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“Then how are you going to know you have the right one?”
“We’ll recognize him.”
“Uh-huh. What did he do that makes you want him so bad? And who are you two, anyway?”
The beardless one ignored Sam’s question and started toward the house, “ Do you mind if we look inside?”
“Yeah, I do.” Their demeanor changed. Sam said, “Chula, adentro.” The dog entered the house and stood behind Sam, watching the men.
The bearded man said, “Sir, we need to see inside.” They started forward. “Step away from the door and there won’t be any trouble.”
Sam let them get to within ten feet of the porch before he pointed the cocked forty-five at them. “It’ll be best if you stop right there.”
The clean-shaven man stopped. His shoulders seemed to tense and his head leaned ever so slightly forward. The little finger on his right hand pushed the edge of his jacket and opened it from his body, revealing a holstered semiautomatic pistol.
Sam saw it, and moved the pistol’s sights from between the two men to the face of the beardless man. Sam felt his heart thudding.
The bearded man said, “Hold on, there. That’s not necessary. Tell you what, we’ll go back and double-check for this fellow, in case we did miss him. How’s that?”
The clean-shaven one glanced at his partner, then back at Sam, but the rancher saw the tension and intent was still clear in the man.
Sam moved the pistol’s sights back to a point between them, but he didn’t lower it. “Good idea.” The men retreated to the copter and flew away.
As the helicopter rose in the air, the clean-shaven man said to his partner, “You continue to do the wrong thing, Riffey.”
Floyd Riffey said, “Wait a minute, Holland. You don’t know how things are out here. That’s one of the reasons you hired me, because I’m familiar with all this.”
Holland said, “Explain what you mean.”
Riffey said, “Out here, if you kill an illegal that nobody knows, well, that’s one thing. People will care, but that kind of thing will fade away. But if you kill a local rancher, someone who everybody in the county knows, you’ll stir up a hornet’s nest that’ll bring in every lawman within a hundred miles. And you said you wanted to keep a low profile until we’re ready.”
“I did. But your decision leaves us with the Mexican still alive and materials missing.”
“You’re a smart man, Holland, a military tactician. You’ll figure out what to do. This is a momentary delay, that’s all.”
Holland studied Riffey for a long moment, then said, “I will decide what to do.” He turned and faced the front, and Riffey relaxed, not totally, but some. The damned guy was so unpredictable it was like being barefoot in a small dark room and rattlesnakes crawling around. You had to be very careful where you stepped.
He glanced out the side of the copter and saw the rancher standing in the yard, his face turned toward them as they flew away. The pistol was still in his hand, Riffey noted.
***
Sam watched them until the helicopter was out of sight. Then he took a deep breath and blew it out, letting his body release the encounter’s stress.
Miguel met him as he entered the door, “Did they say why they hunted me?”
“Nope.” Sam thought a moment, “We need to find a place to hide you for a while. They aren’t through.”
“I believe you are right.”
“I can wipe out any of your sign, too. If the Border Patrol is working this area, they could be our next visitors.”
“I saw them once, far behind me yesterday, but coming on foot.”
“How many?”
“Two. I think one was a woman.”
“If it’s Hunter Kincaid, she’ll be knocking on the door soon.”
