When thirteen-year-old Ricky Diaz discovers that his mother was actually murdered by drug dealers, he's desperate for revenge. But his father, a former drug enforcement agent, refuses the mission the DEA now offers: to steal an airplane with an American-made radar detector that the cartel uses to smuggle drugs from Mexico.<BR><BR>Angry with his father for throwing away the chance to avenge his mother, Ricky decides to take matters into his own hands - <I style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal">he </I>will steal the plane. He runs away to Mexico, disguising himself as one of the many <I>rateros</I>, or homeless children. Life on the streets proves extremely hard and dangerous, and he's barely surviving when he meets Soledad, a crafty but kindhearted <I>ratera</I>. With her help, he must find a way to get into the drug cartel's compound and take the plane - or end up as yet another casualty in the raging drug war.<BR><BR>In this thrilling novel, author Ben Mikaelsen sheds light on America's war on drugs and the grittiness of street life while exploring an unexpected friendship and the healing power of family.<BR>