After several cars left Galveston Island, they separated on the road and went their separate ways.
Dean drove southwest to a motel on the side of the road and booked three rooms. Juana and Salma entered the room and rushed into the bathroom to take a shower.
Dean bought a lot of food and called Teresa to his room. The latter humbly and sincerely emphasized, "Sir, I don't know how to thank you."
"Get something practical," Dean said, sitting on the other end of the sofa with cornflakes in one hand and a pen on the paper with the other hand to draw a woman wearing a feather crown and a platinum boa wrapped around her neck, "tell me everything about her. "
"Well, you have fulfilled your promise, and now it's my turn... According to the stories of my ancestors, this lady is a very powerful demigod," Teresa said nervously and uneasily, "a fanatical The patron saint of the Blood Sacrifice Gang.”
"What kind of organization is the Blood Sacrifice Gang?" Dean noticed that the progress of "Bloodline" jumped to 34%.
"It has a long history." Teresa stared into the air, her eyes became pious, and her voice was full of awe, "My ancestors built the Castillo in the ancient ruins of Chichen Itza from the 9th to the 12th century. A stepped pyramid with protruding radiating steps on all sides and huge handrails on either side."
“Every year on March 21st, when the sun rises, the sunlight shines on the stairs of the pyramid, and the shadow cast by the sunlight moves along the edge of the handrail of the stairs. This means that the Quetzalcoatl God Kukulkan is coming to the world. .”
"Although the snake god hates human blood sacrifice."
"But a few ancient believers firmly believed that He had a dark side, longing for blood and death, so they brought human sacrifices to the top of the pyramid, broke their hearts, released blood, and sacrificed them to the coming snake god."
"The dark side of the snake god will accept blood sacrifices, grant their wishes, and grant them otherworldly wisdom and power."
"This group of fanatical believers are still active throughout Mexico, continuing this ancient tradition, and are called the Blood Sacrifice Gang by ordinary people."
"In the sacrificial system of the Blood Sacrifice Gang, blood is an eternal theme and has a far more important meaning than air. Bloodshed is sacred and necessary."
…
"The Blood Sacrifice Gang, performing human sacrifices to the dark side of Quetzalcoatl, sounds a bit evil..." Dean had a bad feeling. Lena had a relationship with the gang's patron saint, which might not be a good thing. Thing, "If gangs worship a snake god, why is this goddess their patron saint?"
"The goddess is the lover of the snake god. She works for the snake god, protects his believers, and maintains the normal operation of the blood sacrifice ceremony."
"No one knows her real name, but there are related stories passed down to this day," Teresa began to tell. "At first she was just a mortal, but her beauty and fame spread far and wide, so the snake god wanted to possess her and sent his followers to capture her. He took her to the holy place and sacrificed her."
"The believers threw the woman into the snake hole, and let the terrifying snakes swallow and transform her."
hiss--
Dean suddenly felt a cold wind blowing on the back of his neck and felt chills all over his body.
If the snake god wants to possess someone, he forces her to undergo the transformation of Ten Thousand Snakes Devouring Body?
Cruel and evil.
The love of gods is indeed too heavy for mortals to bear.
In addition, Dean had a strong feeling in his head that this half-human and half-god woman had an uncertain fate. She was more like a prisoner of the dark side of Quetzalcoatl than a goddess.
But why was she in a strip club?
Theresa's eyes flashed with strange light, and she continued, "After transformation, she became the lover in the night, the guardian of demigods, and the prophet of the next new era. She can see you and me, these What mortals cannot see is what is about to happen in the future.”
"Prophecy" ability.
Dean looked around and listened attentively, with the shadow of the aurora flowing in his eyes.
Lena also possesses a certain degree of prophecy. There is something in common between her and the goddess, so they are related and come together?
Hope the goddess didn't hurt Lena, Dean prayed.
Otherwise, even if she is a god, she will have to pay the price!
The progress of "Bloodline" quietly jumped to 40%.
"How do I find the lover of this snake god?" Dean patted the cornflakes residue from his hands and stared into Teresa's eyes, "Or how do I find the location of the Blood Sacrifice Gang that she protects?"
"I am not a believer and have no way of knowing these important locations," Teresa thought, "but the members of the Blood Sacrifice Gang are widely distributed, with small gathering points all over Mexico, especially along the U.S.-Mexico border where criminal activities are rampant, such as in Egypt. You can try looking for it in Juarez on the other side of El Paso."
"Okay, El Paso on the border..." Dean took out the map and used a pen to outline the specific location of El Paso. The place is not small, and it will probably take a lot of effort to complete the investigation, but if it is targeted at a strip club , it will save a lot of time.
"By the way, I have seen the statue of this goddess, you can take a look." Teresa took Dean's pen and sketched a lifelike picture on the paper, a figure sitting cross-legged in a circle with candlelight and sacrifices The woman in the middle is wearing a green suspender skirt, a gorgeous headdress with exquisite patterns inlaid with emeralds, and a colorful feather crown. A giant python is wrapped around her torso and thighs, and slender snakes are wrapped around her arms.
Her left hand dropped to her left knee, with her palm facing outward. She raised her right hand upright on her chest, lightly clasping her thumb, ring finger and little finger, and straightening her index and middle fingers, as if forming a special mudra.
Her skin was slightly yellow, her face was expressionless, and her snake-like vertical pupils were staring directly at somewhere in the void, shining with wisdom that could see into the past and the future.
Mercy and evil intertwined.
Dean suddenly saw the dark version of the Guanyin statue.
The progress jumped to 42%.
"Patron goddess of the Blood Sacrifice Gang, I will find you." Dean put away the portrait.
Teresa reminded, "Mr. Andy, most of the followers of this Blood Sacrifice Gang are dangerous and fanatical. If you want to deal with them, you must be careful."
"Don't worry, I can take care of myself." Dean made an Ock gesture and asked a few more questions to confirm that the other party had no more clues. "The transaction is completed. You will take Juana back to your hometown tomorrow. Don't come to Gaal again in the short term. Weston.”
"Yes. This is my home address and phone number," Teresa enthusiastically handed Dean a note, "You are welcome to come as a guest at any time and taste my best Teppanyaki..."
"I'll definitely come if I have the chance."
Dean watched the woman leave the guest room, closed his eyes to digest the information in his mind, and then took out Lena's photo and searched it from a God's perspective, confirming that she was in the southwest.
Then we planned to enter Mexico through El Paso in the southwest.
He scanned the next two rooms again.
Juana, who was wearing a bathrobe, grabbed her mother who had just returned to the room and started chatting enthusiastically.
And Salma, with her plump and delicate body naked, hugged her knees with her hands, sat in the bathtub, her shoulders trembling and sobbing softly, her cries filled with grievances and sourness, and her black hair wetted by hot water flowed down her back. Sliding, water vapor flying.
It was obvious that the girl was unlikely to recover from her kidnapping anytime soon.
"It's all the fault of you kidnappers."
Dean turned off the lights and windows, took out the tablet and divination suit, and the thick-browed cowboy's translucent soul flew out and landed in front of him with a stupid look on his face.
"Tell me, what is your purpose in kidnapping such a large group of women?"
The ghost replied dully, "Through the port of Galveston, shipped to Mexico and sold to a group of locals."
Shipping to Mexico instead of Europe?
Dean's head trembled, "Who are you selling it to?"
"We are only responsible for arresting people, transporting them to the dock, and collecting payment. We do not know any identity information of our customers."
"Why do you need women?"
"The client requires a young and beautiful woman, and before being shipped over, she must undergo a period of cleansing, eat clean, simple and nutritious food, prohibit alcohol, tobacco, and have intimate relations with men, and remain pure."
Dean narrowed his eyes in confusion. This request reminded him of some common sense in his previous life - for certain freshwater fish, chefs would raise them in clean water for a period of time before cooking to allow the fish to expel dirt and earthy smells. Son.
"The customer wants to remove the pipe from the goods?"
"I don't know, but I don't feel like..." A trace of heart palpitations flashed across the cowboy's dark eyes, "Maybe it's something more evil."
Thirty or so beautiful women were shipped to Mexico.
Something more sinister than a tube remover?
Several key pieces of information flashed through my mind.
Dean couldn't help but think of the history of the Blood Sacrifice Gang that Theresa had taught him just now.
"It can't be such a coincidence, right? The Mexican Blood Sacrifice Gang purchased this batch of goods from Texas and is going to sacrifice it to the snake god? Or the patron goddess?"
"No, not necessarily. Teresa never mentioned that the sacrifice must be a woman. Ask her again tomorrow morning."
…
Dean put down his complicated thoughts and looked at the ghost again.
"When is your agreed delivery time?"
"One month later, at ten o'clock in the evening on November 25th, at the port of Houston, a blue cargo ship..."
"One month is too long." Dean still had to find Lena. It was impossible to spend a month in Galveston to catch the source of the human trafficker, so he could only put this message aside temporarily.
"How many batches of goods have you sold in the past?"
"Sent three batches to the dock, totaling 125 people. We also received some 'milk powder' from the ship and sold it in Texas."
"More than a hundred people have been sold, and they also sell milk powder part-time." Dean looked at the ghost with a cold look in his eyes, "Hell can't tolerate you. How can such a dirty den stay safe on the island for so long?"
"We bribed the management of the terminal and the top brass of the Galveston Police Department, gave them a share of the profits, and promised not to touch the locals."
"I knew it." Dean nodded, took out his notes and started recording, "Tell me their names, identities, and appearances."
After memorizing the five names, he thought for a moment.
After all, police officers are different from criminals. A missing person is enough to cause a huge stir. But those women had just escaped from prison, so it was not appropriate to attract attention to them immediately.
"Let you live a little longer, and I will collect a wave of experience when I come back from Mexico."
Making a decision, Dean looked at Ying who was watching the TV and eating potato chips like a hamster, "I'll leave this guy to you, don't let him die too happily, just half an hour."
"Shadow" nodded, wiped his mouth, and gently closed his fingers at the ghost of the thick-browed cowboy. The ghost suddenly shrank inward into a translucent sphere, with traces of arcs and sparks flickering, and its stiff and illusory cheeks slowly twisted, It screamed and wailed, and its soul was peeled off piece by piece like a soaked wall. It was worse than dead, but all the sounds were tightly wrapped by the power of thought, and there was no leakage.
Dean sat back on the bed, twisted his limbs, visualized the red dragon in the starry sky, and fell into meditation.
…
"Mr. Andy, we will never forget your help...you must come to Houston to find us."
At seven o'clock the next morning, Teresa and her daughter, who were worried about a long night of sleepless nights, got up early. After hugging Dean, they drove back to Houston with the second-hand car they bought from the hotel owner and the remaining $17,000. journey.
In addition, Teresa denied Dean's inference last night. The blood sacrifices of the Blood Sacrifice Gang do not require clean women, so the identity of the customers of this batch of goods on the island is unknown.
Outside the current parking lot, next to the stolen white Volvo 240 car, Dean and Salma were still eating tortillas. The young Latina woman put on a dark red dress, revealing her She has a plump and good figure, which is exactly the age when she is full of vitality, and her skin is also very delicate and shiny.
Her straight dark hair, eyes, curled eyelashes, deep-set eye sockets and straight bridge of nose make her facial features distinct and look very beautiful.
There was a smile on Salma's lips, not showing the sadness of sobbing alone in the bathtub yesterday. She made the request carefully,
"Can I go with you, Mr. Andy?"
"Aren't you going home?" Dean looked at her calmly,
"I have no home, I have nowhere to go."
"Sorry... I didn't have a chance to ask before," Dean leaned against the car, took a bite of the tortilla and looked at her beautiful face, "How did you get caught by those people?"
"When I was traveling in San Antonio, I stayed in a small hotel for one night. When I woke up, I was imprisoned for no apparent reason." Salma said angrily and fearfully, "If you hadn't saved me, I can’t imagine what will happen. By the way, let me ask you a question, what kind of job do you do, and how do you deal with those villains? "
"Private detective, good at fighting and shooting." Dean said casually,
"You are so humble, you must be very outstanding and successful in this industry." Salma showed an expression of envy and admiration in her eyes, and lamented, "Unlike me, who always messes up things and messes up life beyond recognition. "
"Don't say that. You are young and beautiful, and you have a lot of time to try and make mistakes." Dean comforted her in an old-fashioned way and handed her a cup of coffee. "What did you do before you were arrested?"
Salma held the coffee cup in both hands and sat on the hood of the car. She curled up her legs and exhaled, "I don't have a regular job. I dropped out of high school and traveled from north to south and from the east coast to the east coast." I traveled to the West Coast and worked odd jobs. I met many people, some good and some bad, but almost all of them wanted something from me. I have never met a good and selfless person like you."
She looked at Dean and said sincerely, "It's shining like the sun, illuminating the people around you, which makes people feel reassured, so I want to follow you, Mr. Andy, and I want to thank you and repay you."
Dean had never encountered such a direct woman and such a strange request. His eyelids twitched.
"I appreciate your gratitude, but I don't need to repay you. I'm very busy now and can't take care of you. Why don't you take the money, drive this Volvo, go anywhere, and live the life you want."
"You don't need to take care of me." Salma just looked up at him, blinking her dark eyes, gentle and enthusiastic, "As long as you don't like it or are tired of it, you can leave me on the side of the road at any time, please let me I'll go with you, and I can return the twenty thousand dollars to you."
Dean got into the car, "I'm going to El Paso, the far west of Texas. The most I can do is take you there. You can follow me if you want."
"I will be obedient!" Salma grinned, quickly got into the passenger seat and fastened her seat belt.
The Volvo left the motel and headed southwest.
…
at the same time.
Galveston Island, Tuna Bar.
In the morning, the hall was empty without a single customer. Only the boss was carefully wiping bottles of expensive wine in the wine cabinet.
There was a sudden clang behind him, and the cowboy door was pushed open.
A customer came to the bar. He was tall, wearing a black denim jacket, black pants, and leather boots. He had a weird mushroom head of 37%, his face was as pale as if he had applied a layer of powder, and his big eyes were slightly slightly... The cheeks are protruding and plump, and the whole body exudes a strange sense of joy and gloom.
The weirdest thing is that he is also holding a strange tool in his hand that looks like a blue vertical cylinder connected to a red rubber tube for inflating bicycle tires.
He opened his mouth wide and showed eight teeth, smiled gently at the boss, and put down a portrait, "Boss, have you seen this man recently? He is about 30 years old, white, blond, with a beard around his mouth. Gray tracksuit…”
"Sorry, Galveston is a tourist destination. My bar receives hundreds of customers every day. I can't remember every one of them. I've never seen the person you mentioned." The boss raised his cowboy hat and glanced at Portrait, "Would you like a drink?"
"I don't drink. This guy is weird," the weirdo stared straight at the boss and continued to talk to himself, "He is different from ordinary people and has a unique temperament. He may not even have the face or the face I described. He wears sportswear, but when you see him, you will be deeply impressed and remember him for a long time.”
Stranger? Can you be surprised?
The boss's beard trembled and his lips moved, but the smiling expression of the mushroom head made him inexplicably frightened. He answered honestly,
"A young man came last night and ate four special dinners by himself. Four portions! Each portion could easily fill the stomach of a strong cowboy or a sailor after a hard day's work, but he finished it in less than five minutes. Sweep it away."
The corners of Mushroom Head's mouth opened wider,
"Great, do you know where he went?"
"He went to help an old Mexican woman named Teresa who lost her daughter...I could see that he was a young man with a sense of justice."
"Yes, he is a good man who is willing to save people!" Mushroom Head nodded, his eyes getting more excited, "Thank you for your answer. Now, sir, please bring your head closer."
"What?" The boss was very surprised, but he instinctively obeyed the mushroom head's request and leaned his head slightly towards the opposite side of the bar.
"Very good, just stand there and don't move, don't move...it'll be fine soon." The mushroom head held a red metal nozzle like an inflatable gun in his right hand and pointed it at the boss's forehead. button.
puff!
The boss was shaken by the slight sound of nails penetrating wood. A hole was opened in his forehead, revealing broken bones and brains. He fell backwards to the ground and knocked over a bottle of red wine.
His eyes widened and lifeless, and his expression was full of deep doubts and confusion.
The murderer's mushroom head suppressed the exaggerated smirk on his lips, slowly and solemnly took out a map of Texas, spread it out, and carefully took out a dark yellow coin from his arms and threw it on the body behind the bar.
A burst of crazy and intense gnawing, chewing, and tearing sounds followed, and the body quickly disappeared, leaving only a blood-stained coin.
"Have you eaten enough? Tell me quickly where the telepaths from New Orleans went on the island."
Clang.
The coin was thrown high by the mushroom head and landed in a remote warehouse in the southwest of the island on the map.
(End of chapter)
