Bounty hunter Jacob Spade felt the hard boot on his face. His head was turned around from the impact of the kick. The boot landed squarely on his jaw, and he thought one of his teeth went loose. He was already on the ground, but the kick to the face just made his terrible predicament even worse. Spade had been lying on the hot desert floor for what seemed like an eternity now. He had bruises and welts all over his body, and his difficulty in breathing indicated a cracked rib somewhere. It was clear that he had taken a beating, and it wasn't ending anytime soon.