Matt felt foolish. He also wondered what would happen if the confrontation got physical. Bill was a lot bigger than Matt first thought and looked like...he was in excellent shape. When he got home he said nothing. Xia put dinner on the table and the three of them ate together. Dinner conversation was about social activities at school and at church. Jackie finished his dinner and asked to be excused. He was and went to the computer to play. When he was gone Xia looked at Matt and asked, ‘So, was. I had lunch in the restaurant of the hotel and took a siesta after lunch to avoid the too strong UV radiation. After four o'clock I went to the beach to swim. On the beach there were only five families in fifty meters distance from one another. I met Señor Benitez's family there. To my surprise Angela waved at me and she introduced me to her family. Señor Emilio Benitez spoke a little English. Señora Sofia Benitez did not speak English but their fourteen years old son Felipe spoke some English. Right now, something much more important was at hand. “Taz, I want you come back to my quarters with me.”“What for?” she asked suspiciously. “I really appreciate you giving me a shoulder to cry on, but I don’t think I’m quite up for...”“Not for that,” he said—although he certainly wouldn’t turn it down if it were offered. “I need you to get Ox on the comm for me. I want to speak to him.”“Why?” she asked.“I want to save his naval career,” he said. “And my own career as well, and yours, and the. I can ask her..." You mean, Cindy, the Engineer's Apprentice?" Cindy'd made three more trips to the site, the second with a few more of her classmates, with me as tour guide, the third and fourth, just by herself. And that fourth trip, a couple of the other engineers whom she'd questioned presented her with a pocket protector filled with pens and pencils. And a hard hat with her name on it. She was almost a mascot."Yeah. I think she'd do it. She LIKES you. Don't ask me why."Sara laughed..