The morning sea was calm, and the breeze from the west was light and warm as the ferryboat made its way from the Central American mainland to the nearby Pacific island of San Marcos. John Hamilton stood on the front deck of the boat facing into the wind, enjoying the pleasant weather while watching the island expand in size as the boat steadily approached.
It would be entering the harbor of San Marcos shortly, scheduled to arrive on time at the pier in another twenty minutes. Very few Americans came to San Marcos, and John Hamilton was looking forward to his visit. As he patiently awaited the docking of the boat at the harbor terminal, he could not possibly have anticipated the adventure that was about to begin.
