by Tom Ellis
TR reined in and turned his horse toward Havelee. “I think I am supposed to have a ring or something for this. But there’s not a store close.’ He removed his hat. ‘Havelee Harris, will you marry me and let Larcena be our daughter?”
Havelee urged her horse close to his, she leaned over and lightly kissed his lips.
“Tobias Rutledge, when this investigation is over. I will marry you. And together we will adopt and raise Larcena.”
Ivalou, who was following them and the cattle, while she watched for Ernie riding in the distance. Ivalou wondered about Kroll and what he was doing. She thought about how he would take to Lupe.
Vargas didn’t know that Ernie, who just rode out of sight, was about to meet Ron Kroll for the second time this day.
Ernie pulled Amigo to a quick stop when Ron Kroll pulled the ATV across their path. An M16 rifle was in a rack on the machine’s handlebars.
“Cowboy I told you this morning we don’t need any help! If you went to work for Bell and are looking for our cattle, you will find them further east. You are off limits! Turn that nag eastbound now.” Kroll said with menace. He noticed the smiling Latino cowboy wore a holstered Glock. And he just sat on his horse smiling at Kroll.
“I am very pleased to meet you Mr. Kroll; I am Ernie Smith.”
“How the hell do you know my name? I didn’t tell it to you this morning.”
“I knew who you were this morning. If you permit me, I will identify myself correctly. I have to reach into my saddle bag for my folder. Please don’t reach for that nasty looking assault rifle on your handlebars or for the Burns modified Sig you carry. My horse Amigo will rear and strike your head with his hooves. He is wearing steel shoes; they will hurt your head. And I do not wish to bust my ass when he does it.”
Ernie produced his FBI cred pack and opened it for Kroll to see.
“If you please, Mr. Kroll, I am Special Agent Ernesto Roberto Xavier Collazo Smith. My father is a gringo like yourself. I have admired your career since we studied it at Quantico. I was disturbed to learn of your termination. Supervisory Agent Harris told me differently when she read me into her team yesterday.”
“Where in hell are Harris and Vargas?”
“They are a quarter a mile behind me, maybe more if Agent Harris hasn’t gotten kissy face with her boyfriend the wrangler they call TR. He doesn’t like me very much.”
“I wonder why.’ Kroll said sarcastically. ‘Vargas is not riding a horse is she?”
“No, she is enjoying the day in an ATV. She will not have any trouble following me. She appears quite taken with you and jealous of Havelee’s love life with the cowboy. Oh, they both have semi-adopted children now. Two little girls who I understand were rescued recently in the middle of the night. I hear her machine now. I will proceed south to keep watch over you and her from your colleagues should there be any following. And Mr. Kroll you should remember to duck. Your eyes look very bad.”
Ernie galloped off as Vargas was arriving. She stopped in front of Kroll’s machine and was getting out of hers as he dismounted his. They embraced and kissed passionately. After a few minutes, they came up for air.
“What happened to your face? You look horrible!”
“I was knocked cold by an unknown person a few nights ago. I awoke damn near in the middle of an intermural firefight. I think the asshole that slugged me is the same one who put a two by four across the bunk house door after he threw a couple of pillow cases full of rattlesnakes inside.”
“So those dark places on the ground are blood pools?”
“How do you know about the bloody ground.”
“The young smiling Latino agent you had talked to before I got here had a camera on the dash of his truck this morning. When he asked you for a job.”
“Damn, I didn’t consider that. Whose idea was that?”
“Havelee’s. We lost Desmond and M&M to the Tucson gang unit when several members of the five fifty-six gang and three nights ago there was a bombing. And everybody was pulled thinking it was a terror attack. Harris managed to talk to the Director, and he read in the Tucson ASAC, the Phoenix SAC, and ASAC. The Director told them about Bradford and our having a CI; your name is still a secret. Your last text said something about a balloon going down. Havelee quizzed a group of agents during a meeting yesterday if they knew what it meant. Ernie was the only one with the answer. When he told her his background, she called the Director and got him assigned to our team two weeks early.”
“So I gathered. As young as Smith is, he must be a first office agent.”
“He is assigned to the Phoenix Field Office. Sent to the terrorist task force after the bomb blew. He grew up on a ranch in Cochise County east of here. His family did business with Lyon Hamilton, and he met Hamilton the first time as a child. His family is in the horse business, and they used Hamilton’s stud horse. The one Carson Bell says he has, and no one can get around. Ernie told me he worked his way through college as a rodeo clown, fighting bulls and doing comedy tricks with his horse. Poor TR believed the guy only looked like a cowboy. Ernie will be a really good agent one day. He has what it takes and one hell of a sense of humor.”
“Where is Havelee now, screwing this TR guy in the pasture or something? Ernie said they were playing kissy face. And you were jealous.”
“Damn, that guy doesn’t miss a thing. And he was right too.”
Vargas kissed Kroll again. After a few more minutes they came up for air.
“First off, only Bradford and his two thugs are at the ranch. One thug is injured. Nobody new is coming until the balloon goes down.” Kroll turned and pointed toward the balloon floating high above the Huachuca Mountains. When that happens, Bradford collects everybody’s phones. No communications. He wants me to lead a truck with some terrorists in it to Las Vegas. And he tells me not to make the call that arms the bomb until I get back to Nogales. He has offered five million cash and a new identity. El Jefe will fly the terrorists to the ranch, and others will bring the truck. I’m going to hide one of my phones so I can text you.”
“Listen, Ron; we are subject to be pulled away for this trumped up terrorist investigation. They won’t act on your word; they want proof, not hearsay. They have us chasing our asses right now. If the Director hadn’t reassigned Lane to a congresswoman in DC, we wouldn’t even be here. Her ASAC, a guy, named Quarles accepted what the Director said and is supporting us. But if somebody sneezes we get called further away. You have to be careful. You are hurt, and we have no idea who removed the women. We have two children to show for it. No grownups. If somebody finds out anything, we will be pulled to find these women. What happened to the one who supposedly died? Do you know?”
“Yes, I found Porn Dude raping her. He had already choked her to death and was still pumping and moaning. When I first came upon them, I thought it was you. She looked just like you except for a tat on her left arm. I found a cattle prod in that shop and worked over Dumas’ balls. I was losing control while I had him down and was getting ready to brain him when my lights went out. Whoever hit me, did a real number on him. I knew there were kids I didn’t know what happened to them. I heard about the killings but not the bombs. The satellite TV system and computers are down. Bradford didn’t pay the bill.”
“Lupe’s mother looks like me. No wonder she ran to me calling mother. After she had hugged me, she realized she was wrong. She looked at my left arm and then broke down in tears. Both girls are at the Double B. They act like Bell, and the Mexican couple that works for him are their grandparents. It is really sad.”
“Ernie said you and Havelee had adopted them. When are you signing the papers?”
“That damn vaquero see’s everything. Ernie just stands around and smiles.”
“Ivalou, if I get out of this count on me help you raise Lupe.”
“Kroll if you don’t get out of this you won’t be able to hide in hell. Because I’ll lie my way out of purgatory to come whip your ass.”
“I believe you wi
ll.”
They heard the horses’ hooves pounding the ground before they saw them. Havelee and Ernie galloped over a rise and up to where they stood.
“Kroll! Bradford and one of his thugs are looking around. They got into the SUV and started up the ranch road northwest of us. We need to leave now.” Havelee said.
“Vargas you have what we need?”
“I do.”
“OK turn that thing around and haul ass back to that gate. TR should be back there now with it open. Go!”
Vargas sped off, and Kroll started his machine.
“Get over the hill and empty the magazine in that rifle to the south. We will be running like hell north, Mr. Kroll.” Ernie said with his perpetual smile. He spun Amigo and galloped after Havelee. They heard full auto fire a few minutes later.
The agents and TR made it back to the Double B Ranch without incident. Havelee dismounted and threw her horses lead rope to TR. She got into the ATV with Ivalou.
“Talk to me girl. What’s happening?”
Chapter Twenty Four
El Jefe was not satisfied with the results of the first bomb. The message sent to the five fifty-six upstarts was not complete. Their families needed to die. He sent for his Iranian bomb maker. El Jefe wanted a bigger bomb, like those he heard of in places like Bagdad and Beirut. After an hour long discussion with the Iraqi torturer interpreting, a plan was settled on. El Jefe’s phone rang. It was Bradford calling.
“Senor Bradford, what have your bumbling idiots lost now?”
“Due to your impressive efforts, we have not been attacked again by this five fifty-six gang. My sources tell me there is no indication the women remain in southern Arizona. You may be interested to know that the FBI is not aware the women exist.”
El Jefe quietly considered this. “Bradford, the last piece of equipment is in place for crossing when the balloon goes down. The men are in place as well. My accountants are double checking money as we speak.”
El Jefe ended the call and walked into the large room next door. Fifty million dollars in US one hundred dollar bills neatly stacked on a large table. Half of this was El Jefe’s fee for arranging the logistics involved in getting the device and the men to use it inside the US. The device was in the bed of a pickup truck and covered with a tarp. The men who came with it stunk and acted even stranger than his bomb maker. He watched as trusted men counted out twenty-five million and counted it the second time as they packed in large duffle bags for transport. This cash was Bradford’s fee for arranging the delivery of the device to the target city.
US news sources showed harried agents working the Tucson streets in search of the terrorists who set off the most recent bomb. And the gringos President ensured them their borders were safe. They were not safe from El Jefe and those like him. He grew up hating Americans and their wealth. He studied the history of his country and that of their northern neighbor the USA. What the terrorists planned for the device parked next to El Jefe’s home did not bother him, unless it went off prematurely. The aftermath would certainly hurt his business for an unforeseen period. And eventually, the gringos would figure out who was behind it and who helped them. And they would come for them. If they still had the resolve.
Too many of younger generations lived on handouts from the US government. Large numbers of his countrymen went north to cash in. And the Americans paid and paid some more. Still, this bomb in his yard would hurt his bottom line for a time. He did not like Americans, but he loved their money and what it brought him. Bradford and his people would die. As would the terrorists who would arm and set off the device. El Jefe and along with his bodyguards and Iraqi torturer would load Bradford’s twenty-five million back into the helicopter and fly south. Perhaps he would call the Americans and tell them where to find the mess.
Burns looked up from his computer as Jolene filled up their coffee cups. “My computer guru’s facial recognition program identifies the newcomer as Ernesto Roberto Xavier Collazo Smith. Special Agent FBI. Number five in his academy class two years ago. The University of Arizona. Perfect shooting scores. Born and raised in Cochise County Arizona. Havelee managed to get a local boy on her squad.”
“Is this the Collazo family you know?”
“Yes, they are all related. Ernesto is probably Manny’s grandson. I’m surprised he wasn’t on a rodeo scholarship somewhere.”
“Real cowboys.”
“As real as they get. I think Havelee’s team went exploring yesterday. And Ernesto met Kroll. They hightailed back to this side of the fence when Bradford and his thug came looking. Kroll went back south and let go a magazine full auto for a distraction. The only thing I can’t figure out is why aren’t they putting all their resources on this? Sending in this new guy in his cowboy outfit is the first offensive move they’ve made.”
“Maybe they have been waiting for a bigger fish, as in El Jefe, and they plan on trying for him and Bradford.”
“That would make sense. Russell and Cruz have kept a tab on their sources that took the women. The women are no longer in this area. It is like it didn’t happen. No one has looked so far. Harris and Vargas are keeping those little girls quiet.”
“Maybe Havelee is not the team player she once was.”
“Little girls can have a powerful effect on career women who don’t have kids.”
“Is that why you handed them off before I got to claim one?”
“That is not a fair question. You were the one hollering for me to find those kids. I did, and you didn’t say anything about keeping one. And I sure as hell wasn’t going to take that mountain lion kitten away from the cat brat. That would be a good way to wind up scalped.”
“Don’t worry. I wish the little one's mother hadn’t died, but the Latina agent Vargas is planning on taking her home one day.”
“Based on the DNA swapping, I watched her and Kroll doing she is planning on more than that.”
“You don’t miss much with that spotting scope.”
Burns phone rang, and he saw it was Russell calling.
“What’s up Half Breed?”
“New sheriff in town on the FBI gang. One of the Collazo boys, half-breed like me. You better keep that stud hid. I’m leaving Double B headquarters heading to Nogales. Ernie Smith is following me in a truck Cruz would like on his lot. I dropped some papers off for Carson Bell to give Harris and Vargas. Custody papers. I understand the FBI got a lead on the women’s shelters. Thought you might want to know that. Carson thought he was going to have an extra hand for free courtesy of the FBI, while Butter Billy gets back on his feet. He got called back to Tucson while I was standing there. TR is glad to see him go. I think the kid out Cowboys him.”
Burns laughed as he disconnected the call.
“What’s that all about?”
“Spoke too soon about the shelters. FBI has a lead on them. I don’t see any problems with it myself. But Havelee and company have moved out of the ranch again. And TR is jealous of the new cowboy. The kid is good I watched him take a steer down yesterday. He’s riding a good horse too. I think I’m going to saddle up Don Cameron and take a look around. I want to talk to TR.”
“Do you think TR is jealous of the young guy going for Havelee’s affections?”
“No, he is jealous because he is a better cowboy. TR already has the girl. He just doesn’t like to see a younger guy out do him on a horse.”
“Why is he not jealous of you and Don Cameron?”
“He is but in that case I’m the old cowboy. I just need to keep that Collazo kid away from Don Cameron.”
“Are you afraid of being outdone, old cowboy?”
“No, I don’t want to see him get hurt.”
Havelee assembled all of her team at the extended stay motel. The guys sat on the bed while Harris and Vargas occupied the chairs.
“Quick update guys, we’ve had some leads to work involving women’s shelters. We received credible information that a large group of women destined for prostitution rings was in
tercepted and rescued by person’s unknown. We want to know who those unknown persons are. We also want to make sure these women were not put back in the white slavery market by another gang. Des is there anything further on the six unidentified gunshot victims you learned about?”
“The medical examiner says they all suffered from one or more poisonous snake bites.”
“That jives with something Kroll said. Lou, what were the details again?”
“Ron thinks whoever slugged him was the same person who put a couple of pillow cases full of rattlesnakes inside the bunkhouse and then barred the door on the outside.”
Ernie giggled. “I bet that scared the shit out of them!”
“Ernie’s radar detector video showed the bunkhouse. I remember seeing the door opened to the outside. It would have been easy to put a bar on it, while the guards were raping somebody. I hope Ron and his cattle prod ruined that scumbags sex life.” Vargas said.
“Is it possible another agency has surveillance on that ranch that we don’t know about?” M&M asked.
They all looked at each other considering the question.
“Expand on your reasoning for that question M&M,” Havelee said.
“OK, somebody had to know the bunkhouse door opened out. Somebody knew where women were. The burning dope trucks came through that ranch. Were those trucks sabotaged before they left that ranch? According to forensics military-grade detonators with timers were used. Does a black ops team being involved sound farfetched?”
“What about these border watch groups, some of those guys are pretty radical. They are well armed and funded. They’ve been flying private drones on border ranches for years.” Ernie said seriously without an accent.