by Carolina Mac
Nate took a stance in front of Mason’s desk. “We’re jacking too many cars too often. We’re gonna get caught.”
“We’ll do one tonight,” said Mason, “then we’ll slow down to once a week only.”
“Okay, tonight, then nothing for a week,” said Nate. He pointed a greasy finger at his brother. “But it’s still a shit of an idea. It’s too soon.”
“I’ve got a spot picked out,” said Mason. “There’s an oilmen’s meeting at the Westin. Should be lots of nice rides to pick from.”
Nate nodded. “Sounds okay.”
Elgin.
TRAVIS FOLLOWED the GPS to the home of Arturo Perez in Elgin. He’d called ahead and arranged to see Perez when he arrived home from his job in Round Rock where he worked on a construction crew. On the phone, Perez had sounded anxious to talk about his car.
Perez opened the door before Travis knocked. He’d been watching for him out the front window. A short, stocky Hispanic, tanned and muscled up from manual labor, he offered Travis a hand and welcomed him inside.
“Did the police find my car? Is that why you called me?”
“No, but we might find it soon, sir. We’re hunting down stolen Camaros for another reason, but I wouldn’t be surprised if it helped find your car too.”
“That’s the best news I’ve had since it was stolen. I called the station where I reported it and they haven’t found a thing.” He pointed to the sofa in the small living room at the front of the house. Shabby furniture, but clean and tidy. “My wife isn’t home from work yet.”
Travis sat down and pulled out his notebook. “Could you tell me exactly where you were and any details you can remember about the day your car was stolen?”
“Sure. The worst day of my life. How could I forget?” He jammed his hands into the pockets of his jeans and paced while he talked. “I’d only had it back from the paint shop for two days and I was anxious to have it finished before our anniversary. I had reservations at the Oasis, and I wanted to drive Maria up to the lake in the Camaro to make it extra special.”
“Right, the Oasis up at Lake Travis?”
“Uh huh. Beautiful spot to eat, especially if you’re there at sunset. We had some wine, and great dinner and when we came out to the parking lot, the car was gone.” Perez’s voice cracked.
“And you reported it right away?”
“The Sheriff came and filled out a report. They put out a bulletin and that was it. Nothing happened after that.”
“The VIN number and the tag number will be on the report?”
“Everything,” said Perez, “Has the car been involved in something else? Is that why you’re searching for it?”
“Possibly,” said Travis, “I can’t discuss the case, but I can tell you that now that we’re coming at if from this angle, your chances of getting your car back have improved considerably.”
“I read about the car-jack murders in the paper. Is that your case?”
Travis nodded. “I’m with the Violent Crime Team. We don’t do stolen vehicles, but with the murders involved, it came to us.”
“Violent crime,” said Perez, “that’s Ranger Blackmore’s team.”
“My boss. If anybody can find your car, it will be him.”
Perez stuck out his hand. “Thanks, man. Thank you so much.”
Cherokee Junction.
BECCA SPENT a lot of extra time in Harlan’s tiny bathroom, working on her makeup trying to cover up the mess Mason had made of her face and neck. The pain in her throat had eased up a tiny bit during the day with the help of a lot of Advil and a couple shots of bourbon, but she still couldn’t speak above a whisper.
Harlan leaned on the doorway and watched her. “Don’t think you should go to work, baby. You ain’t fit to be hauling beer on those beautiful legs for the next seven hours.”
“If I don’t go, Tommy-Joe will fire me, sugar. You know how mean spirited he is and I need this job—we need this job to keep us eating.”
“I’m not going with Nate and Mason tonight. Ain’t my turn. I’ll go to the roadhouse and watch out for you, Bec. Now that you’ve got the new stash to sell, I wouldn’t trust those crack-heads in the parking lot of the Spur. They’d like to knock you down and take it all if they could. I’m gonna see that doesn’t happen.”
“You are my sweet thing, Harlan,” Becca whispered. “A true blessing.” She kissed him and went back to fixing her makeup.
Westin Hotel. Austin.
JESSE AND TYLER QUANTRALL found seats near the back of the meeting room and chatted to other oil men they knew. It wasn’t long before the keynote speaker took the stage and the room went quiet.
An hour later, the man finished his boring speech about wealth building and diversifying and Tyler yawned.
“Can we go home now, Jesse. I’m beat.”
“Yeah, I think we’re done here. I’ll take all the hand-outs home and Brian can look them over. He always has something to comment on.”
“You mean argue about, don’t you, bro?”
Jesse chuckled. “Let’s go. If we have time, we’ll stop at Boots for one on the way home.”
The parking lot was crowded because of the convention. Oilmen from all over Texas had turned out for the event. Many had flown into Austin and were staying the weekend, but Jesse and Tyler were lucky enough to live close by—only half an hour out of the city.
“Do you remember which row I parked in?” asked Jesse.
“Near the back,” said Tyler, “It was crowded when we got here. I should’ve checked the row number.”
“Yeah, I think you’re right.” Jesse waved an arm. “Near the back and over that way.”
“Press the fob and see if the lights flash,” said Tyler.
“I think I see it,” said Jesse, “then he shouted, what the hell?” and broke into a jog.
“Don’t run, Jesse,” hollered Tyler easily catching up to his brother. Then Tyler saw the guys trying to break into the Rover. “Stay here, Jesse. I’ve got this.”
Jesse leaned on the closest car for a minute and watched Tyler take off running. He could hear Ty shouting. “Hey, y’all get away from our truck.”
Jesse slowed his breathing as he pulled his Beretta out of his holster and walked through the row of vehicles. He came out on the same row as his truck and saw the jackers about to tackle his brother. He called it in as he walked towards them with his gun leading the way. “Y’all get down on your knees with your hands behind your heads. You’re under arrest.”
NATE SWUNG the tire iron in a vicious arc. He missed the cowboy’s head and hit him in the arm just above the left elbow. The crack was audible as the bone broke and the cowboy fell to the ground. The other guy hadn’t caught up. He’d slowed down like something was wrong him. Out of breath or something and couldn’t run. Lucky for them.
Mason had the bike revved up and as soon as Nate jumped on the back Mason squeezed the gas and took off.
JESSE TOOK aim as the Harley rolled away from him and fired two quick shots. He thought he saw the guy on the back of the bike wince, but he wasn’t sure. “Too far away now.”
He hurried to help Tyler.
NATE BARELY HEARD the shots over the rumble of the big Harley engine, but he felt the sting seconds later when a bullet buried itself in his shoulder. He groped his back with his right hand and his shirt was already soaked in blood. “I’m hit Mason. Get us out of here.”
Blackmore Agency. Austin.
BLAINE SAT ON the back-porch steps waiting while Lexi had her last run of the night. He couldn’t let her out loose because the old fences had been taken down and the new iron security version hadn’t been installed yet.
His phone jangled on his belt and he wondered who would be calling so late. His heart did a double beat when he read the screen. “Jesse, what’s up?”
“Jackers, Blacky. Come to the Westin. I’m in the parking lot.”
“Slow down, partner, you’re out of breath.”
“Need help, Blacky. H
urry. They hurt Ty.”
“Coming. I’m on my way. Did you see the vehicle?”
“Harley. They’re on a big decker. I got a couple letters and a number.”
“Good, I’ll be there in ten.” Blaine put the BOLO out on the bike, called Lexi in and hollered for Farrell.
Route Seventy-One North.
THIRTY MINUTES north of the city Mason felt his brother let go of him. The big bike wobbled as Nate tipped to the right, then fell off. Mason steadied the bike, hit the brake and got it stopped. He reefed the stand down and ran back along the shoulder searching for Nate in the pitch dark. “Nate, where are you?”
Not a sound and Mason couldn’t see shit. He pulled out his cell, shone the light around scanning the ditch and he saw Nate lying in the long grass, not moving. He called Harlan.
“Yeah, what?”
“A fuckin cowboy shot Nate. He’s passed out and in the ditch. Bring your truck and pick him up.”
“Where?”
“Don’t know where. It’s dark and no houses around. Come down seventy-one until you see the bike.”
“Fuck, Mason. This is bad.”
“Hurry up.”
Westin. Austin.
FARRELL PARKED beside Jesse’s Range Rover. It had been taped off and the crime scene techs were all over the outside of it trying to get prints from the jackers. Jesse sat in a pile on the ground, pale and out of breath, his Beretta still in his hand.
“Farrell, get him in my truck,” said Blaine. “Let him lie down in the back seat.”
Farrell helped Jesse stand and got him into the truck. “Where’s Ty, boss?”
“Ambulance took him.”
“How bad was he hurt?”
“I think is arm is broke bad. The dark-haired jacker laced him with a tire iron.”
“Right, tire irons are their specialty,” said Farrell. He reached into the driver’s door and handed Jesse an open Coke. “Drink this.”
Blaine stuck his head in the back door to talk to Jesse. “The techs are getting some good prints off the Rover.”
“I saw them,” said Jesse in a whisper. “One big guy with his face all bashed to hell and the other one was tall and thin with black hair and a bike jacket.”
“Get a shot off, boss?” asked Farrell.
“Fired two rounds and I think one connected. They were moving fast away from me.”
“I put the BOLO out on what you told me,” said Blaine, “A three, a four and maybe a zed. Big tour bike. Hope highway patrol spots them.”
“ElectroGlide Classic, I think,” said Jesse.
“Good, that’s good,” said Blaine. “Now we’ve got something solid. Do you want to go to the hospital and check on Ty, or do you want us to drive you home?”
“They gonna take my ride to impound?”
“Yep. They won’t take long if there’s no inside work. The assholes never got the doors open, did they?”
Jesse shook his head. “Drive me to Coulter-Ross, Blacky. I have to pick up Charity.”
“Does Mom have the baby?” asked Farrell. “You should just stay there overnight, boss. You ain’t fit to take care of your little baby.”
“I might have to do that, kiddo.” Jesse laid his head on the armrest and closed his eyes.”
Route Seventy-One North.
HARLAN BROKE a few speed limits heading down the highway and keeping a lookout for Mason and the bike. It was better than half an hour before his headlights hit the Harley on the shoulder of the road. Mason sat straddling the bike, smoking a joint.
Harlan screeched to a stop, jumped out and ran to his brother. “Where’s Nate?”
“Down there. Couldn’t get him out of the ditch on my own.”
“Come on,” said Harlan, “help me and we’ll get him into the back seat of the truck.”
“Get the truck closer,” said Mason. “I’ll get the bike out of the way.”
With a lot of grunting and cursing, they finally got Nate out of the deep ditch and into the back of Harlan’s truck. “He needs a doctor,” said Harlan. “Look at all that fuckin blood.”
“You take him to a doctor if you want. I ain’t going to no hospital and getting my ass arrested.”
“What if Nate dies?”
Mason threw his big leg over the decker and started it up. “Bring him to the trailer. I’ll fix him up.”
Coulter-Ross Ranch. La Grange.
ANNIE WAS STILL up when the boys arrived with Jesse. They came through the door into the kitchen, Farrell on one side and Blaine on the other, propping him up.
“My God, boys, what happened to Jesse?” She waved an arm, “Put him on my bed and I’ll get Declan.”
“Declan is back from Ireland?” asked Farrell. “Good, Jesse needs him.”
“How did he get like this?” asked Annie.
“The car-jackers tried to take the Rover,” said Blaine, “and I guess Jesse tried to run.”
A whisper was all Jesse could manage when he said, “They hurt Ty.”
“What?” Annie’s face lost color. “Where’s Ty now?”
“Hospital,” said Farrell, “we’re going there next.”
“Shit,” said Annie. She ran down the hall and got Declan from his room. “The boys put Jesse on my bed, he doesn’t look good.”
Declan grabbed his medical bag and his stethoscope and jogged down the hall to the master suite. “Jesse, my man, what have you been up to?” Then he put a finger to his lips, not wanting Jesse to talk. “Relax, Jesse, slow your breathing.” To Farrell: “Whiskey, lad. A decent shot.”
Farrell ran to the bar in the dining room and brought a bottle of Texas bourbon and a glass. He poured until Declan nodded his head and handed him the glass.
Declan propped Jesse’s head up and encouraged him to drink until he’d emptied the glass. “Lay back now. You’re finished for tonight.”
“Charity,” said Jesse.
Annie patted his arm. “Sound asleep in Jackson’s crib. I set it up for her.”
“Thanks, Ace.”
Saint Michael’s Hospital. Austin.
BLAINE INQUIRED at the desk outside of the Emergency department, trying to track Tyler down. The nurse on duty, checked her screen and nodded her dark head.
“I’ve got him. He was examined by Doctor Revell in Emerg, then sent to X-Ray. From X-Ray they sent him straight to surgery, and that’s where he is now.”
“Surgery?” asked Blaine, “I thought he had a broken arm.”
“If it’s not a clean break, or there were complications,” she said, “he would need surgery.”
“Shit,” said Farrell.
The nurse pointed, “End of this corridor, take the elevator down and follow the signs.”
“Thanks,” said Blaine. He turned to Farrell as they hurried along the corridor. “Should I call Brian?”
“You better tell him,” said Farrell. “The doc can get pissy about his brothers.”
Blaine called Brian’s cell, woke him up and explained the situation.
“Declan is with Jesse?”
“Yes, Jesse and the baby are both staying the night at Coulter-Ross.”
“Good. I’ll meet you at the hospital as soon as I can.”
Once Doctor Quantrall arrived to watch over his brother, Blaine and Farrell went home to sleep.
Cherokee Trailer Park.
BETWEEN THE TWO of them, Mason and Harlan got Nate into the trailer and onto the sofa. “He’s out cold,” said Mason, “What should we do?”
“It’ll soon be morning,” said Harlan. “I’ll go get Becca, buy bandage stuff as soon as the drugstore opens, and come back. If he wakes up, give him whiskey.”
CHAPTER SIX
Sunday, August 12th.
Blackmore Agency. Austin.
BLAINE WOKE to a sound he didn’t recognize. “Not enough sleep,” he mumbled to Lexi. “Up half the fuckin night, girl.” Lexi jumped up and wagged her tail, not looking tired in the slightest.
“What the hell is that noise?”
Blaine sat on the side of the bed, grabbed his phone and his smokes and stood up with a loud groan. “I’m so stiff. I didn’t rest enough yesterday.”
Downstairs, he opened the back door for Lexi and she bolted straight for the landscape crew already working on the yard. Carm was out there too, giving the men glasses of sweet tea. “Jeeze, what time is it?” He checked his phone.
It’s only eight-thirty. Has everybody gone nuts? I thought it was Sunday.
Farrell came through the screen door and handed Blaine a mug of coffee. “Thought you could use some caffeine.”
“Sure could, bro. Thanks.”
Farrell watched the guy with the post hole digger for a couple of minutes. “Those guys have a plan?”
“I made a plan with Carm,” said Blaine, “Hope they stick to it.”
“Why are they here on Sunday?”
“No idea.”
“What time’s the autopsy on the floater?”
“Ten, I think,” said Blaine, “I want to get to the lab and see what Sue came up with on the prints from Jesse’s Rover. We might get a break.”
Cherokee Junction.
BECCA COUNTED her money, took out what they needed, and tucked the rest of the bills in with the drugs in the new metal lockbox Harlan had bought at the hardware. “What’s the chain for?”
“I’m gonna chain the box to the pipes under the sink, baby, so you don’t have to worry no more.”
Becca locked the box, put the key on the ring with her car keys and smiled at Harlan as she handed him the box. He was the first person ever who cared about what she wanted or needed. She watched him open the cupboard door, get down on his knees and hook up the chain.
“How bad off is Nate?” she asked.
Harlan finished under the sink and stood up. “He’s bad, Bec. What time is it? Is the drug store open yet?”
“Five after nine. We should go.”
“Are you bringing anything for Liz?” asked Harlan.
Becca patted her black purse. “I’ll bring it, but no way I’m giving her product for free.”
