by Dan Sears
Sergeant Burke smiles and says, “Lieutenant, you have a keen eye. That man is a killer, and if he was sent to kill your ranger, then someone is paying out a lot of money. He is a professional, and there he goes out the door. He has several aliases so we don’t know his name, but according to Interpol, he has killed several people in Europe and even in the Soviet Union. We suspect he is from Portugal. He speaks Spanish, English, French, and Russian, and maybe even some of the Chines languages. You and I know him, but he doesn’t know who we are, and that gives us an advantage. We will pass around pictures of him to our police department and also to the rangers and the border patrol. Let’s make sure that whoever is guarding the sergeant is familiar with his face.”
Captain Johnson has taken over the investigation and has the forensic team double-checking everything about the explosion.
“Fellows, I want you to start here at the point of impact and work yourselves outward to about one hundred yards and see what you find. If you don’t find anything, then work your way out to two hundred yards. Whatever you find, bag it and bring it in. Next, I want to know what kind of explosive was used and what type of fuse was used and where was it placed on the vehicle. Check our files and those of Interpol to find out if they have anything on an assassin that uses this particular method of operation. There is one other thing. Do you remember those two prisoners who escaped from the Yuma prison? Find out their names, because they are friends of Carlos, and they may have been the ones responsible for planting that bomb. Also find out where Jose Guittierrez-Jackson’s family members are, because they may have a score to settle with Dan Mesa.”
Pictures of Armanti Sandoval, the gentleman in the white suit, are sent to every police department in the Southwest and also to immigrations, border patrol, customs, port of entry, and the FBI.
Sandoval, who is now going by the name of Saul Rodriguez, has a room at the Marriott about five blocks from the hospital. He is watching the news when he sees his photograph appear on the evening news. He knows he has to leave town immediately. He gets up, packs his bag, and does a sweep of the room to ensure he hasn’t left any incriminating evidence. After a close inspection, he leaves the key on his bed and goes down the back stairs quietly. He stops and does a close inspection of the parking garage to see if anyone is watching. He gets into his rental car and departs the garage. Unknown to him, he is being watched by Sergeant Burke.
“Police three to headquarters, over.”
“Headquarters receiving. Go ahead Police three.”
“This is Sergeant Burke, and I am tailing Armanti Sandoval. He is heading west on Nineteenth Street driving a bronze Cadillac Catera. License plate number is Arizona TLR three four five. I am following but at a distance. I need backup. Send someone quickly. He has spotted me and is increasing his speed. He has turned left on Mesa Verde, heading for the interstate.”
“Police Three, just follow him, but don’t get into a speeding contest with him. We have notified Sergeant White and the Eye in the Sky is moving.”
Sergeant Burke continues following Sandoval as he takes I-10 and heads west. She is running reds and traveling at seventy miles per hour, the posted speed limit. Burke is thinking, Where is he headed? There isn’t any place to escape to. He is increasing his speed. Where the heck is the Helicopter?
“Police three, this is your Eye in the Sky. I have Mr. Sandoval, and I’ll follow him and keep you posted.”
The chase continues with Sandoval to increasing his speed. Suddenly, his car skids into another car, causing a five-car pileup. His car flips over and bursts into flame. Instantly, Sergeant Burke is on the scene, and the fire department and ambulance are notified. Traffic is backing up on the interstate as Burke approaches the burning car. Suddenly, it explodes and an inferno is created. The fire department eventually extinguishes the fire but finds no body.
“How did he escape?” Burke asks the deputy fire chief. “The fire had to reach a temperature of three hundred degrees. How did he escape?”
Deputy Fire Chief Gonzales shakes his head, saying, “Sergeant, it is impossible for anyone to have escaped that fire; I can’t explain it.”
The chaotic situation is cleared up, and traffic order is restored.
Sergeant Burke reports to headquarters and is still trying to figure out how Sandoval escaped from a burning car. She reports to her supervisor saying; “Lieutenant Hyatt, when the smoke cleared, there wasn’t a body or anything to show that Sandoval was ever there. It is as if he just vanished. I can’t explain it, and neither can the fire department. The only conclusion is that he was wearing some type of fire retardant clothing that allowed him to escape without being injured. He is a master of disguise, and he knows how to escape and evade capture.”
Lieutenant Hyatt considers the situation and says; “Sergeant Burke, I want the TV stations to plaster his face on every screen, and I want his face in every post office and police station. I want Sandoval in prison.”
Sandoval arrives in Baltimore and sends a telegram to Carlos Meana, informing him of what has taken place. Carlos reads the telegram and slams his fist on the table.
“He is still alive. How can one man be so damned lucky?”
“Boss, he isn’t so lucky,” Antonio says. “Look at what has happened to him. He had to kill his best friend, Jose Jackson in that shootout in Albuquerque and his lady friend is dead, and he has been injured. I don’t think that is lucky at all. I would not want to be Ranger Mesa. He has a destiny with death. I plan to kill him myself. I am tired of his face and of his reputation. When he gets back on his feet, I will hunt him down and kill him.”
As Carlos listens to Antonio, he knows his friend has the desire to kill Dan Mesa, but he wonders if he has the ability. Killing Mesa is a monumental feat, and so far the score is Mesa five and his opponents zero.
The days change to weeks, and Mesa lingers between death and oblivion. Garnett visits the hospital and takes Devlin. He looks at his father and kneels and says a prayer while holding his father’s hand. He turns to his mother and smiles.
“Mom, Dad will be okay,” he says. “He gripped my hand when I touched his. He knows I am here.”
Garnett looks at her son and is startled with his revelation.
“Devlin, how do you know that?” she asks. “The doctors say Dad is very sick and he may never recover.”
“Oh Mom, Dad will be with us for a long time. I have it on good authority. God has told me so.”
Devlin walks away smiling, leaving his mother to wonder about her son.
In Nogales, Captain Johnson is talking with the father of Sergeant Savalas.
“Mr. Savalas, the rangers will take care of everything for the funeral. There isn’t a need for you to worry about anything. I only wish I could bring him back. He was a good ranger. I can promise you that we will find the ones responsible for it. You know Sergeant Mesa would be here if it were possible. But he is still in a coma.”
“Captain Johnson, will Dan pull through this? He and my son were such good friends. I will miss the two of them playing their crazy pranks on each other.”
Captain Johnson looks surprised.
“Mr. Savalas, are you telling me that Dan Mesa has a sense of humor?” he asks. “I haven’t ever seen or heard him tell a joke. I didn’t know he had it in him. He is always serious and never smiles. However, Sonia did make him smile. Just the mention of her name brought a smile to his face. I don’t know if he will pull through this one. He has been lucky in the past, but this time, I just don’t know.”
Sergeant Savalas’s funeral is held at the Catholic church in Nogales with the whole city attending. The rangers are the pallbearers, and they provide the police escort. Savalas is laid to rest in the Veteran’s Memorial Cemetery.
Mesa has been in a coma for three months and there are no signs of Carlos, Antonio, or Sandoval. Captain Johnson rants and
raves about how they have vanished. The Rangers and the State Police are searching everywhere for them but so far no success. The hours, days and weeks continue to pass and Mesa hangs on.
In Tucson, Dr. Burke is making his round and stops to check on Ranger Mesa. As he enters, Mesa is trying to sit up.
“Well, ranger, welcome back to the land of the living. It has been three months since your injuries. Now take it easy, because we have to administer all sorts of test. How do you feel?”
Mesa needs a shave, and he looks somewhat confused. He has a full beard, something Mesa would never wear under normal circumstances. He sees his reflection in the mirror, and in a hoarse voice, he says, “Doctor, may I have a razor to shave?”
Doctor Burke smiles and says, “Ranger, you have been in a coma for three months and the first thing you ask for is a razor to shave? You ex-wife was here, and she said that was what you’d do. She knows you quite well, and she is a very nice lady. Okay, I will get you a razor, but first we have some tests to conduct.”
Over the next several hours, Dan Mesa is examined and re-examined. Finally, after four hours, Dr. Burke comes in total amazement.
“Ranger Mesa, after every possible exam, we find nothing wrong with you. You are totally healed. The tear in your heart has healed, and the brain swelling no longer exists. The only thing left is to see if you can walk. I will send in an orderly to help.”
“Thank you, Doctor Burke. I shall be in your debt forever. I need to call my mother and brother and let them know that I am okay. My mother is probably worried. Has either Lieutenant Osborne or a Miss Janie Olivetti been in?”
“Yes, both were here several times. They may even be here now. I will check and see. It is good to see you feeling better. I was not sure you’d recover so well. You have a lot of scars on your body. You have paid one hell of a price to do what you do. I, for one, owe you a debt of gratitude. I could never do what you do and have done.”
Doctor Burke walks down the hall to the waiting room and sees Lieutenant Osborne and Captain Johnson.
“I have some good news for both of you. The ranger is conscious and talking. We have done every test possible, and he seems to be totally recovered. I am worried about his ability to walk. That is the next thing to check, but other than that, he is definitely okay. He asked for a razor to shave. Apparently, he hates wearing a beard.”
Captain Johnson smiles and says, “He does hate a beard. Doctor, may we see him for a few minutes?”
“Yes, that will be good for him. He seems a little confused, but that is normal under the circumstances. He asked if the lieutenant had been in.”
Dr. Burke leaves and Captain Johnson turns toward Lieutenant Osborne and says, “Alana, you go in first. He needs to see your face, and you need to see him conscious and be alone for a few minutes. I will come in after about fifteen minutes.”
“Thank you, captain.”
She walks to the door, knocks, and walks in. As she walks in, she sees his face and smiles at the beard.
“Dan, it is good to see you up and around,” she says. “I was worried about you.”
Dan smiles and says, “It is good to see you, Alana. You must excuse my appearance. I haven’t had a chance to shave or clean up. I did manage to brush my teeth. I found that I can still walk without falling.” He gives her a small smile.
She walks over to him and hugs him, noticing how he backs away a little before he hugs her. Slowly, he relaxes a little.
“Dan, I thought I had lost you this time. You have got to be more careful because I . . . .” She breaks down crying.
Dan walks over and is holding her hand when Captain Johnson walks in.
“Sergeant, you look well, and I am happy that you will be with us for a while longer. You gave us quite a scare.” The Captain walks over and shakes his hand, smiling. “Dan, it is good to have you back. I have to give you some bad news. Sergeant Savalas was killed in the explosion that injured you. We uncovered evidence that leads us to believe it was a professional job. A professional hit man named Sandoval was hired to do the job, and we lost him on the freeway, but we will find him again.”
“Captain, give me two weeks, and I will be back at work,” Dan says. “I will find Carlos, Antonio, Sandoval, and everyone associated with this. I will tie it all to Pellegrinni.”
“Dan, you don’t have to worry about Pellegrinni. He is dead. Someone killed him the same day you were injured. The DC police believe it was one of the families who feared he was taking over their territory. He was executed in the Oriental fashion.”
Upon hearing of the Oriental-style execution, Dan Mesa knows who killed Pellegrinni. He smiles and says a prayer for his friend.
The captain leaves, and the room is empty except for Alana and Dan Mesa.
Alana finds herself alone with Dan Mesa, a man of mystery, a man of extreme kindness, and yet a complete savage when the need arises. She has seen those sides of the man, and yet she knows nothing about him.
“Dan, you have been through a lot, but looking at you now, it seems as if nothing has happened to you. You recovered so quickly. How do you do the things you do? I find that you always surprise me. You have to start being a little more careful. You aren’t ten feet tall and bulletproof. There are those of us who worry about you. I met Janie Olivetti, and I met Dr. Garnett Williamson-Mesa and a little fellow name Devlin Mesa. They all seem to have great feelings for you. That little fellow is something special. I see why you talk about him so much.”
Ranger Mesa has a surprised look on his face and a smile.
“I know that some people care about me, especially Devlin. He is what keeps me going when I want to quit. I haven’t been there for him as I’d like to be, but I guess that can’t be helped. You said Garnett was here as well? That is a surprise. I didn’t think she’d come.”
“Dan Mesa, that lady still cares about you although she may never take you back. Always remain friends with her. I like her and the person she is. She said to tell you that her dad and mom send their love.”
“I have always done things my way and lived life my way. It prevents anyone else from getting hurt because of me. Had it not been for me, Sonia would still be alive. I will make Carlos and Antonio pay dearly for what they have done. Is there still a bounty on me?”
“Yes, there is, and we don’t know for sure who put up the bounty, but we do know that there are people waiting to kill you for it. So what do you plan to do about it?”
“I plan to get on with my life and train for complete recovery. Then I’m going after whoever is responsible for all of this.”
At that point, Dr. Burke walks in and says, “Ranger, you need rest, so get into bed, and if you are a good fellow, I just may let you go home tomorrow under the condition that you take it easy for a few days. You have to have someone stay with you, just in case you have fainting spells. You took a healthy blow to your head. You will have headaches for a few days, but don’t worry, they will go away. Who can stay with you for a few days?”
“Doctor, I live alone, and I don’t have any family that lives close by,” Dan says. “I guess I will have to stay here a bit longer.”
“Doctor, I will stay with him until he gets on his feet. I am down here on temporary duty assignment, and it will work to my advantage to stay with him and save me considerable money as well.”
Dan Mesa smiles one of his rare smiles as he turns toward Dr. Burke.
“Sir, I guess I will be leaving this hospital after all. Please express my appreciation to all the doctors, nurses, and staff for taking such good care of me. I owe them a debt of thanks.”
They arrive at Dan’s ranch in Nogales. He notices that the horses have been fed and that the place is clean. He is walking toward the kitchen to prepare coffee as Alana walks in. He smiles at her.
“Alana, how is your mom doing? I should c
all her.”
“She is fine. Dan, why are you so nervous around me? I am still the same person I was six months ago. I realize I may have said things when I had amnesia, but I am back to being me, and I care a great deal about you. So now, tell me what you are feeling and experiencing.”
“Alana, it seems as if everyone I love pays a heavy price for loving me, and I don’t know why it happens. It is not safe for you to be around me. You have been shot and Sonia kidnapped and killed. Ranger Savalas, a close friend was killed as well. Jose is dead, and I am running out of friends. I don’t have many friends left.”
Mesa slams his fist on the table saying; “I’ m going to make coffee. Would you like some?”
“Yes, coffee would be great if you have cream for it.”
Mesa continues toward the kitchen and suddenly straightens up and collapses. Alana rushes to his side, but he is unconscious. She calls 911, and an ambulance is sent. She makes a second call to Captain Johnson of the rangers to tell him what happened and then follows the ambulance to the hospital. Mesa is admitted, and the waiting begins. After two hours, Dr. Burke comes in.
“Lieutenant Osborne, Sergeant Mesa is resting well. There really isn’t anything to worry about. This was expected. He apparently overexerted himself and just passed out. It probably will not happen again, but I want to keep him here for a few more days.”
“Doctor, can I see him for a few minutes?”
“Okay, but just for a few minutes. He isn’t fully recovered yet, and it will take another week before he will be one hundred percent. I will drop in to see him in an hour.”
She walks into the room, and Mesa is sleeping but fitfully. She knows he is having a nightmare again. She lightly taps him on the arm, and he awakens with a start. He looks at her for a moment, totally confused.
“Where am I, and how did I get here?
“Dan, you collapsed and I brought you back to the hospital. Dr. Burke says you will be okay. You overdid it a bit. He wants you to stay for a couple of days. I am going to report into Captain Johnson and Major McMasters and then I will be back. You go to sleep and rest.”
