Dark Moon Crossing (27 page)

“Jesus, Mary and Joseph,” he whispered, gunning the
truck towards the Sundog. Rounding the corner that led into the wide parking
area, we both gasped aloud. I could hardly believe my eyes. Replacing the
tranquility I’d left only yesterday morning was the unexpected sight of four
Pima County sheriff’s patrol cars with lights ablaze. A white television van
was parked at the mouth of the drive along with two Border Patrol vehicles,
Dean’s pickup and a shiny black Lincoln. “What the hell…” Payton’s voice
trailed off as he skidded to a stop. We both jumped from the truck and ran
towards the group of people gathered at one corner of the clearing.

Following on his heels, I can only describe the scene
as surreal. Tinny squawking emitted by the radios in the patrol cars rose over
the emotion-charged clamor of anxious tourists gathered near the white fence
where the horses had been tethered during my first visit. In the center of the
clearing, two uniformed Border Patrol agents, clipboards in hand, were
questioning a ragtag group of eight somber-faced Mexicans sitting in a circle
on the ground. A few of them drank from gallon water jugs while others smoked
and talked amongst themselves.

Rob, the young cowboy I’d met on Sunday, and still
wearing a BEAUMONT RANCH PATROL sweatshirt, stood nearby conversing with
several other scowling ranch hands. He turned and glared at the group, his
eyes burning with a look of such fierce retribution it took my breath away.
His words, ‘believe me they’ll pay a price for this’ resounded in my ears.
Briefly, his eyes met mine before he turned and stomped away, swatting his hat
against his thigh. I couldn’t wait to find out what had happened.

On the front steps of the house, Dean Pierce, his face
flushed with anger, and a petite gray-haired woman I assumed was his wife,
Henrietta, physically restrained a distraught Twyla, as two burly sheriff’s
deputies pushed a defiant Jason Beaumont into the rear of a patrol car. “No!”
she screamed, “you can’t do this! How about a little compassion for us! How
about a little consideration for
our
rights as American citizens?‌”
Little shock waves rattled around inside me when I spied Champ hunched in the
back of a second vehicle. Within earshot, a camera technician was focusing on
a flustered-looking television reporter interviewing a slender Hispanic woman
of perhaps thirty-five who bore a striking resemblance to Lupe. Well-dressed
in a smartly tailored navy suit, she smoothed her slightly disheveled hair and
clothing as she spoke passionately into the camera. “That’s right, Tom, Mr.
Beaumont’s brutal response to my inquiries is typical of the White ranchers in
this region and illustrates the violence directed towards Hispanic people,
especially unarmed migrants who are simply crossing to find honest work. This
racist hatred is also fueled by the government’s on-going lethal border
policy. Operation Gatekeeper is a major factor. The unfair buildup of agents
at the legal entry points is responsible for funneling innocent men, women and
children into these deadly regions where as many as one thousand have died of
dehydration and exposure in the past four years alone. Frankly, we’re sick and
tired of the Border Patrol and local law enforcement agencies looking the other
way when ranchers employ these vigilante tactics and commit all manner of
heinous crimes against humanity….”

Scarlet blotches stained Payton’s cheeks and he swore
under his breath before swiveling around to make a beeline for one of the
patrol cars. “Dan, what the hell is going on here?‌” he demanded, addressing
one husky deputy perched on the front seat of his vehicle filling out a wad of
forms attached to a clipboard.

Appearing slightly annoyed, the officer scowled up at
him. “I’m kinda busy now, Payton.”

“I can see that but…someone said there’s been a
shooting. Is Brett all right?‌ Was he involved in any way?‌ And what’s the
deal with Jason and Champ?‌ Are they being arrested?‌ For what?‌” His voice had
climbed to a screech.

“Why don’t you take a couple of deep breaths and calm
down,” the deputy advised. “Now, unless Brett has been magically transformed
into an immigrant male in his late teens, then he wasn’t the one who took a
bullet in his gut.”

Payton looked slightly taken aback and swallowed
hard. “Oh. Well, what happened?‌”

“We’re not really sure yet.” He nodded towards the
group of illegals seated on the ground. “Apparently some of these fellows
jumped out from behind some bushes and scared the living crap out of some of
the guests during a trail ride earlier. There was a lot of panic when one of
the horses spooked and a woman fell off. While she was lying on the ground,
she claims one of the illegals roughed her up and tried to steal her horse.
Champ tackled him, there was a scuffle, and he insists that his gun went off
accidentally. But, the Mexican swears Champ deliberately fired at him. It
remains to be seen if he’ll be charged.”

“With what?‌” Payton asked sharply.

“Whatever the Pima County Attorney’s Office decides.
Could be attempted murder, aggravated assault or possibly endangerment.”

Pointing to the tight cluster of immigrants, Payton’s
eyes turned flinty. “Is there no justice?‌ Did they tell you what these
barbarians did to their cattle over the weekend?‌ How can you guys side with
these…these…depraved criminals...?‌”

Vaguely, I wondered how Payton knew about the
butchered cattle. Dan scowled back at him. “We’re not siding with anybody.
Just trying to do our job. Period.”

“You’re right. I’m sorry.” He closed his eyes and
held the bridge of his nose momentarily before asking, “What does…how is Jason
involved in this?‌”

The deputy shook his head in disgust. “Stupid kid.”
He went on to explain that the younger Beaumont had made a complete spectacle
of himself when Hispanic activist and immigration attorney Linda Lopez had
arrived on the scene with a television crew demanding to know what had
happened. Apparently they’d been at the port of entry in Sasabe doing a story
on the rigorous new border policies when all the excitement erupted and they’d
followed Border Patrol agents to the ranch. When Champ ordered her off his
property, she’d threatened him with a second lawsuit. “That’s when Jason lost
it,” Dan stated. “First he shoved the cameraman and then he went for the Lopez
woman’s throat. It took me and two other deputies to pull him off of her.
He’s just begging to have her file assault charges against him.”

“What happens now?‌” Payton asked, running a knuckle
back and forth across his upper lip.

A shrug. “The usual. They’ll be arraigned before a
judge in the morning and he’ll probably set bail. In Champ’s case, it’ll probably
be pretty high since he’s already in hot water with the previous charge. Hey,
look, that’s about all I can tell you without compromising this case. If
you’ve got any more questions you’ll have to talk to Sheriff Musgrove,” he
said, thumbing towards a mustachioed man leaning in the back window of the
patrol car talking with Champ.

Payton thanked him and moved away mumbling bitterly,
“That meddling bitch better watch her back.” Apparently forgetting that I was
there, he turned and loped towards the house, most likely on a mission to find
Brett. Because I needed his vocal chords to report my stolen car to one of the
many law enforcement officers milling around, I scurried after him. The sudden
exertion made me woozy and just a tad sick to my stomach. No doubt dehydration
from the fever was taking its toll.

He rushed around the side of the house and pushed the
kitchen door open. A cacophony of noise poured out, along with two
harried-looking middle-aged couples with suitcases and plastic bags clutched in
their hands. They jostled past us, one woman shouting behind her, “Come on,
kids, we’re getting out of here now. This is too much wild west for me!”

Payton and I stood aside as three kids wearing long
faces trailed behind them. As they hurried towards a car bearing Ohio license
plates, I couldn’t help thinking that this was just the type of scenario Champ
had feared most. Filled with sympathy for him, I followed Payton inside. In
between the parade of other guests and members of the Hispanic staff scurrying
back and forth, I spotted a tall man in a checkered shirt with his back to me,
the wall phone pressed to his left ear. Bethany, clad in snug tan jeans that
emphasized her perfect buttocks, stood close to him, leaning her blonde head
against his bicep while she cuddled Brett next to her.

I edged a glance at Payton’s features flattening with
displeasure. I’m sure the sight of Bethany schmoozing with the hunky wrangler
probably frosted him big time, but when I looked back at them again, icy
butterflies danced a nervous jig in my stomach. Wait a minute. There was
something terribly familiar about the cowboy’s muscular frame.

“Well now, isn’t this a cozy family picture?‌” Payton
sneered.

Brett’s head whipped around. “Daddy!” he shrieked, breaking
away from Bethany’s grasp to throw his arms around Payton’s thighs. “The
sheriff is taking Grandpa and Uncle Jason to jail!” he cried, staring up at his
father for consolation. “Can’t you stop them?‌”

Bethany peeked over her shoulder, saw me, saw Payton,
and then, blue eyes aglitter, she slid her arm possessively around the man’s
slim waist. The culmination of all the doubts festering at the epicenter of my
subconscious mind erupted to the surface. No. It couldn’t be. But even as my
eyes continued to reject the obvious, my tortured heart grasped the awful
truth. As if in a dream, the man slowly turned and fastened startled brown
eyes on me. Oh, my God! It was Tally.

Even if I’d had my voice, the shock of seeing him with Bethany’s arm coiled around
his waist like a venomous snake would have rendered me incapable of speech. In
the span of mere seconds, my emotions seesawed between wild elation and wounded
bewilderment. More than anything else on earth, I wanted to run into his arms,
but the sight of Miss Totally Perfect, clinging to him, and him not seeming to
mind, brought bitter bile to the back of my throat. In contrast, I’m certain I
looked as if I’d just arrived at death’s door. It was heartening to see a
glimmer of relief behind his eyes, but it was gone in an instant, replaced by
resentment as his questioning gaze tracked back and forth between Payton and
me. “Never mind, Ginger,” he barked into the phone, “she’s just shown up.
Yeah, I’ll call you back. What?‌ Yeah, she appears to be fine. Looks like I
cancelled my trip for nothing.” He slammed the receiver onto the switch hook
and just stood there, breathing hard and glowering at me with a mixture of exasperation
and disappointment.

“I…I
can’t believe you’re here,” I managed to squeak out, really wishing that I’d
said ‘what a sweetheart you are to have come looking for me!’

“Apparently,” came his dry reply.

“Bradley,” Payton remarked, nodding coolly, “I
certainly didn’t expect to see you here.”

In an equally chilly tone, Tally replied, “Hello,
Payton. Guess I could say the same.”

What?‌
They knew each other?‌ Mush. My brain cells were pure mush. And then it
struck me. Payton had known the Beaumont family most of his life. Of course
he would have run into the Talversons during that space of time.

“Brett,
why don’t you run upstairs and get your things,” Payton said, giving his son a
little push towards the doorway.

As the little boy streaked from the room, Bethany
crooned, “Now see, Tally, you were all worried for nothing. Didn’t I tell you
she was probably with Payton?‌ I mean, she’s practically spent the whole
weekend with him.”

The intimate gesture of Tally’s hand coming to rest on
her shoulder had my insides shriveling. “Well, Bethy, guess you were right.”

Smug.
She looked so damned smug. Bethy?‌ Had he called her Bethy?‌ Even in my
weakened state, a surge of heat fueled my dormant temper.

“Where
in the hell have you been?‌” Tally growled at me. “I’ve been all over this
town, all over this whole goddamned county looking for you!”

Holding
my throat, I grunted, “I can explain….”

“I’m
not sure I want to hear it. I’ve already heard several versions of your warm
and cuddly lunch with Payton yesterday. So…is this the surprise you had for
me?‌”

My
screech of protest came out a crackling honk and I threw Payton a ‘hey, how
about helping me out here’ look, but his hostile stare was drilling a hole
through Bethany, who appeared delighted with his discomfort. Eyes sparkling
with malicious pleasure she clicked her tongue. “My goodness, Payton, what a
bad boy you are.” Her eyes raked over his mud-spattered clothes and then
zeroed in on my torn jeans. “Looks like you two have been rolling in the mud.”

I
glared at her, anger forming a hard block in my chest. What the hell was she
up to?‌ Skewered by Tally’s look of outraged betrayal, I stood mute, benumbed
by the entire situation, physically unable to say anything to defend myself. Surely
he wasn’t going to buy into this carload of crap?‌ When my pathetic attempt to
dispute her allegations came out sounding like a strangled hiss, I locked in to
his intractable gaze, shaking my head in denial, hoping he’d decipher the SOS
in my eyes. But as he surveyed our incriminatingly disheveled appearance and
continued to wait stone-faced for my explanation, I could sense a gulf forming
between us. The palpable disconnection of our hearts seemed almost audible and
left an aching void in my chest.

“I’m
positive there’s a special corner in hell reserved especially for you,” Payton
responded in a deadly tone, meeting Bethany’s wicked expression.

Consumed with white-hot rage, I took several steps
forward, poised to go for her jugular, just as Twyla staggered into the room
and collapsed into a chair. “Oh, dear God!” she wailed. “What am I going to
do?‌” She stared at us as if we somehow held the answer to her dilemma. “I’ve
got six more couples arriving this afternoon from a Chicago brokerage firm.
They’ve pre-paid for a cattle drive plus a barbeque cookout with dancing
tomorrow evening! What about the other guests?‌ How am I going to run this
place when I’ve got to meet with our lawyers in Tucson first thing in the
morning?‌ I might be there all day.” Voice cracking, she buried her face in
her hands and sobbed, “This is going to ruin us!”

Payton said crisply, “Don’t worry, Twyla, I’ll contact
the rancher’s coalition right away. We’ll take up a collection to get them
out.”

As if not to be upstaged by Payton, Bethany sprang to
her side. “Don’t worry, Mummy,” she crooned, slipping a comforting arm around
the older woman’s shoulders, “everything’s going to be okay.” For once, she
appeared genuinely concerned. “Look, Tally’s here now. I’m sure if we ask,
he’ll be glad to stay and help us out for a few days.” She turned to him, her
vivid blue eyes beseeching, beguiling. “You can stay, can’t you?‌ Please say
yes. Please?‌”

Twyla looked up, her tear-stained face brightening
with hope. “Oh, Tally, would you?‌ We would be ever so grateful!”

Taken off guard, Tally paused before leveling me with
a look that made me question whether my heart was still functioning properly.
“Well, since it appears that Kendall has decided to stay on to pursue her own
agenda…I guess there’s no reason I can’t stick around and give you folks a
hand.”

Twyla
jumped up and threw her arms around him. “God bless you, dear boy.” Then she
turned to me. “Oh, Kendall, I’m so sorry about your California plans, but I so
much appreciate you loaning him to us for a little while. I’ll tell you what,
since Champ may not be arraigned until Thursday, you two can have our room and
I’ll take the lower bunk in Brett’s room. Will that be okay?‌
Blah…blah…blah….”

Strange.
Her mouth was moving but suddenly her words made no sense. Maybe it was
because of the loud ringing in my ears. Blackness closed around me as the
floor came up to meet me.

The
next thing I remember was the sensation of someone placing something cold on my
forehead. I strained to open my eyes, but my lids felt like they were stapled
shut. I drifted again peacefully for a while before the murmur of nearby
voices intruded. “That’s what I’ve been trying to tell you people all along!”
Payton spat. “Come on, Brett, if we leave now, we’ll just have time to make
the movie.”

Bethany
called, “Have him back by….”

“I’ll
bring him back when I damn well please.” Seconds later the slam of the front
door reverberated throughout the room.

“Well,
my goodness, he’s in a snit today,” Twyla fretted. “As if we don’t have enough
problems.” A short silence was followed by, “So, what are we going to do with
her?‌ We can’t take a chance on her infecting the other guests.”

Fully awake now, I stayed still, deciding I’d glean
more information if they assumed I was unconscious. A saccharine voice easily
identifiable as Bethany’s whined, “Tally, I’m sure you don’t want to take any
chances on being around her either. She’s probably really contagious. Why
don’t we put her back in the spare room like before and you can sleep in my
bedroom?‌”

Her insinuating offer, followed by Tally’s hesitation,
turned my insides to ice.

“I’m going to make this easy for everyone,” came his
weary reply, “and stay in the bunk house with Art.”

Twyla protested, “I won’t hear of it. I insist you
stay in my room. Brett won’t mind a little company, I’m sure.”

“I’ve got a better idea,” Bethany cut in. “Why don’t
we have someone drive her back to Castle Valley?‌”

I tensed during the extended pause and then relaxed
when Tally stated, “No, I think she’s too sick to travel.”

I despised being talked about in the third person and
forced my eyes open to stare at the dark wooden beams running the length of the
living room ceiling. Flat on my back on the couch, still fuzzy-headed, I
turned my head and looked up into Lin Su’s expressionless eyes. “Drink,” the
Chinese woman said, proffering a cup to my lips. “You feel better.” She
placed one hand behind my neck and propped my head up. It was some kind of tea
with a sweet licorice flavor. The warmth soothed my fiery throat, so I gulped
it greedily. She pulled it away, cautioning, “Sip. Sip slowly.”

“You’re
awake.” The two simple words made me turn to stare into Tally’s fathomless
brown eyes, hoping to see the light of forgiveness there. I didn’t.

“Payton
explained where you were last night.” His words sounded crisp. “Sorry to hear
about your car.”

Not
sorry to hear about my ordeal or that I was so sick, just sorry about the car.
The brittle tone of his voice matched his gaze, assaulting my senses, and
making my heart feel like it was being pulled through a cheese grater. What
was the matter with him?‌ Still unable to talk, I shot him a perplexed look as
he continued with, “I passed along all the information you gave Payton to one
of the deputies and I’ll call Ginger about your cards and things.” He offered
no apology for doubting my faithfulness, just continued to look offended and
totally pissed off. A heavy mantle of guilt settled around my shoulders. It
wasn’t difficult to read his mind. As far as he was concerned, sick or not, my
zeal to pursue Lupe’s story had produced the same results. Our California trip
was history. I came off looking like a total shit-heel, having broken my
promise and he appeared in no mood to forgive and forget. Obviously reveling
in my misfortune, Bethany’s expression of haughty triumph irked me to no
end.

I mouthed, “I’m so sorry,” then indicated that I
needed something to write on. Lin Su scooped up the little notepad sitting
beside the phone and handed it to me. I wrote, ‘
I need to talk to you alone
soon. I have some really important things to share with you
’ and held it
out to him. His fingers brushing mine sent a pleasurable thrill through me.
Surely, he wasn’t going to stay angry with me forever?‌

Maintaining
an impassive expression, he read the note and folded it up. “Maybe later, when
you get your voice back and you’re feeling better.” He turned to Twyla. “I
think she may need medical attention.”

“Oh,
there’s no need for that,” was her breezy response. “Lin Su is our unofficial
medical practitioner. She’ll whip up a bowl of her famous herbal soup and
Kendall will be on her feet in no time.” She fastened an affectionate smile on
the Chinese woman, who nodded in return. “Her medicine is better than anything
you can get from a regular doctor, trust me.”

Tally
looked as skeptical as I felt, but said nothing. In no condition to complain,
I was banished to the little ironing room again on the second floor, where I
lay alternately sweating and shivering. Lin Su insisted I hand over my grungy
clothes to be laundered, and since replacements were in the trunk of my missing
car, I had no choice but to accept a nightgown that I assumed belonged to
Bethany. She helped me into it, left and then returned to rub an acrid-smelling
salve on my throat. After piling blankets over me, she plied me with spoonfuls
of herbal soup and left me with a bowl of ice chips with lemon sprinkled on top
for my raging thirst. Time dragged as I fretted about Tally. Where was he?‌
Why hadn’t he come to see me?‌ How was I ever going to make this up to him?‌ I
could imagine Bethany taking full advantage of the situation and I seethed with
fury. Outside the open window, the muted sounds of ranch life wafted up from
below before being drowned out by the rumble of arriving vehicles. Probably
the large party of guests Twyla had mentioned. From my sickbed I could hear
the sounds of car doors slamming, lots of good-natured chattering, raucous male
laughter, and finally someone shouting, “Yee Haw! Let’s brand some doggies!”

It
quieted down after a few minutes, but my ears perked up at the sound of Tally’s
familiar baritone, so I struggled out from under the mound of blankets and
stumbled to the window in time to see him and Bethany walking towards two
horses tethered to the pipe fence near the barn. I fought off a wave of
dizziness, and as if to underscore my condition, Bethany’s words floated up to
me. “Honestly, I don’t know what you see in her. She’s seems like kind of a
wimp.”

Wimp?‌
Wimp! My fingers tightened around the windowsill when Tally shot her a look.
But, to my extreme disappointment, he said nothing in my defense, just untied
the reins and swung into the saddle while Bethany smoothly mounted her
Appaloosa. Watching him ride away with the self-ordained ranch queen at his
side was ego-crushing to say the least. She rode like she’d been born on a
horse, seemed so completely at ease with ranch life, so…perfect for him. No
doubt she and his mother got along famously. An overpowering wave of desire
rolled over me. I don’t think I’d ever wanted him more than at that particular
moment.

Feeling
isolated, wretched, and supremely sorry for myself, I turned and crawled under
the nest of covers, my mind playing and replaying the memory of them together
until I thought I was going to throw up. Rather than continue the mental
torture, I cleared my head and refocused on my story instead. Okay, O’Dell,
back to basics. Rule number one: follow the clues until a link is found. Problem:
both Lupe’s relatives and Javier’s mother vanished during the crossing
process. Why and how?‌ Possible solution, alien abduction. End of story.
Time to go home. I sighed and settled into the pillow. That was easy. Too
easy. I gave myself a mental kick. Come on.