Her Texas Cowboy Protector (The Winchester Cowboys #3)

Chapter Ten

Landon, his eyes blurred from sleep, peered around the dimly lit living room. Natalie and the others were sleeping fitfully. His nose and face hurt like hell. Dizzy and nauseous, he was probably little good to Natalie and the others in this condition. He glanced out the sliding glass doors. There were still stars in the night sky, so he hadn’t been asleep for more than a few hours. His head throbbed terribly where he’d been struck during the kidnapping and his nose felt swollen twice its size. He most likely had a concussion.

The cruel bald man with the tattooed arms was asleep in the ratty recliner, his gun laying on the off-kilter end table beside it. This was the perfect time to attempt an escape. If only the guy had a key fob on him. The alternative was hot wiring the Humvee. He and his high school buddies had taught themselves how to hot wire cars in his auto shop class but that had been a long time ago. Doing it now was iffy at best.

He listened intently. All was quiet in the house. The other men must be asleep. Their drinking had gone on until the early hours of the morning. The one with the bullet in his arm had gotten it tended to and now wore it in a sling so he should sleep soundly.

Landon glanced at his torn-up hand. He made a fist with it and then straightened his fingers. He could use it but, damn, it hurt. He leaned his shoulder against Natalie and nudged her awake.

Her eyes opened and she seemed confused for a second. Then she focused on him and sat up straight.

“Shh,” he said and glanced at the man in the recliner.

She nodded.

Whether he felt up to it or not, they wouldn’t get a better chance to escape than this. He pulled out the knife and worked at it until he opened it up. It was a big Case pocketknife, and he always kept it razor sharp. He handed it to Natalie and then held up his hands.

She nodded again and adjusted her grip on the knife. With teeth clenched in concentration, she applied the knife to his zip ties and bore down, sawing back and forth. Within seconds, his hands were free. After he cut the ties at his ankles, he freed Natalie.

He took a deep breath. This had to go off quickly and, more importantly, it had to be silent. He’d have to kill the guy fast. His heart started to pound. Could he do it? Would he be able to take the man’s life in cold blood? He glanced at Natalie’s bloody, damaged face and then at the battered faces of Rachel of Jordan. Hell yeah, he could do it.

He met Natalie’s gaze and motioned to the other two. She nodded and gently touched Rachel’s shoulder as he rose from the old sofa. Thankfully Rachel didn’t make a sound.

He quickly cut Rachel’s bonds and then turned his attention to Jordan who woke with a start as Landon slit the zip-ties on his hands. After freeing Jordan’s feet, Landon looked at each of them and then motioned to their sleeping captor. Jordan and Rachel nodded their comprehension.

Soundlessly, he made his way to the recliner where the tattooed man snored softly. Landon could smell his beer breath from a foot away. With a swift slash of his hand, he sunk his knife deep and slit the tattooed man’s throat. Landon knelt on top of the guy holding him still while, with quiet choking sounds, the man’s life slipped away.

Landon searched the man’s pockets and didn’t find a key fob. Biting back a curse, he turned to the others who were just a couple of feet away. Rachel’s hands were over her mouth, her eyes wide with shock. He motioned for them to follow him.

As they passed by the kitchen, he felt a rush of excitement. A key fob lay on the table. He silently tiptoed into the room to get it.

They passed through the front door and into the darkness outside. He could barely make out the outlines of the black vehicles parked on the bare dirt of the yard. As he punched the fob’s unlock button, lights flashed on the Humvee farthest from them. While the others piled into it, he sunk his knife into two of the tires on the other Humvee. It wouldn’t be following them anywhere.

He climbed into the driver’s seat and started the engine, knowing that the kidnappers would awaken. Throwing it into reverse, he gunned the engine, flying out into the road and then shifted gears. Gravel flew as he gunned it again and sped away from the house, The sound of gunfire sounded in the distance behind them.

He glanced at Natalie in the passenger seat. “Do you have any idea where we are?”

“Not really. I’m sorry. I was so upset when they took us, I wasn’t paying much attention. Rachel was crying and then the driver hit her, and it was all so much worse. And the creep next to me was staring at me like he wanted to rape me.” Her voice broke.

He reached out with his injured hand. “I’m so sorry, honey. Don’t worry. We’ll figure this out.”

Jordan spoke up. “I think we’re about thirty minutes from a town. I didn’t get the name of it, but it looked big enough to have a police station or something. Follow this road for a while and you’ll come to an intersection and a paved road. Turn left and it’ll take you to the town.”

“Thank God you were paying attention Jordan. Thanks.”

Jordan shook his head and sighed. “It’s about all I’ve been good for so far.”

“That’s not true,” Rachel said quietly.

“We need to find a hospital first,” Landon said. “Then we can call the police from there.”

Natalie nodded. “You’re right. Your hand needs to be treated and Jordan and Rachel both need to be looked at.” She squirmed in her seat. “And, God, I’ve got to use the bathroom.”

“You need to be seen, too, Natalie. That bastard hit you hard.” His voice shook with anger, and he cleared his throat. He’d taken Spanish in school and would stop and ask where the nearest hospital was.

However, when they came to the little town, there wasn’t a hospital. There was a small police station, though, but they all agreed that they wanted to put more miles between them and the kidnappers before making a stop for that. However, Landon did stop at a small all-night store and buy water and snacks before moving on.

They drove about twenty more miles and found themselves at a little town near the intersection of Mexico Highway 85. Again, the town had no hospital, and it turned out that it was as close to go to Nuevo Laredo to find a good hospital as it was to go to Monterey, around sixty miles. After a brief bathroom break, Landon turned onto the highway and headed back toward Nuevo Laredo.

As they drove, he kept a lookout on the other side of the highway for his truck. He had a good idea where they’d been when they were stopped. They’d been about forty miles from Nuevo Laredo. As they drove mile after mile with no sight of it, he finally had to admit that his truck had either been stolen or had been impounded by the authorities. Hopefully they’d find out which one once they contacted law enforcement in Nuevo Laredo.

Since none of them had their phones, they couldn’t look up hospitals when they arrived in the city. However, they finally saw a sign directing them to Hospital MexicoAmericano. They were relieved to find that it had an ER when they arrived. The first thing everyone did was find the restrooms again.

Natalie spoke Spanish quite well and was able to explain their situation to the woman in reception. She gave Natalie a shocked look and agreed to call the police for them right away. Because of their circumstances, they were immediately taken back to rooms in the ER. Natalie stayed with him in a room and Jordan and Rachel went into another.

He insisted that Natalie sit on the gurney. “I want you looked at first.”

She shook her head. “You were the one who got knocked out. You probably have a concussion. You need to be seen first.”

“Nope. Not happening. I’ll get seen to but you’re getting your face looked at first thing, Natalie. I insist.”

She sighed. “Why do men have to be so damn tough?”

He smiled and then grimaced at the pain.

She said, “See? You’re hurting.”

He was still feeling dizzy and nauseous. That had never gone away. He probably should have let Jordan drive, but he just hadn’t trusted that the man could handle trouble if it found them. “I’m going to be fine. I just need to rest, and I will when this is all over.” He thought of his parents and how worried they’d be if the four of them had been reported missing. Damn, he wished he had his phone.

“I hate it that I lost my purse and my ID and everything,” Natalie said.

He nodded. “Me too. We have no way to prove our identity, and no way to pay for medical services.” He was really feeling nauseated now. “I need to call my dad. He has access to my accounts in case of emergency. He can call and tell the bank that my debit and credit card have been stolen. And maybe he can figure out the best way to get me some money.”

Natalie, who’d gotten a wet paper towel and was gingerly wiping at the blood on her face, said, “I need to do that right away, too, but my parents aren’t on my accounts.”

A doctor who was followed by a nurse walked in and offered his hand to Landon. “I’m Doctor Estevez.” He turned to the woman next to him. “This is Nurse Jimenez. I hear that you’ve had a terrible experience since arriving in our country.”

Landon was pleased that the man spoke English so well and reached out his hand. “Landon Winchester and, yes, we have. Do you know if the receptionist has called the police”

The doctor nodded. “Yes, they’ve been notified and will come and speak with you here.” He turned his attention to Natalie. “I’m so sorry to see that you’ve been treated so badly.”

Natalie shook his hand. “Natalie Walker.”

Estevez smiled. “Let me take a look at you, Natalie.”

“I’d like for you to check on Landon first. He probably has a concussion. He was hit on the head and knocked out when we were first taken.”

Estevez frowned. “When was this?”

Landon sighed, frustrated that Natalie had gone against his wishes. “Yesterday morning. I’ve felt dizzy and nauseated ever since.”

As Natalie got off the bed, the doctor motioned for him to take a seat.

Landon sat down on the edge and Estevez checked his eyes and the knot on the side of his head. After a moment, the doctor said, “I’m going to order a CT scan. I suspect that you do have a concussion.” He gently touched Landon’s nose. “I think your nose is broken. What happened?”

Landon sighed. “I was struck with the butt of a handgun.”

Estevez nodded. “I can realign it for you. Maybe with just my fingers. And that cut on the bridge of your nose is going to need sutures.”

Landon nodded. “Go ahead.”

“We’ll do that after your scan. Just relax for now.” He turned to Natalie. “Let me take a look at you.”

Natalie took a seat on the bed.

Estevez examined her swollen nose, black eye and split lip. “Your nose isn’t broken but I think I’ll take a stitch or two in that lip to make sure it heals nicely.”

He stepped away from the bed. “I’ll order the CT scan now. While I do that, Nurse Jimenez is going to get your medical information from you.”

Estevez left and Nurse Jimenez went to the computer in the room and, starting with Natalie, began asking questions. While that was happening, he went out to the station outside the room and asked where he might be able to make a call to Texas. He explained that he and his companions had been kidnapped and that their phones had been taken. After a phone call, the woman he spoke to took him around to a desk and told him how to dial out to Texas. Relieved, he called his Dad’s cell.

After several rings, his father answered. “Son? Everything okay?”

So, his truck must have been stolen. They hadn’t been reported missing yet. “Dad, we were kidnapped yesterday, and all of our credit cards and IDs were stolen.”

“My God, Landon. Are you okay?”

His dad sounded frantic. He’d never heard him that way before. “My face is busted up a bit but I’m fine. We escaped, and we’re all at a hospital in Nuevo Laredo right now. The police should be here shortly.” He sucked in a breath, finding it harder to speak at length than usual, probably due to the concussion. “Dad, can you call the bank and cancel my debit and credit cards? And I’m going to need a way to get some money down here. Can you figure that out? I’m sorry. I’m not thinking too clearly right now. We’re at Hospital MexicoAmericano in Nuevo Laredo and we’re just getting put into the system right now.

When he ended the call, he went back into the room. The nurse was ready to ask him questions then. However, before they’d finished, an orderly came for him with a wheelchair for the CT scan. As he was leaving the room, a different nurse brought in a tray loaded with suturing supplies and gauze and she began cleaning Natalie’s face.

During the thirty minutes it took to get the CT scan, his mind whirled with the problems that faced them all and his worry over Natalie.

When he was returned to the room, Natalie’s lip had been sutured and a man dressed in blue jeans and a long-sleeved grey dress shirt was speaking quietly with her. When the man turned around, Landon saw a badge clipped to his belt.

As Landon stood from the wheelchair, the man approached with an outstretched hand. “I’m Ricardo Arredondo, a detective with the Policia Federal Ministerial.

Landon shook his hand. “You’re here about our kidnapping?”

“Yes. Natalie has made a good start telling me what happened to the four of you. Unfortunately, there has been no report of an abandoned truck, and nothing of two dead bodies lying on the road. I suspect that other members of this group that took you made sure that these things disappeared.”

“Who was responsible for our kidnapping?”

He shrugged. “There are more than a few gang-like groups who do kidnappings in Nuevo Leon. Some are even part of Cartel networks. I’ll be looking into what connections these people who took you might have.”

His laptop was open on the unused portion of the bed, and he referred to it now. “Natalie has mentioned that one of the men had full sleeve tattoos on his arms and some tats on his neck as well. Do you remember any other identifying marks on him or the other men?”

He thought back to the time when they were first taken. “The guy with the tattooed sleeves had his head shaved, too. Then there was the man who seemed to be the leader, the one that I shot and killed on the road. He had a large black scorpion tattoo that curled around on his neck. And then the one that I shot in the arm, he had tattoos all over his face. Black curves and swirls, and a couple of spiders, but I really remember the skull that he had between his eyes. And they were all Hispanic.”

Ricardo nodded. “That scull could mean a cartel connection. Your descriptions could be a big help. I’ll check our database and see what comes up. Can you give me directions to this house?”

While Landon was telling him what he remembered, the doctor walked back into the room followed by a nurse pushing a tray of instruments and gauze.

Ricardo excused himself and stepped outside.

Estevez said, “You do have a concussion, Landon. Because you lost consciousness, I’m classifying it as a Grade 3.” He handed Landon several sheets of paper. “These are instructions that I want you to follow for the next four to six weeks, and I want you to take them seriously.”

Landon nodded. “I will.”

Just then Jordon’s bandaged face appeared at the door. “We’re finished, guys.”

Estevez smiled at Landon. “I still have to straighten that nose of yours. It’s going to hurt but I’m sure you’ve already figure that out.”

Landon sighed. “Yep.”

“We’re going to see about checking out,” Jordan said. “See you in the waiting room.”

“We need to figure that out too,” Natalie said and gave Landon a worried look.

“I may have the problem solved,” he said quietly.

First the doctor stitched up the gash on Landon’s nose. Unfortunately, however, Estevez wasn’t able to straighten Landon’s nose with his fingers as he’d hoped and had to use the instruments on the small table to realign the bones and cartilage.

Already feeling dizzy, Landon nearly passed out with the pain during the procedure and then again when Estevez packed his nose on the inside before applying the splint.

Breathing from his mouth, he stepped down from the bed. “Thanks, doc. Hope I never have to go through that again.”

When he and Natalie left the room, Ricardo was waiting outside. He gave Landon one of his cards. “You’re going to need help getting across the border without identification. Call me when you’re ready to go and I’ll come get you.”

Some of the tightness in Landon’s chest went away. “Thanks, Ricardo. That’ll really help. I’m going to get my father to come pick us up. I just need to make a call.”

“Would you like to use my phone?” the detective asked.

“That would be great.”

Ricardo handed it to him, and they all headed down the hall as he made the call. “Dad? Hey, were you able to figure anything out?”

As his dad explained the money solution he’d come up with, Landon breathed a deep sigh of relief. “Thanks, Dad.”

“You’ll probably need a ride home, won’t you?” his dad asked.

“We do. Can you bring mom’s car so we’ll all fit in it?”

“You bet. Where should we meet?”

No way was he letting his Dad cross the border. “We’ll meet at the border crossing. I’ll ask Ricardo to arrange something so that people will know that you’re coming for us. Thanks for everything, Dad.”

As he disconnected the call, he turned to Ricardo. “Would you do another favor for me? Can you take us to a Banco Azteca? My dad sent money with Western Union there for me.”

“Of course.”

Finally, things were coming together. Everything was going to be okay. Ricardo stayed with them while they spoke with the woman at the desk where financial arrangements were made. He was sure it had made a difference when she said, “We will send you a bill, Mr. Winchester.” Then she nodded at Natalie. “We will send a bill to you, too, Miss Walker.”

As they headed to the hospital exit, he said, “Ricardo, do you think you can call the U.S. side of the border in Laredo and let them know that my father, Ken Winchester, will be coming and waiting for us there at the border this afternoon? I’d really appreciate it.”

“Sure, no problem. Is there anything else I can do?”

Landon looked at Natalie and his other friends. “After I get my money, could you take us someplace to get some cheap clothing and then to an inexpensive hotel where we can shower?”

“Oh my God, that would be wonderful,” Natalie said.

Rachel, who’d been exceptionally quiet since their escape said, “I need a shower desperately.” Her face was swollen and black and blue and her nose was packed with cotton.

“I know a good place. And there’s a nice hotel that won’t cost much nearby.”

Landon slipped his arm around Natalie’s shoulders. “Ricardo, you’re a lifesaver. We’ll follow you.