A Dubious Terrain (A Colton Banyon Mystery Book 4) Read online

  Maya was the third sister and was six years younger. She was twenty-six. She was almost identical to her older sisters. When the three of them were together, they turned almost very male head in every room. They were tall for Indian women; around five foot eight, with long legs on slim bodies. They had high cheek bones and glossy hair. They were light-skinned and looked like they had a perpetual tan on their toned bodies. All three had high intelligence that was passed on from their grandfather.

  Once Maya was on the phone, Previne explained what she knew. Her sister’s all said they wanted in on the quest.

  “We need to come up with a way to make Agent Gamble forget Colt and Loni,” Previne told them.

  “I’ve got just the right spell,” Maya replied. Their grandfather, the original curator of the museum, had been one of the last true Sharman’s. He taught them all to cast spells and cures, they had learned well.

  “Good, then let’s call Colton back and give him a little surprise,” Previne announced.

  Chapter Twenty-Four

  Colton Banyon impatiently waited for a return phone call from the Patel sisters. It was well past midnight and he expected Loni to be home within the hour. Previne had told him she needed to consult with her sisters and would call him right back. As he sat at his desk he drifted back to his experiences with the three Patel women. He could hardly tell them apart, even when they were naked. His thoughts were erotic ones. He felt blessed to know them as intimately, but also felt they caused nothing but trouble for him and Loni. He loved Loni. He also loved the Patel women for their devotion to him and secretly he loved the feeling of sex they exuded. He wondered if this was a good problem or a bad one. Suddenly the phone rang.

  “Hello,” he spoke into the phone.

  “Colt, it is me,” Previne breathed. “Also Pramilla and Maya are on the line. We are on a conference call. Do you use Skype?”

  “Actually, I do,” replied Banyon. “It comes in handy when I’m talking to some of my employees. I can activate it. It will only take a minute. But who will be on the computer? You can only see one person at a time.”

  “Good, just do it,” replied Previne with a little giggle.

  “Which address should I type in?”

  “Type in this address,” Previne urged. “I think that you will be surprised. We are able to route you through a go between. You will actually see all three of us on a split screen.” She gave him the address.

  He typed in the address and as the screen refreshed, it was filled with three nearly identical faces. He could not tell them apart so he asked a question.

  “Previne, your hair looks different.” He knew she would immediately touch her hair. He watched as the woman on the left quickly ran her hand through thick black silky hair.

  “What is different about it?” she asked with concern in her voice.

  “Oh,” he replied. “It must have been the light. You look as beautiful as ever.”

  “Hey,” commented another. “What about me? We are identical you know.”

  Banyon now knew the Pramilla was the woman on the right.

  “Pramilla, you are stunning.” Before Maya could make a comment, Banyon added, “Maya, you are as lovely as I remember.”

  “You bet I am,” she answered. “Just look.” With that she stood up and backed away from the screen. Banyon now was shocked. She was completely nude. Suddenly Pramilla started to get up. Banyon was sure she was nude also.

  “Stop,” he cried. “We have much work to do. Don’t make me regret calling you. I have serious problems that need help and only have a little time.”

  “Oh, but we want to help you, especially you,” Pramilla sexily replied.

  “Not now,” Banyon scorned.

  “When,” Maya asked with a pout in her voice?

  Suddenly there was Indian music in the background and the three women were whirling and grinding just as they had done when they were erotic dancers. Banyon knew they were attempting to seduce him and they were doing an excellent job. He was near panic. They had gotten completely out of control in just a few minutes. They were like piranha with fresh meat.

  “I’m ending this call right now,” he croaked. “It will be impossible to work with you. You just don’t stop.”

  Previne laughed from deep in her throat. “Okay, we will stop. We just wanted you to see what you are missing. Turn the music off,” she ordered. The music stopped and now all three faces were back on the screen. They were all smiles.

  Trying to once again be diplomatic, Banyon said, “All three of you are as desirable as a woman can be, but the world is about to change and we need to find a way to stop the change. Fun can come later.”

  “Pity,” Pramilla said.

  Banyon asked a question. “So, answer me this, can you make Agent Gamble forget he knows about my curse?”

  “Maya has volunteered to take care of that as soon as you tell her,” replied Previne.

  “How will she do it?”

  “Well, silly, I will seduce him, of course,” answered Maya.

  “That’s it?” a skeptical Banyon questioned.

  “No, I will seduce him and then place a spell on him. I have to be in contact with him physically to cast the spell. I think he likes me anyway. Remember our last adventure. He kept looking at me. I’m sure I can do it.”

  “I don’t want you to do anything that would compromise your values,” Banyon confessed.

  “Do you want me to seduce you instead?” It came as a quick reply from Maya.

  Ignoring Maya, Banyon asked, “are you sure that it will work?”

  “We have done it before,” Previne answered. “We just have to put them in the same place and Maya will take care of the rest.”

  “By the way, what is the place? Where are we headed?” asked Pramilla.

  “You’re not going anywhere,” Banyon thundered. “You are staying in India. Maya is already here on Long Island. She is the only one that will actually be involved.”

  “If all three of us are not involved, then none of us will be involved, get it,” Previne replied with a touch of sarcasm.

  “Besides,” pleaded Pramilla. “We have a plan.”

  “What plan,” responded Banyon?

  “Well, there are three artifacts. We need three teams to recover them. You and Loni will be one team, Pramilla and I will be another, and Gamble and Maya will be the third team. See.”

  “Agent Gamble has promised us swat teams as backup. Why do I need all of you?”

  “Dear Colt, do you really trust anyone but us to recover the artifacts?”

  “No, I suppose that you are right. This could work,” Banyon reasoned.

  “So what location am I making flight arrangements for?” asked Pramilla.

  As reluctant as he was, Banyon decided to tell them, “Las Vegas.”

  “What hotel,” Pramilla prompted.

  “The MGM,” Banyon replied in a sheepish voice.

  “We will be there by two o’clock in the afternoon. Can you get there by then Maya?” Pramilla asked her sister.

  “No problem. I’ll be on an early flight and get checked in before you all get there. When do you arrive in Vegas Colt?” she then asked.

  “Loni and I will be in the hotel by noon.”

  “Good, I am going to book adjoining rooms. Let’s plan a meeting at four o’clock. See you tomorrow,” Pramilla said. Before Banyon could protest, the line went dead.

  Banyon now sat at his desk and was completely exhausted. He appreciated the silence of the room. He felt like he had been run over by a big truck. The Patel women had worked him like a mark and he knew it. He was glad they were on his side. They were formable adversaries. Suddenly he became aware of movement in the house. Within a few seconds, Loni poked her head into the doorway.

  “Still busy doing man things? Or would you like to take a shower with little ole me?” she asked.

  “I’ll race you to the bedroom,” he announced as he leaped from the chair.

  Par
t Four

  The Journey

  Chapter Twenty-Five

  It was a little after midnight when the small army of men crossed into America. The coyote had the lead. He was followed by the three very nervous boys from Ensenada. Next came six mules, young men carrying large bundles of marijuana in backpacks. Eric Grey walked in the rear position. Both Grey and the coyote named Manuel had made the journey many times before. The Border Patrol usually worked a different sector whenever they came over the border. Danta Lopez had many connections in the Border Patrol. As a result, Grey didn’t expect to have any problems. He was actually enjoying the solitude. The night air was still warm from the day, but was not oppressive. The half-moon cast a slight glow on the bleak desert landscape allowing the men to see where they were going. The trail was of course marked, but only the coyote could read the markings. Sometimes a saguaro cactus would appear in the distance and look like a man, but no one other than the boys was frightened.

  They traveled in single file over the hard rocks and shifting sands of the desert. There was little vegetation and the few plants that existed were stark with many spines that would cut you if you came too near. There were no water holes and no cover in this part of the desert. Whenever Eric had crossed this part he fantasized about being a sultan crossing the great Sahara desert in Africa. He dreamed of wearing silky clothes and riding a camel. His harem would be behind him in wagons along with his tent and servants. The freedom of the caravan was very appealing. He wanted to go wherever he wanted and to follow his own laws. The complications of the real world sometimes made his head hurt. He longed for a simpler life. He vowed to himself this would be his last job. But he had thought that several times before.

  Actually, he was getting tired of his current life. He had not always been a mercenary. At one point in his life he had been a Navy Seal full of piss and vinegar. He prided himself on his ability to complete any task thrown his way. He had killed people in the service of his country and was able to put up with the stress. But when his grandmother die several years back, something died inside him and he no longer cared about helping America. The game was now all about him and he wanted money for his loyalty. But Eric knew the people he was currently working for were inherently bad people and didn’t deserve his loyalty. These long walks in the desert were starting to clear his head about the direction of his future life. He wanted out of this business and the people around him. He was starting to feel like his old self again.

  Suddenly he heard a ‘pop’ followed by two more. He knew instantly they were not alone in this stretch of the desert. He knew from experience that the noise was small arms fire, maybe a rifle. It was impossible to know where it was coming from as sound bounced around the valleys between the mountains. He searched for someplace to take cover, but knew there was none. The coyote acted immediately and took off running towards a large pile of rocks about half a mile away. Grey yelled the word “run” in Spanish and they broke ranks. It now was every man for himself. Getting caught meant trouble. The mules had a difficult time running as the packs weighted forty pounds each and slowed them down. They were like ants scrambling towards an ant hill. The coyote and the boys made the rocks, the mules weren’t so lucky. Grey with his lanky build and six foot two height was able to reach the shelter quickly and dragged one of the boys into a crevice with him.

  A very bright light came on over their heads. The men heard the chomping of a helicopter slicing through the night air. Grey knew they would be detected in just a few seconds. He yelled out to the slower mules to hide. The mules immediately dropped their packs and took off in different directions. Grey had just settled in the rocks when one of the mules came close, Grey went into his guitar and brought out is pistol. He leveled his gun at him and yelled for him to get away or be shot. The man turned on his heels and took off in the opposite direction.

  Suddenly a buzzing filled the air. It was Border Patrol men on ATVs. There seemed to be a dozen of them. They all had bright headlights on their ATVs and were speeding into the chase area. Grey hoped they would capture the mules quickly before more Federals arrived, but he also knew the mules were desperate men and some were armed. His only thought was this was no way to make a living.

  A shot suddenly was fired. Then all hell broke loose. The Border Patrol men were itching for a fight and now they could defend themselves. They could not fire until fired upon, but one of the mules had made a fatal mistake. Bullets were soon flying all over the place. Machine guns spit out fire that could be seen in the black night as tracers crossed the darkness. The powerful search lights from the helicopter and the ATVs scanned back and forth hunting for the illegals. Many noises filled the usually silent desert. It was chaos.

  The loud sound of many guns discharging was nerve shattering. It sounded like jet planes passing the sound barrier in the open desert to Eric. Soon, there were shouts and screams when one of the mules was hit. Grey realized the Border Patrol were in a shooting frenzy. Tonight the Border Patrol men were not worried about the massive paperwork they would have to complete for firing their guns. They were going to stop the illegal aliens one way or another.

  Grey and the others were currently away from the fighting. The rocks hid them just enough so they could see the battle but were safe. Suddenly Grey noticed one of the search lights heading in their direction. He realized the Border Patrol would check out any suspected hiding places in the area. The rocks were a potential sanctuary from the maelstrom of the desert. The search light was making a straight beeline for his charges.

  The ATV was about fifty yards away from the rocks when the light found one of the boys. He panicked and pulled out his gun. He was too young and slow for the Border Patrol cop. A shot rang out and a spot of blood appeared in the middle of the boy’s chest. He screamed his mother’s name and fell over dead, right in front of the other two boys. Grey knew he had to do something or they all would be dead soon. The ATV was now only twenty yards from the dead boy. The search light stayed steadily on the body. The officer had made a mistake. If he had moved the light only a little to his left he would have found Eric Grey. With nerves of steel, Grey stood up and took off running towards the light. He was sure the officer could not see him. As he approached the vehicle he screwed the silencer into his hand gun. As soon as he had completed that task, he aimed and shot the officer in the chest. The officer bucked off the ATV and hit the ground as the ATV came to a stop.

  Grey next yelled to his charges to get on the ATV. The remaining boys and the coyote scrambled from the rocks and piled onto the ATV. Grey turned off the light and now headed north. Manuel told him to make for a ravine off to the right. Grey knew he had not killed the Border Patrol Officer as he was sure the man had on a kevlar vest. They all wore the vest when out on patrol. He had no desire to hurt any law enforcement officers. The officer would recover soon and radio in that some illegals had stolen his ATV. They didn’t have much time before an all-out manhunt would be after them. Law enforcement officers got very pissed when one of their own was shot at and his equipment stolen.

  The engine of the ATV screamed as Grey kept the throttle at full speed. It was very dangerous driving an ATV in the desert without a light, but Grey was desperate. The two boys and the coyote hung on for dear life as the ATV hit rocks and skidded through soft sand. The ride was rough, bruises were developing into welts, but Grey kept on. They hit the shallow ravine just as one of the boys noticed that the helicopter turned its searchlight towards the rocks. The light would easily follow the tracks of the ATV and would make up the distance in short order. They were still miles from any cover other than the ravine, but Grey religiously followed the weaving sandy path, wondering if they would make it to someplace safe before the helicopter spotted them.

  The light was only about a mile behind them and was now heading up the ravine. Grey only had a few minutes before they would be overrun. The ATV was straining more now as the group had reached the foot hills of a mountain range. The ravine suddenly disappeared
as they climbed up the hills. They now were completely in the open. It looked very bad for Grey and his small group.

  They had just topped a small crest when gunfire once again erupted. This time it was off to the left, only a few feet from their current course. The difference was the guns were machine guns. There were about six of them. They were firing at the copter. Grey watched as the guns poured fire power into the air. Small flames shot out from the muzzles. It looked like the guns were in a line to concentrate firepower towards the copter. Grey wondered who they possibly could be, but remembered this had all started with someone shooting two shots in the valley. The ATV ripped past the gunfire and Grey noticed the men didn’t turn to shoot at him. They continued to shoot at the light in the sky. Suddenly the light on the copter went out. One of the bullets had finally done the job. The machine guns stopped firing.

  Manuel grabbed at the arm of Grey. “Stop”, he ordered.

  Grey eased up on the throttle. “Why?” he mustered.

  “We have a way out of this now,” replied the coyote. “Quickly, everyone off the ATV,” he said in Spanish.

  They all landed on solid rock. There would be no footprints to follow Grey realized. Manuel untied his bandana and wrapped it around the throttle of the ATV. The engine screamed. Manuel then kicked the gear lever and the ATV sped off into the night in a straight line. The Border Patrol would continue to follow the ATV as it sped across the open plateau. They had lost their ride, but Manuel started off to the left with a confident pace.

  “Follow in my footsteps,” he ordered over his shoulder.

  After a hundred yards, Manuel stopped and searched the ground ahead which was once again sand. Grey hoped the Manuel knew what he was doing, because he could hear many ATVs and he could see a new searchlight was approaching from the South. They would soon be boxed in and on foot. He nervously fingered his gun.

  Manuel spotted something and took off running. The others followed through the soft sand. After a run of another hundred yards, Manuel stopped by a wide cactus bush. They watched with amazement as Manuel grabbed one of the limbs of the bush and pulled it open. It led to an entrance way inside the spiny cactus. Once all the men had scooted inside the bush, Manuel closed the opening. Grey found himself in a small clearing inside the dense dangerously thorny bush. The bush was so thick the sky above was blotted out. He wondered if this was going to be enough protection from the search party, but quickly realized this was the entranceway into something bigger. Manuel now knelt on the dirt and pushed the loose sand around with his hands. Eventually he found a large ring. He pulled the ring and a steel door creaked opened. Grey stared into a deep dark hole. He could see the hole was partially filled by a metal set of steps.