The Law and Dan Mesa

by Dan Sears

  “Arizona rangers, Sergeant Savalas speaking.”

  “Sergeant Savalas, this is Captain Garcia from the fire department. I need to speak to your captain. It is an emergency.”

  “I will get him right away, sir.” Savalas rushes into Captain Johnson’s office saying; “Sir, Captain Garcia from the Fire Department is on the line for you.”

  “Thanks Sergeant.”

  “Hello Orlando, what’s up?”

  “Sam, I have bad news. It is as bad as it gets. We responded to a fire at a home in Patagonia. By the time we drove from Nogales, the house was a smoldering ruin. When going through the rubble, we found the body of a female.”

  “Orlando, I believe I get the picture. You found Sonia’s body?”

  “Sam, I’ve had to do some terrible things as a fireman, but this is the worst I’ve had to deal with. I knew her, and I know Dan Mesa. Sam, what will he do now? You and I have known him a long time, and I am afraid he will go crazy first and then there will be dead people all over southern Arizona.”

  Captain Johnson clears his throat and slowly says, “Old friend, I don’t even want to think about what he will do. Whose house was it that burned? Please don’t tell me it belonged to Carlos Meana.”

  “Yes, it was Meana’s house, but there were no signs of him having been there. Sam, when we found her, her hands were tied with some type of cord that survived the fire. She didn’t have a chance. It makes my blood boil. I will tell you this: If I could get my hands on Meana or Blackbear, I would kill them myself.”

  “Thanks, Orlando, for calling. I need to call the colonel and let him know what has happened. The FBI will have to be told also. It is now a federal case, involving kidnapping and manslaughter or maybe even murder. The coroner will have to tell us the story. I will talk with you later.”

  When Captain Johnson turns around, he see the rangers waiting at the door He knows he has to tell them what has happened, and he suddenly feels very nervous.

  “Guys, that was Captain Garcia of the fire department. They answered a fire alarm at a house in Patagonia. The house had burned, and they found Sonia’s body inside. Her hands were tied. The house belonged to Carlos Meana. I have to call Colonel Grant first, and then I have the task of telling Sergeant Mesa. That is one task I am not up to.”

  Sergeant Savalas remembers how much in love with Sonia Dan was. He also knows that all hell is about to break open.

  “Captain, this isn’t good at all. Dan Mesa has paid a heavy price these last few years. This one could break him. How do we handle this? How can we help Dan? I know him well, and someone is going to pay for what happened to Sonia. I hate Meana, but even he doesn’t deserve what is going to happen to him and Antonio.”

  A private phone rings at Colonel Grant’s home. When the red phone rings, Grant knows something bad has happened. The number is that of Santa Cruz Company, Sam Johnson.

  “Hello, Sam. I know that, whatever it is, it is bad. So, tell me the bad news.”

  “Sir, you are right. The fire department here answered a fire, and they found the body of Sonia Perdenales in the ruins. Her hands were tied. We don’t know the cause of her death, but it appears to be asphyxiation due to the fire. The coroner will know the actual cause of death by tomorrow. We have kept it quiet from the reporters until I could talk with you. Sir, you know all hell is about to break open when I tell Sergeant Mesa about this. I can’t let him hear about it from the television or radio news.”

  “Sam, do what you think is best. I will notify the FBI, and I’ll call you later on tonight.”

  In the coroner’s office, Dr. Jaime Hernandez is working on the body and reaches his conclusion. He calls Captain Johnson.

  “Sam, Jaime here. I just finished the autopsy on Sonia. The cause of death is smoke inhalation. She also had a small gash at the back of her head as if she had been hit there. If she had not been bound and restrained, she could have gotten out before it got bad. It is my opinion that this was intentional. You should go to the district attorney and ask for a charge of murder. Someone should pay dearly for her death.”

  “Thanks, Jaime, I will be in touch.”

  Supper has been completed, and Nadia is playing the guitar as Dan sings a wayfarer’s song about the sea. Dan’s cellular phone rings.

  “Sergeant Mesa here,” he answers.

  “Dan, Captain Johnson here. Dan, I don’t know any other way to say this, so I am just going to tell you. There was a fire in Patagonia, and the Nogales Fire Department responded. It was a bad one. By the time they got there, the house had burned. When going through the rubble, they found a body. It was Sonia. According to Captain Garcia, her hands were bound. The coroner, Dr. Hernandez, said the cause of death was smoke inhalation. I wish there was something I could say or do to make it better. Get back here as soon as you can. There is a lot we need to do. Dan, I know you well, and I know how your mind works. Please, don’t go off half-cocked. Promise me you’ll come in and talk before you do anything.”

  “Captain, I’ll see you soon.”

  He shuts the phone off and walks away stiffly.

  Ranson breaks the silence when he says, “Who died? I can tell from the look on your face that someone has died.”

  Dan spins around with his gun in hand, walks up to Ranson, shoves the barrel in his mouth, and cocks the hammer. Ranson’s eyes are as big as saucers.

  Nadia cautiously walks over and puts her hand on Dan’s arm.

  “Son, you don’t want to do that,” she says. “That’s not the way.”

  Mesa becomes aware of his actions and relaxes his grip on the gun. He sits down and slowly tells them what happened. Scotty walks over and pats his friend on the back and walks away. He remembers a time when he too felt the loss of someone special.

  Ranson stands up and apologizes to Mesa for his words. Mesa just walks away without saying anything. Jonathan loads up the RV, and they drive into the night.

  In Tucson, the television, radio, and newspaper news agencies have been notified, and there is a continual news broadcast. Carlos has learned of the fire and knows he has to kill Dan Mesa before Dan kills him. He calls his friends in Dallas, and a contract is put on Ranger Daniel Mesa for two hundred thousand dollars—dead. As is always the case, word drifts back to Tucson, and the rangers are alerted.

  In the meantime, Carlos and Antonio are running for their lives. Twice, they have tried crossing the border, but due to constant identity checks, they know they can’t risk it.

  Mesa arrives in Tucson and turns Ranson over to Captain Johnson. He is extremely irritable and stays away from everyone.

  Captain Johnson calls Mesa into his office and says, “Sergeant, I don’t know what to say to you to make things better, so I won’t try. Colonel Grant and I are working hard to find those responsible. Let us do our job, please.”

  Mesa looks at the captain for a few seconds and says, “Sir, she didn’t have to die. Someone has to pay for her death. I need to get Jonathan and Nadia to my place. I have my friend Scott Ortiz of the FBI with me as well. I will be in touch.”

  Mesa drives to his ranch and gets Jonathan and Nadia settled in. He turns to Ortiz, says thanks, and walks away. He climbs into his truck and slowly drives away.

  Twenty-four hours after Sonia’s death, no one has seen Dan Mesa. The investigation into Sonia’s death continues. The FBI has taken over the case along with the rangers. Carlos’s and Antonio’s photos have been circulated with warrants for their arrests. So far, though, no one has seen or heard from them.

  Scotty and Jonathan have been searching everywhere for Dan. It has now been thirty-six hours, and they’ve found nothing. Scotty, Jonathan, and Nadia have been living at Dan’s place. Captain Johnson comes by for a visit.

  “Jonathan,” he says, “have you heard anything from Dan since he arrived? He has never done anything l
ike this before. He is hurting, and he is dangerous now.”

  “Dan will show up in a few hours,” Agent Ortiz says. “I finally figured out where he is. He is preparing himself for the task at hand. If I know him, he is getting into the mind of Carlos and Antonio. But he doesn’t know there is a contract out on him.”

  In Yuma, Major McMasters is listening to the news when he hears about Sonia’s death. He walks into Lieutenant Osborne’s office, where she is watching the news as well.

  “Alana, it seems as if trouble follows Sergeant Mesa wherever he goes. What do you say to a man who has faced as much as he has faced these last few months?”

  “Sir, I wouldn’t know what to say. I have been thinking about it, and no one could know what to say or do. I was thinking of that lady Sonia. He spoke of her once. I got the feeling there were a lot of unspoken things there. It is hard to get him to talk about himself, but I do know he cared a lot about her. She was the one who ended the relationship because of the nature of work he does. Her husband was a policeman who was killed in the line of duty, and apparently, she never got over it. Major, Dan Mesa is going to go nuts over this. You saw what happened when he and Jackson met. That was child’s play in comparison to what will happen now.”

  “Lieutenant, please call Captain Johnson and ask if there is anything we can do to assist them. Also inquire about Sergeant Mesa.”

  The phone rings at ranger headquarters, and Sergeant Savalas answers the phone.

  “Arizona rangers, Sergeant Savalas speaking.”

  “Sergeant Savalas, this is Lieutenant Osborne from Yuma. How are you?”

  “Ma’am, I am well. What can I do for you?”

  “Sergeant is the captain in? If so, may I speak to him?”

  “One moment, ma’am.”

  “Captain Johnson, I have Lieutenant Osborne from Yuma on the line. She wants to speak with you.”

  “Put her through please,” Johnson says. Then he picks up his phone. “Lieutenant Osborne, how are you and what can I do for you?”

  “Sir, I am recovering and doing better each day. The reason I am calling is because of what happened to Sonia. The major wants to know if there is anything that we can do to help and asked that I inquire about Sergeant Mesa. He is well liked here, and everyone is concerned about him.”

  “Lieutenant, Sergeant Mesa is missing. No one knows where he is, but we suspect he is out in the desert getting ready for his confrontation with Carlos and Antonio. But what he doesn’t know is that a contract has been put on him.”

  “Sir, what can we do to help him? He is very special to me. I can’t let anything else happen to him. If you hear from him, please call us right away. Thanks, sir.”

  Captain Johnson hangs up the phone but is very worried. He knows his friend’s life is at stake.

  Chapter Five

  In Tucson, the colonel is watching the news and bangs his fist on the desk, rattling the whole room.

  His secretary rushes in and asks, “Colonel, what is wrong?”

  “Maria, you are fired. You are lucky that I am not pressing charges against you. You told Carlos and his group about Ranger Mesa. If he gets hurt, I will hold you responsible. I want you out of this building in ten minutes, or I will have you arrested. If I ever see you again, I will arrest you.”

  “Colonel Grant, I didn’t have a choice. I didn’t know what to do. I know I should have told you, but I was afraid you wouldn’t help me! I am sorry for letting you down.”

  “Lady, I don’t want your sorrow or anything else. One of my best rangers has lost a lady he cared about because of you and your friends. GET OUT OF MY SIGHT!”

  Maria leaves broken and crying. Colonel Hiram H. Grant is a man with few illusions about himself and life. He too has smelled the acrid smell of gunpowder and the stench of death in Vietnam and as a ranger. He knows what the rangers in the field go through, which is why he is so angry with Maria. She has possibly helped in the death of Sonia Perdenales.

  Traveling south on I-19 is a dusty bronze Toyota 4Runner being driven by a man who is small in stature but big in heart and courage. At this moment when no one can see him, tears are streaming down his face, and his heart is as heavy as a brick. Sergeant Dan Mesa of the Arizona rangers is heading back home to begin a journey that will end in the deaths of several men and maybe justice for Sonia Perdenales.

  When Dan arrives in Nogales, he reports in to Captain Johnson.

  “Hello, Captain,” he says. “Is there anything new on Sonia’s murder?”

  “Sergeant, where in the name of Hanna have you been? You’ve had all of us worried to death about you. There is a contract on you, and we suspect it was put out by Carlos or some of his cronies.”

  “Captain, I had to get away from here for a day or two,” Mesa says. “I need to contact Sonia’s parents and see about funeral arrangements for her. I’ve never spoken to them, but I know she was close to them. I keep asking myself if she suffered because of me. It doesn’t make any sense. She wasn’t a threat to anyone. She was just a nice woman who shouldn’t have been involved in this. Someone will pay for her death. Sir, do you have any leads on the contract taken out on me?”

  “Sergeant Mesa, do I need to remove you from this case? I know it is personal, and I know there isn’t anything anyone can do to make it hurt less, but I can’t have you going off half-cocked. Take a few days off and mourn her death. Come back ready to make those bastards pay dearly for her death.”

  “Captain, I have it under control. I don’t need time off. I can do my job.”

  “Sergeant, this is not a request; it is an order. Take time off or turn in your badge. Dan, look, you need some time off, if only a couple of days. You are at the end of your rope. I know you, and I know you are capable of killing someone with the least provocation. I just want to make sure you kill the right person under the right circumstances. Now, will you do as I ask?”

  “Yes, sir. I’ll take a couple of days off, but after that and the funeral, I will cry havoc and let loose the dogs of war. Someone is going to pay for her death. Captain, have the FBI check Vermenti Pellegrinni and see if they can determine whether he put out the contract. Carlos and Pellegrinni have a history together. Better yet, I’ll ask Scott to look into it for us.”

  With those remarks, Mesa leaves the Captain’s office.

  Captain Johnson calls in Ranger Bonefacio Hernandez.

  “Bonnie, I want you to shadow Sergeant Mesa without him knowing it.”

  “Captain, you know I will do anything you want me to do, but Dan is one of us. I can’t and won’t do that.”

  “Bonnie, Dan is not in trouble. I want you to shadow him to keep him from killing someone. He is angry and on the edge. Just keep him out of trouble. He is my friend; I don’t want anything to happen to him. Someone has put a contract out on him, and he is going to try to find out who did it. I just want someone covering his back.”

  “Captain, that is something I can and will do. I like Mesa, and so do most of us. He is a hard case but fair and honest, and if he is your friend, he is the best friend you’ll ever have. But if he is your enemy, then God have mercy on your soul.”

  “Bonnie, keep me posted and watch you back too.”

  In El Paso, Sonia’s parents and family are planning the funeral when the phone rings.

  “Hello, this is the Cortez residence.”

  “Hello, I am Sergeant Daniel Mesa of the Arizona rangers and a friend of Sonia’s. I must apologize for disturbing you, but I have to ask about the funeral arrangements and if there is anything I or the rangers can do to help.”

  “Ranger, I am Sonia’s mother, Ophelia. She spoke of you often. She cared for you a great deal. I know she’d want you here. The funeral is scheduled for Saturday at Saint Paul’s Cathedral at eleven a.m. Will you be there?”

  “Yes, ma’am, I wi
ll be there. I will arrive tomorrow. I just want you to know I . . .” For the first time in his life, Dan Mesa breaks down.

  “Ranger Mesa, will you be okay? You are welcome here anytime. It is a hard thing for all of us to understand. She said you are a special person, and she wanted me to meet you. We’ll talk when you arrive.”

  “Thank you, Mrs. Cortez. I don’t know if I will ever be okay again. This is something I feel responsible for. I will see you tomorrow.”

  Napal Cortez, Sonia’s father, walks into the room and asks, “Honey, who was it on the phone?”

  “Napal, it was that ranger whom Sonia often spoke of. He must be something special for her to have cared as she did. He almost broke down over the phone. I could tell by the way his voice shook. Unless I miss my guess, that man is not someone to tangle with. The anger in him and the hurt is tearing him apart. Whoever killed our little girl will regret it something terrible. He will arrive tomorrow.”

  “Ophelia, how will we know him? Does he want us to meet him at the airport?”

  “No, dear, but I will know him anywhere. According to Sonia, he is about five feet five inches tall and weighs around one hundred fifty pounds. He is African American but not black. He has brown skin and a face that seldom smiles He always wears a gray western hat, boots, jeans, and a western tie. You’ll know him without a doubt.”

  In Nogales at Mesa’s ranch, Dan and Agent Ortiz are in conversation.

  “Scott, could you check with your people and find out if Pellegrinni has put out a contract on me or if he has done anything out of the ordinary these last few days?” Mesa asks. “According to my captain, there is a contract out on me. I am not afraid, but it does make it difficult for me to do what needs to be done if I have to watch my back constantly.”

  “Dan, I will call right now. Someone should be there in the office.”