by Dan Sears
“Carlos, what is your plan?”
“I plan to kill Dan Mesa once and for all. Now watch and learn.”
Carlos takes several grenades and goes back down the trail. Antonio follows.
Mesa is coming up the trail in a very careful manner. He stops and turns to those behind him.
“Carlos is no fool. He will try to ambush us, and if I were he, I would use some kind of explosive, probably grenades so let’s wait here for a few minutes. I have a feeling we are about to have his presence.”
Carlos is moving down the trail carefully when he hears, “Carlos, this is Dan Mesa of the rangers. Stop where you are and give yourself up. If you do not, you will die, and that is a promise.”
Carlos lobs a grenade at the police. There is an explosion, and a young rookie policeman is injured. His left arm is mangled, and another officer is also injured. They open fire, and Carlos retreats, throwing grenades as he runs.
Major Johnson arrives on the scene and is a witness to the action. He watches as Mesa charges forward, firing every step of the way. Major Johnson yells at Mesa, “Sergeant Mesa, get back here,” but due to the noise from the explosion, Mesa doesn’t hear him and continues to charge forward. The police and the rangers charge forward.
Carlos stops as Mesa approaches.
“Okay, Sergeant Mesa, people are always talking about how tough you are. Well, I am tough too, so let’s settle it right here. Or are you just a lot of hot air? Well, what will it be?”
“Carlos, you have an opportunity to live, and if I were you, I’d take it. If you face me today, you will die, and so will Antonio. Antonio killed her, but you are responsible, and both of you will die today unless you give up and disarm yourselves.”
“No, Mesa, it ends here today. Not tomorrow, now!”
Mesa stands up and moves forward, carrying a pump shotgun loaded with double loads of buckshot. Everyone is watching this turn of events. Mesa walks at an even pace, almost as if he is floating on air.
One ranger says, “I smell perfume. Where is it coming from?”
“Ranger, I suggest you pay attention to what is happening here and not become fixated with perfume,” comments an older ranger.
Suddenly, Mesa stops, and Carlos appears. He drops his gun and grenades.
“Okay, Ranger Mesa let see how tough you really are.”
“Carlos, are you sure you want it this way?”
“Yes, I am sure. Either I kill you, or you kill me. So, tough guy, let’s get it on.”
Mesa is leery of a trap, so he slowly drops the shotgun and discards the pistol. Carlos charges Mesa, not giving him time to prepare. Dan sees what is happening and braces for the attack. Carlos leaves his feet in a flying tackle, something he used during his football days at the University of Texas. He hits Mesa with his shoulder, and Dan is knocked backward and is dazed. Carlos throws a kick and hits Mesa in the ribs, but Mesa continues to get up and smiles at Carlos.
“If that is your best, then you are in trouble.”
Carlos throws a left punch and hits Mesa on the jaw. He follows that with a right cross that knocks the ranger down again.
“Come on, ranger. I thought you were tough!”
Mesa stands up, rips his shirt off, and goes after Carlos. Carlos throws a roundhouse kick, and Mesa dodges it and counters with a kick to the groin. Carlos falls to his knees, and Mesa waits until he stands. Then he methodically takes the man apart piece by piece. He smashes his kneecaps with a swift kick and then breaks his nose with an open-handed smash to the face.
Antonio rushes forward with a knife, and Mesa braces for the attack. As Antonio lunges, Mesa sidesteps and kicks the man in the face. Antonio drops the knife, and Mesa goes to work on Antonio. Carlos gets up slowly and goes after Mesa. Mesa fights like a cornered tiger. He lifts Antonio off the ground by the neck and body slams him, breaking Antonio’s arm. He kicks Carlos in the stomach and again in the face.
Mesa is bleeding from a cut in the side, and he has a broken rib. He walks over, lifts Carlos off the ground, and throws him about five feet. Carlos is no coward; he gets up. He throws a wicked left hook that knocks Mesa to his knees. Carlos is sure he has beaten Mesa. He charges forward but is surprised when Mesa stands up and smiles at him.
“You had her killed, and now I am going to kill you and your friend.”
Dan summons all his reserved strength and fights like a caged animal. He slaps Carlos’s face, drawing blood and clearly making him angry. Carlos attempts a roundhouse kick, but Mesa blocks the kick and smashes an elbow to the knee. Again, he slaps Carlos twice with blows that sound like gunshots.
He grabs Carlos, sticks a gun in his mouth, and cocks the hammer.
Major Johnson rushes forward.
“Dan, no. That is not the way. Would she want you to do that? Carlos and Antonio will stand trial, and they will pay with their lives.”
Suddenly, there is the smell of perfume all around. Carlos screams and covers his eyes, and so does Antonio.
“Get her away from me,” he yells and dives for his weapon.
Major Johnson yells to Sergeant Mesa, “Dan, he has a gun.”
There is a loud explosion as the guns explode. There is a bright light, and both Antonio and Carlos scream in agony.
Carlos is yelling, “I can’t see. My eyes. I can’t see.”
Antonio is yelling the same thing. It is told later by those present that during the explosion and bright light, there was a face in the light.
As the smoke clears, Major Johnson rushes forward and finds that both Carlos and Antonio are blind. They are handcuffed, and their rights are read to them. Carlos is sobbing and complaining about being blind.
Dan Mesa cocks his pistol, walks over, and once again puts the barrel in Carlos’s mouth, saying, “This is for Sonia. I hope you rot in hell for what you did to her.”
“Dan, don’t do it. He isn’t worth the bullet.”
“Major, he is responsible for her death. Antonio may have carried it out, but he is responsible.”
Carlos is begging and sobbing, and Antonio is shaking like crazy.
“Dan, is that what she’d want you to do? I don’t think so. Look at them. They are to be pitied. Please, let them live, and they’ll suffer more than she did. They have to live in a blind world.”
Mesa releases the trigger and walks away while Antonio mumbles, “It was her face. She did it. She did it.”
Sergeant Bonefacio Hernandez asks, “Who are you talking about? What woman?”
“It was that woman I killed, Sonia. She blinded me. She is back, and she is going to kill me.”
Everyone stops at the mention of Sonia’s name, except Mesa. He limps away and grimaces from the pain in his side. He climbs into his truck and drives away. The prisoners are led away in handcuffs, still mumbling.
At Ranger Headquarters, reporters are asking questions. Colonel Grant has arrived and has been briefed on the situation. Dan Mesa is still absent.
The media has arrived and is demanding to see the prisoners. They are ushered into the briefing room. Jim Landry of the Phoenix Herald asks, “It is rumored that the two prisoners are blind. Is there any truth to that rumor?”
Colonel Grant takes over the news briefing.
“Yes, the two suspects are blind,” he says, “and you can ask them what happened.”
Carlos and Antonio arrive in handcuffs, along with their lawyer.
Laura Denton of Channel 14 News leads the discussion: “Carlos, how did you lose your sight?”
With his eyes bandaged, Carlos says, “It was that lady, Sonia. She is back, but she is dead. I saw her face just before that light that blinded me. But she is dead. She burned to death in that house. She has returned to punish me.”
Laura turns toward Antonio and asks, “Antonio, what
happened to you? How did you lose your sight?”
“It was as Carlos said. She did it. Carlos was reaching for his pistol, when suddenly it exploded in this blinding light. Then my eyesight was gone. Just before I lost my sight, I saw her face, and she was very angry. I confess I did it. I left her in that house, and then I set it on fire. It was me. I did it. Please, now, don’t let her get me.”
Major Johnson turns to the colonel and asks, “Did he just confess to murdering Sonia on live TV?”
“Yes, Sam. That is exactly what he did.”
The door opens, and Mesa walks in. He walks up to Carlos and says, “I know you paid a hit man to kill me. You’d better pray he doesn’t miss because if he does, I am coming back to finish the job I started yesterday.”
Jim Landry asks, “Sergeant Mesa, are you saying that Carlos hired an assassin to kill you?”
“Yes, a friend in the FBI told me about an hour ago that they found out that Carlos hired a man out of Chicago. His orders are to kill me whether Carlos is alive or dead. He paid two hundred fifty thousand dollars up front and another two hundred fifty thousand is to be paid when the job is complete.”
“Ranger, what do you plan to do about it?”
“I plan to live my life but be extremely careful.”
Carlos begins to panic and yells, “Ranger, I can stop it. Just get me a phone.” He is given a phone. “Please, someone dial seven seven nine five three nine three zero nine nine.” The number is dialed, and the line rings. A voice answers, “Leave a message and a number, and you will be called.”
“This is Carlos Meana. Cancel the hit. Repeat, cancel the hit. You can keep the payment of two hundred fifty thousand dollars. Call me back as soon as the hit has been cancelled. I will be waiting by the phone at 635-375-8866.” He hangs up the phone.
The phone rings, and a voice says, “The hit has been canceled. Thanks for your business.” The phone goes dead at the other end and Carlos hands the phone back to the ranger saying, “The hit is canceled. Now please tell her to give me my sight back. Please, you tell her I am sorry.”
The cameras have been rolling the whole time, and everything has been broadcast on live television.
Laura Denton finishes her broadcast by saying, “This is Laura Denton, and what you have just seen is real—not a stunt but live from the ranger headquarters here in Nogales. In my ten years as a news reporter, I have never covered anything like what you’ve seen here this morning. I am Laura Denton of Channel 14 News, live from Nogales.”
Colonel Grant turns to Laura and asks, “Miss Denton, will you give us a copy of that film? We will probably need it for the trial.”
“No problem, colonel. I will personally get it to you. Thanks for the best day of my news career. Where is Ranger Mesa? I wanted to talk to him.”
“Miss Denton, if I were you, I’d leave him alone for now. Maybe in a few days you can call for an interview but not now. You’d probably see something that would frighten not only you but the public in general. That lady who was killed was someone special to him, and he is not handling it too well.”
The prisoners are escorted to the Tucson Medical Center and imprisoned at the hospital in the criminal ward. The physician assigned, examines both.
“Colonel Grant, these two prisoners are suffering from something we refer to as hysterical blindness. It happens in war a lot but not too often in civilian life. Usually, it happens when someone sees something terrible happen to a close friend or relative. This is the first time I’ve seen it happen in the manner it happened with these two. If I didn’t know better, I’d say they were faking it, but those two are convinced that some lady named Sonia is coming back for them. Their sight may return in a few days or a few weeks or it may never return. It is impossible to say.”
“Thanks, Doctor McPherson. You have done your part.”
The date is December 22 when Mesa walks into the hospital room where Alana and Matilda are. He kneels and says a short prayer. As he stands, he looks into Matilda’s face, and she smiles at him.
“Dan, did you say a prayer for me too?” she asks.
Mesa walks over and gives her a gentle hug.
“I was praying for both of you,” he says. “I thought I’d lost you both. Has Alana said anything yet? Look, both of you mean the world to me. I love both of you, and if anything happened to you, I don’t know what I’d do. This is Alana’s second injury because of me. I can’t allow her to be injured again, and I definitely won’t allow anything ever to happen to you again!”
He hears Alana’s voice saying, “You don’t have to worry, because we are leaving Arizona for a while.”
Mesa turns around with a smile, but the smile fades when he sees Alana’s face. Her face shows disgust.
“Alana, it is so good to . . . hear your voice. Why are you looking at me with so much hatred?”
“It is because of you that my mother and I were shot. It is because of you that I almost lost my eye! So I want you out of my life for once and for all. Now get out!”
“Alana, what in the world is wrong with you? It isn’t his fault. Things just happen sometimes.”
“Mother, I am resigning from the rangers, and we are going to Europe for a year or two or maybe to Canada for a while, but we are not staying in Arizona any longer than we have to.”
Mesa’s face has turned gray, almost totally devoid of color. Slowly, he turns to walk out.
“I . . . I never meant to hurt you or your mom. I am sorry about that, and I wish I could change places with you, but I can’t. I will leave now, and I won’t be troubling you again. Matilda, if you ever need me you know where to find me.”
“Dan, give her time, and I am sure she will change her mind. I don’t want us to part like this.”
“Neither do I, but I won’t be the source of your pain any longer.”
Mesa walks away hurriedly. He passes Dr. Burke and doesn’t say a word. His face is a mask of pain and anger.
Dr. Burke starts to speak but doesn’t. He walks into Matilda and Alana’s room to find both women in tears. He looks from one to the other.
“Okay, what is going on here? I just saw Ranger Mesa walking down the hall, and he looked as if he has lost everything he held dear.”
“Doctor Burke, my daughter just drove away the one man in this world who could have made her happy. She just gave him the boot. That man you just saw is a damned good person, and he deserves better.”
Dr. Burke turns toward and says, “Alana, do you have anything to say?”
Through tears, she says, “I have said all I intend to say.”
The holiday spirit has left Daniel Mesa’s world as he heads home. As he approaches Amado he stops at the Cow Palace. He walks in and asks for Sylvia Animas.
“I’m the day manager, Jim Fagen. Who shall I say is looking for her?”
“I’m Sergeant Mesa of the Arizona rangers. She knows me.”
The manager leaves and returns with Sylvia.
“Hello, Dan,” she says. “Is there any news about Sonia’s murder?”
“Sylvia, Carlos and Antonio have been captured. They are in jail in Tucson, and they will stand trial for murder. I started to kill them both, I don’t think she’d like that, so I will allow them to stand trial. Now, I need to fly to El Paso to visit her parents again. If you need me, you can call any time.”
He turns and walks away, never smiling. He climbs back into the truck and leaves. He returns to his place and packs his bags for El Paso. He places a call to Major Johnson.
“Sir, I am flying to El Paso to see Sonia’s parents and bring them up-to-date. They deserve to know how things turned out. You can reach me on my cellular phone if you need me.”
“Okay, sergeant. Are you okay?”
“Yes, sir, I am fine. I will see you in a few days.”
Mesa boards a plane in Tucson and takes an aisle seat. He dozes off, and when he awakens, there is a familiar face smiling at him: Monica Saint Jacque. Mesa starts to speak, but she puts her finger to her mouth and asks him to be quiet.
“It is good to see you again, ranger. I want to thank you for what you did for Sonia. She is so proud of you. Don’t look so surprised; she will be checking on you periodically. See? People do care about you.”
She smiles and walks away.
Mesa drops off to sleep again and awakens as the plane prepares to land. He looks for Monica again, but she isn’t there. He smiles and disembarks. He rents a car and drives to Sonia’s parents’ ranch.
Meanwhile Napal and Ophelia are preparing for Mesa’s arrival at the ranch. The girls are busy baking a cake and inviting their friends and Sonia’s friends to the dinner party.
Mesa arrives driving a new Chrysler Sebring convertible and wearing his traditional western attire. Napal and Ophelia greet him at the door.
“Dan, it is good to see you, but you look tired and your eyes have that faraway look to them.”
Mesa smiles his crooked smile and says, “I’m okay. How are you guys doing? Where are the girls?”
“We are great, and the girls are in the house planning a dinner party in your honor. You are something of a hero around here. We saw the capture and confession of Carlos and Antonio on the news. They will have a long time to regret what they did. Sonia would be so proud of you.”
“You know, that is the second time I’ve heard that in less than two hours. I was on the plane and—do you remember I told you about a lady I met on the plane who reminded me of Sonia?—well she was on this plane too. She said, ‘Sonia is so proud of you’ and then she walked away. Sometimes, I don’t know if these things are happening or if I dreamed it all,” he says. “Look, I have a few days of vacation coming. I’d like to spend three or four days here if you don’t mind. Maybe I could just help you out with the ranch. What I really need is just a few days to calm down before I fall apart.”
