by Doug Ball
The Deputy left the bodies and went to the dead Mexicans. “Did you help them die, Mr. Lawler?”
“No, son, I didn’t. I probably would have if they looked like they were gonna live, but I didn’t have to. My son did a right nice job on them two and wounded at least one of the others that left in the chopper. Wasn’t no way he could win against the four, but he tried. My son tried. He gave his life for two dead women he didn’t know. He died a man to be proud of, but I’ll miss him. He was all I had left.”
“I am sorry for your loss, Mr. Lawler, very sorry.”
The sound of the siren broke their quiet moment. The deputy looked up. “Looks like the Sheriff sent out a crew.”
“Tell your CSI crew I handled those guns by the barrels only. I just picked them up between two fingers and moved them to a safe spot in case I was wrong about them being dead.”
“You did right, sir. Why don’t you go over and have a seat on that rock. I’ll get you a chair out of the back of my truck in a few minutes.”
“I’ll do that.” Ray walked away with his head up and tears rolling down his face.
The camera had been left in the pocket of rocks where he stood as he filmed the entire incident.
7
“Governor, you have a call from the Pima County Sheriff’s office, PIO Sergeant Mills.”
“Is it important? I am very busy and only have a few minutes before I have to get beautified for the next meeting.”
“He says you need to hear what he has to say. Sheriff’s orders.”
The Governor hit speaker on her phone. “This is the Governor, Sergeant. Please make it brief.”
Fifteen minutes later she was crying in her chair as the Sergeant hung up.
“Josie, Get Tan in here five minutes ago.”
“Yes, Governor. I’m on it.”
#
Rachel had to call three places to find Tan. “Governor wants you now.”
“Call her office and tell her I am in a meeting with Director Armistad. It’s concerning the tunnel raid and other items of importance. I’ll be there within twenty minutes.”
“Will do.”
When the Governor found out, she left the office after cancelling her meeting, and walked to the Director’s office and joined them in their meeting. She enjoyed the startled look on their faces when she just came walking in and took a chair at the table.
“Five dead in the south, three of them are our civilians.”
Things got quiet.
An hour later, after many ideas and pieces of information had been exchanged, the Governor left.
Arriving back at her office, she asked Josie about the calendar for the next morning. Finding out there were just a couple of minor visitors coming to her office looking for favors, she told Josie, “Schedule a press conference for 9 AM. Five minutes. They will love it.”
“Will do. Here or on the steps.”
“Here.”
“Donuts, etc?”
“No.”
Josie turned and started working her phone.
The Governor called her car and went home an hour early.
#
Leon Baldinado received the two officers at his front door. One look and he knew he wasn’t going to like this visit.
“What’s the sad faces for, or do I want to know.”
“Leon. We been on the same team for years. I don’t wanna be here. Your daughter is dead. Shot down by four men in Mexican Army uniforms carrying Mexican Army weapons while she was unarmed and working a dig in the southern part of the state, Pima County.”
Leon motioned them in and walked to the wet bar in the corner of the living room. “Drink?”
“You know we can’t drink while on duty.”
“I also know you are heading home from here, PD policy.”
“Bourbon.”
“Beer.”
Leon served them and poured a double Jack Black over ice for himself before sitting. “Tell me about it.”
“You got all we know, Leon. Crime scene crew is still working the scene.”
“The Buenos Aires dig.”
“I think so. They were working when it happened. The only other thing I know is a man and his dad saw the whole thing. The man died trying to stop the assault. Killed two of the bad guys.”
Leon took a sip from the glass. “Thanks for coming by. What are you doin’ now, Arch?”
“Ah, me and this rooky been chasing bad guys who beat up their wives and kids and such. You know, Domestic Team.”
“I hated that. Got off that crap in three months. Had to punch out an attacking husband to make that happen.”
“Yeah, but somebody’s gotta do it. We been here for five months and the boss says we’re going into vice next month.”
“Vice was fun. Great to see the bribes offered from the VIP and married johns we caught with the whores. One guy offered me a thousand dollars to let him walk or use a phony name. Damn, that was tempting. Needed money bad that day.” He sipped again.
“Yeah. They try real hard to lead us astray.”
Leon looked at his glass. It was still almost full. He tipped it up and let the sting roll down his throat and sat the glass on the table next to his chair. “Thanks, fellas. Drink up I gotta go. Take it with ya if ya want.”
“What you gonna do, Leon?”
“Go kill some Mexs after I find out who sent that team north.”
“Call me if you need info or whatever.”
“I’ll do that, Arch. Thanks for that, too.” He looked at the younger man, “You take care of this old fart, ya hear.”
“I’ll do that, sir.”
Arch got up to leave with his glass still untouched by his lips. “Oh, well, bottoms up. No sense wasting good booze.” He tipped and emptied the glass. “Burn, baby burn.”
Leon was already heading for the bedroom to get working clothes on.
#
Using her home phone the Governor called a friend in the south. “Tomasina is your husband still working with the Army in the Nogales sector?”
“Si.”
“Ask him to call me at this number when he gets home, por favor.”
“I will do that, Amiga. What is the problema?”
“The intrusions into our country, chica.”
“He will call.”
#
Tan talked with Lenny and Bruce in the office, “You two head on down to Buenos Aires area and see what you can skim from the Sheriff’s Office first thing. Ask the Sheriff nicely if he would mind if we work in his county like the Governor wants us to. Get copies of all intrusion reports from the past two years with the exception of the War for Arizona and let’s look for patterns. Meet with the man who lost his son. Take him out to dinner and grill him nicely. Same for the parents of the women, husbands if they have them.”
“Tan.”
“Yeah.”
“Lana Baldinado was Leon’s daughter.”
“What?”
“Yeah, his only daughter. I got a call from a friend who says he suited up and headed south after being notified.”
“Find Leon and get him on our side. Let’s bring him back on the team. At least then he will be legal as he works on the case. Maybe it will remind him of his oaths and the need for the courts to render justice.
Tan thought for minute, “You two get going as fast as you can and let’s get on this thing. We don’t need any more of this, that’s for sure.”
“We can be outta here and down there by midnight,” Bruce said.
“I’d like to spend the evening with my wife,” said Lenny. “How about we leave about ten? We’re just gonna find a motel tonight, anyhow.”
“That works,” Tan said, “Let’s get rolling in the morning. I may make it down there tomorrow late.”
They all discussed a couple minor things and then went their separate ways.
Rachel heard the whole thing and asked, “Got room for me on this.”
“I’d bet on it, but right now I need you an
d Chuck coordinating reports and holding down the fort. Tell Chuck I said to get all the info he can on intrusions and current border problems from the Guard and AzBP. ”
“Oh, goody.”
“You find out who might have a chopper down there other than the Army of Mexico. I’m leaving shortly. Gotta stop at the Federal Building and then I’m going home.”
“Bye.”
#
Armado looked over to the corner of his office just as the phone rang on his desk. Checking the lights he saw that it was the private line between this office and El Trinchante. His mind flashed to the knife the Patrón kept on his desk, the large carving knife he was named for. Armado picked up the phone, “Si, Patrón.”
“You have failed again.”
“We got the product back, Patrón.”
“At the cost of two soldados and three gringos dead. Those two women will raise the stink we do not want. How do we build the market if we kill the women of the customers? It is not good. My condolences to the families of your soldados. It is a shame they must die for your bad planning. How are the two wounded ones?”
“I did not plan this. All I did was tell them to go and retrieve the product. One of the dead men led the attack on the women, I know not why. The aircraft is okay. There could be no witnesses way out there in that place.” Armado said, adding, “My wounded are recovering nicely.”
“There are four, your three men who survived and an old man. A gringo old man. One more error like this and you will die, and your beautiful women will move into a special house I have in Piedras Negras. They will work there until your debt is paid in full.”
“No, Patrón. I will get you what you want. It will take time and some must die.”
“No more Norte Americano women. No more innocents. Get rid of the witnesses, Armado, or I will use that for my excuse to kill you. I am not happy with you. Oh, yes, Diego is in jail.”
“I know, Patrón, but they have nothing on him. All he carried was a radio and food. I now know how they catch our mulos. They pay the Indio to catch them. They pay them big.”
“Pay them bigger. Find a hole. Buy a hole. Dig no more holes. We lost six men in the tunnel and the Federales use our end for a garbage dump.”
“Si, Patrón. I will do as you say.”
The phone died in his hand. He dropped it like he had been shocked. Manuel watched from the corner until the look on the Patrón’s face scared him enough he turned away.
Armado had little hope for this enterprise. He could not pay the guards and Indio enough to get a passage made safe. He had tried that. He must find Filipe, his brother, and have his wife and the girls taken out of the country. His two sons will be his bodyguards now. Vincenté is dead from the wound he got shooting at the man with the women and his brother is in the jail. Perhaps the boys could take the women out. His sons had never done anything with the cartel. Neither was a made man.
#
‘That damned phone,’ Josie thought as she answered, “Governor’s office, how may I help you?”
“This is the AG’s office. Let me speak to the Governor please.”
“Stand by.” She pushed the ‘HOLD’ button and buzzed the Governor.
The Governor was not any happier that Josie, “Yes?”
“Governor, the AG asked me to call you and tell you that the Fed has refused payment on the bill you sent them for the children covering food, housing, and transport, along with all the personnel involved. I will quote, ‘No payment will be forthcoming until Arizona falls into line with the President’s policy on these immigrants’.”
“That’s just peachy. Tell the AG to sue for the money and the court costs for the suit.”
“Yes, Governor. Good day.”
#
El Trinchante looked at the phone for a long time, a very long quiet time, as his personal guard sat and stood quietly around the pool with him. His current mistress dove into the pool with her golden hair catching the sun deep in the west. The bikini she wore was one he had personally bought her the last time they were in Houston on business.
Sorrow hit him for two reasons. Soon he would have to go home to the wife of his home and the mother of his children. But, now he would have to deal with Armado, stupid Armado Borrago, a man who had been his strong right arm for ten years and now was a weakling who stole from and lied to his Patrón, El Trinchante. This could not be allowed. If one did it and got away with it, all would begin to believe they could also. Money was tight enough already, he did not need more disappearing.
“Miguel, let us go for a walk and talk.”
“Si, Patrón.”
“I want you to do me a big favor. I need you to watch Borrago’s family and see they do not leave the country. If they should, I want you to make sure they have a short holiday up north or wherever they go. You will use this credit card and carry only your plastic knife my friend. Do you understand?”
“Si, Patrón. You wish for me to make sure his family can never talk to the law no matter where they are. And, you know I can be trusted to do this. Thank you, Patrón. I will not fail you.”
“Enjoy your vacation, my old friend, and call me every day to tell me of the fun you are having.”
“I will. And, Patrón, my knife is not plastic it is carbon fiber. Even xray cannot detect it most times.”
“I know.” He patted Miguel’s back and pushed him toward the vehicle parked in the drive. “Take the Hummer.”
Miguel smiled and left.
8
Wednesday morning Bruce and Lenny knocked on the front door of Ray Lawler’s home. It took a while for them to hear movement inside. They knocked again. From overhead they heard, “You just stand right still. Don’t look up here. You in the Hawaiian shirt, slowly reach in your back pocket and show me some ID.”
“Mr. Lawler, we’re from the Governor’s Special Investigator’s office, a part of DPS. I have a badge and ID to show you.” Lenny reached in his pocket, pulled out his case, and flipped it open before handing it up.
“Who’s this other fella?”
“Same office. My name’s Glenn Engles, folks call me Lenny. This other guy under the ball cap is Bruce Knotts.”
“You two just stand there. I’ll be right down.”
A couple minutes later the door swung open and a smallish man with a largish revolver, hammer back, and finger on the trigger stood in the doorway. “I’m Ray Lawler. Let me see them badges again.”
The badges were offered. Ray examined them after stepping back two paces. Finally, he stepped forward, took his finger off the trigger, and lowered the aim point of the barrel. “Glad to meet ya, fellas. Deputy told me not to take chances for a few weeks. As the only witness still alive, I could be a target if anyone was ever caught.”
“Yes, Sir. That’s what we’ve come to talk about. May we come in?”
“Sure, just getting myself some breakfast and started on my first cup of coffee. You fellas hungry?”
“No, Sir. We could help you drink the coffee, if you have enough.”
“Got more’n I need. Jack usually helped me some.” The man teared up. “Dang, I don’t wanna cry, but I sure do miss that boy already. Since he got back from one of them damn Arab wars, he’s lived with me. His wife ran away a month after he was depoed.”
“I think that’s deployed, Mr. Lawler.”
“Yeah, deployed. Anyway she left and I was all he had to come home to. He’s been seeing the divorcee just down the street a bit, but she’s scared to death of marriage and so’s he. Or, he was. You fellas pull up a seat here at the breakfast bar and we’ll talk. I sure miss that boy.”
“Yes, Sir. What were you two doing out there yesterday?”
“Oh, we frequent the place looking for birds to photograph, wild critters, and, Jack, he liked the cactus. Wanna see some of our pictures of that area?”
“You were taking pictures? You had a camera with you?” Lenny looked at Bruce.
“Had three of them. I had my still and movie,
and Jack had his Nikon with the close-up capabilities. He always swore his $50 phone took better pictures than his $400 camera.”
Bruce looked at Lenny, “Mr. Lawler, did you get any pictures of the shooting, the chopper, the men, any of it?”
“Copper, I got the whole thing on video. The whole damned thing. From the first sighting of the chopper to the last, except for a chunk in the middle when Jack got shot. I’m afraid I almost passed out then and the camera shot the sky for 8 seconds before I got back on the action.”
Bruce asked, “Where’s the film?”
“Ain’t film, video. The whole things on the micro-chip in my safe.”
Lenny looked at Bruce and asked, “Can we see that video, Mr. Lawler?”
“Sure, be happy to show it to ya.”
Both of the officers finally breathed out after the wonder of it. “Did the investigators from yesterday see the video?”
“No. None of them ever asked me what I was taking pictures of. They saw the cameras and I told them we had come out to take nature pictures. I guess I just never mentioned it to them and they never asked. Hang on, I’ll get it.”
He started down the hall, “Grab more coffee if ya want.”
“Thank you.” They both reached for the pot at the same time.
“A movie?” said Bruce.
“A damned movie and nobody knows but the three of us.”
Ray came back with his laptop and a micro-chip, set it up on the counter, turned on the laptop, plugged in the chip, and when the screen came up, he hit the play arrow. On the screen was a chopper coming in low.
They watched until the same chopper faded into the horizon heading south.
“Well, whatcha think, Coppers?”
“I think you’ve got all the answers right there. May we take it with us? We’ll get copies made and bring you one, or this one back after our lab checks it out and authenticates it.”
“You can have it. I already made three copies, that’s one of them. One I mailed to myself with a letter of explanation in the envelope. Another is included in the package in the bedroom with my will. And, this here’s one of them. Have at it. Find the men that killed my boy and those poor women. If you find them, tell them Ray sentcha.” He paused for a sip of coffee. “And then kill’em.”
