greek gods in new york

20

Three days later, El Paso, Texas, on the U.S.-Mexico border.

Fernando stopped his rented car in front of a relatively high-end local hotel, and I was still a little dazed.

Coming here, I finally understand why Fernando prefers off-road vehicles on high ground so much - the Gobi Desert, unmanned roads, and cities surrounded by yellow sand and soil slopes are indeed more suitable for four-wheel drive vehicles. Running wild on the road at the end.

Although I did a lot of mental preparation before coming here.

But when I was really on the scene, I really had a realization in my heart: this is a place completely different from New York or any big city.

"Be careful here," my godfather told me in the car, "El Paso is not safe."

I muttered in a low voice, "The law and order in New York is not good either."

Fernando shook his head.

He put his hands on the steering wheel casually, his tall body turned towards me, and took off the sunglasses on his face.

"No, chica," Fernando said with a smile, but his tone was extraordinarily dignified. "The bad law and order in New York is completely different from the bad law and order here."

The former undercover agent of the Drug Enforcement Administration said this sentence himself, which is enough to show its seriousness.

I can't help but think back to the movies I've seen.

Opposite El Paso, just across the river, is Juarez, the most chaotic and violent city in the world, known for its high crime rate and death rate.

"……I see."

Still listen to Fernando.

I carefully looked up at the godfather in the driver's seat: "Thank you for accompanying me to be self-willed."

Fernando couldn't help laughing all of a sudden.

"I've always thought, Nicole, you're too precocious," he commented seriously, "and too strong. I've always expected you to be as capricious to me, or to Ares, as an ordinary girl."

Yes, Fernando is always telling me to be like a child and enjoy my youth.

He was almost responsive to me—although I rarely asked my godfather to do anything.

"But I didn't expect that."

Fernando scratched his thick black hair, and said slowly: "My goddaughter is never willful, and she will become a big one when she is willful."

As he spoke, he also pointed to the western-style houses around him and the hotel in front of him with his finger holding the sunglasses.

I couldn't help it, and laughed.

When I mentioned that I would come to El Paso, Fernando was taken aback, but he still agreed to me.

Delay courses and affect life?

Such concerns probably do not exist in Fernando's life dictionary.

"Get out of the car."

He patted me on the shoulder: "Check in first."

It is said that the hotel in front of me is the best hotel in El Paso, which makes me a little guilty: Fernando paid for everything from air tickets to check-in fees.

I followed him and opened the door to get out of the car. After my feet landed, the dry hot wind hit my face.

"It's cheaper to stay in a hotel," I said. "I don't mind a motel either!"

"I mind."

Fernando took out his luggage from the trunk: "Obviously I was traveling with my goddaughter, but I don't want to be misunderstood as a middle-aged hooligan who lured () abducted the underage daughter of the gang boss to elope."

I:"……"

How should I put it, Fernando is quite self-aware.

It is said to be the best hotel in the city, but it is far inferior to New York in terms of scale and conditions.While Fernando was checking in, I took out the business card Odin gave me from my pocket.

I checked it on my phone, and the address of Odin's store is not far from us.

If Fernando goes there by car, he will be there in ten minutes.

The key is……

I really didn't expect that Odin would open a hot () weapon shop in such a remote place.

I thought he would retire in Denmark, or retire in San Francisco with Brakey.

I don't need to arrange further things after that, Fernando understood everything.

After putting my luggage in the single room, I rested for a while, and after a while, Fernando called from the next room.

After going downstairs, we went straight to the street where the business card was.

The urban style of El Paso is different from any big city I have seen. There are not so many high-rise buildings, it is not so prosperous, there are no trees on the roadside, and it is not full of traffic.Open the window, and the extremely dry cold wind blows in.

Looking to the south, you can even faintly see the style and appearance of another country.

The gun shop of "Carl Weston" was opened in a corner of the city, and it was equipped with a small shooting range, so it was regarded as a landmark in the local residential area, and it was easy to find.

El Paso's residents are mostly Latino.

So I thought, Fernando and I, a middle-aged man who is nearly 1.9 meters tall, plus a 16-year-old white girl who doesn't even look like a local, this combination may be too compelling.

Because since we got out of the car, we have felt countless curious eyes.

This made Fernando push the door open, and I, who followed behind, just stepped into the gun shop when I heard a burst of hearty laughter.

"I'm really waiting for you, girl Nicole."

Carl Wisden, the owner of the gun shop—or rather, Odin, whom he had met in Los Angeles before—screamed from behind the counter.

He's still in the same outfit: an old bomber jacket, with one eye beneath the gray hair.

Odin pointed to Fernando: "But please don't bring the police over to you and your companions."

Fernando tilted his head: "It's only been 20 years. If the director of El Paso hasn't retired yet, he should know Nicole's father."

Odin narrowed his eyes: "Are you her Indian godfather?"

Fernando: "I don't remember you being in El Paso 20 years ago, Odin, it's not a good place to get rich."

Well, I see it.

Fernando doesn't like Odin either.

"You said you needed my help."

I got straight to the point: "What do I need to do?"

Only then did Odin slowly get up from behind the counter: "Come with me when I find someone to look after the shop for me."

He led us through the back door of the gun store, across the shooting range, and into the narrow alley behind the storefront.

There are residential areas nearby, most of which are small flat courtyards that I have only seen in movies and TV dramas.

In places like New York where land is extremely expensive, the residents around my house cannot afford to live in so many single-family courtyards.

When I first met Odin, I felt that he had a chill and brutality hidden behind cunning and wisdom, which was in line with the temperament of a Viking.

And in this dry, cold land with the main color being dim yellow.

The Nordic temperament can be completely integrated into the Southwest. Odin walked in front, looking at his back in an old flight suit, he seemed to be a western veteran returning from the battlefield.

These old gods, I sigh in my heart, are indeed very adaptable.

"How is your father?" Odin said suddenly.

"Ask, ask me?"

"What do you think, chica?" Fernando added.

Well, it's not always Fernando.

I was taken aback, I didn't expect him to chat with me at this juncture.

No matter what purpose Odin had, he lived a leisurely life in the border city, as if he was really a retired veteran who would chat with young people.

But think about it, Odin is in charge of war in Norse mythology, my dad is the god of war, and the two old gods are still walking together.

"He's on a business trip," I replied, "on a long trip."

Competing against "that thing" consumes and BB stores divine power.

After my dad regained his sanity for a short time, he returned to his usual dull and closed look.

Of course, there is no need to talk to Odin about this part.

"Life is not easy."

Odin, who was walking in front, sighed: "In the past, I drank blood to survive, but now? It's no better than the clan era. Disputes, oppression, children, these things have never changed for thousands of years."

Me: "So you started selling guns."

Odin understood my subtext: If you can't fight a war, create a dispute.

He didn't feel offended either, he just laughed a few times: "It's just a living, who says it's legal in this country."

After finishing speaking, Odin stopped in front of a certain courtyard.

"It's here."

He seemed to be the owner of the courtyard, he pushed open the gate of the courtyard, and led me and Fernando in: "Although you and my son have a bad fight, his wife won't care, don't worry."

Brakey's wife?

Isn't that the goddess of youth Eden!

I just realized that a slender figure came out of the mansion with western characteristics.

"You are Nicole?"

A pretty, pretty young girl.

She has fair skin and delicate features, and her light-colored long hair hangs down to her waist in a natural arc.As the girl moved, her long hair swayed gently above her short skirt embellished with red polka dots.

The strange girl stopped in front of me and first smiled at Fernando politely.

Fernando grinned and bowed slightly to show his favor: "Good day, Miss."

"Good day, sir."

After she nodded, she turned her eyes to me: "I've been waiting for you for a long time, Nicole."

I:"……"

Now, I know why Blakey wasn't with Eden.

It wasn't like Loki ran on Braki, but he was kicked out of the house by his wife's disgust like many old couples who were at odds with each other.

It's Eden, the Goddess of Youth, who is really, uh, youthful.

She was beautiful, and seemed to be at the stage of a girl's development into a young girl, fourteen or fifteen at the most, no more.

Compared with Eden, Pandora and I are already "old" enough!

She is the real legal loli.

No wonder Braki wanted to separate from Eden. Back then, no one thought there was a problem with this, but now that this is a society ruled by law, Braki will definitely go to jail for this!

Odin sent me a "now you get it" emoji.

"Frigga and I are Eden's guardians," he spread his hands. "Although it's a bit strange for a daughter-in-law to become a granddaughter, at least Frigg can have a companion."

"Let's talk about business."

Eden didn't care what was there or what wasn't.

She seemed to be born out of touch with the fireworks of the world, and in terms of personality... I think it's a little bit.

The fair and delicate little loli stretched out her hand and gently held my wrist.

"You have to save the golden apple."

Eden led me through the mansion and into the garden behind.

"Please, Nicole!"

In Eden's sad tone, I saw that in the garden, an apple tree that should have been quite old stood in the center, and it had withered.

And my focus is on...

You plant golden apple trees in the backyards of residential areas in chaotic cities on the US-Mexico border. You know that Vikings have big hearts, but you can’t be so big, right? !