"Undercover" Part 2
By Lorrie
Disclaimer: The following story is based on the characters of the TV Series "Walker, Texas Ranger". The characters belong to CBS Productions, Top Kick Productions, Washo Brother's Entertainment, etc, but the story is mine. ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. (No copyright infringement is intended.)
Walker blinked several times after the blindfold was removed from his eyes. "Welcome to Diablo's Den." Tiny said as he led Walker towards Sam.
"Who do we have here?" Sam asked.
"This is Caleb. I picked him up at the same watering hole as the other two." Tiny looked around. "Where are they anyhow?"
"Had to let them go. They just didn't work out."
Walker knew he had to get some information fast. Gage and Trivette were, at the very least, in trouble. "Thank you for this opportunity." Walker reached out to shake Sam's hand.
Sam scowled at him. "First thing you need to learn is your place. Here, I am the leader and you are the follower. You don't ever raise you hand to me for any reason. If you do, you may draw back a nub. Secondly, you are to work in silence and do as your told. I allow no talking here."
"And if someone does?" Walker asked.
Sam pulled one of the workers from his post. "Open your mouth Jorge." The middle aged man complied and Walker was appalled to see that the man's tongue had been cut out.
"Now, you will bunk in that tent. A sleeping bag is already in place. There are five men per tent. You get three meals a day with a cup of water or coffee. Any questions?"
"What exactly will I be doing?" Walker asked as they began to walk through the camp.
"Mining, for gold. This is a small operation on a small vain, so we can't afford the big machinery, yet. We do all of the mining by hand and at the end of the week, you'll be paid."
"How much?"
"Whatever I decide you're worth." Sam replied as they approached Juan. "This is Caleb. Get him started." Sam lingered a moment until Walker had picked up his coveralls. "Juan, did you take care of the other situation?"
Juan nodded. "Yes sir. Same procedure as before."
"Good. I'll follow up later this afternoon."
Walker pretended not to hear the conversation between Juan and Sam. He knew that when Sam left this afternoon, he had better be with him if he had any chance of getting to Gage and Trivette.
********* Sydney was curled up on the couch reading through the file that she had taken from the DEA database. She sat straight up when she came across a name she recognized. "Oh my Lord!" She exclaimed. "Andrew Vincent!" She reached for the phone and dialed Alex.
"Hello." Alex answered quietly.
"Alex, aren't you working on a case involving Andrew Vincent?" She asked with urgency in her voice.
"Yes, why?"
"You're not going to believe whose name I've ran across while working on another case."
"Who?" Alex asked.
"Andrew Vincent. It appears that he's a suspect in a slave labor ring near the boarder."
"Sydney, is that where Gage and Trivette are?" Alex asked, her concern for her husband and their friends growing by the minute.
Sydney paused. "Yes."
"Vincent will recognize Walker and Jimmy in a heartbeat. They're the reason his brother Michael is in prison." Upon saying his name, her hand reached for the bruise on her cheek.
******** The truck continued to bump along the road as Gage began to stir. "Gage, you OK?" Trivette called out as Gage tried to sit up, his hands reaching for the back of his head.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Where are we now?" He asked, finally bringing himself to a sitting position.
"They threw us in the back of another truck. As near as I can tell, we've been bumping along for about 20 minutes." Trivette reported.
"Think we're headed for the boarder?" Gage asked.
Jimmy nodded. "Probably. And once we get there, it's not going to be that easy to get back."
Gage's jaw dropped slightly as the truck stopped. There were noises outside that the two captives interpreted as a confrontation. Trivette listened closely as voices neared the back of the truck. "If you are carrying what I think you are carrying, we will be taking your truck."
"I don't think so. This truck is going into Mexico and no one is stopping it." The next sound heard was gunfire - two shots and then the truck resumed its journey.
"What do you think that was all about?" Gage asked.
Trivette shook his head. "I don't know."
******
Walker took the pick that had been handed to him and began to dig into the rock, looking for gold. Juarez approached him, taking note that he being very diligent in his work. "Good job Morgan. Keep it up."
Walker, remembering Sam's warning of not talking, only nodded to Juarez and then watched him continue his patrol. He stopped near another white man. "I'm on to you C.J." The man looked at him oddly in response. "I know who you are and I know what you are." Juarez said with a stern expression. "You will pay dearly for what you are trying to bring down on us."
Juarez continued towards the building at the end of the canyon while C.J. stared after him, a look of sheer fright on his face. Walker made a mental note to try to talk to the young man later.
********
After hanging up with Alex, Sydney pulled on her shoes and gathered the files. She had gotten the feeling that Alex was more than a little nervous about Andrew Vincent and thought it might be a good idea to go and check on her.
Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the Walker's back door. "Sydney?" Alex asked as she opened the door, startled to see her friend standing there.
"Sorry to barge in on you like this, but I thought you might want to help me with this file. It's getting a bit overwhelming."
Alex smiled. She knew the real reason Sydney had stopped by and it had nothing to do with the DEA file. She truly appreciate the friendship that she and Sydney shared, it was almost like being with her sister. "I'll get us some coffee."
"So have you come up with a name yet?" Alex asked as she sat down at the table, coffee in hand.
Sydney shook her head as she sipped from the cup Alex had given her. "No. Everywhere there should be the name of a DEA Agent, there's a blank space. They have a man on the inside, but we don't know who and we don't know who's leading this investigation, let alone the impending raid."
"Sydney, why were Gage and Jimmy sent in anyway? How exactly did the Rangers get involved?"
"Oh, that's right, you've been so tied up with your other cases, although I'm a bit surprised that Walker didn't say anything." Sydney paused. "Maria Gonzales approached us last week."
"Maria, the cleaning lady at the courthouse?"
Sydney nodded. "Her husband Roberto had disappeared the previous day and she was very worried. Walker assured her that we would help her find Roberto."
"And did you?"
"Walker's investigation led him to what appears to be a slave labor camp that operates on both sides of the boarder. He traced Roberto to a bar just west of Laredo and found that he had left with a man named Tiny and no one has seen him since."
"So that's why Walker was in such a hurry to get to Laredo."
"Yes. That and the fact that Gage and Trivette have been down there for three days now and we haven't heard anything from them."
"I know. Walker did tell me that." She looked at Sydney with sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I know this must be hard on you."
"I just wish that there was something I could do."
"You're doing it. We need to keep digging in this file until we come up with names." Alex and Sydney then focused their attentions on the file.
********
It was suppertime at Diablo's Den. Walker knew that this was the only chance he would have to try and talk to C.J., as they were allowed to quietly converse during meals. He watched carefully, taking note of where C.J. sat. The young man looked very nervous as he approached him. "Is this seat taken?"
C.J. shook his head and then looked away as Walker sat down. "I'm Caleb Morgan." He extended his hand.
"C.J. Roberts."
"C.J. is something wrong?"
The man shook his head. "No, why do you ask?"
"I overhead Juarez talking to you earlier. He said that he knew who you were and what you were."
"You don't want to get involved mister." C.J. responded.
Walker looked down at his plate as one of the guards walked by. Once the man was gone, he looked up at C.J. again. "C.J., can I can trust you with my life?"
C.J. looked puzzled. "I guess, why?"
"I'm a Texas Ranger. Two of men were brought here a few days ago, but I haven't been able to find them since I got here."
C.J. snickered slightly. "Geez, three Rangers and a DEA agent all in one camp and we've all managed to be found out, except you."
"You're DEA?" Walker asked.
The young man nodded. "That's what Juarez meant. They're on to me and I'm guessing that they plan to take me off, just like they did your Rangers."
"Where?"
"I don't know. I've been here for almost two months and I've seen many men come in, just to be taken away if the big man doesn't like them."
"Who is the big man?"
"Name's Vincent." C.J. thought for a moment, but before he could speak, Walker finished the name.
"Andrew Vincent."
"Yeah, guess you've heard of him."
"My partner and I put his brother in prison. He's currently serving a life term."
"I don't' know how to get out of this one. Someone here must have overheard me talking. My real name's Tom Michaels, just so you know."
"I'm Cordell Walker."
The DEA agent's eyes lit up. "Everyone's heard of you. You're legendary."
Walker's eyes quickly went down as Juarez approached the table. "C.J., time for you to pay your dues." Two men manhandled the young man away from the table.
Juarez's eyes never left Walker. "You don't have anything to say in defense of your new friend?"
Walker shook his head. "I just me the guy. What did he do anyway?"
"He's a cop! I just cleared away two and now here's another in my midst. You're not a cop too, are you Caleb? I can smell them a mile away, you know."
"No Juarez, I'm not a cop."
"Good! Finish your meal and get back to work." Juarez joined the men who were hauling Tom towards the back of a truck. "Get in!" He heard one of them shout. "Now!"
As Juarez left the table, Walker crept along the barrels near the truck and after watching Juarez climb in, he quickly scooted underneath the truck and found two good footholds and a bar to hold on to.
When the truck began to move, Walker realized what a bumpy ride he was in for. The dust kicked up into his face unmercifully and it was all he could do to keep his grip on the metal bar, which was growing hotter with every mile the truck traveled.
******* Gage and Trivette were both flung towards the back of the truck as it came to an abrupt halt. In seconds, the back gate was opened and the two Rangers found themselves facing five men with automatic weapons aimed at them. "Get out!" One of the men instructed.
"Who are you and where are we?" Trivette asked.
"We'll ask the questions around here." One of the men bellowed. "Who do you work for?"
Gage and Trivette looked at each other and then back to the troop of men. "I'm not really sure." Trivette said.
"Arrest them. If they're not going to talk there, then by God, they'll talk at headquarters!"
"Wait a minute!" Gage spoke up. "Who are you and what headquarters are you talking about?"
"DEA Headquarters, son. You two are about to embark on a long journey that's going to end in the federal penitentiary."
Gage squirmed as he was handcuffed. "Wait a minute!" He yelled as he looked at Trivette.
"You've got it all wrong. We're both Texas Rangers and we've been undercover at Diablo's Den for almost a week now." Trivette explained.
Before anyone could say anything, one of the men whispered in the commander's ear.
The commander nodded at the two men who were preparing to shove Gage and Trivette into another waiting truck. "Hold up. They're telling the truth. They're both Texas Rangers. Release them."
Gage rubbed his wrists as he turned to the commander to shake his hand. "Thanks. I'm Gage and that's Trivette."
"How did the Rangers come to be involved in this, Ranger Gage?" The Commander asked.
"It started as a missing persons report and eventually led us to this human slave ring called Diablo's Den."
"It's not just a slave ring, Ranger. They're transporting more drugs out of this one small operation than we've ran into in a long time."
"Drugs? They're convincing the worker's that they're mining for gold."
The commander nodded. "That's how they figure out which ones they can trust. You two were on your way across the boarder where you would have been placed in the lab and probably never heard from again." He turned to Trivette with a picture of Agent Tom Michaels. "This is our man on the inside. We haven't heard from him in almost two weeks. Did you happen to see him?" Trivette nodded. "C.J. Yeah, he's there. Juarez hounded him all day yesterday though. I don't know if he's on to him or not."
"Thanks." The commander pocketed the pictures. "We had better get you two back to your people."
"Thanks." Gage and Trivette both replied.
End Pt. 2
Disclaimer: The following story is based on the characters of the TV Series "Walker, Texas Ranger". The characters belong to CBS Productions, Top Kick Productions, Washo Brother's Entertainment, etc, but the story is mine. ALL DISCLAIMERS APPLY. (No copyright infringement is intended.)
Walker blinked several times after the blindfold was removed from his eyes. "Welcome to Diablo's Den." Tiny said as he led Walker towards Sam.
"Who do we have here?" Sam asked.
"This is Caleb. I picked him up at the same watering hole as the other two." Tiny looked around. "Where are they anyhow?"
"Had to let them go. They just didn't work out."
Walker knew he had to get some information fast. Gage and Trivette were, at the very least, in trouble. "Thank you for this opportunity." Walker reached out to shake Sam's hand.
Sam scowled at him. "First thing you need to learn is your place. Here, I am the leader and you are the follower. You don't ever raise you hand to me for any reason. If you do, you may draw back a nub. Secondly, you are to work in silence and do as your told. I allow no talking here."
"And if someone does?" Walker asked.
Sam pulled one of the workers from his post. "Open your mouth Jorge." The middle aged man complied and Walker was appalled to see that the man's tongue had been cut out.
"Now, you will bunk in that tent. A sleeping bag is already in place. There are five men per tent. You get three meals a day with a cup of water or coffee. Any questions?"
"What exactly will I be doing?" Walker asked as they began to walk through the camp.
"Mining, for gold. This is a small operation on a small vain, so we can't afford the big machinery, yet. We do all of the mining by hand and at the end of the week, you'll be paid."
"How much?"
"Whatever I decide you're worth." Sam replied as they approached Juan. "This is Caleb. Get him started." Sam lingered a moment until Walker had picked up his coveralls. "Juan, did you take care of the other situation?"
Juan nodded. "Yes sir. Same procedure as before."
"Good. I'll follow up later this afternoon."
Walker pretended not to hear the conversation between Juan and Sam. He knew that when Sam left this afternoon, he had better be with him if he had any chance of getting to Gage and Trivette.
********* Sydney was curled up on the couch reading through the file that she had taken from the DEA database. She sat straight up when she came across a name she recognized. "Oh my Lord!" She exclaimed. "Andrew Vincent!" She reached for the phone and dialed Alex.
"Hello." Alex answered quietly.
"Alex, aren't you working on a case involving Andrew Vincent?" She asked with urgency in her voice.
"Yes, why?"
"You're not going to believe whose name I've ran across while working on another case."
"Who?" Alex asked.
"Andrew Vincent. It appears that he's a suspect in a slave labor ring near the boarder."
"Sydney, is that where Gage and Trivette are?" Alex asked, her concern for her husband and their friends growing by the minute.
Sydney paused. "Yes."
"Vincent will recognize Walker and Jimmy in a heartbeat. They're the reason his brother Michael is in prison." Upon saying his name, her hand reached for the bruise on her cheek.
******** The truck continued to bump along the road as Gage began to stir. "Gage, you OK?" Trivette called out as Gage tried to sit up, his hands reaching for the back of his head.
"Yeah, I'll be fine. Where are we now?" He asked, finally bringing himself to a sitting position.
"They threw us in the back of another truck. As near as I can tell, we've been bumping along for about 20 minutes." Trivette reported.
"Think we're headed for the boarder?" Gage asked.
Jimmy nodded. "Probably. And once we get there, it's not going to be that easy to get back."
Gage's jaw dropped slightly as the truck stopped. There were noises outside that the two captives interpreted as a confrontation. Trivette listened closely as voices neared the back of the truck. "If you are carrying what I think you are carrying, we will be taking your truck."
"I don't think so. This truck is going into Mexico and no one is stopping it." The next sound heard was gunfire - two shots and then the truck resumed its journey.
"What do you think that was all about?" Gage asked.
Trivette shook his head. "I don't know."
******
Walker took the pick that had been handed to him and began to dig into the rock, looking for gold. Juarez approached him, taking note that he being very diligent in his work. "Good job Morgan. Keep it up."
Walker, remembering Sam's warning of not talking, only nodded to Juarez and then watched him continue his patrol. He stopped near another white man. "I'm on to you C.J." The man looked at him oddly in response. "I know who you are and I know what you are." Juarez said with a stern expression. "You will pay dearly for what you are trying to bring down on us."
Juarez continued towards the building at the end of the canyon while C.J. stared after him, a look of sheer fright on his face. Walker made a mental note to try to talk to the young man later.
********
After hanging up with Alex, Sydney pulled on her shoes and gathered the files. She had gotten the feeling that Alex was more than a little nervous about Andrew Vincent and thought it might be a good idea to go and check on her.
Twenty minutes later, there was a knock on the Walker's back door. "Sydney?" Alex asked as she opened the door, startled to see her friend standing there.
"Sorry to barge in on you like this, but I thought you might want to help me with this file. It's getting a bit overwhelming."
Alex smiled. She knew the real reason Sydney had stopped by and it had nothing to do with the DEA file. She truly appreciate the friendship that she and Sydney shared, it was almost like being with her sister. "I'll get us some coffee."
"So have you come up with a name yet?" Alex asked as she sat down at the table, coffee in hand.
Sydney shook her head as she sipped from the cup Alex had given her. "No. Everywhere there should be the name of a DEA Agent, there's a blank space. They have a man on the inside, but we don't know who and we don't know who's leading this investigation, let alone the impending raid."
"Sydney, why were Gage and Jimmy sent in anyway? How exactly did the Rangers get involved?"
"Oh, that's right, you've been so tied up with your other cases, although I'm a bit surprised that Walker didn't say anything." Sydney paused. "Maria Gonzales approached us last week."
"Maria, the cleaning lady at the courthouse?"
Sydney nodded. "Her husband Roberto had disappeared the previous day and she was very worried. Walker assured her that we would help her find Roberto."
"And did you?"
"Walker's investigation led him to what appears to be a slave labor camp that operates on both sides of the boarder. He traced Roberto to a bar just west of Laredo and found that he had left with a man named Tiny and no one has seen him since."
"So that's why Walker was in such a hurry to get to Laredo."
"Yes. That and the fact that Gage and Trivette have been down there for three days now and we haven't heard anything from them."
"I know. Walker did tell me that." She looked at Sydney with sadness in her eyes. "I'm sorry. I know this must be hard on you."
"I just wish that there was something I could do."
"You're doing it. We need to keep digging in this file until we come up with names." Alex and Sydney then focused their attentions on the file.
********
It was suppertime at Diablo's Den. Walker knew that this was the only chance he would have to try and talk to C.J., as they were allowed to quietly converse during meals. He watched carefully, taking note of where C.J. sat. The young man looked very nervous as he approached him. "Is this seat taken?"
C.J. shook his head and then looked away as Walker sat down. "I'm Caleb Morgan." He extended his hand.
"C.J. Roberts."
"C.J. is something wrong?"
The man shook his head. "No, why do you ask?"
"I overhead Juarez talking to you earlier. He said that he knew who you were and what you were."
"You don't want to get involved mister." C.J. responded.
Walker looked down at his plate as one of the guards walked by. Once the man was gone, he looked up at C.J. again. "C.J., can I can trust you with my life?"
C.J. looked puzzled. "I guess, why?"
"I'm a Texas Ranger. Two of men were brought here a few days ago, but I haven't been able to find them since I got here."
C.J. snickered slightly. "Geez, three Rangers and a DEA agent all in one camp and we've all managed to be found out, except you."
"You're DEA?" Walker asked.
The young man nodded. "That's what Juarez meant. They're on to me and I'm guessing that they plan to take me off, just like they did your Rangers."
"Where?"
"I don't know. I've been here for almost two months and I've seen many men come in, just to be taken away if the big man doesn't like them."
"Who is the big man?"
"Name's Vincent." C.J. thought for a moment, but before he could speak, Walker finished the name.
"Andrew Vincent."
"Yeah, guess you've heard of him."
"My partner and I put his brother in prison. He's currently serving a life term."
"I don't' know how to get out of this one. Someone here must have overheard me talking. My real name's Tom Michaels, just so you know."
"I'm Cordell Walker."
The DEA agent's eyes lit up. "Everyone's heard of you. You're legendary."
Walker's eyes quickly went down as Juarez approached the table. "C.J., time for you to pay your dues." Two men manhandled the young man away from the table.
Juarez's eyes never left Walker. "You don't have anything to say in defense of your new friend?"
Walker shook his head. "I just me the guy. What did he do anyway?"
"He's a cop! I just cleared away two and now here's another in my midst. You're not a cop too, are you Caleb? I can smell them a mile away, you know."
"No Juarez, I'm not a cop."
"Good! Finish your meal and get back to work." Juarez joined the men who were hauling Tom towards the back of a truck. "Get in!" He heard one of them shout. "Now!"
As Juarez left the table, Walker crept along the barrels near the truck and after watching Juarez climb in, he quickly scooted underneath the truck and found two good footholds and a bar to hold on to.
When the truck began to move, Walker realized what a bumpy ride he was in for. The dust kicked up into his face unmercifully and it was all he could do to keep his grip on the metal bar, which was growing hotter with every mile the truck traveled.
******* Gage and Trivette were both flung towards the back of the truck as it came to an abrupt halt. In seconds, the back gate was opened and the two Rangers found themselves facing five men with automatic weapons aimed at them. "Get out!" One of the men instructed.
"Who are you and where are we?" Trivette asked.
"We'll ask the questions around here." One of the men bellowed. "Who do you work for?"
Gage and Trivette looked at each other and then back to the troop of men. "I'm not really sure." Trivette said.
"Arrest them. If they're not going to talk there, then by God, they'll talk at headquarters!"
"Wait a minute!" Gage spoke up. "Who are you and what headquarters are you talking about?"
"DEA Headquarters, son. You two are about to embark on a long journey that's going to end in the federal penitentiary."
Gage squirmed as he was handcuffed. "Wait a minute!" He yelled as he looked at Trivette.
"You've got it all wrong. We're both Texas Rangers and we've been undercover at Diablo's Den for almost a week now." Trivette explained.
Before anyone could say anything, one of the men whispered in the commander's ear.
The commander nodded at the two men who were preparing to shove Gage and Trivette into another waiting truck. "Hold up. They're telling the truth. They're both Texas Rangers. Release them."
Gage rubbed his wrists as he turned to the commander to shake his hand. "Thanks. I'm Gage and that's Trivette."
"How did the Rangers come to be involved in this, Ranger Gage?" The Commander asked.
"It started as a missing persons report and eventually led us to this human slave ring called Diablo's Den."
"It's not just a slave ring, Ranger. They're transporting more drugs out of this one small operation than we've ran into in a long time."
"Drugs? They're convincing the worker's that they're mining for gold."
The commander nodded. "That's how they figure out which ones they can trust. You two were on your way across the boarder where you would have been placed in the lab and probably never heard from again." He turned to Trivette with a picture of Agent Tom Michaels. "This is our man on the inside. We haven't heard from him in almost two weeks. Did you happen to see him?" Trivette nodded. "C.J. Yeah, he's there. Juarez hounded him all day yesterday though. I don't know if he's on to him or not."
"Thanks." The commander pocketed the pictures. "We had better get you two back to your people."
"Thanks." Gage and Trivette both replied.
End Pt. 2