The Law and Dan Mesa (12 page)

“Sergeant Mesa, wherever you are, there is definitely action. Your captain asked me to be on the watch for you. We’ll take your statement, and then you can go. Captain Johnson said to tell you to return to Nogales immediately and that they have new information.”

The ride back to Nogales is uneventful, but Mesa arrives at ranger headquarters with his temper beyond dangerous. He rushes into the captain’s office, where Captain Johnson is waiting as Mesa storms in.

“Sergeant, sit down and shut your mouth and listen,” Johnson says. “I sent Savalas to shadow you, because we knew there were men sent to get you. I was trying to save your life.”

“I know you were, and I appreciate it, but I have to find these men and make them pay for what was done to Sonia. I ran into two of their hired guns who were—”

“Sergeant Mesa, I want you to listen to what I have to say. I can’t have you going off half-cocked and killing everyone you believe to be mixed up in this situation. You are my friend, but I will have your guts for garters if you screw up. So far, we know Carlos is headed toward New Mexico and possibly Texas. He bought a truck, and it has the On Star system, and we can track him using it until he realizes what we are doing. Right now, he is on I-10 headed east. Dan, sign out one of the ranger vehicles; that old truck of yours has taken a serious beating, and you need something more dependable.”

“Okay, sir, I will. I won’t let you down. Captain, have you heard from Lieutenant Osborne lately?”

“No, sergeant, I haven’t, but they are probably busy with that prison break they had last week. Two of the individuals who escaped were friends of Blackbear. You had best be careful, because I believe Carlos and Pellegrinni planned that prison break. Those two are skilled at killing and mugging people. The Yuma police captured them about five years ago. Sergeant, when was the last time you qualified on the weapons you are carrying?”

“Sir, it has been a year or so, and yes sir, I am due. I will take care of it today. I believe Savalas needs to qualify also. I’ll grab him, and we’ll head to the range.”

Mesa reports to the firing ranger to qualify, and after several rounds of firing, Dan emerges with a score of 298 hits of 300 shots. Savalas qualifies with 290 of 300.

He and Mesa are walking toward their vehicles when Mesa’s truck suddenly erupts in flames. Mesa is blown across the parking lot. The 4Runner is totaled. It is now a broken link with his past. He has owned it since it was new in 1989.

People are rushing from everywhere. Captain Johnson arrives at the scene and sees Ranger Mesa on a stretcher bloody and bruised. He is unconscious, and there is a bad bruise on his head. Sergeant Savalas isn’t so lucky; he is dead.

The ambulance attendant is checking Mesa’s vital signs when Mesa goes into cardiac arrest. They apply the electrodes and bring him back, and the ambulance departs immediately for the hospital running code red all the way. Captain Johnson stays behind until Savalas’s body is removed to the coroner’s office. Then he leaves for the hospital. He goes immediately to the emergency room.

“I am Captain Johnson of the Arizona rangers, and one of my men was just admitted,” he says to the nurse at the desk. “He is Ranger Daniel Mesa, a victim of an explosion. Can you please tell me about his condition?”

“Ranger, I am Nurse Helen Garza, and I admitted him. His doctor is Doctor Raymond Burke, one of our best surgeons. All I can tell you right now is that he is in serious condition with internal bleeding. Does he have close relatives here? If so, you may want to call them.”

“He is divorced and hasn’t any family close by,” Captain Johnson replies. “His mom lives in Louisiana. I am his boss and friend, so if there is anything he needs, you tell me.”

“Ranger, why don’t you have a cup of coffee, and I will see what I can find out about him. Isn’t he that ranger who killed that Jackson fella and whose girlfriend was kidnapped?”

“Yes ma’am, he is and also a damned good friend. He has a son who would surely miss his father if anything happened to him.”

Nurse Garza departs, and Captain Johnson takes a seat and waits.

In the operating room, Dr. Burke is working frantically to save Daniel Mesa’s life.

“Clamps please. He has started hemorrhaging again. How is his blood pressure, nurse?”

“It’s steadily dropping. He is fighting, doctor. He has a will to live like nothing I have ever seen. Who is this guy?”

“Nurse, I was told he is one of the Arizona rangers and was caught in an explosion where one ranger was killed. I have stopped the bleeding and repaired the tear in his heart. Now, let’s check that head wound. Doctor Wilson, how bad is his head wound?”

“Ray, he has sustained a bad blow to the head, and I suspect a concussion. If we can stop the swelling, he has a chance—a small one, but a chance. Look at his blood pressure. It has leveled off, and his breathing is normal. I have a feeling he is going to be okay. This guy is a fighter. If he is as tough on his job as he is in this operating room, I’d hate to face him.”

Dr. Burke looks at Mesa and says, “Ranger Mesa, I have done all I can. Now it is up to you to recover. I hope someone somewhere is praying for you.”

As the doctors leave the emergency room, Nurse Garza approaches Dr. Burke and asks how Ranger Mesa is doing.

“The ranger is holding on, but it is still touch and go. Please notify his next of kin just in case.”

“Doctor, his boss is in the waiting room waiting for a report on the ranger. What should I tell him? He doesn’t have any next of kin here. He is alone. He is that ranger who captured that Jackson fella a few months ago. He is also the one whose girlfriend was kidnapped and killed a few days ago. I get the feeling this guy is something else.”

Dr. Burke walks into the waiting room and sees Captain Johnson and says: “Ranger, I’m Doctor Burke. We have stabilized the ranger, and so far so good. He stands a good chance of recovery, if we can reduce the swelling in his head. He has a concussion, and he is in a coma. We will just have to wait and see. He is a fighter, and that is good. Captain, tell me about this Mesa fellow.”

“Doctor, Dan Mesa is one in a million. I have known him for a few years. He is a good guy, the best friend you can have, and probably the worst enemy you could have if you cross him. He is one tough little guy who has had some really bad luck of late but managed to survive it all. He was shot about six months ago, and he recovered fast. He just lost a friend he cared for deeply, and I suspect the same people carried out this attempt on his life. I am going to place a Ranger on his door until he is conscious again. If he needs anything, just let me know. I don’t want any information released about him unless it is okayed by me. I want a blackout on this case. They could try again. This is the third attempt in less than two weeks.”

“Captain, can I assume that he was under a lot of pressure and that he was determined to catch the person responsible for his lady’s death? I ask that because it seems to be the reason he is so determined to live. Medicine can only do so much. The rest depends on the individual. Thank you for telling me about him.”

“No, thank you and your staff for caring for him. He was lucky, but Ranger Savalas wasn’t so lucky. If Dan Mesa recovers from this, there will be hell to pay by whoever is responsible for this.”

In Tucson, it is the news hour at six p.m., and the news reporter says, “Good evening, I am Laura Denton, and we have breaking news of an explosion in Nogales at the ranger’s station. We will now go to the reporter on scene, Chuck Garrison. Chuck, are you there?”

“Yes, Laura. We are in Nogales at the ranger detachment for Santa Cruz County, where someone planted a bomb in one of the rangers’ personal vehicles. One ranger was killed instantly, and the other one is in serious condition at the local hospital here. They are keeping the name of the deceased ranger quiet until his next of kin has been told. The injured ranger is the same one who was responsible for the capture of Jose Guittierrez-Jackson. He is also the same Ranger whose girlfriend was killed a few days ago. Ranger Dan Mesa is well known in the ranger circles and well respected. However, it is apparent that someone has a grudge against him and is trying to kill him. Live in Nogales at the ranger station, this is Chuck Garrison of Channel 12 News.”

“There you have it,” Laura says. “It seems that, once again, Ranger Mesa is the center of attention in the law enforcement arena. This is Laura Denton reporting.”

In Yuma, Arizona both Alana and her mother, Adelaide are listening to the news and so is Major McMasters.

A telephone rings in Washington, DC, at Vermenti Pellegrinni’s house. The answering machine turns on, and the caller leaves a message. “The target in Arizona has been hit, although not a center hit but just as deadly.” The machine cuts off. A figure listens and smiles.

In an office at FBI headquarters, Agent Scott Ortiz is listening to the recording courtesy of wiretapping. He is puzzled about the term
target
. His first thoughts are of Dan Mesa, his friend and brother. He picks up the phone and calls Captain Johnson in Nogales, Arizona.

When the phone rings at ranger headquarters in Nogales, a ranger answers, “Arizona rangers, Sergeant Jones speaking. May I help you?”

“Sergeant, I am Agent Ortiz of the FBI calling from DC. May I speak to Captain Johnson?”

“Sir, if you’ll hold I will get him for you.”

“This is Captain Johnson,” “How are you, Agent Ortiz? I know why you are calling. There was an explosion, and Dan was seriously injured. We don’t know how bad it is yet.”

“Captain, I suspect it was spearheaded by Vermenti Pellegrinni but requested by Carlos Meana. If Meana and Pellegrinni had anything to do with this, they will seriously regret it. If Dan dies or is permanently disabled, there is not a rock they can hide under. If you need anything, just give me a call.”

“Thanks, Agent Ortiz. Dan is a good friend of mine too. I will keep you posted on his condition. Since you are there in the area, will you please tell his ex-wife and in-laws? He is in the Tucson Medical Center with an around-the-clock guard. The explosion killed one of our rangers, Sergeant Savalas. As you are aware, when a cop is killed, it becomes open season on criminals. Carlos and Antonio Blackbear are moving targets now. Take care, and I will be in touch.”

Scott hangs up the phone and suddenly realizes what he has to do. He walks into his secretary’s office and prepares to sign out.

“Annette, I will be out for a couple of days. Do you remember that ranger who came to see me about a few weeks ago?”

“Yes, sir, I do. He was a handsome fellow in a cowboy sort of way.”

“He has been my friend for almost thirty years. Today, he was almost killed in an explosion arranged by someone here in Washington, DC, or Baltimore. I have to go and visit his son and ex-wife and tell them what has happened. This I don’t like doing. Send an e-mail to the director and let him know I can be reached on my cellular phone or at Jonathan Horatio Williams’s in Baltimore as four zero nine five five five three eight two seven.”

The drive to Baltimore is uneventful, and he arrives in an hour. Jonathan opens the door and seems surprised to see Scotty.

“Scotty, what brings you to Baltimore?” he asks.

“Sir, I have some bad news. There was an explosion in Nogales, and Dan was injured badly. Someone placed explosives under his truck. Dan wasn’t in the truck at the time, but he was approaching it when it exploded. He received internal injuries, and they don’t know how severe they are. He has a concussion and is in a coma. I have and agent who was keeping watch over Dan and he told me what happened. I also spoke with his Captain.”

“Scotty, come into the den. Would you like a drink? I think I need one now.”

At that moment, Nadia and Garnett walk in. Immediately, they seem aware that something is wrong.

Garnett speaks say; “What has happened to Dan? Don’t tell me he is dead?”

Jonathan moves to her side, saying, “Honey, he has been injured, but he is still alive. According to Scotty, someone placed a bomb under his truck, but he wasn’t in it. He was walking toward it when the bomb exploded. He has internal injuries, a concussion, and he is in a coma.”

Garnett rushes out of the room followed by Scotty.

“Jonathan, I have always dreaded this day. He is as close as we will ever get to having a son. He’s like my own child. I pray that God will keep him safe.”

“Honey, he will be okay. Dan is a tough fellow; he will make it through this. He made it through Vietnam and the Persian Gulf, and he will come through this too. We will say a prayer together for him. I don’t believe this is sitting well with Garnett. This very thing is one of the reasons she left him. All of her fears have come to be a reality.”

In the backyard, Scotty is trying to comfort Garnett.

“Garnett, he isn’t dead. He is only wounded, and I know he will recover. Dan Mesa is too damned mean to give up and die. He has Devlin to live for, and he loves you still.”

“I have always been afraid something like this would happen, and now it has come to pass. He could have a job doing anything he wants to do, but no, he had to be a bloody Arizona ranger, and now he could die. What do I tell Devlin? How do I explain what has happened? Devlin looks on him as his hero. That boy would die if some happened to his father.”

“Hey, he is going to be okay. Just wait and see. I have to leave and return to Washington and take care of some things, but I will be in touch.”

“Scotty, do the rangers know who did this to Dan?”

“They have a good idea, but I know exactly who did it, and I will take care of them in a most appropriate way, using the law.”

“Scotty, I have known you as long as I have known Dan. Don’t you do anything that will get you into trouble. Dan wouldn’t want that, and neither would I.”

“I promise you that whoever did it will pay, and that is all I promise. I love you, kid. I will talk to you soon. Oh, he is in the Tucson Medical Center, and you can call anytime to check on him.”