Ortega's response was fired back hotly in Spanish and I just shook my head as the long-running amicable feud between the two continued on without let up.
Big Jim was the next to arrive on board. As his name suggested he was in actuality quite big. He was a native born Samoan with the menacing facial tattoos to match and he spoke even less than I did.
Big Jim's back-story was a mystery, but I trusted him. He was my main man in the water, being himself an excellent swimmer, as well as a diver. Neither of us said anything to each other with our only nonverbal communication being a head bob and a brief meeting of the eyes.
An hour later my last crewmember arrived, only she wasn't alone. She had a younger girl with her and my lips tightened at the sight of trouble on the horizon. Now what?
Serena came up the ladder looking a bit nervous, but determined. The younger girl, who I put to be in her mid-teens, followed and it was apparent that there was some family resemblance involved between the two women. I'd probably already lost the fight, but I kept my face sternly disapproving anyway.
Serena stepped up in front of me and resolutely said, "It's like this Captain, my sister, remember I told you about her, well she lives in……"
"Serena." I said firmly cutting off whatever roundabout description she'd been about to untangle before me.
She sighed loudly and cut to the chase, "She's my niece and she needs to get out of town for a while."
"This could be a tough trip out Serena, with no place for an inexperienced girl to be of help." I said in a tone that brooked no response.
Serena went on though, "She's gotten mixed up with a gang leader and her mother asked me for help. What was I to do? Please Captain!"
I glanced from Serena to the girl, who couldn't be much more than sixteen, if that. The girl's arms were folded across herself and she had a rebellious look to her.
"Serena this isn't a daycare facility for horny teenagers without any common sense!" I said in a heated tone.
Serena's fingers reached out and she squeezed my arm imploringly, "Please Captain! I promised my sister." Serena said begging softly to me in a personal tone that I couldn't ignore.
I sighed loudly as I admitted the battle lost.
"She has to bunk with you. I'm not kicking any of the men out of their berths!"
"Perfectly fine Captain! We'll be as snug as two bugs in a rug."