by Joe Nobody
“I’ve not had any complaints,” Sam responded, subconsciously glancing down at her top.
Butch moved closer so as to be understood over the music. “Most of the successful girls here have implants. Have you had your boobs done?”
Before Sam could answer, movement drew her eye. Butch noticed it at the same time.
Zach was there, escorting both of the girls from the front. It took the bouncer just a second to recognize the tall ranger before he made a quick move for the bar.
Zach was quicker, catching the big man’s arm as it stretched toward the button under the counter. “Don’t do it!” Zach snapped, “I’m not here for that anyway. I only want to talk to one of your clients without being announced.”
For just a second, Sam thought Butch was going to fight. She spotted the muscles across his back tense as he began reaching for his weapon. The lady ranger’s hand moved for her own iron.
It was with no small amount of relief when she noted the massive fellow relax and nod at her partner. “If you say so, Ranger. You know we don’t want any trouble with the law.”
“I’m going to go up to the VIP room, Butch. I spied Chico’s Mercedes out in the lot. I just want to talk to him. Understood?”
“Yes, be my guest,” the heavily muscled bouncer continued, his voice dripping with disdain.
“If Chico gets any warning that I’m on my way … even the slightest hint, then the rangers will come down on this club so hard you’ll be lucky to get a bitch dog to dance in here. Understood?”
Again, the big man nodded. Sam could tell he didn’t like it, but there was little he could do.
The Rio Cabaret was, as Zach had explained, a “player’s club.”
Like most similar establishments, the primary dance floor was an extremely controlled environment. “A guy could encounter more female skin at a church picnic than in the main area,” he clarified for his female partner. “The customers can’t touch the girls and would be tossed out on their ears if they even tried.
“Those fraternization rules, however, are completely ignored in the VIP room,” Zach had gone on to explain. “It’s on the second floor, and a few of the willing, young ladies are allowed to invite high rollers up the executive level for additional entertainment. The bouncer has a control under the bar. If he sees the cops come in, he sends a warning upstairs, and everybody gets their pants on real quick. While I could give a shit less about a vice bust today, if Chico is up there, his bodyguards will get real mean, real quick. They’ll probably try to hustle him out the back door or hide him someplace. I want the element of surprise on our side.”
As the two rangers ascended the stairs, Zach outlined his plan. “I want you to act like one of the dancers taking a John up for a little fun and games. Flirt me up. Rub around on my lap. Make it believable. You know the drill.”
Sam paused on the first landing, turning to glare at her partner, “And just how would I know the drill?”
“Why Ranger Temple, you’ve never seduced a man?”
“Not like that,” came the indignant reply.
“You’ve never seen a television show or movie that had a scene showing how the girls act in a strip club?”
The lady ranger had to think about that one. Finally, she nodded, but it was clear she didn’t like her role in the upcoming drama.
Zach turned to continue his climb up the steps, but Sam stopped him again. “Hang on a second.”
He watched with a mixture of fascination and desire as she pulled a bobby pin from behind her head and then folded up her skirt so that it barely concealed her panties. It was so short, she had had to relocate the pistol and holster to her clutch.
Then, with a series of swift movements, she unbuttoned her blouse and began twisting the tails, eventually forming a large knot right under her partially exposed breasts. Her stomach was smooth and flat, with a shadow of well-formed abs.
Zach was amazed. Shaking his head, he had to admit the woman was damn hot. “You don’t need the low lights, Sam. You’re the classiest woman in this place – bar none.”
“I do know how to seduce a man, Ranger Bass,” she grinned back. “The problem is finding one worthy of the effort.”
“Of that, ma’am, I have no doubt. Ready?”
They continued up to the second floor, Sam draped on Zach’s arm as if she was leading her prize to the Promised Land.
At the top of the stairs was another hostess, stationed at a small table so as to keep the riffraff from wandering into the restricted area. Ignoring Zach, the girl eyed Sam with suspicion. “I don’t know you,” she said with a hint of bitchy derision.
“I just started tonight,” the lady ranger replied with a smile. Looking up at Zach with a sly grin, she added, “And so far I’m liking my new job.”
The hostess seemed to accept Sam’s explanation. Turning to Zach, she said, “Access to the VIP room requires a bottle of champagne or wine. Which would you prefer, sir?”
Zach, pretending to be slightly intoxicated, slurred, “Which costs more?”
“The champagne is $150 per bottle. The wine is only $100.”
Zach knew he was probably buying a $10 item, but understood the game. It was how the club made money during this little transaction.
Sticking out his chest and smiling down at Sam, he responded, “The bubbly, of course. Only the best for this little lady.”
“Go on in,” the hostess said with a nod. “I’ll have your refreshments delivered in a few minutes.”
The duo entered through a plain door, finding themselves in a huge, open room. It was even darker inside the VIP lounge, the only light coming from a flickering, stone fireplace at one end. The music was far less dominant in this space. While the rhythm of the rock and roll tune still shook the floor, conversation was now possible. Sam assumed the volume was strategically arranged so that private negotiations could take place.
After giving their eyes a chance to adjust, Zach spied a series of leather conversation pits along one wall, the dim outline of men with their female companions barely discernable. Some of the patrons were simply sitting and talking, one man was receiving a seductive lap dance.
Along the other wall were a series of couches and end tables. The arrangement reminded the ranger of a furniture store with its wares grouped so as to resemble a series of individual rooms.
Sam, pretending to kiss Zach behind the ear, whispered, “How are we going to find your friend? It’s cave-black in here.”
“Easy,” Zach whispered back, nuzzling in her neck. “Look for the bodyguards.”
He felt her tense just slightly before the reply. “And just how are we going to get beyond armed security?”
“Don’t worry,” the senior ranger explained. “I’ve got a plan.”
She bit his earlobe just slightly. “That’s what scares me the most.”
The couple began walking toward the far corner, negotiating around the seating and fixtures at a slow pace. There wasn’t any acting necessary, Zach wishing he’d grabbed his night vision before leaving the truck.
Halfway across the room, they spotted Chico’s likely lair. Two brawny men stood with their backs to one of the conversation pits, both of them homing in as Zach and Sam approached.
“This section is occupied,” one of the thugs stated. “Move on.”
“No problem, partner,” Zach replied with the laid-back tone of a man out for a good time. “They need a little more light in here, so a fella doesn’t break a leg.”
Zach led Sam to a nearby couch, the seating providing the ranger a tactical view of the nearby pit and its guards. “We may have a problem,” he announced with concern.
“What?”
“I busted one of Chico’s thugs a few years back on a weapons charge, and I think he’s one of the brutes here tonight. The way he looked at me … he might be on to us,” Zach worried.
After taking a seat, he pulled Sam close to straddle his lap. “Not to pressure you, or anything, but this needs to
be especially authentic. Grind against me,” he whispered. “Act like you’re in heat.”
The ranger was a little surprised at Sam’s reaction. Without a snide remark or complaint, she caught the beat of the music and began a slow, exotic forward and back movement against his zipper, each pass accented by a tiny, torturous circle at the end.
It was difficult for Zach to keep his attention on their quarry. Sam smelled good, looked great, and her skin was soft and warm. He felt the familiar stirring in his groin and knew she would detect his arousal at any moment. He was also positive she would never let him hear the end of it.
Just then, one of Chico’s henchmen took a few steps toward the two law officers, a perplexed look on his face. To Zach, it looked like the thug was trying to recall where he’d seen the tall cowboy before.
In an attempt to block the curious guard’s view, Zach pulled Sam in tight, burying his face between her breasts. He braced for her to pull back in anger, but she didn’t. Instead, she squeezed her arms forward to accent her cleavage and melted against him.
The bodyguard gave up, unable to see and evidently unwilling to interrupt Zach’s pleasure. The ranger relaxed as the man returned to his post and shrugged at his co-goon.
“Damn, that was close,” Zach whispered, moving from Sam’s cleavage.
“You can say that again,” she breathed, not sure what had just happened.
While Sam continued the bump and grind, Zach returned to his surveillance. The effort required supreme concentration.
As he focused on Chico’s area, his eyes were able to make out a blonde head of hair next to the darker complexion of the Latino man. They were, it appeared, merely talking.
“He’s only having a conversation right now … nothing more. I hope we aren’t too late,” Zach relayed to his partner in a hush. “I need to catch him with his pants down … literally … for my little scheme to work.”
Sam lifted herself off of Zach’s lap, much to the relief of the stressed lawman. His reprise was short-lived, however, as she simply turned around and began the same motion, this time with her back against his chest so she could see Chico’s lair.
A few moments later, Zach detected movement from Chico’s love nest, the blonde headed dancer standing and removing her top. With the grace that accompanies a well-practiced motion, she dropped down to her knees and began to help her client with his zipper.
“Now we’re talking,” Zach announced.
Sam felt Zach rustle beneath her at the same time that the champagne arrived. After the waitress had left, Zach communicated the next phase of his plan. “Pour us each a glass and then ‘accidentally’ drop mine. We need a distraction.”
“If you say so,” she replied, leaving his lap and reaching for the bottle.
The next thing Zach knew, his partner seemed to stumble, and a frosty, cold glass of the bubbly was poured directly onto his crotch.
“What the fuck!” he shrieked, genuinely shocked by the icy awakening as he jumped to his feet.
“Oh, I’m sorry,” Sam giggled. “Let me get you a towel.”
As she backed away, the lady ranger nearly staggered into one of Chico’s boys. Zach was right behind her, both of the guards distracted by the clumsy stripper.
In an instant, Zach’s cell phone was in his hand, “Sam – close your eyes!” he ordered, the command immediately followed by several strobes of bright, blinding light as the camera’s flash illuminated the completely dark room.
The camera’s pulse accomplished two things. First, Zach now possessed a crystal clear image of Chico’s shocked face, a head of blonde hair between his legs. Secondly, both of the bodyguards were paralyzed, unable to see a thing.
“Fuck!” somebody yelled, another voice growling, “What the hell! No pictures!
The bodyguards’ vision finally did clear, and each goon discovered a pistol poking in one of his ears.
“Hello, Chico,” Zach said calmly. “What’s up?” he continued with a chuckle, nodding toward the criminal’s now exposed manhood. “Not much, huh?”
“Who is that? Do you know what I’m going to do to you … when …” the angry voice from the pit snarled.
“It’s Ranger Bass, Chico,” Zach broke in with authority. “I need to talk to you.”
“I got nothing to say,” sounded the harsh response. “You can go fuck yourself and the horse you rode in on.”
“Why so angry, my friend,” Zach taunted back. “I just want to have a conversation. Why don’t you order these two boys to hand my partner their pea shooters and take a seat over yonder?”
The blonde dancer decided she had business elsewhere, and with a dart, she scampered toward the door with a bundle of clothing under her arm. The other patrons, seeing the guns, decided to follow her.
“I ain’t doing shit,” Chico replied. “If you’re going to arrest me, then do it. Otherwise, fuck off.”
“Now, now,” Zach said as if scolding a misbehaving child. “I think you should reconsider. You see, I have a rather telling photograph here on my cell phone. It’s an image I am sure your wife … or her brother … would find disconcerting.”
The once tough voice from the pit suddenly sounded rattled. “You wouldn’t dare.”
Zach glanced at Sam, the lady ranger’s pistol still tight against the nearest bodyguard’s head. “You see, Ranger Temple, our friend here is what is commonly referred to as an ambassador. He is a go-between the Gulf and Zetas cartels. A short time ago, the two sides finally realized they were killing not only each other but their profits as well. Someone with more brains than ammunition decided that talking was cheaper than murdering. There was even an arranged marriage of sorts. Chico’s wife is Maria Botanize, the younger sister of Carlos Botanize, more commonly known as Carlos the Hammer. Now, Mr. Hammer is widely known as one of the Zetas’s most notorious enforcers. The man supposedly favors a carpenter’s claw hammer and believes in taking his time with the victim. Word has it that Mr. Botanize is also extremely protective of his younger sister.”
“I see,” Sam replied with a snicker. “I bet Maria wouldn’t appreciate seeing her husband getting his knob polished by that little blonde-headed cutie.”
“Just so happens I have Maria’s cell phone number. Since Chico doesn’t seem interested in talking with us, I guess I’ll text her this picture.”
“Don’t. Please,” sounded a rather weak voice from the pit.
The plea was immediately followed by Chico ordering his men to stand down and hand over their weapons to the rangers. A minute later, both henchmen were seated nearby on a couch, Sam’s pistol covering their muscular, oversized frames.
Zach’s voice dropped low and nasty. “Who came across, Chico? Who was trying to sneak into Texas and ran into our Marines?”
“I don’t know.”
If it weren’t for the fact that she was covering two massive thugs while standing half-naked in a topless bar, Zach’s next move would have caused Sam to burst out in hysterics. Like an old black and white gangster movie, Ranger Bass held up his cell phone with a finger hovering over the “trigger.” The fact that he was threatening the villain with a text as opposed to a hailstorm of bullets from a Tommy gun was just surreal.
“Don’t! Please! I’m telling the truth; I don’t know who came across,” Chico begged, his eyes bulging as Zach’s finger started to descend on the send button.
Ranger Bass relaxed but kept up the pressure. “I don’t think you’re being straight up with me, Chico. Stop fucking around before I lose interest and move on to someone who won’t waste my time.”
“I don’t know who came across. Really, I don’t.”
“Do you know why?”
“I’ve heard stories,” the cartel go-between answered in a quieter, protective voice. “Ever since Texas started letting anyone cross the Rio Grande, the organizations have been losing money. There’s been a rumor going around that new alliances have been formed.”
“So? What’s that got to do with the pric
e of coffee beans in Guadalajara?”
Chico seemed really nervous now, his eyes darting right and left. Zach made another show of preparing to hit the send button and launch the incriminating text message along with the attached picture.
“Okay! Okay! Stop that!” the ambassador snapped. “I heard a few whispers that there’s a coup in the works. The cartels are banding together to overthrow the government.”
Again, Zach was cynical. “Pardon this stupid, old cowboy’s lack of gray matter, Chico. But I still don’t understand what some hair-brained, cockamamie scheme down south has to do with a guy sneaking across the border and killing a bunch of our kids along the way.”
“They need weapons to pull off a coup. Lots of weapons and ammunition. Can you think of a better place than Texas to acquire such firepower?”
Zach now understood, the pieces of the puzzle coming together quickly. With an abrupt pivot, he turned to Sam and announced, “Time to change clothes. We’ve got work to do.”
“Are you going to delete that picture?” Chico called as the two rangers made for the exit.
“Nah,” Zach called over his shoulder. “A man never knows when something like that might come in handy.”
Chapter 4
President Simmons sighed, frowning at the intercom while setting his glasses down on the baroque desk. “Send them in,” he instructed his secretary.
Major Putnam and Colonel Bowmark were shown into the office, both men’s expressions painted with several coats of seriousness as they removed their hats.
“What is so important that it can’t wait for our staff meeting in the morning, gentlemen?” the republic’s chief executive asked.
“Sir, we’ve received information concerning the massacre at Langtry,” the ranger commander began. “While the source is somewhat dubious, the major and I felt the ramifications were serious enough to warrant your immediate attention.”
“Go on,” Simmons replied.
For the next three minutes, Putnam and Bowmark took turns briefing their boss on what Rangers Bass and Temple had uncovered. No mention of the specific methods employed by the officers was included.