Winning Texas

by Nancy Stancill

She’d rehearsed this scenario dozens of times in her head. There was no time to waste. She took out her key to a small wall safe, opened it, grabbed the stacks of cash money and threw them into her industrial-size briefcase. She’d squirreled away close to a half-million in cash in the safe. She’d planned for contingencies, knowing she might need to leave fast. She’d taken a risk to provide this adoption service, but had hedged her bet by keeping the women there until they gave birth and bribing them with fake immigration papers and money. She’d be damned if she’d take the blame. Kyle would just have to deal with the fallout.

  She ran down the hall to where her car was parked in her special space around back. She’d slip out the secret exit road and be on the highway before anyone realized she’d fled.

  She’d take the money, use her fake ID and escape to the beach house she’d secretly purchased on a secluded part of the Brazilian coast. Maybe Kyle could join her there later, maybe not. She’d get to the San Antonio Airport within the hour and be on a plane by late afternoon to Brazil.

  CHAPTER 49

  STRIP CLUB MOGUL ARRESTED IN BABY-SELLING PLOT,

  REPORTER SHOT AT RANCH

  By Brandon McGill and Travis Dunbar

  Houston Times Reporters

  FREDERICKSBURG – Federal agents and Texas Rangers conducted a joint raid Friday on a 300-acre ranch owned by Houston strip club mogul Kyle Krause and his girlfriend, seizing records and rescuing twenty-three immigrant women allegedly held captive and coerced into bearing babies for sale.

  Authorities descended on the ranch after getting a report that a Houston Times reporter had been seriously wounded. The journalist, Annie Price, 40, was investigating a tip that an illegal adoption ring was centered there when an unidentified assailant shot her twice.

  Price was wounded in the right side and arm, but is in satisfactory condition in Central Hospital and expected to make a full recovery.

  Krause, 39, arrested Friday night at his Texas Girls club off the Gulf Freeway, was jailed and held without bond before a preliminary hearing scheduled for Monday in Houston federal court. His lawyer said he wasn’t at the ranch, didn’t participate in the adoption scheme and had nothing to do with Price’s shooting.

  A warrant has been issued for Juliana Souza, 36, Krause’s girlfriend who allegedly ran the ranch’s illegal operations. Officials say she may have fled from Texas to South America. She is a Brazilian national who has lived with Krause in Houston for at least five years.

  The immigrant women, ranging in ages from eighteen to thirty-six, were from Mexico, Guatemala, Ukraine, Russia and Albania, according to Mark Ingram, the Austin-based Texas Ranger in charge of the investigation.

  “This was a cold-hearted, profit-making scheme to coerce these women to become pregnant and deliver babies under a false promise of providing immigration documents to allow them to stay in this country,” Ingram said. “The women were barred from leaving the ranch until they’d given birth.”

  Krause and Souza allegedly conspired to bring the women into Texas and transport them to the ranch. The women all were injected with donor sperm and many taken into custody say they are pregnant.

  Ingram said authorities believe that the Albanian women were smuggled aboard a ship that landed in Houston nearly two months ago. One woman held on the ship apparently drowned in an incident involving alcohol and an itinerant seaman. Her body was found floating in the ship channel near the Valero refinery on July 22.

  The Russian and Ukrainian women also allegedly were smuggled in on cargo ships, Ingram said. Krause and Souza allegedly contracted with Mexican and Central American smugglers to supply them with young Hispanic women.

  The Krause Ranch operation allegedly sold the infants through a private lawyer to rich out-of-state couples for prices ranging from $70,000 to $75,000 per baby. Based on records seized in the raid, he estimated that at least 50 infants had changed hands in the illegal scheme, which apparently operated for about three years.

  Baby selling is against the law in Texas, and most other states. In Texas, couples are permitted to pay certain of a gestational mother’s expenses, but those expenses must pass muster by a judge at the time of adoption. No judges were involved in the transfer of the ranch’s babies, Ingram said.

  The immigrant women were taken into custody by authorities and placed in a shelter in San Antonio. They will be interviewed and immigration judges will review their cases individually. Many are likely to be deported, Ingram said.

  Krause will be arraigned on multiple federal and state charges of violating immigration and adoption laws, according to authorities. South American authorities are cooperating in an international search to locate Souza, Ingram said.

  CHAPTER 50

  Annie kept running and dodging and trying to hide, but she couldn’t escape the people who were hunting her down. They had the faces of strangers and of people she feared – Dan Riggins, Alicia Perez, Kyle Krause, even Rob Ryland. They had knives, bows and arrows and guns. They were chasing her all over a large island with mountainous terrain. She heard a voice telling her to run just a little longer, that he’d be there to rescue her. She thought at first that it was the voice of Matt Sharpe, but he was stalking her, too. She realized that the man calling for her was Tom Marr.

  She ran up the mountain to the top of a precipice, overlooking a waterfall with a lagoon bubbling fifty feet below. Tom Marr was standing in the lagoon, holding out his arms.

  “Jump, Annie, jump. I’ll catch you,” he said. But she was too frightened to make the leap and her pursuers were close behind.

  She heard another, different voice and opened her eyes. Travis Dunbar was standing over her bed in what looked like a hospital room. He took her hand and squeezed it.

  “Are you finally awake?” Travis said. “How are you feeling? I should get the nurse.”

  “Travis, I’m glad you’re here. Where am I? What happened to me?”

  “Do you remember that we were trying to get away from Kyle Krause’s ranch?”

  “Yeah, I think so,” Annie said, trying to prop herself up. Travis put a pillow behind her head to make her more comfortable. Her head pounded and she felt weak and tired.

  “You were shot, apparently from a window at the ranch’s administration building. You were trying to get back to Jared’s van so we could escape. We found you on the ground and called 911, but it took them a while to get there, through the guard gate and all. We think that Juliana Souza escaped in her car through a secret back entrance. You’re at the Fredericksburg hospital.”

  “Do you know who shot me?”

  “Probably Juliana,” Travis said. “We may never find out for sure. Now she’s on the lam.”

  “Will I be all right?”

  “Yeah, you have a couple of flesh wounds in your side and arm, but nothing that won’t heal fairly easily.”

  “Did you file a story?” Annie whispered.

  “Sure thing, boss.” Travis broke into a grin. “You must feel better to be cracking the whip. Brandon’s been helping from Houston. All hell has broken loose. Kyle Krause is in custody. The girls from the ranch are talking to police and immigration.”

  “Will they be okay? Is Vera with them?”

  “Yeah. It’s a mess, but some good immigration lawyers have stepped up to help those girls. Maybe they’ll be allowed to stay in Texas, given what they’ve been through.”

  “When can I go home to Houston?”

  “Your parents are on the way. I expect you’ll be able to leave with them as soon as tomorrow. Tom Marr is on his way here, too.”

  “Oh, that’s nice. Thanks, Trav. Sounds like you did good work.”

  “Hey, you’re the inju
red heroine here,” Travis patted her shoulder. “All I had to do was write a couple of stories.”

  CHAPTER 51

  A week later, Annie came back to the office for a few hours, the first time since she’d been shot. Her arm was still in a sling and her side was bandaged from the bullet that had passed through it, but she was much stronger. Her parents had left today after fussing over her and her cats entirely too much. A bonus was that they’d gotten to meet and spend some time with Tom and Betsy Marr. The Marrs had followed her parents to Houston to make sure she’d be all right. It had gone pretty well. Her mother thought that Tom was handsome and mannerly and Betsy was beautiful and sweet. Her opinion of Tom had jumped a few notches when she discovered that he owned one of the largest ranches in Texas with a profitable cattle operation. Her father was more reserved. He was suspicious of Tom’s secessionist past, but his devotion to Annie was winning her dad over.

  Greg stopped by her desk with a broad smile on his face. He liked nothing better than a big story and this one was driving lucrative traffic to the Times website. He’d been directing and editing new installments every day in Annie’s absence. Their success had been a gift to newsroom morale, since the closing of the print newspaper was looming and hard decisions were being announced every day about staffing.

  “Good news,” he said. “It hasn’t been announced yet, but you and Travis will both get jobs with the new website operation. You’ll be an investigative producer, working with Travis and a few others.”

  “Thanks, Greg,” she said. “I’m sure that you had a big hand in that development. I still get my month off, right?”

  “Of course,” he said. “It’ll be a combination of worker’s compensation, since you were injured on the job, and your remaining vacation time. If that’s not enough, you can take more.”

  “Can I let you know in a week about the new job?”

  “Sure, Annie,” he said with a puzzled look. “I thought you’d be pleased and relieved.”

  “Appreciate your vote of confidence, but I’m not sure what I want to do yet. I guess being shot got me thinking more about the rest of my life. I’m not sure I want to spend it in the crazy news business.”

  “Understand. You’ve been through a lot,” Greg said. “Take a week to think about the job, but don’t think too long. We’ll be finalizing the new operation soon.”

  “Thanks, guy,” she said. “After a few more doctor’s appointments, I’m heading out to West Texas to enjoy the big skies and empty spaces. I’ll get my head on straight, I promise.”

  “I’m not surprised that West Texas and Tom and Betsy Marr figure into your vacation schedule,” he smiled. “Call me sometime in the next week.”

  He walked away as Travis headed toward her desk, looking excited. At this rate, she didn’t know if she’d get to her mail and messages today.

  “What’s the latest on the case, Trav?” she asked.

  “The dominoes are falling,” he said. “Behar Zogu is singing like a lark and he’s implicated Bobo Simmons and two others in Nate Hardin’s murder.”

  “That’s great news,” Annie said. “Glad something’s finally breaking loose about Nate. The Hardins deserve an answer. Tell me about it.”

  “The indictment says Bobo killed Nate, at the behest of Juliana Souza. Juliana apparently tipped him off that Nate was headed to the club to cause big problems that could destroy the business. Bobo was so much under Juliana’s influence that she knew he’d do anything to please her. She allegedly told him to attack Nate and make it look like a late-night robbery. There’s a third unindicted co-conspirator who allegedly tipped off Juliana that Nate was coming to the club. Police won’t identify that person, but I bet I’ll be able to get it from my sources.”

  “How did Zogu find out about Bobo’s role?”

  “He’s told police he overheard Juliana talking on the phone with someone and later to Bobo,” Travis said. “Zogu searched Bobo’s locker and found the tire iron apparently used to kill Nate. Police have identified Bobo’s fingerprints on it.”

  “Interesting,” Annie said. “Keep digging. What’s in it for Zogu?”

  “He’s so crucial to the whole case that he’ll get a light sentence for his part in the smuggling piece of it. Also, police have agreed not to prosecute his wife Genta.”

  As Travis hurried away to work on the latest installment, her desk phone rang. She saw that it was Matt Sharpe and picked it up with reluctance. She’d avoided talking to him ever since she’d caught him in bed with Monica, the married cop, and found out about his other amorous adventures. If he wanted to go out again, she’d turn him down.

  “Hi, Annie,” he said. “Wanted to see how you’re doing. Sorry I haven’t called earlier. I’ve been following the story in the paper and worrying about you.”

  “Thanks, Matt. It’s been a tough time, but I’m recovering. What have you been up to?”

  “Wanted to tell you something before you hear it from anyone else,” he said. “I’m going to work for Kyle Krause, managing his Texas Girls clubs while he works out his legal problems.”

  “Are you serious? Why would you do a thing like that? You’re a cop.”

  “Just for a few more days,” he said easily. “My retirement from the force starts Monday. Remember I told you I’d be leaving once I got my thirty years in?”

  “Yeah, I remember. But why would you go to work for a felon?”

  “He’s not a felon,” Matt said. “He’s accused of some serious things, but he and his lawyer think he has a good chance of proving his innocence. Juliana masterminded the whole thing and he knew very little about what she was doing.”

  “Matt, give me a break,” Annie said. “Surely, you’re too smart to believe that.”

  “Who says I don’t believe it? The Texas Girls clubs are very profitable and I think I can make them even more so,” he said. “Over the years, I’ve learned the pitfalls of the strip club business and how to avoid them.”

  “You’re selling your soul for a few dirty dollars? I can’t believe you’re doing that.” Annie raised her voice a few notches and didn’t care who heard.

  Matt chuckled. “Quite a few dirty dollars, I must say. I told you I’m tired of being a poor, disrespected cop. I can do this for a few years, pay off all my debts and enjoy a retirement on a nice lake.”

  “Have you really thought this through? You did so many good things on the force.”

  “I’ve been bored for a while,” he said. “Same old crimes, same old red tape, same old problems that never get solved. Idiots and crooks have always run this place and they always will.”

  “You’re trying to justify a terrible decision. I don’t think you really believe that.”

  She’d apparently touched a nerve, because his voice turned harsh. “Why are you acting so high and mighty, Annie? Your newspaper’s going to be a second-rate website. You have no job security and unless you leave, not much of a future.”

  “You may be right, Matt,” she said. “But at least I’m not exploiting women and pandering to the worst in men. I can look myself in the mirror.”

  “That’s not going to get you much in Houston, Annie,” he said. “See you around.”

  CHAPTER 52

  Travis had invited Lila Jo Lemmons to stop by without giving a hint of what he wanted. So she showed up in a good mood and accepted his offer of a diet drink. She looked good, he thought dispassionately. Her pregnancy was barely visible and her beautiful skin and eyes glowed with good health.

  “Lila Jo, I learned something this afternoon I wish I’d never found out,” he said. “It’s about what happened that night we met Nate at Ninfa’s. It was the same night he got killed in the
parking lot of the Texas Girls Club.”

  He knew instantly that his guess had been right. Her eyes narrowed, she bit her lip and took a big gulp of soda.

  “You called Juliana and warned her Nate was headed to the club. You probably told her he intended to cause big trouble for Kyle Krause,” Travis said. “Juliana told Bobo, and he killed Nate to stay in her good graces. Why would you do that? He was a great guy who’d never hurt anyone.”

  “Trav, honey, you have to believe I had no idea it would turn out that way,” she said. “Nate said he was investigating illegal gambling, and I knew he must be talking about the poker games. I’ve run them for Kyle for years and we make a bunch of money. I bring in new players, set up the games and we split the profits. It’s my bread and butter.”

  “Was I just another mark for you?” he said.

  “Of course not. You know how much I love you.”

  “How can you say that? You killed my best friend.”

  “I don’t think Juliana meant for Bobo to kill Nate. She just wanted the bouncer to scare him a little, maybe rough him up or rob him in the parking lot. We didn’t know it would all turn to shit.”

  “That’s the understatement of the year,” Travis said. “How did you get to be the unindicted co-conspirator?”

  “The police came to talk to me and I told them I was pregnant,” she said. “I promised to do anything they wanted to avoid prison for me and the baby. I’m helping them shut down poker and maybe even find Juliana. Everything will be all right.”

  “Everything will never be all right again,” he said. “We’re over. I’m done with you.”

  “Trav, you don’t mean that,” she said. “Think about it long and hard. You need me – and I’ll sue you for child support.”

  “Go ahead, Lila Jo. Is the baby even mine?”

  “Yes, you bastard. Don’t mess with me or you’ll be very sorry.” She slammed the door on her way out.