On the drive to town, Vic kept an eye out for anyone following him. Ruban would send someone to tail him and check out his truck at the hotel. The front desk would verify he was registered there as the sole occupant of the room.
The Hill Country Inn displayed a no-vacancy sign. The casino had brought in new business. Vic got out, locked his truck and walked inside to the front desk to make sure they knew he was back.
“May I help you?” asked the pert young brunette woman behind the counter.
“Did someone leave a message for me? Room 220.”
She went to check. “Sorry, sir.”
“Thank you.”
“Your jewelry is fantastic,” she exclaimed, studying him.
“Family heirlooms.”
“You’re a lucky man.”
His thoughts flew to Jeremy and Claire. Lady—you have no idea how lucky I am.
Vic turned away and caught the elevator to the next floor. After he’d reached his room, he phoned for room service and ordered enough food for two.
Kit would be sleeping in the second queen-size bed while they were on the case. The two other staff were sleeping in the van.
After removing the recording device, he took off his jewelry and removed the tan jacket. He peeled off his shirt, then the bulletproof vest. None of the guys liked to wear one, but it saved lives. Kit wore his firearm so they had protection.
Vic slipped on a T-shirt and pulled off his boots. In a minute Kit arrived at the door with their food. Vic stayed out of sight as he opened the door. Kit came inside and put the tray on the table. On his way out he said, “You’ve shrunk, bud, but you still look intimidating. In case anyone is watching, I’ll go back to the kitchen, then slip out and come back up in a minute.”
“I’ll leave the door unlocked.”
“You sound like an ad on TV.”
They both chuckled before he disappeared. Kit was always great to work with. At moments like this, he was thankful TJ hadn’t suspended him. This was the only work he loved doing. He owed Dr. Marshall, too, for giving him a clean bill of mental health so fast. Before long Vic and Kit were going to nail Fred Waters.
Before any more time passed, he used his other phone and left a message at headquarters to be sent on to Claire and Jeremy that all was well and he would contact them soon.”
He hung up just as Kit slipped inside and locked the door. After freshening up in the bathroom, he sat down at the table with Vic and picked up the device. “I’m curious to hear what went on inside there.”
He turned it on and they listened to the recording while they ate club sandwiches and salad. Kit gave him a grin when the girl at the desk made a comment about the jewelry. “You scored a hit with Mr. Ruban and the ladies. We know what Ruban was attracted to, but she obviously loved your jewelry, too. You’re a stud with this new persona. I’d love to see you try it out on Claire.”
Vic shook his head and they listened to the digital recording again. “Let’s hope the boss shows up tomorrow night. If he does, I’ll try to shake a few more apples off the tree.”
“It’s going to happen. Now let’s get some shut-eye. Are you going to sleep in that wig?”
“I have to. Sandra put me together and told me to leave it alone. I’m so tired I probably won’t move.”
“That’s good, otherwise I’ll have to put you back together tomorrow and it won’t be pretty.”
Before long they both headed for the sack.
* * *
AT TWELVE-THIRTY, VIC made his way downstairs for lunch in the hotel dining room. Kit had long since vacated the room, taking the tray of dishes back to the kitchen.
While he downed another meal, he had a visitor, not unexpected. He started his digital recorder. What did you know? It was Jori, right on schedule.
Vic looked up at him. “Don’t you work at the casino?”
“Yes. Mr. Ruban asked me to deliver a message. He says the man you wish to meet is not available.”
“Tonight? Or never.”
“Never.”
Interesting. So possibly the top man didn’t want another casino infringing on the territory. “Tell him thank you for letting me know. You want some coffee before you go?”
“Sure. Why not?”
Vic signaled the waitress. “Two coffees, please.”
She came right over and served them.
Jori was out of uniform and wore a nice crew neck shirt and trousers. “You sure do have beautiful turquoises.”
“I have lots more. It’s made by my tribe.”
“I bet you could get big money for that necklace.”
“Many people have made offers. The last person was willing to give me one hundred thousand dollars. Since you work at the casino, maybe you make that kind of money?”
He shook his head. “Not that much.”
“Casinos like that one make huge money. They should pay you more. Then I might be able to sell you some pieces I have that are similar to the necklace.”
“If you build a new casino, would you give me a job for more money?”
“How much do you make?”
“Fifty thousand dollars a year.”
“If I knew I could trust you, I might pay you as much as one hundred fifty thousand dollars. It’s hard to find loyal employees like you who came all the way to the hotel to deliver a message for me. Mr. Ruban doesn’t realize how lucky he is.”
“Mr. Ruban isn’t my boss. He’s just the manager. Another man decides how much money I make.”
Now was Vic’s chance. “You mean Edgar Quarls? I heard he ran the whole Indian concession.”
“No, no. Quarls is in prison. Now Mr. Fisher is in charge.”
Bingo.
“I didn’t know that. I’d like to meet him, but I guess it’s not possible. Thank you for the message.” He reached in his pocket for some loose turquoise he could use for a bribe. “Here.” Three stones lay in the palm of his hand. “Pick the one you want. It is yours.”
“Ah... You would do this for me?”
“You have done me a favor, so I don’t waste any more time in this town. After I’ve finished my lunch, I’m moving on to the Kickapoo Casino in Eagle Pass.”
The man blinked. “You would give it to me?”
“I have spoken. Any one of these would make a nice ring. I see you don’t wear rings.”
“I can’t afford a good one.”
“Well, you can now.”
Jori hesitated before choosing the oblong stone. “I like this shape.”
“So do I. It will look good on your long fingers. Mine are shorter.”
The man laughed. “You’re right.”
“When you get it mounted, tell the person this is a genuine Lipan Apache turquoise.”
“You are most kind.” He plucked it from Vic’s hand and studied it before putting it in his pocket. “Where will you build your casino?”
“Just across the Texas border outside Hobbs, New Mexico. When I get it built and you need a job, come and see me.”
“What’s your name?”
“People know me as Big Mouth.”
Jori smiled. “That I will remember. The Apache with the big mouth and the short fingers.”
After he left the restaurant, Vic couldn’t get up to his hotel room fast enough. He pulled out the cell phone that connected him to the guys in the van. Kit answered. “What’s up?”
“While I was eating lunch, I had a visit from Jori. He’s the employee at the casino who introduced me to Mr. Ruban. I’m going to put the phone on speaker so you can hear our conversation on the digital recording. I’m starting it now.”
The guys listened, but it was Kit’s voice Vic heard loud and clear when the name Fisher was mentioned. The second the recording ende
d, Kit got on the line.
“You nailed it! Terrence Fisher is staff director of the House Administration Committee run by none other than Fred Waters. We’ve got the connection we’ve been looking for.”
“Yup, and just as we thought, this has gone straight to the White House.”
“Waters ordered Fisher to go after you. He did that by releasing Leroy early from prison, then hiring Jamison to set up Leroy in that custodial job.”
“Mr. Ruban must have contacted Fisher and told him that I wanted to meet with him. By now they’ve tried to figure out who I really am, and Fisher smells a rat. I’m pretty sure I’m going to have company later on when I leave town. His thugs will probably try to gun me down on the highway.”
“Do you trust Jori?”
“I don’t know. If he’s a good guy, then he’s in danger because he sat and talked with me. He should have left immediately after delivering the message. Anyone watching the two of us at lunch would report back to Ruban, who’s a sleazy character if I ever met one.”
“Okay. Pack up and leave. TJ’s coordinating everything with the highway patrol. They’ll be covering you the second you head south of Luckenbach. There’ll be more reinforcements farther along. Our van will be right on your tail. The boss is elated you found the missing link. This case is huge.”
“We both knew it was. Talk to you in a minute.”
Vic hung up and gathered his things. He put the recording device in his pocket. The next thing to do was pack all the jewelry, including the belt, into his suitcase. He laid the tan leather jacket over everything to protect the valuable items Clint had lent him before shutting the case. The last thing to do was leave the room key on the table. Then he was out of there and down to the truck in no time.
Someone had broken into it, but they wouldn’t have found anything. Evidence of the break-in had to be all over the place, but he didn’t have time to dust for fingerprints now. He put the small suitcase in the toolbox of the truck before getting behind the wheel.
It would take three hours to drive to Eagle Pass. If Jori had been a plant to find out Vic’s next plan, Ruban would know it by now and would have passed the information on to Fisher. As he took off, he phoned Kit.
“Someone broke into the truck.”
“That figures. We’ll get prints later. In about three minutes, pull into the Tesoro gas station on the town loop. It’ll be on the right. Go to the men’s room. It’s inside. An undercover cop wearing a Longhorn baseball cap will be coming out and pass you off a weapon.”
“Copy that.”
“You’re wearing your vest, right?”
“Yes.”
“Just checking.”
He clicked Off and kept driving until he saw the station. Once he got out, he filled the tank, then went inside to use the bathroom. Twenty seconds later he saw the cop and started for the door, catching the gun to him before going inside. The Glock felt good in his hand. When he got back to the truck, he checked the clip to make certain it was loaded and put it under the seat.
Once he was on the road again, he phoned Kit. “Mission accomplished.”
“That’s a relief. I didn’t like it that you went to the casino last night without your weapon.”
“I couldn’t take a chance.”
“I know.”
“I’m armed now. See anything suspicious yet?”
“No, but we’ll be notified the second something doesn’t look right.”
Vic continued to drive south and chatted with Kit. An hour had passed. “Now that we know who’s behind this, we can make another visit to Leroy at the jail. When we tell him we know everything, we can offer him one more plea deal if he’ll spill the details. I want to know why he didn’t kill my son.”
“My thoughts exactly. Uh-oh—wait up. Something’s coming through to the guys over the police band. Good grief.”
“What’s happened?”
“A few minutes ago an African-American male in a Toyota outside the casino near Luckenbach was found slumped in the driver’s seat with a bullet to the brain. Some gamblers saw the body and reported it. No ID yet.”
“That was Jori.”
“Informant or not, he’s dead now.”
“I liked him. This is a filthy business. When we arrest Ruban, then we’ve got Fisher and Waters.”
“Hold on, Vic. I need to talk to TJ. I’ll call you right back.”
Vic hung up and kept driving, knowing that at some point between here and Eagle Pass, Fisher’s cronies were waiting for him. Another half hour went by without any action. Kit checked in now and then.
There was only an hour and a half to go until Vic reached Eagle Pass. He’d just decided they were planning to ambush him there when he noted a helicopter in the distance. It was probably an AirMed chopper. But it didn’t deviate from its course and was headed in Vic’s direction.
“Kit?”
“Yeah. I see it, too. Get off the road and run like hell for the grove of trees on the right. We’re going to do the same thing.”
“Doing it now!”
There was fencing running parallel to the highway. He took his chances and rammed his truck straight through it. He kept on driving until he could jump out and take cover. He heard a bullet zing past his ear. The Forest Service helicopter had swept in low, allowing the sniper to get a good shot, but he’d missed Vic by inches.
He rolled in the underbrush beneath the trees and heard return fire. When he looked up, he saw a police helicopter overhead. It was following the other one that was coming straight for the trees again. He heard a cacophony of police sirens getting louder. The sniper fired at him again, but missed. Vic rolled the other way to avoid the line of fire, not having enough time to shoot.
Then there was an explosion, and Vic saw the hostile helicopter lose control and come straight toward the trees. He got to his feet and started running for dear life. Before he reached the edge of the grove, something hit him on the back of his head. Dazed by the impact, he saw lights, and started to crumple.
“Vic—” Kit came running to him out of the smoke. Before he knew it, his friend was pulling him away from the trees that had caught fire. “Come on.” He put Vic’s arm around his shoulders. “Let’s get you away from here.” The air was black with smoke.
They were both coughing. “Where’s the sniper?”
“Dead. The pilot, too.”
“Add two more life sentences to those on Waters and Fisher. To be honest, I didn’t think I was going to get out of there alive.” They were headed for the highway.
“I knew you would. You’re indestructible.”
They could see several ambulances arriving. “I don’t want an ambulance. Some debris hit the back of my head, but I’m fine now. The wig protected me.” He removed his arm from Kit’s shoulder, but neither of them could stop coughing. “Just give me a minute to catch my breath. I’ll be fine as soon as I can take the vest off. Damn, it’s hot out here.”
“We’re almost there. It’s the boss’s orders. You’ve been through too many ordeals in the past ten days. He wants you checked out. I’ll ride with you.”
Vic eyed the scene of destruction. “The Forest Service lost a helicopter. I think I ruined the front end of the truck.”
“When I saw you ram that fencing, my heart almost stopped.”
“I decided it was all or nothing, so I went for it.”
“Thank God you did. It bought you enough time for the sniper to miss his mark.”
“Are the guys all right?”
“They’re fine. One of them will drive the van back to Austin.”
They kept hacking while they walked. “I should have warned Jori he was in danger.”
“You didn’t know what was going to happen.”
“In my gut I did. He was young a
nd vulnerable. You heard him on the recording.”
“I’ll listen to it again after we get in the ambulance.”
“My suitcase is in the toolbox. The Glock is under the seat. Make sure we get everything back.”
“I’ll tell the sheriff right now.”
One of the paramedics helped Vic into the ambulance, but he remained standing in order to remove his shirt and the vest. Kit climbed in and reached for the vest while Vic put the shirt back on. “Ah...that feels good. You like my tan?” he asked the medic. “It came out of a bottle, but it’s washable.” Another coughing spell ensued.
He reached up and removed the wig that had seen better days after his roll in the underbrush. Kit took it from him. The paramedic looked shocked. “I had no idea you weren’t real.”
“Oh, he’s real,” Kit declared. “What are you? One-eighth Apache?”
“Close. It appears my disguise worked, thanks to Sandra.” He winked at Kit, who sat on the bench. Before he sat down, he pulled the recording device from his pocket. “Go ahead and listen.”
Letting go with another cough, Kit pressed play then put it up to his ear to listen.
“Okay, now you can have at me,” Vic told the medic. “The back of my head took a whack from something.”
“You have a small lump, but it’s not bleeding.”
“It hardly hurts now.” Vic watched Kit’s expression while his vitals were taken.
“You’re in amazingly good shape.” On that note, the medic handed them both a bottle of water.
They both drank thirstily before Kit asked, “That stone you gave Jori—was it valuable?”
“No.”
“I can see what you mean about him. He was just trying to make it in this world.”
“We’ll turn the recording over for evidence. TJ is going to be elated.”
Kit looked excited. “We know someone on Waters’s payroll commandeered the Forest Service chopper. With leads galore, there’s going to be a huge investigation. Jori was the key that made it all happen. The sting paid off. Waters and Fisher never saw you coming until it was too late.”
The Texas Ranger's Nanny Page 16
