Her Texas Ranger Hero (10 page)

“They will form the basis for everything you learn. When you add a new word, you'll recognize which tone pair it matches and you'll be able to learn new words that much faster.”

“You mean like memorizing your times tables?”

“Yes. Here are the next two cards, labeled 1-3. Notice the arrow is different again, as well as the direction of the slash over the vowel.”

Learning Mandarin was a complete revelation to Luckey. By the time she'd taken him through twenty sets of cards, his head was spinning.

“In a few weeks you'll be able to tell me which tone pair matches a new word I give you. I'll send a disk home to help you with the meanings and pronunciation.”

He looked up from the cards she'd handed him. “Are you saying our lesson is over? I've only been here an hour.”

She laughed. “We can't do any more until you've had time to memorize the tones. Those cards are yours.”

He put them in his pocket. “In that case let's go to my house and I'll barbecue us some hamburgers for dinner. It'll be my way to repay you for this lesson.” He'd made certain he had all the ingredients on hand in case she said yes.

“I don't want repayment, but I won't say no to dinner.”

Hallelujah.
He got to his feet. “How early do you have to be at work in the morning?”

“Eight o'clock.”

“Then let's leave now so we can enjoy a little time together before I have to bring you back.”

She stood up. “I'll run upstairs to get that disk and meet you at your car.”

“You didn't bring it down because you didn't think I would make it this far. Admit it.”

Ally eyed him directly. “I didn't think any such thing. I simply forgot it. If you're fishing for compliments, I can tell you this much—I'm impressed you didn't throw the cards across the room and tell me you needed to leave because of some work-related thing you'd forgotten about.”

“You'll never get rid of me that fast,” he warned her.

They walked through the house to the foyer. After she hurried up the stairs, he went outside and leaned against his car while he waited for her. Before long she joined him. On their way into town, she flicked him a glance. “I've never asked where you live.”

“Sunset Valley.”

“It's not that far from here.” She sounded pleasantly surprised.

“Which has turned out to be a nice perk for me, now that I'll be taking lessons from you on a daily basis.”

Ally smiled and gave him a sideways look that said she didn't believe he'd last as a student of hers. “How long have you lived in Sunset Valley?” she asked.

“After the divorce, I bought a home there with property for my horse. But before I signed the papers, I drove the route to work. It only took me twelve minutes. That's what sold me.”

A soft laugh escaped her lips. “You're as bad as I am. Before I applied for the position at the university, I timed the drive from the ranch. Only ten minutes. But I have to admit that depending on the kind of day I sometimes have, plus the evening traffic, it can seem like a hundred miles. Still, as much as I loved China, there's no place like home.”

“I hear you.”

Tonight he was taking her to his house. There was only one danger. He was so crazy about her, he might not let her leave.

Chapter Six

Ally was so excited to be going to Luckey's home, she was almost sick to her stomach. When they pulled into the driveway, the Santa Fe adobe house came as a surprise. Long beams extended outside the exterior walls in true pueblo style. She let out a little squeal. “Oh, my gosh, I love it!” His choice of home told her a lot about his taste and his idea of beauty.

“Come inside. I'll show you around.”

The first thing she noticed when they walked through the door of the one-story home were the gorgeous handwoven Santa Fe style rugs scattered throughout the rooms. There were three bedrooms and a den. French doors from the dining room opened onto a charming patio. She loved the tiled kitchen, but her favorite space was the living room, with its floor-to-ceiling fireplace and little niches. The beams overhead added an authentic rustic feel.

“I love the curviness of this style.”

“I'm glad you like it. If you want to freshen up in the guest bathroom, I'll go out to the patio and start the coals for the barbecue. After studying those tone pairs, I'm famished.” She was already learning he didn't need an excuse to be hungry.

Seeing his home with the stamp of his personality on it had caused her to forget everything else. Ally pulled the disk from her purse and put it on the end table next to the couch. After washing her hands, she wandered out to the patio. She could see the barn and corral in the distance, but it was already beginning to get dark.

“If I were you, I'd never want to leave this place. You have everything right here.”

“I do
now
.” His eyes roamed over her, sending prickles of excitement through her body. “Let's go in the kitchen and whip up our dinner. I thought we'd have salad and lemonade iced tea with our burgers.”

That sounded perfect. She followed him inside and pulled the salad ingredients from the fridge. He got out ground beef to form the burgers. “Be right back,” he said when he'd made them.

Ally loved working with him. Before long they were able to sit down to a meal in the dining room. She could get used to this on a regular basis.

“How's Persey?”

“I took him for a run this morning. Tomorrow after work, why don't we pick up some Mexican food and bring Silver over here? We can go for a ride before you give me my second lesson.”

She lifted her head. “Sounds great.”

Luckey chuckled. “I'm trying my best to ensure I can see you again tomorrow. But if you'd prefer Italian, we can do that, too. What time do you think you'll be leaving the university?”

“Around three, if I'm lucky.”

“Will it be pushing you too much if I come by at four with the trailer?”

She wanted that more than he could possibly imagine. “Tell you what. Since neither of us knows what our day is going to be like tomorrow, I'll phone you when I'm ready to leave my office. If something comes up that prevents either of us from getting together, we can make arrangements for the day after.”

Luckey nodded. “As long as we're arranging our schedules, it's my dad's birthday on Saturday. How would you like to go to Dripping Springs with me? The whole family will be there to celebrate. We can take the horses.”

He wanted her to meet his family? Nothing could have made her happier. “I'd like that very much.”

Luckey sat back in the chair. “You've just made my day. Much as I'd like us to go in the living room and watch a movie, I know you have to get back home.”

“I happen to know you have a full agenda tomorrow, and it probably starts earlier than my day. I'll help you with the dishes,” she said, and got up to clear the table. He grabbed what she didn't and they took everything to the kitchen.

After refusing her help with washing the dishes, Luckey walked her out to his car. On the drive home she remembered to tell him she'd left the disk on the end table in the living room.

“I can't wait to get started,” he told her.

She shot him a glance. “You sound about as excited as I am to face my students tomorrow.”

“Since we've met, I count the hours when I'm not with you.”

“It's been a wonderful week,” she conceded. Ally could relate like mad. “Luckey? Would it be against the rules for you to tell me how the case is going so far?”

He reached over to squeeze her hand, as he'd done the other day. “As soon as I have any solid information, you'll be the first to hear.”

“Okay.”

“That's not a put off. It's too early in the investigation.”

“I realize that.”

“I'm hoping for results soon.” Luckey kissed her palm before letting her hand go. The touch of his lips sent a tremor through her body. She wanted more, but there'd be no physical relationship unless she let him know she wanted it. Luckey had so far proved that he was an honorable man who wouldn't go back on his word.

You're the one who went along with the boundaries he set
, she reminded herself. So why was she upset? The question plagued her for the remainder of the short drive back to the ranch. In danger of begging him to kiss her, she reached for the door handle the second he drew up in front.

He turned to her. “Thanks for the lesson. You're an excellent teacher.
Wanan
,
Ally.”

She blinked. “You've learned the word
good-night
! You even said it perfectly.”

“I looked it up earlier today on the internet and practiced the sound.”

“I'm impressed.”

“I hope to keep impressing you.”

“You already have,” she answered in a tremulous voice, before getting out of the car. “
Wanan
, Luckey.” When she locked the front door of the house behind her, she was out of breath.

“Ally?” Her mom appeared in the foyer. “What's wrong?”

Nothing was wrong.
Everything was wrong.
She wanted this case to be over so they could be together on a normal man-and-woman level, with no other issues involved.

“Honey?” Beatrice prompted. “Where have you been?”

“I gave Luckey a lesson in Mandarin, and then he invited me to his home in Sunset Valley for dinner.”

“A lesson?”

“Yes. He says he wants to learn Chinese. It will help him when dealing with the Asian trafficking cases.”

Her mother raised her eyebrows. “Well, that's a terrific excuse for spending time with you.”

“I like being with him,” Ally confessed, “but...”

“But what?”

“He's been married before.”

“Does he have children?”

“No. He was divorced eight years ago. It's the reason they divorced that has me worried.”

“Why?”

“I don't want to be a reminder of her.”

“How could you do that?”

“She didn't want him to be in law enforcement, because it kept him away from her too much. She asked him to change his career, but he couldn't do it.”

“Of course he couldn't. The woman who falls in love with a Texas Ranger will never change him,” her mother said, with conviction based on experience. “But you don't want to change him. So what's wrong?”

“I'm crazy about him!” she cried, revealing her frustration. “I just don't want him to know how much I care...in case he feels suffocated and backs away, like he did with her.”

“Who suggested the Chinese lessons?”

“He did.”

“Well, you must be doing something right or he wouldn't be setting himself up for heartbreak a second time.”

“What do you mean?”

“Maybe he's got a deep-seated fear that you'll retreat because of his job, so he's taking lessons for insurance.”

Was that the real reason? Her mother had given her a lot to think about.

“Where's Dad?”

“He's gone up to bed.”

“That's where I'm headed. I've got to be at the university by eight.” They climbed the stairs together. “Thanks for the talk.”

“Anytime, honey,” her mom said, and they gave each other a quick hug.

Ally went to her room to get ready for bed. Once she got under the covers, it was impossible to turn off her mind. Luckey didn't seem like a man who was afraid of anything, but who knew his demons after suffering through a divorce? If she held him off for too long because of her fear that he'd lose interest, would she do damage to their growing relationship? That question haunted her until she finally fell asleep.

* * *

L
UCKEY
WOKE
UP
early Monday morning with Ally on his mind. Because they'd made tentative plans for the evening, he was able to channel his energy and get busy. First, he arranged for a team to sit outside the orphanage for the next week and track Shan's comings and goings. He sent the guys her photograph and the necessary information to identify her.

Next, he made inquiries with the Junior Olympic Committee and was put in touch with an official who'd been on the committee for central China's most recent Youth Olympic Games in Nanjang. Luckey wanted the names and contact numbers of Olympic coaches for the Chinese contestants from the Beijing region and Hunan Province.

If he could talk to several of them, he might find out where the younger girls trained, in cities such as Yongzhou. Perhaps one of those centers would yield a record on Yu Tan and he could learn more about her and the names of the instructors. It was worth a shot. The official promised to send him information as soon as he could.

An impatient Luckey hung up. The information from Indonesia hadn't been faxed yet and there had been no word from Mr. Guan. Luckey decided to call the passport office.

“Mr. Jesse? I'm glad I've got you on the line. This is Ranger Davis from Company H headquarters in Austin, Texas. I need your help on a new case. It's a priority for me.”

“Aren't they all?” the man teased. “Go ahead.”

Luckey explained the nature of the crimes he was investigating. “I need names for the last three years, those who've used Texas as a port of entry at any time.”

“Give me an hour and I'll email you the information.”

“Thank you. I'll be waiting for it.”

With a little time left on his hands, he grabbed the index cards Ally had made for him and took a ride on Persey while he studied. He needed the disk to hear the proper way to make the sounds, but could memorize the meanings of the tone pairs. His poor horse had to listen to him try to pronounce them.

He patted his palomino's neck. “Don't worry. I haven't lost my mind yet.” After his ride, he put Persey back in the barn. “If all goes well, we'll go riding tonight with Ally and Silver.”

When he sat back down at his computer, he found a file from Mr. Jesse in his in-box. Yep, he had his work cut out for the better part of the day.

After making a list of the individuals, Luckey ran names through the Integrated Automated Fingerprinted Identification System criminal database that brought up photos, too. He needed to find out how many had aliases and/or warrants out on them. He checked his watch while he waited for the results: 2:40 p.m.

It didn't take long for the computer to give him the information he'd requested. Of the two hundred fifty names, a hundred and fifty had been arrested on different charges or were dead. Seventy had outstanding warrants on them from virtually every state in the union. Thirty were convicted felons, but had still managed to get a passport by using a different name and fake passport. They were still at large.

At three thirty his phone rang. He checked the caller ID and clicked on. “Ally?”

“Hi! Sorry I'm phoning later than I intended to. Our department is going into an unscheduled meeting because of some new policies. I probably can't be home before six thirty, so I'm afraid we're going to have to postpone our ride at your house. But if you want to come over at seven, we can have another lesson. That is if you're free.”

“I'll bring dinner. See you at seven.”

Luckey had three hours before he needed to shower and pick up the food. That gave him enough time to start plowing through the list. He didn't know exactly what he was looking for, but if something jumped out at him, he'd flag it.

One by one he studied the profiles and accompanying mug shots with last known addresses picked out from their original passport photos. They would be of vital importance when he went through the records at various express mail carriers.

Out of the first hundred, he flagged three criminals who'd managed to escape the no fly rule. Jason White, from Indiana, was wanted for the brutal slayings of two upper management executives in a Chicago software company. “He speaks fluent Mandarin and has a master's degree in international business. He's an avid golfer, snowboarder, skier, dirt biker and has been a soccer player. White enjoys being the center of attention. He's been seen at several local Shanghai nightclubs as well as international soccer matches with various girlfriends. His known aliases are: Jacob White, John Jacob, Jaron White, Jim Jacobs, RJ White. He has ties to Illinois and Alaska. He's probably in possession of a Glock 9 mm and a .45 caliber handgun.”

Then there was Enrique Santoya, an American born Puerto Rican from Florida, a ship's mechanic for the Meersman Shipping Container Company traveling to various ports in China and Indonesia from Los Angeles. “Speaks passable Mandarin and Indonesian. Served five years of a forty-year sentence in Folsom Prison, California, for kidnapping and murder of three female illegals before his escape. Known to box and work out in gyms. Aliases are: Rico Santos, Eric Santana, Santo Ricardo. Favorite Chinese weapons are a Cold Steel Dragonfly O Tanto knife and a Columbia River Hisshou knife.”

Luckey also flagged Winn Klein from Oregon, a former figure skater and tennis player. “Wanted for murdering his two Chinese wives, both athletes he met in China and brought to Seattle. His mode for killing was suffocation. Could be working in a restaurant in San Francisco's or Houston's Chinatown. Had a porn site. Speaks Mandarin. Hangs out in sports bars or may be working in one. His aliases are: Wyn Klene, Kley Winn, Kelly Wyn, Win Klien, Wynn Kleen.”