The Surge - 03 (40 page)

“My name is Leticia Gabriela Diaz. The man known as El General is dead. I killed him for what he has done to Mexico and her wonderful people. By common law, I was his wife and now claim my rightful ownership of his estate. I am going to do my best to repair the damage he inflicted, starting with the distribution of the antidote for the plague and identifying where this terrible weapon was being manufactured.”

Sam and Zach stood stunned as she continued, her words striking in their honesty, her message powered by the truth.

A short time later, the Marines were ready to head out, the plane waiting to ferry them back to Texas.

Zach and BB shook hands, the two lawmen having established a bond shared by men who had fought side by side and survived. “Promise you and Ranger Temple will come visit Queen Izzy and me after the border reopens,” the old lawman said.

“If you’ll cook some more of that steak, we’re in,” Zach grinned.

After hugging Sam, BB pivoted without another word and strolled to his pickup. He waved again while driving off, a tarp covering the mound of booty riding in the bed.

“Let’s get going, Ranger,” Sam said. “There’s going to be one hell of a lot of work patching things back together again, and I’ve got a feeling Major Putnam is going to be looking for both of us.”

Zach nodded, scanning
La Rosa
one last time. “It was a hell of a vacation while it lasted. We should come back next year and do it again.”

Cheyenne’s eyes twinkled in the candlelight, their rich hue enhancing what had already been a memorable evening.

Their dinner had been perfect, from the savory cuisine to the romantic ambiance of the restaurant’s atmosphere. Certain he had kept his promise and arranged a special date for his special lady, Zach’s mood was light-hearted and carefree.

He couldn’t help but admire the vision she created, the ranger finding it difficult to look at anything else in the room. Chey’s company could make any man feel special, and it was more than her raw beauty. There was a wholesome energy in the woman, a force that projected warmth and honesty.

Finally, he managed to break her spell, reaching in his jacket pocket and producing a slip of paper. “I borrowed some money out of my retirement account with the republic,” he said. “I want you to pay off that loan with Trustline. You can make the regular monthly payments back to me.”

“Oh, Zach,” she replied with a knowing smile while pushing the offered check away. “You don’t have to do that.”

“I want to,” he reassured her with sincerity. “Besides, there’s nothing the law can do to help, and I don’t want to see you harmed in any way. I’d arrest those crooks at that bank in a heartbeat, but given the lack of regulations or consumer protection, my hands are tied. This is the only way out.”

“You’re so sweet, but seriously, that problem has already been solved. Everything’s fine,” the beauty responded, flipping her hair over her shoulder and flashing a “cat that ate the canary” smile.

“Huh? What are you talking about?”

“While you were gallivanting around Mexico, I decided to take matters into my own hands. I mean, after all, Mr. Carson had been taken out of the picture, and I figured it would take Trustline a bit to regroup. I knew though, that it wouldn’t be long before they followed through on their threats to ruin my reputation online and thought I would just give them a dose of their own medicine,” Chey explained. Pausing for effect, she sipped her wine before continuing. “I started posting what was happening on social media and everywhere else I could think of. A few of my friends got on board, and within a day, the whole thing went viral. There were almost a million people online saying that they would never do business with that bank again. A bunch of others said they had checking accounts and were going to close them out and move to a new bank.”

Zach was puzzled by the whole thing. “Still, if you don’t pay that loan, they’re going to ruin your life.”

Chey shook her head, “Trustline called me the next day and apologized for the entire affair. They promised that everyone’s loans and accounts would be audited for irregularities and then cleaned up, and that they were firing the men responsible for the entire fiasco. They’ve even asked if I would be interested in being their spokesperson for a new series of television commercials that would help repair their reputation.”

Rubbing his chin, Zach had to smile. “Social justice,” he whispered.

“What?”

“Social justice.… Maybe those who want a smaller government are right. Maybe we don’t need all those complex laws and government agencies. Perhaps social justice will take care of problems like this for us.”

Shrugging her shoulders, Chey made it clear she had more important matters on her mind. “Take me home, cowboy,” she whispered in a sultry tone. “It’s time I rewarded my hero.”

THE END