Page 17 of Xavier

I sit behind the wheel of my car for several minutes. I don’t want to go home, but I don’t need to poke the bear and cause more trouble.

Remembering several conversations from the bonfire last night, I decide to go fishing on my old dock.

The locals said this was the best time to fish. Maybe I’ll get lucky and score some fresh dinner.

With my mind made up, I head to the locally owned bait and tackle store for bait and bobbers.

The store is crowded with locals chatting about the storm and the best places to get the monster fish at this time of day.

I’m not interested in catching a monster sized fish, so I give them a friendly head nod before heading toward the back wall.

After grabbing several bobbers of different sizes, I walk toward the refrigerators where the owners keep the live bait.

An all too familiar accent has me stopping in my tracks.

I pretend to look at tackle boxes as I eavesdrop on their conversation.

The two men are trying to cover up their foreign accents by making them more southern, but anyone who’s from here would know they are faking it.

Maybe the locals don’t care.

Right now, they only seem to care about fishing and boarding up their houses and businesses.

But I know the dangers that the cartel will bring here, and no one will want that.

First, it will be drugs and gangs. Then it will be sex trafficking, murders, and crime. They will push the police out of the town and take over faster than this storm is approaching.

Concentrating on their voices, I overhear what appears to be a hushed fight about “their partner” stealing the treasure for himself.

Who is their partner? Someone local?

What treasure? Or is that a code word?

One man thinks their partner is shady and keeps things from the two of them, while the other one thinks the sun shines out of their partner’s ass.

If my past experience is anything to go on, unless there is complete trust between everyone, you shouldn’t go into business with one another.

Especially illegal business.

Something falls to the ground as one man says, “He was able to tap into her phone and heard a conversation a few minutes ago that she’s going to the restaurant.”

Whose phone are they tapping? And what restaurant is she going to? Every restaurant in town is closed.

The other man tries to cover up his deep laugh with a cough before saying, “Maybe we can get the treasure for ourselves and the girl. We can use her as bait.”

After what Hudson told me earlier, this is too much of a coincidence.

The men must be talking about Brianna, but why? Where does she fit in with all of this?

I slowly walk toward the clothing section and hide in the store's corner. Digging out my phone, I type up a quick text to Hudson.

Two men, possibly cartel, talking about a girl and treasure. Wire tap performed by 3rd partner. Stand by.

I put my phone on vibrate to keep attention off of me as I slowly make my way through the clothing section to get a better look at the men.

Since they are facing away from me, I can only see the backs of their heads. Their black hair is longer than most locals, reminding me of the cartel, but unlike the cartel, they are wearing baseball caps.

Probably to fit in better with the locals.

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