The Law and Dan Mesa (2 page)

Carlos beams.

“I like dealing in illegals a lot better than drugs,” he says. “This drug business is too dangerous. With illegals, I am at least giving them a better life. Drugs only destroy. If it proves to be worth the effort, I am giving up the drug trade and going full-time into illegals. That way, the federal boys won’t be on my case as hard. I can get politicians and the big ranchers and farmers on my side.”

“Boss, I like the way you are thinking. I too would love to give up the drug business. I can easily justify dealing in illegals, but not so with drugs. Let’s make this trade in illegals work.”

Carlos likes the idea more than he lets on, because he has ideas of becoming legitimate and making inroads into politics through the back door. He wants to be advisor to the big boys—judges, senators, and such. These are bold ambitions for a glorified drug pusher. Carlos knows that the killing of Ranson is essential, but he will hold off until absolutely necessary. It would be better yet just to kidnap him.
Yes,
kidnap
William
J.
Ranson
and
put
him
on
ice
, he thinks
.
If
that
is
done,
then
no
one
has
to
die.
Killing can be so messy, yet it has solved a lot of problems, like that friend of Dan Mesa’s Carlos killed many years ago. He was too smart for his own good. But Mesa has suspected that Carlos was responsible; Carlos knows that Mesa will one day come for him.

“Antonio, do you still have that friend in the ranger headquarters in Tucson? If you do, then find out who is escorting Ranson back from Richmond and let me know.”

“Boss, I already know that,” Antonio says. He seems anxious to please his boss. “The escort will be Ranger Dan Mesa, that gun slinging ranger who killed Jose a few weeks ago. What’s up, boss?”

Carlos thinks it would be great to kidnap Ranson and kill Mesa at the same time.

“Antonio,” he says, “put together a two-man team and have them kidnap Ranson as they leave the police station in Richmond. If Mesa is accidentally killed, that will be okay too. Maybe you are right. Maybe getting rid of Ranson is the thing to do.”

“Carlos, I don’t mean to tell you what to do,” Antonio says, “but killing Dan Mesa is not in our best interest. He is a hard man to kill, and if he is only injured, we both know that, as soon as he finds out who is behind the kidnapping, he will come for us. I recommend we just kidnap Ranson and leave Mesa be.”

“Antonio, Mesa is a threat to everything I am trying to do. I can’t let him stand in the way. One of these days, he will figure out who had that ranger killed. When he does, he will destroy me unless I destroy him first. I want you to contact our friends in DC and have them take care of both Ranson and Mesa. Make sure there isn’t a paper trail or any other trail back to us. Do you understand what I am asking?”

“Sí, patron, entiendo.”

In Washington, DC, anything can be had or done if the money is right. Poverty in DC is a constant thing, and it spills over into Baltimore. There is an area of Baltimore named Cherry Hill that is primarily rundown projects and shabby stores. Most of the inhabitants have just given up on the dream of owning their own homes. They are just surviving from day to day. The sounds of police sirens, loud voices, and loud music are the texture of Cherry Hill.

Raymondo Sandoval and Jefferson Mitchell are products of this particular segment of humanity. They are two young men—one Puerto Rican and the other African American—who have reached the conclusion that the only way to escape to a better life is to take advantage of others. Both have police records and are convinced they are people to be reckoned with.

They receive a phone call from Vermenti Pellegrinni, another victim of circumstances as he refers to himself. He is well-known by the Council on Criminal Behavior and by the DC and Baltimore police departments. He is suspected of having killed at least two other members of the mob and the firebombing of at least five mob-owned nightclubs.

The phone call Mitchell and Sandoval receive orders them to go to Richmond, Virginia, and kill William J. Ranson and Ranger Daniel Mesa as they depart the Richmond Police Department. They are supplied with pictures of Ranson and Mesa; the mob has a plant in the Richmond Police Department.

Dan Mesa is deep in thought when the waitress asks, “Sir would you like a refill of coffee? Man, you were deep in thought. I had to ask you three times if you wanted more coffee. Your expression was one of torment. You will have to forgive me, because I am a psychology major at the university; sometimes I get carried away with my knowledge of psychology or lack thereof.”

Mesa smiles and says, “No harm done. I was just thinking of a friend who was injured protecting me. How much do I owe you?”

When she tells him, he pays the bill and leaves hurriedly.

By coincidence Mitchell and Sandoval are seated in the same restaurant.

Mitchell stops the waitress and asks, “Who is that fellow who just left? He surely doesn’t seem to be from these parts.”

“He is an Arizona ranger,” she says. “He is the one they did that feature about on Ted Koppel’s
Nightline
. Remember that fight and shoot-out in Albuquerque, New Mexico, about two or three weeks ago?”

Mitchell and Sandoval gets up and leaves without comment. They goes outside and watches as the ranger returns to the police station. Mitchell gets into a tan and white Ford Explorer with Washington, DC, tags.

“Mitchell looks at Sandoval and says; “Well, I’ll be damned. How lucky can we get? Let’s pull over there in front of the station and look for a back entrance.”

Sandoval and Mitchell find the rear entrance for detainees and position themselves for the hit.

Inside the police station, Ranson is removed from the holding cell and is prepped for departure. Dan Mesa puts on his body armor and accompanies Sergeant Hennessey to the waiting police car. As they exit the overhang, a shot rings out, and Sergeant Hennessey falls. Mesa grabs Hennessey’s weapon and returns fire, hitting Mitchell twice once in the stomach and once in the leg. Sandoval fires and misses. Mesa fires hitting Sandoval in the arm. Sandoval escapes.

Mesa turns his attention to Hennessey and Ranson. Ranson appears to be dead; he received a bullet to his chest. Hennessey has taken one in the shoulder.

Immediately, police cover the area. Captain Emmett runs to Mesa and sees what has happened. He orders the area sealed for one square mile.

“Sergeant Mesa, what happened?”

Mesa spins around gun poised with a look of animal anger. His eyes are black and sparkling. Captain Emmett realizes that the man he is facing is more dangerous than anyone he has met recently.

Mesa suddenly relaxes, lowering his weapon and explains. “Sir, as we walked out, a shot rang out, and Sergeant Hennessey went down. I grabbed his weapon and returned fire, stopping one of the assassins. I hit the other one in the arm. When I looked at Ranson, he appeared to be dead. How did anyone know we were taking him back to Arizona?”

“Sergeant, let the medical team take care of Hennessey. We’ll follow them to the hospital. I thank you for saving my sergeant’s life. We’ll talk to the assassin now, because it doesn’t look as if he is going to make it.”

Death is a sad sight, something that shouldn’t happen but does much too often. Dan Mesa has seen too much of it and has been involved in too much of it.

Captain Emmett kneels down to talk to the assassin.

“Look, fella, you don’t have long in this world, so tell us who sent you and for what reason.”

With tears in his eyes, he says, “I don’t want to die.
Please
help me.”

We will, just tell me who sent you and why.”

“We were sent by Vermenti Pellegrinni to kill Ranson and the ranger. He received his orders from someone in Arizona. Now help me . . .”

Mitchell’s breathing slows done. His body starts to shudder and suddenly he dies.

Captain Emmett checks Mitchell’s pulse and turns to Mesa shaking his head and says, “Someone wanted both of you bad. Pellegrinni is well known on the East Coast as a member of the mob. He has a stable of trained assassins. Someone is paying big money to have you killed.”

“But, captain, how did anyone know I was here? I have spent the last two weeks with my ex-wife and son in Baltimore. There must be a traitor in the rangers somewhere. I had better call my captain.”

When the phone rings in Captain Johnson’s office in Nogales, Sergeant Savalas answers the phone and calls for the captain.

“Captain Johnson, Sergeant Mesa is on the phone.”

Captain Johnson picks up the phone.

“Hello, Dan, what’s up?”

“Sir, Ranson was shot a few minutes ago as we were leaving the station. According to one of the assassins, the targets were Ranson and me. They were hired by some guy named Vermenti Pellegrinni out of DC, and his orders came from Arizona. Sir, how did anyone know I was here to pick up Ranson? We have a leak somewhere.”

“Dan, are you okay? Is Ranson dead?”

“Yes, sir. Ranson is dead. And they shot a police sergeant I knew from my military days. I shot and killed one of the assassins, but before he died, he gave up the information I’m passing on to you.”

“Okay, Dan. I will contact Colonel Grant and let him know. Get back here as soon as possible.”

In Tucson, Carlos Meana has received news of the botched assassination and is raging.

“What have you people done, Antonio? Can’t you carry out a simple mission? Those idiots in DC hired two amateurs to kill Ranson and Mesa. They got Ranson and shot a cop in Richmond. Mesa killed one of them, and the other was wounded. I don’t know if talked before he died, but you can be sure of one thing: if he did talk, Sergeant Dan Mesa will be after us. I am going to take a long vacation in Switzerland, and I suggest, Antonio, that you visit your family on the reservation for a while. Contact DC and tell them to disappear for a while.”

Lieutenant Colonel Garnett Williamson-Mesa, a doctor of pediatric surgery, is making rounds in the hospital at Johns Hopkins University when she hears the news of the shoot-out in Richmond.

“Dr. Mesa,” a nurse says to her, “do you know a Sergeant Dan Mesa of the Arizona rangers?”

“Yes, I know Daniel Mesa. He is an Arizona ranger and a retired air force captain. Why are you asking?”

“Doctor, there was an attempted assassination of a prisoner and an Arizona ranger in Richmond, Virginia. The prisoner was killed and a police sergeant wounded. Apparently, the ranger shot and killed one assassin and wounded the other. The second assassin got away. According to the news, this same ranger was involved in a shooting in Albuquerque, New Mexico, where he shot and killed a fugitive who had robbed a Wells Fargo armored car and killed four guards, a policeman, and a city marshal.”

Dr. Mesa turns pale and sits down, shaking. The nurse runs to her aid.

“Dr. Mesa, are you all right? Can I get you something?”

“No, Alma. I’m all right. I thought I’d left Dan Mesa and the rangers behind me. That man is so stubborn! He’d rather be a ranger and chasing criminals than be here. He could be a college professor or work for some big company, but he is still playing Cops and Robbers in Arizona and now in Virginia.”

The news flashes on again, and the news correspondent is saying, “This is June Parks of ABC News with a follow-up on the shooting at a Richmond police station. I have Captain Emmett of the Richmond Police Department. Captain Emmett, what can you tell us about the shooting?”

Captain Emmett dreads talking to reporters, but June Parks is one he respects, so he decides to answer.

“June, we are still investigating the shooting. It seems as though the target was Sergeant Daniel Mesa of the Arizona rangers and a prisoner he was taking back to Arizona. We suspect it was a professional hit. The prisoner was killed, and one of our policemen was seriously injured. Thanks to Ranger Mesa, we were able to identify some of the people behind the shooting.”

“Captain, this Ranger Mesa seems to always be in the line of fire. He was involved in a shooting in New Mexico a few weeks ago. How does this situation sit with you?”

“Sergeant Mesa is a good cop, and he did what any good cop would have done. He attempted to protect and serve.”

“Thank you, Captain Emmett. This is June Parks for ABC News.”

Nurse Alma Brown is very perceptive and can tell that there is more to this than meets the eye. She decides to ask another question.

“Dr. Mesa, is this ranger your brother?”

Dr. Mesa smiles and says, “No, Alma, he is not my brother. He is my ex-husband and Devlin’s father. He was visiting us and was supposed to leave today. He never mentioned that he was here to extradite a prisoner. He probably didn’t want to burden me with his problems. He is a good man, but he can be so stubborn.”

As Dr. Mesa walks away, she mutters to herself, “Dan Mesa, you really piss me off at times. Why can’t you just stay out of my life?”

At the police station, Ranger Mesa is facing the chief of police, a Colonel Matthew E. Lee. Colonel Lee is upset. His face is beet red and the veins in forehead is popping out. He stands toe to toe with Mesa.

“Ranger, I want you out of my city before this day is over,” he tells Mesa. “I have a wounded policeman, a dead citizen, and a dead assassin. Just who the hell are you?”

Captain Emmett intervenes quickly saying, “Sir, allow me to close the door and I will explain a few things. Chief, first off, none of this is Sergeant Mesa’s fault. Sergeant Hennessey’s wounds are serious, but he will recover fully, and as for Ranson, he was injured. We just said that to keep the media from printing it in the paper. Ranger Mesa believes there is a leak in his unit and doesn’t want the traitor to find out that Ranson is still alive, so we faked his death. He was shot, but the vest he was wearing protected him.”