The Law and Dan Mesa (19 page)

“Everyone, put on your vest. I know they are warm, but it could be the difference between life and death.”

Mesa looks at the major, smiles, and rides on.

They slowly climb higher. The temperature cools down, and the guys all put on their dusters. The horses are straining a little harder with the climb. Suddenly, they top out on a mesa, and they notice tracks of a horse with unique oval-shaped shoes.

Mesa climbs down and scouts around. There is the scent of perfume in the air and the fragrance is Chanel No. 5. Mesa knows it is Sonia’s favorite perfume. He slowly unfastens the strap on his pistol. A shot is fired. Mesa hits the ground, palms his weapon, and fires two shots as fast as he can. He hears a grunt but doesn’t move. The major and the other rangers arrive as Mesa rises from the dust.

“Dan, we heard three shots. The first one was from a rifle and the last two were pistol. Are you hit?”

“No, sir, I’m okay, but I believe I got the person who shot at me. I heard them groan and fall. I hope it is not whom I think it is—Mandy, one of Jose’s cousins who swore revenge against me.”

They rush to the trees and there, lying on her back with a bullet wound to her chest, is Mandy Guittierrez. Mesa kneels at her side, and she immediately reaches for her pistol. He grabs her hand and takes the weapon.

“Mandy, you are hurt badly. We need to get you to the doctor. Now, lie quietly while I call for the helicopter.”

“Dan Mesa, you shot me you son-of-a-bitch,” Mandy says. “I regret I didn’t kill you. I had you in my sights, and suddenly someone sprayed something in my face. It was perfume and there wasn’t anyone around but me. There is something wrong with this place. It is haunted or something.”

“Mandy, I didn’t know it was you. Someone fired at me, and I returned fire. I normally hit what I aim at. You were trying to kill me, so what do you expect me to do? Now, lie quietly. I am going to search you for other weapons.”

Mesa conducts a search and finds a twenty-five automatic, a handgun, a hand grenade, and a knife. He looks at her, shakes his head, and tosses them aside. As Mesa walks away, Mandy gets up and dives for the pistol. Major Huerta palms his pistol and shoots from the hip, hitting her in the face. She crumbles to the floor. Mesa turns to look at her and then walks away visibly shaken. He thanks God that he didn’t kill her.

Major Huerta calls for a helicopter. The helicopter arrives, and the body is taken away.

Sergeant Ryan walks toward Mesa.

“Dan, have you noticed that perfume smell? It smells the same as what I smelled at that store. What’s going on here?

“Thomas, I don’t understand it, but that perfume smell is what saved my life when Mandy fired at me. As soon as I topped out on this mesa, I smelled that perfume, and I hit the ground, and that is what saved me. I know that fragrance too; it is the same one that Sonia wore.”

Major Huerta is also perplexed by what just happened. The medical examiner and the assistant district attorney remain to ask questions about the shooting.

Major Huerta says, “Sergeant Mesa, you and Sergeant Ryan scout the area and see what you can find. I have a feeling we aren’t alone here. I want everyone to travel in pairs. I don’t want anyone out there alone.”

Mesa and Ryan disappear into the trees. Watching eyes smile and move away from them. The smell of perfume is heavy in the trees, but no one says anything. Ryan and Mesa hit the ground, and shots ring out in all directions. Using combat tactics, they turn in opposite directions to give them 360 degrees of fire coverage. They begin returning fire. The bullets come fast and furious at first. Mesa an Ryan begin moving closer for the kill. They pick their targets and fire to kill.

Carlos and his crowd are being counterattacked. They saw Mandy take the lead and die. Already Antonio has a bad burn across his forehead, and two or three are dead.

“Antonio, tell the others it is time to pull out. We will wait for another time,” Carlos says.

Slowly, they withdraw, and Mesa and Ryan move forward to find weapons, ammunition, two night vision scopes, and a global positioning system (GPS) and the bodies of the dead. Tucked away inside a log is a sheet of paper. Mesa examines the area looking for booby traps. He doesn’t find any, so he removes the paper. It is a letter addressed to him. It reads:

Dan, I am sorry I left you in the way I did. I never wanted to leave, but I guess it was my time. God has a plan for all of us. I guess his plan for me is to watch over you for now. I never got the chance to say how much I loved you. I guess too many things got involved. I loved you then, and I love you now. Don’t give up on love; it is waiting for you. You will know her when she comes by, just don’t rush into anything.

Carlos and Antonio are planning another ambush, but this time, they plan to ambush you while you are sleeping. Keep your eyes open and your head down, ranger. Remember, I am watching over you.

The letter ends without a signature.

“Thomas,” Dan says, “read this and tell me what you think.”

He hands the letter over. Ryan reads the letter and turns to face Mesa.

“Dan, this is like
The
Twilight
Zone
. Let’s get out of here and let the major look at it.”

Mesa smiles and says, “We are not in danger. We have a guardian angel.”

They secure the area, and the major and the rangers arrive. Mesa hands the major the letter. Huerta reads the letter and hands it back to Mesa. Major Huerta feels a chill move through him as if someone is watching. He turns to Mesa.

“Dan, do you get the feeling that someone or something is watching us?” he asks.

“Yes, sir, I have that same feeling, but whatever it is, it isn’t going to harm us. Those eyes you feel watching you are those of the person who wrote that letter. Don’t ask me how I know, I just know as I always do.”

They gather all the weapons and equipment. The major decides to move down the trail about a mile before they set up camp. Then they secure the camp. Sentries are posted, and bedrolls are laid out, but no one gets in them. The men are posted in the trees, waiting. An hour passes by and then two hours, and all’s quiet. Around four a.m., it suddenly becomes extremely quiet—not even a cricket is heard. The guys wait. They hear horses approaching, and they wait.

A rider moves forward and opens fire, it is Carlos. Others open fire. Suddenly, the night is alive with gunfire. Carlos takes a bullet in his shoulder and runs away. Major Huerta continues firing as the assassins withdraw.

“Hold your fire, they have departed. Now let’s see how much damage we inflicted on them. Sergeant Mesa, I know I put a bullet in Carlo’s shoulder. Antonio pulled him out of the way or I would have put a deadly bullet in his chest.”

Sergeant Schmidt finds one individual hiding under a log.

“Come out from under that log with your hands raise. If you try anything, I will blow your guts out through your back. I won’t tell you again, so move,” he says.

From under a log, a small hand sticks out. “Okay, I’m coming out. Just give me a minute; it was a lot easier crawling under here than it is to crawl out.”

Sergeant Ryan is watching as a beautiful lady slowly crawls out. Sergeant Schmidt is standing in awe, not sure what to do. He turns to Major Huerta with a surprised look on his face. Everyone is surprised with the exception of Dan Mesa. He looks at the lady and asks, “Who are you, and what are you doing here?”

“Oh yes, you must be Ranger Dan Mesa. I left you a note telling you about their plans. I do hope you found it. You did find it, didn’t you?”

“Yes, I did find it, and I thank you, but the question remains. Who are you and what are you doing here?”

“Dan, you never change; you are always business. When do you relax and enjoy life? Don’t you know life is too short to be so caught up? Okay, I was just camping out here when I stumbled upon those guys, and I heard their plans, so I decided to lend a hand.”

In a quiet voice, Mesa asks, “Lady, I asked you a question, and you haven’t answered it yet.”

“You know, you need to control your anger,” she says. “I wonder how she ever managed to get along with you.”

Major Huerta has been watching and listening. He notices Mesa’s hands reach for his gun. He rushes forward and smashes his gun’s butt against Mesa’s head, knocking him cold.

“Lady, you are lucky I got to him in time. He would have killed you. I don’t know who you are, but you surely do know how to push the wrong button.”

“Major Huerta, I know exactly what I am doing. I had to find out just how much he loved her. He wouldn’t have killed me. He would have come to his senses before he did it. He is a driven man, and somehow or someway, you must get him to relax and let go. One day, he is going to crack under the pressure. He faults himself for her death. It wasn’t his fault.”

“I know that but he has to realize it himself.”

She looks around for a minute and says, “They have left, and they are heading back to San Antonio and Tucson. When he awakens, tell him that Carlos is heading back to Tucson. Major, please have someone to drive my truck back to your headquarters. I’d like to ride one of your horses.”

Mesa is still out, so he is loaded into the jeep with Ryan driving, and the group heads back to the Davis Ranch. Mesa suddenly sits up with his gun in hand.

He sees Ryan and asks, “Who hit me and why?”

“Take it easy, Dan. The major hit you, because he thought you were about to kill that lady. You know, it is weird, but that is the same lady I saw in El Paso. She seems to know everything about you. Who the hell is she?”

“Thomas, that was what I was trying to find out. She is everywhere. I don’t believe she is associated with Carlos in any way. She has a way of making me angry though. It seems as if she is testing me. Where is she now?”

“She’s riding one of the horses, and we are riding in her jeep.”

Mesa searches the vehicle, but there aren’t any papers or notes or anything. He has searching eyes, and he goes over the Jeep section by section but nothing. They arrive at the Davis Ranch and Rancis and the kids are standing outside as they approach. The horses are stripped, rubbed down, and fed. Finally, they all head in for a late breakfast.

Mesa turns to Major Huerta and asks, “Sir, where is the lady who was with us?”

“She was right behind me,” he says. “What the hell is going on here? Sergeant Schmidt, did you see her leave?”

“Major, she was right in front of me, and I swear I don’t remember seeing her leave. How can this be?”

Ranger Mesa smiles and says, “Don’t worry, I know what happened. You won’t see her again; she did her job, which was to protect us.”

They all rush outside to see if the Jeep is there. It is still there with a note attached to the window. The note reads:

Dan, the Jeep is yours. The papers are in the glove compartment. I am sorry about pushing you so far, but I had to see if you loved me as I thought you did. Now I know. You have a lot to give, so relax and smile sometime. We will meet again in a different world. I will always watch over you, but you won’t see me again. I love you dearly and good-bye.

Sonia.

Mesa turns and hands the letter to Major Huerta and walks away slowly. He climbs into the Jeep and drives away.

Major Huerta reads the letter, and the shock of it all appears on his face. He turns to the group.

“I have seen and done a lot in my lifetime,” he says, “but this is the strangest case I have ever seen. I don’t know if we are dealing with a ghost or what. Sonia Perdenales, the same woman who burned to death in that house in Arizona, signed this letter.”

Chapter Ten
 

Back in Tucson, Captain Johnson is busy with the Glamour Girl robberies. His phone rings.

“Sam, this is Boca Huerta in San Antonio, and buddy, we have strange occurrences going on here. We found a lady hiding in the woods when we were chasing Carlos, and you won’t believe this. She said in a letter to Dan Mesa that she was Sonia Perdenales. One minute she was there talking to us, and the next minute, she was gone. No one saw her go, but we were all watching her. I can’t begin to explain any of this. This lady has been seen on a plane from DC to Tucson, at a service station in El Paso, and here in the Davis Mountains. Sam, tell me I am not crazy.”

“Now, now, old buddy,” Johnson says. “I know how you feel. How is Mesa handling all this?”

“Sam, that is the problem, we can’t read him at all. He keeps everything bottled up inside. In the letter to him, she said he needed to relax. She also said she would see him again in a different world and signed it Sonia. He handed me the letter and rode away in the Jeep she left him. That was two days ago, and no one has seen him since. He left his truck here and some of his clothes. He took his weapons and gear. Let me know if you hear from him,” Huerta says. “Oh, yes, she said Carlos was headed back to Tucson, so be on the watch for him and Antonio. Carlos was shot when he tried to ambush us. Mandy, Jose’s cousin, was also shot and killed—not by Mesa but by me. I shot Carlos in the shoulder. I was aiming for his heart.”

“Boca, thanks for all your help. I owe you one. You should come on down and we can go hunting for deer. The season just opened the first of November. There is a slight chill in the air, but it’s just right for hunting.”

“Sam, you have a date. I will be down for Thanksgiving, if that is okay?”

“Sounds good to me. See ya.”

Johnson hangs up the phone and calls for Sergeant Bonefacio Hernandez.

“Yes, captain? What can I do for you?”

“Bonnie, Carlos and Antonio are headed back this way. Notify the state police and the FBI. Also, Mesa is missing, Contact the rangers in Yuma to see if they have seen him. Also call Sonia’s parents to see if they have heard from him. He is running around loose, and that isn’t good. Find him, even if you have to put out an arrest warrant for him. No, don’t do that. Just try to find him. There is one other person to call. Call Janie, that friend of his in Sierra Vista. She owns a restaurant and club there named Chardon Blieu.”