It was about nine thirty at night when the truck was completely loaded. It had to be completely dark out before they could leave. The sun had just slipped behind the horizon, the glow still made everything visible. After another hour it was finally dark enough to leave.

Jorge pushed himself up into the truck with ease and his long legs followed. He reached a hand out to Joseph and pulled him up, struggling slightly due to Joseph being somewhat overweight. They sat next to each other in the back, both of them wishing they had not taken part in this, but knowing their families needed the money they continued on. The third member of the group Edwardo, was the only one of the three who’s had experience with this sort of job. Knowing that, he stared at Jorge and Joseph with disbelief and doubt in his eyes.
The ride to the drop off point was quiet except for the sound of the truck’s motor and the dirt and rocks kicked up into the bottom of the truck. No one had said a word. Jorge and Joseph knew very little about what was going and what they needed to do. Joseph’s uncle played a part in the operation, and offered Joseph and Jorge the opportunity to make some quick cash. They knew they had to get from point A, deliver the package to point B, get the money from the buyer, give the buyer the package, then get back to point A without being caught by border control. Joseph’s uncle made it sound easy. He said it was easy. But the consequences for getting caught almost made it not worth it.
They made it to the drop off point, which was about a half an hour out of town and half a mile away from the border. Jorge, Joseph, and Edwardo jumped out of the truck and threw their packs over their shoulders. Jorge, being the most athletic and strongest, was the one assigned the job of carrying the package.
“Don’t take your time but don’t be in a hurry. We’ll be waiting. Goodluck.” Said the driver whose name was unknown to Joseph and Jorge.
“Thanks. We’ll probably need all the luck we can get with these two.” Edwardo replied, still with the same look in his eyes on the ride up.
The driver smiled, but not out of happiness. He threw the truck in drive and drove off to a less suspicious location. Edwardo lead both Jorge and Joseph to the place in the border where they would cross. Staying low and as silent as possible, they hopped over. Edwardo went first. As he safely made it to the otherside Jorge and Joseph gained confidence that they wouldn’t get caught, that they would deliver the package and get the money without any trouble.
Jorge and Joseph climbed up and over together. And as soon as they’re feet hit the ground an alarm sounded, dogs started to bark, and people started to yell. Without a word, Edwardo, Jorge, and Joseph took off all in the same direction. Despite being heavier than the others, Joseph was fast. Not Jorge fast, but faster than Edwardo. Jorge lead the pack in the direction towards the delivery point, Joseph followed behind Jorge, and Edwardo trailed behind.
The further and further they ran the more the barking and yelling died out, but it never fully went away. As they reached the the delivery point the alarm was the only thing from the encounter that they were still able to hear. They sat outside for a second to catch their breath. As they’re sitting there, Jorge pulls out an inhaler and uses it.
Edwardo asked, “What the f*** is that?”
“It’s my inhaler. I have asthma.” Jorge replied before he inhaled another puff.
Edwardo shook his head in embarrassment, then said, “Put that s*** away and let’s go finish this delivery so we can get home.”
Jorge put his inhaler back in his pack and they walk around the back of the house like they were instructed to. They walk in through the back door of what looked like an abandoned warehouse, only to find all kinds of people separating, weighing, and packaging cocaine. Jorge and Joseph finally figure out what the package contained, but they didn’t think much of it. They walked past numerous desks with people examining the drug, some had assault rifles leaning against the desks. Edwardo took the package, and told Jorge and Joseph to wait outside while he took it into a separate room.
Jorge and Joseph waited inside by the door they came in from, looking outside frantically to make sure they weren't followed. Edwardo came out of the room with a new duffle bag, and a giant grin on his face. They all walk outside and Edwardo opened the bag. Jorge’s and Joseph’s jaws dropped simultaneously.
“Open up your bags.” Says Edwardo. Without question they opened their bags and Edwardo packed them handful after handful until the duffle bag was empty, without putting any of it into his. There was so much money it made their bags almost twice as heavy.
“How are we going to get back over the border? Do you think border patrol is still looking for us?” Joseph said nervously. Both him and Jorge shared the same thoughts.
“Who cares? We can easily outrun them. Toughen up buttercup were almost finished.” Replied Edwardo, and they trekked back.
Jorge and Joseph followed Edwardo as they continued to look in every direction to make sure no one was on to them. They were fifty feet from the border when Edwardo motioned them to get down. Jorge and Joseph dropped to their bellies while Edwardo dropped to a knee. Hidden behind bushes, Edwardo examines the border.
“There’s four of them,” Whispered Edwardo, “two pairs of them, both walking in different directions.”
“What should we do?” Jorge asked.
“When they’re both far enough away we run for it.”
They sit there for a little while longer when Edwardo holds his hand up, all five fingers stretched out. He takes away one finger at a time, counting down till the life or death sprint back to safety. With only three fingers left the, Jorge and Joseph look at each other, and the butterflies in their stomach explode. As if someone is sucking out every emotion in their body and replacing it with fear.
Next thing they know Edwardo takes off and both of them follow, sprinting as they’re life depended on it. They passed Edwardo and are right at the border, tossing their bags over so they wouldn’t have to climb over with them on. As they start to climb they realize Edwardo hadn’t caught up yet. Jorge turns around to see Edwardo face down in the dirt. Jorge’s stomach dropped. He looked both ways to see both Both guards running towards them, both about a football field away in either direction. Jorge sprints back to Edwardo, and throws him over his shoulder. Thankfully Edwardo is scrawny, only about a hundred and twenty pounds.
With the guards closing in, Jorge climbs up and over the border with Edwardo over his shoulder, to Joseph who waited on the otherside for them. Jorge picked up his bag and they took off in the direction away from the border.
They make it back to the truck, throw the bags in first, then Edwardo.
Jorge yells, “Drive!” And they truck peels out back to home. Jorge searches Edwardo for bullet wounds, when Edwardo starts to snore. Jorge looked at Edwardo’s head to find an enormous bruise on it, as if some one just slid a tennis ball under the skin of his forehead. Within five feet of running back he tripped and fell face first into the dirt.
Feeling relieved but not calm, Jorge and Joseph look at Each other again, smile, and then laugh a little. Both of them thinking about how this money will help out their families,and at the same time thinking about never doing that again.