He stood eye to eye with Hans Hempel. “I believe I know you. I thought I’d killed you once before. It turned out to be your brother. There’s no doubt now, you and this other man are behind all the trouble we’ve been having. How about the doctor in there, was he also in on it with you?”
Hans growled, “Who just shot the old man? On second thought, I don’t give a damn about that. Killing my brother was your worst and very fatal mistake. You seem to have nine lives. Now, I’m going to beat you to death with my hands and drop your remains in the well with the ranch foreman, and maybe those other two. I had to wait for them to open the safe and finish each other off. To the victor goes the spoils, you know.”
Samantha screamed, “He has a knife! No, Dick, he has an icepick in his hand.”
He didn’t see me put the gun in my pocket. I don’t want to kill this bastard. “I thought you were going to use your big bony hands on me. You’re not afraid to face me, are you?”
“You broke my damn foot. That changes things. We can end this quickly and I can get out of here, or I have to kill the girl too.”
Dick threw a quick glance at Samantha. She held the phone to her ear. I need to make him think she has the gun. “Lock yourself in the car and wait for the sheriff’s people. If this bastard comes at you, shoot him, or drive away.”
Hans feigned a right cross and jabbed with the icepick. Dick moved to the left and landed a kick to the kidney. Hans backed up, waving Dick on. Dick saw the old well in the back ground and hesitated. He’s leading me to the well. Be careful. Maybe I can stall him until the sheriff’s people arrive.
Hans backed up again. “Come and get your beating, little man. I’m in a hurry.”
“You don’t have to do this, you know,” Dick said. “You can run away and fight another day.”
“I have to finish this. You killed one brother and busted the other one’s knee. There’s no way, you don’t pay. You’re going in the well.”
“It ain’t gonna happen. I’m quicker and faster than you are.” I have to buy time. “I’ll race you to the well.” Dick ran right by Hans. “Come on, slow poke.” I’ll stay on the opposite side until help arrives. I’d really rather not use the Glock.
“A smart ass, aren’t you! Now, you’re going in alive. No one climbs out of that thing. Say hello to all the ghosts down there.”
Dick waited for Hans to close in, then scurried away out of reach. “I hear a helicopter. You’re running out of time.” He looked up at the sky. Hans saw an opportunity, pulled a knife from underneath his arm and threw it at Dick. Dick knew he’d made a mistake. He threw his arm up in a defensive motion and fell back. He’d caught the knife in the muscle of his forearm. He scrambled to rise off the ground, with Hans closing in for the kill.
Hans kicked at Dick’s head, lost his balance, and fell against the well casing. Dick threw both feet up and out. A solid blow to Hans’s midsection. The ancient well casing exploded into the well. Hans Hempel flailed wildly. He stared back at Dick for a split second, then fell silently into the well.
Dick relaxed back down onto the ground, breathing hard. He studied the knife. He wasn’t sure if he should free it from his arm.
Samantha said, “I saw everything, Dick. We’ll need a tourniquet before removing the knife to prevent more bleeding. The cavalry’s riding to the rescue, maybe eight to ten minutes.”
Dick removed his belt and passed it to her. “Fate strikes in strange ways. You just killed the man that killed your mother.”
She pulled it tight around his arm. “I did kill that man, Dick, and I can’t stop trembling. Will it always bother me?”
“You killed to save our lives. There’s no question about that. We do what we have to do and try not to dwell on it afterwards. You heard what he said. That makes him the step-father you can’t remember.”
She smiled back at Dick. “I thought for sure he was going to shoot you before I could get the gun out. I’m certainly glad you have those nine lives, sweetheart. You’ve already used up several, just since I’ve known you.” She removed a small packet of tissues from her pocket and passed a wad to Dick. “Now, tell me something. What could bring Doctor Peyton all the way across country, unless he was here looking for Angel?”
“I think they were working together somehow,” he said.
She kneeled and kissed him on his cheek. “Don’t you think we’ve had enough excitement for one lifetime?”
He leaned against her. “After what we’ve seen today, I agree with you. Maybe we can catch a break soon. Even a darn hamster gets off the treadmill sooner or later.”
Chapter 44
Dick ended the lengthy conversation and tossed the phone on the bed. “I talked with Hunt about the deaths and what’s been going on here. Of course, he was ahead of us, getting the facts from local authorities. He wants to meet us at the hospital ASAP.”
“You’d better check into the emergency room first,” she said. “That wound must be looked at and properly treated by a doctor. My few sutures are only an emergency fix. You could lose your arm.”
He kicked his shoes off and relaxed in the hotel bedroom chair. “I’m too tired to rush right over to the damn hospital. The rental’s locked up tight in a storage facility. It should be safe there until we figure out what to do with all that gold and silver. Technically, it’s property of the trust. Our job is to keep it away from prying eyes and let the attorneys worry about what to do with it.”
“Dick. You smell like smoke and have soot all over you. We can’t visit the hospital with you looking and smelling like a fireman.”
He caught a whiff of her after-shower fragrance as she passed. Ouiee! I think we need to cuddle some, first.”
She laughed. “Don’t you dare come near me.” She tossed a hip in his direction. “I’ll pour us a glass of wine while you’re cleaning up.”
They found Hunt and another agent standing in the corridor outside Maria’s hospital room. “Agent Fox here is my security. An added requirement after our maximum pressure campaign.” He grinned at Dick. “So, you got stuck in the butt, and again in the arm. Better get it attended to. Take him on into the emergency room, Samantha. We don’t give out purple hearts here.”
The doctor didn’t visibly react. He was busy. He treated the wounds, gave Dick a heavy dose of antibiotic and rushed on to the next patient.
Hunt embraced Samantha with an arm around her shoulder. “You two should have been here earlier. Maria passed away about half an hour before you got here. She was weak but lucid right up until the end. After a visit from her son, she gave us incriminating information on as many as twelve more people connected with Harvey Marino and his organization.”
“That poor woman,” Samantha said. “She was so young, in the prime of life. Her young son’s now left without either parent.”
Hunt thought for a second, then continued. “She gave us names of people she believed had been savagely beaten or killed. One of those, the young woman you two found washed up in the surf. Harvey and Hans carried Maria all the way across country in a damn casket. That’s how they transported their victims.” He waited for Samantha’s reaction. Her face said it all. “You two were both in the cross hairs of Marino and his group. That point can’t be stressed enough, Dick. The organization may not be finished. We don’t know who or how many are left out there. They know about you and everything that happened at your family’s old plantation. Marino’s nurtured imagined hatreds since childhood. He used Grant and Samantha as symbols of everything he hated. Then, you stepped into the picture.”
Hunt cocked his head and thought for a while. “I’m convinced that Doctor Peyton has been the brains behind Marino for all those years. He’s the silent partner we’ve been looking for. Given time, we’ll connect him to the cartel in Mexico. He was a powerful figure in the business for decades, and well hidden.”
Hunt picked up Samantha’s hand. “Here’s the good news. Your kind and generous uncle, Thomas Grant Davis, did not kill your mother.
Forensics found fingerprints on both fired and unfired shells in the revolver recovered inside that great big old stuffed toy of yours. Marino hoped to retrieve the weapon at some point before anyone else could. He lost track of your childhood belongings and became frustrated after your aunt’s home was sold. If he couldn’t kidnap you and have you lead him to the weapon, he planned on killing you.”
Hunt looked up and down the hallway. “I don’t like discussing these things in a public setting but you may, or may not, know this, Samantha. Harvey Marino killed your father for the same reason he killed your mother. He pressured your mother to marry him, thinking she’d infiltrated his inner circle, intending to expose everything. Joe Davis was headed to a meeting with the district attorney with specific information of interest provided by your mother.”
He held eye contact with Samantha. “I didn’t want to burden you with bits and pieces of information about your personal life, Samantha, until we had the complete story. Now I can say with more certainty. Marino was the step-father you didn’t care for and can’t remember, for good reason. Furthermore, Hans Hempel arranged the killing to appear as an accident on that overpass. Evidence collected over the years started to make sense after some recent arrests.”
She spun around to Dick and smothered her face in his chest. “Thank God. I felt like an alien growing up. I’m tired of masking my insecurity, sometimes hating my birth parents.”
Hunt looked at his wristwatch. “Grant asked us to give him an hour of privacy with Maria after she passed away. We can go in now.”
Grant nodded at the group. “Did you give them the news?”
“They’ve been briefed, pretty much on everything,” Hunt said. “I have urgent business back in California. I expect to meet with all three of you there. I leave you with a bit of advice; don’t get careless. This situation is far from over.”
Grant stared at the sling holding Dick’s arm. “What the devil have you been into now?”
“That’s a story you’ll want to hear. We’ll fill you in after we’re finished up here.”
Samantha leaned down and kissed Grant’s cheek. “I’m so sorry for everything that’s happened, Grant. I want to help you get through your loss. Maria went through a lot. She obviously had a good heart.”
“Thanks, Sam. She had an unfortunate life, from the beginning. I’ve decided to make an effort to change the circumstances for her young son. With your help, perhaps we can ease him through his loss.”
She looked puzzled. “I don’t understand. How can I help?”
“You and I are family, my only family. I would like your encouragement. I intend to establish a trust fund for the boy. That means changing my will. Maria’s young son will not suffer the way his mother has. With help from our family, looking over his upbringing, he’ll do fine.”
She smiled and looked back at Dick. “You certainly have my one hundred percent encouragement, as well as any help I can give you along the way.”
Dick grinned at Sam. “Any one fortunate enough to become part of the Davis family is blessed.” He winked an eye at Grant. “Who knows? Someday, even I may get lucky and welcomed into your family.”
Chapter 45
Hunt growled his words out. “I asked you both to come in for an update on what’s happening. I’m going to be busy on several fronts for a while. If you need me, I’ll only be available by phone.”
He motioned for Dick to close the office door. “Everything’s quite clear now, Samantha. They were all in this together. The ranch was a major distribution point for drugs. There’s no reason for you to feel badly about taking Marino’s life. He killed Doctor Steven Peyton, with the same weapon he attempted to use on you and Commander McGowin. He also initiated multiple attempts on your life. He’s the one who hired those men to burn your house down. He started the most vindictive effort against your mother for giving up his secrets. And something you already know now, Samantha. He killed both your parents.”
“I understand that, Agent Hunt. And, it may help me get through this thing. However, I’m more concerned that you believe me. I worked with both for a long time and still find it hard to believe that Doctor Peyton and Angel were behind so much death and destruction. Yes, I can accept the facts but I can’t reconcile the man I knew with those terrible deeds, now that he’s dead. We were too close. He was very good to me.” She attempted to calm her nervous hands. “Now, please tell me the truth. Did Steven have anything at all to do with my mother’s death?”
“We don’t believe so. At first, we thought he had,” Hunt said. “He was, however, the brains behind Marino for many years, as well as a primary partner with the Mexican cartel. Their association cost many young American lives. The investigation may have dragged on indefinitely without information provided by Maria Estrada. I have recommended a reward be paid to her family for knowingly providing critical information that could and did cost her life.”
“That’s a tremendous gesture of gratitude,” Dick said. “I hope it’s soon approved.”
Hunt turned his attention back to Samantha. “Grant Davis also put his life on the line. He felt badly about what happened and committed his life and fortune to solving the killing of your parents, Samantha. I can’t say enough about that. Furthermore, I’d like to express my personal gratitude to you both for saving my life. The public is also indebted to you for your untiring effort.”
She shook her head from side to side. “I’m overwhelmed that Grant made those extraordinary efforts to bring my family to me. That’s worth more than all the riches in the world. The monetary value, when compared to my newly gained knowledge of family, is of minor importance, Agent Hunt.”
Dick said, “I believe I can speak for Samantha and myself. Our experience here brought us together with a bond that can never be broken. We have no regrets. We just want to get on with our lives.” He waved his hand around. “One more thing, Agent Hunt. What about the ranch? Are we cleared to enter to start the necessary repairs? I need to investigate the house and property again. The trustee wants a report on the overall condition. It has to be updated and refurbished. I’m anxious to check that off my list and start the ball rolling.”
“Drug Enforcement has completed their work. All restrictions have been lifted. Some damage may have taken place in certain areas. Over nine million dollars in illegal drugs were discovered in an underground excavation, with entrance through the basement. Four million in cash was bound and packaged for shipment to Mexico. I’d be careful breathing the air where all those drugs, such as fentanyl, were stored.”
“Where’s Angel now?” Samantha asked. “I can’t get my arms around her involvement.”
Hunt didn’t seem to want that question answered. “Angel’s a very sophisticated business woman,” he said. “Interpol’s been asked to place her on a watchlist. She’s traveled extensively throughout the Caribbean, Mexico and Europe. At this time, she’s in the wind, so to speak.” He held eye contact with Samantha for several long moments. “You may wish for this to play out favorably for Angel. That’s not likely, Samantha. She turned out to be a major player in the Mexican cartel. I feel it may take some time to locate her. There’s a big wide world out there for someone like Angel to play in.”
Chapter 46
Tape over her mouth made breathing difficult. She fought hard in her attempt to prevent the sack being pulled over her head. She suspicioned who her abductors might be and feared for her life, knowing further resistance would be futile.
She had seen the two men rush out from behind a van and knew what was going to happen. She ran hard, hoping to get inside her car and lock the doors before they reached her. It didn’t happen. She fought them like a man would. She kicked one in the crotch, slammed an elbow into the eye of the other. She pressed the alarm on her key, then used it as a weapon to slash one assailant across the face. She had screamed. Her car alarm had blared. The men ignored everything.
Angel woke, face down, on the floor of the van. She spit out a mouthful of
blood from a blow to her face. Her head throbbed. She felt swelling on the right side and realized she’d been knocked unconscious.
She had spotted the man at the airport in Miami. He’d been waiting in the corridor, talking on the telephone. She saw him again, still on the phone, outside baggage pickup. She hadn’t seen him again so she relaxed. How could I have been so stupid.
She heard the doors to the van open. She was dragged roughly across a concrete floor. She heard another door open before being dumped onto a smelly mattress. Shortly afterward, she heard someone speak. “Take the sack off her head and tape her to the chair.” She recognized that voice. Angel looked around. She was in a small, dingy room. “You know who we are, don’t you? I’m Ahellio Mendez. You know me as Hilo.”
She looked up at him. “Yes, I know your voice, of course. Why are you doing this to me?”
“Don’t play stupid, Angel. Just answer all my questions and you may live to enjoy all those millions you’ve squirrelled away. Where’s the money, Angel?”
“You know I wouldn’t touch company money, ever. I don’t need to. You’ve made me rich. I’m returning home from a trip to find out what’s going on before calling you. I haven’t been able to reach Marino by phone. First Marino and then Doctor Peyton. I called Hans yesterday and told him to find out what’s up and be prepared to contact you. I know something’s going bad. Believe me, I’m puzzled. You have so much at risk. I would never doubt you’d do whatever’s necessary to protect your interest. Now, after everything else, Hans is not answering his phone either. That’s never happened before.”
He said, “Stop for a minute. You were in the Bahamas, why?”
“I have my own account there. It’s everything I have. Now I’m worried.”
In the Blink of An Eye Page 17