A Texas Child

by Linda Warren

  “Hey, sweet cheeks, we finally got a break. You might want to come down to the station.”

  She gritted her teeth at the words sweet cheeks but didn’t respond. Tom wasn’t getting to her. He just annoyed her. “What have you got?”

  “Brownsville police spotted the Jag on International Boulevard going into Brownsville.” She whipped into another lane, her heart pounding. This was the break they needed. “Have they stopped the car?”

  “No. We’re keeping a tail on it to see where he goes and we want to be careful in case the baby’s in the car.”

  “I’ll be at the station in a few minutes.”

  Clicking off, she took the next exit and pulled into a restaurant’s parking lot. She poked in the FBI agent’s number.

  “Steve, could you meet me at the central police station? They’ve spotted Mortez’s Jaguar near Brownsville.”

  He quickly agreed. It was all coming together and Daniel might be back with his mother by nightfall. Maybe they didn’t need Levi, after all.

  She sped toward the station, found a parking spot and hurried inside. Before she could reach Tom’s desk, she got a call from the D.A.

  “Myra, I heard they’ve located Mortez’s car.”

  “Yes, Mr. Chambers, I’m at the station now.”

  “Good. Stay on it and keep me posted. If something happens to that baby, the D.A.’s office and the police are going to look bad in the eyes of the public and I don’t like looking bad.”

  “I’m on it, sir.”

  “Have you checked on Natalie?”

  “Yes. She’s still the same.”

  “I want that son of a bitch caught.”

  “I’m on my way to talk to Detective Hadley. I’ll call as soon as I’m finished.”

  She knew Clarence Chambers was more concerned about reelection than he was about Natalie, but that was the nature of politics.

  Tom wasn’t at his desk. She looked around and a detective sitting at a desk pointed down the hall. “Tom’s in there.”

  “Thank you.” Walking down the hall, her heels made a clickety-clack noise. She tapped on the door and went in.

  Lieutenant Moyer met her. “Mr. Coyote says he’s been hired by Stu to help find the child.”

  “Yes. Considering our investigators are overloaded, I thought we could use a little outside help. Daniel Stevens needs to be found as soon as possible.”

  “I’ll allow him to sit in, then. Tom’s in charge.”

  She nodded and he walked out.

  Levi, Steve and Tom sat at a table strewn with laptops, iPads and phones. She eased into a chair next to Steve, across from Levi and Tom, who was talking on his cell. She wasn’t surprised at seeing Levi here. She knew he would make contact with the lead detective, which was protocol. She was just surprised he’d done it so quickly.

  Tom laid down his phone. “Okay, counselor, are you ready for the police to stop the car?”

  “The D.A. wants to wrap up this case, but he wants to be very careful the baby is unharmed. As do I.”

  Tom snorted. “Like we go around hurting babies.” He made the call. “Stop the car, but make sure the baby is safe.”

  They waited in silence. Myra hoped the stop went well and that Marco would soon be in custody. The time dragged. She glanced at Levi and he was doing something on his iPad. With today’s technology, he was probably keeping tabs on the car. One of the cool things about Levi was that he was a whiz with a computer.

  The buzz of Tom’s phone startled her. He immediately clicked on. “Son of a bitch.” He slammed a fist onto the table. “Are you sure?...Yeah....Yeah....Let me know what he says.”

  Tom ran a hand through his hair. “The driver was Juan Reyes. He works for the Mortez family and was ordered to pick up the car at the Brownsville International Airport. Juan says that’s all he knows. They’re taking him in for questioning.”

  “Was there a car seat in the vehicle?” Levi asked, still on his computer.

  “Damn it.” Tom reached for his phone again and asked the Brownsville police that question. Laying his cell on the table, he said, “Yeah, there was a car seat.”

  Levi leaned back in his chair. “That baby is well hidden in Mexico by now and the law will never find him.”

  Myra’s stomach churned. All she’d eaten today had been chocolate, and she had a niggling sense she was about to throw it up. She took a couple of deep breaths. What she’d feared most had just happened. Daniel was lost to them and to Natalie. How did she accept that?

  Steve opened his computer and turned it so they could see the screen. He touched the keys. “This is the Mortez home in Brownsville. It sits on about ten acres with several metal buildings that are cooled and heated for those expensive cars. As far as we can tell, César Mortez, his wife and Marco live there. An agent checked the house yesterday and just the servants were there. One said the Mortez family had gone to the Matamoras home for a few days.” Steve clicked another key. “This is their home in Matamoras.”

  Myra saw a three-story beige concrete structure with a red tiled roof. What caught her eye was the stone fence around it. It looked like a fortress and Steve echoed her thoughts.

  “If Mortez has taken the baby to the Matamoras house, there’s no way in without Mortez’s permission and there’s certainly no way out without it, either. It would take a small army to infiltrate it, and the Mexican police will not help. There are not many Americans who are willing to go in, either. So I say we have a dilemma here.”

  Levi studied the house on the screen. He pointed to several spots. “High-tech digital cameras are everywhere. They know you’re coming before you even get there.”

  “So we just let him keep the baby?” Myra tried to keep her anger in check at this turn of events. It was hard for her to simply give up as the men were suggesting.

  “There’s not much we can do, Myra,” Tom replied. “Not without getting a lot of people killed. After all, Marco is the boy’s father and he’s not in imminent danger.”

  Myra jumped to her feet. “Don’t tell me that shit, Tom. Marco brutally beat a woman into a coma in this country and took her child. Natalie Stevens has full custody of that child. Marco broke the law here and he needs to be punished.”

  “Marco is a Mexican citizen and I’m not sure what we can do to him in this country except deport him. I’ll contact the Mexican authorities, but I can guarantee you they will do nothing.”

  Myra knew he was right, but it didn’t keep her from seething.

  Tom looked at Levi. “Now, if Mr. Coyote wants to go in there and tackle Mortez and the drug cartel, he’s welcome to go, but no one from this department will volunteer. Sorry, that’s just the way it is.”

  Levi’s eyes were on Steve. “What’s the Mortez family into?”

  “We know it’s either guns or drugs, but we haven’t been able to catch them with anything. We’ve raided the house in Brownsville, stopped those vans carrying the expensive cars and found nothing. They seem to know when we’re coming.”

  “How do you know they’re involved with the drug cartel?” Levi kept on.

  Steve tapped another key and photos popped up. “That’s César, the father, with one of the kingpins of the cartel. Here are more of meetings in Brownsville. The Mortez family is involved with moving guns or drugs for them, we’re sure. We just can’t prove it, but one day they’ll slip up and we’ll get them.”

  There was silence for a moment.

  “Concerning the baby...” Steve closed his laptop. “Ava Mortez seems like a nice enough woman and I’m sure she’s taking care of the child. The conditions in Matamoras are not as good as they are in Brownsville and Mrs. Mortez spends most of her time in Texas. Once this cools down, she’ll probably bring the baby back to Brownsville. We keep close tabs on that house and we’ll let you know
when that happens.”

  “Sorry, Steve.” Myra reached for her purse. “I have a friend who is fighting for her life and I just can’t wait that long. If she wakes up and Daniel’s not here, I don’t know if she’ll survive. The only choice for me is to go to Matamoras on my own.”

  “Are you insane?” Tom was the first to speak. “Stu wouldn’t want you to do that.”

  “Probably not. But I’m going.”

  “Myra, it’s not safe for a woman to go there alone. You’ve worked in the D.A.’s office long enough to know that.”

  “Yes, I have, Tom. It still doesn’t change my mind.” She turned and walked out of the room.

  Steve followed her. “Myra, please think about this. Just give this some time and we’ll flush him out.”

  “Natalie doesn’t have time and Stu doesn’t, either.” She looked over Steve’s shoulder and saw Levi watching her. She could read his thoughts in his eyes: You’re crazy.

  “Thanks, Steve. I appreciate your concern, but I have a feeling I’m on my own on this.” She continued her journey for the door and her legs were a little shaky once she reached her car. It was crazy. It was insane. But she couldn’t seem to do anything else. Wherever Daniel was, she knew he was afraid and wanted his mommy. She would take things slowly and feel her way.

  There was no need to talk to Levi. He’d already made his position clear. Under no circumstances was he going into Mexico. She made her way to her office in the criminal justice building to tell her boss her plans.

  Sitting at her desk, she gathered her thoughts. Could she do this? She thought of her parents and Jessie. And then there was Stu and Natalie. Who would help them if something happened to her?

  Before she made any concrete decisions, she needed food. Opening her bottom drawer, she pulled out a protein bar and then went down the hall to the kitchen for bottled water. Munching on the bar, she resolved she couldn’t leave little Daniel in Mexico.

  She hurried to the D.A.’s office and spoke to his secretary. “Is he available?”

  “Depends.”

  Myra knew this drill. She wasn’t getting inside unless it was important. “It’s about the Stevens baby.”

  “Did they find him?”

  Myra lifted an eyebrow. “You know I can’t tell you that.” Oh, turnaround was fun.

  “Go in,” the girl said with a frown.

  Myra tapped on the door and poked her head around. “Do you have a minute?”

  Clarence waved her in. He was on the phone. Laying his cell on his desk, he asked, “Any news?”

  She took a seat and told him what they’d learned.

  “That pretty much takes it out of our hands.”

  Myra smoothed an imaginary speck off her slacks. “I’d like to ask for some time off.”

  Clarence nodded. “Sure, sure. I know this has been stressful for you. It has for the whole department. Natalie was very likable and easy to work with.”

  Myra shifted uneasily in the chair, not sure how to say what she had to without him blowing a gasket. It was at that moment she realized she could lose her job over this. In the old days, that would’ve stopped her immediately, but she wasn’t young and naive anymore. She had the battle scars to prove it.

  “I’m planning to go to Matamoras.”

  Clarence pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose and leaned back in his big leather chair with a shocked expression on his face. She waited with bated breath for his next words.

  “You’re going to try to find Natalie’s baby?” He quickly held up a hand. “No, don’t answer. I don’t need to know that. You do what you feel you have to and leave the department out of it. I’ll let everyone know you’re on vacation and what you do on vacation is your business.”

  Myra was positive disbelief was written all over her face. She expected him to try to talk her out of it and, for the first time since she’d worked for him, she admired that he was willing to take a risk because this could surely come back to bite him in the butt. Only if she didn’t succeed.

  She got to her feet. “Thank you.”

  “Don’t worry about Natalie. I’ll get Michelle to look in on her daily.”

  “I’d appreciate that.”

  “Myra, just realize you can’t save everybody from the bad guys.”

  She frowned. “Do I do that?”

  “You’re one of my best prosecutors because it somehow eats at you when a person gets away with bad behavior. But sometimes you have to let go. Sometimes the bad guys win.”

  He was right. The thought of that monster keeping that little boy was eating away at her like an acid in her stomach. Now she had to really look at her motive and understand what she was doing.

  “My advice is to take someone with you. Preferably someone big and strong and not afraid of the devil.”

  Levi blasted across her consciousness. He fit the bill, but he wasn’t willing to take a risk and ruin the life he had planned. But there were other men. Surely.

  “I’ll think about it.”

  Back at her desk, she made notes of what she’d need to carry and checked airline reservations. No way was she driving across the border. Her cell went off and she reached for it in her purse. Mick. Just the man she needed to talk to.

  “Hey, Mick, you took your time calling back.”

  “Sorry. I got caught up on a case. What do you need?”

  “I need a bodyguard.”

  “Hell, Myra, I’d guard your body any day of the week.”

  Mick was like any other man. He had to get that sexual innuendo in there. But he wasn’t as sleazy as Tom. “I guess you read in the paper about the girl in our office who was beaten into a coma by her boyfriend.”

  “Yeah, it was in the paper and on the news.”

  “The boyfriend has taken their son into Mexico and we believe he’s hiding out in Matamoras.”

  “If you’re suggesting what I think you are, the answer is no. I work in Texas. I have a wife and two kids and I’m not going into Mexico.”

  “Do you want to think about it?”

  “No, sorry, Myra. But if you need a job done here, I’m your man.”

  “Thanks, Mick.”

  Fiddling with the phone, indecision gripped her. Everyone was telling her this was insane, so why wasn’t she listening? Maybe, like Levi, the thought of that little boy being taken from his mother had gotten to her. Something needed to be done.

  She found herself headed back to the hospital. She needed to see Natalie to resolve all the doubts in her head. It was getting late and the hospital seemed very quiet, or maybe that was just the uneasiness in her. The nurse allowed her to see Natalie for a moment.

  Myra stared at her friend, who was only a shadow of the vibrant young woman she used to be. The bruises stood out against her pale skin. When she woke up, how was Myra going to tell her that Daniel wasn’t here?

  Dr. March walked in with a chart in his hand. “Good evening, Ms. Delgado.”

  “Good evening,” she replied. “Is there any change?”

  He scribbled something in the chart. “No. Sorry.”

  “If her son was here with his baby chatter, would it be a stimulus for her?”

  He closed the chart. “Yes, that’s why we allow her father to visit. A familiar voice can be a trigger to bring her out of this deep sleep. Have they found her son?”

  “No. I was just wondering.”

  “Keep positive thoughts,” he suggested. “Her body and mind have been traumatized. It takes time to heal.”

  “I’ll try to remember that.”

  She reached out and touched the limp hand on the bed. “Get better, Nat. I’m doing all I can, but you have to help me. You have to get better.”

  There was no response and Myra knew there wouldn’t be. As she
stood there in the quiet room, with only the hum of the machines, a calm came over her. Doing nothing wasn’t in her nature. If she let Marco have Daniel, she would never be able to face Natalie again. Natalie looked up to her, but it was more than that. Natalie trusted her, and now Myra had to trust her own instincts. She had to tackle the most dangerous job she’d ever attempted.

  But first she had to tell Jessie and her parents.

  * * *

  LEVI DROVE STEADILY toward Willow Creek and home. His services weren’t needed and there was nothing else he could do. Thinking about Myra and her ridiculous plan only pissed him off. She’d been told the risk repeatedly and, as always, Myra did as she pleased. His conscience was clear.

  He wasn’t sure why he kept glancing in his rearview mirror. He had no reason to feel guilty. Going to Houston in the first place was a crazy thing to do. He’d sworn he wouldn’t help Myra, but both Stu and the thought of a kidnapped baby who needed his mother had swayed him. And then there was that little matter of living with a conscience that continually mocked his decisions.

  The more miles he left behind him, the more his conscience chimed in. Myra’s body would probably be found on the banks of the Rio Grande within days. If there was one thing the drug cartel didn’t like, it was Americans asking questions, and Myra was good at asking questions. It was her forte and it would be her downfall.

  He pulled over to the side of the road. Cars whizzed by on the warm September day, the heat intensified by revving motors and blacktop. He told himself he wasn’t responsible for Myra’s actions. Her number was on his phone and he quickly found it. What could he say to her that hadn’t already been said? Could he go back to his safe life and leave her to face an untimely death? Tapping his fingers on the steering wheel, he knew there was only one answer. He finagled his way back into traffic and headed for Willow Creek.

  * * *

  MYRA SPENT AN hour with Stu explaining the situation and, though he was upset, he didn’t try to stop her. He left that decision up to her, but strongly suggested she hire guards to go with her. Stu wanted Daniel home with Natalie and he offered to pay for a bodyguard.