"Sixteen-year-old Luis, restless and haunted by the death of his father, decides to leave his small town in Mexico and seek his fortune in the United States. An unscrupulous "coyote" arranges for him and twelve other men to hide in a railroad boxcar to cross the border, promising them jobs when they reach Texas." "As a short journey stretches into days and water runs out, the men, suffering from the intense heat, give in to violence and delirium and fall prey to the hypnotic spell of Pablo, a ruthless leader determined to survive at any cost. Luis befriends an old man, Berto, who confesses a horrible secret and claims that the devil has come for him and is on the train. Luis begins to think Berto is right as he witnesses the degradation of his fellow travelers and the ascendance of Pablo, who seems to grow stronger with the death of each man. Before the end of his journey, Luis will have to face his own devil to find the strength to survive."--BOOK JACKET.Title Summary field provided by Blackwell North America, Inc. All Rights Reserved