“Okay.” She saw Norma’s look, “That’s good, right?”
“This child is the daughter of Ramona Chapa.”
“Spit it out, Norma.”
“Ramona’s husband is Solomon Chapa, the rising Cartel boss of the Acuña area. The previous one died of lead poisoning.”
“Chapa?”
“That’s what everybody thinks.”
Hunter thought about it, “All we did was rescue his daughter. We aren’t looking to ransom her. We’re the good guys in this, remember?”
Norma rounded a large, sage-covered hill that stood out of the water like the round back of some gray beast, and they arrived at the marina. Three men waited on shore, and one incredibly beautiful woman.
“Hunter, do not pick a fight with that woman. You might get killed on the spot if you do. I’m serious.”
Norma docked the boat and they walked the pier to the group, with Anita walking beside Hunter, holding her hand, which Hunter liked.
Ramona and a lean man of about thirty, who looked like he was ex-military met them before they reached the Sheriff’s Deputies. The deputies held back, staying on the parking area asphalt. Ramona said, “I’m told that you rescued my Anita, saved her from drowning.”
“Norma and I did.”
She studied both of us, “Solomon, my husband, tells me that the reason Anita almost died was because of you two. You caused it.”
Hunter bristled, “The hell we did. Anybody, and I mean anybody, that says different is a damn liar.” Out of the corner of her eye, she saw the man cover his mouth to hide a smile, and despite her anger, Hunter smiled at him, a tiny one, and gone in an instant, but he saw it.
Ramona noticed the interplay between the two. She said, “So this is a joke to all of you. My daughter is taken from the street and you consider it a joke.”
The man said, “Ramona, you know that’s not true. Think about it for a minute and you’ll see she’s right.”
Norma bowed up as well, “Anita was in Mexico, with you, and someone kidnapped her, then somehow slipped across the border. We saw a wet hair dye smeared on the window and that Anita was unconscious. When they realized what we saw, they tried to outrun us. When they couldn’t do that, they stopped on the bridge and tossed Anita over the rail. Hunter jumped off that high, damned bridge and saved her. That’s what happened, nothing else. If you heard different, you heard wrong.”
Ramona looked at Hunter, “You are Hunter Kincaid, of the Border Patrol?”
“Yes, and Norma is also Border Patrol.”
“She is stationed here. You, you are from farther west, yes?”
“Big Bend.”
Ramona nodded, “Your name is known here.” She paused and said, “I will talk to you again.’ She looked at Hunter, “Don’t leave the area.”
Hunter said, “I’ve got another week of fishing to do, so I’ll be around for that long. After that, you’ll have to hunt me up because I’m not hanging around waiting on you.”
Ramona looked hard at her for a moment, then turned to leave. Hunter said, “That shirt Anita’s wearing is mine.”
Ramona fingered Anita’s oversized tee shirt, then nodded at the young man, who raised an eyebrow. Ramona said, “Cinco.” The young man took out five one-hundred dollar bills from his wallet and handed it to Hunter.
Hunter said, “Have you got a twenty?”
The young man smiled, pulled a twenty from his pocket and gave it to Hunter, who returned the five hundred dollars. Hunter also noticed the Sig-Sauer pistol on his hip when the lightweight jacket moved.
Ramona said, “You’ve made certain I don’t forget you, but walk softy, Hunter Kincaid. You’re toying with people you know nothing about.” She gave Hunter a hint of a smile, then left, followed by her bodyguard. Anita looked over her mother’s shoulder and gave a tiny wave, and Hunter waved back.
Norma said, “I almost had a heart attack when you smarted off to her.”
Hunter said, “I don’t know all the bad guys around here.”