The desert didn't feel the same the second time.
Lucas noticed that immediately.
The first time had been chaos. New. Uncertain. Everything sharp and unpredictable. But now—
Now there was a rhythm to it.
Jesse was still pacing.
Walter was still controlling everything down to the smallest detail.
And Lucas—
Lucas knew where to stand.
"Stop moving," Walter said.
Jesse threw his hands up. "I'm not even doing anything!"
"You are contaminating the workspace."
"I'm standing!"
"You are standing incorrectly."
Lucas snorted under his breath.
Jesse pointed at him. "You hear this guy?"
Lucas leaned against the RV door. "I told you. He's like this."
Walter didn't even look at them. "If either of you would prefer to leave, I can continue alone."
Jesse scoffed. "Yeah, okay, good luck lifting half this stuff by yourself."
Walter paused.
Then, calmly—
"I would manage."
Lucas muttered, "He probably would."
Jesse shook his head. "Man, you are unbelievable."
Walter adjusted his gloves. "And yet, we are here."
That shut Jesse up.
For about five seconds.
Then—
"So how much are we making this time?" Jesse asked.
Walter didn't answer immediately.
Lucas noticed that.
So did Jesse.
"…More," Walter said finally.
"That's not a number."
"It's sufficient."
Jesse groaned. "You always do that."
Walter turned slightly. "Because you focus on the wrong details."
"Money is not the wrong detail!"
"It is if you cannot sustain it."
Lucas nodded slightly. "He's not wrong."
Jesse pointed at him again. "Why are you always on his side?"
Lucas shrugged. "I'm on the side that doesn't get us killed."
Walter gave a small nod.
Jesse stared at both of them. "Unbelievable."
---
The cook went smoother.
That was the problem.
Everything clicked faster. Movements were cleaner. Fewer corrections. Less tension.
Which meant—
They were getting better.
Which meant—
They were getting deeper.
Walter watched the process like a man watching a machine he had built finally start running properly. There was something in his expression now that hadn't been there before.
Not just focus.
Not just control.
Satisfaction.
Lucas noticed it.
And didn't like it.
Jesse noticed it too.
"…You're enjoying this," Jesse said.
Walter didn't deny it.
"I am doing it correctly," he said.
"That's not what I said."
Walter adjusted a measurement. "It is what matters."
Lucas leaned slightly closer to Jesse. "He didn't say no."
Jesse blinked. "…Yeah."
They both looked at Walter again.
And for a brief second—
The man looked like he belonged here.
That was the dangerous part.
---
By the time they finished—
The sun was already shifting lower.
The desert stretched out around them, quiet and endless like it didn't care what they had just done in the middle of it.
Jesse wiped his hands on his pants. "Okay. That's gotta be, like—double, right?"
Walter removed his gloves carefully. "Approximately."
Jesse lit up. "Yes."
Lucas looked at the product, then at Walter. "So now what?"
Walter didn't hesitate.
"We move it."
Jesse nodded immediately. "Yeah. Yeah, I can—"
Walter cut him off.
"No."
Jesse blinked. "What do you mean no?"
Walter turned fully now. "We do not rely on the same approach."
Jesse frowned. "It worked."
"It was inefficient."
"It made money!"
"It created exposure."
Jesse threw his hands up. "Everything creates exposure!"
Walter's voice sharpened slightly. "Not everything creates unnecessary exposure."
Silence.
Lucas stepped in. "So what's the plan?"
Walter looked at him.
Then—
"We expand carefully."
Jesse groaned. "That's not a plan, that's a sentence."
Walter ignored him. "We need a more reliable distributor."
Jesse's expression shifted.
Lucas noticed.
"…You got someone else in mind?" Lucas asked.
Walter didn't answer directly.
"Do you?" he asked Jesse.
Jesse hesitated.
"…Maybe."
Walter stepped closer. "Then we discuss it."
Jesse looked between them.
Then sighed.
"…I know a guy."
Lucas leaned back slightly.
"Of course you do."
---
That night—
Jesse's place.
Messy.
Loud.
Comfortable in the way chaos usually was for him.
Lucas leaned against the wall while Jesse paced again.
"You're gonna like this guy," Jesse said.
"That sentence has never been true," Lucas replied.
"He's serious."
"That makes it worse."
Walter stood near the table, arms folded. "Who is he?"
Jesse hesitated.
Then—
"Tuco."
The room went quiet.
Lucas frowned slightly. "That sounds like a problem."
Walter's eyes narrowed. "What kind of distributor is he?"
Jesse rubbed the back of his neck. "He's… intense."
Lucas snorted. "That's not reassuring."
Jesse pointed at him. "Yeah, I know, okay? But he moves weight."
Walter stepped forward. "Does he understand quality?"
Jesse blinked. "I mean—he understands money."
Walter considered that.
Lucas watched him.
That was enough for Walter.
Of course it was.
Walter nodded once. "Set up a meeting."
Jesse looked uncertain now. "You sure?"
Walter's voice was calm. "Yes."
Lucas crossed his arms. "That feels like a mistake."
Walter glanced at him. "It is a calculated risk."
Lucas shook his head. "Those are still risks."
Walter held his gaze. "So is doing nothing."
Lucas didn't answer.
Because that was true.
---
Later—
Lucas stepped outside.
The air was cooler now.
Quieter.
He leaned against his car, looking up at the sky for a second.
This was moving fast.
Too fast.
Behind him, Jesse's door opened.
"You think this is a bad idea?" Jesse asked.
Lucas didn't look at him. "Yeah."
Jesse sighed. "Yeah."
They stood there for a second.
Then Jesse said, "You still coming?"
Lucas glanced over. "To meet Tuco?"
"Yeah."
Lucas shrugged. "I'm already in this."
Jesse nodded slowly. "Yeah."
---
Back at the duplex—
The night felt calmer again.
Almost like a different world.
Lucas stepped inside his unit, dropped his keys, and sat down for a second.
Everything was stacking now.
Jesse.
Walter.
Tuco.
The system.
All of it.
Then—
Knock.
Soft.
Through the wall.
Lucas smirked slightly.
Knock.
He tapped back.
A second later, his phone buzzed.
Unknown number.
He answered.
"…Yeah?"
"Front porch," Jane said.
Lucas huffed a quiet laugh.
"Of course."
---
Jane was already outside.
Sitting on the steps.
Cigarette glowing faintly in the dark.
"You look like something's bothering you," she said.
Lucas leaned against the railing. "You always open with that?"
"Only when it's obvious."
He looked at her.
Then away.
"…Work," he said.
Jane nodded. "That bad?"
"Getting there."
She took a drag. "You gonna tell me what you do yet?"
Lucas smirked faintly. "No."
"Figures."
They sat in silence for a moment.
Then Jane said, "You don't seem surprised by things."
Lucas glanced at her. "What do you mean?"
"Most people moving into a new place are… different."
"Excited?"
"Something like that."
Lucas leaned back slightly. "I don't get excited about places."
Jane studied him.
"…Why?"
Lucas thought for a second.
Then—
"Because places don't stay the same," he said.
Jane nodded slowly.
"…Yeah," she said. "They don't."
Another pause.
Then—
"Try not to disappear," she added.
Lucas looked at her.
"That's twice now," he said.
Jane shrugged. "Maybe it matters."
Lucas exhaled quietly.
"…Yeah," he said. "Maybe."
---
Later—
Lucas sat on his bed.
Clock glowing faintly.
1:59 AM.
He watched it tick.
2:00.
[Daily Pull Available]
He didn't move right away.
Just stared at it.
Then—
"Alright," he muttered.
He pressed it.
The spin began.
Slowed.
Stopped.
[Reward Acquired]
Half-Used Pen (Blue Ink)
Lucas stared at it.
"…Okay."
He picked it up.
Clicked it.
It worked.
Barely.
"…At least you function," he muttered.
No power.
No effect.
Just—
A pen.
Lucas leaned back against the wall.
From the other side—
A faint knock.
He tapped back once.
"…Yeah," he said quietly.
"Still random."
The system disappeared.
The night settled.
And somewhere between a useless pen, a dangerous new contact named Tuco, and a life that was accelerating whether he liked it or not—
Lucas had the distinct feeling things were about to get a lot worse.