Page 25 of Pax

“Alright,” said Pax, kissing her. “You guys just enjoy the day, but if you see something, make note of all the details. If you can do it without being seen, take a few photos as well.”

“Will do,” she smiled. “Be careful.”

“Always.”

CHAPTER FIFTEEN

The border checkpoints at Tijuana were never very good. There were hundreds, if not thousands, of people coming in and out of San Diego every day for work. Most returned home every night because the cost of living was ridiculously low on the other side of the border. But there were always those who had no intention of returning.

“It’s been years since I’ve been down here,” said Luke. “Don’t tell Ajei, but I may have gotten into a little mischief down here.”

“Same,” muttered Cam.

“Same,” said the Jordan brothers, smirking.

“It’s easy to do here,” said Eric. “We need to remember that. Watch what you drink and eat, and keep your eyes peeled. We might not be in uniform, but we damn sure stick out like a sore thumb.”

They’d taken two vehicles down, Pax, Saint, Brax, Conor, and Moose, making their way to the poverty-stricken neighborhoods that might be bringing people in. Luke, Hex, Eric, Cam, Patrick, and Christopher were in the other vehicle, hoping to get information from the shops and restaurants. Back in Coronado, Bogey and Benji were meeting with leaders from the SEAL, Marine, and Coast Guard communities.

“Over there,” said Hex, pointing to a small parking lot. “A dollar to park here. Do you think they take the car?”

“It’s possible,” smirked Cam. “On the other hand, they wouldn’t have a lot of business if that was happening. Besides, this is a rental.”

They handed the attendant their dollar and an additional three to watch the car. He was gracious, smiling at the men as they walked the street lined with small shops and restaurants. It was always busy and bustling, but as summer neared, it was even more so.

“Señor,” nodded Hex, speaking to the first shopkeeper. “Have you heard about people paying to come to America and being chained to ships?” Hex knew that his Spanish was perfect, but the man stared at him, shaking his head. There was fear in his face, and he turned, going to the back room.

“That’s not strange at all,” frowned Luke. Walking to the small coffee shop next door, he and Cam walked in and asked the same question. The woman made the sign of the cross and then turned, leaving the men standing there.

“This is going to be a long day,” said Cam.

On the other side of town, the other team was parked in the worst possible area of Tijuana. They weren’t worried for themselves as much as they were worried about anyone stupid enough to confront them. With all the stealth netting, they’d gone across the border with plenty of armor.

“A dollar, señor, por favor,” said the boy. Pax pulled out a twenty-dollar bill, waving it in the air.

“For you. If – you give me some information.” The boy stared at him and then nodded. “Who is charging people to go across the border and chaining them to the boats?”

The boy stared at the men and started to back up, shaking his head.

“We’re trying to help these people,” said Pax. “We want to save them.”

“You can’t help them,” said a teenage boy walking toward them. He was skinny, dirty, and looked identical to the little boy. “We can’t say anything. Come on. It’s time for lunch.”

“Wait,” said Saint. “These people are dying. They’re being left on those boats, chained to the decks, and the boats are sinking. They’re dying!”

“We know,” he said.

“You know, and you won’t help them?” asked Saint.

“We can’t help them. If we do, we die. They’re not from this part of Mexico. They don’t know what they’re doing.”

“What the fuck?” muttered Pax. “This doesn’t make sense. These people can’t possibly afford to pay much money. Why take their money and kill them? They’d be smarter to take their money, get them across, and if they get kicked out, take their money again!”

“That makes sense to you, gringo. Not to us.”

He took his brother’s hand and turned, leaving the men staring after them.

“What the hell is going on?” asked Brax.

---