by Tom Ellis
“Thank you, Special Agent Smith. Introduce yourself to those who are lucky enough not to know you.” Havelee said smiling.
“Smith,’ the young agent said with a bright smile. ‘Ernesto Roberto Xavier Collazo Smith, my mother married a gringo. Everyone calls me Ernie.”
Havelee laughed with the group. “The ranch is in the San Rafael Valley Ernie. Is that close to your balloon?”
“Si, if you had looked up and east when you were riding the range with the cowboys you have seen it.”
Havelee could feel herself beginning to blush. “Ernie do you know that valley well?”
“Yes, I grew up in Cochise County which is east of Santa Cruz County where the San Rafael Valley is. That valley is home to one of the most beautiful quarter horse studs in Arizona. My family has bred several mares to him.”
Havelee turned to Quarles, “I want Ernie on my team. Can I have him?”
Quarles answered. “Special Agent wise ass Smith, Report to Supervisory Agent Harris after this meeting.”
“Si! Muy Gracious ASAC Quarles!” Ernie said with a huge grin.
The meeting concluded. Havelee asked Ernie Smith to sit with her while she called Ransom Carter on a special number. She quickly gave her reasons for having Smith assigned to her right then and not in two weeks. She asked permission to read him in on the need to know.”
“Permission granted, Smith is a member of your team for the duration of this investigation. Good choice Harris, keep in touch.”
With the call over Havelee got up and locked the conference room door and turned on the secure conference light.
“Special Agent Smith, what I am about to tell you is classified Director’s need to know only. You may not divulge any of what I tell you without the express permission of the Director. You may only discuss this investigation in general terms with other agents. The exception being myself and your fellow team members. Who are, Special Agents, Ivalou Vargas, Desmond Taylor and Mickey Morris, aka M&M. Special Agent Smith do you understand what I have told you?”
“Yes, ma’am Ms. Harris.”
“Ernie you call me ma’am one more time and I will shoot you. My name is Havelee.”
“Si! And I will not bet with you about shooting either.”
“Too bad, I like free lunches.”
“Si, you would not like buying my lunch every day.”
Havelee gave him a look that said you are on buddy and get ready to lose. Ernie smiled brightly. She began the briefing. Ernie Smith’s expressions went from serious too sad when he heard the whole story.
“That is the story, Ernie. What do you think?”
“It makes me very sad to have to believe Senor Lyon Hamilton is deceased. He was the first gringo outside of my father’s family I ever met. He was a great horseman and rancher. His stud Don Cameron of Lochiel throws wonderful offspring when he mates with my family’s mares. I believe you are correct that Bradford has killed Senor Lyon. I was taught about Ron Kroll’s undercover operations at the academy. I was disappointed to learn of Mr. Kroll’s termination. Now I understand the need for that deception. Thank for making me part of your team. What do you need me to do first?”
“Do you have access to an old pickup truck and a horse trailer? You will have to have a horse too.”
“Si.”
“Good, we will outfit the truck with a radar detector that conceals a camera. You will play the part of an out of work cowboy. And I want you to drive into the Rocking H Bar pulling a horse trailer with your horse and ask for a job. You have to look like a cowboy. You won’t get hired, but you get a look around and some good video. I need you down there tomorrow morning. When you leave the Rocking H Bar, drive north to the Double B Ranch, and I will meet you there. You are going to be a Double B cowboy.”
Jolene sat in front of the computer screen and watched the beat up pickup with and old horse trailer pull into the Rocking Bar. It stopped in a place with a perfect view from the horseshoe camera. It was like an actor driving up to the mark. A young looking Latino cowboy complete with a dirty straw cowboy hat scuffed boots with spurs attached. She wondered how they got out of their trucks without busting their cute butts when they drove wearing spurs. This one looked like the real thing ready for work. And it was seven o’clock in the morning. Early for the Rocking H Bar thugs, of whom there were fewer. She could almost hear the cowboy calling out is anyone home. He stood still giving her a view of his wrangler clad backside. She was tempted to zoom for a better look when Ron Kroll walked out on the porch.
Hadfield watched him approach the cowboy and shake hands. They spoke for a few minutes, and Kroll shook his head negatively. The cowboy must have asked for a job, she thought. Kroll was pointing north and talking. He shook hands once more with the cowboy. Jolene watched him get back in the truck and make a wide looping turn as he got the pointed back toward the ranch road.
Jolene got up and poured another cup of coffee. She checked the camera on the Double B Ranch for the first time that morning, wondering how long it would take the out of work cowboy to get there. She noticed people sitting on the veranda. She zoomed in and recognized Carson Bell and TR. A woman sat with her back to her, and the little Apache girl was next to her. It didn’t take much to recognize Havelee Harris. Jolene felt like a voyeur as she’d watched the romance between the blond agent and Tobias Rutledge develop. The addition of Larcena Sells, the orphan Apache girl, Burns rescued appeared to sweeten the mix. Hadfield had noticed the three of them together several times. Video surveillance was intrusive. The Latina agent came on the porch with the other child. They looked like mother and daughter. Something they couldn’t be for real. But the resemblance was uncanny. Both girls wore new clothes, and their hair nicely groomed.
The cowboy drove up and stopped his rig. He got out and walked up to the porch. Harris stood up and begin introducing him. Jolene texted Burns to come to the motorhome. When Burns arrived, he looked at the recording of the cowboy’s earlier visit to the Rocking H Bar. Andy zoomed the camera in on the dash of the truck as it turned around.
“Real cowboys don’t have fancy radar detectors. They can’t afford them, and their trucks usually won’t go fast enough to need one.” He watched the footage of the truck arriving at the Double B and Havelee introducing him.
“I expect that cowboy is an FBI agent. I don’t think Kroll knows it. That would depend on his having noticed the radar detector. He stood outside and watched guy leave. If he saw it and made the connection, he will figure it out.”
“So you think the radar detector is hiding a camera?”
“Yes and I am going to send the best shot we have of our new player to my computer guru for facial recognition.”
Havelee was surprised to learn the Rocking H Bar cattle herd was now at the Double B Ranch. With the introduction of Larcena into her life and the obvious lack of details regarding her rescue, Harris realized no one mentioned the cattle.
“Well, somebody left a gate open, and they did what cattle do when they suddenly find and open gate. They go through it in search of places to graze. Fortunately, someone pointed them north on the service road. We are holding them in our southeast sections for the time being. I wanted to move to the southeast section of the Double B. But when the guard waved me away last time I was there, I forgot about trying to do that.” TR explained.”
“Could we get away with moving them back onto the Rocking H Bar now. It would give us access.” Ernie asked.
“We can try, but when the guards come looking, there could be trouble,” TR said.
“We don’t know if they have guards out,” Havelee said. “It might be worthwhile to move a few head over there and see if attracts any attention.”
“That pasture was overgrazed after Lyon went missing. And it hasn’t recovered enough to support more than a dozen head. And I wouldn’t want them there more than a couple of days.” TR said. “They belong in the northwest or southwest section. We were told to keep them on the east side of the ranch.�
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“Do you think Mr. Bell might consider paying a call on Bradford about making that change?” Ernie asked.
“He was adamant about our not letting cattle on the west side. That is because he knew he was going to be up to something. He wanted us watching after the cattle so no one would complain and draw attention to whatever he is doing. Ernie if you want to saddle up we can ride the northwest fence line, and you can get a feel for what the place. You can ride that horse you’re hauling around can’t you.”
“Si maybe you help me put these saddle on it. I’ve never done that.” Ernie replied in a hyped accent.
“You two sort that out and I’ll saddle my horse. I want to see if Ivalou came up with anything on the video from your radar detector.” Havelee said. A few minutes later she found Vargas advancing the video frame by frame on her computer screen.
“Learn anything?”
“Ron has two black eyes. His injury appears to be a two or three days old. Probably consistent with the time frame of the rescue. He is walking OK, and I don’t think he was paying a lot of attention to the dashboard of the truck. I think he wanted Ernie out of there. I’m looking at this so called bunk house. The door is wide open which is not right, too many critters can get in that way. There are numerous places that may be bullet holes on the front the north side and what I can see of the roof. They look like bullets were going both ways, inside out and outside in.
“If you look closely at the area in front of the doorway, there are what appears to be drag marks and the large dark spaces with darkness in them. These dark spots may be blood. If it is something or somebody has bled out. And there are several spots like that around that area. I’m thinking the bunkhouse or whatever that building is played some part in a gun battle. Other than seeing Ron come out of the house, his car and Bradford’s SUV there are no signs of anyone else on the property. There is a tractor with a front end bucket on it and a large flatbed truck that appears to have carried hay.
“There is also what appears to be spray paint tagging on the barn. I can’t read the letters.”
Havelee looked over Ivalou’s shoulder for a few minutes, then phoned Desmond Taylor.
“Des, when you and M&M finish that interview, Check the local PDs for gunshot victims. Start with the ones closest to the Rocking H Bar. Do not call the Santa Cruz Sheriff. I don’t want him to know we are working in his county. Try Sierra Vista as well.”
“What did you think about Ernie’s observations?” Ivalou asked.
“They pretty described everything you saw in the video, except the possible bullet holes. I don’t think Ernie could have seen those with the naked eye. You have to zoom in to see them. He thinks there is probably only Kroll, Bradford and the two thugs around the place. The Rocking H Bar cattle got out when whoever moved the women forgot to close the gate. We know they TR warned away from the cattle a few days ago. Do you thing we would accomplish anything by trying to put a few of them back. The only place Bradford wants the cattle will not support the whole herd. And only a dozen or so for a couple of days. It would give some idea of guards.”
“As long as we don’t provoke a shootout we should be OK. Who is going to do it? TR and Ernie?”
“I thought I would ride with them.”
“Three cowboys for a dozen cows might be thought of as too many.”
“It’s not like cowboys are watching.”
“Good point. Have you given any thought as to who might have removed the women?”
“As far as Larcena and Lupe are concerned, how much do we want to know?”
“I’m not letting Lupe go to any foster care. And I think you feel that way about Larcena. Russell said he would help us both get them in the system. But he so much as said questions aren’t welcome as to how he does it.”
“I feel the same way you do. Carson Bell trusts Russell. We should do as well. Oh, Shit!”
“What?”
“TR and Ernie!” Havelee answered almost running out the door. Vargas quickly checked to ensure the girls were with their adopted Abuela Estella and ran after Harris. They both got to the corral in time to watch TR boost Ernie upon the horse he’d brought along. Ernie proceeded to do a header off the other side landing on the ground in an almost too neat tuck and roll. TR shook his head and rolled his eyes. Havelee ran up next him followed by Vargas.
“Ernie are you OK?” Vargas asked as she went to check on him.
“Si just no air. I knocked some if out when I fell off that beast.”
Ivalou’s mother instincts kicked in, and she helped the fallen agent, who looked genuinely distressed, sit up and breathe.
“I know he is an FBI agent he showed me his badge. He’s got the right look, but a cowboy he ain’t. He could barely figure out how to open the trailer door. And unloading that horse was almost a disaster. I think he needs to drive an ATV not ride. He didn’t have a clue about how to put on a saddle. I thought anybody who ever watched TV knew the saddle horn faces the front,” TR said
Havelee watched Ernie stumbling and leaning first on Vargas and then on the horse. He practically wrapped himself around the horses’ rump as he staggered back to try it again. The horse stood still as a statue during all this. Just like it knew what was happening and what part to play.
“He even got his chaps on backward this guy hasn’t got a clue.” TR lamented.
Ernie tried to mount up again. He wound up falling and sliding underneath the horse as he caught his arm in the stirrup. Ivalou went to help out and only managed to give him an impressive massage with her breasts as he accidently turned at the wrong time. The usually smiling young Latino now displayed a clueless pained countenance as Vargas helped him to his feet.
TR went over and managed to hoist Ernie into the saddle, without him falling off the opposite side. With a big smile, Ernie held the reins. The smile lasted until the horse bolted forward into a trot almost unseating the cowboy. Ernie twisted rocked turned squealed and managed to avoid falling off by narrow margins, not once but several times as the horse trotted around the barn and corral area. He was screaming ‘whoa’ an ‘alto’ all the time. Finally, the horse stopped, and he realized he didn’t have his gun.
“Where is my Glock pistol?” He shouted, hamming up a Mexican accent. “It's fallen from my holster! It's fallen in horse shit!”
“He didn’t have the damn thing to start with,” TR said disgustedly.
“I’ll look in his truck,” Vargas said sorry for the young agent and wondered if Havelee lost her mind when she asked for him. If he knew so damn much about this valley; why couldn’t he ride a horse?
Ivalou found the gun, and Ernie sat proudly on his steed. His grin was so infectious that the women could not stay angry at him. TR was not as enchanted.
“Ivalou why don’t you follow along in the ATV. In case El Agentio falls off his horse and has to be driven home.” TR said.
Havelee saddled the gelding of her choice and smiled to herself. She rode beside TR and Ernie followed barely able to guide the horse and coming close to falling off a couple of times. The horse took it all in stride. Ivalou followed hoping the young agent would not get hurt badly.
“Hav, forgive me for saying this, but that guy is a horse wreck waiting to happen. His seat in that saddle looks like a monkey fucking a football. Pardon my language but FBI Special Agent or not he is going to get hurt. Ask him to stay away from the cattle with that horse. If he can do it,” TR said.
Havelee assisted TR as he cut out a dozen head of cattle. Ernie sat proudly on his horse smiling. Ivalou watched from the ATV. Once TR and Havelee started the herd moving Ernie and Ivalou fell in behind them. It took close to forty-five minutes before TR opened a gate from horseback and Havelee urged the cattle onto the Rocking H Bar. The others followed through, and TR closed the gate. He was far enough behind and unable to respond when a steer bolted from the small herd and ran west. Ernie still smiling touched spurs to his horses’ flanks and the animal burst forward at full gallop in pu
rsuit of the errant steer. Ernie leaned forward in the saddle, undid the lariat tied to his saddle and shook out a loop. He was spinning it around his head when the horse closed in throwing range of the beast. Ernie threw his loop expertly, and it fell effortlessly over the bovine’s head. The FBI vaquero sat back in his saddle and dallied the rope around his saddle horn as his horse lowered his haunches and slid to a stop. The 700-pound steer was jerked backward to the ground. It jumped up a few seconds later and followed a grinning Ernie and his horse back to the group.
Ernie smiled as he shook the lariat off the animal’s neck and re-coiled it next to his saddle. He looked at the others. After securing his rope, he removed his hat with a flourish and bowed to the women grinning. Looking at TR he said,
“I learn fast no?”
“Damn jackass,” TR muttered as he rode off after the herd.
Havelee smiled at Ernie and went after TR.
“You got us all Ernie. Where’d you learn to ride like that?” Vargas asked.
“I started riding so young that they laid me on the saddle seat to change my diaper.”
“I believe that.”
“I worked my way through college as a rodeo clown. I fought bulls and did a comedy routine with Amigo here.”
Ernie turned the horse and cued it to bow at Ivalou. She laughed once again. He tipped his hat and cantered off to the west and rode along the raised hill ahead of the herd.
“Damn young pups, that goofball Ernesto had me believing he didn’t know which end of a horse the shit comes from,” TR said still grousing about being had.
“I would have liked to of seen the look on your face when he went after that steer. But I was too busy watching a real cowboy work. If I stay in the FBI, he will be in my squad.”
“What do you mean if you stay in the FBI?”
“I am vested in the retirement program, and I’m at the top pay scale. I can leave and freeze my retirement until I reach my sixties. My next step is into management. And I don’t know if I’m chicken shit enough to make that move. I could teach at Quantico, but that is in Virginia. The daughter I am going to adopt, and cowboy I love are here in Arizona. I have compromised the FBI by not pushing to learn what happen to those women. I’ve learned a lot about myself since seeing Larcena for the first time and meeting you.”