Everyone gets everything he wants. I wanted a mission, and for my sins they gave me one. Brought it up to me like room service. I was going to the lowest, driest, hottest place in the world, and I didn’t know it yet. Dean Street snaked through Soho like a mains circuit cable and plugged straight into Johnny Lizard. Johnny’s a member of a club you can’t buy membership to, you had to be born into it. He took the assignment. I guess I got membership. Johnny drove the Jeep past Furnace Creek and headed into Death Valley. 118 degrees Fahrenheit. This was a hot zone. Johnny started shooting. The 35mm shots were hitting the target faster than the Agency float was hitting the local bar. The sun finally dropped behind the distant hills. This is when the Night Lizards come out to play. Cue Johnny. The Jeep carved its way across the Nevada desert, the glow in the distance was Las Vegas. Time for a little R&R. Just before eight, Johnny knocked on my door.

“I’m getting married,” he chirped. Had he been
watching ‘My Fair Lady’ on cable ? “Ten a’clock Chapel of the Bells, down the Strip.” Johnny’s impulsive. Janet’s beautiful. Utah. Shafer Trail. The switchbacks just kept coming as Johnny pushed the Jeep harder up the one mile climb out of the valley. Why was he packing an eight inch hunting knife? I was sure I would find out later. With Johnny you didn’t ask too many questions. We hit the rim, and headed for Dead Horse Point. A lone gnarled tree jutted out over the edge. The Colorado River two thousand feet below winds its way to Mexico. The Jeep jerked to a halt. The blade flashed in the late afternoon sun as it cut through the air before it struck deep into the tree. Johnny had found what he was looking for.