The Surge - 03 (9 page)

“It’s okay if you’ve changed your mind,” Ranger Temple continued, realizing how aggressive her last statement had sounded.

“Count me in,” the leggy model replied without hesitation. “Let’s take these rustlers out and hang ’em from a high oak tree.”

Cheyenne arranged to meet the rangers first thing in the morning. She would call Carson early and agree to meet his client.

After kissing Zach on the cheek, the two lawmen watched her exit the coffee shop and enter her miniature, electric carriage.

She hadn’t been gone more than two seconds before Sam turned and said, “Mom called to tell me President Clifton was closing the border with Texas. She’s worried that she’ll never see me again.”

“The U.S.A. is doing what?” Zach responded with a start. “Closing the entire border?”

“That’s what she heard the Prez say. Evidently, our neighbor to the north is pissed about a number of things, including the availability of unlimited firepower, our closing the border with Mexico, and the lack of cooperation between Texas and the United States.”

Zach tilted his head, “Damn. That ain’t good. If you think we were under a lot of pressure to solve this case before, wait until this shit hits Austin’s fan.”

The trio reunited at the coffee shop the next morning, Chey, as usual, running late. While he and Sam waited, Zach’s attention was drawn to the wall-mounted television broadcasting a popular morning show.

The news, as anticipated, was dominated by President Clifton’s decision to close the borders with the Lone Star Republic. From the sound bytes, it was clear the U.S.A.’s chief executive had her panties in a wad.

“This is a tremendous undertaking for our great nation,” she stated. “The border with Texas encompasses four states and is actually several hundred miles longer than the previous international boundary with Mexico. It is a challenge that our law enforcement and border patrol communities assure me can be accomplished.”

The commentators were all aflutter over the situation, no doubt motivated by the ratings boost sure to result from the strife.

Next came the opening bell on Wall Street, gloom and doom predictions aplenty as the world-famous index opened several hundred points lower. Uncertainty was bad for business. The billions of dollars’ worth of trade normally flowing between the two countries would now be at risk.

The new Texas Stock Exchange, recently dubbed Harris Street, was experiencing the same negatives.

Chey rushed in, glancing at her oversized wristwatch and mumbling, “Sorry,” as she made her way to the waiting officers.

Zach remained patient as the two women chitchatted over tea. Finally, he glanced at Chey and said, “Ready?”

“Willing and able,” she winked.

Producing a cell phone from her bag, Chey started to punch in Mr. Carson’s direct number, but Sam stopped her. “We want to record the conversation,” the lady ranger explained.

“No problem. That software app I downloaded will do the trick. I can email you the file once we’re done.”

Sam threw Zach a questioning look, and after receiving an approving nod, said, “Put it on speaker so we can hear, please.”

A minute later, the trio was listening intently as the familiar male voice answered. “Trustline National Bank. This is Mr. Carson. How can I help you?”

“Hi, Mr. Carson. This is Cheyenne. How are you?”

“I’m just fine, ma’am. Have you thought about my offer?”

Rolling her eyes at the two eavesdroppers, Chey responded with a pleasant, “Yes … yes, I have. I’m still sitting on the fence. I would like to meet your client before making any decisions.”

There was a pause on the other end, Zach wondering if Mr. Carson was having second thoughts. That concern soon passed, however, the banker finally returning with, “Of course. I’m sure that can be arranged. From what I hear, he is apparently a very charming gentleman, and it just so happens that he’s in Texas at the moment. Are you free this afternoon, per chance?”

Zach shook his head and mouthed a stern but silent, “No! Tomorrow at the soonest.”

“I’m sorry Mr. Carson, but I have a photo session this afternoon. My schedule tomorrow is clear?”

“I see,” replied the banker, apparently not troubled by Chey’s busy calendar. “Let me get in touch with my client and arrange a time and place for you two to get acquainted. I’ll call you back shortly.”

Chey disconnected the call and then exhaled in relief. “Swoooo. That was a lot harder than I thought. Now I’ve got a bad case of the jitterbugs.”

“You did great,” Sam smiled, patting the girl’s arm for support.

“Sure did,” Zach chimed. “I’m damn proud of you.”

The trio sat for nearly an hour before Carson called back. “I’ve got good news. My client is in San Antonio for a few days and would like to meet you. He will be dining at the Titus Steakhouse on the River Walk, and hopes you can join him at 5 PM sharp. Is that acceptable?”

Zach didn’t like it. In order to buy time while the ranger thought it over, Chey said, “I’ve never been to that restaurant before. How should I dress?”

“Titus is extremely exclusive,” Carson responded with a highbrow tone. “All of the dining rooms are private, and their wine cellar is known as far away as Paris. I would suggest something formal.”

Now Zach really didn’t like the meeting place, but there wasn’t an alternative. With a reluctant nod, he signaled Chey to agree.

“Wonderful,” she said with as much upbeat inflection as she could manage. “Tell him I’ll be there at five. Whom should I ask for?”

“Don’t worry about that. They’ll be expecting you. Good luck.”

Before Chey had punched the “End” button on her phone, Sam had already pulled up the restaurant’s web page on her laptop and was studying the associated map. “This isn’t going to be easy,” she mumbled, looking at the eatery’s location from a tactical point of view.

“The River Walk never is,” Zach said flatly. “But we didn’t have a lot of options. We’re just going to have to bring in some help.”

Zach watched Cheyenne drive off, the two rangers having spent the last hour doing their best to prepare her for tomorrow’s meeting.

No sooner had her taillights vacated the coffee shop’s parking lot, than the senior lawman turned to his partner and said, “You get to work on the equipment. I’m going to start making some calls for backup.”

“Major Putnam isn’t going to like this, Zach. I hope you’ve thought up a really good line of reasoning to convince him to pull personnel off the massacre case and point them toward a pervert banker.”

“Who said I was calling the major?” the Texan smirked back. “I have a few friends that might be willing to help.”

Sam wasn’t pleased with where the operation was heading. “What the hell are you talking about, Zach? We need sworn peace officers involved in something like this, preferably Texas Rangers.”

Zach shook his head, “Look, there’s a distinct possibility that Mr. Carson’s associate is just a rich dude that likes pretty ladies. Maybe he’s into some weird kink, and the missing girls were too embarrassed to go home. Maybe they’re still alive and enjoying the partying life on the man’s private jet and private island. At this point, we just don’t know what we are dealing with.”

“Maybe. There’s also a chance that the man is an ax murderer on a rampage.”

“We’re supposed to assume a person is innocent until proven guilty. Having the Texas Rangers come down on a wealthy man who is guilty of nothing more than being horny and having the money to satisfy his desires isn’t the right move in my book.”

Sam thrust her hands on her hips, a sure sign she wasn’t going to give in quietly. “We have to protect Chey. And I mean
really
protect her. How are you going to do that without calling the major?”

“Let me make a few calls while you take care of the hardware. Afterward, if you’re not happy with the team I recruit, then I’ll call the major and plead our case.”

Ranger Temple, after extended contemplation, agreed.

Zach pulled out his cell phone and dialed a number from his contacts. The call was answered on the third ring. “BB? This is Ranger Bass. I’ve got a little operation going on tomorrow in San Antonio, and I could use another man. Any chance you could get away and help out one of your old students?”

While he listened to the response, Zach flashed Sam an “I told you so,” look. Shaking her head in frustration, she turned away and began working her own cell phone.

An hour later, Zach informed his partner that his team was in place. “We’ve got BB and Detective Gus Monroe from El Paso joining us in the morning. I think three rangers and a street-smart cop should be enough, don’t you?”

“For Chey’s sake, I sure hope so.”

“How did your assignment work out?” Zach asked, wanting to change the subject.

“I’ve rounded up two micro GPS locator units, one of them disguised as a pair of earrings. The other we can put in her shoe. I also have two programmable button microphones with a 75-meter transmission range and encoded frequencies.”

“Damn,” Zach said, obviously impressed.

“The tech from Austin HQ is getting everything ready.”

“Video monitoring?”

“We have two nano-cameras embedded in regular ink pens. They’re older technology but will work. The tech at HQ said all the newer, smaller units had been checked out. We are going to have to get them inside the restaurant somehow.”

“No problem. I can take care of that.”

Sam’s gaze drifted off for a moment as she mentally reviewed some stored checklist. “I think that’s all we can do today.”

“Agreed. Let’s head for San Antonio. I want to scout the area around Titus and then get a good night’s sleep.”

“Lead on, oh, mighty fighter of crime,” Sam teased.

As the two rangers drove toward the republic’s third largest city, Sam noticed Zach seemed sullen and withdrawn.

“You worried about Chey?” she speculated.

“Yeah, but there’s something else that’s bothering me. Something about Chico’s story that just doesn’t make sense,” the ranger admitted.

“Go on.”

“The cartels are operating internationally; everybody knows that. We also know that there are places in the Middle and Far East where all kinds of heavy weapons are sold in open-air markets alongside slabs of beef and locally grown herbs. I’ve seen pictures of gun stores in Pakistan that offered everything from belt-fed weapons to Russian heavy mortars.”