by Doug Ball
Josie slammed the door behind her.
“I think you are making a mistake, Governor. That gal there is better than any of the right hands us legislators have and Tan’s group gets results even if all of them other than Tan are rejects in one way or another. They stopped the dam busting drone, the biggest drug dealer pushing up from the south, and Tan was a leader in the assault on the Snow Bowl against the Native American rebellion. His crew has the connections to get things done. All our agencies work well with them. Believe it or not, all our agencies are working well with each other in almost every aspect of daily business.” Hawk, standing, relaxed and smiling, didn’t rattle praise like that for just anybody and everyone in the room knew that, including the Governor.
Governor Estabon Reeves walked to the door of his office and asked Josie to come in. “I wish to apologize to you for the first time. There will be other times I am sure, but hopefully not. Please call this Tan and ask him to join me in twenty minutes, here. Thank you.”
“Apology accepted. Tan’s on his way. I called him already.”
Hawk looked at the Governor, “See?”
The Governor smiled and nodded. “Okay. If you will all leave and go think of ways to mend our relationships without losing our identity, I would appreciate it. Looks like the job just got rougher.”
Heads bobbed again as they stood and left the room.
The Hawk was last to go. As he closed the door, he said, “You done good, real good.”
“Thank you, Hawk.” He fell back into his chair and buzzed Josie.
When she opened the door, he said, “We got anything to drink around here?”
“Hard or soft?”
“Soft. Water, cola, whatever. How about some power pills?”
“Power pills?”
“Donuts.”
“Yes, Sir. On my way.” She walked out the door with a sway of skirt that said she had won.
3
Tan walked into the reception room of the Governor’s office not sure of what the reception would be. In two weeks there had been no call or visit from the man. A business card had been delivered to Josie for presentation as a form of introduction.
Josie was not in her office. He entered the inner sanctum of the new boss.
Arizona’s new Governor motioned him to a chair. He was in the middle of a phone call to the Cochise County Sheriff’s office.
“Sheriff, I would appreciate it if you would just secure the scene if you want my people to handle the matter and wait for my investigator to arrive.”
He listened.
“Why yes, it is Tan. He just walked into the office and I will get him to you A S A P.
He listened.
“Oh, you’ve worked with him before. I’ll give him your hello and get him in the air.”
He looked at Tan apologetically as he listened again.
“Thank you. I’m sure he will. Good bye.” He hung up.
The desk was large compared to the old Governor’s so it took him a few steps to walk around and get in position to stick out his hand, “Tan, I’ve heard a lot about you. Even Josie is a part of your fan club. The Cochise County Sheriff says if you want it, you got it. The Sheriff in Nogales thinks you’re the cat’s meow. She can’t wait to get you on the scene.”
“The scene, Governor?” He wanted the subject changed. To be talked about like that was one thing that embarrassed the former Marine and Coconino County Sheriff’s Deptuty.
“Yes, the scene. Wait a moment.” He walked to the door just as Josie was coming in with a cart. On the cart was a silver bucket of ice covering sodas, water, and a couple of minnies of Black Jack Daniels. A dozen donuts were neatly arranged on a etched crystal plate. Napkins and coffee with insulated paper cups filled out the assortment.
“Here you are, Governor.”
“Thank you, Josie. I use a bit of brown sugar in my coffee. Would there be any around?”
“On the lower shelf, sir. Your wife called me with that information the day after you took residence in this office. For future reference, there is coffee here every morning within 15 minutes of my arrival. If you’d like I can move the coffee maker in here with you. Will there be anything else? It’s time for my lunch and your next appointment is not until 2 this afternoon, a group of tree huggers wanting to stop logging anywhere in the state.”
“Like that will happen. No, I have nothing more for you and tell my wife thank you next time you see her. I haven’t seen her in the daylight since I was sworn in. You can keep the coffee in your office. That way visitors can get a cup while they wait.”
He waited for the response. When none came he added, “Oh, and while I have you here, I told you to give me all the mail and let me decide what’s important and what isn’t. Would you please screen it for me, the amount of junk mail is bad, but some of the advertisements are interesting?”
“I figured it would take a month in this office before you asked me to do that. No problem. I’ll give you two piles, important and questionable. How’s that?”
“Great. Enjoy your lunch and hang the ‘do not disturb’ sign on the locked outer door as you leave.”
“Yes, Sir.” She looked at Tan, “See ya later, Mr. Brown.”
“I’ll Mr. Brown you young lady. Go eat lunch, you’re getting too skinny.”
“I’m getting fat. He’s due in August.”
“Congrats.”
The Governor said, “Don’t ask for any time off. I need you.”
“Right, Boss.” She turned and closed the door behind her.
The Governor turned to Tan, “Is Tan your real name or what?”
“My payroll name is Les Brown, somehow everybody has warped that into Tan. I don’t mind. It makes me think of myself as more, not less.” He smiled.
“Right. Have a power pill and whatever else you would like. We might be here for a while.”
Tan grabbed a jelly filled and poured two cups of coffee, handed a cup to the Governor, and sat back down. “Where’s the scene and why is it a scene?”
“Two miles west of Montezuma Pass and the Coronado National Memorial and there are seventeen bodies on the ground. One woman survived. She was raped, beat up, sent back south with only her shoes, and a message supposedly from me. That message was something like, ‘Greetings from the new Governor. This is what happens to those who cross the line. Next time no survivors.’
“She said there were five men in camo with semi auto weapons. A Mexican Border Patrol vehicle picked her up a half mile south of the border. El Presedentè thinks I did this and has demanded reparations to the families and the girl to the tune of two million dollars for each death and five million to the young lady.”
“That’s expensive music.”
“Yes it is. I will not pay it, but I will send you down there to do what needs to be done. The Sheriff, a Sara Borkowicz, or something like that, sends her love and is waiting for you.”
“Sara is the Sheriff? Sweet! She was a deputy we worked with on the cartel case that had the whole state hating me for ripping up the roads and shooting up a tourist site in Sedona. I didn’t even know she wanted the job. Also, that scene is in Cochise Country, Benson and Sierra Vista, and the Undersheriff runs the force. I don’t recall his name. They work together along that stretch of border. Sara is from Santa Cruz County, Nogales. Cochise County was short-handed and very busy last time I worked with them.”
“I’ll learn the distinctions of each county one of these days. Back to the crime. I’ll have a chopper coming for you in twenty minutes, you and one other. I want you down there and have the crime solved in 24 hours, if not, find another job.” The man was dead serious.
“I might as well resign right now if that’s how you work, sir.”
“Mr. Brown, I don’t need a crisis like this. Arizona doesn’t need a crisis like this. There are enough problems in Arizona and this country. Go, and do your best. Use all the resources you need, within reason of course, and get these men. I will call El President
é and let him know you are on the case. I understand you have a reputation with him.”
“Yeah, a bad one. I invaded his country with an army to root out a crook and rescue my men. It was my understanding I was a dead man if I ever crossed the border again.”
“I’ll work on that. Anything else you have to say or need or whatever?”
“Just your personal cell phone number.” Tan handed his new boss his card with all his numbers.
“I’ll write all mine down, including my chief of security’s and my driver’s.”
“Is Burt Willis your driver?”
“Yes. Oh, you probably have his then.”
“Yes, sir, and Chief Robinson’s.”
The Governor scribbled his numbers, handed the paper to Tan, and grabbed the phone. Tan heard it ring three times before a voice said, “Armistad.”
“Desi, I need a chopper on my roof in fifteen minutes. Ready to go south to the Sierra Vista area. It will carry Mr. Brown and one other from his office. Along with possible equipment not to exceed 50 pounds. Also, can you join me in my office at 2:30 this afternoon? We have a new problem on the border.”
He listened.
“I’ll get him to join us. Thank you. Good bye.” He sat the phone in its cradle.
Tan was punching a text on his cell.
He looked at Tan, “Be on the roof, you and one other, in 15 minutes.”
“Boss, it will take me 20 minutes at least. The man I want with me is ten minutes out.”
“Okay. Make it so and get moving.”
“Yes, boss.”
“And don’t call me, boss.”
“Josie does.”
“She’s cuter than you are. Get going.” He turned to the pile in his inbox.
Tan put his cell in his jacket pocket and left. He had done nothing for the last two weeks. The time of sitting around was over, again. The adrenalin began to flow just like it did when they left the compound in Iraq.
4
As he turned the corner in the hallway to his office he saw Leon wheeling himself into the office. The rush of memories of the shootout south of the border and the rescue of this man nailed to a tree painted a horrible movie is his head. Leon would be dead if Tan hadn’t busted the border with a rogue army and seen to a lot of people being killed. Bruce Knotts turned into the hall from the other direction. Bruce had too many shoot-outs in his history. He walked like an old man, but was probably the best cop of the bunch.
Tan knew that Abdul was still on his way to the office, as was Tank. Tan smiled at the thought. The large ex-con pardoned by the previous Governor and a tattooed red neck with a passion for high powered four wheel drive trucks were just crazy enough and smart enough to be a large part of his team.
His team, what a group of rejects; too old for standard duty, or too shot up, or out of specs for other duty. Each had been given to him because their previous job did not want them, except for Abdul and Tank. Abdul had been a prisoner in a max yard, but a holder of much needed information. He was pardoned by the former Governor for that info. Tank, Walter Dorfman Kozaklewics, sent to cop school by order of the former Governor, graduated with honors (low man in the class, but the hardest worker to make it happen), tats all over, and more than a few pounds overweight. Oh yeah, he also owns a gold mine in the hills outside Mammoth which he shares with Tan and a couple others in the group because they staked him a few bucks to help get started.
Then there was Chuck, the wanna-be hero. When the chips were down, he was up. Engaged to the only female in the group Rachel DeMont, a current resident of the cop school sent by order of the former Governor so she could move up from secretary to cop in the team. Her being a paramedic didn’t hurt the group either.
Tan entered the office with a smile as the memories winked out of his mind and the reality of here and now hit him.
“Welcome, O great and mighty one,” Chuck bowed.
“Shut up. You some kinda nut or somethin’?” Bruce gave Chuck a shove back into his chair.
“Okay troops, let’s go into the conference room and have a chat.”
Abdul and Tank arrived just as everyone else was getting comfortable and running out of small talk. Tan said, “We’re all here. Listen up. The ship has hit the sand again down on the border.”
He went on to tell them all he knew and then listened to questions that he could not answer as yet.
“Okay gang, here’s what we gonna do. Leon you get the glorious job of manning the desk here. You can collate all the info and whereabouts as they come in. Abdul you’ll go with me to the scene. Tank, I want you following in your truck. We will need to cover some dirt I’m thinking. Chuck, you are the gofer for Leon and all of us. I want you nosing around in the Phoenix area in your spare time to see what you can find. Hit the high dollar meeting places of the rich and famous, and keep your ears open, ask the right questions, keeping in touch with Leon at all times. Bruce, you get to do what you do best, hit the streets and dig for militia or gang possibilities along with anything else that might come along. I’d check with shooting clubs, vets, gun shops, and etcetera. You know the routine.
“This is a bad one. This shooting could be just a one timer for the hell of it, or it could be the beginning of something big. The Boss has called in the heavies for a meeting at 2:30 today, I want some info for him to share if we can find it. Questions?”
Everybody shook their heads, no.
Leon asked, “You know I don’t like flying a desk, can’t you do something else with me.”
“Leon, my man, you have the best criminal mind here, except for Abdul. Use it as you collate the info coming in and make conclusions, guesses, and come up with ideas that will need investigating. There isn’t a better way for you to be useful while you’re still in that chair. Once your feet are both up to snuff again, then off you go into the face of the lion. You are the man for this job.”
“I don’t like it, but you’re probably right.” He smiled.
Tan looked around. Each face registered a different way. One was smiling. Another was worried. Two were blank. The last one was miffed, Chuck didn’t like his assignment.
Tan smiled at Chuck, “I have a feeling there will be lots of effort needed on this one.”
Heads bobbed up and down. The wop, wop, wop of a chopper coming close rattled the building.
“Let’s hit it. Abdul there’s our ride.”
“Riding that dragon, bossman? You knows I hates chopper rides.”
“Get in. That’s why we pays you the big bucks.”
Each went to the chopper in his own way.
Abdul made it to the roof first and ducked as he walked to the open door of the dull black helicopter. Tan took a long look at the part of the city of Phoenix that could be seen from this roof before following. Once on board they both put on the head sets and buckled in the back seat.
Over the headsets came, “You want to go where?”
“Let’s head for the west side of the Huachuca Mountains a mile or so short of the border and a couple miles west of Montezuma Pass. We’ll see the site from there, I’m sure.”
“Off we go,” was the reply as power was added and the craft began to lift.
Tan thought he recognized the voice of the pilot. He leaned forward to get a better look. It was the same pilot that had taken them on a ride before to a small place called Young that can only be reached by dirt road and Tan didn’t want to beat up a state car. The man had flown twenty feet off the tree tops and swooped around the mountains like it was a combat assault. “We gonna get a ride, pilot?”
“Why would you ask, sir?”
“I’ve ridden with you before.”
The pilot looked back, shook his head. “You gonna rappel outta the bird this time?”
“Na. I’ll just jump.”
South Tucson
Denny’s
“How did it go? Any problems?”
“Look, I told you before, when you give me a job I do it and do it well. People fell dow
n and one left the party with a generous number of gifts. We are all okay. Nothing was left when the party was over.”
“I like the sounds of that.” The man across the table from the tall man reached out with a manila envelope. “Twenty thousand dollars in large bills, as promised,” said the old man with worry wrinkles and a scruffy beard.
Sergeant Dickens knew the beard was just camouflage and the wrinkles were not. “Colonel Assat, we are now five men who have done a job that can end our freedom and worse. We believe in the cause, but we also believe we are worth a bit more, like double.”
“Sergeant Dickens, I agree.” He produced another envelope; this one much thinner. “Here’s your next assignment. You will need a few more people.” He paused before, “You do realize that this is only the beginning, don’t you?”
“Yes, Sir. Got two more just waiting for the invite, Colonel. If this is the only way us vets can get what’s coming to us, so be it.”
“Then I will see you on payday. I think the corporal is ready to play this next game; he and his brother.”
“I’ll give them a visit, too. I like face to face conversations, not phone calls. More security that way.”
“I agree. Carry on, Sergeant.” The colonel reached for his coffee cup as the tall man left the restaurant. ‘I hate the face to face meetings, Sergeant, they put me in danger. I cannot have that,’ he thought as he held out is cup to a passing waitress for more coffee.
The sergeant got in his car and drove to the rental stall at the airport, mumbling to himself about the need for men and the ease of getting more money. He turned in the rental Buick SUV and climbed into his personal, a cherry red ’67 Corvette. He put down the rag top and put on his cap before driving away. The attendant watched and listened as the car crawled past him with the engine surging like a race horse ready to run.
As he pushed the car to turnpike speed, he reached for his phone and called out a name, “Call Boris.” He waited as three rings went by.
“Yeah?”
“Got the candy.”
“I’ll meet ya.”
