For the first few minutes, neither Monty nor Laura spoke, each too shaken by this totally unexpected, unsettling, and unfamiliar experience to say much. When the silence was broken, it was Monty who spoke first.
"Laura, I can't tell you how sorry I am that this has happened. I wanted to treat you to a good experience for your last night in San Francisco, and instead I've dragged you into a nightmare," he said sadly.
"Oh, Monty, don't apologize, please," Laura begged, putting a hand on his arm. "None of this was your fault, and I heard how you tried to get him to let me go. That was very brave of you." Then she brightened, despite the danger they were still in. "Besides, I did love the Santa Maria barbeque tonight, and it was every bit as good as you said. And I really enjoyed helping you load your bulls. That was definitely a unique experience, and one I won't forget." Then her mood changed again, and she added soberly, "I guess I won't soon forget this part of the experience, either."
"When we get a bit further out, I'll see where he wants to go and maybe we can get rid of him," Monty said hopefully. "We'll just have to hope for the best, try to not anger him, and we'll get this behind us."
As they drove south, several times they were met by police cars from different jurisdictions racing north with lights and sirens, obviously heading toward the scene of the shooting. When they had driven several miles south, into a more deserted area of industrial buildings, Monty swung the truck in to the curb and left the engine idling. He checked to ensure that there were no pedestrians around, turned his head to the small opening in the rear window, and yelled back to Ranny, "Do you want out in South San Francisco, or San Jose, or where can we drop you?"
"Are you headed south?" Ranny yelled back.
"Yes, but I'll be happy to take you wherever you want to go," Monty replied.
"Mexico is south, and that's where I want to go," Ranny yelled back, having been thinking for the past few minutes about a possible destination. "But we'll go to your place tonight and I can make my plans there. Let's get going!"
As they started up, heading in the direction of the freeway, Monty said unhappily, "Well, so much for getting rid of him quickly. No idea whether he expects to take the truck to go to Mexico, or whether he plans to take us with him as protection. It doesn't sound as if he's thought this all the way through."