THE BLUE STALKER (34 page)

             
Bill pulled in his best agents. They went over the plans for the raid. At one thirty the agents were strategically positioned around the house. All standing ready to charge the house. 

             
Agent Harris heard a commotion in the house.  Men were begging for mercy.

             
Mercy they will get. Bill thought as he banged at the door.

             
“FBI open the door!” He yelled and again banged on the door.  Bill and his agents kicked in the front door and advanced with weapons drawn. Jorge and Pedro fled out the back door with guns drawn and bullets flying.  The agents took them down in an array of gun fire.

             
An ambulance was called.  After the ropes were removed from their wrists and ankles the hostages were taken to the hospital.  There were suffering from malnutrition and dehydration.  Their bodies were beaten, ribs fractured and their infected feet had been sliced like a butcher would slice meat. 

             
The coroner picked up Jorge and Pedro and hauled the sorry ‘sonabitches’ to the morgue.  The van was impounded to be finger printed in hopes of finding others associated with the body smuggling ring. The agents were told not to speak of the raid to anyone.  Not even to the other agents. Bill was determined to get to the bottom of the body smuggling ring in Coopersville.

             
Pedro and Jorge are dead.  That would be the end of this drop-house but there would be others.  Bill would wait and hope his informants would keep a good eye out.  As far as Agent parker goes. 

             
We will not mention anything to Parker.  I will enlist an agent from out of town to keep a tab on Agent Parker.  He will slip up, he will get lapse in his doings and we will nab the bastard.  A turn coat is the worst kind of human. Bill thought to himself.

             
Meanwhile on the same Tuesday. Ella and the crew worked all day Tuesday putting together the flowers for Amy Brandon’s funeral service.  She was thankful Alicia walked into her shop that day asking for a job.  Alicia was bold and demanding and Ella liked that in a person.  Especially one that would be part of her designing team.  And one with floral designing skills dripping off her fingers.

             
The back door swung open Ron and Susan came through the door.  “Ella you should see the floral arrangements as they are placed around the casket. They are absolu
a
tely beautiful.”  Susan told them.

             
“We only have the casket piece to finish and I will get to that first thing in the morning after Tony drops off the orchids.  I will also have the corsage ready to add the orchids.”  Alicia said as she advised everyone that everything was under control.

             
The shop was in disarray.  Everyone, with the exception of Alicia, started cleaning and reorganizing the shop. Alicia kept her hands to the grindstone finishing the arrangements.

             
The phone rang. Susan answered, “Ally’s Flower Shop, may I help you?”

             
Another order and this one was from Frank and he wanted Susan to give the order to Alicia without Ella knowing about it. 

             
“I can manage that.” She told the customer as she laid the phone in its cradle.

             
“What was that Susan?” Ella asked.

             
“Just an order for Saturday.” Susan said as she tucked it under the order pad. When Ella wasn’t in the room Susan slipped the order to Alicia.

             
Alicia read the card to be attached.  “Ella, this was our day. Love, Frank.  Susan an Alicia wondered what the card meant. But went about their business knowing it wasn’t any of their business.  Alicia would have the red roses delivered from Frank to Ella’s home on Saturday and no one would mention the order.

             
After work on Tuesday Ella made her way to the salon to have a manicure and a pedicure.  Some days ladies need their ‘cures’ and this was one of those days.

             
Upon leaving the salon Ella drove past the Ninth Street drop house.  The green van was in the drive and the house was dimly lit. Hoping the Corvette wasn’t too noticeable she drove past the drop-house and pulled into the driveway of an empty house two doors down the street hiding her car.  She walked to the back of the vacant house stumbling over yard debris and made her way to the alley.  She could walk the alley to the drop-house and hopefully not be noticed. It was almost sundown.  Ella made her way to the window where the Mexican man laid last week.  She thought the rustle of the dried branches under her feet might be heard. Slowly she tiptoes across them tangling her feet she fell against the house making a loud thump.  She lay still clinging to the wall of the house.  She tried desperately to mold her body to the wall.

             
The Mexican beast opened the back door and walked to the side of the house.  Ella could see the shine from his gun. She tried to stop her heart from pounding so loud. His flashlight shined around missing her body which was now a part of the wall. Ella trembled seeing her fate flash before her. The beast turned and walked back in the house.

“It must have been a cat.” She heard him say to his partner.

             
“Should I peek in the window or should I get out of here?”  Not using better judgment Ella stood up holding to the house hoping she hadn’t hurt herself and for sure didn’t want to break a fingernail.  She took a glanced through the slit in the shade and there lay another Mexican man in almost the same position she left the other man days ago.  She scratched on the window and he look up through his swollen eyes. He saw a face and mouthed help just as the other man.  Ella made an okay sign in hopes he would understand. Ella stepped away from the house as she heard the door bang against the wall. Oh, she thought he’s going to beat him. She couldn’t bear the thoughts of the man being tortured over and over.  Ella made her way back past the empty house. The Corvette, her get away car really looked good. She drove down the street hoping tomorrow the men would be rescued.  If not, what can she do, she thought as she drove toward Joe’s Coffee House.  Ella thought a hot cup of coffee might help to calm her nerves.

             
Carol set Ella half way back facing the back wall. Ella was in deep thought when she noticed a man turn his face to the side. He looks familiar. Could it be? His profile looks like Phil Young?  She leaned to the side trying to get a better look but with a full beard she couldn’t tell if it was him. If it was him she didn’t want him to see her as disheveled as she looked. Larry was facing her, luckily he didn’t see her. If it were Phil Young what was he doing in this out of the way town?

             
Ella swirled the figured eight in her coffee, took a few sips, pushed the cup away and made her way to the cash register.

             
“My, Ella you’re in a hurry tonight.”  Carol said. punching numbers on the cash register.  Ella handed her three dollars and rushed out of the coffee house.  Leaving Carol with a dumb founded look on her face.

             
Ella headed out of town. She couldn’t wait to get home.  Her heart was racing as she drove up the drive. 

             
Ella fumbles through her purse in an effort to locate her house key while glancing over her back.  Her hands trembling with such vibration the key drops to the ground.  Dang, why didn’t I leave the porch light on this morning?  Could it be because I didn’t plan on being out so late?  Running her fingers through the leaves that had fallen during last nights storm she managed to feel the cold metal of the key as her freshly manicured nails scratched along the cold damp concrete steps.  Quickly inserting the key into the lock and twisting the key. Upon entering the house she immediately slammed and locked the door behind her.  Leaning with her back to the door her legs buckled and she slid to the floor. 

             
Had her eyes misjudged who she was sure she had seen at Joe’s Coffee House?  Could it be the man she fell in love with many years ago?  Did he see her and was he wondering if it was her?  Was it him, or a figment of her imaginations? 

TWENTY-SIX

             
Upon leaving the shop Wednesday Ella drove by the drop-house on Ninth Street.  Kids were playing football in the street stepped aside for Ella to pass.  Each looking at her sports car.  One young boy with a look of urgency on his face waved Ella down.

             
“Evening ma’am, you might not want to drive down this street in your pretty car.  You might get it shot up.”  Eyeing the sports car with envy in his eyes.

             
“What are you talking about?”  Ella asked knowing something must have happen at the drop-house. 

             
“Some cops came earlier today and there was a shoot out next door. I watched it.  They surrounded the house and kicked the door in.  Then there was yelling and shots fired.  The guys that lived there came running out the back door and the cops shot and killed ‘um.  A big black car picked up the bodies.” The young man pushed his ball cap back showing his intense blue eyes filled with excitement.

             
“Yeah, and they took some Mexican guys away in an ambulance.  It was just like on TV.”  The young kid fidgeted around excited to tell someone. 

             
Ella was relieved to hear what had happen.  This was good news. 

“Thanks young man, I’ll be sure to stay off this street.  You and the other boys be careful, too.” 

             
Finally Ella could sleep without thinking of the torture the men were enduring.

             
The phone was dancing in its cradle when Ella arrived home.  Ella got to the phone before the San Francisco law office hung up.

             
Ms. Smith,” the man on the phone asked.

             
“Yes, this is Ms. Smith” Ella answered.

             
“This is Attorney John Robbins I wanted to let you know we have everything in order for Juanita Garcia’s green card.  We will send her the card and she will be able to cross the border without any problems.” 

             
“Thank you so much please send the bill to my address in Coopersville.” 

             
“That will be up to the partners, ma’am.”

             
Ella made a call to her travel agent telling her the circumstances. 

             
“Juanita will need a companion from the time she leaves her home until she is reunited with her daughter at my front door.”  Ella told the travel agent.

             
“I will make all the arrangements and get back to you.”  The agent on the other end of the phone told Ella.

             
“Let’s make the trip as close to Christmas as possible.” 

             
The house was quiet.  Ella wondered where everyone might be. Soon Juan, Maria and Jose came up the drive.  They had been grocery shopping.

             
“We have more food than I’ve ever seen.”  Juan carried in a bag after bag of groceries.

             
“Maria said it would be economical to purchase the major staples once a month and pick up perishables when we need them.”  

             
Ella gave a helping hand and before long all the groceries were loaded in the house.  Maria would have a fun time finding a place for all the food. Maria worked for a long time finding homes for the groceries.

             
Ms. Ella.”  Maria said standing at the living room holding a can of green beans.

             
“I’ve ran out of places to put things.  We need a big, I think you call it pantry.”  Maria said dropping the can just missing her foot.

             
“Maybe Ron can work one in with the renovation he is drawing up.”  Ella laughed.

             
Maria finally got everything put away and started preparing dinner.  Ella heard the pots clanging and scurried to the kitchen.