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Agent Foster briefed the people in the other cars over the secure frequency as they drove from Alpine up into the mountains.
"OK, listen up, people. She's in a house behind a dude ranch halfway up a canyon. The only approach is from the front. So first thing, I want Team A and Team B to deploy around the back of the house, to keep anyone from getting away. Check in when you're in position, but I don't want it to take more than two minutes, got that?
“Team C, as soon as everyone else is in position, take two cars and set up roadblocks above and below the dude ranch. Don't let anyone through until I give the word. Team D, we'll take the front of the house. I don't expect any resistance, but keep alert. Get those vests on. One way or the other we'll get everyone out of the house.
"Now, as to the people. With apologies to Agent Palacio, you know how these Mexican families are. There'll be the husband and wife, a passel of children, and maybe aunts, uncles, grandparents, and who knows who else. We'll hold them all out front until the situation clears. I remind you, the little blonde girl we're looking for may have black hair now, so keep especially alert with respect to any medium size children. Any questions?"
The four cars turned off the highway onto the dude ranch driveway and raised clouds of dust speeding past the "big house," past the barns and corrals, and swung around to the smaller house and outbuildings behind. Sixteen doors opened more or less simultaneously and then agents began running all over the place, getting into position. Two of the cars, with two agents in each, backed up and returned to the highway.
After all teams had checked in via his earpiece, Agent Foster judged the moment was right. In the stillness, he mounted the porch and rapped on the door.
"Federal agents! Open up!"
The four agents of Team D, standing in front of the house with weapons drawn, waited. Nothing happened. Agent Foster knocked again.
"Federal Agents! Open up, or we'll break down the door!"
They saw him begin talking, evidently to someone inside the closed door, but they couldn't hear the words.
It didn't take long. After a couple minutes, the door opened slowly and a paunchy Hispanic man walked out, his hands in the air. Behind him followed a stout Hispanic woman, and a small crowd of scared-looking children and young people, the smallest being held protectively close by an old woman.
Agent Hamilton took a look at them and shook his head at Agent Foster, who stepped to the door and shouted commandingly, "We know you're in there, miss. Come out with your hands up. No one wants to hurt you."
Nothing happened. Using hand signals, Foster summoned one member of Teams D, A, and B, and went into the house. The three remaining members of Team D stood around the shivering family members and waited.
A few minutes of silence were abruptly interrupted by an inhuman, high-pitched screech followed by a man's bellow of pain. Every member of Team D jumped and pointed their weapons at the house. Out the door, like a streak, came a cat, running so fast they could hear its claws scrabbling on the hard dirt in the driveway. It skidded into a panic turn and disappeared in the undergrowth to their left, scattering pebbles behind it. All three took deep breaths and lowered their weapons.
Foster and the others emerged, one agent pressing a blood-spotted handkerchief to his hand. They consulted in low voices, and then he sent the three agents back inside for a more thorough search. He walked to the group out front.
"Do we have any little blondes here?" he asked, rhetorically. "Let's take a good look." One by one, each was examined and eliminated. He had a female agent look closely at Luisa, Clara, and Maria. The two little ones whimpered piteously. When he turned to the boy, Foster suddenly stood up straight.
"Where's the grandmother?" he asked. "Goddammit, wasn't there an old woman here? Where the hell is she? Guys?"
There was no grandmother. The agents looked at each other and then at Agent Foster. Finally, Agent Palacio stated the obvious.
"She was here, all right. I swear we never took our eyes off this bunch, sir. But she's not here now. What the hell happened to her?"
