Bordertown Page #5

Teresa! Teresa!

What happened?

- Calm down.

- He's in there.

Search her room.

Search outside!

What's the matter?

- The Devil is here.

- Who?

The Devil!

It's all right. It's all right.

Tell me.

- Nobody is there.

- Nobody, right?

See? No one is there.

It was just a nightmare.

Look at me.

He's not real.

It was just a nightmare.

Everything is all right.

Miss, you can...

Lauren, is that you? Wait a minute!

- Could you just...

- Lauren, come in.

Lauren Adrian,

this is Samuel Denton...

the C.E.O. Of the publishing

syndicate that owns the Sentinel.

- This is Senator...

- Rawlings, I know.

Saw you in Juarez last week

at the Salamanca house.

- What were you doing there?

- Hi. I'm Denise McKenzie.

I'm head

of all syndicate operations.

Congratulations. You're gonna make

an exceptional foreign correspondent.

We are all very excited.

We're gonna have to let you go, or

else we're not gonna make our lunch.

- I'll talk to you later.

- All the best.

- Good to see you.

- Yeah.

- Foreign correspondent?

- How about that?

- It's unbelievable.

- Your first assignment.

- This is a bribe, isn't it?

- What do you care?

You'd do anything for this job.

Consider it a freebie.

This can't be you.

You can't bow to those people!

- I'm not bowing to anyone.

- Then print my story.

We cannot print your story.

In three days,

a 16-year-old girl...

is going into court to face

the man who tried to kill her!

All because we said

that we would print her story.

This story could save her life and

the lives of many women in Juarez.

This is a f***ing important story!

I understand that.

But you are blaming...

- the Mexican and American governments.

- You're god damned right I am.

- And the Free Trade Agreement.

- It isn't free trade!

It's slave trade. It's a scam.

Everybody is making too much money...

- to give a sh*t about these women.

- Listen to me.

These are very serious accusations,

they're damn near criminal.

And this newspaper is not

prepared to make 'em...

- and you can't substantiate them.

- And they're true!

This is now a matter

of corporate responsibility.

Since when do you put corporate

responsibility above the truth?

Get off your soapbox. I liked you

better as a cutthroat reporter.

I like you better as an editor who

couldn't be bought or intimidated!

- A man I admire.

- The days of investigative reporting...

are over, Lauren.

The news isn't news anymore. It's

as dead as the typewriter I used!

Corporate America

is running the show now.

And their news agenda is free trade,

globalization and entertainment.

That's our glorious future!

You know what would happen to me

if I published your story on my own.

If you don't have the balls

to print my story...

- I will find someone who will.

- It's not that easy, kid.

Read your contract.

The Sentinel owns your story.

Hell, it owns you.

Nobody owns me!

That's the difference

between me and you.

Lauren!

Take the job, Lauren.

You got a damn fine career

in front of yourself...

and you're throwing it all away

and for what?

Your story about these women

is just not worth it.

Not worth it?

I forgot. They're just Mexican women

so they're not worth it.

I didn't mean it that way.

Do you see this?

And this?

And this? And this? And this?

All of it is assembled in Juarez

and it's all covered with blood.

Would you calm down?

If you walk out of here today...

you could never get back in here,

and you know it.

- For God's sakes, let this thing go!

- I can't.

- You think this is your big story.

- My parents are from Mexico.

- You identify with it.

- I'm one of them. Can't you see?

My parents came here

as migrant farm workers.

They were killed...

so I was adopted.

I only have vague

memories of them.

I remember a field

filled with workers...

My mother.

My father.

I was there when he was killed.

I saw him die.

- I'm sorry.

- When I met Eva, I saw myself.

I've been running away

from who I am my whole life.

Because you don't wanna be Mexican,

not in this country.

You see?

I could be one of the women

in those factories.

It could be me

in one of those graves.

I can't let this go.

Alfonso, hurry.

What are you doing?

Just a minute, my love.

Alfonso!

Call an ambulance!

Out of the way!

Get up. Let's go.

Come on. Quickly!

Get in before the Border Patrol

finds us!

Watch your head.

Can I speak to Diaz?

What?

He's coming back. Let's go!

What?

- Who did this?

- I don't know. Nobody does.

Diaz is gone.

And tomorrow the bus driver's

gonna be a free man.

No! With Eva's testimony,

he will go to jail.

- Eva's gone.

- What?

She ran away. Nobody knows

where she is, not even her mother.

Her mother. To move away

from Colonia Anapra.

She want to be there for her,

waiting for her at their home...

but she doesn't feel safe

there anymore.

How could she? Tomorrow...

Domingo Esparza

is gonna be a free man.

- This isn't happening.

- It is happening.

It's all over.

Kids, get up.

Oh, jeez. Poor people.

- Lauren.

- Who are you?

Would you gentlemen please

excuse us for a moment?

Do you believe in anything?

Are you, Mexican? American?

What are you?

These are limiting terms. They don't

mean much now in a modern world.

Alfonso Diaz was my friend.

Now he's dead.

I wanna know what happened to him.

He was reporting things

people didn't want reported.

What did you think

was going to happen to him?

- Who did it?

- Do you think I know that?

Do you think I even concern myself

with such things?

- It gets taken care of.

- Is Aris involved?

How many more women is he gonna kill?

Why don't you tell somebody about it?

And who am I gonna tell?

These people know more than me.

- Lf they arrest him, nothing'll change.

- He's a murderer.

- He's protected by the authorities.

- You have to be realistic.

There are two sets of laws

in any country, okay?

The laws for rich and powerful people

and the laws for everybody else.

And don't think it's any different

in the United States...

because I buy politicians on both

sides of the border all the time.

What do you think built this?

Now...

when can we get together again?

I can free my schedule anytime.

What do you say?

I wish people like you didn't exist.

And on top of everything else...

you're a lousy god damned f***.

The first shift has ended.

Please leave quickly.

The second shift

will start in 10 minutes.

Please leave quickly.

The first shift has ended.

Please leave quickly.

Vamanos. Let's go.

They're shipping you back

to Juarez.

Hurry up, Nacho.

We need the electricity.

Hold on. I'm doing it.

Eva?

Eva?

It's morning and the court

will be in session soon.

They're gonna be waiting for you.

We're both pretty beat up.

Maybe if we help each other...

well then we can make it.

Eva testified against her attacker,

Domingo Esparza.

He is awaiting trial.

Eva was reunited with her mother.

They are being protected

by a human rights organization.

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