~ * * ~
“Franklin’s bin a very bad boy,” Hondo said darkly as we watched the activity in the compound.
Although it’d already been a week since Hondo and I had joined up, we weren’t in any hurry and had been scoping out the daily activities of the base residents hoping to find an opening to get to Franklin without getting us both killed.
What we saw should have surprised us, but didn’t.
“Certainly does seem as if he’s playing both sides of the fence,” I noted thoughtfully. “That’s helpful.”
“How d’ya figger?”
“Wonder what the Mendoza brothers would do if they knew Franklin was selling arms to their rivals…the Cortez family?” I pondered aloud.
“You thinkin’ to squeal?” he asked in amusement.
“When you were contacting Montez, where were you calling from?”
“Whatever house I could break into the easiest.”
“Did you ever get caught?”
He gave me an old-fashioned look, but didn’t bother to answer. Stupid question…it was Hondo.
“I think you should continue your life of crime.”
“You comin’ over to the dark side?”
“Desperate times…”
“Don’t s’pose you happen to be carryin’ a phone book on ya?” he eyed me morosely.
“Think of it as a challenge,” I offered encouragingly.
“Didn’t think so,” he said glumly.