San Rafael Jacked

by Tom Ellis

  Burns turned the scope toward the bunkhouse and studied the door. It had a wide single barn style door that swung outward. A board was used to secure the bunk house door from the outside. Burns spotted a two by four used for this task leaning against the door frame. At angle off the bunk was the workshop. A building with a double doorway with no doors. If they posted any, this would be where the night guards would hang out and sleep on the work bench. Movement caught his eye, and he saw the barn guard ambling toward the shop.

  The next vehicle to arrive did not come under cover of darkness. It was a heavy duty Japanese pickup truck of the type often seen on the evening news used by third world armies. It carried a weapon mount in the bed. Three men got out of it and removed bags from the truck bed. Once they stored their gear in the bunkhouse, they returned to the truck. Two climbed into the bed and proceeded to mount a heavy machine gun on the tripod. The other passed out AK 47 rifles to the two in the bed and kept one for himself.

  Burns called Jolene. “Did that light colored pickup cross the border at Lochiel?”

  “Yes, with three men in the cab. The flatbed is crossing now. And Havelee Harris just showed up at the Double B headquarters. She has her team with her.”

  “Keep me posted.”

  “What do you think about the women?”

  “Springing them from the trap they are in.”

  “I figured as much. I’m sure you’ve noticed what that pickup has in the back.”

  “It appears they are taking guard duty a little more serious.”

  “Are you sure that is a good idea. We have a video of El Jefe’s men killing five people yesterday. I expect that was due to your graffiti.”

  “Good idea or not it is the right thing to do. We’ll watch the guard mount tonight. I want to know how alert they are.”

  “Burns, why don’t we let Havelee in on what’s going on?”

  “She has an undercover agent over there who can do that.”

  “Burns.”

  “Keep an eye on things.” He disconnected, not wanting a discussion. Andy got up from the spotting scope and went to where Don Cameron stood. Burns removed his encrypted satellite phone from a saddle bag and called Reid.

  Havelee Harris along with Ivalou Vargas, Desmond Taylor and M&M sat on the Double B headquarters veranda. Carson Bell and TR sat with the agents.

  “Mr. Bell, we need to use your ranch as a surveillance base and staging area. We have reliable information the drug trucks that burned came from the Rocking H Bar. Having my team close by we can photograph the operation and take them down before the next shipment leaves.”

  “Agent Harris you have been an overnight guest here several times. I suspect you and TR are courting,” Bell said.

  TR and Havelee both blushed at the comment. The other agents managed to keep straight faces. M&M picked that moment to roll his eyes toward the ceiling.

  “You will be dealing with some mean hombres and once you catch the current bunch. The FBI will be gone. And I still live here. And another bunch of mean hombres will move in. And those drug lords have long memories. I don’t want to wake up in the middle of the night with one of them fixing to cut off my head. I know you’ve been rubbernecking around every time you’ve been down here, seeing what you could see. TR thinks you are pretty good hand on a horse. I don’t know if any of you would be worth a hoot busting bales or fixing a fence. Right now I can’t see my way to allow your crew to move in here. I’ll talk it over with TR, and now that Butter Billy is getting around a little better I’ll include him. We want whatever is happening over there stopped. But letting the FBI have free rein of my ranch. I don’t know. I’ll give you an answer in a couple of days.”

  Havelee thanked Carson Bell for his time and the agents left the ranch. Bell and TR sat quietly and watched them drive off. The men in a pickup truck and the women in a car.

  “I haven’t told her about those dudes warning me off the herd this morning,” TR said.

  “Tell me about that again. We didn’t have much of a chance to talk about it.”

  “I was riding toward the section the where the cattle are grazing, and I heard machine gun fire. I looked up on the hill, and one of the guards was pointing his rifle at me and the other pointing motioning me back in this direction. I turned around quick and loped back to the Double B.”

  “Have you seen Burns this morning?”

  “No, I haven’t. Mr. Carson, I appreciate you not getting too much into to Havelee and me seeing each other. She doesn’t share FBI business with me, and I don’t share ranch business with her. I was worried that she was just using me to snoop around the Rocking H Bar. And I grant you she is doing that. But I got the feeling there is more to our relationship.”

  “What are you going to say when it’s over, and she goes back to DC or where ever she is from?”

  “I don’t know. I’ve been lost ever since those dudes told me to leave the Rocking H Bar, and Mr. Lyon disappeared. This valley is my home, and I always thought of the Rocking H Bar as where I would live out my days. Probably as only a ranch hand. But it is nice to dream about calling it mine one day.”

  “I know Lyon was concerned about the future of the Rocking H Bar. His sister and her kids didn’t want the place. He was considering your future as well. Like I worry about Miguel and Estella and Butter Billy. And of course now you. I’m not getting any younger. And I don’t have any relatives to leave this place to.”

  “I understand that Mr. Carson. Miguel Estella and Butter Billy are all good people. They have ridden for your brand a long time. I haven’t. Don’t get me wrong; I do appreciate your taking me on and your concern about my future. But I don’t believe I’ve earned a home here like I had on the Rocking H Bar.”

  “TR I understand what you are saying. You and Lyon came over here to help as much as me, and my folks went to the Rocking H Bar. So, what I decide about this place is not your concern. If you aren’t going to need the Jeep for anything, I’m going to take it over to the casita to see Burns. I want to talk to him before I let the FBI in this place. Your sweetie can come visit you of course.”

  Jolene heard the old Jeep truck approaching from the ranch road. The road was more of a trail than a road. Buddy Russell and Burrito Cruz arrived a few minutes earlier. Jolene to put on a pot of coffee. Burns was on his way back.

  “Looks like Carson Bell,” Jolene said.

  “I sure would like to buy that truck from Carson. I could make a bundle on that thing.” Cruz offered.

  “You will have to get in line behind a bunch of folks,” Russell said.

  “All of you will have to get ahead of Andy. I think he’s going to make Carson Bell an offer for that Jeep that he would be crazy to refuse.” Jolene laughed. “Right after he gets the papers on Don Cameron.”

  “Lyon Hamilton’s sister ought to give him that horse nobody else can get near it much let less ride the damn thing,” Cruz said.

  “Apache got better sense than to ride that horse,” Russell added.

  Bell stopped the Jeep next to the motorhome. He got out of the truck and walked over to the table.

  “Good morning Carson you are just in time for coffee,” Jolene said.

  “Jolene you sure aren’t particular about who you hang around with.” Carson said gesturing toward the two PI’s.”

  They all joined in a laugh as the Cruz and Russell shook hands with Bell.

  “Where is Andy Burns this morning?” Carson asked.

  “He is on his way back here. He has been watching some new activity on the Rocking H Bar.”

  “Speak of the devil and he shows up,” Russell said as Burns trotted past the motorhome toward the barn. He got off Don Cameron and loosened the saddle cinch. One the horse was secure in the shaded barn he joined the group.

  “Good Morning.” What brings our landlord over this way?” Andy said cordially.

  “We need to parlay and seeing who your guests are; I expect they are in on whatever it is you are up to,” Bell answ
ered.

  “That pretty little FBI agent TR is sweet on wants to station herself and her agents on the Double B to surveil the Rocking H Bar. I don’t want to know what all you are up to in that regard. But I don’t want the FBI getting in your way either. Personally, I think you will get to the bottom of things before they do.” Carson Bell said.

  Burns and Hadfield looked at each other and then at the rest of the group. They picked up the subtle nods of ascent from Russell and Cruz.

  “The FBI doesn’t know we are here and what we are doing. And we have resources the FBI doesn’t have or should I say can’t use because of legal constraints priorities so on and so forth. With that said. I hate to interfere with a cowboy’s love life. Your friendly feds don’t need to be around here.”

  “I’ll stall them for a while, and the politely say no. I like to see TR with that woman. She’s a cowgirl alright. But I don’t want him getting hurt. I hope she isn’t using him.”

  “I wouldn’t put that past her. I hate it for TR; he’s a good hand. And I appreciate him keeping quiet about our being here.”

  Hadfield went into the trailer and came out with cups and carafe of coffee. She sat everything on the table and told them to help themselves.

  Carson Bell related TR’s incident with the guards earlier in the day. “Something is going on that they don’t want anybody but them over there.” He said.

  Everyone was quiet for a few minutes. They all were thinking about the implications of the guard’s actions. The small talk turned to weather and then ranching. After finishing his coffee, Carson Bell took his leave. The group watched the old rancher leave.

  “Got any idea why they warned TR off the ranch?” Russell asked.

  “Might be because their dope burned up?” Cruz asked.

  “Bradford’s people came back to the ranch yesterday morning. His goons went to work with the tractor burying the ones El Jefe killed. I guess he figured the Mexicans ratted him out to the five fifty-six gang. That is his answer to the dope trucks catching fire. They brought in a technical with a three-man crew this morning. They are taking guard duty serious for this next cargo.”

  “Are you talking about one of those terrorist pickup trucks with the machine gun in the back?” Cruz asked.

  “Yes.”

  “What is the cargo?” Russell asked.

  “Women, there have been four loads already this morning. The women are a mixture of races, Asian, Latino, Caucasian. I’m thinking they believe they are coming to this country for jobs. Except the jobs waiting for them are as prostitutes. I’ve seriously considered blowing the whistle on this operation. But I think the women will be moved again before the FBI can get their act together and do anything about it. We are going to rescue those women.”

  “Cowboy fell off a horse. Hit head. Cowboy talk loco.” Russell said.

  “To make this work we’re going to have to involve Miguel and Estella. Butter Billy if he’s up to it. We need TR, but I’m worried about his FBI girlfriend. And Carson Bell needs to know about it.”

  “What are you planning?” Russell asked.

  “We hookup that big cattle trailer parked by the barn. Come in on the ranch road off the southeast corner. Turn it around on the hill above the barn. Sneak down there and let the women out. Load them in the trailer and bring them back here. Then we sort out how to best help them.”

  “Easier said than done, Andy. When do you plan to do it?” Cruz asked.

  “Tomorrow night.”

  “What is keeping us from getting blown away?”

  “The same thing that kept that from happening when we sabotaged the trucks.”

  “And that is?”

  “Stealth and a black ops team that is on call for us at Fort Huachuca.”

  “Are you saying we had a bunch of badasses ready to haul ass over the Huachuca Mountains and rescue us?”

  “No, they were waiting for us on the ranch. One of the operators wondered why I couldn’t do any better than a fat ass Mexican for help.”

  “NO SHIT! YOU HAD BADASSES OUT THERE IN THE DARK!”

  “No shit compadre.”

  “SON OF A BEACH” Cruz exclaimed hyping a Mexican accent for all it was worth.

  “Cowboy not as dumb as Apache thought.”

  Cruz and Russell offered up contacts in the volunteer social services area to help relocate the women from the proposed temporary camp at the casita. People that were really good at keeping their mouths shut. When the PI’s left, Burns found Hadfield staring at him with a cop look to beat all cop looks; she was not happy.

  “Do you realize what the hell you are thinking about doing?” Hadfield said coldly.

  “I do and I every expectation of pulling it off.”

  “And you are going to use those same so-called commandos that hid in the dark looking over your shoulder while you planted firebombs in those trucks. Commandos I’ve yet to see.”

  “Yes and I expect you will see them tomorrow night.”

  “And why is that?”

  “Because they will take out the machine gun truck. The truck is in front of the cameras. You won’t miss them.”

  “Burns you’re a piece of work. The bedroom in the RV is mine. No, the whole RV is mine. You are living in that cabin or the barn I don’t care. I’ve got to sort this out on my own.”

  Jolene walked back to the RV went inside and closed the door.

  Andy smiled and went to attend to Don Cameron. The horse understood.

  The plan started to come together later that afternoon. Burrito Cruz paid a visit to a Nogales war surplus store and came out with four dozen cots and five dozen gray wool blankets. Estella went grocery shopping. Buddy Russell went to a large sporting goods outlet in Sierra Vista and purchased two large camp stoves six propane tanks and several large cooking pots.

  Cruz reported back that the volunteer services would be at the Casita to pick up the women the morning after their rescue. These people were in touch with other groups more than willing to aid in saving these females from the life that awaited them. What amazed the PI’s and Burns, was the ability of these people to keep a secret.

  Butter Billy’s girlfriend, Bonita came with him. The stout woman was carrying her AR-15 and plenty of ammunition. She announced that she was going with Butter Billy. A rapid exchange in Spanish erupted between her and Cruz. Burrito turned to the others and said, “she’s going, or she will shoot us all.”

  Burns walked over to Bonita and politely asked if she would consider carrying a different weapon. Bonita indicated she would consider it. Andy went to the storage compartments on the RV and unlocked one. He pulled out a black case and motioned Bonita to follow him. Behind the barn was an earth bank with a nearly vertical slope. Burns opened the case and removed a modified AR rifle. He handed it to Bonita along with a magazine of ammunition. Andy pointed toward a discarded piece of lumber laying against the wall.

  He watched as Bonita expertly loaded the weapon and fired. She hit the board ten times out of ten shots and smiled brightly at the short rifle. It didn’t make any noise.

  “Bonita, push the safety switch up.” He said.

  She looked at him quizzically and then followed his instructions. The safety selector moved to another position. Burns pointed back at the board. Bonita aimed and squeezed the trigger. The rifle fired three rounds full auto and the board split in two. She proceeded to fire at each half board and split them as well. Bonita squealed in delight. She cleared the rifle making it safe and hugged Burns giving him a peck on the cheek.

  “Si, mine.” She walked off carrying the rifle in search of Butter Billy.

  “I think she just traded rifles with you,” Russell said.

  “Yeah, I doubt she’ll want to give it back.”

  “That’s a suppressed machine gun; it could be a problem down the road.”

  “It’s a ghost, no numbers.”

  “Oh.”

  “Look at the ones you and Cruz are using.”

  “Indian unders
tand. Indian dumb sometimes.”

  They walked back the picnic table.

  “What are your plans for the gun truck?”

  “I’m going to leave that to the black ops, guys. They will take out the crew and steal the truck. They are also going to cover the service road at the ranch entrance to stop any large transport vehicle coming into the ranch.”

  “Indian glad badass dudes doing the heavy lifting.”

  “Once we get the camp set up. Estella will fix dinner for us. Burrito has a detail after dark. Butter Billy and Bonita will practice driving the truck and trailer using night vision goggles. I’ve given her some IF light sticks she can ground guide him when he turns that around on the hill above the barn.”

  “What if they decide to move the women tonight?”

  “The black ops team is already in place along the service road. If transport shows up, they will stop them. And we go hell bent for the barn.” Burns paused and looked across the valley. “And we hope we can get them all out.”

  Russell nodded his ascent then asked. “Are you going to let TR in on this?”

  “I want to, but I don’t want Havelee Harris, and her team involved.”

  “Maybe the three of us should talk to him. I wouldn’t mention the black ops team. And while we are on the subject your lady isn’t happy with this operation either.”

  “True, and she knows the FBI will likely screw it up because it has to happen quickly. So she is between a rock and a hard place with the whole thing. Once she gets her head around what we’re doing, she will come around. I like TR, and he knows what we are doing here. I don’t think we can risk taking him along on this caper. He will probably find out about it later. It will be easier for him to keep his mouth shut then.” Burns said.