away. He parked outside the small stucco building and trod the boardwalk to the open front door.The temperature already hovered near a hundred on this sunny August day.
A man in a Border Patrol uniform picked desultorily through a filing cabinet and barely looked up when Michael stepped in. âGood morning. Iâm here to see Chief Patrol Officer Lanny Pickens,âMichael told him.
The portly man straightened and turned to face him. Blue eyes looked out from under shaggy white hair and brows, though his face bore no lines of advanced age. âThatâd be me, soldier.â
Only then did Michael see the two stars on the manâs collar. Numerous awards decorated his uniform as well. âSorry.â He saluted. âLieutenant Wayne with the army reporting, sir.â
The man swept a thatch of white hair from his forehead.âWelcome to the circus, Lieutenant.Your unit is set over just north of Terlingua. If you decide to join them.â
âWhy wouldnât I? I want to be here.â
âIf I were you, I might hightail it back to civilization. Or Iraq.â
âIs there a problem?â
âIf having a price on your head is a problem, then yeah, thereâs a problem.â He pulled out his desk chair and settled into it. âHave a seat. Coffee?â
Michael had tasted enough stale office coffee over the years. âNo thanks.Whatâs happening?â
Pickens flipped a pencil around in his fingers. âWhen it got out that you were returning home, we heard rumblings of a price on your head. Vargas has offered to pay twenty thousand dollars to the man who kills you.â
âVargas. As in the man who killed my brother?â
Pickens nodded. âHeâs a snake. Kills without compunction.â
A flash of his childrenâs faces gave Michael pause.What would happen to them if he was killed? There was no family left to look out for them.âWhy would he want to kill me? I havenât been back here in years. Does he think Iâll seek revenge for Philâs death?â
âIt was Philâs fault his two brothers were killed, so to Vargas itâs justice to take out Philâs brother.â
Michael blocked the familiar pain. Phil had died six months ago in a car accident. Prior to that, he had stopped a large shipment of arms from passing through to Mexico. In the fracas, several men were killed, including the brothers of the kingpin, Lazaro Vargas.Vargas himself was still behind bars.
He marshaled this thoughts. âPhilâs dead. Isnât that enough for Vargas?â
âNot to that madman.Youâll need to watch your back.â
âI always do.Whatâs happening in the field right now?â
Pickens stepped to a large map of the Big Bend area and stabbed a meaty finger at the Rio Grande. âNormally we deal with illegals crossing the river for jobs, or smuggling marijuana. But this is bigger. We thought they were coming across right by El Paso, then an agent saw two men on horseback cross here.â
âDrugs?â Michael asked.
Pickens stabbed a point farther to the west. âWeâre pretty sure last time they brought in over ten million in cocaine. Your unit is here.â He pointed to a spot by the river. âTheyâve got an observation post set up.â
Michael whistled softly. âI was told they might be bribing someone on this side.â
Pickens shrugged. âIâm not convinced about that, but we do know this is likely only a part of whatâs coming through. Itâs our job to jam the pipeline.â
âWhere do you want me?â
âWith your knowledge of the area, Iâve asked for you to be on mounted sentry duty.Youâll need a horse. Bailey out at Bluebird Ranch has offered to let you pick any of his rehabilitated stock.Take a gander at them and get one with stamina.Youâll need one by next week.â
Michael nodded. âGood of Rick to offer.â
His