“He doesn’t want his face known around here,” he told her flatly. “And you’re new to the operation. We only trust you because Gordon vouched for you.”
“Gordon’s dead,” the pudgy one added.
“Yeah, he is,” the tall one agreed. “Untimely and inconsiderate of him, considering how big an operation this could turn into.”
“You can say that again.”
Josie just sighed. She wasn’t about to tell them that the late Gordon had been a double agent who vouched for her to get her into the drug ring. “Okay. I’ll go to the dumb rodeo. What makes you think a rich guy like Everett would even go there?” she asked.
“He’s been seen there before. If he gets bored, he enters the bull-wrestling competition,” he added. “He was a world champion at it when he was younger.”
“Not so surprising,” she sighed. “He’s a big guy.”
“Big enough, I guess. Try to talk to him. See if he’ll tell you anything about when the shipments of supplies are delivered.”
“Supplies?” she exclaimed. “What does that have to do with our operation?”
“It will let us know when we can move the semi in without them getting suspicious,” the tall one, Raines, said, with a glare at his partner, who seemed to have been about to let something out that she didn’t need to know. Not yet, at least.
“I’ll talk to you when I know something else,” he added, motioning to the short one.
“Okay.” She let them out and locked the door, letting out a faint sigh of relief.
They weren’t as harmless as they seemed. The older one, Raines, had managed to get himself acquitted of a murder charge by some Mexican national. The smaller one, Pete something, had been arrested numerous times on charges of theft by taking, but never actually convicted. They were a match made in heaven.
Josie’s cover was that she had a prior arrest for assault but had been acquitted at trial. It set her right with her new partners in crime.
Both of them had rap sheets as long as their arms. They were masters of escape, despite the efforts of prosecutors in three states to lock them up on charges of cattle rustling, both in Texas and Arizona. Nothing could be proven because accusers suddenly turned up with expensive cars or gifts of cash that could never be linked to either man.
If there was one goal in Josie’s life, it was to help change that record. But she had a long way to go, and she had to be verycareful. There couldn’t be even one loophole when they were finally arrested. And eventually, she might need John Everett’s help.
Recalling his antagonism, that might be a lost cause. She turned out the lights and went to bed.
Friday afternoon, Raines picked her up and drove her to the pole barn where the rodeo was taking place. It was early, but the seats were already full. The concession stand was in full swing, selling everything from hot dogs to beer to soft drinks.
“I’m broke,” she said plaintively.
Raines glared at her. “I bought you a ticket,” he pointed out.
“I can’t sit here without anything to eat or drink,” she said reasonably.
He handed her a twenty-dollar bill and a glare. “I’m counting all this up. When we pull this deal off, you’re going to owe me for all these perks.”
“No problem,” she said.
He gave her a distasteful look. She wasn’t his type, even without that godawful red hair. He hated red hair. Besides that, she wasn’t pretty. Once they scored this shipment of fentanyl, the largest yet, using the Everett ranch as their pickup point, he was going to find himself some Grade A female companionship. And he’d be rid of the redhead for good!
Josie, unaware of his thoughts, was just grateful that he didn’t find her attractive. Neither did his partner. It was one of her few blessings in recent times. Her job was hard enough as it was.
She got herself a soft drink and a hot dog and ate it while they waited for the first event. She was sandwiched in between a family of four with two adorable toddlers, and a young boy whose father was riding in the calf-roping event. Their excitement was almost palpable. It revved her up as well and she smiled at all of them.
“You got anybody riding, lady?” the boy, who looked about ten years old, asked with a big smile.
“Not really,” she said, smiling back. “I just like rodeo.”
“Me, too! My dad’s going to be a champion one day,” he added. “He’s the best bull rider anywhere!”
“Which one is he?” she asked.
