At 2:00 a.m., the Roman ranch house was dark and quiet. Marcus and Teresa slept deeply, Marcus with his arm draped over his wife's slender form. Both were exhausted from weeks of long hours and then a long but extremely fun day spent together in Tucson. Neither heard the soft steps of the intruders moving stealthily into their bedroom. Marcus' first mistake of the evening...failing to activate the house security alarm system.
Suddenly, Marcus and Teresa felt numerous hands grab them and drag them forcefully from the bed. Both landed hard on the hardwood floor, knocking the breath out of both of them. Teresa screamed and Marcus howled. But neither were about to take their positions on the floor lying down.
Marcus kicked out into the darkness and felt the sole of his foot hit something that felt like the side of someone's knee. That someone screamed and collapsed to the floor. Marcus rolled away from the bed, swinging an arm out, and grabbing a leg and yanking it out from under its owner. That attacker fell, too.
Teresa meanwhile swung her fist upward and connected hard...with an attacker's groin. The scream told her the attacker was a man who now had some severely damaged testicles. Her legs scissored around another attacker's legs and, by rolling over, Teresa caused that attacker to stumble into another. Teresa tried to scuttle over to the nearby dresser to get her personal sidearm. It wasn't there!
Marcus had also tried to locate his automatic only to discover it was not where he usually put it. It was then that he realized their second mistake...not bringing their firearms into their bedroom after they finished making love. Still, while they were far from helpless, both being highly skilled in self defense, Marcus and Teresa Roman were outnumbered. Finally, one of the attackers was able to hold something over Teresa's mouth and nose. The sickly sweet smell of chloroform quickly rendered her unconscious. Two attackers pulled her unconscious form from the room while Marcus fought on. Then an attacker brought the butt of his rifle down against the back of Marcus' head and the young ASGuard officer went limp.
Sometime...later...Marcus felt ice cold water being poured over his head. The shock roused him from unconsciousness but the dull ache in the back of his head, evidence of a concussion, left him sorely disoriented. He was able to determine that someone had tied him quite securely to a chair and stuffed something in his mouth to prevent him from talking or shouting.
"Ah, the big, brave gringo is awake. Listen up, ASGuard!" a blurry face whispered at him from mere inches away. "We did not kill you...this time. Our jefes want you to know they don't like you ASGuards. We've taken your woman as our hostage. We know your father is the leader of the ASGuard. You tell him to stop interfering with our cartels or we will cut up your muy bonita woman. First, we would scar her up bad. Then, we would cut off her fingers and toes and send them to you, one at a time...then her breasts...and then...her head. Do you understand me, gringo?" When Marcus grunted weakly, the blurry face stepped back and an equally blurry fist slammed into the side of his face. Darkness fell upon Marcus again.
Marcus woke up an unknown time later. The sun was shining through the bedroom drapes and its brightness was sending waves of pain through Marcus' brain. Suddenly, his mind registered the sound of someone calling his name. He tried to yell through the cloth in his mouth to little effect. Two men, Hank Eberle and one of the other ranch hands, stepped through the doorway.
"Oh, my God! Marcus!" Hank yelled as he raced over to the younger man's side. Hank pulled his knife from his belt sheath and cut through the ropes binding Marcus to the chair. Hank and the other cowboy caught Marcus before he could fall from the chair. "Quick," said Hank to the other man, "go call an ambulance and then fetch the first aid kit from the kitchen pantry!" The man raced off.
"Wuh...whaa...where's Teresa?" Marcus asked. "Is she...okay?"
Hank helped Marcus to the bed and then looked on the other side and in the attached bathroom. "The boys and I saw the kitchen door left wide open and came to check things out." Two men appeared in the doorway. When Hank looked at them, they reported finding the bodies of the seven security guards. They had been shot from behind while sitting in their vehicles, watching the ranch house. Suddenly, Marcus remembered what the leader of the attackers had said to him. Marcus tried to sit up, screaming in physical and emotional agony as he did so.
"They...took...her!" he bellowed through swollen lips.
"Who?" Hank asked.
"Mexican cartel thugs! They broke in...knocked us out," Marcus mumbled. "Took Teresa...hostage...to stop the ASGuard." The other ranch hand returned and reported that an ambulance and the sheriff were on the way. Hank asked the cowboy to begin cleaning Marcus' cuts and then pulled out his cellphone. He pressed a quick dial number. The phone on the other end rang once and picked up.
Hank spoke into his phone, "General, I've some bad news..." That was all Marcus heard before darkness took him again.
**********
The doors didn't open fast enough for Major General Titus Augustus Roman as he tried to step out of the elevator. A large and powerful man even in his fifties, the general placed both hands on one door and shoved...hard! The door moved and its counterbalanced twin on the other side moved as well, clearing a path for the angered and concerned ASGuard commander, his two bodyguards, and his aide, Captain Bennett Garry.
The waiting area of the 5th Floor Wing of Tucson's largest hospital contained Hank Eberle, two local ASGuard security troops, and a stern looking doctor. The doctor was obviously expecting the general but was shocked when Titus stepped over and said, "Take me to my son!"
"General, I'm Doctor Eldred Roberts," the doctor began...but didn't finish.
"I didn't ask for your name, doctor. I said, 'Take me to my son!'" Titus commanded. As he did so, his eyes quickly scanned the room and locked on the double doors that obviously led to the patient rooms. Titus was already preparing to break through them if he was delayed any further.
Dr. Roberts quickly realized he'd lost this round...and would lose subsequent ones with this man...so he responded, "Right this way, General!"
Titus gathered Hank with a twitch of his head and the ranch foreman followed his boss. Eldred turned left at a cross corridor and stopped at open door leading to a patient's room. Marcus was visible within the room and Titus walked on in.
"He is in here, sir! His condition is stable. We've cleaned and stitched 9 separate penetration wounds. He has a serious concussion, two cracked ribs, and a broken nose. We have him sedated so he can rest for now." Roberts reported.
Titus nodded at the doctor's comments but never took his eyes off the battered form of his son on the bed. Finally, Titus turned and looked directly at the physician. "Dr. Roberts, thank you and your team for taking care of my son. Now, how soon until he can be moved?"
Roberts blinked. "Sir, your son is injured. We'd like to observe him for at least a couple of days. He..."
"Doctor, I'm sure you wouldn't want drug cartel enforcers running through your nice, peaceful hospital trying to kill my son...or anyone getting in their way. I'm asking you, how...soon...until...he...can...be...moved?"
Roberts paused to think for a moment before answering. "Tomorrow morning at the absolute earliest, general."
"Very good, Dr. Roberts! Marcus is going to want to be conscious and mobile when we take on the cartels to rescue his wife," responded Titus. "Do you have an empty office I can borrow for a few minutes?" At an order from the general, his bodyguards remained in front of Marcus' room while Roberts escorted the general, his aide, and Hank back down the hall to an office.
Inside, Titus turned to Captain Garry first and said, "Bennett, get a full security detail here ASAP. Then get one of our Dust Off helos prepped and here by 0900. Fully armed escort, too! I'll call Marion in a minute. When I'm done talking with her, contact the Governor's Office for me then get Ken Halsted for me." The captain nodded, drew out his phone, and got busy.
Titus then turned to his ranch foreman. "Hank, what else can you tell me?"
Hank Eberle's face was a ma
sk of pain. He'd known Marcus throughout the young man's life and loved him as the son he'd never had. "General, the boys and I are sorry we didn't check on the house sooner. Everything was quiet all night."
Titus put a hand on his old friend's shoulder. "Hank, this isn't your fault or the boys. The cartels sent a team of professionals. Hell, they even took out the security team stationed around the ranch without a shot being heard. They're the ones who did this and it's they are the ones who are going to pay. I just need to know if you've found out any more than I already know?"
"After we found Marcus, Bill and Juan set out to find any tracks they could. They found tracks of a band of 10 to 15 men left the ranch house and headed southeast. At least a couple of them were wounded," said Hank. "Drops of blood, torn pieces of bloody clothes, shuffling foot prints, and such. About five miles from the ranch, they got into a number of vehicles. Bill and Juan were smart enough to avoid contaminating the parking area and called in the sheriff's department to get pictures, casts, and such."
Titus knew Bill and Juan from a number of hunting trips with the ranch hands. They were great trackers! "Thanks, Hank! Why don't you run down and sit with Marcus and I'll be along shortly." Titus signaled Captain Garry to wait in the hall. Alone in the office, Titus took a moment to let his emotions loose then pulled out his phone to contact his wife.
"Hi Honey," he began. "Yeah, I'm at the hospital. He's banged up quite a bit but he'll be up and about tomorrow. No...no more news on Teresa. Like I told you, they seem to want her as a hostage to hold the ASGuard in check. As long as we leave them alone, she'll be safe. Yeah, I don't trust them either. You can. Great! I'm about to call Ellie and see about getting you on an Arizona Air National Guard flight with a Security Police escort. Soon as we've got it set up, I'll call. Love you, too, Honey. I will. Talk with you soon."
General Roman opened the door and waved Captain Garry back into the office. Garry handed him a cell phone and whispered, "Governor's Office!" Titus spoke for several moments with Governor Alvarez briefing her on the situation and outlining his request. When she asked what he intended to do about the cartel members within Arizona, Titus said, "As long as they have Teresa hostage, it will 'appear' that we are 'leaving them alone.' Of course, that's the decoy. We're going to gather intel, we're to going to find 'em, rescue Teresa, and then we're going to squash them like bugs...once and for all."
After speaking with the governor for several minutes, Captain Garry got Ken Halsted on another phone. "Ken, Titus! Yeah, he'll live. Look, it's time to pull out all stops. We need all the intel we can get on the cartels operating within Arizona. Where, who, what, when...everything! How soon do I WANT it? Yesterday, old friend, yesterday! We find Teresa, rescue her, and then we're bringing the lightning and thunder down on the cartels. They won't be operating in this state much longer! Good, good. Talk with you in eight hours...if not sooner. Yes...will do! Bye!"
Finished with phone calls for the time being, Major General Titus Augustus Roman walked back down the hall. Upon entering Marcus' room, he thanked Hank and asked the ranch foreman to step outside. As Hank left the room, Titus pulled a chair close to his son's hospital bed and sat in it, head bowed and hands clasped together. Titus said three prayers that night. First, for his son's quick return to full health. Second, for the safety and health of his daughter-in-law, Teresa. And third, he prayed for success in destroying the drug cartels operating in Arizona.
In the wee hours of the morning, Captain Garry quietly opened the door to Marcus' room to check on the general and son. Titus was reclining against the wall in a chair, one eye opened slightly and gazed at the door, one hand on the butt of his pistol. The general smiled at his aide and closed his eye. Garry returned to the chair he had positioned near the door's exterior, reclined in it and placed one hand on the butt of his pistol. No one would get to Marcus...or the general tonight!
Hours later, Marcus stirred as light filtered through the window. "Mmmm...Teresa?!?" he called out.
"No, son! It's Dad," said Titus.
Marcus tried to sit up quickly as memory returned...the fight, Teresa taken hostage!
"Easy, son!" said Titus. "You're injured but on the mend. And we're looking for Teresa. We'll get her back, son! I promise you, we'll get her back. Rest for now."
"No! Getting up!" Marcus said through a pain-clenched jaw, using the bed rail to help himself sit up. "Get the doctor. Get me the hell out of here!" Titus punched the call button beside the bed and a moment later Doctor Roberts, Captain Garry, and two nurses raced into the room.
"General, we really should sedate him again!" the doctor began.
Titus shook his head. "Get him ready to travel. You try to fight him on this and he'll hurt himself getting out of here. I'll take him to ASGuard Headquarters and our docs will finish fixing him up. Now, make it happen, doctor. Please." As Roberts and his staff began prepping Marcus to be transferred, the general signaled his aide.
"Bennett, how far out is our chopper?" Titus asked.
"Scheduled to land in about 30 mikes, sir, but I'll tell 'em to get a move on. Governor's office called. Mrs. Roman is inbound to Sky Harbor in 15 mikes, full escort waiting for her."
"Thanks, Bennett. Get our boys and girls ready to fly. Get Halsted on the line for me in a few."
"Will do, sir!" Bennett said stepping from the room.
Titus turned to face Marcus. The younger man was pale, covered in stitches, bruises, and bandages but the look of determination on his face was not to be denied. "Son, we'll be ready to roll in less than 30 mikes. Let the doctor and his team get you ready to travel. I'll be right back in."
Titus stepped into the hallway to find Sergeant Major Aaron Templeton standing there, holding a duffle bag. "Sergeant Major, you turn up at the damnedest places and times!"
"Yessir! I go where I'm needed. And right now, he needs me, sir!" he said pointing to Marcus' room.
Titus chuckled and clapped Templeton on the shoulder. "He does indeed! Go on in!" Templeton stepped into the room while Titus turned to Captain Garry and the two went to find a quiet office they could borrow.
Finding one, Titus reached Halsted by cellphone. "How's it going, Ken? Good...good. Sounds like a good team. Keep super-tight compartmentalization, everything routes go through you to me. We've got to keep the cartels thinking we're going to lay low. Good! Yeah, he's ready to bust out of here already. We'll be airborne to ASGuard HQ shortly. Call ya from there. Later!"
Titus walked back to Marcus' room and found his son standing there...very unstable...but standing. Marcus was dressed in his combat trousers and boots and a t-shirt. Templeton was helping him pull his combat jacket on.
"You about ready to travel, Lieutenant Colonel Roman?" Titus asked.
Marcus tried to smile in return but it hurt too damn much. "Yessir!" he said as he finished buttoning his jacket. With Templeton's help, Marcus donned his combat harness and checked his automatic and holster. "Ready to rock and roll, sir!" He thanked Doctor Roberts and the nurses, then with help from his father and his friend, Templeton, Marcus began the slow walk from the room to the elevator.
Thirty minutes later the ASGuard helicopters were airborne and en route to ASGuard HQ in Phoenix. With the privacy afforded by the helo's intercom system, Titus outlined the game plan to Marcus and Templeton.
"We've got to let the cartels think we're sitting this one out. That should keep Teresa safe from harm while we prep the op. Ken Halsted is pulling together numerous intel assets outside of our own to find as many cartel locations, numbers, etc... Your part will be to spend the next few days healing and giving the impression of the grieving, frustrated husband. In the meantime, with the border quiet for now, I'm going to let ASGuard teams along the southern border take leaves in rotation. That'll let us divert and reposition assets across the state without tipping our hand."
Marcus nodded then said, "I have a request, sir."
"You want me to detach your old team members from Sasabe and re-assign them to you,
right?" Titus asked. "Sorry, I can't do that. They have already received other assignments."
Marcus glared at his father. "Dad, you can't!"
"Son, they're waiting for you at the HQ airfield right now!" Titus said smiling.
Marcus returned his father's smile and looked over to Templeton whose ear-to-ear grin said it all. Marcus gave a thumbs-up and closed his eyes to rest for a few minutes. The helicopter landed a short time later.
When Marcus' door opened, Titus and Templeton helped him from the helo. As his feet touched the ground, Marcus looked up to see the large number of personnel assembled on the airfield. In front of the larger group stood the men and women of Marcus' old Army unit who had joined the ASGuard.
Captain Gregor Russell, wounded himself in Afghanistan so long ago and now a member of the ASGuard, stepped forward and saluted. "Sir, Roman's Legion is assembled and awaiting your orders! One trooper missing. We are prepared to bring Ballbuster home, SIR!" Marcus slipped from his father's and best friend's grasps and stepped slowly...hesitantly forward. Slowly, painfully he came to attention and brought his right arm and hand up sharply to return Russell's salute. A tear trickled down Marcus' cheek, but it wasn't one of pain.
**********
Six days ticked by ever so slowly for Marcus. The ASGuard medicos worked on Marcus' injuries to prepare him for the day in the very near future when he would join the battle against the cartels to rescue his wife.
Each day, a package containing a single photo was delivered to ASGuard HQ. Each image showed Teresa, injured but alive, holding that morning's newspaper. Marcus knew she was alive and prayed they could keep her that way. Intel personnel scoured each image for clues that might reveal where Teresa was being held.
The afternoon of the sixth day, General Roman called Marcus and his other senior commanding officers into the ASGuard briefing room. When everyone was seated, General Roman took the stage followed by Ken Halsted. The room lights dimmed and a map of Arizona appeared on the main screen. A series of red, orange, and yellow icons appeared superimposed on the map.
The Arizona State Guard Trilogy Page 15