Tecate

        A cold and windswept morning greeted John Delgado as he drove his black SUV to Tecate along the Frontera or as the Mexicans like to say La Linea. He glanced at his fuel gauge. He was nearly empty. The PEMEX station was just ahead. He knew the area well and usually stopped at this particular station on the way home. His wife and two little girls would be asleep when he finally arrived at his little bungalow on the outskirts of town.
        It had been a long night of watching and documenting the cocaine trade that was exploding along the border.  His hard work was finally going to pay off as all that was left to do was submit the evidence. This undercover work was taking a toll on him and soon he would be on a beach somewhere just chilling.  He is a Federal agent.
        Rolling in, he was greeted by the old man who served as the night clerk at the station. The worn and weary look on the old man's face seemed like a reflection of his own demeanor. He just needed to rest.
       As the fleet of three similar SUV's drove by, John noticed the telltale glint of an AK-47 which one of the passengers was holding military style. Alarmed now, he quickly finished up and reached into the drivers door for his 9 mm and spare clips of ammo.  Grabbing the old man and pushing him through the entrance of the station he was able to just get in before the rat tat tat of gunfire began tearing through the building. There were 9 hombres who dismounted the SUV's and surrounding the station forming the kill zone.

      Someone had given him up to the cartel. This was a planned assassination. Overkill would leave a message not to watch their business. He was in trouble and needed help right now. He made the phone call to the barracks. The startled soldier answering the phone ran for the Captain who soon rounded up a truck full of soldiers. They were nearly an hour away in Tijuana but help was coming.
     Meanwhile the gunfire continued unabated. The designer of this building had incorporated self locking doors and bulletproof windows. They were in a fortress and relatively safe for now.
       He returned fire killing three of the gunmen before the soldiers arrived. The last six simply laid down their weapons and assumed the position. John could see the sunlight shining brightly on the horizon. He thought to himself, "would it look the same further south at the vacation hideaway?"

Beach time

      After the dust settled and things were getting straightened out, John Delgado decided he would need even more time away. With his wife and two girls in tow, they boarded a jet to an undisclosed location in  Costa Rica. It seemed safe for now.  Knowing himself well, he began inquiring about the cocaine trade in Costa Rica which mattered greatly since CR was the funnel that led to Mexico and the United States which was the destination of most of hard narcotics. The American Dollar rules the world.

      He soon was on the way to the National Park and another surveillance mission. His wife was aghast at this new assignment. She complained that a vacation means a break from work. Not using the family as a cover for more interdiction. It made sense to John. That was not John though. He couldn't stop.
     He had heard about this beach that's a smugglers' cove for traffickers.  He was determined to have a look. He promised her not to do anything more than observe for the sake of the family. They packed a nice picnic basket complete with the red and white checker cloth that made it special for the kids. Soon everyone was frolicking at the waters edge and thinking about the great lunch that was planned.
       John was taking a walk along tree line above the beach when he noticed something in the sand. It was just a bare spot with no leaves or debris which was unusual since there had been a lot of wind the night before.   He started kicking away the sand and sure enough, he uncovered some planking which in itself, was nothing. Possibly an old crate that had long since been buried by the wind and waves.   Something else did not look correct.  The sand was now falling into the cracks which meant a hollow space.

       Now he was really curious. He finally uncovered the edge of the plank and was able to lift it up revealing an underground vault of carefully wrapped packages all stacked in neat rows. He knew what he had. He made the call to the National Police Chief and told him of his discovery.  Soon a group of soldiers arrived and finished uncovering the massive find of cocaine which instantly went viral on Costa Rican News channels.
     Later in the day, a backhoe made its way to the beach to make this holding bin just another beachcombers' curiosity.  Over 5 tons of pure cocaine was interdicted that day and marched out to the road by the soldiers. John quickly made his exit as he did not need the face time on the tube. The glory went to the soldiers and the National Police.