The Ranger

by Angi Morgan

“Just in case they strand us out there for a while, would you get together some water and food? I’ll move the car inside the garage.” He lifted shelving and took a push broom to make a clear path for both cars.

  Before turning the key he looked under the carriage and hood of his car. He removed a false bottom and took out his satellite phone and a tracking device. He wouldn’t notify Cord until the last minute, but he had sworn an oath to uphold the law. Letting King abscond with a million in cocaine wouldn’t work for the state of Texas.

  The part of him that still had brains wanted to know why King had specifically said to use his car. As far as his eyes could tell, there weren’t any explosives or a tracker. He cranked the engine, moved to the pumps, filled up and moved inside the empty bay.

  He repeated everything with Brandie’s car, reversing it over the steel plates he hadn’t secured back in place. Brandie had a box of fruit and sandwiches. On top of the sleeping bag she’d taken from his cot, she set Toby’s backpack with his toys and crayons inside.

  “I need my cell.” She extended her palm. Determined. Not waiting for him to ask what for.

  He had an idea that she was calling home. Her dad could yell and be full of bluster. He could lay down extensive rules and limitations. But bottom line, he was still her dad. Her parents loved her and Toby.

  He put their emergency supplies in the backseat, paying close attention to the phone call behind him.

  “Hi, Dad. Yeah, sorry about this morning. Everything’s crazy. I know you love him. And me.”

  There was a long pause when Brandie listened and was more patient than Mitch could ever have been.

  “I called to check in and let you know that...that Pete is keeping me up-to-date here at the café. I love you, too.” She turned to Mitch, her eyes once again brimming with tears. “I couldn’t risk telling him. I wanted to, but couldn’t. I hope they’ll both forgive me.”

  “You’re going to bring Toby back and be a hero. No one will question what you had to do to achieve that.”

  “I hope you’re right because at this exact moment, looking at that bag and the secrets it has... I feel like a lowlife drug dealer.” She crossed her arms, pushing her breasts up under the T-shirt.

  “You remember what you told me earlier today. You’ll do anything to get your son back. Most good parents would, too.”

  “If we head north, getting back to Nopal Road will take a couple of hours. Should we grab a map?” She gestured to the garage office where they were sold.

  “I have a detailed map of the area under the seat. You ready?”

  “Yes. Everything’s already locked up. We just have to set the alarm.”

  “Then let’s go get Toby.”

  Chapter Fifteen

  Rey looked so pleased with himself. It had been easy for Patrice to get his consent to come along. Normally, she let someone else take care of the mundane deals. But today was exciting.

  Today, all her patience and bowing to inferior partners would pay off.

  Today, Patrice Orlando would become queen of her world by taking control of the board and all the chessmen. That was a logical assumption.

  Nothing would stop her. Especially not Rey King and his insignificant kidnapping exchange. He thought recovering the cocaine would set him in the sights of the bigger distributors. No, the cocaine was a distraction to keep him sidetracked.

  All it did was square them for the next and biggest delivery they’d attempted. But she hated to be rushed. Hastily laid plans were how she normally took out an opponent. Rey had set her plan in motion earlier than she’d wanted, but she’d deal with it. She always dealt with it.

  She smoothed her stocking as she formulated a plan around at least two questions. First, whether to keep the couple alive or not. And secondly, to return the boy or keep him for leverage. If she kept him, she’d need to use that leverage within twenty-four hours. Waiting any longer would just bring the law breaking down her door or whatever door she hid the kid behind. No matter what branch of the police it was, she couldn’t afford to have her operation slowed.

  Yes, today was her new beginning, and she wouldn’t let Rey screw it up with this unplanned kidnapping exchange. He’d end up bragging to someone about how easy the entire debacle was to pull off. They in turn would bring the police into the picture. Now that they’d arrived at the drop, step one would be to goad him into handling things himself.

  Sitting as close as they were, it was easy to turn her body into his, to sensually cradle his bare arm between her breasts and scoot his hand into her lap.

  “Rey, this is so exciting. In all the years that we’ve been together, I’ve never really seen you so in charge.” She grazed her nails across the knit shirt he wore, drawing a pattern to his slacks and then back up. “It’s so...sexy.”

  “You want to see me more in charge than just talking about it?”

  “Baby, you’ve got men to pick up the money for you. What if something goes wrong?” she deliberately pursed her lips. She wanted the fake tears so none of Rey’s crew would suspect anything. So she thought back to when she had nothing. A run-down shack of a house. A father who loved to smack her around. She rubbed her cheek, remembering the sting.

  “Brandie’s easily manipulated, barely a challenge to me. She just wants her kid back. The guys have been watching her all day. They haven’t made a call or contacted the police.”

  “Are you sure?” She smiled as big as she could manage and threw her fingers to her chest. “I would be thrilled to watch you in action. Absolutely thrilled beyond measure if you think it’s safe.”

  “Then you got it.” He flipped the switch to roll the passenger window down. “I’ll be collecting myself. Get me a weapon and get the kid ready.”

  “Yes, sir.”

  “There’s one more thing, baby. Do you think you should take the boy with you?”

  “Why not?”

  “I mean, most of the men will be up here. What if they have a gun and... I can’t imagine what they might do. Isn’t it less risky for you, sugar, if we send the kid somewhere they can’t find him?” She needed to get the boy away before they found the inevitable tracking device that would be hidden with the drugs.

  “You’re right. I love the way you think and want to take care of me.” He kissed her, long and sloppily. She was so over being attracted to him. Definitely ready to talk in a normal strong voice that people listened to instead of rolling their eyes.

  It took very little effort to get Rey out of the car and walking down the incline. It was as easy as dangling a carrot in front of a jackass.

  The men she’d dealt with always liked their egos stroked along with other parts of their bodies. Easily manipulated without knowing they were controlled at all. She gave instructions to one of her men who left immediately with the boy. The brat would be kept in a safe place for later use. She couldn’t risk the FBI swooping in with a last-minute rescue.

  Soon, she was standing in the wing, watching Rey hike down a steep hill with two of his men. The valley was getting darker, but she could see him with the binoculars. He strutted across the field like absolutely nothing could go wrong.

  She rolled down the window, crooking her finger toward her secret right-hand man. The shoes she’d bribed him with were on his feet—another item Rey had never questioned. His man had switched from roughneck work boots to Italian loafers and the man “in charge” had never asked why or how he could afford them.

  “When we head back, move the boy to a secure location. Did you give the two men their instructions? They grab the bag and run without looking back.”

  “Yes, ma’am. They’ll run like the devil’s behind them. Or me.”

  She laughed. “I’ll be free tonight. Stop by the house.”

  Zubict stood straight. She watched Zubict’s crotch swell under the black jeans. He was an adequate lover. She could teach him a few ways to make the sex more enjoyable. Until the next man came into her sights.

  Get a man to fall in love w
ith your body and he’ll do anything for you. She’d learned that lust was a powerful tool at a very early age.

  “They dropped the bag and backed away. Our man is in place and has the shot,” Zubict whispered over her shoulder.

  “Take it.”

  Chapter Sixteen

  Brandie heard the rifle shot at the same time she saw the impact of the bullet. The blood on Rey’s chest was absorbed by his baby blue shirt, soaking into a larger and larger circle.

  Rey was dead.

  A look of surprise was forever locked on the dead man’s face as he fell to his knees, creating two small puffs of dust she would never have noticed at another time. But she witnessed every nanosecond of his demise.

  The puddle on his shirt got bigger and bigger as he fell. A dark red rip taking over the baby blue of the fabric like a sunset disappearing behind the Davis Mountains.

  She was locked in place. Shots rang out around her, but she stood in the same spot staring, unblinking. Just like the open dead eyes of the man who had kidnapped her son. He stared at her from the ground. Eyes open wide. Mouth now full of West Texas dirt.

  She’d never forget the dead man’s look as his own men shot him in the back. It was the last thing he had expected.

  “Come on!”

  Mitch grabbed her arm to get her to move. It didn’t work. Toby was with those murderers. She threw off his grip and ran toward the hills, heading straight toward the shooting.

  “Are you crazy?” Mitch shouted. “We’ve got to get out of here!”

  The man who had shot Rey could pick them off. She didn’t know if it were easy for him to kill like that. Yet they were alive and the two men next to Rey were dead. She kept running toward the hills after the remaining man carrying the drugs. Faster. Watching the ground for anything that might trip her. She had to reach her son. Her vision blurred. She couldn’t focus on the rocks or cactus or anything in her way. She just kept running.

  Shots peppered the ground to her left.

  “Brandie!” Mitch yelled.

  More shots popped dirt into the air in front of them, causing her to shield her face and stop. Trying to protect her, Mitch pulled her into his chest, turning his back to their attackers.

  “That’s far enough,” a woman’s voice called from the top of the steep hill. “They won’t miss again.”

  Whoever the woman was, she was still a long run away from where Brandie and Mitch had stopped. Far enough that her face was a blur next to the man clearly outlined holding a rifle. As tall as him, with blond hair past her shoulders that blew free in the breeze.

  “Give me my son.” Brandie heard her voice crack, already hoarse from screaming she hadn’t heard. “We had a deal.”

  “Your deal is with a dead man.”

  Mitch laced his fingers with hers, tugging to get her to move. “We’ve got to get out of here.”

  “Not without Toby.”

  “You’ll be contacted. I’ve got your number,” the woman shouted, sounding smug. She disappeared behind a dark car.

  Brandie collapsed to the ground. All of the fear she’d been pushing away cut through her defenses and stabbed her heart. She’d failed. She couldn’t go on. The last bit of light disappeared behind the mountaintops along with her last bit of hope.

  Strong hands encircled her shoulders. She felt like a rag doll as Mitch lifted her into his arms and carried her. She cried into his denim jacket, unable to think, unable to stop.

  “Stand up for me, sweetie.” Mitch set her on her feet. “I’ve got to get my bearings and make a call.”

  She really tried to stand, but ended up in a pool on the ground. Face on top of her arms, the tears just kept coming. Then Mitch’s voice cut through the fog. He was talking to someone.

  “...to the southeast. Have you got a fix on the duffel?”

  She turned her head enough to find him. He was using his cell, which shouldn’t have been working. No one had reception out here.

  “Roger that,” the voice on the other end answered through the speaker. “Are you in need of emergency evac?”

  Mitch looked all around them. “Negative. Will return on our own.”

  Brandie lifted herself to her elbows, then to her hands and knees before standing just behind the man she’d trusted with her son. They were surrounded by stars and darkness. Her eyes had already adjusted and she could see the brush and outlines of prickly pear. What she couldn’t see was his black heart of betrayal.

  “You lied to me.”

  “I had a backup plan.”

  “I told you to play this out by their rules, their instructions to the letter. That’s what I said and that’s what I meant. What part of our instructions said to put a tracking device in with the drugs?”

  “Rangers are moving in and might have Toby back any minute. That’s what you want. That’s what’s most important, right? Nothing we did caused King’s death or some crazy witch taking—”

  “Do you know who has Toby?”

  When Rey had her son, she’d been worried and scared. But she’d known he’d keep his word. Or she’d wanted to believe it so badly, she hadn’t let herself believe anything else. This was different. They didn’t know who had her sweet little boy. It was more real somehow.

  “The car’s over there. I marked it with my GPS.” He pointed, looking at his glowing phone. They walked in silence. She prayed for his cell to buzz good news letting them know Toby was safe.

  By the time they sat in the front seat, she knew the Rangers had been unable to rescue him. There was nothing to do this time other than wait. They had given up their leverage when Rey’s men had disappeared with the cocaine.

  Toby was truly kidnapped.

  “Why did they keep him? Are they the same group? Did Rey’s men kill their boss just to get him out of the way? What could they want us to do now?”

  “I don’t know, Brandie.”

  He started the engine, driving them back to Marfa on the long, deserted road. His cell still hadn’t rung. At the stop sign, she put her hand on top of his.

  “I know they didn’t find Toby.”

  He shook his head, lips smashed flat into a straight line, frowning with his brows just as straight. “I can call to see what happened.”

  “He’s gone. I assume they would have let you know if something had gone wrong. Or if they’d found him.”

  “I’m pretty sure Cord would have. He was there.”

  “I see. Would you take me home now?”

  He squeezed her hand, and she didn’t react. Ten more minutes and they were at her home. Her parents’ car was still in the driveway along with two Presidio County vehicles.

  He parked his car, and she stopped him after he cracked his door open. With the dash lights on, she got a good look at his worried, anxious expression. It didn’t matter. She’d made up her mind.

  “I know I couldn’t have done any of this without your help, Mitch. I wouldn’t have found the drugs. I’m not even sure I could have pulled myself together to deliver a million dollars’ worth of cocaine to drug dealers. But as much as I appreciate your help, you need to stay away from me.”

  “I don’t understand.”

  Swirling beams shooting Christmas tree colors across her humble home pulled up behind them. The sheriff had arrived. The lights bounced around the neighborhood and off the rearview mirror, blinding her a bit. But she looked at Mitch, her heart more than a little broken at how he’d disregarded her feelings.

  “It’s not just you. I’m telling Pete the same thing. And if Cord comes around, he’ll be next.”

  “You’re in shock or something. You can’t send all of us away. You need us to get Toby back.”

  “You’re the reason he’s gone!” she shouted, unable to control herself. Stopping. She laced her fingers together to stop the nervous habit of twisting whatever material was available around her finger. She wouldn’t be calm until Toby was safe and back in her arms.

  “You need to rethink this.”

  She qu
ickly stared at her hands instead of the confusion on his face. “I know I’m perfectly within my rights. I’m listening to the kidnappers. You already know I’ll do anything they want in order to get Toby back. Kicking you all out will prove that.”

  “Okay, we’ll get rid of the cops, but you can’t do this by yourself, Brandie.”

  Pete tapped on her window, and she pushed open her door. “You okay?” he asked. “We need to ask you about what happened out there.”

  “I’ve got nothing to say.” She pushed by him and ran up the steps. Her dad already had the door open. “Out!” she yelled at the deputies. “Everybody get out of my house.”

  Her father held open his arms, and she ran to them. No matter what, being held by family was a sure way to feel protected. She needed that. Her mother joined them, encasing her tight in another set of arms. They all cried in the one living room corner free of gadgets.

  She cried until she couldn’t stand any longer. Her parents helped her to the couch. When she looked up, the three men she wanted to see the least stood in front of her. Almost identical in stature and mannerisms with their arms crossed.

  “You aren’t going to change my mind.”

  “You need everybody working on your side. Don’t send us away.” Mitch stood in the middle. His eyes looked a few years younger, but they also seemed a lot angrier.

  She looked straight at him, hoping she could match his anger even with her eyes puffy. “You broke your word to me. You promised you’d do things my way without their help. Trackers, Rangers following them. They knew. They shot Rey.”

  “I kept my word. No one knew until the last minute. I already had everything I needed and let them know the tracking frequency through a secure email.” Mitch took a step forward. Each arm was locked in the grip of the lawmen on either side of him, preventing his advancement.

  “What’s going on here?” her dad asked. Her mom was as silent as ever, but still had her arms protectively around Brandie.

  “Mitch is—”

  “Wait,” Cord cut her off. He turned to the deputies who had been monitoring for a ransom phone call. “Give us the room.” Once they’d gone outside and the Ranger had shut the door he said, “There are three people other than our captain who know Mitch is undercover.”