HIDDEN SPRING 21

the next morning latigo was up before daylight. he wasnt sure what move to make first. the bunch from the air base had taken a beating the day before, loosing their plane. and the cartel had lost their caravan trail through the bombing range. as he ate his breakfast he kept mulling the situation over in his minf. he finally decided he would take a wait and see position. he would let louis or the cartel make the next move. as it lightened up out side he took two of the claymore anti personel mines andd set them on each side of his yard with crossing feilds of fire. if things got out of hand he would clean the yard with the claymores. they were knowwen to be deadly over a feild as big as a foot ball feild. . he went about his chores as he normally would. he had a horse that needed a new set of shoes. he led him out to the saddle shed and went to work. but he made sure while he was working he was faceing down the road so as to see any one driveing up. when finishing up the third foot latigo could hear a motor comming up the road toward him. he had put the m16 just inside the saddle shed. along with the switches on the clay mores. he picked up the fourth foot and went on with the job. presently a goverment truck pulled into the yard across the cattle guard. latigo had a mouth full of horse shoe nails . he glanced up and then went back to working on the foot. when the truck parked a tall thin officer got out of the truck and stood at the front of the truck. . latigo looked up and mumbled he would be right there. the officer waved a neglagent hand as if he understood. latigo frove the last nail in the shoe then put the foot down slowley." good morning, what can i do for you?" the officer stepped forward extending his hand" ime major watkins. from the fireing range head quarters over in gila bend." " pleased to meet you. can i offer you something cool to drink?" latigo asked. "no thank you. would you mind answereing some questions tho?"the major got right to the point. " if i can, ask away." latigo smiled. " yesterday we lost a plane over in the range , just down from your fence and there was a couple of explosions down country earlier. our pilot swears that he was shot down by a ground based rocket. we arnt aware of a rocket launcher that is portable that will bring down a plane that way altho i suppose its possible."the major explained. " i saw the plane. he cruised over me at tree top height as he went down range. the day before he unloaded on a hill on my side of the pasture. as for the explosions i saw the dust clouds from them from my side of the fence. i do know that the caborca cartel has been sending caravans of human mules up through there. i know there is some live ordinance down there so i supposed they got into that."latigo figgured leaveing a few details out wasnt lying. the major nodded and walked a small circle then looked latigo in the eye." we think there is someone in luke who is involved with the cartel we also know about the scavengers out of ajo . have knowen of them for years. but they do us a service at times so we leave them alone. but they have a attitude that the bombing range is theirs. and they deal with trespassers according ly.do you know them?" " ive met one. but i have never seen them across the fence from my pasture. but if i do ill be glad to let you know." latigo told him. the major looked at latigo as if he didnt know to believe him or not but finally nodded. he handed latigo a card" heres my number, if you see anything please call me." latigo stood and watched the major drive out of the yard headed back to the hiway. he looked at the card then put it in his shirt pocket. " ok louis your turn" was all he said as he returned to the horse.

HIDDEN SPRING 20

as latigo started to rein his horse toward home he once again heard a rumble far to the south. he stopped and looked in the direction the sound came from. a distant mushroom cloud of dust was riseing far to the south. he sat there looking in amazement. thinking to himself he hoped no one was close to that explosion. he started on toward his house. on the way his mind was crowded with different senarios. then it suddenly hit him. louis wasnt going to blame him for the shot down plane or the different explosions today, he was going to blame the ricco christianos. the caborca cartel was already on notice from the scavengers, and with all this today they would be blamed again. he wasnt sure in his own mind if all this was a good thing. . but, it will stop the movement through the bombing range and his ranch. when he finally reached home it was full dark. but a full moon was comming over the horizon and illuminating the land scape. when latigo rode into his yard the first thing he noticed was tire tracks all over the yard between the house and the little barn where he stored his saddles . he looked to the house and everything seemed normal. at the saddle room he pulled the duffle bag off the led horse and stored it in a back corner of the room with a couple of slickers hanging over it. then he unsaddled his horses and turned them loose. when he got to the front door of his house he found a envelope stuck to the door. he didnt open it but went inside and lit a kerosene lamp. the opening the envelope he found a hand written note with the words CALL ME and a phone number.it wasnt signed but he knew who wrote it. well tomorrow would have to be quick enough. he fixed a quick cold meal then fell into bed, his head whirling. trying to find a solution to this mess. maybe tomorrow a door would open showing him a way . in any case it came to him, he wanted irene back here. he suddenly missed her. but he knew deep down there was still a element of unpredictable danger. he didnt want her hurt. he ran his hand over his face. one part of him was the cold veteren who had killed more times than he could count and the other was some one who was attatched to a woman and was being considerate. his eyes flew open as he stared up at the ceiling, he didnt know who he was any more. he knew who he wanted to be, he just didnt know how he was going to get there from here.