
With little money left, Sailor heads for Big Tuna, Texas, where he contacts "old friend" Perdita Durango, who might be able to help them, although she secretly knows he is under contract to be killed by Lula's mother. Unaware of all of the events happening back in North Carolina, Lula and Sailor continue on their way until – according to Lula – they witness a bad omen: the aftermath of a two-car accident, and the only survivor, a young woman, dies in front of them. Santos's minions capture and kill Farragut, sending Marietta into a guilt-fueled psychosis. Unbeknownst to Farragut, however, Marietta also hires gangster Marcello Santos to track them and kill Sailor.

Marietta arranges for private detective Johnnie Farragut – her on-off boyfriend – to find them and bring them back.

Later, back in the room, after making love again, Sailor and Lula finally decide to run away to California, breaking Sailor's parole. At the club, Sailor gets into a fight with a man who flirts with Lula, and then leads the band in a rendition of Elvis Presley's "Love Me". They go to a hotel where she reserved a room, make love and go to see the speed metal band Powermad. Upon Sailor's release, Lula picks him up at the prison where she hands him his snakeskin jacket. Lovers Lula and Sailor are separated after he is jailed for killing a man who attacked him with a knife the assailant, Bobby Ray Lemon, was hired by Lula's mother, Marietta Fortune.
