoot my boss in the foot, yes. Break my word, no."

"I do not believe that you are necessary for anything."

"Oh, that hurts me El. It really does. Right through the heart."

"You have no heart."

"Oh I do. If you want to get into souls that's a different issue, but I have a heart. Want to hear?" Sands leans toward The.

El glares at him. Sands has to fight off a giggle at the look El is giving him. It's great. And that voice. "No."

"Didn't think you would." Sands turns around in his seat as the lights go dim.

"What are you doing?"

"Watching the movie. Do you mind?"

"This is ridiculous. I don't know why I bothered to meet you."

Sands watches El leave, walking quietly in the dark. "I do." His smile is amused and cold, his voice is smooth and soft. The mariachi is struggling for control. He doesn't have it. He's a good man and Sands knows it. He may be a killer and very dangerous, but he is a good man. And that's how Sands will take him. Because Sands is not a good man. And he likes control. And he's more than willing to take it. Especially of people who like to fight the good fight. It's better that way. Makes the game so much more fun. He's going to use El until he break, until he cracks and crashes and falls. He is going to grind El into the dust, all his morals and his legend and everything he thinks he is. Right into the dusty hot, dirty streets.