by Dan Sears
Mesa takes a deep breath and stands up. He walks over to the table, and before anyone can move, he slaps the talker twice as fast as he can and steps back. The fire in his eyes is blazing out of control, and his small, wiry frame is poised.
He speaks in a deep, throaty voice, “You have exactly two minutes to apologize to her, and one minute has passed already.”
The three men rise.
The talker says, “Little man, I am going to tear you apart.”
He moves, and suddenly, there is blood on his face. His nose is broken, and two teeth are missing. No one saw what happened. Mesa walks over to the wall and takes down a piece of rope about ten feet long. He coils the rope, and in less than five minutes, he has laid open the faces of the other two men. He ties them up.
“The three of you need to find a new occupation,” he says. “You aren’t as tough as you think. Tell Carlos you weren’t tough enough. Also, tell him I am coming after him and I will kill him.”
With those words, he turns and walks away.
The police arrive to find three men tied up who have been severely beaten.
A policeman says, “Juanita, what happened here? We came as quickly as we could.”
“Jim, those guys were making trouble, and there was this other fellow in here. He sat over there eating, a small man who looked to be African American. When these guys started harassing me, I asked him to wait until you arrived, and he stayed. They started making nasty remarks to me, and this fellow told them to apologize and they refused. The next thing I saw was his hand move, and then there was blood all over the big fellow. He walked over to the wall and took down that coil of rope and went to work. He could easily have killed those guys, but he didn’t. He told them they weren’t tough enough to do the job and to tell Carlos he was coming after him. I believe he was a cop. He wore a star and was dressed in jeans, a western shirt, boots, and a white Stetson. I am sure he carried a gun, but I didn’t see it. He just said good-bye and left. He drove a Jeep Wrangler, and it was new. Jim, that fella is someone to be left alone. He is carrying around a lot of anger. It seemed as if he just didn’t give a damn about anything.”
“If he is who I think he is, he’s an Arizona ranger, and his people are looking for him. He is the one who was in the news a couple of months ago. He was involved in that shoot-out in Albuquerque. Recently, his girlfriend was kidnapped and murdered. He is looking for the men involved in it,” the policeman says.
The policeman turns toward the men saying; “Gentlemen, you are under arrest for disturbing the peace, harassment, and anything else I can think of. You are lucky to be alive. That fellow you pissed off could have killed you. That was Ranger Dan Mesa. I am advising you to leave this part of the country or your life won’t be worth a plugged nickel.”
In a motel room in Tucumcari, New Mexico, Carlos and Antonio are resting and wondering about their fate.
“Antonio, I never knew it would be like this. We have tried every way possible to kill him or just stop him, and nothing has worked. It is time for us to split up and go different ways. I am heading for the border, and you should go and visit your relatives on the reservation in Mesa, Arizona. He can’t touch you there.”
“Boss, I don’t think it is wise to split up. Together, we can watch each other’s backs. Two sets of eyes are better than one at all times.”
“Antonio, you may be right. I can’t think straight now. I need a drink, so let’s to go downstairs to the bar.”
In Yuma, Alana Osborne is off duty and is home with her mother.
“Mom, this whole thing has taken on the weirdest face. Now we are dealing with ghosts. I can’t make any sense of any of this. I am a trained investigator, and I feel like a little kid.”
“My darling daughter, this case is not about you, and you shouldn’t let it get to you. You have done a good job, and you have nothing to be ashamed of. The life of a ranger is a dangerous one, and things don’t always go as you plan. You know that. So, let it go, and let’s have dinner. Now tell me what the status of Daniel is. Have the two of you gotten any closer?”
“Mom, I am going to tell you about something that happened to me today. I received a letter from someone.” Alana goes on to tell her mom about the letter. “Now tell me what you think.”
‘Honey, there are so many things in this world that can’t be explained, and I can’t explain it either. You said others have seen her, including Dan, the major, and his boys from San Antonio. Based on those things, I can only conclude that all of you saw Sonia. For some reason, God has granted her this time to tie up loose ends. Do as she requested: look after him. He likes you a lot, and maybe he loves you, but you have to be patient with him. He has a lot of baggage that he carries around,” she says. “Where is he now?”
“That’s the problem. No one knows where he is. He is running around half-cocked and ready to destroy anyone who challenges him. There is a lot of anger and energy in that little body of his. If he ever gets over this, I believe he will make an excellent friend or, even better, a great lover.”
In Tucumcari, Carlos has had a few drinks too many and has to be carried to his room by Antonio.
When morning comes, they check out and start on the road to Albuquerque. As they are listening to the news, the local commentator says, “Now for the lighter side of the news. It seems that three tough guys were giving a waitress a hard time in Lordsburg, when this fellow who looked to be a ranger intervened and stopped them. He stopped them the hard way. He broke one’s nose, and when he finished with the other two, he tied them up with a rope and left them for the police. According to the waitress, the man never said anything, but that rope he beat them with spoke volumes. He was a small fellow about five feet five inches tall and not over one hundred fifty pounds. The waitress, whose name is Juanita, would like to say thanks to her knight in shining armor. So fella, if you are listening, Juanita sends you her thanks.”
Carlos turns to Antonio and says, “Doesn’t that sound like somebody we know? How did he find out we were going back to Arizona?”
“Boss, I doubt he knows we are heading back home. It is just coincidence. Mesa is the best, but even he isn’t that lucky. Thanksgiving is approaching, and we haven’t made any plans for it. I plan to go to the reservation and spend time with my father’s family. It has been some time since I saw them last. Dad is a great guy, although, I am not on his list of favorite people. But I am still welcome there.”
“Antonio, I guess I will visit this lady I know. She has been begging me to spend some time with her. I put it off for a while, but maybe it is time. I may not get a chance to see her again. I have a feeling Dan Mesa is going to be after us when this holiday is over. He will never give up until he catches us. Maybe, I should get in touch with Sandoval again and see if he can cancel Mr. Dan Mesa’s ticket.”
On I-10 heading west is a black Jeep Wrangler with the solemn figure of a man whose face seldom smiles. The radio is tuned to a country station playing a Patsy Cline song, “Crazy.” The man driving is concentrating on the road and on the situation he is facing. His minds wonders back over the last six months. In his mind’s eye, he sees Sonia for the first time. He remembers the night she handed him her phone number on a piece of crumbled up paper. He can still remember how she looked in a pair of jeans and how she danced with him and how her body felt when she pressed against him. Deep down in the recesses of his heart, the pain comes back, and tears begin to flow down his face.
The song ends, and a Bob Wills song begins to play. Daniel Mesa continues driving westward. A road sign says, “Welcome to Arizona.” He drives on. He sees a church and pulls off the road and into the churchyard. He is Methodist, but in his state of mind, any church will do. He walks in and sits in the front row with tears in his eyes. He prays.
“Lord, you and I talk often, as we have since I can remember. You know me better than anyone,
and I thank you for all of your blessings and for saving me so many times from death. The job I do is a dangerous one, and I have had to kill other human beings to save either my life or someone else’s life. I know there is a commandment that says ‘Thou shall not kill,’ and I have tried not to take another’s life, but in war I had to kill, and as a ranger, I have had to kill. I ask your forgiveness for my sins. Father, Sonia was an innocent one, and I let her down. I did not protect her as I should have. I should have been there for her, and I wasn’t. It seems that I let Garnett and Devlin down as well. I should have made changes in my life for them, and I didn’t. I am so sorry for my failures. Lord, it is hard to let go of Sonia. I loved her so much, and now she is gone, and I have to find the men who are responsible for her death. I ask you not to let me kill these men, but let the court decide their fate. Help me to find a way to find peace and forgiveness for my sins. Lord, take care of her. She belongs to you now. Amen.”
“My son, you seem troubled. I heard you praying and saw you crying. I am Father Paul, and this is Saint Phillips Cathedral,” a priest says.
“Sir, I apologize for my presence here. I am Protestant, but I needed a place to pray, and this church looked inviting. I seem to be at the end of my rope. I am Sergeant Dan Mesa of—”
“My son, I know who you are. She was here; she told me you’d be stopping by.”
“Who was here?”
“Sonia was here, or her spirit was here. Son, she loved you dearly, and she knows it wasn’t your fault, what happened. She said to tell you that you have to forgive yourself. She also said you have to move on with your life but don’t forget her. She will see you again when it is your time.”
Mesa falls to his knees, sobbing as Father Paul kneels and prays for him and with him.
“Daniel, you are a good man, just as she said you are,” he says. “It seems as if I know all about you. I know about Garnett and Devlin. I also know about Vietnam and all the things you have been through. You are carrying around a lot of guilt and pain. You should leave it here, and let our Lord and savior carry the burden for you. I know you believe in him, and I know you try to be good and perfect, but remember that none of us is perfect. You just be what you are and continue your relationship with our Lord and savior. Now as for your mission, only you can make the decision to kill or not to kill Carlos and Antonio. Your quest is slowly winding up. Trust in God and go in peace.”
Dan slowly stands up and wipes away the tears. He looks into the priest’s eyes and sees a reflection of something, but he doesn’t know what he has seen.
“Thank you, father. If you see her again, tell her I love her dearly and always will, no matter what.”
“My boy, she knows. She is listening because she is right here. No, don’t try to find her. You won’t be able to see her, but she is here. Now you go on your way and vaya con díos.”
Dan Mesa climbs into the Jeep and heads west. He looks back, but the church is gone. He stops the Jeep and gets out. He smiles a crooked smile, gets back in, and drives on.
The sun is setting in the west, and there is a chill in the air. Mesa stops at a rest stop and puts on his jacket. Then he continues driving westward. It is two a.m. when he pulls into the lot of ranger headquarters in Nogales, Arizona. He walks into the office as Captain Johnson is about to call Tucson. Johnson puts down the phone and turns to Mesa.
“Sergeant, it is good to see you. You had us worried about you. Are you okay?”
“I am fine, sir. I have my report written about what happened in Texas. I also believe you are aware of some of the things that happened while I was there. Captain, am I losing my mind? Sonia is dead, yet I have seen her with my own eyes. How do I explain all of this to anyone?”
“Dan, I don’t know how you explain it. Maybe it isn’t for explanation. It happened; why not accept it? The longer I live, the more I realize there is so much we don’t understand. Maybe we aren’t meant to know everything or to understand everything. You look beat, so why don’t you just crash in the spare room? Dan, the day after tomorrow is Thanksgiving; what do you plan to do? I think you should either spend time with Alana or that friend of yours in Sierra Vista.”
“Yes, sir, I have thought about it. I guess I have been so caught up with this case until I just pushed it to the back of my mind. I am not so good at family dinners and get-togethers. But I have been spending a lot of time by myself, and maybe you are right.”
Mesa walk to the spare room and in a few minutes he is fast asleep, and his mind is clouded with visions from his past. His sleep is intermittent. He sees Sonia and tries to get to her, but the faster he runs, the farther away she moves. He screams and wakes to find the captain staring at him.
“Dan, are you okay? Man, you need some time off. Starting right now, you get in that Jeep and head toward Yuma. That is an order, sergeant. Go someplace and relax. You are wound much too tightly. You need to spend time with people, sergeant, people who only want to be friendly. Do you understand what I am saying?”
“Yes, sir, I understand what you mean, and I will obey.”
Mesa smiles one of his crooked smiles. He gets up, packs his bag and walks away.
In Yuma, Alana is finishing up the day when the phone rings.
“Lieutenant Osborne speaking.”
“Lieutenant, this is Corporal Santiago, and there is a phone call for you on line two from Captain Johnson in Nogales.”
“Thank you, corporal, I’ll take it.” Osborne changes lines. “Hello, captain, how are things in Nogales?”
“All is well here, Alana. The reason I am calling is because Sergeant Mesa is back, and I promised you I would let you know when he returned. Alana, he needs to spend time with people who care about him. I am hoping that you have considered inviting him to join you and your mom for Thanksgiving.”
“Captain, you must have read my mind, because that is just what I planned to do. How is he really?”
“Alana, he is okay on the surface, but deep down, the turmoil is there. He needs to spend time with you away from here, where it all happened. Maybe he can get his mind off of it.”
“Sir, I will do everything I can for him. As you have guessed, he means a lot to me. Thanks for being his friend and caring about him. Bye, sir.”
Lieutenant Osborne takes her weapon from her desk and departs for home. The ride home is pleasant and allows her time to reassess her feelings for Daniel Mesa. She thinks, I was happy before I met him, but there wasn’t a steady man in my life. Since I met him, I am still happy, but I have this feeling that tells me I would be extremely happy if he was a permanent fixture in my life. The problem is how you get a man like Dan Mesa to forget the problems he has faced the last few months. It is hard to forget.
She in so engrossed in her thoughts that she doesn’t see the light turn green, and the car behind her blows his horn. She turns around, smiles, waves, and drives on. I love him so dearly, but the question is does he love me enough to try to forget what happened to Sonia and get on with his life? Maybe the answer is to take it easy and just make sure I am there for him and make myself a major part of his life without him realizing it.
Alana shifts into third gear, gathers speed, and drives home. As she pulls into the drive, she remembers she hasn’t ridden the horses in over two weeks. She also notices that her mom is not home, so she decides to change into jeans and go for a ride. The afternoon has a chill so she puts on a duster with a sheepskin lining and heads for the barn. He opens a stall and walks in. Standing there is a tall horse of about seventeen hands high.
“Well, Ben, it has been a while since you’ve been ridden,” she says to her horse. “What do you think of a quiet ride along that mesa over there?” The horse’s ears perk up as if he understands her. He begins prancing. Hurriedly, she saddles the big bay and canters him around the pen. Then they head down the trail at a trot. He is a spirited hors
e and puts her through the paces. Then he settles down to a nice trail trot.
The cattle are healthy, and there is plenty of grass, but it is time to reduce the size of the herd. They have close to a thousand head of Santa Gertrudis on fifteen hundred acres of land. They probably should reduce the herd to eight hundred. She thinks about it and decides to ask her mom about it. Mom is the cattle expert. She is better than Dad was. How does a lady with so much class know so much about cattle?
Alana smiles and rides on. She spies a family of coyotes, and overhead, a lone eagle rides on the currents of air as if he owns the sky. Maybe he does. In the distance, she hears the sound that reminds her of Dan Mesa. It is the sound of wolf in the distance. In some ways, the wolf and Mesa belong to this land; they complement each other—neither one wanting to be tamed but both knowing their way of life is on its way out. It brings a tinge of sadness to her heart.
The ride extends into hours, and before she realizes it, she has ridden several miles. She stops at a stream and and climbs down from the saddle allowing the bay to drink. She takes the Winchester out of the scabbard and checks the load and its action and returns it. She climbs back into the saddle and heads home. As she rides into the yard, Matilda arrives.
“Hi, Mom. Let me put Ben away. Then I need to talk to you about something.”
Okay, I’ll get dinner started. I am hungry, and I have a new recipe I want to try out on you.”
Alana takes the horse to the stall, washes him down, and dries him off.
“Ben, you are getting fat, and you need exercise. I have to take a few days off and do some work around here. I know what! It will be good for Dan to ride these horses and help me clean out the stalls. Now that you are all clean and fed, I must do the same for me. Bye, big fella.”
