by Rayna Morgan
He grabbed the woman’s shoulders and spun her around.
“Leave me alone, Charlie.” She pushed the biker away. “I’m having fun dancing with this Texan. I don’t want to dance with you.”
The intruder turned from the blond to face Woody. “I think it’s time for you to go back where you came from.”
Woody glared at the man. “And I think you need to learn some manners, Charlie, or whatever your name is. You heard what the lady said. Vamoose.”
“Oh, oh. Those sound like fighting words.” Dan jumped up from the table and moved in that direction.
Before Dan reached his friend, the biker took a swing at Woody, grazing the lawman’s cheek.
Woody’s eyes turned to ice. He moved the woman to one side and advanced toward his assailant.
The biker began to retreat, but Woody kept moving forward.
Dan yelled as he approached the adversaries. “Woody, stop.”
The biker raised his fist to throw another punch. Woody ducked and the blow landed on Dan. Everyone gasped.
Dan wiped blood from his lip. He turned toward the man named Charlie and hit him. Hard.
Another biker pushed him from behind and Dan fell to his knees. Woody raised his foot and landed a kick on the second man’s belly. Other bikers circled the fighters.
Jack and Pat rushed to help. When Jack got knocked to the floor, Pat retaliated. The free-for-all was on.
After several minutes, they heard the sound of sirens in the distance.
Dan grabbed Woody’s arm. “Let’s get out of here.”
“Dang,” Woody complained. “The fun’s just beginning.”
Dan grabbed his daughter. He yelled as they made their way past the other couple. “See you later, Jack.”
Outside, Ashley shouted as they ran through the parking lot. “Yahoo, Uncle Woody. Just like old times.”
Dan pushed Woody toward his car.
“Yep,” he grumbled. “Just like old times.”
CHAPTER SEVENTEEN
Warren was the last to arrive at the office the next morning. Lea was more surprised by his appearance than by his late arrival. His typically well-groomed hair was mussed and the stubble on his chin showed he hadn’t taken time to shave.
“You look terrible, Dad,” she said. “Didn’t you get any sleep?”
He growled, indicating he was clearly out of sorts. “I want you and Dan in my office immediately.”
Has he learned more about the threats on Dan? She wondered. I knew we should have confided in him sooner.
She hurried to fetch Dan. “We’ve been summoned. I’m afraid our goose is cooked.”
While they got seated in his office, he pulled an electric razor from a drawer and ran it over his chin. “A habit I gained during years of sleepless nights with the police.”
“I keep one handy myself,” Dan commented.
“What caused your sleepless night?” Lea asked warily.
“Our case has escalated from keeping Graciela’s nephew out of trouble to prevent him from being charged with murder.”
She leapt from her chair. “You can’t be serious! Who is Pedro suspected of killing?”
Warren motioned her to sit down. “Give me a moment and I’ll explain.”
Lea waited impatiently as he replaced the shaver in his drawer. “Your mother received a hysterical call from Rosa saying her nephew had been taken into custody. I spent the better part of the evening at police headquarters where Pedro was interrogated.”
“What are the grounds for his being questioned?” Dan asked.
“A woman who works at Rancho Hidalgo was found dead near the young man’s barracks. There were bruises on her body and indications of a possible sexual attack. They have to wait for an autopsy to clarify the findings.”
“What does that have to do with Pedro?” Lea asked, her voice registering disbelief. “He and Adriana are practically engaged. There’s no way he would indulge in such behavior, especially with one of the people he fights to protect.”
Warren held up a hand to calm her. “Don’t worry, Pedro denied the allegations. Based on the weakness of the circumstantial evidence, they released him. However, he was warned not to leave town and to make himself available for further questioning as needed.”
“What evidence do the police have?” Dan asked.
“Officers searched his barracks at the time of his arrest and found a scarf identified as belonging to the victim hidden among clothes in Pedro’s closet.”
Lea scoffed. “Anyone could have placed the scarf there to incriminate him.”
Warren nodded. “That’s the reason he was released. At least, until the police check his alibi.”
“Rosa must be sick with worry.”
“Neither she nor your mother will give me a moment’s peace until we assure them Pedro won’t be accused of the girl’s murder.”
“The only way to prove Pedro innocent is by finding the killer,” Dan said.
“That’s exactly what we’re going to do,” Warren announced. “Rosa has set up a fund for Pedro’s defense. The farm workers are contributing what pesos they can afford. In place of one client, we now have dozens. Our fee won’t increase by much, but our responsibility to those people has grown substantially. Are you two still with me?”
Lea readily agreed. “All the way.”
Dan nodded and looked at the Stetson balanced on his knee. “We’ll find whoever is behind this or I’ll eat my hat.”
“Then you better get busy,” Warren said. “Your failure will be mighty hard to swallow.”
• • •
Later that day, Warren summoned the others to hear their report on findings at Rancho Hidalgo.
“You two are keeping it safe out there, aren’t you?” he asked, as they joined him in the conference room.
“Absolutely, Dad,” Lea said, taking a seat at the table and opening her laptop.
“Not bending the rules, are you?”
Dan grinned. “Sometimes the rules need bending for the greater good.”
“That’s what I was afraid of.”
“We’re doing things exactly as you would if you were out there,” Lea assured him.
“Hardly a comforting thought. How did your sister work out?”
“She was great. Handled her role to perfection.”
“Maddy may have saved our hides near the end of our mission,” Dan added.
“That sounds like something I’d rather not hear. But you three are safe, that’s what matters. Tom would have worried if he’d known what Maddy was doing.”
“Are you implying Paul wouldn’t be concerned about me?” Lea asked.
“Honey, your husband gave up worrying about you long ago.” He gave them a dismissive wave. “We’re done. But I want a written report with a detailed description of what took place.”
Dan made a suggestion before the meeting broke up. “We should keep an eye on the ranch. We might catch them in the act of moving those drugs.”
Warren agreed. “We’ll start tomorrow. Who should take the first shift?”
Lea turned to her computer. “I’ll prepare a schedule showing times when each of us will conduct surveillance.”
She drummed her fingers on the keyboard, waiting for her laptop to turn on.
Dan looked toward the kitchen. “I was hoping we’d receive another installment on our retainer.”
Warren smiled. “Barbara wasn’t awake when I left. Tomorrow, I’ll demand payment of another batch of cinnamon rolls.”
Lea apologized when they looked her way. “My computer is updating. I can start in another minute.”
Dan glanced at the older man and rolled his eyes.
Warren pulled out a coin. “Heads or tails?”
“Heads,” Dan replied.
Warren flipped the coin in the air. “Tails. You lose. You take the night shift. I’ll cover during the day. Lea will fill in any gaps.”
The men left, leaving Lea staring at the blank screen on her comp
uter.
• • •
An hour later, Warren called Dan into his office. “It appears things got dicey out there last night.”
“Nothing we couldn’t handle, sir.”
Warren smiled. “Lea herself is sometimes difficult to handle. She isn’t the easiest person in the world to get along with.”
Dan returned the smile. “Nor am I.”
“At times, my daughter displays a controlling side to her personality.”
Dan’s eyebrows raised a fraction, but he refrained from responding.
“Regardless, I want to be certain you and I understand each other,” Warren said in a sterner tone. “We have an agreement for you to look out for my daughter.”
“An arrangement I object to,” Lea said, entering the room.
Her father ignored her and looked to Dan for a reply.
“We understand each other perfectly, sir,” Dan assured him. “You shouldn’t be concerned about what happened yesterday. It’s easier for me to protect your daughter when she’s with me in the field.”
Lea rewarded Dan with a grateful smile.
Warren appeared unconvinced, but replaced his concern with the excitement of finding the drugs. “The scope of our investigation has broadened substantially. There are law enforcement agencies who will be interested in your findings, not to mention my UFW contact. Let me make a few calls. We’ll reconvene later to decide our next move regarding Pedro.”
Lea glanced at Dan. Their eyes locked in mutual agreement.
“Before we go,” she told her father, “there’s something else you should know.”
They spent the next few minutes relating the written threats Dan had received. Warren sat with his arms folded and didn’t say a word, but his face darkened as they pieced the story together.
When they finished, he asked sternly, “Why did you wait so long to inform me?”
“I didn’t know about the notes myself until yesterday,” Lea responded defensively.
A call from Barbara interrupted further discussion. Warren put her on speaker.
“There’s a fire in the valley,” she said breathlessly.
“I saw the smoke on my way to the office,” Warren responded. “But we’re in the middle of something. Can we talk about it later?”
Barbara ignored his request. “Rosa called. She can’t come to work today.”
“Is she ill?” Lea asked.
“Not exactly. She’s in hysterics.”
Warren leaned forward. “What’s happened?”
“The workers are picking strawberries in fields next to the fire. The manager didn’t provide masks or protective gear. Pedro is urging the laborers to leave because it’s dangerous for them to keep working.”
“That’s reckless of him,” Warren grumbled. “Considering I spent half the night keeping him out of jail.”
“He learned of the workers’ fund to save him. He feels more responsible than ever to protect them as well. But Rosa is afraid of what might happen if the guards discover what he’s doing. And he could be in danger from the fires himself.”
“Tell Rosa not to worry. I’ll send Dan and Lea to find Pedro and to make sure he's safe.”
“You heard,” he said to the others after ending the call. “This puts a wrench in our plans for surveillance of the ranch, but you’ve got your marching orders.”
CHAPTER EIGHTEEN
Through the ash-covered windshield, the detectives gawked at clouds of smoke looming over the hills. The ridge surrounding the valley was engulfed by flames creeping dangerously close to the valley floor.
Although firefighters were trained to handle seasonal fires, climate change had stacked the deck in favor of bigger, more intense fires. Every year the season began earlier, lasted longer, and caused more destruction. At the start of each new season, people hoped to survive without disaster. And each year their hopes were dashed by deadly combinations of high temperatures and lack of rainfall.
As Dan drove to their destination, Lea turned on the radio. The weatherman’s report of Santa Ana winds blowing from the interior was alarming. “The combination of withering low humidity and powerful wind gusts has created critical fire conditions, especially below mountain passes and canyons. The forecast calls for—”
There was an interruption in the broadcast.
The announcer’s voice rose with excitement. “Hold on, folks. We’re returning to the main studio for late breaking news.”
Lea turned up the volume.
“The fire which erupted early this morning east of San Verde has since charred hundreds of acres of dry brush and vegetation. Firefighters are scrambling to protect citrus and avocado crops worth millions of dollars. So far, the flames have destroyed three structures but not caused any injuries,” the newsman reported. “The entire agricultural area is blanketed with ash and smoke. That's putting farmworkers, who are already battling triple-digit temperatures, at risk. According to safety and health regulations, employers are required to protect outdoor workers with masks or respirators when the air quality is this bad, but reports are coming in that farmers have neglected to do so.”
Lea turned off the radio as Dan turned on the wipers to clear ash from the windshield. Through the haze surrounding the hills, they saw plumes of thick smoke hovering over the fields.
“Rancho Hidalgo is one of those employers who have blatantly failed to supply protective gear,” she said with disgust. “Workers in other industries would not be expected to put up with these conditions. Because these workers live paycheck to paycheck and need to work, they accept these abuses in order to keep their jobs.”
The main gate to the ranch was closed so Dan parked at the side of the road. The moment Lea got out of the car, she experienced a burning sensation in her eyes. Her throat felt raw. Her nose became so congested, she could hardly breathe.
She brushed away ashes falling from the sky. “It looks as if it’s snowing.”
Dan grabbed a cloth from the glove compartment and handed it to her. “Cover your nose and mouth.”
He lifted the barbed-wire fence so she could crawl through. Scrambling after her, he spoke to the first worker he saw. “Why are you working in these conditions?”
“Why do you think?” The man sputtered, coughing into a handkerchief. “We must keep going or they will fire us.”
They ran further along the path until they spotted Pedro standing in the middle of the field, a bandana wrapped around his nose and mouth.
“Get out!” He shouted at the workers. “You don’t have to stay in these conditions.”
“We need the money,” a man yelled back. “Leave us to do our job.”
“Then I’ll work with you. But if we stay, we must demand protective gear.”
Dan watched as two uniformed men advanced toward Pedro.
“What do you think you’re doing, Pedro?” one of the guards yelled. “You’re becoming a regular little troublemaker.”
Dan raced to intercede. When he caught up, he spun the guard around.
“What are you doing to protect the workers?” he demanded. “That’s the question.”
The other man threw up his arms. “What do you expect us to do? We’re monitoring evacuation orders but the crew must continue their work.”
“These people are working in scorching temperatures.”
“We started early to avoid the worst of the heat and hope to end early to limit their exposure to the smoke.”
“They shouldn’t be required to work in these conditions,” Lea insisted.
“It’s harvest season. We have no choice but to keep production moving.”
“There are always choices you can make,” Dan retorted. “You’re choosing your bottom line over human lives.”
“Without food, humans can’t survive,” the guard argued. “Farms are living entities. You can’t shut them down and come back later when conditions have improved. Now, clear out and let these people finish their work.”
A ranch employee
ran toward them, waving frantically. “The fruit stand is on fire,” she shouted. “The whole hillside behind us is burning.”
Turning in her direction, they watched in horror as a yellow haze of smoke grew into a seething black curtain.
A roaring noise overhead caught their attention. They looked at the sky where a helicopter buzzed in and dropped water on the blaze.
“Thank goodness, help has arrived,” Lea said, relieved. But seconds later after having made no impact, the chopper soared off to reload.
They raced toward the fruit stand but were quickly pushed back by the wall of fire moving toward them.
“Go to the car, Lea,” Dan yelled. “It’s too dangerous for you to proceed. I’ll find Pedro and persuade him to come with us.”
She watched as Dan ran toward the field but her own feet wouldn’t budge. She stood motionless, transfixed by the popping sounds of vegetation turning to ash. Plants around her burned like kindling, charring the ground next to the path. With one shift of the wind, she would be consumed by flames. Seized with panic, she snatched the cloth from her face and gasped for air.
Before she gathered her wits, someone grabbed her arm and pulled her backwards.
“Stand behind me,” Roberto hollered.
Her rescuer used a fire extinguisher to spray the blaze which had moved within inches of her feet. A dozen farmworkers raced past them, carrying buckets of water which they threw on the blazing structure.
Lea coughed as fumes choked her throat. Roberto pulled a bandana from his neck, soaked it in water, and handed it to her. “Hold this to your face until we get to clean air.”
“I can’t leave without Dan,” she said. "He’s looking for Pedro.”
Roberto dropped the extinguisher and pointed to the place where two men emerged from the field, coughing and rubbing their eyes.
The smoke was so thick Lea barely recognized her partner. Roberto ran toward the second figure.
“Are you all right?” he asked, embracing the boy.
“I’m fine, Uncle. Give me a moment to catch my breath and I’ll tell you what happened.”
“There’s no time,” Dan insisted. “We’ve got to get you out before the guards come looking for you.”
