by Dan Sears
As she walks into the kitchen, she smells Italian food.
“Mommy, something smells good in here,” she says.
She gives her mom a big hug and a kiss.
“Now, young lady what do you want to talk to me about?”
“Mom, I was looking at our herd, and we are running about a thousand head on one thousand five hundred acres. I was thinking we should probably reduce it to eight hundred, just in case next summer brings a drought. What do you think?”
“Well, you know, I rode out the other day, and I reached the same conclusion. I think we should load up two hundred and take them to the auction. I believe we could get a tidy sum of money for them. They are blooded stock; your dad made sure of that. Alana, do you think Dan would enjoy helping us round up the stock? It would take his mind off his troubles.”
“Yes, I was thinking along those same lines. Captain Johnson called me today and said Dan was headed this way.”
The phone rings, and Alana picks it up and say, “Hello.”
“Alana, Dan Mesa here. I am wondering if you and your mom would mind if I came for a visit.”
“Dan Mesa, you know you are welcome anytime. Where are you now?”
She hears him laugh.
“Well, if you look out your door, you will see me.”
Alana hangs up the phone and rushes to Matilda saying “Mom, it’s Dan. He is parked in the yard.”
They rush to the door. Standing there larger than life is Dan Mesa. Matilda gives him a hug and steps back to look at him.
“Dan, you have lost weight. You look like a lean wolf that is ready to turn on anyone or anything that moves. I am glad you are here. You need to be with us.”
“Thank you, ma’am,” Mesa says. “I am happy to be here. I can’t think of any place I’d rather be. I hope you don’t mind if I bunk with you for a few days. Captain Johnson seems to think I need some time off. He says I am too caught up in this investigation. I know he is right, but I can’t let it go. Anyway, I decided to come for a visit. To tell you the truth, I am tired. I haven’t slept in a week, and I am living on coffee and pure cussed anger.”
Alana walks forward and hugs him as Matilda looks at them and just smiles. Alana starts to speak, but only tears come. Dan Mesa stands there not knowing what to do.
He stammers and says, “Alana, I didn’t mean to make you cry. If my being here is going to cause you pain, then I should leave.”
“Daniel Mesa, you make me so darn angry at times. Can’t you tell the difference between pain and joy? I am just happy you are here. You big ape, don’t you know I am madly in love with you? Oops. Mom, I am sorry for my language.”
“Honey, you don’t have to apologize, because I know your heart better than you do. It gives me great joy to see the two of you together. Dan, get your bags and come in. I see you have a new Jeep. I didn’t know you were the Jeep type.”
“No, ma’am, I’m not. That was given to me, and I will tell you about it, but not right now. It has heartbreak with it.” Mesa retrieves his bags and walks into the house. “Ma’am, could I trouble you for a bath? I smell like a goat. I didn’t get a chance to shower; I just packed my bags and headed out.”
Alana show Dan to his room and to the bath and I will continue making dinner.
Alana takes him to his room and lays out some towels.
“Now take a bath while we get supper ready.”
She closes the door, flies into him arms, and kisses him passionately while rubbing against him in a way a lady shouldn’t.
“Alana, you shouldn’t do that to me. I won’t be responsible for my actions, and your mom would kill me.”
“Dan Mesa, I am a grown woman, but you are right. You owe me, though; don’t forget it. I will leave you to take your bath. Hurry up, because supper is almost ready. I was serious about the way I feel about you. I almost lost you when my memory was gone. I don’t ever want to lose you again. I know you still have some forgetting to do, but I am here for you, and I will wait for you to heal both physically and emotionally. You paid a heavy price, and I wish I could erase some of it, but I can’t and neither can you. So take your bath and join us. You are a lucky man, because you have two women who love you dearly.”
Sergeant Daniel Mesa of the Arizona rangers suddenly feels the weight of the world settling on his shoulders. He looks at Alana and starts to speak. Suddenly, the floor zooms up at him. He hears voices and tries to get up.
A familiar voice says, “Lie still for a moment. You fainted from exhaustion.”
He sits up and looks into Alana’s face. There are tears in her eyes and Matilda’s.
“I guess I was worse off than I knew. I must apologize for my behavior. I am exhausted, but I think hunger is the main thing. I hate to say it, but it has been almost five days since I’ve eaten. Something smells great. I believe I could eat a horse. So if you will help me to my feet, I will shower and meet you in the kitchen.”
Both women help him to his feet and help him regain his composure. Matilda smacks him on the arm, saying, “If you scare me like that again, I will break you darn neck. You aren’t ten feet tall and bulletproof. You are just a man who is slowly destroying himself. I love you, fella, and so does Alana. Now get your butt in the kitchen, and we will eat.”
Alana laughs and leads him to the dining room as happy as a schoolgirl. Mesa follows, holding tightly to her hand as if he might lose her. He becomes aware of it and relaxes his grip, smiling and apologizing.
The food is good and the expression on his face tells them that he is relaxing and is no longer the ranger but just a man with friends.
Matilda opens a bottle of wine and pours a glass for Mesa, saying, “I know your drinking habits, but this is a special occasion, and you are not on duty so drink and enjoy it. The meal is Italian with chicken breast grilled with tomatoes and basil with baked eggplant and stuffed mushrooms. There are green beans and Italian salad and garlic bread. As they eat, the conversation turns to ranching.
“Dan, while you are here,” Alana asks, “will you help me with the horses? They need riding and a good workout, and there are too many for me to do it alone.”
Mesa smiles and says, “Sure I will be happy to help out. I haven’t done much riding lately, and I need the exercise as well. How are the cattle doing this year?”
“I was talking with Mom earlier, and we are thinking about thinning the herd out some. We are running about a thousand head on one thousand five hundred acres, and that crowds the range a little. I am thinking maybe we should sell about two hundred head. That will bring in a tidy sum of money as they are Santa Gertrudis and they are expensive. I am sure the King Ranch will buy them. I’d like to take them to the auction on Friday, if you don’t mind going with me.”
“I’d love to help out,” Mesa says, smiling. “I haven’t been on a roundup in many years. It will be good to get back in the saddle again. I only hope I can stand the pace of the work. I am not as young as I once was, but I believe I still have it. I’ll give it my best. Now, do you have any dessert? I have a sweet tooth this evening.”
Matilda serves cake and ice cream. For once, Dan Mesa relaxes and lets his hair down. He is with people who care about him and want nothing from him. He smiles and enjoys the moment. It is a rarity in his life.
Meanwhile a plan is being put into action in Phoenix. A phone call is placed to a motel in Toronto, Canada, to Armanti Sandoval.
“Armanti, I need your help again. It is the same situation as before,” Carlos says. “Can you help me?”
“Yes, I am sure I can, and because I failed you the last time, this time it will cost you nothing. I hate to fail at anything I attempt. Where is he now?”
“He is probably in Nogales at his ranch. Sandoval, that man has eyes on the back of his head. Remember, he will not be merciful. So if you go afte
r him, you had better be prepared to kill him or die trying. When do you plan to go after him?”
“Carlos, the less you know, the better it will be for you. I will go after him when he least expects it. Although, from what I know of him, I doubt I will be able to surprise him. After this job, I am going to disappear. I will contact you when the job is done.”
An unknown figure was listening and recording the conversation places a call to FBI headquarters in Washington, DC.
A private phone rings in the office of the director.
“Sir, this is Agent Duvall, and I just intercepted a call from Carlos Meana to Armanti Sandoval in Toronto, Canada. They are planning to kill that ranger friend of Scotty’s. Should I pass that information on to Agent Ortiz?”
“Yes, that ranger is temporarily one of us, and you know I like the way he handles himself. He would have made a damned good agent. Too bad he was over the age when he applied to us. Yes, go ahead and tell Scotty about everything.”
Scotty is working at his desk when his private phone rings.
“This is Scotty. What can I do for you?”
“Scotty, this is Duvall. I have some information for you. I intercepted a phone call from Carlos to Armanti Sandoval in Toronto, Canada. They are planning to assassinate your ranger friend, Dan Mesa. They didn’t say when, but they are planning to do it at a time when he least expects.”
“Thanks, Bob,” Scotty says. “I owe you one. I will contact Dan right away. Do me a favor and put an agent on Ranger Mesa. Find someone who is a native of Arizona and can blend in and follow Mesa without standing out like a sore thumb. Tell them not to follow too close and to be careful. Dan Mesa is smart, and he has eyes on the back of his head. I want to keep him alive.”
“Okay, Scotty you got it. I will personally see to it that the right person is put on the job.”
Duvall calls ranger headquarters in Nogales.
“Captain Johnson, I am Agent Robert Duvall of the FBI, and I have been authorized to tell you that Carlos Meana called Armanti Sandoval in Toronto, Canada. They plan to assassinate Ranger Mesa within the next few weeks. It would be my guess that the hit is planned around Christmas or New Year’s. I have been told by Agent Ortiz to place an FBI tail on Sergeant Mesa without his knowledge. The agent in question will be Agent Dolores Maldinado. She will make herself known to you and you only.”
“Agent Duvall, I thank you,” Johnson says. “Please tell Scotty thanks for me also. Mesa is in Yuma on rest and recuperation. I will tell him about Carlos and Sandoval but not about Agent Maldinado.
Captain Johnson put the phone down and ponders the thought of calling Colonel Grant. He decides to place the call.
“Hello, Sam. I was about to call you. My sources tell me there is another contract on Sergeant Mesa, probably put out by Carlos. We probably need to put a tail on Mesa without his knowledge.”
“Sir, that is why I am calling. I was notified that there would be an assassination attempt as well. I want to assign a two-person tail to Mesa. The FBI has an undercover agent assign to watch over him too. Mesa is not aware of any of this yet. I will tell him about the contract, but everything else should be kept quiet, because if he knew we were watching he would go nuts.”
“Okay, Sam. Do what you think is best and keep me informed.”
“What are you doing for Thanksgiving?” Johnson asks. “I will probably visit Major Boca of the Texas rangers. He wants me to go hunting with him. What are your plans?”
“My friend, I am going to Vegas to the casinos for the entertainment; maybe I will gamble a little bit. Have a great hunting trip, because I have a feeling all hell is about to break loose. Take care.”
Captain Johnson then places a call to Lieutenant Osborne at home.
The phone rings and Matilda answers, “Hello.”
“Hello, I’m Captain Johnson of the rangers in Nogales. May I speak to Lieutenant Osborne? I know Sergeant Mesa is there, but don’t tell him I am on the line. Alana will explain everything later.”
“I understand, captain. I will get her for you.”
Matilda walks into the kitchen.
“Alana, there is a call for you from the rangers.”
Mesa is eating. He stops and gets up slowly. Alana goes into the hallway to answer the phone.
“Lieutenant Osborne here.”
“Lieutenant Osborne, listen carefully. This is Captain Johnson. Is Dan there? If he is, don’t let on that I am on the line. There is another contract on his life put out by Carlos Meana. They will probably try close to Christmas. I am placing a tail on him for his protection. Don’t tell him about the tail, but do tell him about the contract. If he knew I had a tail on him he’d go nuts and I want him safe and I don’t want him trigger happy. The assassin is Sandoval. Let him have a few days of peace before he has to face reality again. Tell him to be careful. I will be with Major Boca in San Antonio, hunting deer.”
She hangs up the phone and walks back into the kitchen.
Mesa is watching her as she enters the kitchen.
“Okay, Alana, what’s going on? I can read the expressions on your faces.”
Alana smiles and says, “Captain Johnson called to tell me that there is another contract on you. Carlos put it out. The assassin is Sandoval.”
“I knew it was only a matter of time before they tried again. This time I will stop Sandoval permanently, and then I will finish up with Carlos and Antonio. This situation has gone on long enough. It is time to put an end to it. After the holidays are over, Carlos’s time will be over too.”
Matilda and Alana stares at Mesa without commenting. They return to the table for dessert and coffee. After that is over, Mesa dries the dishes as Matilda and Alana wash them.
Afterward, Mesa straps on his pistol and puts on a jacket.
“Dan, where are you going?” Matilda asks.
“I was thinking about just walking out to do a look around to make sure that things are as they should be.”
“Dan, I know you follow a certain procedure in all you do, but seriously, you need to relax and just enjoy life sometimes. We will turn the dogs loose and let them roam around. They will alert us if anyone is about.”
“Just give me five minutes to walk out and listen to the night. I will be okay.”
Mesa smiles and slides out the door like a ghost. He blends into the night as if he was a part of it. Alana walks to the window and looks for him, but he is not there. She stares into the dark and notices a slight movement and knows he’s there.
“Mom, he is like a ghost. I sometimes wonder what it is that makes a man become a person like Daniel Mesa. What happened in his life that made him as he is? If I was a psychologist, he would make an interesting subject for study.”
Matilda smiles and says, “Your dad was the same in a way, but he was more trusting than Dan, and I think that was the difference. Dan Mesa doesn’t trust anyone, and that is a flaw in his character, but it is a flaw that has been to his advantage. By being distrustful of others, he never allows himself to get too close, and that always gives him an advantage. One day, when you are with him, try to get him to talk about himself and find out what he is after or looking for in his life.”
The door opens, and Mesa walks in.
“It is quiet outside and a beautiful night. The horses are quiet, and the dogs are dozing. It reminds me of a story I read when I was a kid.”
“Children, I am going to bed to finish a book I started,” Matilda says. “Good night.”
“Dan, would you like a drink or coffee maybe?” Alana asks.
“Yes, I’d like a drink. Do you have Amaretto or something of that nature?”
“No, but I do have some brandy I believe you will like. It is Presidente brandy made in Mexico, and I will make you a brandy sour. I know you like Amaretto sours, but this will be go
od too.”
She makes the drinks and they stand there just looking at each other and smiling.
Chapter Eleven
In an apartment complex in Phoenix, four women who look like Marilyn Monroe, Jane Mansfield, Sophia Loren, and Susan Pleshette are laughing about their recent exploit.
“I have a feeling the rangers are stalking us. We had best be very careful about everything we do. That ranger . . . Daniel Mesa, that’s it. I don’t want him after us. He is bad news, and I don’t want to get into a shoot-out with him. I personally don’t want a shoot-out—period.”
“Jane, none of us wants trouble with the rangers. That is why we should lay low for a few weeks. We have over five hundred thousand dollars in old money that is hard to trace. What we should do is clean this money by depositing it into various banks. We will deposit it weekly or every two weeks. We all have jobs—I teach school; Susan is a dental hygienist; you are a cop; and Sophia is a lawyer. There isn’t anything that ties us together. We are black, white, Asian, and Hispanic. Although, Jane, you may be black, but honey, you look to be white, and that works to our advantage.”
“I like the idea of spreading the money around in small amounts,” Sophia says. “We can always claim we won it at the casino. Maybe we should buy money orders in various cities and make them out to each other. We will go to Albuquerque, San Antonio, even Nogales and Mexico. There, we will exchange some of the money, bring it back, and deposit it in various banks. We will continue to live as we always have. We will not change anything we’ve done in the past, and that way, we will not bring attention to ourselves.”
Marilyn smiles and says, “The crazy thing about all of this is that we all have authentic names, and we look the part. How did this ever happen? It’s like the hand of fate took hold, and we became a part of destiny. I want to thank you guys for making the last few months of my life exciting. All of you have beaten cancer, and I guess it is just my time. You are my friends, and I love you. Since I am Marilyn when my time comes, I don’t want you to cry over me. My family knows what to do. Now, let’s do as we suggested and lay low for a while. The holidays are coming and visiting the cities we suggested would be appropriate and not out of the ordinary.”