The Law and Dan Mesa (7 page)

He arrives at Carlos’s hacienda and walks in.

“Antonio, who told you to kidnap Mesa’s friend?” Carlos asks. “Just what the hell do you think you are doing? You have just screwed up any chance I had of becoming legitimate. Now where is she? She had better be safe and unhurt. If you hurt one hair on her head, I will kill you myself. We have been friends for a long time, but this time, you went too far.”

“Boss, I was only trying to help. We have her, and the ranger will have to give up Ranson for her. She is his friend. They are very close, so he will have to give up Ranson.”

“Antonio, you don’t know Mesa as I do. He will not give up Ranson for anyone. Now he will come after you and me. He will never give up. Our only choice is to get across the border. Let’s see what is on the news about her kidnapping.”

Carlos turns on the television.

“This is Fiona Bacuss, reporting from Amado where a lady named Sonia Perdenales was kidnapped by Antonio Blackbear, a known accomplice of Carlos Meana. The reason for the kidnapping is unknown. Ranger Captain Johnson of Nogales is on the scene and has told this reporter that the rangers will take every possible step to find Miss Perdenales. I have learned from other sources that Sonia Perdenales is a personal friend of Arizona ranger Sergeant Dan Mesa. The question is, does this have anything to with the sergeant? This is Fiona Bacuss reporting from Amado.”

Carlos turns toward Antonio and says, “I am sure the border is sealed and they are looking for us. Where do you have this lady stashed?”

“I have her at your house in Patagonia. She is a nice lady. I can see why Mesa likes her.”

“Antonio, if you want to stay among the living, you will leave her alone. If you hurt her or cause her to hurt herself, I will personally shoot you. Do you understand me? Dan Mesa already has it in for me for killing his friend about ten years ago. Now you have added one more reason for him to kill me. If I die, so will you. I told you I was working on an idea so that we could turn an illegal business into a legal business. Because of your actions, all that has gone up in smoke. We will be lucky to survive until next month. You don’t know the rangers like I do. They will track you to hell and back. They are all tough men, and Captain Johnson and Dan Mesa are the toughest. Johnson is an old Lobo, and he taught Mesa. If both of them come after us, we are dead. So you had better keep her safe and sound.”

In Yuma, it is a cool October morning. Alana is preparing for work when she hears of the kidnapping. She yells to her mom.

“Mom, come quick!”

“What is it, child?” Matilda asks.

“Mom, do you remember the lady Dan told us about in Amado? Well, Carlos Meana and his men have kidnapped her. The Santa Cruz guys are sealing the border and hunting Carlos and Antonio. If I know Dan Mesa, he is headed toward Tucson. I would hate to be Carlos and Antonio. Mom before this is over, a lot of blood will be spilled and people will die.”

“Alana, how is it that a man like Daniel Mesa winds up with so much trouble in his life? He can’t seem to get a break. Everyone he becomes involved with seems to either get hurt or they hurt him. I pray that he find happiness during his lifetime. He is too good of a man to go to waste. So my darling daughter, think about what I am saying. The two of you could do great things together.”

Alana looks at her mom and smiles.

“Mom, one thing at a time. I have to get comfortable with my new situation in life. What if he doesn’t want me anymore? I treated him very badly. As you said, he is too good of a man to let go. I do love him dearly, and when this is over, I plan to tell him.”

On the road somewhere approaching El Paso, Dan is driving, and they are listening to Marty Robins on the radio. Oddly enough, the song is about an Arizona ranger and is entitled “Big Iron.”

Scotty turns to Jonathan and says, “Mr. Williamson, doesn’t that song remind you of someone you know?”

“Yes, it does, son. I first heard that song when I visited Garnett and Dan when they lived in San Antonio. They had been married about a year when we went for that visit. I had been stationed at Williams Air Force Base during World War II but didn’t know much about the west. When I met then-Lieutenant Daniel Mesa for the first time, I thought he was a joke. But he wasn’t then, and nor is he now. He took me horseback riding, and I watched him handle a horse. I knew at that moment that he was just what he appeared to be. He flew home with Garnett to ask for her hand. When he walked through that terminal door, he looked like he had just stepped out of a western novel.” He pauses, then adds, “He doesn’t fit in the East. I know why he prefers to live here in the West. He is a part of it, just as surely as the cactus and the roadrunners. He would die if he had to live any other place. That song ‘Big Iron’ should have been written for him. He is that ranger.”

The song ends and another begins—“From Whence Came the Cowboy” by the Sons of the San Joaquin. Dan drives on seemingly with one thing on his mind, and that is to rescue Sonia and then make Carlos and Antonio pay dearly.

As it approaches dinnertime, Nadia asks, “Where are going to eat tonight? Honey, why not stop at a roadside park, and we can fix supper in the RV. It will be good for all of us. Dan, what are your thoughts on the subject?”

“Mom I like the idea of a cook out. I hope there are steaks. I believe I could eat a horse.”

“Dan, I see a roadside park ahead. Maybe we can stop there and cook supper. It will be great to just sit for a while and enjoy the sunset. You need to relax for a while. Why don’t you take out that smug pot you call a pipe and smoke it and relax? Jonathan and I will fix dinner.”

Dan pulls into the parking area, and everyone unloads. Jonathan and Nadia prepare dinner. Scotty, Ranson, and Mesa sit and talk.

In Patagonia, Arizona, it is raining. It is one of those sudden electrical storms that happens in Arizona and is sometimes deadly. Suddenly, lightning strikes a transformer, and a fast-burning fire begins that spreads to Carlos’s house, which is immediately engulfed in flames. By the time the fire department arrives, the house is too far gone to save. After the firemen rush in, they discover a body.

Jim Killian, a rookie fireman, discovers the body. He finds a slightly melted driver’s license and discovers the identity. He calls the fire chief, Captain Orlando Garcia.

“Tell me what we have, Jim.”

“Sir, I discovered a body that appears to be that of Sonia Perdenales, that friend of Ranger Mesa that was kidnapped.”

Captain Garcia turns around slowly and says, “Oh my God. This is going to tear Dan apart. He was really crazy about her. We’d better call Captain Johnson at the rangers and notify the local police. Hell is about to burst wide open.”

The phone rings at ranger headquarters in Nogales.

“Arizona rangers, Sergeant Savalas speaking.”

“Sergeant Savalas, this is Captain Garcia from the fire department. I need to speak to your captain. It is an emergency.”

“I will get him right away, sir.” Savalas rushes into Captain Johnson’s office saying; “Sir, Captain Garcia from the Fire Department is on the line for you.”

“Thanks Sergeant.”

“Hello Orlando, what’s up?”

“Sam, I have bad news. It is as bad as it gets. We responded to a fire at a home in Patagonia. By the time we drove from Nogales, the house was a smoldering ruin. When going through the rubble, we found the body of a female.”

“Orlando, I believe I get the picture. You found Sonia’s body?”

“Sam, I’ve had to do some terrible things as a fireman, but this is the worst I’ve had to deal with. I knew her, and I know Dan Mesa. Sam, what will he do now? You and I have known him a long time, and I am afraid he will go crazy first and then there will be dead people all over southern Arizona.”

Captain Johnson clears his throat and slowly says, “Old friend, I don’t even want to think about what he will do. Whose house was it that burned? Please don’t tell me it belonged to Carlos Meana.”

“Yes, it was Meana’s house, but there were no signs of him having been there. Sam, when we found her, her hands were tied with some type of cord that survived the fire. She didn’t have a chance. It makes my blood boil. I will tell you this: If I could get my hands on Meana or Blackbear, I would kill them myself.”

“Thanks, Orlando, for calling. I need to call the colonel and let him know what has happened. The FBI will have to be told also. It is now a federal case, involving kidnapping and manslaughter or maybe even murder. The coroner will have to tell us the story. I will talk with you later.”

When Captain Johnson turns around, he see the rangers waiting at the door He knows he has to tell them what has happened, and he suddenly feels very nervous. \

“Guys, that was Captain Garcia of the fire department. They answered a fire alarm at a house in Patagonia. The house had burned, and they found Sonia’s body inside. Her hands were tied. The house belonged to Carlos Meana. I have to call Colonel Grant first, and then I have the task of telling Sergeant Mesa. That is one task I am not up to.”

Sergeant Savalas remembers how much in love with Sonia Dan was. He also knows that all hell is about to break open.

“Captain, this isn’t good at all. Dan Mesa has paid a heavy price these last few years. This one could break him. How do we handle this? How can we help Dan? I know him well, and someone is going to pay for what happened to Sonia. I hate Meana, but even he doesn’t deserve what is going to happen to him and Antonio.”

A private phone rings at Colonel Grant’s home. When the red phone rings, Grant knows something bad has happened. The number is that of Santa Cruz Company, Sam Johnson.

“Hello, Sam. I know that, whatever it is, it is bad. So, tell me the bad news.”

“Sir, you are right. The fire department here answered a fire, and they found the body of Sonia Perdenales in the ruins. Her hands were tied. We don’t know the cause of her death, but it appears to be asphyxiation due to the fire. The coroner will know the actual cause of death by tomorrow. We have kept it quiet from the reporters until I could talk with you. Sir, you know all hell is about to break open when I tell Sergeant Mesa about this. I can’t let him hear about it from the television or radio news.”

“Sam, do what you think is best. I will notify the FBI, and I’ll call you later on tonight.”

In the coroner’s office, Dr. Jaime Hernandez is working on the body and reaches his conclusion. He calls Captain Johnson.

“Sam, Jaime here. I just finished the autopsy on Sonia. The cause of death is smoke inhalation. She also had a small gash at the back of her head as if she had been hit there. If she had not been bound and restrained, she could have gotten out before it got bad. It is my opinion that this was intentional. You should go to the district attorney and ask for a charge of murder. Someone should pay dearly for her death.”

“Thanks, Jaime, I will be in touch.”

Supper has been completed, and Nadia is playing the guitar as Dan sings a wayfarer’s song about the sea. Dan’s cellular phone rings.

“Sergeant Mesa here,” he answers.

“Dan, Captain Johnson here. Dan, I don’t know any other way to say this, so I am just going to tell you. There was a fire in Patagonia, and the Nogales Fire Department responded. It was a bad one. By the time they got there, the house had burned. When going through the rubble, they found a body. It was Sonia. According to Captain Garcia, her hands were bound. The coroner, Dr. Hernandez, said the cause of death was smoke inhalation. I wish there was something I could say or do to make it better. Get back here as soon as you can. There is a lot we need to do. Dan, I know you well, and I know how your mind works. Please, don’t go off half-cocked. Promise me you’ll come in and talk before you do anything.”

“Captain, I’ll see you soon.”

He shuts the phone off and walks away stiffly.

Ranson breaks the silence when he says, “Who died? I can tell from the look on your face that someone has died.”

Dan spins around with his gun in hand, walks up to Ranson, shoves the barrel in his mouth, and cocks the hammer. Ranson’s eyes are as big as saucers.

Nadia cautiously walks over and puts her hand on Dan’s arm.

“Son, you don’t want to do that,” she says. “That’s not the way.”

Mesa becomes aware of his actions and relaxes his grip on the gun. He sits down and slowly tells them what happened. Scotty walks over and pats his friend on the back and walks away. He remembers a time when he too felt the loss of someone special.

Ranson stands up and apologizes to Mesa for his words. Mesa just walks away without saying anything. Jonathan loads up the RV, and they drive into the night.

In Tucson, the television, radio, and newspaper news agencies have been notified, and there is a continual news broadcast. Carlos has learned of the fire and knows he has to kill Dan Mesa before Dan kills him. He calls his friends in Dallas, and a contract is put on Ranger Daniel Mesa for two hundred thousand dollars—dead. As is always the case, word drifts back to Tucson, and the rangers are alerted.

In the meantime, Carlos and Antonio are running for their lives. Twice, they have tried crossing the border, but due to constant identity checks, they know they can’t risk it.

Mesa arrives in Tucson and turns Ranson over to Captain Johnson. He is extremely irritable and stays away from everyone.

Captain Johnson calls Mesa into his office and says, “Sergeant, I don’t know what to say to you to make things better, so I won’t try. Colonel Grant and I are working hard to find those responsible. Let us do our job, please.”

Mesa looks at the captain for a few seconds and says, “Sir, she didn’t have to die. Someone has to pay for her death. I need to get Jonathan and Nadia to my place. I have my friend Scott Ortiz of the FBI with me as well. I will be in touch.”

Mesa drives to his ranch and gets Jonathan and Nadia settled in. He turns to Ortiz, says thanks, and walks away. He climbs into his truck and slowly drives away.