“Yes, and thank you.” Adan said.
He waved a hand, “Come on, let’s go back to the front of the house. I think we may have more company in a few minutes.”
They fell in behind the tall, elderly man and followed him as they walked the hall. He pointed at various paintings and explained them to the boys, obviously proud of possessing the canvases. As they were passing another closed room, Winston stopped and said, “Come in here.”
Inside was a single display. Spotlighted from above, a skeleton rested on a table covered with black velvet. Dario looked at Adan, then at the elderly man. “It’s a skeleton.”
“Sure, it is,” said Hart. “It was left me by my grandfather.” He leaned forward and used a forefinger to point at a bullet hole in the skull. “My grandfather put the bullet right there. This is one of Villa’s robbers who came across to steal from my family. He didn’t get far.” Hart chuckled at his own jest.
“Why do you keep it here, like this?” Adan asked.
“What, instead of putting the bones in the ground?” Adan nodded. “Because I want anyone who is thinking about stealing from my family to know that this will be their fate. They won’t even get a spoonful of our land to cover their bones.”
Dario said, “That sure impresses me.”
Hart patted his shoulder, “I don’t expect it from kids.” He led them from the room and into the main front room, where one male and one female Border Patrol Agent stood.
Adan felt his stomach flop, but at the same time, a flutter was there because of the woman. She looked beautiful, and somehow, slightly dangerous. It was her eyes, he thought. She was about five-eight, with dark blond hair and skin that gave a hint of her having Hispanic heritage. Her build was lean and athletic, and she watched him as he watched her. The male Agent was Hispanic for sure, and older, built like a boxer or someone like that, maybe a bricklayer because of the shoulders. He had a moustache, too, black but shot through with some silver hairs. Adan heard the female call him Raymond as they talked, both standing relaxed but aware of everything in the huge room, including the people entering.
Adan slowed his walk, as did Dario. Why were the two officers of La Patrulla here?
Winston walked by the boys and shook the Agents’ hands. “These are the two we reported.”
Adan felt a shock of betrayal at the man’s words and glanced at Dario, who looked at him with big eyes.
The female Agent stepped to them and said in Spanish, “Hello friends, where are you from?
Dario swallowed and both boys said, “Ojinaga.”
“Do you have papers, or a card to legally be in the United States?”
Adan shook his head, but Dario said, “Yes,” and pulled a laminated card from his pocket, handing it to her.
She checked it and said, “You can st
ay, but you,” she addressed Adan, “Will have to go with us. We can process you at the Presidio station and send you back across the bridge. That way you don’t have to ride up to Marfa and back.”
“Thank you.”
“You speak English?”
“Yes, we both do.”
She gave a tiny nod of approval. Raymond said, “Come with me.”
Adan followed him as Dario said, “Can I get a ride back? It’s a long way on foot.”
Raymond looked at Hunter and said, “Long as you don’t tell people we’re giving you a ride. Deal?”
“Yes sir.”
Hunter followed them all to the door, and as she went through, Winston Hart said, “Thanks for taking these greasers off our hands.”
Hunter stopped to look at him, no smile on her face. Raymond called with a hint of warning, “Hunter, let’s go.” She held Hart’s eyes long enough to make him lean back and give a small, nervous laugh, then she turned and followed the others out the door. As it closed behind them, Raymond said, “Hart kinda set you off, huh?”
“Ya think?” Raymond saw she was under control, so he went to their vehicle and opened the rear door, then patted down both boys. He found the stones in Adan’s pocket, took them out and raised his eyebrows in a question.
“They were for snakes,” Adan said.