if she had been hit there. If she had not been bound and restrained, she could have gotten out before it got bad. It is my opinion that this was intentional. You should go to the district attorney and ask for a charge of murder. Someone should pay dearly for her death.”
“Thanks, Jaime, I will be in touch.”
Supper has been completed, and Nadia is playing the guitar as Dan sings a wayfarer’s song about the sea. Dan’s cellular phone rings.
“Sergeant Mesa here,” he answers.
“Dan, Captain Johnson here. Dan, I don’t know any other way to say this, so I am just going to tell you. There was a fire in Patagonia, and the Nogales Fire Department responded. It was a bad one. By the time they got there, the house had burned. When going through the rubble, they found a body. It was Sonia. According to Captain Garcia, her hands were bound. The coroner, Dr. Hernandez, said the cause of death was smoke inhalation. I wish there was something I could say or do to make it better. Get back here as soon as you can. There is a lot we need to do. Dan, I know you well, and I know how your mind works. Please, don’t go off half-cocked. Promise me you’ll come in and talk before you do anything.”
“Captain, I’ll see you soon.”
He shuts the phone off and walks away stiffly.
Ranson breaks the silence when he says, “Who died? I can tell from the look on your face that someone has died.”
Dan spins around with his gun in hand, walks up to Ranson, shoves the barrel in his mouth, and cocks the hammer. Ranson’s eyes are as big as saucers.
Nadia cautiously walks over and puts her hand on Dan’s arm.
“Son, you don’t want to do that,” she says. “That’s not the way.”
Mesa becomes aware of his actions and relaxes his grip on the gun. He sits down and slowly tells them what happened. Scotty walks over and pats his friend on the back and walks away. He remembers a time when he too felt the loss of someone special.
Ranson stands up and apologizes to Mesa for his words. Mesa just walks away without saying anything. Jonathan loads up the RV, and they drive into the night.
In Tucson, the television, radio, and newspaper news agencies have been notified, and there is a continual news broadcast. Carlos has learned of the fire and knows he has to kill Dan Mesa before Dan kills him. He calls his friends in Dallas, and a contract is put on Ranger Daniel Mesa for two hundred thousand dollars—dead. As is always the case, word drifts back to Tucson, and the rangers are alerted.
In the meantime, Carlos and Antonio are running for their lives. Twice, they have tried crossing the border, but due to constant identity checks, they know they can’t risk it.
Mesa arrives in Tucson and turns Ranson over to Captain Johnson. He is extremely irritable and stays away from everyone.
Captain Johnson calls Mesa into his office and says, “Sergeant, I don’t know what to say to you to make things better, so I won’t try. Colonel Grant and I are working hard to find those responsible. Let us do our job, please.”
Mesa looks at the captain for a few seconds and says, “Sir, she didn’t have to die. Someone has to pay for her death. I need to get Jonathan and Nadia to my place. I have my friend Scott Ortiz of the FBI with me as well. I will be in touch.”
Mesa drives to his ranch and gets Jonathan and Nadia settled in. He turns to Ortiz, says thanks, and walks away. He climbs into his truck and slowly drives away.
Twenty-four hours after Sonia’s death, no one has seen Dan Mesa. The investigation into Sonia’s death continues. The FBI has taken over the case along with the rangers. Carlos’s and Antonio’s photos have been circulated with warrants for their arrests. So far, though, no one has seen or heard from them.
Scotty and Jonathan have been searching everywhere for Dan. It has now been thirty-six hours, and they’ve found nothing. Scotty, Jonathan, and Nadia have been living at Dan’s place.
“Thanks, Jaime, I will be in touch.”
Supper has been completed, and Nadia is playing the guitar as Dan sings a wayfarer’s song about the sea. Dan’s cellular phone rings.
“Sergeant Mesa here,” he answers.
“Dan, Captain Johnson here. Dan, I don’t know any other way to say this, so I am just going to tell you. There was a fire in Patagonia, and the Nogales Fire Department responded. It was a bad one. By the time they got there, the house had burned. When going through the rubble, they found a body. It was Sonia. According to Captain Garcia, her hands were bound. The coroner, Dr. Hernandez, said the cause of death was smoke inhalation. I wish there was something I could say or do to make it better. Get back here as soon as you can. There is a lot we need to do. Dan, I know you well, and I know how your mind works. Please, don’t go off half-cocked. Promise me you’ll come in and talk before you do anything.”
“Captain, I’ll see you soon.”
He shuts the phone off and walks away stiffly.
Ranson breaks the silence when he says, “Who died? I can tell from the look on your face that someone has died.”
Dan spins around with his gun in hand, walks up to Ranson, shoves the barrel in his mouth, and cocks the hammer. Ranson’s eyes are as big as saucers.
Nadia cautiously walks over and puts her hand on Dan’s arm.
“Son, you don’t want to do that,” she says. “That’s not the way.”
Mesa becomes aware of his actions and relaxes his grip on the gun. He sits down and slowly tells them what happened. Scotty walks over and pats his friend on the back and walks away. He remembers a time when he too felt the loss of someone special.
Ranson stands up and apologizes to Mesa for his words. Mesa just walks away without saying anything. Jonathan loads up the RV, and they drive into the night.
In Tucson, the television, radio, and newspaper news agencies have been notified, and there is a continual news broadcast. Carlos has learned of the fire and knows he has to kill Dan Mesa before Dan kills him. He calls his friends in Dallas, and a contract is put on Ranger Daniel Mesa for two hundred thousand dollars—dead. As is always the case, word drifts back to Tucson, and the rangers are alerted.
In the meantime, Carlos and Antonio are running for their lives. Twice, they have tried crossing the border, but due to constant identity checks, they know they can’t risk it.
Mesa arrives in Tucson and turns Ranson over to Captain Johnson. He is extremely irritable and stays away from everyone.
Captain Johnson calls Mesa into his office and says, “Sergeant, I don’t know what to say to you to make things better, so I won’t try. Colonel Grant and I are working hard to find those responsible. Let us do our job, please.”
Mesa looks at the captain for a few seconds and says, “Sir, she didn’t have to die. Someone has to pay for her death. I need to get Jonathan and Nadia to my place. I have my friend Scott Ortiz of the FBI with me as well. I will be in touch.”
Mesa drives to his ranch and gets Jonathan and Nadia settled in. He turns to Ortiz, says thanks, and walks away. He climbs into his truck and slowly drives away.
Twenty-four hours after Sonia’s death, no one has seen Dan Mesa. The investigation into Sonia’s death continues. The FBI has taken over the case along with the rangers. Carlos’s and Antonio’s photos have been circulated with warrants for their arrests. So far, though, no one has seen or heard from them.
Scotty and Jonathan have been searching everywhere for Dan. It has now been thirty-six hours, and they’ve found nothing. Scotty, Jonathan, and Nadia have been living at Dan’s place.
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