Page 37 of Pax

“Thanks, Tanner.”

“One more thing, Luke. You asked me to look into the boats that were used. Of seven different sinkings, it was six different types of boats. Most were ten or twenty years old, but two were brand-new purchases. Both were cruisers, roughly thirty-five feet in length. These boats are generally used for pleasure boating. You know, lay in the sun on the back deck, fish, cruise, that type of thing. These two were so new, they didn’t even have names on them.”

“Do we know where they were purchased?” asked Cam.

“That’s what I’m working on now. I’ll let you know what I find.”

“Brand new boats, probably a hundred grand or more, with chains attached to the top and lower decks. Why? What the fuck?” frowned Eric.

“I don’t know,” said Hex, shaking his head, “but we can’t go in guns blazing, or no one will speak to us. There will come a time when we can do what we want to do. Let’s just figure this out first.”

Spending the entire day driving to their locations, they finally made it to their hotel rooms, checked in with one another, and stepped out to get some food. They avoided Mexico City and Baja as it was mostly tourists, and Mexico City was too far from the coast to truly attract this type of crime.

In the small cantina across from their hotel, Saint, Pax, Brax, Benji, and Bogey got a table and ordered drinks. When they heard a crash and laughter, they turned to see a young girl kneeling, trying to pick up the pieces of the broken water glasses. Three men were laughing at her, and as she stood, they knew why.

CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

“Are you alright?” asked Hex, helping the girl to her feet.

“Si, señor. I’m fine. They do this every night, thinking it’s funny.” Hex turned to the men who were already looking afraid for their lives. They were short, fat, and knew that the five Americans could easily kill them.

“Why do they do this to you?” asked Hex, picking up glass. He knew why. He just wanted to hear her say it.

“Can’t you see? I’m lame. One of my legs didn’t develop like the other as an infant. I walk funny, and it’s painful for me to kneel. Those pigs want me to have sex with them, and I refuse.”

Cam and the others heard the girl’s comments and stood, approaching the table with the three offenders. Pulling his massive knife, a gift from Uncle Trak, he slammed it into the table, narrowly missing one of the man’s hands.

“Apologize,” he said to the man.

“She’s just a gimp,” he smirked. He felt a hard slap at the back of his head and turned, looking up at Saint. “It’s true. She knows it.”

“Apologize, or I will start taking off fingers every time you refuse,” said Cam.

“Fine, fine,” he said, sweating. “Sorry.”

“You didn’t mean that at all,” said Cam, stabbing the knife into the back of his hand. Screaming, his friends attempted to get up and leave but felt the weight of two more men on them. “Apologize correctly.”

“I’m sorry. Okay. I’m sorry!”

“And you’ll never approach her again. You’ll never touch her again or ask her for favors.”

“I swear!”

“Say it,” growled Cam.

“I won’t come near you, and I won’t ask for anything.”

“And you won’t take anything,” said Hex.

“I won’t take anything.”

“None of you.”

“None of us! Please, let me go!” Cam removed the knife, tossing a stack of napkins on the table.

“Clean up your blood. She shouldn’t have to.” The three men dumped a pitcher of water on the table, wiping away their friend’s blood, and then quickly left.

“You didn’t have to do that,” she said. “I’ve gotten used to it.”

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