"¡Métetelo por el culo!" She yelled back at the man, getting around the bike so that it was between her and the stranger. The dog behind him growled threateningly at her anger, and for a second Esperanza was aware that the dog looked off. It was harder in the darkness, but in the light in the street it was almost there.

She couldn't spare much more attention to the dog. The man had been more angered at her cursing, taking a step forward as if to approach her. It wasn't the smartest idea to insult someone who already wanted to kill you, but weakness was worse. Weakness ate you up on these streets. And she wasn't going down today.

Espie glanced back at the girl now. It was striking how white she looked considering how well she spoke Spanish. It wasn't even that she spoke it so well, but that she spoke it perfectly. Like born to it. But she didn't look anything like the normal culture out here, either. Not like she was raised in it.

"I didn't take anything," Esperanza pleaded with the girl. "I didn't do anything! I was trying to go and they chased me."

"That a load of shit, poonta," the man started again. "You kicked me for no reason-"

"Because you're a fucking saint," she yelled back at him, baring teeth like she might bite. She would if it came down to it.

"Just give us the girl and we'll be on your way," the man tried on Jillian again. The others seemed wary of this deal, one even tried to call his friend back, but she had kicked this one. And the dog had bit. He wasn't walking away with nothing.