by Dan Sears
Jane is smiling, but inside she is crying. They are individuals, but collectively, they operate as one. It is as if they read each other’s minds. She thinks, Marilyn is closer to me than my own sister. What will I do without her? What would I do if something happen to either one of us?
She looks into their faces and knows they are all thinking the same thoughts. They burst out laughing. They are the girls. They get dressed, making sure to change their appearances just enough so as not to draw attention. Then off to the symphony they go.
In Tucson at ranger headquarters, Colonel Grant is in conference with the district attorney, Emmett Rodgers; the lieutenant governor; and the commander of the state police, Colonel Hamilton Ellis.
“Gentlemen, my men have looked high and low for those female bank robbers, and so far—nothing. It is as if they have just disappeared. Have any of your people turned up anything?”
Colonel Ellis’s men have also been busy, and they haven’t turned anything. Ellis has lost two patrolmen in the last two months. One was his godson, and he hasn’t gotten over it yet. His face is drawn and thin as he speaks.
“Joe, we’ve turned over every rock looking for them. We interviewed the personnel of the banks they robbed, and everyone says the same things, and that is that these women look just like the actresses they claim to be. We had an expert look at the photos, and they aren’t wearing makeup. They really do resemble those people.”
“Yes, I know. We ran the plates on those cars, and the plates don’t exist. There are about a thousand Corvettes of that design in Phoenix and Tucson alone.”
Colonel Ellis looks at the lieutenant governor and says, “Sir, what do you suggest?”
“I suggest we lay low and wait to see if they strike again,” the lieutenant governor says. “If they are greedy, they’ll strike again. But I have a hunch these ladies aren’t greedy. There is something about them that leads me to believe they aren’t doing it for the money. They are polite, and they never harm anyone. They are good, and everything is timed to the second. They operate like a military unit. Now there is a possibility they are ex-military. I will send a letter to the FBI and ask them to check on the possibility of a link.”
“Thanks, sir. Tell her honor, the governor, we are working the case, but so far nothing.”
“Joe, regardless of what the press and Senator Ibarra say, the people support the rangers. If the Governor has her way, there will always be rangers in Arizona. They are doing a good job. Sergeant Mesa has turned the rangers into celebrities and folk heroes, like the Texas rangers. One may not always agree with Dan Mesa, but he is resourceful, and he gets the job done. The publicity he has generated has been the best thing for the rangers. The public, with the exception of some members of the press and the state legislature, support them.”
Joe Grant, a former brigadier general in the army, is a veteran of many fights, and he feels the weight of responsibility associated with the rangers. He loves the job and is aware he spends too much time at it. He needs to have a life too. He knows the price of responsibility. His wife divorced him ten years prior, and he hasn’t remarried. She blamed his job for the divorce, and though they are on friendly terms, the chance of reconcile doesn’t exist. He is sixty years old, but he is fit. There is a touch of hypertension, but he keeps it under control through exercise, diet, and medication. He worries about the future of the rangers. He picks up the phone and dials his ex-wife’s number.
“Hello?” she says.
“Joan, it’s Joe.”
“Oh, hello, Joe. It has been a while since you called.”
“Hello Joan, I know it has been a while, but calling you always makes me remember a different time, and that makes me sad. Sometimes, I have to get away and allow myself to settle down. I guess . . . well, I know that I haven’t gotten over you, and it has been ten years.”
“I know, Joe, and there are times when I wish I could redo my life for the last ten years. I am not exactly happy these days either.”
“Honey, I thought this was what you wanted. I never wanted to be divorced—”
“Joe, hold on now. I know it was me who started it. I was very sure for about the first five or six years; however, these last two years have been hell without you. I must admit I live for your calls.”
“Joan, I have an idea. Why not move back to Tucson, and let’s try dating and being together to see if we can make it work again. I can rent you an apartment or house, and I am sure the bureau will allow you to relocate here. I know the kids will be happy, and I know I will. What do you say?”
There is silence on the other end. Then slowly she answers, “Joseph, are you sure you want me back into your life? I know I want you back, but are you sure you want me back?”
“Joan the answer is yes, so when can you be ready to move back?”
She laughs and cries at the same time.
“I will be down to visit this weekend, and we can figure out all the details. Just in case you don’t know, I have been in love with you all this time.”
Joe Grant, retired brigadier general and Colonel in the Arizona rangers, smiles and says something he hasn’t said to anyone for a long time: “I love you just as much and just as long. I will see you when you get here.”
In a spacious house located in the foothills of Mount Lemon in Tucson, Carlos and Antonio are having breakfast. They have hired help to guard the place. Both are armed with pistols and M16s.
“Antonio, we have to get across the border into Mexico. That is the only way we will be secure. Sandoval is good, but you and I both know he will not kill Mesa. He may get lucky and injure Mesa, but he isn’t good enough to take him. Dan will kill Sandoval and keep coming after us. We will have to disguise ourselves and contact our friends and see if they can smuggle us across the border.”
“Boss, it will not be easy, and it will be expensive. We are approaching the holidays. Tomorrow is Thanksgiving, and it will the right time to sneak out and see what can be accomplished. The police will be out, but they will be looking for speeders. If we disguise ourselves properly, we should be able to get away with it.”
“I wonder where Sandoval is right now. That fellow is creepy, and he is extremely dangerous. I would not want him after me. Just maybe, he will be lucky and kill Mesa and Mesa will kill him, and we can escape to Mexico or maybe Columbia. Even if Mesa is killed, the rangers will never stop looking for us no matter where we go. We will never be safe anywhere for a long period of time. We will have to find a place where they cannot extradite us back to the United States. Maybe Cuba is the place to go.” The morning passes and it is time for Carlos and Antonio drive to Carlos’ brother house to celebrate Thanksgiving with their family. His mother and sister in-law have been waiting for their arrival, and the Thanksgiving feast is on. Carlos and Antonio are unaware that this is the last Thanksgiving they will ever enjoy together. Carlos’s brother and wife have arrived, and so have members of Antonio’s family from the reservation. They watch the parades and the games while the women prepare the food.
Carlos is watchful, because he suspects they are being watched. He makes an excuse to go out and look around. He takes his rifle and is gone for about fifteen minutes before he returns. Everyone is aware that he is a wanted man, and therefore, they don’t ask questions.
The day progresses, and Carlos finds himself falling in love with Darla Estefan, a beauty from Monterey and the sister of his brother’s wife. He knows a life with her is impossible. But yet the feelings are there. Suddenly, he feels and understands how Sergeant Dan Mesa must feel. This is something new for him, because previously he would not have cared. He knows he must kill Mesa if he is to enjoy any type of life.
Antonio has been watching his boss and smiles, realizing that the playboy of the underworld has just gotten himself hooked by a woman. He never thought he’d see the day that Carlos Meana would be brought t
o his knees by a skirt.
Meanwhile at Matilda Osborne’s ranch in Yuma, Dan Mesa is enjoying a respite from enforcing the law. He is dressed in a sweat suit three miles into a jog around the ranch. He realizes how peaceful it is on the ranch. It is five a.m., and Alana and Matilda are still asleep. He finishes his three miles of roadwork and is cooling down.
“It is good that you are staying in shape because you will need it before this is over,” someone says.
Mesa turns around quickly, but no one is around. There is a whiff of perfume in the air. It is a fragrance with which he is familiar. He smiles a sad smile and jogs on. Again the voice says, “I don’t like it when you are sad. You should smile more, because your face lights up when you smile. Remember, I am still watching over you.”
As suddenly as it appeared, the fragrance disappears. He knows whomever she is has departed.
When he arrives back at the ranch, everyone is still asleep. He showers and makes coffee. He pours two cups and takes one to Alana’s room. He knocks on the door and is greeted by a very sleepy-eyed Alana.
“Dan, what are you doing up so early. It is six thirty in the morning. You should be asleep.”
“No, I shouldn’t. I am always up by five a.m. I have done my three miles, and I have had a shower. Here is your coffee and a cup for your mom. Will you please take it to her? I’d feel uncomfortable doing it.”
“Okay chicken. You are one in a million, Dan Mea. It is nice to know you respect people, especially my mom. I know she likes you, and I know you like both of us. It is so cute to watch you squirm when we talk about it.”
Mesa blushes and smiles.
“Alana, take your mom her coffee.”
She smiles and takes Matilda her coffee. Alana enters her mother’s room smiling. Matilda has been awake all along.
“Alana, what am I going to do with you? You little rat.”
“Good morning, Mom. How are you this Thanksgiving Day?” she asks with a big grin.
“Alana, I am going to break your neck. I will admit he is a special person, and that is all you will get from me.”
Both women are laughing like crazy. Alana crawls into her mom’s bed. They are acting like teenagers.
Dan walks to the door and smiles. He thinks to himself how nice the sound of laughter is. It is good to watch happiness take place. He has had little of it in his adult life. There have been episodes of happiness, but nothing continual.
He surprises them by saying, “It is so nice to see the two of you together. I wish the peace I find here would follow me always. There has to be a place for a man like me in this world. Here, on this ranch, I find more happiness and peace than I have seen since I was a kid.”
Matilda smiles and comments, “Sometimes, you have to make your own happiness. You simply say to yourself, ‘Today I will be happy’ and let it be so. I have found that it works for me. In your line of work, it can be difficult to be happy. A lot of the sadness you have experienced comes from things you had no control over, so why worry about it. Make your own happiness.”
“I know what you are saying is true, and I have often tried just that, but so far I haven’t been successful. Maybe my time hasn’t arrived yet.”
Thanksgiving comes and goes without any significant events. Dan returns to Nogales and goes back to work.
December arrives and the cities of Nogales, Tucson, and Yuma are putting up Christmas decorations.
In Sierra Vista, Janie Olivetti is decorating her restaurant for the holidays. Christmas with a cowboy flare is an event to behold. She has wagon wheel chandeliers, barbed wire Christmas wreaths, and everything decorated in Christmas colors. The Chardon Blieu has taken on all the trappings of Christmas, and it is a beautiful sight to see. Inside, there is dining and dancing.
A black Ford F150 pulls into the parking lot. It has dual exhaust, four by four, and an extended cab. As she looks at it she discovers it is not black but midnight purple. A small man steps down from the truck dressed in a brown western suit with brown boots and a beige hat. There is the hint of a smile. But upon a closer look it does not look like a smile at all; it is a frown. His eyes are brown and unsmiling. He opens the door and steps in.
“Good evening, sir. May I help you?”
“Yes, one for dinner. Nonsmoking please.”
“Please, follow me. Is this table okay?”
“Yes, this is good,” he says. He takes his seat and receives a menu. The lady leaves and a waitress appears.
“Sir, would you like a drink from the bar?”
“Yes, an Amaretto sour will do.”
When she returns with the drink, she asks, “Have you decided what you want to eat? Our special tonight is lamb chops with mint sauce, a Greek salad with green beans, new potatoes, and cocktail onions.”
“Thank you, but how about the grilled trout with the vegetable medley and the Greek salad?”
“Very good, sir. I will get your salad.”
As she departs, she turns around for a second look at the man. She tries to remember where she has seen him before.
She turns to Charley Grey and says, “Charley who is that fellow at table twenty-two? I have seen him before, I am sure.”
“Honey, go and get Miss Olivetti. She will be happy to know he is here.”
“Charley, who is he? He isn’t Mexican and definitely isn’t white. He looks to be a Negro.”
“Honey, don’t ever let him hear you call him a negro. The correct term is African American and he is Sergeant Daniel Mesa of the Arizona rangers.”
“He is that gunslinging ranger I have heard so much about! He has killed a lot of people, and they say he is looking for Carlos Meana and Antonio Blackbear. They say he plans to kill them for killing his girlfriend.”
“Just go and get Miss Olivetti.”
Charley walks over to the table, smiling and says, “Hello, Dan, how are you?”
Mesa stands up and smiles a quick smile.
“Hello, Charley, how are you?”
“I am well, and it is good to see you again. Have you recovered from your injuries? Oh, Janie will be here in a minute.”
“Janie is here,” a voice says from behind Mesa. Dan turns around and what he sees makes him weak in the knees. She is dressed in a soft beige pantsuit with a green trim. The suit is somewhat revealing but in a tasteful manner.
“Hello, Janie. How are you? You are absolutely beautiful as always.”
He seats her and then takes his seat. He stares into her eyes, sees his reflection, and the hurt returns. He looks away quickly to prevent her from seeing what is in his heart. It is too late. She has already seen his eyes and smiles a sweet smile.
“Dan, have you fully recovered from your injuries? You had me very frightened.”
“Janie, I’m totally recovered and back at work. A lot of strange things have happened since I saw you last, but I am well and am handling things as they come. I just wanted to come down for dinner and spend a couple of days with you—that is, if you don’t mind?”
“Daniel Mesa, of course I don’t mind. You are welcome at my house any day. What are your plans for Christmas? How about spending it with my sister and me?” Janie asks. “That’s right, I never told you about her. Well, she really isn’t my sister. I was adopted when I was a year old by her parents. We are the same age. I am three months older than she is. She is a criminologist with the Denver police department working with CSI. Although, we are not blood related, we are as close as blood sisters. She is a lot of fun, and you will like her. Her husband was born blind, but he never allowed that to stop him. He is a professor of international politics at the University of Denver. The two of you should have a lot to talk about. What do you think?”
“I accept your invitation, and I thank you for inviting me. I think being around you is a plus in itself. I
really do enjoy spending time with you. Some of the best hours of my life have been spent with you. I find that I miss you a lot.”
“Dan, allow me to treat you to dinner. We have a grilled trout that is flavored with herbs and spices from Greece with Mediterranean vegetables, a sweet potato cooked in paper, and a Greek salad. If you don’t like that, we have other dishes to choose from. I believe you will enjoy the trout.”
“Okay, that sounds great. I am hungry. I find that I miss a lot of meals these days. I need to just sit and talk with you. I am at the end of my rope. My anger at what happened is all-consuming. The only time I don’t think of it is when I am asleep. Killing is becoming too easy for me. I don’t want to kill anyone, but lately, every situation turns to killing. It is as if every would-be tough guy wants to make a play for me.”
Dinner is served, and Mesa realizes he is very hungry indeed. He eats with gusto.
Meanwhile back in Tucson, the authorities still haven’t found a clue as to who the female bank robbers are. They do have information that Armanti Sandoval is in Arizona and possibly in the Tucson area.
Dan and Janie leave the restaurant and go to her house. They are enjoying the evening listening to music by Glenn Miller when the phone rings.
“Hello?” she answers.
“Janie this is Captain Johnson. Is Dan with you?”
“Oh, hello, Captain Johnson. Yes, Dan is here. Just a moment and I will get him for you.”
“Dan, your captain is on the line.”
Mesa accepts the phone saying,” Sir, Sergeant Mesa here.”
“Dan, the state police received word that Sandoval is in Tucson, and he is looking for you. He is the one with the contract to kill you. What do you want to do?”
“Sir, I won’t hide or run from him or anyone. I will face him at my choosing and at the time and place that is convenient for me. I am leaving now for Nogales and I will see you in about three hours. Mesa hangs up the phone and turns to Janie and says, “Janie, I have to leave for Nogales. There is a contract on me, and the man trying to collect is a killer. He would kill you to get to me, and I can’t have that, so I am leaving right now. I will return to Nogales through Tucson, the long way around. I don’t want anyone to know I was here.”
