In the headquarters (and this is what we call Osbaldo’s old house now) there are fourteen of us. This includes: myself and mi madre plus dos hermanos y tres hermanas. Adan, his madre y his Hermana. Plus, four boys from el Jefe’s gang in total (including Zucár y Osbaldo.) Adan has gotten us all into a meeting saying that el Jefe is after something that I have (el xseño) ‘a very powerful weapon.’ We must protect it, and we must protect those involved. And now, he says, everyone here is involved. “We must work as a team,” he says.

Adan has assigned jobs to all the boys and even to mis hermanas. Our mothers are in charge of meals and gathering. Mis hermanas in charge of laundry and the cleaning of weapons (yes weapons- knifes and pistols). The younger boys (Eloy, Zucár, y QuiQui) will learn how to make el druga xseño, and the older boys are in charge of security. I am not to argue, Adan says, although he informs me I also have the last word. Does this contradict itself? Absolutely. Adan is head of security, Osbaldo is head of the house, and I am head of el druga.