San Rafael Jacked

by Tom Ellis

  “When are you going to share that information with Lois Thornton?”

  “I’m going to call her today. I’m going to tell her to call Bob Rabun and get his agency to file a missing person report for her. I’ll give Rabun a heads up.”

  Burns motioned Hadfield to follow him. They went to the living room, and he sat down in a leather wing chair. She sat on the couch. “What are thinking Burns? You said your friend Russell sent you some pictures.”

  “Buddy visited the ranch under the guise of having heard it was for sale. He also had a couple of concealed video cameras and an audio tape going. The so-called new owner would not give his name. You are welcome to look at the videos. I’ve sent them to a source to see if I can get an ID on the perps. This owner and the men with him didn’t look like ranch hands. It looked like there were some Mexicans in the background but it is too hard to tell for sure.

  “Russell says the guy that owns the adjoining ranch where we are going to rent the casita and pick up the motorhome I bought is uneasy about what’s happening at the Rocking H Bar. Buddy feels like we might get more information out of him once we get out there.”

  “When are we going?”

  “Another week or so. I’ve got more research and prep work to do first.”

  “That is good. But my question is what are we going to do about whatever we find out there? What agency can we enlist to help? The family lawyer says the sheriff’s department is corrupt. The unrest on the border is causing a lot of finger pointing out there, and the state’s attorney might not be much help either. The lawyer is going to contact them. If we get out there and find evidence of wrongdoing, who are we going to take it too? There is probable cause written all over this, but nobody wants to look further.”

  “You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink. Russell says that if anything gets done, we are going to have to do it ourselves. Once upon a time out there, that was a valid concept. Jo, are sure you want to get involved in it?”

  She looked directly at Burns. “Lois Thornton needs to know what happened to her brother. We need to help her.”

  “Even if it means breaking the law to do it?”

  “We need to know what we are dealing with and then call the right cops.”

  “OK, I think you need to take a look at these videos.”

  After a few minutes of watching the screen. Jolene looked up at Burns.

  “So that is what a real ranch looks like?”

  “Yes, but those aren’t real cowboys.”

  Burn’s cell phone with a text message. Ck Ur Mail.

  Andy went into his office and clicked on the online computer. The retired cop computer guru came through with his usual efficiency. Burns saw each picture had been culled from the video’s and returned to him with a caption. The person calling himself the owner of the Rocking H Bar came first.

  Subject: Welch Ashton Bradford, 95% positive recognition, terminated FBI special agent, subject of internal investigation, case mishandled, US Attorney would not file charges against Bradford. The subject is also a disbarred attorney, former IRS audit employee, resigned.

  Subject is believed to be residing in or near Tucson AZ

  Burns looked at the next picture. Subject: Pauli Dumas 98% positive recognition, former porn actor banned from the industry due to violent attacks and rapes of co-stars. Considered a sadist, and prefers rough sex. Numerous arrests and convictions for assault. Has a genius level IQ and considered and expert computer hacker (not anywhere as good as I am) fluent Spanish speaker.

  Burns smiled at the comment. He continued to the next photo. Subject: Nathanial “Nate” Norman, 98% positive recognition, numerous arrests for assault and battery, suspected ties to lower level organized crime. Considered armed and dangerous. Served ten years for felony assault, CA. Below average IQ. Known alias, ‘Numb Nuts.’

  The fourth subject had two pictures; one Burns culled from the dash video and one from Russell’s eyeglass camera. Subject: Ronald Kroll, 65% positive recognition photo 1, 88% positive recognition photo 2, terminated FBI special agent. Expected indictment for assault on a federal agent. Terminated this year Mobile AL field office. Subject recognized as one of the most effective undercover operatives in the bureau. Last known employment was a Tucson casino. Subject no longer employed by this casino.

  Burns turned off the email and picked up his handwritten gunsmith log book. He found the name, Ron Kroll eleven months earlier. Kroll had brought in a special Sig pistol for suppressor service. The gun was one Burns had modified under contract for the FBI a few years before. At a casual glance, the pistol appeared to be a standard model P220. A closer inspection would reveal the gun was anything but a stock P220.

  Andy leaned back in his chair and considered this for a few minutes. Jolene came into his office. She leaned against his desk and said, “what’s up?”

  “I got an ID on the Anglos in the Rocking H Bar video. Check this out.” Burns turned on his computer again. Jolene read the email over his shoulder.

  “That doesn’t sound good. Two fired FBI agents in the same place. One about to be indicted and one who apparently got away with something. My question is what the hell is going on?”

  “I worked on a bureau pistol for Kroll almost a year ago. It was a special operations gun. Restricted to limited issue for field personnel. Kroll was not one of their super SWAT operatives. I wondered then and wondered now why he had that gun. Of course, I couldn’t ask and shouldn’t be telling you. It is the security clearance I have to do that type of work for them. Right now I think you have the need to know. And it goes without saying.”

  She finished the statement for him, “I don’t say anything to anybody.”

  They both considered the implications. Burns spoke first.

  “It is possible Ron Kroll is doing an undercover operation, a real deep cover thing. It could be the reason his record is showing termination. That would be a good hoax.”

  Chapter Nine

  Jolene finished pulling her bass boat out of the water and trailering it to the Quonset hut hanger. Burns Piper Super Cub stayed in this hanger along with his airboat, his Go-Devil Boat, and all the tractors used around the place. Bad weather was expected the following day and a possible hurricane landfall within a few days. They were scheduled to fly out of Mobile the following morning for Nogales Arizona. She looked at the small bright yellow airplane. She always thought of it being cute, but steadfastly refused fly in it. When she learned the wings and body were fabric covered, it was not only no, but hell no.

  The Cessna Float Plane that once resided in the hanger was now in South America as part of mission resupply service. Burns donated the aircraft to the organization. It was just as well as far as Jolene was concerned. She had flown in that plane once. And that was enough. Burns’ lake wasn’t a farm pond by any means. From the air, it looked like a puddle, when she realized he intended on landing the float plane in it. After what he called a splash down, or a water landing to some folks. One more of Burns’ fleet of airplanes became a non-starter for her.

  Jolene would only fly in the Mitsubishi MU-2, turboprop, that Burns keep based at the Bay Minette Alabama airport. He upgraded to that aircraft after Hurricane Katrina totaled his Cessna Twin Skywagon. Burns usually flew the Mu-2 on trips, preferring to leave the Cessna Citation business jet in timeshare service, where the expensive aircraft paid for its self. They would fly to Arizona in the Citation. Burns acquired that airplane three years before. Hadfield was not a comfortable flyer in any aircraft. At least the Citation had a bathroom; provided one called a commode in a closet a bathroom. And the weather forecast for tomorrow wasn’t good. Neither was getting up before daylight for the drive to Mobile.

  She parked the ATV under the patio cover and walked into Burns workshop. He was wrapping a horseshoe in bubble wrap. Laying on the workbench in front of him were six dried horse apples. Horse shit on his workbench was off the chart for Burns. Hadfield could not stay quiet when he picked up a ho
rse apple with his bare hand.

  “BURNS! What are you doing bubble wrapping dried horse shit?”

  “If it fooled you, it will certainly fool the bad guys.” He answered smiling. Something like that from Burns was merely an amused expression as opposed to an outright smile.

  “Are you going to explain or do I want to know?”

  “Let’s just say for now they are part of my bag of tricks. To be used if the need should arise.”

  She looked around the shop and saw several hard cases used to transport weapons and a few duffle bags. The bubble wrapped horse shit joined the bubble wrapped horseshoes in a foam filled hard camera case. Hadfield wondered if there were enough rain in Arizona to justify the cases being waterproof as well.

  “I don’t want to hear any comments about how much I pack after this. That’s gear, not clothes; it doesn’t fall into the same category. And it is not an invitation for you to have an equal number of bags either.”

  “Burns!”

  “You need to pack tonight. We leave at oh dark thirty in the morning. I want to get out ahead of the weather. We are having lunch with Buddy Russell and Burrito Cruz in Nogales tomorrow.”

  “Yes daddy,” Hadfield said, flipping him off as she left the room,

  He wasn’t paying attention; Burns was busy putting a military grade laptop computer into another hard case. Besides having a hanger reserved, Burns reserved a full-size SUV 4X4 at the car rental agency. It would be delivered to the reserved hanger before their arrival the next day.

  Jolene went back to sleep as soon as she got into the cab of Burns truck. He loaded her three bags and his one. He’d loaded gear the night before. She was sleeping sound enough that she wasn’t aware of him buckling her seat belt.

  A gentle touch on her shoulder awakened Jolene. The bright lights inside the hanger caused her to close her eyes, then ease them back open. Burns unbuckled her seat belt and laid two thermoses in her lap.

  “Coffee to wake you up and for the flight. You need to get on the airplane now. Everything is loaded, and I’m going to open the hanger doors. I’ve done all preflight checks before engine start. Get a move on it. And use one of the no spill cups on the aircraft for that coffee.”

  He didn’t hear her mumbled comments, which was just as well. Yawning, Hadfield got out of the truck and watched Burns roll open the large door. She stood beside the aircraft steps and waited until he finished opening the door. A tractor was already attached to the tow bar affixed to the aircraft nose wheel. The rain was heavy enough that Burns wore his cowboy hat and a rain jacket. He got on the tractor and called out to her.

  “Get on the airplane Jo; there is a nasty storm blowing in from the Gulf. I want to be over Louisiana before it gets here.”

  She hesitated long enough for him to get off the tractor and come over to where she stood. “Burns it’s raining hard.”

  “Yes, and it will clear momentarily. I don’t have time to discuss the issue there is a limited takeoff window coming up soon. I plan to be on the active runway ready to go.”

  “I don’t know this is crazy. Flying in this weather. We can go tomorrow.”

  “The weather behind this short lull with cancel any flying I do for several days. It is time to go.”

  He turned and walked back to the tractor. When Jolene heard the tractor motor start, she reluctantly climbed into the airplane. She put her purse on a seat along with one thermos. The aircraft was moving forward, and she hesitated to keep her balance. When it stopped, she stepped into the cockpit and sat in the right seat. Rain pounded the windshield as she watched Burns quickly remove the tow bar.

  It was raining harder when he scampered back to the aircraft and climbed in the cabin. She watched over her shoulder as he pulled up the stairs and secured the door. Then he shook his water off his cowboy hat and laid it crown down in one of the seats.

  Hadfield didn’t make any comment as he methodically went through the aircraft checklists and started the engines. Burns was anal about the checklist, talking was not welcome in the cockpit when he was preparing for flight. He would tell her when to speak, and she was welcome to put on a headset and listen to the conversations with air traffic control. Jolene buckled her shoulder harness and seat belt. She put on the headset and held the thermos like it was a security blanket.

  Hadfield was outside her comfortable zone flying anytime and today's weather was not helping any. The luxurious cabin of the Citation eased her apprehension a great deal. But compared to an airliner it was still a small airplane, and it left the ground! The only calming thing was the colorful instrument panel. It was not full of round black gauges and intimidating controls like the cockpits of Burns other airplanes. He told her the airplane had the latest avionic package upgrades, whatever that meant. To her, it looked like a bunch of small computer screens.

  Andy Burns contacted the tower for taxi instructions. The rain let up considerably as they taxied to take off position. Jolene felt her heart rate increase as a wind gust buffeted the light jet. The clouds were even more menacing as they stopped short of the runway. She watched Burns tighten his seatbelt and shoulder harness. “Make sure your belts are tight it may be a little bumpy on takeoff.”

  Before she could answer the radio message she dreaded came over the headphones. “Citation Eight Zero X-ray you are clear to the active for takeoff.”

  Hadfield tightened her seatbelt and shoulder harness. The rest of the message she put out of her mind as she felt the plane move accelerating as it turned onto the runway. Jolene closed her eyes and put a hand near the seat side pocket that held a barf bag. She drew a deep breath and heard Burns say. “Eight Zero X-ray rolling.” The acceleration pushed her back into her seat. She clenched her teeth waiting for the moment it left the ground. It wasn’t a long wait, then a thump as the landing gear retracted.

  Jolene held her breath until she was light headed. She breathed. She thought of Burns gift for understatement when she recalled the little bumpy on takeoff comment. That probably meant something akin to riding a bucking horse. Andrew Burns was not a reckless pilot. The only time he flew in marginal weather was when he was flying into better weather, soon. Burns believed the adage about there being no old, bold pilots. She trusted Andy Burns with her life, but she was still scared.

  “You can open your eyes and breathe now Hadfield. If your pants are wet, you’ve either peed on yourself or squeezed the stopper out that thermos jug. It’s OK to get out of your seat.”

  The aircraft was in a normal climb. And she saw the clear blue sky. Jolene unbuckled and climbed out of her seat. She went aft to the aircraft's small toilet thankful she didn’t pee in her pants during takeoff. Hadfield returned to the cockpit and poured Burns a cup of coffee. She knelt between the seats and sipped from her cup. Burns reached over and squeezed her arm. She liked these impromptu displays of affection.

  “We’re at thirty thousand feet with a true airspeed of four hundred knots. We have a nice tailwind.”

  “Are we going straight there or land for fuel?”

  “We are nonstop to Nogales. It is well within the range of this aircraft. Flight time a little less than four hours. Weather is good out there it will be little windy, the landing will be entertaining.”

  “Burns, say something a little more positive please.”

  “Ok. The approach and landing to Nogales will be rougher than a stucco bathtub.”

  “BURNS!”

  “Enjoy the ride, Hadfield. It will be fun.” He leaned back some in his seat and clasped his hands behind his head and stretched.

  “What’s flying the airplane?”

  “The autopilot if I remembered to turn it on.”

  Hadfield shook head and sighed.

  He looked at her and smiled, lightly touching her hand. “Maybe we can wrap this thing up quickly, and I can find I decent horse while we’re out there.”

  “Ok. Can we sightsee?”

  “I expect so; there are some artsy places north of Nogales, Rio Rico,
and Tubac. You can probably find all manner of dust catchers in those places. And if you remembered your passport we can cross the border to Nogales, Sonora Mexico. I still remember enough Spanish to order dinner.”

  “Where did you make hotel reservations, or are we going directly to that ranch?”

  “The Best Western unless you want the Motel 6.”

  “No thanks.”

  Jolene napped on the fold down seats in the cabin. She woke up and read a paperback book for a while and looked out the window every time Burns pointed out a landmark. She was most attentive when they begin descending after passing over El Paso. Hadfield stayed on the left side of the aircraft. Looking at the landscape and realizing she could see Mexico in the not so far way distance. As they got closer and lower, she moved back to the right cockpit seat and buckled up. Still, she watched the ground. After getting clearance, Burns turned the aircraft south and continued to descend. He pointed out the mountain ranges on each side of the Citation.

  “Mexico is on the nose.” He put the jet in a steep right-hand bank. Leveling out flying west he said. “US Border is below us, welcome to the San Rafael Valley. The ranch in question is on the right side of the aircraft.”

  Jolene kept her nose almost touching her window as she looked at the valley. She found herself willing Lyon Hamilton to appear on horseback galloping across the ranch below. In a moment the valley was a mountain range, and the small city appeared at the same moment as an Interstate Highway. The aircraft bucked in the wind. Burns was talking on the radio and making rapid adjustments to the instruments with his right hand.