Chapter 25

While Megan Fox was wandering New Orleans, buying everything her heart desired, Daddy Fox was on the phone setting up his newest purchase/sale.

Meanwhile, back in Armadillo, Mina was in the storage closet, pitching camping gear right and left, muttering to herself, 'where is it, where is it, where is it?' when Bill finally asked,

"Whatcha looking for, kid?"

"Backpack. Seen it?"

"School pack?"

"Nope ... Lodi pack ... the paisley one."

"On the back garage workbench ... Carl's garage, last I saw it. I think..." but it was too late, Mina was already out the door.

Seconds later she was banging on Carl's backdoor. Hmm? Carl didn't seem to be home. His car and truck were home. She hoofed it to the garage ... locked. Well, HELL!

She hiked back to the house and banged the door shut.

'Water, I need water.' She headed for the kitchen ... there to find Bill, DD and Carl sitting at the table. Bill grinned at her.

"You wretch ... you knew he was here. Why didn't you tell me?"

"I tried..."

"Didn't!"

"Did ... you didn't listen."

DD and Carl were fixing to bust out laughing when Mina said, "Shit. My phone is ringing." She started slapping pockets and generally carrying on about her phone when DD opened the kitchen cabinet and took the phone off the charger. Mina snatched it, giving DD such a look that Carl, Bill and DD did bust out laughing.

"They don't work if you don't keep 'em charged," said DD

The phone stopped as she was opening it. Thumbing through the directory to find 'Missed Calls', it rang again. Scared her half to death. The phone spent some time on the ceiling and Mina spent some time on the floor ... she'd bounced off her chair trying to catch the phone. Carl finally caught it an inch off the floor and answered it.

"Mina's Phone ... Mina can't come to the phone right now. She's under the kitchen table..."

"Give me that!" She drew a breath, "Hello?"

"Megan? Where are you?"

"New Orleans. At the airport?"

"Airplane? You bought us an airplane?"

"Sure we can give the ferry pilot a ride back."

"Bye."

Mina proceeded to inform Bill and Carl the news. "Megan bought us an airplane. It's being flown up from Lake ... side ... Lake ... view ... something ... Lake, Airport ... today. Where's DD?" she asked that just as the front door slammed and DD ran into the kitchen carrying two dusty paisley backpacks.

She set the packs on the kitchen table, passed Carl the garage keys and wet down a dishtowel at the sink and started cleaning the packs.

Bill asked, "Mina? What kind of airplane did she buy?"

"She didn't say ... Well, Shit!" Mina swore. She excused herself and headed for the bathroom.

"Good God, Mina!! What have you been eating? DD? open a window ... or two." In seconds the kitchen was empty and the back patio was full. I'd like to say that there was a vile green fog creeping from the windows ... but I can't. The only vile green things were the trio of faces coughing and gagging on the patio ... when Mina's phone ... on the table and plainly heard by all, began ringing again.

From the bathroom, Mina yelled, "get that will you?"

"NO!"

"I'm coming Daddy ... where to this time?" Megan folded up her phone.

"We're going out on the water ... bring skimpies. The women I usually bring sunbathe nude."

"Naked? Are we going to be close to land?" 'I'm not liking the idea of display.' she thought.

"Nope, we're going out on the Gulf ... South west ... almost to Mexico. I have to meet a client." 'and sell him a slave. Blood is thicker than water but money is thicker than blood.' He grinned to himself, 'and you, little girl, are worth a lot of money ... all those debit cards!!'

"What kind of boat?"

"Sail."

"Sail? Does it have a crew?" 'I'm not getting all naked in front of a bunch of men.'

"Nope, single handed rig ... it's all done with buttons." 'The last thing I need is witnesses.'

"C'mon ... let's get this party going. I need to meet this guy so we can get back to Texas."

'New Orleans is NOT on the water but it's about 40 miles as the crow, or helicopter, flies, to the BridgeSide Marina and that's where Daddy keeps his ... boat ... boat? It's a fucking Yacht. It's huge ... I had no idea Daddy had this kind of money ... it's certainly not listed on his 'ASSETS' sheet for child support ... and the helicopter pilot knew him by name. Pyewacket? You sure about this?'

'Yes, Megan ... he can't let you go home to tell your mom ... he's going to have an 'accident' and you're going to be lost at sea. At least, Lost at Sea is going to be the reason ... he's already traded you for half a million in cocaine. You need to find out about how the radio works and how to sail this thing ... if he can do it, you can do it too.'