by Dan Sears
Captain Johnson takes the phone and says, “Dan, how are things and where are you?”
“Sir, we are heading west on I-40 in Texarkana, Arkansas. We stopped at a rest stop and were attacked by what I assume to be assassins sent by Carlos Meana. We are unhurt, but there is a traitor in the rangers either there in Nogales or at the colonel’s office in Tucson. How else would they know what direction we are going and what highway we are taking? I am afraid I had to use some deadly force on the attackers. One was killed; the others are only banged up.”
“Sergeant, do whatever you have to do to protect the prisoner and yourself. I will notify the colonel, and he can notify the Arkansas state police. I know we ask a lot of you, Sergeant Mesa, and this one is above and beyond. I want you to know that it is appreciated. Oh yes, the colonel sent down a commendation for the work you did in apprehending Jackson. Call me at home later on tonight and tell me what route you are taking.”
“Thanks, captain,” Mesa says. “Sir, have you heard anything from Sonia?”
“No, Dan, nothing of late.”
“Thanks, sir.”
When Dan terminates the call, he turns to Jonathan and says, “Dad, when we get to Dallas, we are going to change directions. We will take I-35 south to San Antonio and then take I-10 west to Tucson.”
“Son, about this traitor in your organization, do you have any idea who it may be?”
“Dad, I know everyone in Nogales; I don’t believe the leak is there. I believe it is in Tucson at the colonel’s office. The person who is leaking the information has to have access to everything we do. I will call Captain Johnson tonight and bounce it off of him.”
In Amado, Sonia is preparing for work when the phone rings. It is Captain Johnson.
“Hello, Miss Perdenales, this is Captain Johnson of the rangers calling. How are you doing?”
“Captain, I am well, and I hope all is well with you. Has something happened to Dan?”
“No, Dan is okay. He is on assignment to Virginia and should be returning within a few days. He asked me if I had heard from you. He still cares about you, you know.”
Sonia works to regain her composure and says, “I know he does. Please tell him I care about him.”
“Is that all you want me to tell him? I thought that surely you wanted me to tell him you love him.”
“Captain, I am still trying to fit Dan into my life. I don’t want to lie to him and make promises I can’t keep. He deserves better than that from me. As you know, he has been through a lot. I know I am putting him through a lot now, but at least he knows I am not leading him on.”
“Sonia, I guess that is why I am concerned about seeing the two of you together. He needs you, and believe it or not, you need him. It is up to you if you want to make it a couple. Take care. I will be checking on you again soon.”
They hang up the phone. Sonia hurriedly gets dressed and prepares to leave for work. She notices a black Chevy Camaro following her at a distance. Being a cautious person, she speeds up and calls ahead to the Cow Palace and tells them she is being followed. She arrives at the Cow Palace, and the Camaro continues down the road.
The driver of the Camaro turns around and drives back to the Cow Palace, stopping briefly, possibly to records Sonia’s license number. Sonia watches from inside and makes a note to call Captain Johnson of the rangers.
She turns to Sylvia Animas and says, “Sylvia, I believe someone is following me. That black car stopped, and the driver took down my tag numbers. What should I do?”
“If I were you I would call that ranger fellow and tell him,” Sylvia says. “He will know what to do. He could be a stalker or a serial killer. Sonia, you have to call the police, because this is serious business.”
“Sylvia, maybe you are right. I am going to call Captain Johnson right now.”
The phone rings at ranger headquarters.
“Sergeant Savalas, may I help you?”
“Sergeant, I am Sonia Perdenales, a friend of Dan Mesa. If possible, I’d like to speak with Captain Johnson.”
“Yes, ma’am, I will get him for you.” Savalas walks toward the Captain’s office.
“Captain, Sonia Perdenales, Dan Mesa’s friend is on the line for you.”
“Captain Johnson here, what can I do for you Sonia?”
“Captain, today when I left for work, a black Chevy Camaro followed me all the way to work and then turned around and stopped at the Cow Palace to take down my license number. Then it went on. I’m frightened and not sure what to do.”
“Sonia, did you by chance get the license number of the Camaro?”
“Yes, I did. It was one of those personalized plates with the word HAMMER on it. It was an Arizona plate.”
“Okay, I don’t want you to go home tonight. Do you have a friend you can spend the night with? If so, go there, and don’t drive your car. Leave it parked, and we will come and get it. I will have the plates run to find out to whom the Camaro belongs. I will call you back in about an hour with whatever I find out.”
“Thanks, Captain Johnson, I really appreciate this. Could this have anything to do with Dan?”
“Sonia, why do you ask that?”
“I am asking, because I just have this intuition that he is in danger and that someone has tied us together. I am frightened for myself and for him. I do love him, and I want to protect him the same as he would protect me. I just can’t be a part of his life right now. He is a wonderful man, but he is dangerous and leads a most dangerous life.”
“I understand, Sonia. I will be in touch.”
Captain Johnson hangs up the phone, turns to Bonefacio, who has just entered, and asks him to run the license number. They wait, and the information appears on the screen with the name Antonio Blackbear, Carlos Meana’s man.
Captain Johnson turns around slowly with a frown on his face.
“Sergeant, do you suppose Antonio is trying to kidnap Sonia?” he asks. “I have a feeling he is thinking that, by kidnapping Sonia, he can force Sergeant Mesa to give up Ranson for Sonia. He is making the worst mistake of his life. If anything happens to that lady, I wouldn’t give five cents for his life expectancy. If she is hurt or killed, Sergeant Daniel Mesa will declare World War III. He will make that last situation with Jackson look like a Sunday picnic.”
Captain Johnson straps on his weapon and takes charge of the situation, something he hasn’t done for a long time. He has a feeling all hell is about to break a loose.
Chapter Four
In Amado, at the Cow Palace, Sonia is working the evening shift. When she goes to her car to get a pen, she is suddenly struck from behind and passes out. A man very gently carries her to his car and speeds off.
Sylvia sees the car and runs inside to call the police. Before the police arrive, Captain Johnson and the rangers arrive. Sylvia is hysterical and tries to tell them what happened. Finally, she settles down and tells the rangers about Sonia’s kidnapping.
The captain swears softly and says, to no one in particular, “Dan Mesa is going to declare war on Carlos and Antonio. There will be dead bodies everywhere you look.”
“Sergeant Savalas, contact Sergeant Mesa and tell him what has happened. Then I am going to Tucson to talk with the colonel.”
In an RV on I-35 heading south to San Antonio, Sergeant Mesa and Agent Ortiz are reminiscing about old times when the phone rings. Dan checks his phone and sees that it’s Savalas.
“Sergeant Mesa here.”
“This is Sergeant Savalas.”
“Hello, Savalas. How are things in Nogales?”
“Dan, I have some bad news for you. Antonio Blackbear, one of Carlos’s men, kidnapped Sonia. The captain thinks Carlos had her kidnapped as a way of forcing you to hand over Ranson. We know that Antonio is driving a black Camaro with tags that read HAMMER. He will p
robably send someone to contact you and to demand Ranson’s release. I know you care a lot about Sonia, but you can’t give up Ranson for Sonia.”
“Savalas, I haven’t lost a prisoner yet, and I won’t lose one now. Carlos has signed his death warrant; I will see him dead if he harms one hair on her head. We will drive straight through until we get to Tucson. I am sure he will attempt to contact us before we get there. Tell the captain he can be assured that Ranson will arrive on time. Sonia doesn’t deserve this. She paid her dues when her husband was killed in the line of duty. I will be in touch soon.”
Jonathan watches in silence as Mesa lays the phone down. He notices a sudden change in Mesa’s entire disposition. Dan Mesa has suddenly become very deadly. Jonathan realizes that Dan is the right person to do the job that needs doing. The man has a heavy responsibility. He understands Garnett’s reasoning for not wanting Dan to be a policeman. He is constantly in harm’s way. Devlin needs a father who will be there. Yet he understands Mesa’s decision to be a ranger. Someone has to do what he does. Someone has to care and protect those who can’t protect themselves.
Scotty looks at Dan and says, “Dan, what is happening in Arizona that you aren’t telling us?”
“Scotty, my friend Sonia has been kidnapped by one of Carlos’s men, Antonio Blackbear. The captain believes it was done in an attempt to force me to turn Ranson over to Carlos. Both Carlos and Antonio have signed their own death warrants. I will not rest until I send them both to hell,” Mesa says. “Sonia was married to a policeman in Denver, and he was killed in the line of duty. It took her some time to get over it. Then she ran into me, and we became friends. One night a few months ago, we went to dinner and dancing. We were leaving this club when a man and a woman tried to kill me. He wasn’t fast enough. I killed him, and the lady knew enough about life to give it up. In the past few months, I have had to use this gun more than I ever did in Vietnam or the Persian Gulf. I have killed six men in less than twelve months. I am not proud of it, but it was either them or me. Now I plan to kill two more men, and I don’t feel any regret or remorse. They started this; now I will end it. Sonia deserves better from life. After seeing me kill that man, she turned on me and said she couldn’t handle it, and we parted. She is the second friend to suffer because of me. Maybe Garnett was right to just distance herself from me.
“Daniel Mesa, I have known you for twenty years, and there isn’t a more decent person in the whole world than you,” Nadia says. “Don’t you go feeling sorry for yourself. You do what you have to do, and we will support you. We are passing through San Antonio now, and we will be in Tucson in a couple of days at the speed we are traveling. When we get there, you and your people try to get that lady back unhurt. I will say a prayer for her.”
Back in Tucson, word has gotten to Carlos that Antonio has kidnapped Sonia Perdenales. Suddenly Carlos is deathly afraid. He calls Antonio and demands that he come and see him. Carlos’s tone is such that Antonio dreads seeing him.
He arrives at Carlos’s hacienda and walks in.
“Antonio, who told you to kidnap Mesa’s friend?” Carlos asks. “Just what the hell do you think you are doing? You have just screwed up any chance I had of becoming legitimate. Now where is she? She had better be safe and unhurt. If you hurt one hair on her head, I will kill you myself. We have been friends for a long time, but this time, you went too far.”
“Boss, I was only trying to help. We have her, and the ranger will have to give up Ranson for her. She is his friend. They are very close, so he will have to give up Ranson.”
“Antonio, you don’t know Mesa as I do. He will not give up Ranson for anyone. Now he will come after you and me. He will never give up. Our only choice is to get across the border. Let’s see what is on the news about her kidnapping.”
Carlos turns on the television.
“This is Fiona Bacuss, reporting from Amado where a lady named Sonia Perdenales was kidnapped by Antonio Blackbear, a known accomplice of Carlos Meana. The reason for the kidnapping is unknown. Ranger Captain Johnson of Nogales is on the scene and has told this reporter that the rangers will take every possible step to find Miss Perdenales. I have learned from other sources that Sonia Perdenales is a personal friend of Arizona ranger Sergeant Dan Mesa. The question is, does this have anything to with the sergeant? This is Fiona Bacuss reporting from Amado.”
Carlos turns toward Antonio and says, “I am sure the border is sealed and they are looking for us. Where do you have this lady stashed?”
“I have her at your house in Patagonia. She is a nice lady. I can see why Mesa likes her.”
“Antonio, if you want to stay among the living, you will leave her alone. If you hurt her or cause her to hurt herself, I will personally shoot you. Do you understand me? Dan Mesa already has it in for me for killing his friend about ten years ago. Now you have added one more reason for him to kill me. If I die, so will you. I told you I was working on an idea so that we could turn an illegal business into a legal business. Because of your actions, all that has gone up in smoke. We will be lucky to survive until next month. You don’t know the rangers like I do. They will track you to hell and back. They are all tough men, and Captain Johnson and Dan Mesa are the toughest. Johnson is an old Lobo, and he taught Mesa. If both of them come after us, we are dead. So you had better keep her safe and sound.”
In Yuma, it is a cool October morning. Alana is preparing for work when she hears of the kidnapping. She yells to her mom.
“Mom, come quick!”
“What is it, child?” Matilda asks.
“Mom, do you remember the lady Dan told us about in Amado? Well, Carlos Meana and his men have kidnapped her. The Santa Cruz guys are sealing the border and hunting Carlos and Antonio. If I know Dan Mesa, he is headed toward Tucson. I would hate to be Carlos and Antonio. Mom before this is over, a lot of blood will be spilled and people will die.”
“Alana, how is it that a man like Daniel Mesa winds up with so much trouble in his life? He can’t seem to get a break. Everyone he becomes involved with seems to either get hurt or they hurt him. I pray that he find happiness during his lifetime. He is too good of a man to go to waste. So my darling daughter, think about what I am saying. The two of you could do great things together.”
Alana looks at her mom and smiles.
“Mom, one thing at a time. I have to get comfortable with my new situation in life. What if he doesn’t want me anymore? I treated him very badly. As you said, he is too good of a man to let go. I do love him dearly, and when this is over, I plan to tell him.”
On the road somewhere approaching El Paso, Dan is driving, and they are listening to Marty Robins on the radio. Oddly enough, the song is about an Arizona ranger and is entitled “Big Iron.”
Scotty turns to Jonathan and says, “Mr. Williamson, doesn’t that song remind you of someone you know?”
“Yes, it does, son. I first heard that song when I visited Garnett and Dan when they lived in San Antonio. They had been married about a year when we went for that visit. I had been stationed at Williams Air Force Base during World War II but didn’t know much about the west. When I met then-Lieutenant Daniel Mesa for the first time, I thought he was a joke. But he wasn’t then, and nor is he now. He took me horseback riding, and I watched him handle a horse. I knew at that moment that he was just what he appeared to be. He flew home with Garnett to ask for her hand. When he walked through that terminal door, he looked like he had just stepped out of a western novel.” He pauses, then adds, “He doesn’t fit in the East. I know why he prefers to live here in the West. He is a part of it, just as surely as the cactus and the roadrunners. He would die if he had to live any other place. That song ‘Big Iron’ should have been written for him. He is that ranger.”
The song ends and another begins—“From Whence Came the Cowboy” by the Sons of the San Joaquin. Dan drives on seemingly with one thing on his mi
nd, and that is to rescue Sonia and then make Carlos and Antonio pay dearly.
As it approaches dinnertime, Nadia asks, “Where are going to eat tonight? Honey, why not stop at a roadside park, and we can fix supper in the RV. It will be good for all of us. Dan, what are your thoughts on the subject?”
“Mom I like the idea of a cook out. I hope there are steaks. I believe I could eat a horse.”
“Dan, I see a roadside park ahead. Maybe we can stop there and cook supper. It will be great to just sit for a while and enjoy the sunset. You need to relax for a while. Why don’t you take out that smug pot you call a pipe and smoke it and relax? Jonathan and I will fix dinner.”
Dan pulls into the parking area, and everyone unloads. Jonathan and Nadia prepare dinner. Scotty, Ranson, and Mesa sit and talk.
In Patagonia, Arizona, it is raining. It is one of those sudden electrical storms that happens in Arizona and is sometimes deadly. Suddenly, lightning strikes a transformer, and a fast-burning fire begins that spreads to Carlos’s house, which is immediately engulfed in flames. By the time the fire department arrives, the house is too far gone to save. After the firemen rush in, they discover a body.
Jim Killian, a rookie fireman, discovers the body. He finds a slightly melted driver’s license and discovers the identity. He calls the fire chief, Captain Orlando Garcia.
“Tell me what we have, Jim.”
“Sir, I discovered a body that appears to be that of Sonia Perdenales, that friend of Ranger Mesa that was kidnapped.”
Captain Garcia turns around slowly and says, “Oh my God. This is going to tear Dan apart. He was really crazy about her. We’d better call Captain Johnson at the rangers and notify the local police. Hell is about to burst wide open.”
The phone rings at ranger headquarters in Nogales.