Free The Law and Dan Mesa by Dan Sears Page A

She cared for you a great deal. I know she’d want you here. The funeral is scheduled for Saturday at Saint Paul’s Cathedral at eleven a.m. Will you be there?”
    “Yes, ma’am, I will be there. I will arrive tomorrow. I just want you to know I . . .” For the first time in his life, Dan Mesa breaks down.
    “Ranger Mesa, will you be okay? You are welcome here anytime. It is a hard thing for all of us to understand. She said you are a special person, and she wanted me to meet you. We’ll talk when you arrive.”
    “Thank you, Mrs. Cortez. I don’t know if I will ever be okay again. This is something I feel responsible for. I will see you tomorrow.”
    Napal Cortez, Sonia’s father, walks into the room and asks, “Honey, who was it on the phone?”
    “Napal, it was that ranger whom Sonia often spoke of. He must be something special for her to have cared as she did. He almost broke down over the phone. I could tell by the way his voice shook. Unless I miss my guess, that man is not someone to tangle with. The anger in him and the hurt is tearing him apart. Whoever killed our little girl will regret it something terrible. He will arrive tomorrow.”
    “Ophelia, how will we know him? Does he want us to meet him at the airport?”
    “No, dear, but I will know him anywhere. According to Sonia, he is about five feet five inches tall and weighs around one hundred fifty pounds. He is African American but not black. He has brown skin and a face that seldom smiles He always wears a gray western hat, boots, jeans, and a western tie. You’ll know him without a doubt.”
     
    In Nogales at Mesa’s ranch, Dan and Agent Ortiz are in conversation.
    “Scott, could you check with your people and find out if Pellegrinni has put out a contract on me or if he has done anything out of the ordinary these last few days?” Mesa asks. “According to my captain, there is a contract out on me. I am not afraid, but it does make it difficult for me to do what needs to be done if I have to watch my back constantly.”
    “Dan, I will call right now. Someone should be there in the office.”
    When the phone is answered at the bureau in Washington, DC, Ortiz hears, “This is the FBI, Agent Schmidt speaking. May I help you?”
    “Dave, Scott Ortiz here. Do me a favor and check and see if Vermenti Pellegrinni has taken out a contract on anyone lately. I am primarily concerned about an Arizona ranger named Daniel Mesa. I’m in Nogales, Arizona, and you can reach me at five two zero nine zero eight two three four seven. Dan Mesa is my best friend, and I would appreciate anything you can find out. There was a kidnapping here, that ended in the murder of a very special lady. Dave, all hell is about to break loose down here, and unless I miss my guess, the world will be minus several criminals before this is over. I don’t want him to go off half-cocked and kill the wrong person.”
    “Scott, isn’t he that ranger who was involved in that shoot-out in Albuquerque a few months ago?”
    “Yes, he is the one. The lady who was kidnapped and killed was his lady, someone he valued highly. Dan Mesa doesn’t get involved easily. She must have been a great person. Call me as soon as you know anything.”
    “Scotty, wait a minute,” Schmidt says. “The information is coming in now. According to our info, there is a contract on Dan Mesa of Nogales, Arizona. The amount is five hundred thousand dollars. Damn, someone wants his hide bad. Tell your friend to watch his back. Our sources say the contract is being financed by Pellegrinni.”
    “Dave, I owe you one. Just name it, and I’ll be there. Thanks.”
    Scott slowly cradles the phone and turns around.
    He looks at Mesa and says, “Dan, there is a contract for five hundred thousand dollars on you head. Pellegrinni is financing it. That is a considerable sum of money, and every would-be assassin will be after you. What are your plans?”
    “I plan to carry on with what I am doing but have eyes