BIG HORN 22

con was starting to think he was leading a bunch of banditos across the border. everyone left the house in the morning carrying a variety of fire arms and cutlery. they continued working around the 13 tank but left the dead horse for the border patrol. they had a drone flying and the officers were camped out at the spot along the hiway where they loaded up. the papago inspecter had come by one afternoon and looked at the cattle and told them it would be a few days before the indian cowboys could get there con and roy kept banging away at the cattle at the 13 tank. late one afternoon they rode back into the yard to find earnesto up under the truck onhis back. as they rode up he skooted out and stood up. " no more driveing this con, tie rod is about gone, wheel bearings are shot. it could come apart just going down the road" con bowed his head then nodded" can you rebuild it?" " maybe but i need a lot of parts and tools.i need a ride to town to get them." earnesto answered. "we got 80 some head locked up at the 13. if you had the parts how long would it take to rebuild?"con ws figguring. " a week if everything goes right. you cant leave those cattle there that long and we got nothing to haul hay with." earnesto was wipeing the grease from his hands while he talked. " well boss? what you gonna do? go turn them loose?"roy was putting the pressure on con. before con could answer fawn walked up. she had over heard almost all of the conversation" ill tell you what we are going to do, in the morning con and i will go to town for parts and another truck and trailer. earnesto, make a list of what you need to fix this one. the rest of you stay close to home. when we go out we will tell the border patrol about being gone they can keep a eye out for you." fawn had it under control. the next afternoon fawn came back to the ranch. she had a big box of parts, oil and filters for the broke down truck. the ranch seemed quiet. earnesto didnt come unlock the gate for her. there was no activity at the bender house. she didnt see roy anywhere. she got out and started to unlock the gate but found the lock wasnt closed. she opened the gate then drove in. she would leave it open for con who was comming behind her. still no one appeared as she rolled up to the broke down truck. she was starting to get suspicious. when she got out of the jeep one of earnestos girls trotted up from earnestos camp trailer" come quick, pappa is hurt." the girl grabbed fawns arm. at the camp trailer she found earnesto stretched out in bed. a red stain on his shirt in the middle of his belly. " what the hell happened here?" fawn exclaimed. " shot, cartel man. he got my wife. the girls hid." earnesto gritted his teeth as he spoke. " wheres roy?" fawn asked as she was peeling the denim shirt back" how long ago?" " two hours maybe. i dont know about roy, he was at the barn when they came."earnesto didnt like talking. the two girls stood out side. crying. " i gotta get some help, con will be here any moment. you need a ambulance. hang on"fawn stood up and went out the door to the jeep. " stay close girls ime goin for help" she told the girls. just then con drove over the cattle guard in a near new gray truck pulling a gooseneck trailer. before he could get out fawn ran up" go get the border patrol and call a ambulance earnesto is hurt bad!" con hadnt even shut the engine off but spun the wheel and roared back to the hiway. fawn looked around, WHERE WAS ROY? in just a few minutes three border patrol trucks rolled into the yard. agents fell out of them and stormed to the camp traile. con drove in behind them pulled to the barn and parked. in the distance you could hear a siren from the ambulance. as he started to walk to the trailer roy and earnestos wife stepped out of the brush. she ran to the camp trailer. roy stoped in front of con. "i got her back, hows earnesto?" " i dont know yet i just got here. how did you get her back?"con quized roy. " i convinced him to turn her loose. he wont need any more convinceing tho"roy was serious. about then the ambulance bounced over the cattle guard and stopped in front of the camp trailer. in just a few minutes the amblance crew came out of the trailr with earnesto in a gurney. they oaded him in the ambulance and roared out to the hiway.fawn came by with earnestos wife and daughter" we are going to folow them. ill be back tonight." con nodded" what do they think?" he asked. " they arnt sure but dont think it hit anything vital. the border patrol capitan wants to talk to roy., ime out of here." fawn jumped in the jeep and fired it up. " didnt take long to clean this outfit up did it?"con turned to roy but saw he wa walking to the barn. " ill feed the stock" roy said over his shoulder. con saw the border patrol capitain comming. "uh oh" he said under his breath.

BIG HORN 21

in the little mexican border town of sonoyta was a little, dark cantina. it sat in a old building and was long and narrow. at a table at the back of the room george sat with a mug of warm beer. it was bitter. he really didnt want it but he was killing time waitting for his meeting. through the door came a mexican man. he was dressed in a high end polo shirt, pressed and creased canvas slacks and adidas tennis shoes. a red scarf was knotted around his neck. it was there not for style but to cover a long scare. behind him stepped two hefty mexican me. also dressed impecably. they say down at a table by the door. one of them nodded at the bar tender and pointed out the door. the bar tender scurried out on to the side walk where he lit a cigarett. the first man walked straight to the back table and pulled a chair out and sat down. " ok gringo, when will you be ready for another shipment?" the man asked. george looked at him and shook his head" i dont know yet. we are still trying to make arrangments with the new owners. they are pretty straight up. we might need to open a different rout. move to the next ranch to the east. it has absentee owners." george had a alternative in mind. the cartel man glared at george"but wont that be a longer trail, less water and not as good a load out on the hiway?" " yes, but it wont have as many people moveing about. i never dreamed my exwife would do all the things she is doing. hell, half of casa grande is working out there. we tried to get a mexican employee to work with us. he just moved his family out there. now theres more than before. ill work out the details on the next ranch. ill put water at places along the trail. its empty, no one lives there. its safer."george was selling the new rout the best he could.. the cartel mexican stood up, " we are ready to go with a train now. ill send some armed men to open the trail if possible. you just be at the pick up point in 4 days at mid night. you drop the ball and you wont need to worry about a different trail." the man turned and walked back out the door his two body guards stood up as he passed and followed him into the street. the bar tender slipped back behind the bar, visable shaken. george dropped some money on the table and left the warm beer where it sat. he stood there a minute then walked to his car parked outside on the street. he tried not to show it but he was scared stiff.