Free Jaguar Pride by Terry Spear Page B

hundred and fifty miles, Melissa and Huntley arrived in Amarillo. Well, the outskirts. They hadn’t left the suburbs of Dallas as early as they had planned. They were making this a vacation of sorts.
    â€œSo Martin approved the job and is paying expenses?” Huntley asked Melissa as they looked for the perfect hotel that would be their home base.
    â€œYep. Said if we couldn’t just have fun on our leave and had to look for this Jackson character, he’d take us off leave. But he added to have fun while we’re at it.”
    â€œHe’s a great boss,” Huntley said, carrying his bags into the hotel. Then he checked his weapon. Loaded and ready, just in case.
    â€œYeah, he is. When I started working for him four years ago, I didn’t quite get his humor. I would have thought he was joking about this. But not him.”
    â€œNo, not him.”
    â€œSo none of our men have tracked Jackson down, Martin said.” Melissa checked her own weapon. “Because of the trouble he was in, he might have had a time getting out of Costa Rica.”
    Huntley shook his head. “The bad guys can slip across borders without any trouble. It’s the good guys who have more trouble. He knows his way around. Are you ready to take a drive out to the parents’ place?”
    â€œWho’s going to call them? You? What’s the cover story?”
    â€œI’ll be his military buddy. More of a likelihood.”
    As soon as they found the one-story yellow, boxy house, Huntley parked. Vehicles were sitting along the curb, dogs roamed the street, and no one was out and about. School-age kids were in school, so it was quiet.
    Huntley called Jackson’s parents’ number and got the poacher’s mother.
    â€œHello, Mrs. Jackson? I was in the 1st Cavalry Division with Tim Jackson, and he said to look him up, if he happened to be staying with you. I was just passing through Amarillo on my way to see my folks in Florida. I wondered if he was in and maybe we could get together, if he has time.”
    â€œHe’s not here right now,” the older woman said.
    Huntley couldn’t tell if she was glad or sad about it. “Oh? I could have sworn he said he’d be visiting you about this time of year. My mistake.”
    â€œMaybe he’s at his sister’s place. He hasn’t been in touch with us for a couple of years.”
    He listened for signs of whether she was telling him the truth or covering for her son. No telling with family. “Okay. Well, thanks, ma’am.”
    â€œYou’re welcome. And if you see him, well, tell him…”
    Huntley waited, hating this part of the business. It was too easy to see the black and white of a situation. But no matter how low a person went, usually someone still cared about the lowlife and would be devastated to lose him. It did sound like Jackson’s mother hadn’t seen him in a while, though.
    â€œForget it,” she finally said. “Take care, young man. We appreciate you men who serve in the military.”
    â€œYes, ma’am. Good-bye.”
    He turned to see Melissa studying him. “He hasn’t returned to see his mother in a couple of years. But she said he might have dropped by his sister’s place. I think she’s telling the truth about not being in touch with him.”
    â€œSounds like they’ve all had a falling-out. Okay, we’ve still got the sister in Canyon. You’re doing well with the old army-buddy ploy. Might as well use it on the sister, don’t you think?”
    â€œI agree.”
    Still, they stayed near the parents’ house for a few more minutes to ensure that Jackson didn’t suddenly leave the place. When they didn’t see any action at the house, they drove to Canyon, fourteen miles south of Amarillo.
    â€œYou said you went to West Texas A&M. Did you ever run as a jaguar out here? There are only scrub trees, no real place to