The Law and Dan Mesa (6 page)

An Oriental fellow steps out and says, “I don’t believe you are as tough as they say you are, and I intend to prove it. Let’s see how tough you really are.”

He takes a karate stance. Mesa tosses his weapons to Scott, loosens his tie, and takes it off. They circle each other, and his opponent tries a roundhouse kick. Mesa steps in and blocks the kick. He grabs his opponent’s ankle and twists hard, breaking the ankle. In one motion, he kicks the man in the testicles and smashes his knee with short, sharp, breaking kick. He drops the man’s leg and steps away, reaching for his gun and strapping it on. He turns and walks away.

He and Scott load into the motor home and drive away. No one says a word. As Jonathan drives, slowly everyone relaxes. Nadia makes coffee and pours brandy into Dan’s coffee. She turns toward him, and he notices a tear in her eye. He gets up and takes the steering wheel, telling Jonathan to look after Nadia.

He drives down the highway as solemn as a church mouse.

Scott turns to Dan and says, “You really are hell on wheels. When did you learn karate?”

“Scotty, I never learned it. What I know, I picked up from watching you and observing others. I hate fighting, but when I have to fight, I fight to win, and I won’t be merciful. This is being forced upon me; I will do what is necessary to accomplish my job.”

“Dan, I have known you for over thirty years, and as I said to Mr. Williamson, I really don’t know anything about you.”

Dan turns toward Scott and smiles meekly.

“Okay, buddy,” he says, “what you want to know?”

Scott looks at him and smiles, saying, “Go to hell.”

Suddenly, the tension eases.

“Dan,” Nadia says, “at that rest stop when they attacked, weren’t you afraid? I watched you, and every move you made was as if you had rehearsed everything ahead of time. Son, you are not ten feet tall and bulletproof. You’ve been shot once, and from what you told me, there is a lady in Yuma who was shot and almost killed in your presence. How do you do what you do? Has life made you so hard? I love you like you are my son, and Jonathan feels the same, but we find that we don’t know you at all.”

Jonathan is watching Mesa as Nadia speaks and sees how each word is like a lightning bolt to his soul. He knows the pain Dan Mesa is feeling. He knows it quite well, having been there himself, but that is another story.

“Mom, I am a ranger. That is who I am and what I am. I am good at what I do, and I like what I do. I don’t intentionally make myself a target. I want to live to be an old man and to see Devlin have children. I love that boy dearly, and I don’t plan to get myself killed. You and Dad are my responsibility, and I won’t let anyone hurt you. Ranson is my responsibility, and I plan to get him to Tucson in one piece. Speaking of Tucson, I should call Captain Johnson and let him know what happened.”

The phone rings at ranger headquarters in Nogales.

“Ranger Headquarters, Sergeant Savalas speaking.”

“Savalas, Mesa here. May I speak to the captain?”

Savalas sticks his head in at the captain’s door and says, “Sir, Sergeant Mesa is on the phone and wants to speak to you.”

Captain Johnson takes the phone and says, “Dan, how are things and where are you?”

“Sir, we are heading west on I-40 in Texarkana, Arkansas. We stopped at a rest stop and were attacked by what I assume to be assassins sent by Carlos Meana. We are unhurt, but there is a traitor in the rangers either there in Nogales or at the colonel’s office in Tucson. How else would they know what direction we are going and what highway we are taking? I am afraid I had to use some deadly force on the attackers. One was killed; the others are only banged up.”

“Sergeant, do whatever you have to do to protect the prisoner and yourself. I will notify the colonel, and he can notify the Arkansas state police. I know we ask a lot of you, Sergeant Mesa, and this one is above and beyond. I want you to know that it is appreciated. Oh yes, the colonel sent down a commendation for the work you did in apprehending Jackson. Call me at home later on tonight and tell me what route you are taking.”

“Thanks, captain,” Mesa says. “Sir, have you heard anything from Sonia?”

“No, Dan, nothing of late.”

“Thanks, sir.”

When Dan terminates the call, he turns to Jonathan and says, “Dad, when we get to Dallas, we are going to change directions. We will take I-35 south to San Antonio and then take I-10 west to Tucson.”

“Son, about this traitor in your organization, do you have any idea who it may be?”

“Dad, I know everyone in Nogales; I don’t believe the leak is there. I believe it is in Tucson at the colonel’s office. The person who is leaking the information has to have access to everything we do. I will call Captain Johnson tonight and bounce it off of him.”

In Amado, Sonia is preparing for work when the phone rings. It is Captain Johnson.

“Hello, Miss Perdenales, this is Captain Johnson of the rangers calling. How are you doing?”

“Captain, I am well, and I hope all is well with you. Has something happened to Dan?”

“No, Dan is okay. He is on assignment to Virginia and should be returning within a few days. He asked me if I had heard from you. He still cares about you, you know.”

Sonia works to regain her composure and says, “I know he does. Please tell him I care about him.”

“Is that all you want me to tell him? I thought that surely you wanted me to tell him you love him.”

“Captain, I am still trying to fit Dan into my life. I don’t want to lie to him and make promises I can’t keep. He deserves better than that from me. As you know, he has been through a lot. I know I am putting him through a lot now, but at least he knows I am not leading him on.”

“Sonia, I guess that is why I am concerned about seeing the two of you together. He needs you, and believe it or not, you need him. It is up to you if you want to make it a couple. Take care. I will be checking on you again soon.”

They hang up the phone. Sonia hurriedly gets dressed and prepares to leave for work. She notices a black Chevy Camaro following her at a distance. Being a cautious person, she speeds up and calls ahead to the Cow Palace and tells them she is being followed. She arrives at the Cow Palace, and the Camaro continues down the road.

The driver of the Camaro turns around and drives back to the Cow Palace, stopping briefly, possibly to records Sonia’s license number. Sonia watches from inside and makes a note to call Captain Johnson of the rangers.

She turns to Sylvia Animas and says, “Sylvia, I believe someone is following me. That black car stopped, and the driver took down my tag numbers. What should I do?”

“If I were you I would call that ranger fellow and tell him,” Sylvia says. “He will know what to do. He could be a stalker or a serial killer. Sonia, you have to call the police, because this is serious business.”

“Sylvia, maybe you are right. I am going to call Captain Johnson right now.”

The phone rings at ranger headquarters.

“Sergeant Savalas, may I help you?”

“Sergeant, I am Sonia Perdenales, a friend of Dan Mesa. If possible, I’d like to speak with Captain Johnson.”

“Yes, ma’am, I will get him for you.” Savalas walks toward the Captain’s office.

“Captain, Sonia Perdenales, Dan Mesa’s friend is on the line for you.”

“Captain Johnson here, what can I do for you Sonia?”

“Captain, today when I left for work, a black Chevy Camaro followed me all the way to work and then turned around and stopped at the Cow Palace to take down my license number. Then it went on. I’m frightened and not sure what to do.”

“Sonia, did you by chance get the license number of the Camaro?”

“Yes, I did. It was one of those personalized plates with the word
HAMMER
on it. It was an Arizona plate.”

“Okay, I don’t want you to go home tonight. Do you have a friend you can spend the night with? If so, go there, and don’t drive your car. Leave it parked, and we will come and get it. I will have the plates run to find out to whom the Camaro belongs. I will call you back in about an hour with whatever I find out.”

“Thanks, Captain Johnson, I really appreciate this. Could this have anything to do with Dan?”

“Sonia, why do you ask that?”

“I am asking, because I just have this intuition that he is in danger and that someone has tied us together. I am frightened for myself and for him. I do love him, and I want to protect him the same as he would protect me. I just can’t be a part of his life right now. He is a wonderful man, but he is dangerous and leads a most dangerous life.”

“I understand, Sonia. I will be in touch.”

Captain Johnson hangs up the phone, turns to Bonefacio, who has just entered, and asks him to run the license number. They wait, and the information appears on the screen with the name Antonio Blackbear, Carlos Meana’s man.

Captain Johnson turns around slowly with a frown on his face.

“Sergeant, do you suppose Antonio is trying to kidnap Sonia?” he asks. “I have a feeling he is thinking that, by kidnapping Sonia, he can force Sergeant Mesa to give up Ranson for Sonia. He is making the worst mistake of his life. If anything happens to that lady, I wouldn’t give five cents for his life expectancy. If she is hurt or killed, Sergeant Daniel Mesa will declare World War III. He will make that last situation with Jackson look like a Sunday picnic.”

Captain Johnson straps on his weapon and takes charge of the situation, something he hasn’t done for a long time. He has a feeling all hell is about to break a loose.

Chapter Four
 

In Amado, at the Cow Palace, Sonia is working the evening shift. When she goes to her car to get a pen, she is suddenly struck from behind and passes out. A man very gently carries her to his car and speeds off.

Sylvia sees the car and runs inside to call the police. Before the police arrive, Captain Johnson and the rangers arrive. Sylvia is hysterical and tries to tell them what happened. Finally, she settles down and tells the rangers about Sonia’s kidnapping.

The captain swears softly and says, to no one in particular, “Dan Mesa is going to declare war on Carlos and Antonio. There will be dead bodies everywhere you look.”

“Sergeant Savalas, contact Sergeant Mesa and tell him what has happened. Then I am going to Tucson to talk with the colonel.”

In an RV on I-35 heading south to San Antonio, Sergeant Mesa and Agent Ortiz are reminiscing about old times when the phone rings. Dan checks his phone and sees that it’s Savalas.

“Sergeant Mesa here.”

“This is Sergeant Savalas.”

“Hello, Savalas. How are things in Nogales?”

“Dan, I have some bad news for you. Antonio Blackbear, one of Carlos’s men, kidnapped Sonia. The captain thinks Carlos had her kidnapped as a way of forcing you to hand over Ranson. We know that Antonio is driving a black Camaro with tags that read
HAMMER
. He will probably send someone to contact you and to demand Ranson’s release. I know you care a lot about Sonia, but you can’t give up Ranson for Sonia.”

“Savalas, I haven’t lost a prisoner yet, and I won’t lose one now. Carlos has signed his death warrant; I will see him dead if he harms one hair on her head. We will drive straight through until we get to Tucson. I am sure he will attempt to contact us before we get there. Tell the captain he can be assured that Ranson will arrive on time. Sonia doesn’t deserve this. She paid her dues when her husband was killed in the line of duty. I will be in touch soon.”

Jonathan watches in silence as Mesa lays the phone down. He notices a sudden change in Mesa’s entire disposition. Dan Mesa has suddenly become very deadly. Jonathan realizes that Dan is the right person to do the job that needs doing. The man has a heavy responsibility. He understands Garnett’s reasoning for not wanting Dan to be a policeman. He is constantly in harm’s way. Devlin needs a father who will be there. Yet he understands Mesa’s decision to be a ranger. Someone has to do what he does. Someone has to care and protect those who can’t protect themselves.

Scotty looks at Dan and says, “Dan, what is happening in Arizona that you aren’t telling us?”

“Scotty, my friend Sonia has been kidnapped by one of Carlos’s men, Antonio Blackbear. The captain believes it was done in an attempt to force me to turn Ranson over to Carlos. Both Carlos and Antonio have signed their own death warrants. I will not rest until I send them both to hell,” Mesa says. “Sonia was married to a policeman in Denver, and he was killed in the line of duty. It took her some time to get over it. Then she ran into me, and we became friends. One night a few months ago, we went to dinner and dancing. We were leaving this club when a man and a woman tried to kill me. He wasn’t fast enough. I killed him, and the lady knew enough about life to give it up. In the past few months, I have had to use this gun more than I ever did in Vietnam or the Persian Gulf. I have killed six men in less than twelve months. I am not proud of it, but it was either them or me. Now I plan to kill two more men, and I don’t feel any regret or remorse. They started this; now I will end it. Sonia deserves better from life. After seeing me kill that man, she turned on me and said she couldn’t handle it, and we parted. She is the second friend to suffer because of me. Maybe Garnett was right to just distance herself from me.

“Daniel Mesa, I have known you for twenty years, and there isn’t a more decent person in the whole world than you,” Nadia says. “Don’t you go feeling sorry for yourself. You do what you have to do, and we will support you. We are passing through San Antonio now, and we will be in Tucson in a couple of days at the speed we are traveling. When we get there, you and your people try to get that lady back unhurt. I will say a prayer for her.”

Back in Tucson, word has gotten to Carlos that Antonio has kidnapped Sonia Perdenales. Suddenly Carlos is deathly afraid. He calls Antonio and demands that he come and see him. Carlos’s tone is such that Antonio dreads seeing him.