The Territory A Novel - By Tricia Fields Page 0,43

in the basement with his guns and ammunition. Wouldn’t you keep naked pictures in your bedroom?”

Marta broke in. “Maybe they’re blackmail pictures.”

Josie frowned. “She’s got nothing.”

“So, maybe Red was blackmailing her brother.” Marta winced. “With pictures of his sister.”

“Otto, I want you to spend some time at Red’s place, get more prints, dig through every drawer and envelope you can find. I’ve got Dillon going over his accounts. I’ll find out tonight some preliminary information on debt and assets.”

Otto grinned. “That’s good,” he said.

“What’s good?”

“Dillon Reece going over the accounts.”

“Don’t start with me, Otto.”

Marta put both hands in the air. “Wait a minute. Go back to Red’s connection with the cartels. You think he was selling them guns? That’s pretty bold. You don’t connect with them easily.”

“It makes sense. He got his money somehow. I’m guessing he was buying guns cheap and reselling to the Mexicans. With the feud between the Medranos and La Bestia, maybe Red got caught in the middle,” Josie said. “It makes sense with Fallow, too. I think he knows about a gun deal between Red and Bloster and the Mexicans, and he’s scared to death their lives are in jeopardy.”

“Ole Red’s guns are supporting a drug cartel south of the border. Wasn’t his shtick that he wanted to protect the women and children of Texas? Sure accomplished that, now, didn’t he?” Otto walked around the conference table again, scooted his chair out, and sat down grumbling about his back.

Josie looked doubtful. “Here’s what I can’t figure. The cartels have more guns and money than we can even imagine. Red’s three hundred guns would be nice, but let’s face it, not worth much effort on their part. And if they were killing him for his guns, why move the body? If they were just after the guns, wouldn’t they just shoot him and leave the body where it fell? Why take him into Pegasus’s trailer? I’m betting the cartels are involved, but what’s their angle?”

SEVEN

“Don’t look through the sights yet. Get used to raising the gun and shooting. If a lowlife draws, you think you’ll have time to stop and aim? Find the sights?”

Pegasus faced the hill, sweat rolling down her neck and between her shoulder blades. It was almost six o’clock and she was irritated, hungry, and her hands were developing blisters from the awkward way she was forced to hold a pistol built for a man. Her fingers weren’t strong enough to pull the carbine back and flip the locking mechanism in place in the smooth motion Kenny had demonstrated a dozen times. She could get it, but she had to hold the gun lopsided, the barrel facing up and out. If speed were an issue, she would be dead before she ever advanced a bullet into the chamber.

“You know how to load and unload the bullets. You’ll never get speed with either of these guns, but they’re the best I’ve got for you. Turn around so I can mix them up again,” he said.

Pegasus turned her back to the tailgate of Kenny’s pickup and faced the hill as he mixed two calibers of bullets and set out both magazines and pistols. They were on a patch of federal land miles from town, where he poached for deer. He had made a crude frame out of two-by-fours he had pulled from a trash pile behind Red’s place. He duct-taped a large trash bag in the middle of the frame for her to shoot at. Masking tape outlined the shape of a man’s head and chest.

After he shuffled the pieces, Kenny said, “Show me a quick load and shoot. No aiming.”

Pegasus turned back to the tailgate and surveyed the guns and bullets.

“You’re in the trailer, by yourself. You see a light outside the door, hear several men’s voices. Talk me through what you do. Go.”

She took a deep breath and surveyed the guns. “I’ll use the Smith and Wesson pistol. The magazine holds ten bullets instead of six. Good if there are several people outside.” She picked up the correct magazine and loaded ten .45-caliber bullets, shoving them into the spring-loaded chamber with quite a bit of effort. She popped the magazine up into the butt of the gun. “I heard the bullet advance. I’m putting my finger just above the trigger and turning to focus on the chest area of the man in front.”

Pegasus pivoted, planted her feet, and brought both hands up in a smooth level motion, aimed at the target, looked over