Rita's head thuds down then bounces off the top of the container and drops onto the ground. It rolls over the salt pan for several feet before coming to rest next to the body it was connected to a few seconds ago. Her dead open eyes stare out towards the appalled and shocked Americans.
"Sweet Jesus," Jim says.
Nevada's screams become hysterical. Sophia slaps her hard across the face. Her screams turn into sobs. Sophia hugs her.
Books disappears into the container, then returns with a sheet of tarpaulin and lays the sheet over the bloody mess.
Nevada, in between huge gulps of air, chants, "Oh my God!—oh my God!—oh my God!"
"It's gonna be okay. Listen to me—we're gonna be okay." Sophia comforts her.
Nevada takes deep breaths and nods at Sophia. Her lips tremble. She can't bring herself to look at the dead body.
"You still think this is some fucking TV show?" Matt yells at Lloyd.
Lloyd talks to himself. "Sh-she grab-b-b-bed it—just y-y-yanked it from me—right out of my hands."
"What you saying, Lloyd?"
"You guys—all saw that—you all saw what happened."
"It was fucking hard to miss!" screams Matt.
"She attacked me. I was just standing there and she attacked me. You all saw that—right?"
"Nice work, lawyer—blaming her while her blood's still wet. Real classy," Matt says.
"I'm just stating what happened. That's all. You guys witnessed everything. She was in the wrong. I'm not taking any responsibility for this."
"You son of a bitch," Sophia yells.
"Look, she was the aggressor—all the way." Lloyd turns the palms of his hands upwards in a defensive gesture.
"Really? Over a can of Coke?"
"It was Diet Coke. She attacked me for a fucking brand."
"Who gives a shit what it was! She's dead. Don't you get it?" Sophia shakes her head.
"Hey, it was an accident. Just an accident."
Matt taps his collar. "Yeah, right, Lloooyd. Good ole American workmanship. Never fails."
Wild, Lloyd launches himself at Matt and takes him down. They land on top of Rita's body and grapple and roll around, like two schoolkids fighting in the playground. Their flailing bodies cause Rita's blood to ooze out from under the tarpaulin. Its dark red color changes to bright pink as the blood mixes with the ground's white salt grains.
Some of the Americans try to break up the fight. It's a tangled mess of sweat, dust, and Rita's blood.
Books steps into the fray and, with great ease, pulls the fighting pair apart. He throws Lloyd and Matt in opposite directions. The skirmish ends.
"You are fucking crazy, man!" Matt shouts.
"You think—DUH." Lloyd brushes himself down. "This whole situation is fucking crazy."
"BOTH OF YOU—shut it and show some goddamned respect!" Sophia yells.
"Yeah, you guys—we gotta calm it way down." Jedi walks over to the container. "We all need to think real smart now."
"I don't know what the hell is going on here, but before someone else gets killed, you guys have to stop acting like pig-headed fuckwits. Understand?" Sophia says.
