He looked me over, now clad in shorts and sport bra. “I think my right leg might be bleeding too.”
I returned the middle-finger salute he’d given me earlier.
CHAPTER 61
The immediate emergency taken care of, we fell into a strained silence with both of us still processing what had just happened.
“Ethan—”
“Jewel—”
I motioned for him to go first. He shifted his weight again on the hard ground and did the signature hand-comb through his hair.
“I’ve been in this business for a while and I’ve never seen shooting like that. You saved our lives. I am so sorry I got you into this. But, damn, you got us out of it.”
Despite my pride at his warm words, I chose my answer carefully.
“Let’s get the love-fest out of the way. You drove, and more importantly, you knew. What did you say to that guy? The French, I mean.” At that, I realized “that guy” was dead in the rocks somewhere between here and the road.
Ethan leaned back against the tree and closed his eyes.
“There was something wrong about him. Linguistics isn’t only about the words, it’s the whole package. His accent and cadence told me he was play-acting and trying to sound foreign. English was not his second language. I don’t know where his parents might have come from, but he was as Texan as I am. So I told him to go fuck himself, and I didn’t say it nicely.”
“Ethan, what are you, twelve?”
“Sometimes,” he smiled. “When he didn’t react, I knew the truth and so did he. That’s when I made the break for the jeeps, hoping to hell the keys were in them. The gamble paid off this time and then you shot our way out of there. By the way, are you doing okay with that?”
That was a question I hadn’t even thought about. I’m not even sure how many I killed with the buckshot through the windows, just that it needed doing. For a moment I wondered if there were any lingering wounded in the wrecked vehicles scattered between here and the ranch.
“Ethan, I don’t feel much of anything. I’m sorry that they’re dead, but I’m not sorry that we’re not. I’m glad you’re okay and I’m wondering how we’re going to get out of here. There’s really not room for anything else.”
“You will. It takes time to catch up, but you’ll be fine. Right now, we have a way bigger set of problems. Who set us up and how are we going to get out of here before they come to check on their handiwork? I assume those guys were tasked with reporting in at some point.”
The reality of the situation hit me like the proverbial brick. We were still ten miles from asphalt, maybe twenty from the highway. Ethan wasn’t in any immediate danger, but he needed stitches, antibiotics, and a butt load of tetanus vaccine. The jeep sat high-centered, its fluids streaking the rock that had taken out the axle. It wasn’t moving again under its own power.
I had one ace to play or I’d be pulling up my big-girl panties and hiking out of here. Fishing out my cell phone, I prayed the towers barely visible on the ridge were the kind I needed. Two bars of power and two bars of reception told me we had a chance.
“Okay, Ethan, it looks like I have juice to make one call. Fisk?”
“Somebody burned us. Someone who has access to my records.”
What he was implying was huge.
“Fisk is a lot of things, but I don’t think he’s dirty. I have a feeling that was one of Preacher Joe’s crews. But, you’re right. The question is who sent them.”
Ethan grimaced as he repositioned his leg.
“The obvious answer is Rockhound. Somehow he found out what’s up and needed you gone. You know his secrets. I’m a nuisance and collateral damage. If he kills us outright, he doesn’t know what you’ve told my bosses and a dead cop can be inconvenient. But, send us off on this deal, snatch and interrogate us, and then we just disappear? Well, we took the money and ran. African smugglers are nasty, so maybe something really bad happened to us. Shift the investigation away from him and onto finding you and me.”
That made a scary amount of sense. I didn’t even want to think about what would have happened if we’d gone into that barn. Machine pistols meant they anticipated close-range work instead of the run and gun we gave them. With a shudder, I forced myself back to the situation at hand.
“Ethan, do you think the leak is in your shop?”
“That or the Rangers. Could be Justice, but I think it’s more toward the pointy end. I’m not real hot on calling in reinforcements right this second. Not to mention the mess we made extricating ourselves. That’s some serious explaining to do right there.”
Who knew the complications would start when I put the shotgun down?
“Ethan, there is someone I can call. I need your assurance that you’ll roll with it, no questions asked.”
That got me a quizzical look and a nod. He had no idea what he’d just agreed to.
“How am I going to tell them where we are? My laptop is back at what’s left of the car.”
I was surprised to see him smile as he dug around in his pocket and extracted a creased napkin. It bore the notes he’d made back at the fast-food joint.
“I told you I like maps.”
It was my turn. I opened my phone and waited until it had acquired all the signal it was going to get. Then I dialed a number I remembered well. After several rings I started to worry, I wasn’t sure I had enough power for repeated calls.
“This is Oso Grande Towing. How may I help you?”
“My name is Juliana Martin and I need to speak to Rodrigo Fuentes.”
I heard the phone hit the desk and voices in the background. I also caught Ethan’s sharp look.
Come on. Be there.
While I waited, I walked around the wrecked jeep to be out of earshot. Ethan wasn’t going to like what I was about to do or say.
“Hola Abogada, how can I be of service?” Tigre’s brother always sounded happy, even when he was about to kill someone. With the Gatos, appearances were rarely what they seemed.
“Oso, I need a favor and it’s a big one.”
CHAPTER 62
“You did what?” Ethan’s voice was loud and hard in the still air.
“I called the Gatos. They’re on their way from the Austin clubhouse. Not only are they bringing us in, they’re going to clean up our, as you called it, mess. This took cashing in some heavy markers. Price, are you going to be able to be cool with this?”
“Doesn’t look like I have much fucking choice, do I?” With that, he struggled to his feet and after flexing his leg a few times, limped over to our jeep. He leaned on the hood like he’d be able to resurrect it if he wanted it bad enough.
“Ethan, if that starts bleeding again—”
He cut me off with a scowl.
I walked closer so I wouldn’t have to yell.
“Listen up Billy Badass, you told me we couldn’t call your people. Well, that left mine. I’m solid with the club and they’re going to get us out of this. Call me a wuss, but I really didn’t want to hike all night and try my luck thumbing it on the highway. Oh, and there’s more. I had to tell them you’re a cop.”
He slapped the hood and glared at me.
“This just keeps getting better. Is there anything else I need to know?”
After all we’d been through, my anger rose to a full boil at the tone of his voice.
“You just need to know that you need to back it the fuck down right now. It’s done. And let’s not start preaching holier-than-thou about disclosure. Who did you think I was calling, the auto club?”
“I don’t know. Maybe your lawyer.”
At that I had to laugh. All the stress of the day seemed a million miles away as I thought about the absurdity of calling Gerald for a way out of this.
“Yeah Ethan, he could have filed a motion. Maybe made an objection or scheduled a hearing. I think Rule 50 might cover this.”
At least that got a smile out of him before he turned serious again.
“Why did you
out me?”
“I had to do full disclosure because you don’t lie to these people. They will move mountains for you, until you lie. Then they will bury you under those mountains. Let me lead. This is a language I happen to speak fluently.”
Ethan’s shoulders sagged and I knew I was past this crisis.
“You did your part back at the ranch. The least I can do is trust you about this. But, holy crap . . . Gatos. You do know what they’re about?”
“Better than you ever will, Ethan. But, I can compartmentalize that and call them friends. If that bothers you, I’m sorry.”
His foul mood melted, but it was a reminder of how little I really knew about him and him about me. This world of make-believe we’d created was going to shatter very soon and I didn’t know if our connection would survive reality.
I must have been broadcasting my line of thought. He started toward me and then changed his mind. Instead, all he said was, “I promise.”
CHAPTER 63
We moved back to the shady spot to wait for our rescuers to arrive. Even though it was still spring, the afternoon Texas sun packed a punch. And because of my lack of mercenary forethought we didn’t have any water. I spotted it first, the dust cloud rising above the treetops.
“Ethan, I think they’re here. I’m going up to the road to wait for them.”
“I only have one climb in this leg or I’d go Neanderthal on you and say no. Take your shotgun and hide until you’re sure. Remember, those clowns at the barn had handlers. Also, please take this.” He pulled off his shirt and tossed it to me.
I’ll confess that I’d forgotten about the possibility of bad guys and that I was only wearing my bra. The warm soft fabric smelled like soap and sweat as I dropped it over my head. I grabbed the Cutter from the seat of the jeep. After a quick check and reload with buckshot, I slung it and scaled the edge of the riverbank to the road. There were no trees here, but some large bushes provided decent cover as the dust cloud got closer. Before long, the still air brought the growl of motorcycles and rock music to me.
With a sigh of relief, I stepped out into the road. No more need for my bug-laden hiding place.
I yelled over the edge of the bank. “Ethan, they’re here.”
“I hope they brought pizza.”
Five Harleys in a wedge formation coasted to a stop a few feet from me. The lead rider raised his hand in a fist and a small convoy of trucks and bikes stopped a hundred feet back. I have to say, I was impressed with him. Long and lean in jeans and club jacket, he wore his waist-length jet-black hair pulled back in a tight ponytail. His high, sculpted cheekbones screamed Indian blood and his dark eyes were alive with intelligence and curiosity over the top of his shades. When he turned to one of the riders, I got a look at his rockers. The top one read Los Gatos Negros and the bottom simply said Austin.
He didn’t dismount. “You can call me Joaquin. I got a call saying a lawyer and a cop needed a ride. I thought it was a frigging joke and waited for the punch line. Instead, I got directions to this shithole. If the boss hadn’t told me the lawyer was dead sexy and covered in ink, I’d be asking which one you were. So, where do you have your cop stashed?”
I had to get some leverage in this conversation before it went too far. I summoned up my best regal courtroom manner and used the voice that could make a traffic-ticket plea in night court sound like an edict from the damn queen.
“You are absolutely correct, Mr. Fuentes. I’m Juliana Martin. Your uncle Tigre calls me Abogada. My partner in this unfortunate clusterfuck, Special Agent Ethan Price, is down the bank. He was injured getting us out of the fight. He’s stable, but needs a doctor. I’ll take you down there if you would like to meet him. Thank you so much for coming. You’ll never know how much I appreciate it.”
Joaquin’s demeanor changed. His face relaxed and he dropped some of the biker rap. When he spoke, he sounded more like one of my law-school friends.
“Then Abogada it is. I know the story and that you’re solid. My apologies, it was a long hot ride out here. Let’s go meet your partner and get this show on the road. By the way, how’d you know Tigre was my uncle?”
“That Desert Eagle in your shoulder holster. Do you have any water, by chance?”
Joaquin nodded to one of his outriders, who sped back to the lead truck. In less than a minute, I had an ice-cold bottle pressed against my forehead and the rest of the six-pack tucked under my arm.
While I picked my way down the bank, Joaquin planted his boots sideways and slid like a skier. I knew this was both for my benefit and Ethan’s. Lovely. The last thing I needed was another snarling pee-flinging dogfight.
Ethan downed two bottles of water before he stood. After brief introductions, Joaquin spoke to me.
“I really only have one question. Do you stand up for him?”
Despite the innocent sound, that was a loaded statement. Translated, it meant “Do you pledge your life on his behavior?”
The answer was simple. “Yes, I do.”
“That’s all I need to know. I assume what we’re here for is down this road?”
“Actually, it’s scattered all the way back to a big barn. Starting with these two jeeps and…” My voice trailed off.
“Yeah, I saw them in the rocks. You did that?”
I shrugged. It felt weird talking about it to someone else.
“Are there any more? Are we walking into anything?” asked Joaquin.
“We haven’t seen or heard anything in the time it took you to get here, but, please be careful.”
“I’m impressed and your caution will be taken to heart. However, now I have to ask you for that shotgun. You two are going back by bike and you can’t carry that monster in traffic. Next, and you know this already, no weapons in the clubhouse unless you’re patched.”
I handed it over, but hated it. Without the Cutter, I felt exposed.
Joaquin turned to Ethan like he was seeing him for the first time.
“I’ll take the pistol. You heard the explanation. Do you need help getting up to the road?”
“No, I’ve got it.” Ethan unclipped his holster.
“Suit yourself, Agent Price. I’m going to dispatch the trucks. Sounds like we’ve got a lot to do and not a lot of light left. Soon as you’re ready, we’ll head back to Austin.”
He turned and climbed the bank in long graceful strides.
Ethan watched him go before turning to me. “Jewel, what did he mean about you standing up for me?”
“It’s real simple. It means that if you get a sudden attack of cop fever, I’ll end up in the same ditch and in the same condition as our fake African friends. Ethan, I need you to develop a severe memory problem. Not a thing goes one step further than this. No names. No addresses. No faces. Nothing.”
“Baby, my promise is good and I’ve got your back. I must have taken a knock to the head because I don’t see a thing. Now let’s see if I can get my butt up this hill. I’m ready to be done with this.”
CHAPTER 64
Joaquin was talking with the driver of a flatbed wrecker when we made it to the road. He gave a half smile at Ethan’s pale face and panting breath, but didn’t say anything. Instead he signaled a twenty-something in a prospect vest to bring us more water.
“Ethan, you’re bleeding.”
“I’ll live” was all he’d say.
The driver nodded when Joaquin pointed over the bank. Two of the original riders were gone and a powder-blue Yamaha with a worn denim vest draped over the handlebars sat next to the three remaining Harleys like a poodle among pit bulls.
Joaquin mounted his bike. “Okay, Fed, you’re on the rice burner. Unless you’re in no shape for it, then Puma will take you in his bitch seat. You riding?”
“Yes, I’m riding. Come on, Jewel.”
“No, I’ll pack her. That order comes from the Oso himself.”
Anger joined pain in Ethan’s expression, but he didn’t say anything as he pulled on the vest and kick started the blue
motorcycle. I didn’t like the way his blood was soaking the bandage.
Joaquin motioned for me to get on behind him. With a last look at Ethan, I put my hands on Joaquin’s shoulders and swung onto the seat. With no other way to stabilize myself, I had to wrap my arms around his waist.
He handed me a pair of sunglasses. “Sorry about the missing sissy bar. I had to make this run on short notice.”
“Bullshit,” I said loud enough for only him to hear.
With a laugh, he kicked the bike into life and led the caravan away from the ranch. I took a quick look back and saw the prospect heading over the edge with a hook from the wrecker. By morning, all signs of the fight would be erased.
On the slow transit over the gravel road, Joaquin signaled to the guards he’d posted along the way. At each “all clear” sign, he picked up speed until we hit the asphalt flying. Once on the highway back to the city, the Texas countryside passed in a blur. A couple of times, Ethan drew even with us, but didn’t look my way.
After exiting the highway and winding through the Austin neighborhoods, we pulled up in front of a neat ranch house where a pretty woman in scrubs waved at us from the front porch. This wasn’t what I expected.
Joaquin turned in his seat. “Price, this is your stop. Maria will patch up your leg. My father wants to see Abogada at the clubhouse and you’re not invited.”
“Fuck that. She’s my responsibility. I’m already pledged.”
“Big words, but that wasn’t offered up as a multiple-choice question. Agent Price, you’re staying here.”
I had to forestall this. It could get ugly fast.
“Ethan, it’s cool. You need medical attention and I need to talk to Oso and make sure everything is square. I’m sure Mr. Fuentes promises I’ll be back here very shortly. Am I correct?”
“Absolutely, Miss Martin. I will see to it personally.” Sarcasm dripped heavy from his voice.
Still Ethan didn’t move. The end of the stalemate came from an unlikely source.
“Mr. Price, you are bleeding badly. Please let me help you before it gets worse.” Maria’s soft voice was like honey on this raw situation.
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