As February rolled around, my four-week training camp did numbers for my body. I've gained a lean, ripped body. I still train once a day, but February was scouting time. Genny was working out a little, and it showed in her body. We walked the yard, scoping it out. Genny points to the wall. "We're surrounded by walls. All I know is that they're too thick to crave through and too tall to climb over without getting sniped down."

I scan the area. At the top of the wall, I see sharpshooters. It made me lose a lot of options on ways of escape. "Then what's the deal? Why show me these walls?"

"Because..." She knocked on one specific part of the wall. They restored this place, true. But about five years ago, the wall collapsed. They fixed it up, but not well enough."

I walk up to the wall, knocking and feeling on the said wall. "Hmm. We need something huge. It'll take months for us to carve it with a spoon or something. We need something immediate."

"Like?"

"Let me sit on it. I need to think on it." I lean on the wall, looking at the cloudy sky. Sandstorm is coming up very soon. Gen stays with me, so I decide to conversate. "What ya do for fun?"

She leans with me, thinking of an answer. "Chess or cards. I love to play poker."

"Oh? When did you get that hobby?"

"Mexicali. I would do that with my father when I was done with work. He was a pro, let me tell ya."

"Where did you work at?"

"Tattoo artist. I did some tats myself in here. I'm the reason half these boys are tatted up because of me."

I laugh. "Oh yeah? Where's yours?"

"It's covered by my jumpsuit. Maybe later you can." She winks and laughs. I chuckle back.

"So, you're a mail boy? What made you want to deliver packages everywhere?"

"Hmm... Maybe it's because I never felt comfortable setting down. I went to the east side, but I loved to just adventure, see what changed in this world. It's a crazy world." I smiled.

"You're a funny guy, that's for sure."

After a week, I finally figured it out: A pipe bomb!

"A pipe bomb?" Gen was in disbelief. We were in the lunchroom. She was smoking and playing chess with me. she was kicking my ass. "And how would we even make it?"

"I'm a handyman, good with my hands. All I need is a piece of metal, a few live wires, and gun powder. preferably shotgun shells."

She sighs and thinks it over. "...FIne. I'll find some way to get the shells. In the meantime, I got some news."

"Shoot, bosslady."

"I got some connections that sneak around, gather info with bugs. Guess what I got back this morning."

She pulls out the small tape player and presses play.

Audio starts, walking, and the sound of a chant.

"Di Miller Corps a causing chubble near di Grand Canyon. Mi wi bi gaan mid April tuh git rid ah dem. Desert Demons fi mi also bi ah problem Suh keep yuh guard up. Wi fight fah freedom. Wi a di leaders ah ah out a road wurl. dismissed."

End of recording.

"Mid-April? He's leaving in mid-April?" I ask.

"Yup. That gives us plenty of time to prepare."

I smile, then frown as I got beaten. "Crap."

"Checkmate, estúpido."

It's near the end of February. I was tinkering with the frame of the pipe bomb. Carter was asleep and Genny sat next to me as I made the shape perfect. "How did you meet Carter?"

Gen rested her head on her hands. “I moved to Arizona with my girlfriend. I was young and dumb. I could follow that girl anywhere. She was good at twisting words, manipulating me, gaslighting me. She even turned me against my dad. my own padre. She convinced me to move away. By the time I found out she was hurting me, it was too late. It was a trap. She had me in control. I had no money to head back home so I just ran away. It was there where I met Carter, I was on the brink. So hungry, starving."

I nod. "You're a strong woman, Genny. I'm proud."

"So are you, Dopeman. now get to work loser." She playfully pushes my head.

What a woman.