Desert Jade

by CJ Shane

  Zhou shook his head. “I go to Jade now.”

  They returned to the living room. Zhou went directly to Jade. He untied her, removed the tape from her mouth very carefully, and held her gently in his arms. They whispered to each other. Jade began to cry softly.

  Letty untied the other two women and removed the tape.

  When Victoria was free, she said to Zhou in Cantonese. “You arrived just in time. One of them said that their last act would be to shoot us all in the head.” She began to cry, too.

  Zhou translated this for Letty.

  Just in time. Letty let out a long sigh. Death and destruction. Why are so many humans so dedicated to death and destruction?

  The Mexican girl spoke only in Spanish. She said to Letty, “Did the Angel send you?”

  “The Angel? Who is the Angel?”

  “He saved me in the desert.”

  “Ah, that’s my brother Eduardo.”

  “Yes, that is his name. The Angel is called Eduardo. And you are his sister?”

  “Yes, you must be Esperanza.”

  Esperanza smiled, and then she, too, began to cry.

  Oh, my. Everyone is crying. We should be celebrating, Letty thought.

  “I want to thank you for saving us,” Esperanza said. “You also are an angel. Can I see Angelito now?”

  “We’ll call him. You can see him later tonight,” Letty said reassuringly. “Are you hurt?”

  “No,” said Esperanza. “I was afraid.”

  Letty turned to Victoria. “Do you speak English?”

  “Yes. I speak English.”

  “Are you hurt?”

  “No, only bruises. They were rough with us. They were going to kill us. Thank you for coming to rescue us. I would like to call my father now.”

  “Yes, but later. We have to call the authorities first.”

  Letty called the Border Patrol, the Nogales police and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department and told them about the tunnel and the two escaping triad gangsters. She knew that the chances of Chong Ma and Bao being caught were really low now. They had probably already disappeared into Nogales, Sonora. They would wait until things had cooled off and then make their move. Maybe it would be a bus trip to Guaymas and a berth on a ship sailing for Asia. Or more likely they would make their way to Hermosillo and get flights. They would likely separate, too. Chong Ma would go maybe to Vancouver, then to Seoul and on to Hong Kong, and Bao to Mexico City, then on to Tokyo’s Narita International Airport, then to Hong Kong. They would reunite there in their home territory.

  Next, Letty called Will back at her house in Tucson.

  “Everything is okay here. We have Jade now. Everything okay there?”

  “That’s really great news about Jade. Everything is fine here except that Clarice has turned into a tyrant. She’s ordering me to do things.” He laughed.

  “What’s she making you do?”

  “I better not say.” More laughter.

  Oh dear, Letty thought. I hope one of them has sense enough to remember to use birth control.

  “Will, I have something for you to do. Call Eduardo. He’s either at Grandma’s house or at Uncle Mando’s. Tell him that he needs to come to our house tonight. I have a surprise for him.”

  “Eduardo is here. He came in about ten minutes ago. Want to talk to him?”

  Letty waited until she heard Eduardo say hello. She handed the phone to Esperanza.

  “Mi hermano,” Letty said. My brother.

  “Angelito?” Esperanza asked uncertainly.

  “Esperanza! Is that you? Oh, my god!”

  “Tu hermana es un ángel también,” Esperanza giggled. She handed the phone to Letty.

  “So, Little Brother, Esperanza says that you and I are both angels,” Letty declared solemnly.

  “Oh, Letty, you found her! That’s so awesome! Where are you? I want to see her,” Eduardo said impatiently.

  “No, wait there. We’re coming home very soon.”

  ***

  It was nearly midnight when they rolled into Letty’s driveway in Tucson. Before all five could get out of Clarice’s car, Eduardo was at the rear passenger door. He opened the door and pulled Esperanza from the car. She jumped into his arms, wound her legs around his waist and her arms around his neck, and began sobbing. Letty could hear Eduardo speaking softly to her in Spanish as he held her tight.

  Zhou’s phone rang. He answered briefly then handed the phone to Victoria. “Ba Ba!” she cried, and began chattering rapidly in Cantonese. Zhou lifted Jade gently from the car. “We take you to hospital now.”

  “No, Letty can fix me.”

  “I’ll take a look, Jade, but you very well may need to go to the hospital. You should listen to Zhou.”

  “Yes,” Zhou said severely. “You must do as I say.”

  “Okay, Jefe!” Jade saluted him.

  Zhou looked at Letty.

  “She’s calling you Jefe, which means The Boss in Spanish.”

  “Yes. The Boss,” Zhou said firmly, but his mouth twitched trying not to laugh. He couldn’t remember ever being this happy.

  “Come inside!” Will called out. Letty looked up and saw Will and Clarice on her front porch, their arms wrapped around each other. They were both grinning broadly.

  Letty’s phone rang again. It was Marv Iverson.

  “Sorry to call so late, but I figured you’d want to know what happened out there on the reservation.”

  “I’m glad to hear from you. I have news for you, too.”

  “You start,” Marv said.

  “You know about us confronting the gangsters at the warehouse in north Tucson?”

  “Yes, and some of them were caught at the airport and taken to the hospital. Wish I’d been there to see you kick their butts.”

  “Not me. I only brought down one of them. It was Zhou. He took out three of them in about ten seconds flat.”

  “I also heard two of them got away.”

  “That’s right. We followed them to Nogales. We were able to rescue the three missing young women. One was abducted from Hong Kong, the other a Mexican migrant handed over to the triad gang by a coyote, and the third was Jade Lopez.”

  “Well done. And the two gangsters?”

  “They did a runner. Turns out the house in Nogales has a tunnel with an opening in the bedroom closet. They disappeared into Mexico with two bags of U.S. currency, mainly one hundred-dollar bills. No doubt they are both on their way home to Hong Kong. Gone, gone, gone. Now what have you got?”

  “Okay,” Marv said efficiently. Letty realized again that he was enjoying himself. She was going to start bringing him in on more cases in the future – for his sake, not just hers.

  “You know your Uncle Mando and the Shadow Wolf Johnny Chiago went out on horseback and found the old house out there that the gangsters were using for a drop-off. And you know Chiago’s team of Shadow Wolves found the wash that led close to the border, the wash that the contraband was being hauled down. There are a bunch of washes and other arroyos and creek beds that all lead downhill toward the border. The Wolves found the right one. Surveillance was set up everywhere along the way – both ICE and Border Patrol. Early in the evening not long after sundown, a couple of vans pulled up on the Mexican side. Border Patrol agents used night goggle vision, and identified known Sinaloa Cartel operatives at one of the vans. The other van had a couple of Chinese dudes in charge. The vans were there to pick up the goods. One for Sinaloa. One for the triad gang.”

  Letty said. “So, as we suspected, the triad gang and Sinaloa were cooperating.”

  “Yep. Up above the wash on the ridge and back in a little more than a mile, a truck appeared at the abandoned house. You’re not going to believe this. Guess who was driving it?”

  “No idea. Not any Chinese triad members. They were all busy elsewhere.”

  “A white guy.”

  “Really? Has he been identified?”

  “Yep. Remember that woman who was murdered recently? Barbara Lyle.
”

  Letty gasped. She had guessed Lyle’s involvement but had no proof. And never in a million years did she think he would make the delivery himself. He must have felt desperate.

  “Her husband? Wow!”

  “Yes, wow is right. His name is Fred Lyle. He got there, and he couldn’t figure out where all his Chinese pals had gone. Just about that time, six Sinaloa guys showed up ready to unload and start carrying the goods down the wash to the border. The border there is just a series of posts closely arranged with wire between to stop vehicles from crossing over. It’s pretty easy to just hand stuff over the posts. They’re only about four or five feet tall.

  “Anyway, Lyle couldn’t get the stuff out of his truck fast enough,” Marv continued. “It was clear that having no Chinese there was an unhappy surprise for him. He was acting really nervous. He wanted to empty the truck and get back to town ASAP.”

  “And Border Patrol and ICE screwed up his plans?”

  “Big time. Oh, I forgot to mention. Tribal police and the Pima County Sheriff’s Department were there, too.”

  “Everyone got arrested.”

  “Eventually. Lyle was arrested first before he could leave the scene. The Sinaloa guys had already been allowed to leave the house first and to carry the contraband down to the road that runs along the border. Border Patrol decided to save themselves the trouble of having to haul it themselves. As soon as the Sinaloa boys showed up at the bottom of the wash, they got arrested, too. Border Patrol had alerted Mexican authorities earlier, but they never showed. That means someone on the other side was likely bribed to look the other way, or maybe they were scared off.”

  “What was the contraband?”

  “Guns, guns, guns – and lots of them.”

  “Did the Sinaloa and Chinese dudes on the Mexican side see all this?”

  “We assume they did. It was dark, but night vision goggles are easily available for those with the money to buy them.”

  “This is all very good news. Now we just need to make sure Lyle is held responsible for his wife’s murder as well as gun running. I think that’s going to be easier now. Are all of our guys okay? How about my uncle?”

  “Mando is fine. He told me the whole thing was really fun for him. It was for me, too. One of the best parts was seeing how Sam Lambert got his panties all in a twist about this. He didn’t know what was going on until the last minute. He was livid.” Marv laughed uproariously.

  “Marv, you’re the best. I’ll call you tomorrow.”

  Letty went into her house. Millie was waiting for her by the door, tail wagging. Letty sank onto the couch. Millie joined her.

  Chapter 19

  Letty spent the next day at her office trying to catch up with phone calls, emails, and paperwork. She was exhausted and elated at the same time. The rescue of the three young women gave her a great sense of satisfaction, but more than that was the sense of relief. She knew what was in store for the three if they had not been rescued. Chong Ma had made clear that he had abandoned his plan to sell them. In the end, he had expressed no hesitation in putting a bullet through each young woman’s head. Letty only wished now that she could find the Chinese girls who had been sold into sex slavery by Lyle and the triad gang in earlier years.

  Victoria stayed at Letty’s house that first night. Zhou came forward and slipped the jade amulet necklace into Victoria’s hand. She smiled. “This was a gift from my grandmother. Guan Yin was supposed to keep me safe.”

  “And she did,” said Jade.

  “Yes, after some struggles, Guan Yin will see me home safely.” Victoria turned to Esperanza and put the amulet necklace around Esperanza’s neck. Esperanza smiled broadly and touched the jade amulet with her fingertips.

  “Gracías,” she said.

  “Please tell Esperanza that I value knowing her,” Victoria said, “and I hope to see her again. Please tell her that if she ever comes to Hong Kong, she and her angel will be my guests.” Jade translated into Spanish.

  Although Letty knew quite well that the young woman came from an affluent and influential Hong Kong family accustomed to elegant surroundings, Victoria gratefully accepted a place on Letty’s couch. A representative of the Chinese Consulate in Los Angeles arrived early the next morning and took Victoria away, but only after a rather lengthy conversation with Zhou. The Consulate staffers would watch over her until she could be returned to her father in Hong Kong. One of them would accompany Victoria on her long flight home.

  Eduardo and Esperanza didn’t even wait until morning to return to the reservation. Eduardo took Letty into the kitchen where they could speak privately.

  “We don’t feel safe here in town, especially since Esperanza is undocumented. One traffic stop and she could be jailed and deported. I figure we’ll be a lot less noticeable to the authorities out there on the reservation, and that means we’ll be safer. I have to figure out what to do now.”

  “What do you mean?”

  “I know this will seem crazy to you, but I’m planning on marrying Esperanza. I know what you’re going to say. I’m really young, and she’s even younger, and I’ve only known her a week. But that week was the best week of my life. I have this feeling that I was supposed to find her. Don’t laugh, Letty. You know the old stories about Ban the Coyote? I think he led me to Esperanza.”

  “I won’t laugh. Ban makes as much or more sense as anything I’ve ever heard. But it’s not just how long you’ve known Esperanza. You’ll have to support her. It’s not like she can just go get a job. She’s here illegally. She’ll have to deal with ICE. If you are married, she can apply for an immigration visa. But she’s not supposed to be living here even if she’s married to you until she gets that visa. That will take time.” The thought passed Letty’s mind that Zhou and Jade would have to deal with the immigration issue, too.

  “I know. I know. I can’t help but worry. I think I’ll probably seek out some legal advice on the visa so we do everything legally. Also it’s time for me to get serious about making a living. I could get a job at the casino, and the Nation is hiring now. I saw jobs listed on the website for bus drivers and maintenance workers. Also, I was looking at the Tohono O’odham Community College classes. I could get training in a skill. I could become an electrician or a plumber and make a decent living. Actually Uncle Mando and I had a conversation once about bringing more solar energy to the reservation. I feel like I have some options.

  “Yes, you do have options, Little Brother. Where will you live?”

  “We’ll live with Hu’ul. She’s getting really old now, and she needs more help. She deserves a rest. Esperanza won’t have to be alone when I’m working, and she can learn our ways from our grandmother. I know Hu’ul will love her, and she will love Hu’ul.”

  “Sounds like you have a plan. If you need help with tuition or an immigration lawyer or getting a more reliable vehicle to get to and from your job, I’ve got some extra cash these days. My client Mrs. Baird made that possible. If you need it, let me know.”

  “Thank you, Letty,” Eduardo paused. “You know I can’t remember much about my dad. We were pretty young when he died in that car wreck. Our mom …well, you know how she is. Hu’ul took us in and gave us a home and lots of love. Uncle Mando became a sort of dad to us and helped out a lot. And you, Letty. I want to thank you for being the world’s best big sister and for helping us in the many ways you’ve helped us. Most of all, I want to thank you from the bottom of my heart for finding my Esperanza.”

  Tears came to Letty’s eyes. “Thanks, Eduardo. Or should I start you calling Angelito?”

  “Of course!”

  They both laughed.

  Zhou and Jade decided to go back to Jade’s house. Victoria and Jade hugged each other with tears in their eyes.

  “I say the same to you. You are my welcomed guest when you come to Hong Kong.” Then Victoria whispered in Jade’s ear. “I will come to your wedding.” Jade smiled broadly and glanced at Zhou. Jade and Victoria laughed softly.r />
  Will and Clarice decided to spend the night at Clarice’s apartment “to give you some space, Big Sister,” Will said. Letty couldn’t help but laugh at that. Those two were so young and so obviously hormonal. She wondered how that first peck on the cheek from Clarice had transformed so quickly into “we can’t keep our hands off each other.” Then she remembered a week of rest and recreation that she and Chava spent together in Qatar. Most of the week had been spent in the hotel bed. She hoped that Clarice would make Will happy and help him stay on the right track. He had a soft heart and Letty feared it could be easily broken. And he was so easily distracted. Letty wanted him to study and do well in school. She hoped Clarice would help in that endeavor.

  After everyone left, Letty was alone in her house for the first time in a long time. Not really alone. Millie was there on the couch again, waiting for her.

  Letty sighed.

  “It’s okay, Millie. I bought that couch at Goodwill. No sense in being so protective of it. You are more important than the couch, right?”

  Millie wagged her tail.

  The next day around mid-afternoon Letty received a call at her office from the attorney Jessica Cameron.

  “Whoo-hoo, Girlfriend,” Jessica was clearly elated. “Those papers Zhou and Jade found are a real gold mine.”

  “Really? What have you found?”

  “I put one of my paralegals on this immediately to study and decipher the numbers. You were right, Letty. The first group is made up of bank routing and account numbers. Preliminary findings suggest that several of these accounts are owned by Mr. Lyle and a couple of them by an unknown person with a Chinese name. We don’t know yet who he is.”

  “The second set of numbers is indeed a listing of forms used in the purchase of guns. Looks like Mr. Lyle had quite a network going. He directly purchased some himself, and it appears that he arranged for the purchase through other individuals. His wife’s name is listed as a gun buyer. His father, who lives in a facility for Alzheimer patients, purchased several guns. Obviously that was Lyle, too. Other names on the list will probably turn out to be people that Lyle paid to purchase guns for him, then he transferred ownership to himself. We suspect that the gun found at the crime scene will have the same registration number as one of the guns on the list. It will likely be one that was purchased by someone in Lyle’s network of buyers. From what I know about Lyle so far, he strikes me as far greedier than intelligent. If we can prove that he shot and killed his wife with a gun that was purchased by one of his buyers, then he’s a real dumbass.”