The engines crackled to themselves as she called Conner. He sounded tired but safe. New York was more violent than ever, Barlow pushing hard into the city, the pressure growing on Five Points to match his brutality. After a few minutes negotiating details, he agreed to set up a meeting with a coyote. That done, she studied the ground below. Short ochre hills spotted with gnarled shrubs shouldered dry riverbeds connected to empty lakes and deserted towns. Water was too rare and expensive to keep local communities alive these days.