Savages

210

Houses, condos, ranches.

They check listing after listing.

It all tells a story—Elena La Reina has been steadily buying up properties in Southern California. And not flipping them, either. They’re all over God’s little acre. Laguna, Laguna Niguel, Dana Point, Mission Viejo, Irvine, Del Mar.

“They wouldn’t have taken her to the burbs,” Chon says.

So the ranches.

Mostly down in San Diego County.

Rancho Santa Fe—

“Too toney, too crowded.”

Ramona, Julian.

“More isolated up in those hills. Possible.”

Anza-Borrego.

Vast, mostly empty desert.

Elena’s bought three properties out there, several hundred acres each.

“What the fuck for?” Chon asks. “Stash houses?”

Ben shrugs.

The phone rings and it’s Jaime.

Staff meeting.