Missy's Gentle Giant (15 page)

“What do you mean?”

“This is his last case.”

“Yeah, I guess they are.” 
Gonzalo pounded the roof of the car.  “If you see him, tell him I wished
him luck.”

Chapter Eight

Near a temporary checkpoint south
of San Antonio, when he was singled out between the four other trucks and told
to pull over, Ben carried on like a typical worried trucker.  It was an
unusual roadblock.  The DEA agent dressed as an immigration officer spoke
to the drivers and waved for the other trucks to proceed.  Stalking
angrily back toward the rear of his truck, Ben saw the red Ford SUV approach
and one of the immigration officers stop the car just behind the truck.

“What’s wrong?”  Fernandez
frowned.

“Need to check your car and
papers.  We’re stopping everyone today.”  The immigration officer
smiled at the three guys in the SUV.  “Just let me clear this trucker
first.”

“What the hell’s wrong?  Man
we’re all from the same company!”  Ben yelled about having to open up the
back of his truck when the Immigration officer turned away from the SUV.

“Just need to check something
out.”  The officer said loudly. 

The three men glanced at each
other, and Fernandez instantly became suspicious.

“Something’s wrong.”  He
turned to Tijerina.  “What the hell have you—”

“Nothing man.  Look, can I help
it if they decide to check everything out one time?  The other trucks got
through.  Maybe this one will too.”  Tijerina turned to Moreno.

“Hell, I don’t know what’s going
on.”  Moreno’s eyes showed fear.

“Neither of you knows what’s going
on when this happens to be the main truck?  Something smells!” 
Fernandez glared at both men.

“Look—”  Tijerina’s eyes
jerked.  “Maybe they used dogs somewhere back—”

“Moreno’s mine!”  Ben said and
started screaming again.  He glanced toward the SUV.

“You set me up!”  Fernandez
yelled.  “You damned bastards set me up!”  He reached for a gun under
the front seat with one hand while his other hand hit the door handle.

“No man, I don’t know wha—”

“I knew it!  I knew it!” 
Fernandez screamed.  He jumped from the SUV and fired into it hitting
Tijerina in the head before the DEA agent could grab him.  Two more wild
shots sang out before the man could be subdued.

Ben doubled over when one of the
bullets accidentally hit his left chest, but his eyes never left Moreno. 
He stood up when he saw Moreno cautiously get out of the right side of the SUV
and try to sneak off.

“Freeze!”  The immigration
officer yelled and pointed his gun at Fernandez.

“You’re mine, mine alone—” 
Ben scowled at Moreno with freezing, cold in his eyes.

“Wait!”  Moreno pleaded with
his hands waving wildly.  “I was just hitchhiking and they picked me up.”

“No!”  Ben lunged toward Moreno.

“Pl—please, I—” Moreno backed away.

The DEA agent pulled Fernandez
around and knocked him against the SUV.  “Ben, we’ve got them.”

“This one’s mine!”  Ben’s eyes
were wild now.  “You can have him when I’m finished!”

“Ben, we don’t need to—”  He
glanced at the immigration officer holding a gun on Moreno.  “I’ve got
them covered, call for backup.”

“Look Ben, you’ve been hit; cool it
man.  We’ve got them!”

“No!  This is very, very
personal.”  Ben ignored the agent.

“Ben you can’t—”

“Mario Moreno isn’t it?”  Ben
glared at the shaking man.

“I—I don’t know what this is
about—”

“Oh, but you do.  It’s about a
girl three years ago, one you and Torres kidnapped.  Don’t tell me you
forgot, not with poor Miguel Torres up in Huntsville serving time and trying to
get to your ass because you’re free.”

“No, I don’t know what—” 

Nervously the immigration officer
raced to their van and grabbed the phone.

Ben grabbed Moreno’s collar. 
“Tell me again you don’t know anything you bastard!”

“I—I don’t know—”

Ben reached back and hit Moreno
square in the face.  “Tell me again; damn you!”

“Ben don’t—”  The agent yelled
just as Ben smashed Moreno’s face again.  “Look we’ve got backup coming;
you can stop.”

“Tell me you didn’t do anything to
her!  Tell me!”

Ben smashed him again.  He
didn’t hear anyone now and swung wildly.

“Ben!  Stop!  Damn,
you’ll kill him!”  The agent leaped on Ben’s shoulders, and Moreno dropped
limply to the ground.  “Ben, dammit!  Stop!”  The agent was
rolled over by Ben’s swinging body, and he groaned when he dropped to the
ground.  The backup cars screeched to a stop and several men jumped out
just as Ben hit the agent in the face when he tried to pull Ben away. 
Ignoring everything Ben lunged for Moreno, pulled his limp body up and punched
him again and again even though it was obvious the man was already out cold.

“Freeze!”  Four DEA agents
held their guns pointed on Ben while he swung wildly through the air, not
hearing or seeing anyone.

“No, he’s one of us!”  The
agent on the ground yelled.  “Just stop him!”

The four men slowly edged around,
jumped Ben from behind and pulled him down.  One of them knocked Ben over
the head with the butt of his gun.  Ben dropped limply to the ground.

‘Damn, I never saw anyone go so
wild!”  The agent sat up dazed.

“He’s been shot.”  An agent
yelled.

“Yeah, call for a chopper. 
Damn Ben, what came over you?”  He looked down and saw Ben was no longer
conscious.  He frowned up at the agents.  “I’ve never seen him go
crazy before.”  Later the chopper sped to a San Antonio hospital with Ben
and Moreno.

All day Susan had searched for
opportunities to talk, but Missy wasn’t receptive.  Susan did notice,
however, how Missy’s eyes kept changing from love to worry.  Her worried
frowns grew deeper until they showed pain.  Missy was definitely having
problems dealing with the inner turmoil she faced.  Susan kept a wary eye
on her.

Wanda had come in earlier and waited
all afternoon in the library for word.  She got a call from Davis asking
what she knew about the whole set up.  Wanda told them what little she
knew and mentioned the pictures Ben had wanted taken. 

Susan smiled at John poring over a
recent medical journal.  Damn, what would she do without this man? 
Susan’s smile faded when she saw Mrs. Diaz answer the door and Wanda meet Davis
in the doorway.  He followed Wanda to the library.

“These are the pictures Ben had
taken of the men.”  Wanda held them out.  “I’m sure Ben had something
personal going down with this guy.”

Missy saw Wanda at the door and
jumped up.  She raced, into the library and saw Wanda handing the pictures
to Davis.  Missy grabbed the picture of Moreno, turned pale and dropped
it.

“Something’s wrong.  I’ve been
sitting here like a fool and something’s wrong!  Ben!”  She screamed
as she raced from the room.  As if a bolt of lightning hit her, she saw
someone else!  Ben!  But Ben wasn’t there!  In her mind she saw
him hurt and alone.  “Something’s happened.”  She dropped on the
bottom step of the stairs.  Susan jumped up and pulled Missy around.

“There was just an accident
Melissa.”  Wanda glanced at Davis.  “Ben’s all right.  As soon
as the men are arres—”

Missy didn’t hear Wanda. 
Running through her mind were just words:  Accident, accident,
accident!  Ben!  Missy stiffened and then started swinging and
screaming wildly.  “He—Moreno—oh—Susan!”  Missy dropped against
her.  “He must have hurt him—”  Susan tried to hold Missy still, but
it was impossible.  Missy ran upstairs and screamed as she leaned over the
banister.  “He did it!”  Already John was coming upstairs with a
syringe to calm Missy.  “Can’t you see?”  Missy screamed. 
“Can’t you see?”  She continued to fight Susan trying, to pull away from
her.  “He hurt Ben—he did it—he did it—I saw him—I saw the picture!” 
Both Susan and John grappled with Missy while he injected the needle and then
waited for the drug to take effect.  “Don’t you see?”  Missy groaned
as she dropped in John’s arms and fell to the sedation.  “He hurt Ben like
me—”  Susan watched John carry Missy into Ben’s room.  Then slowly
she rose and looked over the banister.

“Listen—”  Susan tried to
muster enough control to talk.

“She’s quieted for the
moment.”  John helped his wife stand.  “Honey, tell them now.”

“Davis, lock that man up. 
Make sure he’s locked up.”  Susan glanced at her husband with tears in her
eyes.

“He’s only our informant.”  Davis
frowned.  “Wasn’t even expected on the run.”

“No, Ben wants him locked
up.”  Susan looked down at Davis.  “Don’t let him go!” 

“You’re right.”  Wanda
interrupted.  “Ben said some other guy was the mouthpiece.”

“And the charge?”  Davis
looked at the picture again.

“Rape!  Charge him with
rape!”  Susan glanced back at John.  “I need to be with Missy now;
this is why Ben wanted me, and it might take a while.”

“I know.”  John hugged
her.  “You go on and stay with her.”  He smiled at Susan.  “Just
tell me you’re all right, and I’ll go down to make sure Davis has the bastard
held.”

“Yes I’m fine.”  Susan
smiled.  “There’s a saying, ‘vengeance is mine’ and in a way Ben
unknowingly gave me a chance today.  I’m fine John, just make sure they
don’t let the bastard get away.”

When Susan entered the bedroom
Missy was stretched out and nearly unconscious.  Susan dropped on the sofa
with tears in her eyes.  Damn, it amazed her how the hurting had finally
stopped, how Ben had shown her it was over.  My wonderful Ben.  Susan
shook her head as she smiled.  He missed his calling and should have been
a psychiatrist.  “Well Ben—”  She stared at the ceiling.  “The
scars which can’t be seen sure do run deeper than the others.  You were
right.  When Missy wakes up we’ll talk, and we’ll both face some thing
important.”  She grinned at the ceiling.  “Ben, oh Ben, I do love
you.”

Missy awakened feeling numb and
confused.  She sat up in bed and saw Susan smiling.  She looked away
and then back.  “I’m sorry I was so much trouble.”

“No problem.  I’m glad I was
here.”

“Have you got any word about Ben?”

“No, not yet.  They’ll call
us.”

Missy felt tears come to her
eyes.  “I didn’t—the last thing I wanted was for Ben to be hurt because of
me.”

“He knows.”

“No, but you don’t
understand.  The—the man he—”

“Has been arrested.”

“He has?”  Missy looked up
fearfully.  “But how did—”

“Ben left messages and signals
everywhere.  The charges aren’t just for drugs.”

“No?”  Missy’s eyes clouded
with tears.

“No, the charge is for what he did
to you.”

Missy swung her head around to
stare at Susan.  “But he—I—Ben didn’t—”

“You told us he did on the stairs
when you were worried about Ben.”

“I did?”  Missy buried her
face in her knees.  Shame overcame her.

“You need to talk about it.”

“No!  I love Ben and I don’t
want him to know—he’ll hate me—”

“Not Ben.  Tell me Melissa;
tell me about it.”

Missy shook her head.  “It was
a long time ago; I forgot.”  Her eyes met Susan’s and she cringed.

“Um, funny thing about forgetting,
when we do, we also create hang-ups—”

“What do you mean?”

“Well when we find ourselves in a
similar situation—”  Susan carefully chose her words.  “Let’s say you
were ten and walking home from school when a gang of girls jumped you and beat
you up.  Well let’s say you were so ashamed because of what others would
think, you just blocked it all out of your head and forgot.  The only
problem then is every time you spot a bunch of girls, even if they want to be
friendly, you react by crossing the street—you know by running away.  And
you can’t make friends.”

“But I’m not fighting a bunch of
girls.”

“I know.”  Susan smiled. 
“You’re fighting being raped.”

Missy gasped.  “What makes you
think so?”

“You told them downstairs when you
thought Ben was in danger.  You thought the man was after Ben.”

“Words, just words, I wanted them
to—”

“Save Ben.”  Susan
shrugged.  “So did I which is why I insisted the man be arrested. 
Now tell me about it.”

“No, you’ll tell Ben.  I don’t
want him—anyone to know.”

“I promise I won’t tell Ben
anything.”

“You swear?”  Missy tried to
hide her tears.

“Sometimes the solution to a
problem is telling another person Melissa.”

For a long time Missy seemed to
stare at nothing.  Oh, how she loved Ben!  Until right this moment,
she hadn’t realized how much she loved Ben and needed him and no one
else.  She didn’t want to hurt Ben because he thought she was so pure. 
More than her desire to keep everyone from knowing about her shame though, was
her fear Ben would be hurt.  She couldn’t stand the thought of Ben being
hurt.  “Ben told me he cares about me.”  Missy said almost inaudibly.

“Oh, and it makes you happy?”

“No.”  Missy shook her
head.  “Ben is so good to me; he’d never understand.”

“I don’t think there’s something so
terrible someone, even Ben couldn’t understand?”

“Yes.”  Missy buried her face
against her knees.  There was a long silence.  “When it happened,
when I woke up in the hospital after what they did to me, I felt so dirty and
ashamed.  I guess having all my brothers and father try and smooth it over
just made things worse.  Every time I looked at them, they reminded me I
was different.”

“There are all kinds of ways people
are different, Melissa.  People can change without even realizing it with
words.  A person can feel change in many ways.  The thing you have to
realize is no one but you can see your difference.  What’s important is
for you to forgive yourself and see your value has not been diminished because
of it.  There’s no reason why you can’t hold your head up high and go on
living just like it never happened.”