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I was on a hunt. My clients tended to have very specific tastes and finding the women that
met their requirements was often a lengthy process. This time I’d been lucky and struck
pay dirt on the third day of my prowl. I had spotted them having lunch on the hotel
terrace and they were exactly what I was looking for. 

She was a youngish blond mother with an even blonder daughter. I overheard the waiter
address her as Senora Benson. All the rooms opened onto the pool area so when they left
the table it was easy for my binoculars to follow them as they made their way to room
112.

That evening I was able to rent the room next door to them. After putting the ‘Do not
disturb’ tag on the door I never went near it. I spent a further two days discretely
observing them until I was sure that they were indeed in the Yucatan on vacation and, most
importantly, were alone. 

They were having breakfast at the same table when I finally made my approach. I wore
aviator sunglasses and my tabbed tropical uniform shirt with a self-designed Mayan Air
Charter logo prominent above the breast pocket. I sat at a table beside them. I was not a
bad looking guy and I had my share of charm. It wasn`t hard to engage the mother in casual
conversation. It didnt take me long to get the information I wanted.  They were from Ohio.
She was Rebecca and her daughter’s name was Erica. The girl had just graduated from high
school and was still trying to talk her mother into letting her enroll at a college in
Florida. Yes, they were on vacation. No, her husband was not with them. She had been
widowed due to an auto accident. I expressed my sympathies and then steered the
conversation to a pleasanter vein. I waxed enthusiastic over the beauty of the ancient
Indian ruins in the area. The daughter chewed gum and stared off into space but I had
gotten the mother’s interest.

I had pre-set the alarm on my cell phone and when it went off, I pretended it was an
incoming call. I made sure they overheard a one sided conversation by which they learned
that two fictitious passengers for a fly-over of the Mayan temple at Palenque were
canceling out. I explained that because of the late notice there could be no refund and
hung up.    

Rebecca volunteered that they were looking forward to touring the ruins before they left
and asked if a flight would be expensive. In my most offhand manner, I mentioned that
since two empty seats for the afternoon flight were already paid for they were welcome to
fill them and take the tour at no charge. The girl, who had been so bored by our small
talk, suddenly came alive. Her enthusiasm for a plane ride soon wore down her mother’s
hesitation. I let them think there would be other passengers along. Once Mom had
gratefully agreed to accept my kind offer I excused myself, telling them that the company
would provide their transportation to and from the airstrip.

They were waiting for me in front of the hotel after lunch. I had magnetic Mayan Air
Charter logos on the sides of the rental car and when I held the rear door for them, they
smilingly got in. On the drive to the small airport, I left the AC off, explaining that it
had just gone on the blink. Within five minutes I had them hot, sweating and thirsty. They
slipped into blackness shortly after accepting doctored bottles of fruit juice from my
cooler. I managed to get my trophies bundled into the plane unobtrusively. I covered the
windows with sunscreens and locked the cabin. I pulled the magnetic logos off the car and
headed back to the hotel.

I went through the mother’s purse and saw from the receipt that their room was paid up. I
took their key and transferred all of the stuff from their room to the one I had rented
next door. I left their door open with the key in it as if they had checked out. Satisfied
that nobody had observed me, I used the privacy of my room to get their bags all packed.
The luggage was unremarkable so I was sure I would arouse no suspicion pretending it was
mine. After a final look and a bit of wiping, I rang for a bellboy.  

The drive out to the airstrip was uneventful. I found them still sleeping blissfully and
they missed my little ‘Welcome to Mayan Air Charters’ take off speech. I was humming
quietly to my self as we crossed south out of Mexican air space into Guatemala and headed
for the rancho I had named Paloma Blanca.

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