Land's End: Cabo

By Edwin Paul

Middle-aged Troy Banalia is a burned-out lawyer from South Jersey who vacations in Baja California where he is entertained by the professional women of Tijuana. The wares of many ladies of the night are sampled by him until he meets the blonde bombshell Angelita. The sexual passion between them ignites immediately, and he soon falls madly in love with her as does she for him. When he returns to his law practice, a duplicitous client sells him out by telling the assistant district attorney a bunch of lies, which implicate Troy, in exchange for leniency. The beloved barrister becomes disbarred and is imprisoned. While serving a brief sentence, the broken Banalia decides to leave his former life behind and vows to return to Angelita and free her from the evil Hector, a.k.a. Solo, Lobo, her pimp. When he finds Angelita, the struggle between Troy and his armed entourage, the fearless private investigator Gary Brody and brave Mexican guide Jose Bravo, and the brutal gang of Solo Lobo, the gargantuan bodyguard Negro and cunning assistant Bruto, begins. Fueled by the backup of Brody and apt tutelage of Jose, Troy devises a series of plans to conquer Lobo once and for all and free Angelita forever. His affection for and friendship with his amigo nuevo grows during this learning process until his crestfallen companion eventually confides in him regarding the dark secret of why this honorable Mexican hombre is called El Bravo by those who know him. The battles for Angelita between the two warring camps commence at the top of Baja in this first novel, and continue south throughout the rest of the elongated peninsula to its inevitable end at the twin capes, Cabo San Lucas and San José del Cabo, in the sequel, Land's End, Cabo. Along the way from Tijuana to Los Cabos, Troy drives with Angelita always by his side in their desperate trip of escape. The surreal landscapes abound during their journey across this magical land. And all the adventure takes place against the background of beauty that prevails in this pristine peninsula. An ode to Baja so to speak. The unexpected and perilous predicaments that transpire on this spectacular sojourn will test the fullest measure of their collective resolve and spiritual union. The Baja Expatriate and Land's End, Cabo, both speak to the indomitable human spirit and the power of love. It is a story of personal redemption and the undeniable human need for freedom. An epic allegory about the never-ending battle between good and evil bestowed upon us by the master storyteller, Edwin Paul. It will inspire the reader to fight the good fight in one's life, and to strive for what we all need in our lives, reciprocal love.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Page Publishing, Inc.
• Release date: Nov 23, 2020
• ISBN: 9781646282999

Book preview

CHAPTER I

Mulegé

The sight of the pristine waters of the Sea of Cortez dead ahead had Troy and Angelita literally jumping out of their seats. Angelita had slept almost the entire time during the journey from Tijuana Beach to Santa Rosalía, only waking up for a short time in San Ignacio to pray at the misión there. Then she went back to sleep until the daylight had poked itself into the windows of the van, with the brightness eventually parting her eyes. Troy had been limited to nothing but desert vistas for about eight hours of nonstop driving through the night. The full moon lit things up eerily so that he could look out into the desolate landscapes of sand, saguaros, and mountains. He had driven like a man possessed through the desert, as he did not fear the presence of any law enforcement whatsoever from Enseneda to El Rosario along the Pacific, and then the two stretches of desert from El Rosario to Guerrero Negro, the border between Baja California Norte and Sur, the former ending and the latter beginning, and from Guerrero Negro to Santa Rosalía. The sea was on the east side of the highway on the approach to Santa Rosalía from the north. The prospect of being back in civilization brought a smile to the faces of Troy and Angelita after the seemingly unending drive initially through El Desierto Central and then El Desierto de Vizcaíno, the latter of which constitutes the last leg from Guerrero Negro to Santa Rosalía. It was a weekday morning, and the townspeople were out and about, running their errands after having awakened from their slumber.

I need to make a withdrawal at the bank in town, Troy advised Angelita. I must be very careful, for there is always the possibility that Hector Lobo will be able to trace this transaction through his banker friends north of the border.

"Mi amor, do you have enough to get us a mi familia en Ciudad Constitución?" Angelita asked, hoping that his answer was yes so that he need not make the withdrawal.

"I don’t think so. I fear that we must risk one withdrawal, as I am running out of cash and have only one credit card. Many places down here do not accept credit. I must make the withdrawal here, as my next chance will not be until Loreto. It is possible that we might not be able to stop there because of the presence of Paco Culebra. We must go into the town here. It is our only alternative. I will turn right at the one-way street ahead, which will take us into the center of town."

Troy made a right at the golden statue of Benito Juarez, el presidente, who liberated Mexico. The statue of the great little Indian man dressed in formal garb greeted visitors newly arriving to the town proper of Santa Rosalía. He parked the van and went into the bank, which had only recently opened for the day. There was no ATM on the outside or otherwise, so he had to make a withdrawal inside. When he entered the foyer to the bank, he noticed an ATM, much to his delight. So he was fortunate enough to process the transaction without being noticed by anyone. As Troy exited the bank, he smiled and gave Angelita the thumbs-up. He jumped up into the driver’s seat and patted her hand. Now, my lovely, we will be on our way.

Many curious onlookers smiled as they noticed the middle-aged gringo with the beautiful Mexicana. Troy shifted into gear and pulled back onto the one-way road, which was lined by two-story buildings on each side. He followed it until it made a U-turn, returning him back to where the crowded one-lane road overlooked the Juarez statue, once again having completed a loop through the middle of the town. He turned right and resumed driving southbound on the Transpeninsular Highway, leaving Santa Rosalía. I would like to spend some time here with you one day in the future, when this is all far behind us.

"I would like that also, mi amor. We could stay out late drinking, singing, and dancing. Then we would return to our room and make love until la madruga, sleep until noon, and wake to room service y desayuno en la cama."

That sounds like a dream, but letting your mind wander is necessary in times like this to help us get through these trying times.

As these words flowed so easily from his lips, Troy noticed a promising one-level hotel on his left that overlooked the Sea of Cortez from a rocky promontory. He made a mental note that this was where they would stay if they ever had the opportunity to live out this dream and come back there.

The drive through the deserts of Baja California Norte and, especially, El Desierto de Vizcaíno had drained Troy of his energy. "We must find shelter soon, as I cannot drive much longer. We must be both nameless and faceless to avoid detection. There were too many people in Santa Rosalía who noticed the spectacle that a middle-aged gringo and a beautiful Mexicana señorita creates. We will push ahead to the next town. I know it well. It is called Mulegé, but I do not know exactly how far it is from here. My love, please get the map out and hand it to me."

Angelita did as requested and dutifully handed the map to him.

Troy pulled into a gas station on the way out of town and unfolded the map. "I do not know if there is the type of shelter that we need in Mulegé. The town is smaller than Santa Rosalía and is almost forty miles from here. I hope that we can find shelter and food there, as I cannot make it much farther." He recalled from his prior visit here that this portion of the trek south on the Transpeninsular Highway from Santa Rosalía to Mulegé was particularly stunning, as it paralleled the Sea of Cortez, and the road south from Mulegé to Loreto afforded even more stunning vistas of the Bahía Concepción through the openings in the mountains as the roadway meandered through many passes. He remembered the plane ride from San Diego to Los Cabos and back as it passed over this same bay. On the return trip, the plane flew northward from Los Cabos International Airport in San José del Cabo, past Punta Concepción, the northernmost point de la Bahía Concepción, which was fully visible, as it was a clear day. It was the highlight of this plane trip to view the encapsulated bay with mountains on each side tracing its shorelines to the mouth at the opening to the Sea of Cortez. The bay was a jewel of nature unspoiled by man, for the most part. From the plane, the eastern shore of the bay looked like an upside-down peninsula that opened northward. This same eastern shore also looked like a right arm that jutted out to punch the waters of the Sea of Cortez.

My love, Jose tells me that there are remote fishing camps on the eastern side of the bay where we can hide you and your family until my friend in San Diego can secure your visas from immigration.

"This is a good plan, mi amor. I pray that mi familia is safe en Ciudad Constitución and that our trip to get them and bring them back here will be safe and uneventful."

"My lovely, your optimism encourages my outlook on our prospects. I hope that the rest of my plan also goes well. I will tell you about it now so that you will know this, in case something should happen to me. We will meet my friends Gary Brody and Jose Bravo in Los Cabos. He will have the immigration documents for us to fill out so that you and your family may apply for entry to my country, and then he will return to California to file these documents. While he is doing this, Jose will have a friend of his who is a pilot fly us to a deserted fishing camp on the eastern shore of the bay. You will see this beautiful bay when we get just a little south of Mulegé. The one Jose chose was close to Punta Concepcíon, at the head of the bay."

"Mi amor, I am glad you have told me this. It is good to know that you care enough to let me know what you have planned. Now, let us talk no more. We will enjoy the beautiful view that God has provided us."

Troy drove due south along the Sea of Cortez. They were mesmerized by the view toward Isla San Marcos offshore. However, the highway soon headed inland, departing from the coastline of the Sea of Cortez at Punta Chivato. They passed behind the mountain ranges of Sierra Azteca, which were the only physical barriers separating them and the highway from the sea. The roadway dropped precipitously from the Sierra Azteca into a vast expanse of palm trees and a small stream that flowed through them. The stream had two names, Río Mulegé and Arroyo Santa Rosalía. The sight of this fertile land in the middle of the dry, dusty mountains and barren desert seemed to be the mirage of a desert oasis. However, in this case, their eyes did not prove them wrong, as they were smack-dab in the middle of such a place.

"Qué bonita, mi amor," remarked Angelita.

Troy analyzed the situation succinctly and then stated, I hope we can find a place to stay here, as it is even smaller than I remember it to be. There aren’t many people who live here. They probably all know one another as well as spotting those who they think do not belong here. If we can find someone to stay with, we might go unnoticed. He made a left-hand turn at the bus stand, which consisted of only a small covering that sheltered the passengers who waited there from the rain. This stand welcomed the weary traveler to Mulegé as did the golden statue of Juarez in Santa Rosalía, albeit the stand was clearly not as grandiose or official as the statue. After traveling a short distance of a couple blocks, he turned left onto a narrow street, which barely provided enough room for one-way traffic eastbound. This caused Troy to recover from his lethargic but tranquil state of mind to remark, "This street is even tighter than the one in Santa Rosalía. It is as if the houses and stores extend into the road and our laps."

Angelita also noticed this, stating, "Ciudado, es muy estrecho aquí."

Troy was going on an entire day and night and then into the early hours of the next one without sleep. His eyes were heavy, and he fought them from closing.

"Tu eres muy cansado, mi amor? We must find a place to sleep."

Troy noticed a couple of hotels in town but dared not risk staying there for fear that someone might notice the van and pass word through the grapevine to Paco Culebra y los Judiciales.

Mulegé was a small collection of homes and businesses. Troy continued to drive through it, which was a distance of only about a mile or so, until the road veered to the right and descended slightly as it began to parallel the body of water that separated not only the groups of palm trees that were on each side but also the town proper on the northern side of the river from the collection of homes, resorts, and a small airport on the south side. He noticed a small marina on both sides. The road had changed from being paved and somewhat smooth to becoming rough and pockmarked with only a dirt surface. The trees along the riverbank ended, and they reached an opening, where he saw a hill that had a church with a cross on top that looked down on all of Mulegé.

My lovely, we must drive to the hill and walk up it to the church, where we can ask the priest there if he will take us in for the night. We can trust the people of the church more than the townspeople. From the looks of it, I cannot tell if it is abandoned or not. On my last trip here, I did not venture this far, so I don’t know this.

"Sí, mi amor. The people who live the sacred life and know God will not be tempted into betraying us."

Troy continued to drive along the stream, noticing that it had widened greatly. It now resembled an actual river near the end, where it emptied into the waters of the Sea of Cortez, with the mouth of the Bahía Concepción in the distance to the right not far from this estuary. The dirt road came to an end at the bottom of the hill. Steps led to the church above. There was also a small marina on the river that abutted the side of the hill that faced south toward the bay. The other side of it faced northbound toward the Sea of Cortez. On this side, it was too rocky to climb and inaccessible to watercraft. No one was in the vicinity. There was a beach nearby that connected to the northern side of the hill and the Sea of Cortez. This was their view from the marina on the river, where they remained for the moment. He got out of the van and stretched his ailing back and stiff legs. I will climb the steps to the top and see if anyone is at the church.

"Mi amor, take special care, as I know you are tired. Come back soon, as I am also worried that we might not be able to find a place to stay for the night."

Troy smiled at Angelita and then turned his back and began to climb up. As he performed this fatiguing task, Troy thought, It is the way it should be around here—people getting along and depending on one another without the need of force. He had waved at some friendly Mexican people as they passed by his van on the road through town and the dirt road on the outskirts of town. Some of them were seated on lawn chairs in the back of their trucks. These were good people who lacked one iota of pretentiousness. He thought to himself, This place is safer than most, as it is almost cut off entirely from the cities of not only Mexico but Baja California itself as well. The tentacles of Hector Lobo did not extend directly to the people of the remote desert settlements or seacoast villages. This explained why Solo Lobo needed the help of men like Paco Culebra.

When he finally reached the top, Troy had to catch his breath, for the walk up had been somewhat steep. He began to inspect the church there, noticing that it was a deserted Catholic mission. It was now a monument only. It had ceased to function as a place of worship a long time ago. From Troy’s vantage point, he noticed the three bodies of water—Río Mulegé, Bahía Concepción, and Sea of Cortez—converge below him as he took a 360-degree view of the area. He thought, It was a good idea to climb this hill, for it has provided me with a reconnaissance of the entire town, confirming that there are no Judiciales looking for us here. I am sorely lacking in local history. I should have known what was obvious: the church has long since stopped functioning.

Before he began to descend the same stairs he had just climbed, he noticed a small boat cutting through the whitecaps of the rough waters of the Sea of Cortez to the mouth of the Río Mulegé. Troy thought, He is probably a fisherman returning with his catch to the marina below. This fisherman must be more dedicated than the others, as he is the last one coming in from the sea. All the rest have already docked their boats and cleaned their fish. This is evidenced by the pelicans at the marina below that are feeding on the carcasses left behind by those same fishermen.

Troy turned his back on the lone fishermen and trudged back down the steps until he reached the van. He advised Angelita accordingly, "No luck, my dear. The church is now a monument, closed long ago. We are in a bad way, as I can go no farther. My back is very stiff and sore, and I am completely exhausted. I cannot keep my eyes open any longer. If I would drive through the day and night again, I would surely kill us on one of those dangerous, unprotected curves high up in the mountains. Even if I could drive one more night, there is a Judiciale roadblock south of Loreto, the one that we have already been warned about. It is under the control of the notorious policeman named Paco Culebra, who is probably on the payroll of Hector Lobo. Under no circumstance can we risk passing through this without the help of the señora from Loreto that the vendor had told me about."

Angelita began to cry, as her emotions and fatigue had combined to lessen her resolve. She had hoped to find a priest to pray for them at the church above, and to stay there so that Troy could get some sleep. She had anxiously awaited her man to report back favorably when he returned. When the information was negative, she could only manage one feeble response. "Mi amor, what will we do?"

Seeing the fear in the eyes of Angelita, Troy tried to put a positive slant on their present predicament. Don’t give up hope just yet, my lovely. I have an idea. There is a fisherman coming into the marina. It seems like he is a bit of a loner, as the other fishermen have already returned to their homes, having finished up with their catch hours ago. I will try to talk with him and see if he will help us.

Angelita wiped her eyes and regained control of her emotions. Do you want me to come with you to talk to the fisherman?

Not just yet. Let me see if he speaks English first. If he doesn’t, I will motion for you to come and help translate.

"Eso es bueno. Buen suerte, mi amor."

Troy began to walk the handful of strides from the sand parking lot that sat at the bottom of the hill to the marina. He figured that the fisherman lived a simple life with little connection to the world outside of Mulegé. More importantly, he had no connection to the world of Hector Lobo and Tijuana. With this assurance in mind, he approached the fisherman and, in the calmest and most measured tone, asked the most innocuous question possible under the circumstances. "Señor, donde es uno cuarto para mi y mi novia para este día y noche?"

Angelita was curious as to the approach utilized by Troy on the fisherman and eavesdropped on the conversation by leaning out the window from her passenger seat. Upon hearing him refer to her as mi novia, she smiled inwardly as to his use of this word of endearment. She was no longer anyone’s whore, and she vowed that she had left this despondent part of her life behind forever.

The fisherman responded, "Sí, señor. Yo tengo uno cuarto en mi casa para solamente Ten American dollars for the night. And yes, I do speak English. The room is not fancy, but it is clean, and there is a shower in the bathroom down the hallway." The fisherman had noticed that the gringo looked very tired and disheveled. Based upon this observation, he assumed that el gringo y su mujer would need to wash. What he could not presently determine was why they did not stay at one of the hotels in town. However, he was not the inquisitive type and did not wish to invade their privacy by asking them this question. He had already determined that they looked so helpless that he need not fear them. In good time, they will confide in me if they so desire, he thought. He welcomed their company, for he lived a solitary life. The money was of no concern to him, but he knew just by looking at the Americano that he would refuse an offer of a free room out of pride.

Troy was very encouraged from what he heard from the fisherman. That sounds very good. We are also very hungry. Can we buy some food from you? I will pay you extra for this.

"If you wish, you may eat with me. I require no payment for this. I will prepare dinner from the fish that I have caught today, which is dorado. In the morning, I usually eat desayuno very early, as I must leave before la madrugada to fish for the day. I cook and eat huevos rancheros just about every day for breakfast with arroz con habichuelas y pan."

Troy looked back at Angelita, who was still sitting in the passenger seat with the window down to mitigate the heat of this summer afternoon, which was beginning to increase by the minute. He noticed that she was nodding to indicate that this was acceptable. He turned back to the fisherman, giving his appearance even more scrutiny, as their lives depended on it.

El pescador was small but muscular in a wiry sense. His face had great sincerity and character but betrayed the fact that there was more life behind than in front of him. He was older than Troy but would still be considered middle-aged, but approaching the last stage of his life. His skin was very dark and appeared to be somewhat leathery, the result of fishing on his boat out in the hot sun way too many times over the period of a lifetime of years. Troy glanced at the fisherman’s hands, which were dangling at his sides, and noticed that they were very calloused and rough. It was clear that this fisherman was no stranger to hard work.

"We gladly accept your friendly offer, señor."

"That is very good, mi amigo. I welcome your company. Mi nombre es Antonio. I live just a short distance along the dirt road."

Troy extended his hand to Antonio, who shook it and smiled. He omitted to tell Antonio their names and instead stuck his hand in his pocket and dug out a twenty-dollar bill. He would have given him a hundred also, but this would have caused the man to become suspicious. Antonio took it and smiled. "Gracias, señor, pero I said only ten American dollars. I will get your cambia when we get back to my home. If you will wait a few minutes, I will finish cleaning up my boat and you can drive me back a mi casa." Antonio flashed a toothy grin at the unnamed gringo. "Cada día, I joke with the Lord by praying for a ride from the marina back to my home, as I am very tired by the time I clean my fish and wash my boat down. Today, my prayer has been answered."

"All of what you have said sounds good to me, Antonio, except that I insist that you keep the entire twenty, for you will be feeding us also. I will wait with mi novia in the van."

Antonio the fisherman nodded back in agreement, and then Troy walked back to the van and got in the driver’s seat. He used the hose provided by the marina to wash the salt water off the surface of his boat. Upon completing this task, he reached down and picked up the large cooler, which was full of small dorado, about fifteen pounds each—some slightly more and some a little less. He carried the heavy cooler, stepping up from the boat to the concrete bulkhead, tolerating this burden very well for his age and size. When he reached the van, Troy jumped out and opened up the back door to the van. "You may put your cooler here and then jump in the front passenger seat. There is no back passenger seat presently, but you can share the seat with mi novia, as she is small. I took the back seat out so that she can sleep comfortably while I drive."

"It is all right, señor. I will sit on my cooler in the back. I do not wish to inconvenience your beautiful novia, as I smell like the fish I have caught. I have decided to clean them in my backyard instead so that you two do not have to wait to use mi baño."

That is no problem, Antonio. I do not wish to make you uncomfortable. Feel free to sit in the back.

Troy got in and turned the van around. Within minutes, they had reached Antonio’s home, which was only a couple hundred yards down the bumpy dirt road.

They all got out. "Follow me into mi casa. I will show you where the bathroom and bedroom are. You see, I like to speak English as often as possible, but I only get to practice on los Bajacalifornios who reside in Mulegé. After you have washed up, I will serve you dinner. Antonio placed the cooler down on the back step and then led Troy into his home while Angelita collected a change of clothes for each of them for the coming day from where she had stored them in the back of the van. Antonio showed Troy the rooms and then excused himself, stating, Con permiso, I must return to clean the fish. After dinner, I will take what is left from those I do not cook to the restaurants in town, to sell what we don’t eat."

Angelita had caught up to them and spoke up for the first time to Antonio. "Señor, you are a very generous man to invite us into your home like this." The fisherman had looked forward to meeting and speaking with the señorita that he had caught a glimpse of earlier, but he did not want to appear presumptious by introducing himself to her before she did so to him.

"De nada, señorita. It will not take long for me to return with dinner, as yo soy un pescador viejo who has done this too many times to remember." Antonio returned to his back step and lifted the cooler once again. He retreated to the backyard, where he had a wooden stand with a hose attached to it that permitted him to make short work of cleaning the fish. He listened and heard the shower being used as he wondered what their story was and why they had not told him their names. It was obvious that they were holding something back, but he was old and patient enough to wait for them to tell him.

Inside the home, Troy had urged Angelita to shower first while he walked back and forth in the hallway from the bedroom to the bathroom. When finished, she came out with one towel wrapped around her head and another around her sleek but supple body, covering her from underneath her arms down to her upper thighs. Troy leaned down and kissed her full lips ever so gently while placing his long hands on her wide but slender hips. He released her from his tender grasp and stretched his sore low back while placing both hands back there to brace it. While doing this pain-relieving exercise, Troy summarized their present situation to his ladylove. Looks like we caught a break today. So far, so good. I will take a quick shower. You must rest on the bed in the room down the hall, as you look very tired also.

"Mi amor, I want to help Antonio cook the meal."

You need to rest. I am sure that Antonio is able to cook the meal, as it appears that he lives alone and cooks for himself quite often.

You are right. I am very tired and need to rest for a short time until Antonio calls us for dinner.

Troy watched as she walked down the hallway. His eyes went on autopilot, focusing and then fixating on her beautiful blond hair, which flowed all the way down to and partially covered where her luscious posterior would be if it did not have a towel covering it. Angelita looked back for a second over her shoulder before entering the bedroom, causing his heart to miss a beat as she smiled back at him. He could not believe his good fortune that this lovely creature was his woman, and he continued to dwell upon her vision in his mind as he showered.

Antonio had cleaned three of the smaller dorado that he had caught and had cut them into bite-size pieces so that they could be inserted into flour tortillas with lettuce, tomato, and the condiments of his choice, which were usually salsa y jabaneros. He thought that he had better also cut up some jalapenos, for those with a low tolerance for hot food, como el Americano. This delicious creation was known simply as fish tacos, a staple of Baja cuisine. He filleted one of the large dorados, which he would prepare Valencia-style, cooked with onions and tomatoes in a tangy sauce, as a special treat for his company. It was not a usual thing for Antonio to entertain guests. He was a widower whose only child was an adult daughter that lived in town with her husband. He placed two bowls of hot sauce—red and green—on the table with two more bowls full of vegetables. One of the additional bowls had long slices of carrots and onions, which were also seasoned with hot sauce that was undetectable to the human eye, as it was clear and could not be seen by the unsuspecting victim until he or she tasted it. The other additional bowl contained whole radishes with the stems cut off at the tops. The salsa was for los tacos de pescado and was very hot. The onions and carrots were the equivalent of a no-frills appetizer for those who liked their food hot and spicy. The radishes were for those who liked but could not handle the hot sauces and condiments that were customary to be eaten with the native food de los paisanos de Baja y Mexico. The latter would fight the lingering fire in one’s mouth after one had eaten the fiery concoctions that the Mexican created.

Antonio sensed that his gringo guest would need to quell the heat on his tongue with the radishes. He would have to consume this most unusual and rarely eaten vegetable immediately after swallowing the hot sauce and accompanying condiments. By consuming the radishes, he could temper the effect of the hot sauce on his mouth. In a fifth bowl, he cut up long slivers de jalapeno peppers. In one final bowl, he cut up some slices of jabanero peppers for himself, and possibly Angelita; they were more round and not as long as los jalapenos pero were much hotter. He wanted the latter on his tacos but doubted that the gringo could take the heat from this particular condiment on his. He would warn him accordingly. He heated up some refried beans from the refrigerator, which would now become re-refried beans, and began to boil some water to cook up the rice, which was absolutely necessary to complete this meal. A meal of only fish would not go far in filling them up. Lastly, he brought out a fancy serving plate to present his specialty, dorado Valencia-style. He had prepared this meal a thousand times. When he finished, he called out to his guests, "Señor y señorita, dinner is ready."

Troy answered him politely, Antonio, we will be there in a minute, as I have to gradually wake Angelita from her short-lived nap. He placed the back of his hand lightly against her cheek. She attempted to open her eyes, her beautiful eyebrows fluttering back and forth. She was finally able to open them up wide and looked up at the big brown eyes of her man staring back into hers.

It is time for dinner. Our host has just called us. You dozed off for about a half-hour. I did not disturb you, as you will need your rest in the upcoming days.

"You are so good to me. I am starved. Vamanos a comer."

She changed into her clothes, which Troy had already done, and then they walked down the hallway to the kitchen, which doubled as Antonio’s dining room. La comida was on three plates in front of as many chairs situated at the table. There were many bowls of condiments and sauces and plates with rice and refried beans, which were in the middle of the table. There was a glass of cold water alongside each of the three plates. Lastly, there was the fancy serving dish containing the specialty of the evening.

"Venga acá. Sit down and relax. You will enjoy this meal, I promise you."

Angelita and Troy took in the sight of this sumptuous meal that had been presented for their visual delight as well as their taste. Their mouths salivated at the prospects of sampling all the food that the good man had prepared.

It looks delicious, Antonio. You are a very good cook.

"Gracias, señorita. Now, please sit down and eat."

They all sat down in unison, with Angelita in between them. Antonio, do you mind if I pray before we eat?

"I would like that very much, señorita."

Angelita then bowed her head and extended her hands to Troy and Antonio, who both gladly accepted them. They bowed their heads.

Lord, thank you for this meal and our new friend, Antonio. Please look over all of us and protect our families. Amen.

Antonio and Troy chimed in with a hearty Amen. Troy was not exactly sure of his own religious beliefs but respected the beliefs of others, as long as they were peaceful in nature. He had no problem with going through the motions to demonstrate this respect.

They began to eat hungrily, and a prolonged silence pervaded until they had cleared their plates.

Antonio had stared at his plate while eating until he had consumed all the food on it. Troy and Angelita had followed his example. When Antonio finished, he straightened up and pushed his chair back from the table and stood up to stretch his legs.

"Señorita, do you mind if I smoke?" Antonio did not think to ask the same of Troy, as in his world, the men he knew all smoked.

"No, Señor Antonio. It does not bother us."

Antonio pulled out a pack of cigarettes, extracting one. He lit it up without delay and began to smoke the cigarette most intently. He inhaled deeply and blew a large puff of smoke up at the ceiling. He began to relax instantly, as smokers do when lighting up after a meal.

"Lo siento, I forgot to offer you one."

Troy and Angelita looked at each other, as they did not know each other well enough to know if either was a smoker. They both laughed at their unfamiliarity. Angelita made a face and shook her head to indicate no. Troy also shook his head no. Only then did Angelita reply, "Thank you, Antonio, but it appears that neither I nor mi novio smokes."

Antonio noticed this look of uncertainty between them but said nothing. "Well, if you don’t smoke, can I offer you cerveza o café?"

Troy knew that Angelita drank moderately, from the time they spent together during their romantic weekend in Enseneda. So he replied with confidence, Yes. Please give each of us a cold beer.

Antonio got up while continuing to smoke and got three beers out of the refrigerator while the cigarette dangled from his lips. He placed them on the table, opened the bottles, and handed one each to Troy and Angelita, retaining one for himself. Condensation formed on each cold beer, making the bottles appear as if they were perspiring in the humid evening. This stifling weather prevailed without exception during the hot summers of Baja California Sur.

After a long draught from his beer, Antonio took it upon himself to engage in some small talk. How has your trip been so far?

Troy responded as if reading from a script, "We are on vacation, driving down from the north. I have been in this town before, but mi novia has not. I especially enjoy this area of Baja for its natural, unspoiled beauty. I wish to show all this to her. The seclusion is also appreciated and is an unintended benefit."

"I agree, señor," he responded while sizing them up and thinking to himself, They have not been together long and are just one more coupling of a middle-aged gringo and a beautiful young señorita who have found love if only for the moment.

Angelita remained silent for fear that she would get the urge to talk and accidentally disclose her upbringing in Ciudad Constitución. So she just listened to the men talk.

"I wish to warn you both of the Judiciale roadblock on the highway south of Loreto. You may be harassed. I am only a simple fisherman who owns little and lives by himself. I don’t like to see good people like you taken advantage of at the hands of bad men. Los Judiciales y la policía de Baja California Sur are not all that way, but the ones under the influence of an evil officer named Paco Culebra will do whatever is necessary to steal from you and might even hurt you."

Angelita reached out and placed her hands in those of Antonio. "Gracias. Tu eres un hombre bien." Then she looked at Troy, who nodded in assent, thereby indicating to her that he trusted the fisherman and that it was now time to confide in this simple but good man.

"I thank you for this warning. You are a kind man. Mi nombre es Angelita. Mi novio es Troy. We are very tired, as we drove all night from Tijuana Beach to this town and have only stopped here because mi novio can drive no farther. I never learned to drive, so I could not help him. I escaped from a very violent and dangerous man in Tijuana who owned me like a slave. Troy had risked his life, not once, but twice, in trying to help me. We need sleep desperately, especially mi amor. He drove the entire time without any rest. The best I could do was to stay awake myself and make sure that he did not fall asleep at the wheel. Pero he would not hear of this and took out the back seat so I could sleep on the floor in the back. Anyway, we fear that this man Lobo will not give up. He has many powerful friends, and some of them may be searching for us as we speak. This one you speak of, Paco Culebra, may be one of his subordinates. Troy had a conversation with a vendor in El Rosario who also warned him of this man."

Antonio continued to clutch her hands in his. "I sensed that something was wrong, as you are both very tired and have a worried look on your faces. Your reluctance to stay at the hotels in town also gave you away. I know of the type of man you speak of, as Tijuana is full of them. Now, you both must sleep. You are safe here. I will make breakfast in the morning. After you have slept, I will tell you of la señora buena I know in Loreto who will help you get by the Judiciale roadblock safely. Before you go to sleep, I think it is a good idea for Troy to pull the van into the backyard and park it in the garage there. I take my boat out of the water during bad weather and store it there. I am sure that the van will fit inside. It is muy importante for your vehicle not to be visible to those passing by on the road or on the river."

That is a very good idea, Antonio. I will do this immediately. Troy got up and walked out the back door of the kitchen, around the side of the house, to the front yard, and got in the car. He pulled it into the backyard as Antonio gave him hand signals on how to back into the garage. It was a tight squeeze, as the van barely fit into it. They both walked back into the kitchen, where Angelita waited for them, seated at the table.

"Don’t be alarmed if the electricity goes off in the middle of the night. I will light candles in the hallway and the bathroom. Mulegé is dependent upon a generator, which occasionally runs low around midnight. By the time morning comes, it will be back on. You both must sleep now. I will see you early in the morning. We will talk more then, but do not worry. I, too, have friends, and they will help you, as will I."

Troy extended his hand once again to Antonio, who shook it and smiled. Angelita got up and hugged her host and then voiced her disagreement with going directly to bed without helping him. After all you have done for us, dear man, you must let me wash the dishes. However, the gracious one would have none of it and replied, "No, señorita. You are too tired, and it is part of my daily routine to do this chore myself. After I finish with this, I will go and listen a mi música in the bedroom. This is my one luxury. So I will finish up, and you two will go to sleep. Por favor, do not make un viejo cranky by upsetting his daily routine. Buen noche."

Angelita did not respond verbally but looked up and smiled warmly at Antonio and then gradually released her grip on him and slid underneath Troy’s waiting arm as they both turned and walked back to the bedroom. Troy looked back over his shoulder before they turned down the hallway, only to see Antonio watching them. He waved back with one of his arms, the other still being around Angelita, and expressed his gratitude.

Thank you for everything.

Antonio smiled and raised his right hand to acknowledge Troy’s remarks and then waved it so as to say good night, eliminating the need to speak further. Neither Troy nor Angelita had any qualms about telling Antonio their secret, as they had acquired vast experience in judging the trustworthiness of people from their respective professions and both knew a liar after talking to them for only a short time.

She entered the room first and began to undress as he closed the door behind him. He turned around to admire his woman. He then sat on the edge of the bed and began to remove his boots. Although they were familiar with each other, Troy and Angelita shyly avoided gazing at the other as they undressed simultaneously on opposite sides of the bed. He had removed all his clothes except for his briefs. His back faced Angelita as he stood up and hesitated for a lengthy pause. He turned around and faced Angelita, who had beaten him to the punch, for she was in her undergarments already and had curled up on top of the blanket and closed her eyes.

My lovely, did you fall asleep on me?

"No, mi amor. I respect your privacy and wish to make you feel at ease."

I don’t mind if you had watched me undress. We are bound together by what has happened between us. So let us know each other in every way.

With this formal permission having been granted, Angelita turned over to face him. She extended both of her arms and motioned for Troy to come to her. He complied and gently lowered all his long frame down on top of her in a gentle manner, with most of his weight being braced by his muscular arms. This was done in such a coordinated manner that she barely felt him on top of her. They held each other close without any need for anything more. He looked into her eyes and began to stroke her long blond hair in a comforting fashion. This had a soothing effect on Angelita, and her perpetual state of anxiety, if not panic, since the plan had gone into effect began to subside. Troy gently slid his torso off her and positioned himself alongside her while lying on his back, a position that soothed his aches and pains. He took Angelita into his arms, rested her head on his chest, and simply stared at the ceiling while contemplating on the coming day.

We have a long day tomorrow. The abandoned fishing camp that Jose Bravo selected will hide your family well. He has given me directions so that I may find it in case of emergency. He will take us there himself if things go as planned. However, even if all goes wrong tomorrow, I am well prepared no matter what happens. Sleep well, my love.

"Mi amor, I trust the judgment of you and your friends. What about this Bahía Concepción? You have mentioned that it is beautiful but have never described it to me. Por favor, tell me about this special place."

"My lovely, it is a place that will take your breath away. The Bahía Concepción has sandbars that look like the slivers of the moon when it is far from being full. These sandbars are just wide enough to walk on and sometimes connect the mountains and desert to small islands just offshore. The Mexicans call them tombolos. There are also small coves that carve into the mainland. These varying land formations are sometimes repeated one after the other so as to create many bodies of water seemingly trapped inside. I recall seeing one such body of water with small mangrove-like trees encircling its shoreline. This verdant lagoon appeared to me as if I were entering a land of utopia. As I continued to drive on the highway through the mountains, I continued to observe these formations from certain vantage points high up above. When coming to a point from where I could see many of them repeating over and over, I came to the conclusion that this must be an optical illusion of unending land and sea competing with each other for supremacy such that I could not determine where one ended and the other began. Besides these surreal landscapes, there are also pristine beaches, rocky caves, and jewel-like offshore islands that serve as a home to all kinds of wildlife."

"Will we be able to see this from the highway when we are driving south from Mulegé to Loreto?"

"Yes, my lovely, but the eastern side will seem somewhat distant. I will try to put into words what I observed from the highway on my first trip down here. I had driven around a bend of the Transpeninsular and was navigating a sharp decline from the mountains to the beaches below along a steep ridge. The road curved left during this until I had a clear and unobstructed view of the Bahía Concepción. I saw one body of water cut off from another by a piece of rocky outcrop, followed by another body of water coming to rest at the edge of a copse of small trees, followed by another body of water buttressed by a slice of desert lined by cardón cacti descending into the bay. It seemed as if these tranquil lagoons, separated from one another by stark landscapes ranging from barren to fertile, had been duplicated identically, with only their edges being different. This went on for as far as my eyes could see and left an indelible impression on my mind forever. When I returned to my home, this vision was never far from my mind, and all I could think of was that I must get back to this heaven on earth. This is the western shore of the Bahía Concepción, where the highway passes by. There are only dirt roads on the eastern side of the bay."

Troy had been holding Angelita in his arms as he delivered this homily to the ethereal qualities of this divine, encapsulated bahía. When he had finished his ode to this part of Baja, he looked down and noticed that she had succumbed to the overpowering need for sleep. He smiled down at her and knew that he also needed to get some, but the thought of the danger that they would face at the Judiciale roadblock south of Loreto prevented him from doing so. I will have to place our lives in the hands of the good woman of Loreto. If Antonio trusted and praised her as did the taco vendor that he had spoken to in El Rosario, then she must be someone special who would help those in dire need of assistance.

* * *

As Troy and Angelita slept in the humble abode of the friendly fisherman, Hector Lobo had already begun to make preparations for his trip south to Ciudad Constitución. There he would kidnap the family of Angelita as insurance for the recovery of Angelita, his prize investment, and deliver a gruesome death to the meddling gringo and any of his friends who might be with him. His henchmen—Negro and Bruto—would provide the necessary muscle to back him up. Few people, if any, in all of Baja would dare challenge the merciless Solo Lobo with these violent animals backing him up. Some called him a glorified pimp. Others considered him a budding crime boss who was on his way to making it. And then there were those who just thought of him as a common criminal or thug. But no one doubted that Solo Lobo would use brutal, if not deadly, force to squash anyone who stood in his way of protecting what he considered to be his property, or of furthering his future aspirations. The people feared his kind. His reach was unfettered on both sides of the border from San Diego to Los Cabos, as he provided the power brokers who ruled from the southernmost American city on the West Coast to the twin capes at the end of the Baja peninsula, with the stunning beauties from Juanita’s. And just as important to these influential men was that he did so with utmost discretion. Solo Lobo was given free rein by the various levels of law enforcement in Baja with few exceptions. After all, what kind of man could turn down a night of complete satiation of his most lascivious sexual desires by a stunning young beauty with a heavenly face and body to match, even if that same man was a police officer or government official who had taken an oath to abide by the law? The only body of law enforcement in Baja that he had not yet successfully infiltrated was the federales, with the exception being a soldado here and there who conducted all the roadblocks in Baja save one, the Judiciale stop south of Loreto. This frustrated Lobo to no end, but he still felt secure in knowing that el gringo y la puta would have to pass through this Judiciale roadblock on their way to the home of her family in Ciudad Constitución; he was absolutely sure that this was where they were heading, notwithstanding what the crossing guards on his dole had told him. The astute pimp placed great stock in his belief that his faithful servant Paco Culebra would intercept them if they tried to get through the Judiciale roadblock.

Solo Lobo had always suspected that this unlikely pair was heading south by car so that she could reunite with her family. This feat could only be accomplished with the help of the gringo and his friends. His intuition had proved to be correct when the young federale stationed on a local road in Rosarito that ran parallel to the scenic highway noticed a beautiful señorita with a faceless middle-aged gringo who looked like all the other johns that came to border towns like Tijuana, searching for the company of a stunning Mexicana on his arm and in his bed. The federale saw them for a short time as they passed him slowly. The young soldier had watched them drive away in a southerly direction toward the next entrance to the scenic highway, Mex 1D.

The sly pimp had not been fooled by the feint of El Rubio, el amigo del gringo. This same friend who wore a hat to conceal his own mop of blond hair was accompanied by a blond woman when they crossed the border at Otay Mesa in a red sports car. He correctly surmised that the blond woman was the Mexicana novia del Rubio, who was wearing a wig at that time to confuse his men. Solo Lobo knew that Angelita could not gain lawful entry to the United States so soon and, further, that she would not risk unlawful entry for fear that the chain of information would leak to him if she was caught and deported back to Mexico. The gringo must have taken Angelita in the van while his friend returned to San Diego in his red sports car with his woman. They must have changed positions in the vehicles after they had departed from Tijuana Beach. Most importantly, he knew that Angelita would never leave her family behind in Ciudad Constitución. Her goodness would be her undoing.

As he packed his travel bag for the trip south, the evil fuck broke into a sinister smile at the prospect of capturing them before Angelita was able to reunite with her family. As he waited for them to surface again, he considered alternative routes that they might take even though he remained steadfast in his belief that they were heading south on the Transpeninsular. An alternative to this would be if they had headed east instead on Route 2 to the cities of Tecate y Mexicali and crossed over to the mainland of Mexico, heading south and eventually catching a ferry to the port city of La Paz en Baja California Sur. If they did head east, it was also possible that they attempted to cross the border at Mexicali, but this was doubtful, for the same reason of her being apprehended and deported back to Mexico. He thought to himself, I must give a call to that gringo border official Immanuel M. Hipp, as he owes me mucho from the times I sent Angelita to him for the night, the latter of which resulted in her escape. He should know from his fellow immigration officials if they crossed over at either Tecate o Mexicali or at his own crossing, which is in between these two.

Solo Lobo made arrangements with the pilot whom he had been referred to by his American banker friend. He knew this pilot well and trusted him completely, as he had used him on several occasions for his recruiting trips from Tijuana to Baja California Sur. The pilot eagerly volunteered his private airplane when it was explained to him by Hector Lobo that it was for the purpose of retrieving Angelita. The pilot knew that he would be the first client of Angelita when he got back from this trip; he had heard others sing her praises and always had looked forward to being with her. It was now his time to experience the charms of Angelita, and he could barely wait for this moment to happen.

For further insurance, Solo Lobo had called Paco Culebra to keep a lookout for el gringo y la puta in a van traveling south on the highway. He had guaranteed to Culebra that if he captured these two miscreants, there would be an opening commensurate with his experience on the Tijuana Police Force, where las mordidas would be infinitesimally larger than what he presently squeezed out of the petty criminals that attempted to cross through his desert post.

La Culebra had guaranteed him that if they were coming this way, he would capture them and present them as his gift to the painstaking pimp. He had explained to Solo Lobo that the way he would accomplish this was by dispatching two reliable officers to patrol the area between Santa Rosalía y Loreto, which included Mulegé, and that he himself would personally monitor the roadblock just south of Loreto. Paco Culebra admitted to him that he did not have the actual authority to order the two officers to patrol for him, as they were local police, not under his command. However, he assured Lobo that they would obey him anyway as he was their true jefe and that they would never fail to do what he required of them. Solo Lobo knew this to be true, as he had heard the rumors in that part of Baja California Sur that Culebra was a man feared by just about everybody, with the exception of men like himself and those working for him. He had no doubt that, if necessary, these local cops would ignore the orders of their police chief. This man also feared Paco Culebra, as if he were a mere civilian living in the area controlled by this evil and corrupt officer who had earned the moniker La Culebra. When the phone call was concluded, Solo Lobo had no qualms whatsoever that el gringo y la puta would be captured if they dared venture into the territory of La Culebra, which extended from Santa Rosalía to points just south of Loreto.

* * *

La Culebra smiled when the call ended, as this was his big chance to move to the big time and get his hands on some real money in Tijuana, where he would conveniently look the other way for a price, whatever be the vice. In addition, he would benefit handsomely from the flesh trade in Tijuana due to his nefarious business connection with his patrón, Hector Lobo. He met his subordinates, who were actually equal to him in rank, but not in seniority, or who worked for the local police departments in the area. The men he was meeting today were of the latter category. The rendezvous was at a small outdoor restaurant that was a glorified tacqueria located in Loreto just off the Transpeninsular Highway on Salvatierra. It was owned by a large round woman whose given name had long since been forgotten. She was known and called by one name only, La Dueña. Paco Culebra did not trust this woman with the secrets of his profession; however, he was forced to admit that on more than one occasion, she had provided him with critical information leading to the arrests of wanted criminals, the apprehension of which benefited him greatly in the form of bribes that he extorted from them for their release, or the publicity arising from his capture of these wanted men in the event that they did not have enough money to pay him off. Best of all, the good woman asked for nothing in return. Of the two policemen he was meeting that