Chapter 16. Politics

By Irene

After the good Sister’s news conference in Belize the Mexican authorities were in no great rush to find the location, they abstained under Mexico’s official “see no evil, speak no evil, take a siesta” policy that applied in the economically fragile eco-tourist region in the Yucatan. Safe tourism is vital to Mexico’s economic health. Foreign investors and potential tourists had seen previous 5-star tourist attractions turned into running crime scenes by unrestrained criminal activity and the official corruption that came with it. Mexico’s economic life depended on that NOT happening to the Yucatan. Mexico would not get another chance.

The church was different, and the state could not stop them. Church investigators started searching immediately and found the location the Sister described within the week. They confirmed it was the place after finding her DNA in the jail. Most of the Aztex remains were in bad shape. However, while the church wanted to get the facts, they really had nothing to gain by widely publicizing the grim details the found.

In terms of the bodies found, one of those in the best shape was the woman at the top of the pyramid. The limbs and some of the body of a woman was still held with handcuffs in a standing position, her only clothing was her California drivers license on a lanyard around her neck and a chest spreader holding open her sternum. The heart was gone - but that was no surprise to anyone who knew Tony’s former wife. A few fingers were suitable to fingerprint plus there was DNA. This body was removed for examination in LA.

What preserved the body was the height - it was far enough above the ground and was held in a vertical position, so she was never hit by the flaming bullets which targeted on the ground. DNA confirmed the ID, in due time Tonto was notified of his mother’s death. Eventually he got a life insurance check with an amount sufficient to pay for his education. Tony was thought to be dead, although there was no body. His life insurance on his wife eventually went to Tonto as well, but it took years.

Tonto was still 17, so the funds were held in trust for him by Ernie. Tonto expressed a lack of interest in his mother’s burial, and he did not oppose the Mayans when they requested the remains on weak religious grounds (she died on the sacred pyramid, maybe she converted). So the remains were shipped back to Mexico.

The Mayans had their own plans for the remains.

(Pammie and Tonto had returned from their tour of colleges. They narrowed their choices to Tucson Arizona, Reno Nevada and Southern Illinois at Carbondale as the mining schools they would apply to. Pammie’s grades made her a sure bet to get in. Tonto was a bit shakier, but since he had the tuition they would work it out. Despite the extended trip together Pammie was eager to prove she was still technically a virgin. However, the couple was clearly very much in love.)

After the church found the Aztex site and recovered some remains they otherwise left it to the authorities who waited. In the tropical climate, at the start of hurricane season the jungle re-established its claim. The authorities left the site alone for five months. By then what was left of the rotting burned bodies provided nothing Mexico cared to investigate.

Some folks wondered how the gringos got there, and where their wallets went, but for some things there were no answers available. All the IDs, credit cards, etc. were collected and would be used to forge new IDs for Colony and Tribal residents who needed them.

The highest authorities in Mexico initially declined to recognize the location as the one mentioned in the Sister’s account of the kidnapping and rescue. Mexico claimed the Sister was actually held in Cuba or Honduras because there was “no way” criminal elements could have gotten them into Yucatan, which the country needed to promote as a safe and eco-friendly tourist area. In any event the locals could not be bothered to investigate dead gringo gangs, it was entirely too much paperwork for a good siesta. The bullet fragments littering the area were curious, but the only record of their use was in Africa. Because those reports were in a different language they were not investigated. The mystery would lead nowhere good, so why look deeper?