Still recovering from the shooting, Arturo feels like a ghost, brooding over right and wrong. He’s fiercely angry and plans to seek his own version of vengeance. One night, he calls his friends, inviting them and Luis to form a secret gang. They all readily agree, calling themselves the Green Needle Gang. 

One night, around Christmastime, Mami and Papi visit a friend’s house for a posada, a celebration in Mexican culture that commemorates Joseph and Mary’s journey to Bethlehem and struggle for safe lodging. They bring along Rosa and Abuelita, too, and plan to stay late into the night. Realizing that they’ll be unsupervised, the Green Needle Gang hopes to realize their master plan. 

As soon as his parents drive away, Arturo’s friends slip out of the bushes. They’re dressed in all-black sweaters and gloves. Arturo pulls on a black turtleneck—trying to fight the late December cold—and sports his blue jeans. 

Luis still can’t drive, so he recruits his friend Flan as a getaway driver. Flan pulls up in a jet-black pickup truck, nicknamed Maybelline, and shows off his skill at navigating the LA streets. The Gang loads up the car with all their gear.

All month, the group has been stalking houses, either by foot or in Flan’s car.