John awoke that night, inside the ground floor of an abandoned church tower. Taking a few swigs of whiskey, he saw shapes running about, and heard voices, screaming, laughing. He set up a bomb as quickly as he could, then, making his way to the other side, behind a wall, lay down and fixed the wires to a detonator. He saw some people appearing close to where he had been, calling his name.

"John? John, it's us!"

Shit. How did they find him? How did they find him here? If they don't fall into his trap and start looking elsewhere, there's a good chance that he's done for.

It looked like things were going his way. The figures were going towards the place he'd camped in.

Come on, come on, you. Go on in there… Just a little farther inside… It's for everybody, you heathen bastards.

A shadow stepped in front of John, blocking his view, and a familiar voice inquired, "What's this? Are you crazy, are you talkin' to yourself now?".

For Chrissakes, Juan.

"My friend, didn't I tell you Mexico was big?", gloated Juan. A gringo with a price on his head was not hard to find, if you knew how to follow the scent. Besides, he had to stop to rest somewhere.

"Oh, shit", groaned John, sort of half-collapsing in irritation. "Who are those people inside?"

"You mean, who were those people inside?", said Juan, setting off the detonator with his boot, destroying the tower behind him.

John lay on the ground, and stared in astonishment. Juan helped him up and set him down behind the wall.

"Who were they? Who were those people inside?" gasped John in a daze.

"Chulo!" called Juan. The boy came running up.

"Who were those people, for chrissake?" demanded John again.

"Well, one of them was Aschenbach…"

Fucking hell, you killed my boss? For Chrissake, I was on a payroll with him.

"Then there was three soldiers and then there was one captain," continued Juan.

"Everybody's dead in there", piped in little Chulo, getting a browbeating from his father.

"Will you keep quiet and go get our friends and equipment together?" said Juan to his boy. Chulo dashed off. "Anyway, when I went to Aschenbach and I told him, I said, you wanted to see him, he wouldn't believe that, you see" Juan went on. "I said, 'Well, that's too bad, because he's discovered silver there', then when he heard that he was ready to come running. But the captain- Oh, by the way I think the captain and Aschenbach, they were working together, see? Well, the captain says, 'I want to see the man' I said to the captain, 'How can you see a man when he has blown off one of his hands with a stick of dynamite and he is bleeding to death— Well, when they heard that, they broke their asses to get here. Anyway, you don't have any problem, you see? Because they're dead and there's no questions. Also, you have no contract, so… you are free."

Yeah, sure there's no problem. I now have no job because of you, asshole!, was John's thought.

"Of course, there is one little problem. That will be with the army, because they have a hard ass when it comes to the death of one of their captains", continued Juan. "But you don't have to worry about that, because I am your friend Juan, and I will help you."

John didn't suppose that Juan was going to help him find a new job.

"I would do anything, believe me, I would say anything you tell me to-"

But John had to stop him there. "No, no", he said, wearily "I don't need any help from you to know I've been screwed. You fucking chicken thief."

Juan looked hurt by that remark. He cringed away slightly at John's gaze.

As for John, he knew that Juan had at last had him cornered. "What do you want with me?"

"Nothing", said Juan coyly. "I just thought we could go to Mesa Verde." He bit his lip eagerly.

"The bank", said John, as he, Juan and the bandit gang rode their horses along the railroad tracks. "Isn't there anything else you remember about Mesa Verde?"

Juan had gotten wasted on the way to the railroad, and now was even more talkative than ever, "Oh, yes, there's a place where you can - you can go in and sit down and eat, and when you look in front of you there's-"

"The bank."

"Thassrigh', howdoyaknowthat?" John didn't answer. "Listen, Mesa Verde, that's only the beginning. Lemme tell you, it will be Juan and John, the two specialistas in banks. We'll call it Johnny and Johnny, eh? Thass more American, you know? Amigo, we go to America, we have banks all over the place, you know? In California, Colorado, Kansas City, Texas, and Austin, you know?" The drunk bandit didn't notice the train slowly coming up behind them. "You know, you have to- to think of the big future that we have ahead of us."

"I'm thinking of the big train behind us", said John sarcastically.

"Hey! Out of the way!" cried the conductor behind them, slamming the brakes.

Juan moved his horse to the left side of the tracks, and John to the right. Getting off his horse, Juan tried to peer past the train for any sign of John.

When the train finally got past, he saw John's horse, but no John. Sneaky bastard had jumped onto the train as it was going past. Some sense of humor he had, too, dressing the horse with his hat. Like he was mocking them. He was so going to get that firecracker, dynamite or no.

Everywhere else was full. The train carriage was full of greasy, surly-faced young men, some as young as eight. The older ones were sitting and smoking. Dr. Villega had two options. Either bear the smell from the cigars a little longer, or stand for the rest of the journey.

Napoleon woke up Chulo, who had taken up two spaces sleeping on one of the benches, to allow Villega to sit down. The doctor nodded gratefully, but decided to sit somewhere else, closer to the door.

On the other side of the carriage, Juan stared lazily at him, swatting at flies. He was observing the doctor carefully as he cleaned his glasses and took out his book, then decided he wasn't worth his attention and closed his eyes.

The screeching of brakes and the creaking of doors woke Juan. They couldn't have reached Mesa Verde already. He drew the blind and looked out to check. Looking up at the train was a train conductor, a guy he recognized. He quickly leaned back, hoping he didn't see his face. The conductor went up and walked inside. Juan awkwardly picked the sleep from his eyes as he walked past. Dr. Villega was watching him, but seemed to go back to reading.

The conductor stared over at Juan. He was sure he'd seen that face before. He started to walk out, but then he thought, "No. I know it's him. I have to make sure."

Juan quickly lowered his hat and pretended to go back to sleep, but he wasn't fast enough.

"Hey, you.", said the conductor. He sharply raised Juan's chin, looking straight into his eyes. "I know that face. Where have I see you before, hmm?"

Juan shrugged.

The conductor wasn't buying it, but before he could do anything, Juan knifed him to death and threw the body off the train.

Suddenly, he turned sharply, the bloody knife in his hand. From the corridor came a voice saying, "Stop right where you are."

Standing beside Villega was a conductor with a gun.

"Drop the knife, you bastard," growled the other conductor.

Well, there wasn't much Juan could do against a gun. He braced himself for the inevitable. To his initial confusion, the other conductor also raised his hands.

"I have a family", pleaded that second conductor. He was talking to Villega, who was holding his own gun to the man. Villega made an expression that read, "I did what I had to do."

Juan laughed triumphantly, disarming the conductor. "I have a family too, ah?" he bragged before throwing the other guy off the train.

He went over to pick up the empty gun at Dr. Villega's feet, and as he got up, peered with curiosity and admiration at the man's face. Villega grimaced and returned his concentration to reading.

Knowing best not to pick a fight with this man, Juan returned to his seat, and was no trouble to Dr. Villega at all for the rest of the journey.