Texas Christmas Defender

by Elizabeth Goddard

  He peered through his scope of his sniper rifle. “I see a plume of dust. Someone’s coming.”

  “Oh, Brent. I don’t know if I can face him.” She paced back and forth.

  “You wanted to do this. But I’m telling you that you don’t have to.”

  “Okay. I won’t. I’ll just... I’ll just wait here. Your men can get him anyway, right?”

  “I hope so.”

  Brent kept peering through the scope.

  “Is it him?”

  “It’s someone. He’s alone. But I can’t tell. I don’t... I don’t think it’s your brother.”

  “What?” She climbed up the ladder and sat next to him. “Give me that.”

  Adriana peered through the scope. “It’s not him.”

  Disappointment boiled in his gut. “It’s a test. He’s making sure you’re here alone.”

  “And I’m not here. I’m not there, I mean. I’m a chicken. I made you bring me and I’m afraid.”

  The vehicle pulled halfway up the drive and stopped. Idled. The man got out and put his hands on his hips. Looked around. Called her name.

  She flinched.

  “What?” Brent asked.

  “The voice. It sounded like Rio’s.”

  The man got back into his vehicle and started backing up.

  “He’s leaving,” he said.

  “What? No, no, no.” She climbed down the ladder and flew out the barn exit.

  Brent wanted to snatch her back, but her sudden decision had caught him by surprise. He had no choice but to watch her from his hiding place at the barn window. She ran out in front of the truck and waved her arms.

  The pickup stopped, then slowly moved forward. Stopped fifty yards away. The man got out again and moved to stand in front of the grille of his vehicle.

  And Brent kept his rifle sights set on the man.

  SIXTEEN

  Had she made a mistake in thinking the man sounded like Rio?

  “Where’s Rio?” she called. “I agreed to meet only Rio!”

  “Don’t you recognize me, sister?” The man limped forward. His head had been shaved and tattoos covered every inch of visible skin. And something about his nose appeared different.

  His drastically altered appearance punched her in the gut. “No, I don’t recognize anything about you. The outside or the inside. You’re not the same man I once knew. You’re not my real brother. I only know your voice. I could never forget your voice.” She hadn’t been mistaken about that.

  “Especially since you heard it mere hours ago. My promise to you remains. If you brought anyone with you, I will kill those you care about.”

  “What about you? You promised to come alone. I will only show you what you want if you kept your promise.”

  “When did I make that promise?”

  Moisture bloomed on her palms. Slicked down her back even in the cool winter day. Adriana had to remain strong on this day of all days. She could not let Rio see her complete and utter terror. “If you didn’t keep your promise, then you will not see what you came for.”

  He took a step toward her. And then another one. “I will see it and more.”

  What should she do now? She wasn’t clear on that. “I never thought the day would come when I would be looking my evil brother in the eyes again. If only you knew the grief that fills my heart. Look, just look at yourself, Rio. Look what growing up in a cartel family has done to you. Don’t you remember when we were young and life was simple? You were such a happy boy who loved God. Who loved Jesucristo. I looked up to you, Rio. I looked up to you.”

  All these words she said as her brother continued walking toward her, and she continued backing up until she was against the vehicle she’d driven here. “And now you are nothing but a brutal, greedy killer.”

  Tears of grief and dread burned down her face. She shook, literally shook—no longer able to hide from him just how terrified she’d become. “Now go. Go get your drugs. Go get your money. It’s all in the barn.”

  Where was Brent? She glanced over her shoulder. Oh, no. She’d done what Brent had warned against. She’d telegraphed his presence.

  Rio tugged a weapon from his backside and fired at the barn. Adriana ducked, believing the shot had been meant for her, but he ran for her and snatched her up before she could flee. He pressed his weapon into her temple.

  “Come out, come out, wherever you are, Ranger man. I knew I could trust my sister to bring you. She never had the strength, the drive, for the business. But she does have a weakness, and that’s you, Brent McCord. Come out, or I’ll kill her.”

  “No!” she screamed. “Brent, don’t you dare!”

  Rio pulled her hair, hurting her, but this time she wouldn’t scream or cry out. She wouldn’t let him feel her fear. “If you kill me, you have no leverage. None. They will kill you where you stand.”

  “Your life means something to them, sister. Unlike me. My life means nothing to them.”

  “You’re wrong. If my life meant something to them, they would never have let me come here to see you.”

  “They had no choice.”

  Gunfire echoed behind them. What was happening? Had Rio’s men already started engaging the Rangers?

  Rio pulled her down with him against the truck. He pressed the gun under her chin. “My men are here with me. I have more than enough to take out your Rangers. So you will show me where to find what belongs to me now.”

  “Why should I?”

  He spewed curses. Hit her over the head. Blackness edged her vision. Rio dragged her around between the truck and the barn. “Tell me!”

  “The barn,” she croaked. “In the barn. There’s a hidden tunnel.”

  He grinned. “Let’s go.”

  Rio pulled her behind him, waving his weapon around. Adriana was beyond glad they had made sure Kiana and Maria were safe and away from the barn.

  Brent, where are you?

  A man stepped out of the barn and joined Rio. It wasn’t Brent. No, it was Hector Martinez—Rio’s ruthless second in command. Rio had brought Hector? Her heart lurched.

  Hector gestured up to the loft. “He’s out cold.”

  “I’m taking him with me when we leave.”

  “No, Rio, no, you can’t do this.” Adriana tried to pull away from him. She fought him. Smacked him in the face. Kicked him.

  But then Hector grabbed her, held her arms down with his brute strength.

  “If I get any more of this nonsense from you,” Hector said, “I’m going to hurt you. Do you understand?”

  She nodded, silenced by fear. She almost looked to her brother for protection from Hector. But he’d brought the man for a reason—to keep Rio from any weakness that might still remain for his own sister.

  “Show me the tunnel,” Rio demanded.

  Adriana couldn’t believe how completely their plans were failing. The other Rangers. Where were they? Still battling her brother’s men? What was taking them so long? Were they truly outnumbered and outgunned by the Garcia cartel? Adriana’s knees buckled. She could hardly stand. Her brother’s most brutal lieutenant dragged her.

  “Over behind the hay. You move it. There’s a trapdoor beneath it to the tunnel.”

  Her brother grinned, revealing a couple of gold teeth. “You moved all that cash and the drugs yourself?”

  She nodded.

  “I would like to make you move it again and watch you do it. I would enjoy that very much, but I don’t have the time or patience. I will wait and devise another form of punishment, some form of slavery in which you may serve me for the rest of your natural life.”

  “You agreed that if I gave you everything back you would let me go free.”

  He laughed. “I think we are beyond our agreements, don’t you? Y
ou lied to me. You never meant to come alone. You meant to trap me, but you have always underestimated me, sister. And now you find yourself in your own trap that will bring you all the way home.”

  “I would rather die than go back to Mexico with you.” Adriana spat at him, wondering where her defiance had come from. She let that rage drive her, infuse her.

  She found her footing and moved the hay herself. “There. See the door. Go down and get your drugs yourself. I’m not going anywhere with you. Get your stuff and leave me alone.”

  Rio opened the trapdoor and descended the ladder. Hector seized her again and forced Adriana down into the dead-end tunnel, where she led Rio deeper into the passageway. When Inez had first shown this to Adriana, it had given her the idea to create smaller hiding places around the property. But this...this she could never have dug out herself. And it had been the perfect storage place. The perfect hiding place. It had taken her several trips and more strength and stamina than she’d known she possessed to transfer the Garcia cartel stash here—a risky and dangerous operation. But at the time, anger and a drive to make the world a better place had fueled her. Rio must have been furious once he realized, too late, that Adriana had been bold enough to steal from him.

  She pulled a string and a light came on.

  At first her brother glowed with excitement. Acted out like some sort of megalomaniac.

  Oh, Jesucristo...

  Her heart broke for his lost soul.

  When Hector yanked her deeper into the tunnel, the reality of her situation quickly wiped away whatever momentary compassion she’d felt for her brother. Rio pulled her close and yelled into her face, furious at her for all the trouble she’d caused him. Forcing him to search for her and chase after her and now he’d have to move his stash to new storage, all while fighting off law enforcement. Then he smacked her, knocking her to the ground. She thought he enjoyed it too much.

  A noise outside the tunnel drew Rio’s attention. He sent Hector up the ladder to check it out.

  Now was her chance. She’d already tried talking, tried reasoning, though she’d known it would be a lost cause. Still, she’d had to try. Her escape was in her hands alone. She stayed low to the ground, acting as if she was still stunned from his abuse. If he reached for her, she would hit him where it hurt most and go for the gun.

  But when he snatched her up as she’d expected he would, the muzzle of his gun was pressed into her temple before she could react. He dragged her to her feet and she saw Brent at the bottom of the ladder, pointing his own weapon.

  He was too late to save her. To save them.

  * * *

  Why did I let her come?

  Despite her “deal” with Garcia, their agreement about this meeting, Brent had known in his gut that her brother wouldn’t keep his end of it. He wouldn’t let her go free but would kill her anyway. Though Garcia likely wanted to take her alive so that he could make her suffer first. It was the only thing that had kept her alive this long. Why? Why did families do this to each other? Destroy each other this way? He shoved aside thoughts of his father’s betrayal, the man his father had murdered—his own brother! Brent’s uncle.

  And focused on making the kill shot.

  Garcia was no fool, and he positioned himself behind his sister, using her as a shield.

  “Put your weapon down, Ranger, or I will kill her.”

  “You’d kill your own sister?”

  “She is no longer my sister. My sister no longer exists.”

  “You kill her and you’re dead, too. Because I’ll shoot you. You have no way out of this.”

  Garcia laughed. He sounded crazy. “What are you proposing, Ranger? That I surrender? You’re loco.”

  “How about we make a trade. You take me, instead.”

  “No!” Adriana cried.

  Voices resounded above them and not the voices Brent wanted to hear. He was running out of time. Garcia grinned, knowing the end was near for Brent, as well.

  It was now or never. He was risking both their lives. But the way he saw their situation, it was the best chance they had. He took aim and fired, the bullet hitting Garcia’s arm. Garcia’s weapon went off but missed Adriana’s head by inches. Brent scrambled forward and tackled Garcia to the ground and pinned him there. The man writhed in pain. Adriana grabbed Garcia’s gun and pointed it at him to free Brent.

  Garcia’s men came down the ladder and Brent picked them off one by one.

  “What do you want us to do?” someone yelled down at Garcia. “We could smoke them out. Get a fire started.”

  “No! You idiot! That would burn up the drugs and money even if it didn’t kill me, too,” Garcia shouted in Spanish.

  The man valued his life above everything else, no doubt there, and Brent would use that to the fullest.

  “Tell them to back off or you’re dead,” Brent said. “Tell them to put their weapons down and back out of the barn or you’re dead. We’re coming out, but if they try anything...”

  “I get it—I’m dead.”

  “And then what?” Adriana whispered.

  He gave her a warning look. He didn’t need her complicating his plans by asking questions.

  But her fears reflected his own—had all his backup been taken out? Where were they? If they were alive and well, they should already have taken control of the ranch and this barn. But Brent couldn’t think about that. He had to focus completely on getting them out of this.

  Sweat trickled down his back. He noticed sweat beaded on Garcia’s forehead, as well. Was the man finally realizing that the next few minutes would be his last? Or would his arrogance carry through to the end?

  Garcia yelled to his men in Spanish, warning them to back off. Anyone who remained in the barn would answer to him. As if—the man acted like he would get out of this eventually. Not on Brent’s watch.

  He had him, and he wasn’t going to let him go.

  Getting up the ladder would be tricky.

  To Adriana he said, “Stay close behind me. You understand?”

  She nodded. “How are we going to make it out of this?”

  “Trust, Adriana. Remember, we have to trust God with our lives.” And hope the good Lord saw fit to deliver the other Texas Rangers to this barn in time.

  Brent cuffed Garcia to limit his movement, but in front, or he couldn’t climb the ladder. “Will you tourniquet his arm?”

  Adriana complied. Tore part of Garcia’s shirt and wrapped it around his arm. When she pulled it tight enough to slow the bleeding, her brother growled in pain. She and Brent received curses the entire time for their efforts.

  The biggest risk was their next move. Getting the man up the ladder. If Garcia went first, he could use his higher position on the ladder to try to kick Brent in the face. If Brent went first and any of Garcia’s men were still in the barn, he could be shot and killed. Still, he edged his way up slowly.

  “Ask them if anyone remains.”

  “No.” Garcia spat.

  Brent descended the ladder and pointed the weapon at him. “Do it or it’s over for you now.”

  “You can’t kill me. I’m in handcuffs. You’re a Texas Ranger. That’s not how you operate.”

  “No, but I can.” Adriana tightened her grip on Garcia’s weapon. “And desperate times call for desperate measures. Do it, Rio. I might not kill you, but I will hurt you.”

  Something about the fire in her eyes and tone rang true for the man because he quickly spouted off his demands.

  When no one answered, Brent assumed that meant Garcia’s men were too far away from the barn to hear their boss shouting up from this tunnel. He’d told them to leave earlier—and they wouldn’t dare disobey. So now it was time to move.

  “I’m going first,” Brent said. “Garcia comes after me. If he tries anything, shoot him
.”

  She nodded. Brent smiled at her. Though these were dire circumstances with little to smile about, he couldn’t help but admire her strength.

  Even in the barn, they were essentially trapped unless the Rangers showed up. But then gunfire erupted outside the barn.

  The Texas Rangers!

  Except their appearance forced Garcia’s men back into the barn, where they started shooting both to defend themselves from the law enforcement presence outside and to retrieve their leader. As Brent scrambled for cover with his prisoner, a bullet hit Adriana behind him and she fell. Likely her vest protected her, but she would be an easy target lying there, and there was too much that the vest didn’t cover. Seizing the moment of distraction, Garcia head-butted Brent and ran, his limp slowing him. Brent fired at Garcia at the same time he crawled to Adriana to cover her.

  Two of Garcia’s men flanked him and they escaped the barn.

  “Are you okay?”

  Adriana blinked up at him and sucked in a breath. “It hurts, but yes. The body armor protected me.”

  “Then let’s get you back into the tunnel until this is over. You have a gun.” She nodded. He led her over and she crawled down.

  “Aren’t you coming?” she called up.

  “I’m going after your brother.”

  And without another word, Brent turned away from her before looking into her beautiful eyes clouded his judgment. He had to leave her there. That was his only choice. He couldn’t let Garcia get away yet again.

  Brent would end this today.

  The cartel members had fled the barn with Garcia to protect him, and outside, the battle raged between Garcia’s men and the Texas Rangers as well as additional LEOs.

  Scanning the chaos, Brent finally spotted the drug lord. Flanked by two of his men, Garcia headed for his vehicle, stopping to take cover along the way. Brent did the same as he pursued Garcia in the midst of the battle. When the two henchmen turned and fired on him, he took aim and shot them both down.

  Only Garcia was left and he turned to face Brent, backing toward his car.

  “You’re still in cuffs. You can’t drive. You’re not getting away this time.” Brent marched toward the man.