The Texas Ranger's Reward (Undercover Heroes) (14 page)

He kissed her nose. “We’ll be right behind you.”

When Travis unlocked the truck, Casey and Dexter climbed in the
back. On the way over to Melissa’s the boy was still unusually quiet. Travis
eyed him through the rearview mirror. “What’s on your mind?”

“I don’t think Melissa likes me.”

That was a surprise. “Where did you get an idea like that? I
seem to recall she’s given you lots of presents, and she made more brownies for
you tonight.”

“I know.”

“So what’s the problem?”

A haunting sigh escaped before he murmured, “I told her I
wished she lived with us all the time.”

Travis rubbed his jaw. “What did she say?”

Silence greeted his question. They were almost to Melissa’s
town house, so Travis prodded, “Casey?”

“She didn’t say anything,” he answered in a quiet voice.

Travis’s earlier conversation with Melissa had come back to
bite him. “That doesn’t mean she doesn’t like you. You have to remember Melissa
isn’t your mother. She’s never been a mother,” he said in a burst of
inspiration, wanting to help his son get past this hurt.

“You mean she doesn’t know how?” Casey sounded as if he
couldn’t imagine such a thing. It made Travis smile despite the pang in his
heart.

“Yeah, that’s what I mean. And guess what?
I
didn’t know how to be a father until after I got married and you
were born. Your mom and I learned how together.”

He could hear the wheels turning in Casey’s head.

“Do you think if you married Melissa, you could teach her and
she’d learn how?”

Travis didn’t reply.

* * *

M
ELISSA
WAS
PACKING
hard-boiled eggs and peanut butter
sandwiches in her backpack when her phone rang. Maybe it was Travis calling to
tell her he was going to be late picking her up. Instead it was her sister.

“Linda?”

“Hi! I know, it’s been at least two weeks since I last talked
to you. Dad said you’ve taken the week off and we shouldn’t go up to the cabin
until the P.I. figures out what’s going on. I want to hear all about what’s
happening up there, but first I need a favor.”

“What?”

“My babysitter can’t come at eleven, and I have an appointment
with my ob-gyn for my annual pap smear. I was wondering if you might be able to
help me out. I know it’s late notice.”

“You know I would in a second, but the guy heading the
investigation is coming by for me in a few minutes. We have to go up the canyon
again. I’m so sorry.”

“Hey, it’s all right. I’ll call Mom. I hate to ask her, but
sometimes there isn’t anything else to do. If that fails, I’ll cancel the
appointment. So how’s it going? Do you trust this P.I. to know what he’s
doing?”

Heat swept through Melissa. The memory of the way Travis had
kissed her in his kitchen last night had kept her awake for hours. “He’s
brilliant.”

“Really. Is he young? Old?”

“Mid-thirties.”

“Married?”

“Linda…not you, too! Mom and Dad do enough of that.”

“I’m getting warmer, aren’t I? You’ve been so quiet lately,
something tells me he’s a person of interest.”

“He hopes to have the case solved soon. That’s the only thing
of interest to me.”

“Liar. But I’m glad to hear you have such confidence in him.
One of these days I want the inside skinny on him. In the meantime I’m sure you
can’t wait to get the cabin back. I know you’d live up there if you could.”

“You know me too well.” Except that since Melissa had met
Travis, she couldn’t imagine being up there without him.

“Well, I’d better try phoning Mom. We’ll talk later. Have a
good day!”

“You, too.”

After they hung up, Melissa put her keys in her pocket and left
the condo carrying her backpack. Travis was out in front, right on time. She
felt an adrenaline rush, something that happened every time she saw him. As she
deposited her backpack in the rear and climbed into the truck, she sensed his
mind was somewhere else. Whether it was personal or work-related, she couldn’t
tell.

Probably he was thinking about those men they’d seen on the
video, who had to be close to the cabin. Maybe today would be the day she and
Travis would catch sight of them, though they’d be hiking in a rugged area she
hadn’t been in since she was a kid. Still, two pairs of eyes were better than
one.

She put on her best smile and said, “Good morning.”

When he turned to her, his gaze traveled over her and centered
on her mouth. “It is now. But I’m having second thoughts about taking you with
me.”

And here she’d hoped he might kiss her. What was she thinking?
“Why?”

“I’ve decided you’ll be safer here.”

She frowned. “I thought you had backup for us.”

“I do, but even with the best-laid plans, things can go wrong.
I’d prefer not to take any chances.”

“Why don’t you tell me what’s really wrong? You think I’ll slow
you down?”

“You know better than that.”

“So how about telling me the truth?”

His jaw tensed. “This has to do with Casey.”

She bit her lip. “Is he all right?”

“He won’t be if anything happens to you.”

Melissa stared at Travis, trying hard to read between the
lines. “What you’re not saying is that this case has escalated into something
highly explosive. Am I right?”

“I’m afraid so. On the way over here, Jose called me from the
cabin. The men were there again last night, and he overheard conversation on the
listening device that has required us to step up the operation. Now the police
are involved.”

“So that means the Texas Ranger is once again walking into a
situation that could take lives.”

“Not if I can help it.” His voice was hard.

Melissa felt real fear. “I wish I’d never told my father about
the Lufka firm.”

“Thank heaven you did,” Travis retorted.

“Why?” she cried.

He grimaced. “Never mind.”

Now she was terrified. “Travis, if anything happened to you,
Casey would never be able to handle the loss, and I’d never be able to forgive
myself.”
I’d never get over it.

“If you’re home safe and sound at least I’ll be able to
concentrate on the job I’ve got to do. Promise me you’ll stay put today. I’ll
call you before the day is out. I swear it.”

Melissa’s heart pounded so hard she felt ill. “What about
Casey?”

“Deana will pick him up from school. If I can’t get home
tonight, my sister’s going to take care of him.”

This was a crisis, but Travis wasn’t asking for Melissa’s
help.

Was that because she’d told him she didn’t dare get too close
to Casey?

Or had he decided it was best to maintain distance because he’d
finally separated her from his wife and she didn’t stand up to the
comparison?

Whatever the answer, he didn’t want her around. Melissa got the
message. “Sorry for holding you up.” She jumped out of the truck and reached in
back for her pack.

“Melissa…”
His blue eyes
glittered.

“Whatever you do, come home to your son,” she said. And without
waiting for a response, she raced up the sidewalk to her condo and let herself
in. Once safely locked inside, she ran to her room and collapsed on the bed in a
paroxysm of tears.

When she finally couldn’t sob any longer, she got up and washed
her face. After that she left the town house and drove to her sister’s home in
the Sugar House area of Salt Lake, not far from the university. Melissa wanted
the comfort of Linda’s toddlers. If her mother came over, so much the better.
She’d never needed her family more.

* * *

C
ASEY
HAD
BEEN
IN
Travis’s heart from the second
they’d learned Valerie was pregnant. But recently someone else had joined his
son in that secret chamber. Melissa wasn’t happy about his decision this
morning, but he would no longer subject her to the dangers awaiting her at the
cabin.

When it came to his work, he’d learned to separate his personal
life from the mission at hand. There was no other way to survive.

On his trip up the canyon he received a call from Roman.
“Travis, I just talked to the detective at police headquarters about the
fingerprints you lifted at the cabin. The one taken off the pine table was a
match for the prints found at the crime scene in Douglas, Arizona, of that
elderly couple. It’s the man you fingered at Grampy’s.”

“That had to be a one-in-a-million shot. I can’t believe it
paid off.”

“It’s more like a billion. I’d bet on your vibes anytime,
comrade. There’s more. The left front tire on the camper has the two cuts that
showed up on the tire tape at forensics. That puts him at the cabin, to provide
the link. One more thing, Travis. He’s on the FBI’s Most Wanted list. I’m afraid
he’s right up there with your wife’s killer,” Roman said in a quieter voice. “At
least you have one of them in your sights, and he won’t be getting away.”

Adrenaline shot through Travis. “What does his rap sheet look
like?”

“It’s a mile long. His name is Luis Manuel Carvelo.”

“He didn’t sound or look Hispanic.”

“He’s probably mixed blood and bilingual. As for his hair, he
bleaches it. But his earlier photo shows him with black hair, slicked back. He’s
wanted for unlawful flight to avoid prosecution, murder, kidnapping, rape and
parole violation. In July of 2010 he shot and killed three gang members in
Holbrook, Arizona. A year later he kidnapped, raped and murdered a woman in Lake
Havasu.

“Carvelo is believed to work for a Colombian drug cartel, and
is known to travel between the U.S. and Colombia via Mexico. His rap sheet says
he may have a tattoo on the back of his neck—and with you on the case, we know
he does. You’re a great asset, Travis.”

“It works both ways.”

“The Feds are ready to move in as soon as you give the
signal.”

That moment couldn’t come too soon for Travis. Jose’s latest
information via the listening device confirmed what he’d been worried about: the
illegals had indicated the coming weekend would be the end of the harvest. By
next week they’d have made a haul worth millions on the streets.

It was now or never for Travis. He had to find the marijuana
grove while the men were still working it. Otherwise they’d move on and start
another plantation somewhere else, and the culprits would slip through his
fingers.

“I hope to have news by nightfall.”

“Be careful.”

“Always.”

Travis clicked off and turned onto another firebreak road that
gave him access to an area he needed to explore. After climbing out of his truck
and locking it, he moved into the shadows of the forest and began hiking
quickly. This side of the mountain was definitely steeper. It would be a
difficult climb to the mine Melissa had mentioned. Even if gold wasn’t what the
Colombians were after, it might have been, under other circumstances.

Armed with his heat-seeking goggles, Travis zigzagged up the
slope. He’d been walking about ten minutes when his boot tip hit something that
pitched him forward, straight into a crop of Early Misty marijuana.

Travis leaned over to find black pipes hidden among the plants,
evidence of an elaborate irrigation system. He followed it a few hundred yards
to a narrow stream. Careful now, he waded through the twists and turns. At a
certain vantage point his goggles picked up human forms. He counted six men
working above him. One of them was Carvelo.

After the way the killer had eyed Melissa when she’d walked up
to the window at Grampy’s, there was no doubt in Travis’s mind he was the man
who’d had plans for her.
It’s not going to happen, you
monster.

Reaching for his camera, Travis took shots of the entire area
including the makeshift camp. He saw a couple of rifles propped against a log.
Obviously, the illegals were prepared to fight off other traffickers who might
want the same rewards.

There were natural springs and hundreds of feet of irrigation
piping, with sprinklers to water the plants. Garbage was strewn everywhere,
including containers of fertilizer and other chemicals.

It was difficult to guess how many thousands of plants were
under cultivation, but Travis had no doubt some of the crap had already been
harvested. This close to the firebreak road, it would be easy to haul it off in
trucks, with no one the wiser. The Feds would get aerial photographs to identify
the perimeter.

Having seen all he needed to see, Travis made a beeline to his
truck before it was spotted. On the way down to Kamas, he phoned Roman. “Tell
the Feds they can move in. I hit the jackpot. There are six men, Carvelo among
them. They’re armed. Here are the coordinates.”

“I’ll relay this to Jose and Lon. They’re on their way up.
Anything you need, let us know,” his boss told him.

“I’m going to park my truck away from the firebreak road, then
hike back up and watch for signs of trucks pulling near the camp to pick up the
marijuana,” he repeated. “I’ll get license plate numbers and pictures.”

Travis had a personal reason for wanting to see this whole
operation go down fast. When it was over, he couldn’t wait to see the look on
Melissa’s face when he told her she had her cabin back to enjoy. And then he
couldn’t wait to get her alone and make certain things clear to her.

Chapter Nine

Melissa’s mother joined her at Linda’s house, and they
spent the whole day together with the children. After her sister got back from
her doctor’s appointment, the three of them were able to visit. It gave Melissa
a chance to tell them everything she knew about what was happening at the
cabin.

Though they were horrified, Melissa assured them that Travis
had kept her perfectly safe, and it wouldn’t be long before he caught the bad
guys. When she told them he was a former Texas Ranger whose wife had been
murdered in a revenge killing, the tone of the conversation changed. There
couldn’t be any question in her loved ones’ minds that Travis was of vital
importance to her, but for once Linda didn’t tease her and her mother didn’t
pry.

When it got to be seven o’clock, Melissa drove home to her
condo, half expecting Travis would have called her by now. Finally the phone
rang. She picked up without looking at the caller ID.

“Hello?”

“Is this Melissa Dalton?”

“Yes?” She didn’t recognize the voice.

“This is Pat Lawrence, Travis’s sister.”

“Oh, hello! He’s told me wonderful things about you and your
family.”

“I’ve heard a lot of good things about you, too, and hope you
don’t mind my phoning.”

“Not at all.” Melissa’s pulse raced. “Did he call you?”

“No. Travis gave me your phone number this morning before he
left for the mountains. He indicated he might not get home before tomorrow, or
even the next day. Realizing how Casey worries when he’s late, Travis said you
would know how to comfort him.”

It meant the world to Melissa that Travis trusted her enough to
provide backup in case of an emergency. “Is Casey anxious now?”

“He has that solemn look on his face. A few minutes ago he
asked if he could talk to you.”

“Oh, of course he can.”

“All right. Just a minute and I’ll get him.”

Her heart was racing by the time he came to the phone.
“Melissa?”

“Hi, sweetheart. How are you doing?”

“Have you heard from my dad?” He was worried, all right.
Otherwise he would have answered her question, if only to tell her what Dexter
was up to.

“No, but I do know he’s working hard on the case. Just remember
he has a whole backup team that works with him, so they keep each other
safe.”

“I know,” the little boy said in a subdued voice. “I want to go
home. Could you come to my house and stay with me till he gets there?”

He wants me, rather than his aunt?
Melissa’s throat swelled with emotion. “Of course. I’ll come now. Do you
have a key?”

“Yup.”

“Great. When you see my Jeep in the driveway, then run across
the street.”

“Okay. See ya!” He ended their conversation on a happier
note.

Since it was possible Travis wouldn’t be home until tomorrow or
even the next day, she pulled out an overnight bag and packed the clothes and
toiletries she’d need. On top of them she put in some of her art supplies and
her portfolio. Casey might like to look through it.

Before long she’d left her condo and driven the short distance
to Lone Peak Estates. No sooner had she pulled into the driveway than Travis’s
sister walked Casey across the street. Dexter came running up to Melissa while
the two women shook hands and chatted. They all went inside Travis’s house.
Casey hurried to his room to put on his pajamas.

“I brought enough clothes to stay through the weekend if I have
to,” Melissa confided. “Travis has been setting up a sting. I’m presuming it
could take several days.”

“The idea was that when he moved here and took the P.I. job,
he’d be in less danger. But we both know it’s
all
dangerous.”

Melissa eyed Pat, who resembled her brother and was very
attractive. “At the movie, Casey told me his dad went after bad guys. I think
it’s what Travis was born to do.”

“I
know
it was.”

“For what it’s worth, I have total confidence in him,” Melissa
said. “There’s an authority about him. That picture of him over Casey’s bed says
it all. Travis has no idea how much I admire him.” The throb in her voice had to
be a giveaway.

Casey’s aunt studied Melissa for a moment. “You’re so different
than Valerie.”

“You’re kidding! According to Travis, if you don’t look too
closely, I’m a dead ringer for her.”

“You have similar coloring, but you’re nothing alike. She was
terrified of the work he did. In fact, she was so scared she begged him to quit
after every case. It was a constant source of trouble between them. They almost
divorced over it.”

This was news to Melissa. Somehow she had this idea everything
had been perfect between them. “I didn’t realize.”

“My brother has gone through hell believing that if he’d gotten
out of the Rangers, she’d still be alive. But as I’ve reminded him, not every
man is lucky enough to love what he does and be a natural at it. In Texas he’s a
hero to many people.”

“He’s a hero to our family,” Melissa confessed emotionally.
“Thank heaven he went to work for Lufka’s. You should see how fast and
thoroughly he set things up at the cabin that first day. I never saw anything
like it in my life!”

“He can’t stay away from what he knows and does best. Of course
it’s tragic that Valerie was killed, but none of us has a guarantee in this
life. Our own parents were killed by a train.”

Melissa nodded. “Casey told me.”

“I’d better get home,” Pat whispered, as her young nephew came
running in the kitchen. “Call me if you need anything.”

“Of course. We’ll keep in touch.”

“Good night, Casey.” Pat kissed the top of his head and left
the house.

“Will you sleep with me tonight?” the boy asked.

“Sure. Let’s go to your room and I’ll change into my
jammies.”

“What kind are they?”

“I don’t have Spider-Man. Mine are just navy sweats.”

“Oh.”

They walked to his bedroom at the rear of the house. She
disappeared into the bathroom. When she came out, she’d removed the combs from
her hair and was wearing it loose, so she could give it a good brushing.

“Wow! I’ve never seen your hair like that before! You look
different.”

She guessed she did. “Don’t you like it down?” It touched the
top of her shoulders.

“I
love
it. You should wear it that
way all the time.”

“Well, thank you for the compliment. Why don’t you pick out a
couple of your favorite books? After you say your prayers, we’ll read until we
fall asleep.”

“Hooray!”

A half hour later they pulled up the covers. Dexter crept into
the space between them.

“Night, Melissa. I love you,” Casey sighed.

Hot tears trickled from the corners of her eyes. “I love you,
too. Sleep tight.”

* * *

A
T
SIX
IN
THE
MORNING
Travis pulled into the
driveway. His heart thudded when he discovered Melissa’s Jeep there. He came to
a stop and closed his eyes tightly. Casey must have asked Pat to call her or
Melissa wouldn’t be here. He exhaled a sigh of gratitude that they were both
safe inside.

There was so much to tell her. Now he wouldn’t have to go over
to her house tomorrow to talk to her, or track her down if she wasn’t there.

He tried to be quiet as he let himself in the front door, but
Dexter was right there to greet him. Travis picked him up and carried him
through the house. He passed Casey’s bedroom and saw two heads against the
pillows, sound asleep. Half a dozen books lay on the floor. What a sight!

“You’re going to spend the rest of the night with me,” Travis
told Dexter, after he’d shut the door to his own bedroom. He set the Scottie
down. Taking a few more steps, he fell across his bed, dirty and exhausted.

Nothing else registered until he felt a nudge on his shoulder.
Light filled the room.

“Daddy? Wake up. Melissa’s fixing us dinner.”

Dinner?
“What time is it?”

“Five o’clock.”

Travis’s lids opened. Through bleary eyes he saw his son, and
pulled him into his arms. It was so wonderful getting back to normal! He rolled
Casey on his back and tickled him until he begged him to stop.

“Hey, what’s all that black on you?”

Travis could just imagine what he looked like after the night
he’d lived through. “I guess I should take a shower, huh?”

“You need a shave, too. It scratches.”

Travis saw movement in the doorway, but almost didn’t recognize
Melissa with her hair down and flowing around her shoulders. Talk about a
vision.

“Welcome back.” She smiled. “This room smells like there’s been
a fire in here. Come on, Casey. While your father does what he has to do to make
himself presentable—if that’s possible—we’ll get dinner on the table.”

Travis grinned at her. “That bad, huh?”

She nodded. “Pretty awful. Even Dexter didn’t want to stay in
here any longer.”

Travis barked a laugh. “How come you’re not running away?”

“I don’t know. There must be something about you, but I’ll have
to think about it,” she teased.

“Give me five minutes.”

“Take ten,
please.
”

More laughter rolled out of him. After everyone disappeared, he
got out of bed and stretched before going into his bathroom to shower. One look
at his soiled clothes convinced him they’d need two to three washings to get
clean again.

He hurriedly showered and shaved, then pulled on clean jeans
and a sport shirt. When he emerged from his room, the smell of Italian food drew
him to the breakfast room. Melissa and Casey must have gone to the grocery store
during the day. The dinner she had prepared made him salivate. Along with
lasagna, there was a fruit salad dotted with fat strawberries and daubs of
whipped cream.

Travis sat down at the table, trapping her gaze. “This all
looks so good, I don’t know where to dig in first.”

“Try these bread sticks!” Casey blurted, eating one as fast as
he could. “Melissa made them all by herself. She let me twist them.”

“I’d say you did a great job.” Travis reached for one and ate
it in two seconds. “You could make a whole meal of these.”

“Hey, Dad,” Casey said. “How come you got so dirty?”

“I was just going to ask you the same question,” Melissa
said.

He checked his watch. “It’s almost five-thirty. If we turn on
the TV to Channel Five, you’ll get your answer.”

“TV? I’ll do it!” Casey slid out of his chair and ran over to
the portable on the counter. When he switched it on, the local announcers were
talking about a truck that had overturned near Saint George on I-15, and
thousands of bees in their hives had spilled out onto the freeway. Beekeepers
had to be sent for to clear up the mess.

“Uh-oh,” Travis said. “I hope Abby doesn’t see this.”

“She’ll freak out!” Casey exclaimed.

“Who’s Abby?” Melissa said.

“One of our friends, huh, Daddy? She got stung by a bee and now
she’s afraid of them.”

“Oh, dear. That’s no fun.”

“She’s the stepdaughter of my friend Chaz Roylance, another
P.I. at the firm,” Travis explained. “It might interest you to know she’s Lacey
Pomeroy’s three-year-old daughter.”

Melissa’s eyes flickered. “My favorite former host of the
Stargazer Paranormal
show?”

“The very one. They got married at the beginning of the summer.
That’s why she went off the air. He was hired to find the person stalking her.
I’ll tell you their story sometime. When the guys and I plan the next party,
you’ll meet her.”

“I can’t wait!”

“She’s awesome,” Casey interjected. “She believes in flying
saucers.”

“I know,” Melissa said. “So do I.”

“You do?”

Before there was any more talk, the TV announcer moved on to
the next story.

“Once again Utah is in the news. Due to a tip-off, federal
agents have seized a marijuana plantation in the mountains above Kamas. They
estimate the street value of the marijuana, known as Early Misty, is $40
million. Our helicopter news team has been on the scene since early morning as
agents and police swept in to confiscate guns and equipment, and burn what these
illegals have tended all summer with the hope of harvesting.

“If you recall, there was a seizure of marijuana on Boulder
Mountain several years ago. Utah seems to be becoming a prime target of cartels
who are having trouble smuggling drugs across the Mexican border. They’ve chosen
to grow their crop here and then ship it to the Midwest. These workers were
caught red-handed and arrested on sight.

“It’s determined they’re from Colombia. They’ve labored hard
all season to produce this huge crop, but sometimes hard work is not rewarded—as
they’ve found out today. In this case, the Feds also captured a Colombian who’s
been on the FBI’s Most Wanted list for close to two years. These mug shots
identify him as Luis Manuel Carvelo, a notorious escaped convict now in custody
after being wanted in Arizona for the deaths of six people.”

Melissa’s gasp reverberated through the kitchen. Travis saw her
grow pale as she stared at him in disbelief. “That’s the vile man at
Grampy’s!”

Travis walked over to turn off the TV. “He had a rap sheet as
long as your arm.”

“I can’t believe it. How did he get hired?”

“He cut and bleached his hair. Using one of his aliases, he
passed himself off as a former waiter from California, bilingual in Spanish, who
moved to Kamas. He’s been living in a camper parked in the garage of those
people you told me about who vacation at Lake Tahoe.”

“
That’s
why you were asking me
about them.”

Travis nodded. “That camper was one of the vehicles used to
transport the marijuana. He probably drove to your cabin many times. The tires
on the vehicle matched the tracks outside your place. The whole thing was an
elaborate setup, planned months ahead of its execution. Your cabin was closest
to the area and made the perfect hangout.”