Her Hero

by Aimée Thurlo

  They were already climbing up the ridge behind the cabin when Joshua stopped and held up his hand. “It’s my brothers. I’m sure of it. Did you hear that squeal when the driver shifted gears? That’s the trademark of Shadow’s truck.” He crouched behind a tree and looked down. “I was right, it’s them. Shadow’s had that truck fixed a bazillion times, but it always reverts. I think it’s his driving, but whenever I point it out, he just offers to go get a baseball bat and pound me into the ground.”

  Nydia knew the same threat coming from Gabriel or Lucas would have given any other man pause. Of course, the brothers were close, and although she had no doubt that Gabriel and Lucas had tangled more than once in their lives, she couldn’t imagine Joshua ever getting involved in one of their scuffles. “I have a feeling you broke up more fights than you ever participated in.”

  “That’s true. Fuzz and Shadow have always enjoyed hassling each other. I never understood it, but I have to admit there were times when I wanted to crack their skulls together. I figured one big brain would work better than two separate ones with them.”

  When they reached the cabin, Gabriel and Lucas were waiting by the door.

  “Good going, Tree,” Gabriel said. “You heard trucks and headed for cover. You can’t be too careful now.”

  “What’s going on in town?” Joshua asked.

  Gabriel filled them in as they went inside.

  Nydia watched the brothers, aware of how different the three were. Yet together they constituted a formidable force. Being in the same room with them was like standing next to a generator at the regional power plant.

  Lucas paced while Gabriel stayed by the window. “I’m all for patience when I’m working a case,” Gabriel said, “but this one has pushed me to the edge. Someone wants our family down for the count, boys, and I’m not getting answers fast enough. Every time I turn around, the killer is throwing another curveball at me.”

  Lucas stopped and leaned back against the wall, regarding them with an expression that did little to disguise the violence in his thoughts. “Let’s just find out who it is. I’ll end his game—permanently. I’m not planning on sitting through any murder trial.”

  “Then it’s a good thing that neither of you have solved the case,” Joshua said, his voice harsher than Nydia had ever heard it before. “Our father’s killer is destroying more than he ever dreamed. And we’re helping him. Do you see what’s going on here? We’re defeating ourselves.”

  “Forget it, Tree. Sermons or not, someone’s declared war on us. It’s eye-for-an-eye time, brother,” Lucas answered.

  “Shadow’s got a point, Tree,” Gabriel said. “This isn’t some morality play we’re debating. This dirtbag killed our father.”

  Joshua looked at his two brothers, then spun around and slammed his fist hard into the log wall. The cabin shook, and two pots fell from the mantel.

  Joshua’s action took Gabriel and Lucas by surprise. Gabriel jumped to his feet, and Lucas stepped back, his eyes wide.

  Joshua turned and looked at Shadow first. His brother held out his hands and took a step back. “I’m not arguing with you.”

  Joshua met Gabriel’s gaze, then gave him a quick half smile.

  Gabriel expelled his breath in a rush, and then sat back down, shaking his head slowly. “Okay. You’ve now got our attention. Say what you have to.”

  “Wait a minute! You did that for effect? Tree, for future reference, there are other ways to get my attention. It’s not necessary to give me a heart attack.”

  Joshua’s gaze was filled with understanding as he regarded his brothers. “I’m capable of anger and pain, too, but if we let those twist us up inside, then we’ll never find that balance that we need to live our lives. We’re Navajo. We have to walk in beauty, because it’s part of who and what we are. It’s when our people leave that path that chaos follows them. We can’t allow this killer to take our father, and then destroy us all from the inside out. If we do, his victory will be complete.”

  Gabriel nodded. “You’re right, but it’s hard to keep a clear perspective when they’ve attacked my wife and me in our own home.”

  “Which is probably just why our enemy did that,” Joshua said.

  “He knows us, guys. We probably see him every day,” Lucas added.

  Nydia remained quiet. In her opinion, Joshua had the most to contend with. Hataaliis had been warriors at one time, and great fighters, but without the inner peace they had to maintain, without that certainty that they were acting in the right, they lost the part of themselves that they valued most. Even when they had to serve as warriors, they had to retain the sensitivity that would also destroy them if they couldn’t master the need for violence within themselves.

  “Do you have any possible suspects in the bombing?” Nydia asked Gabriel.

  “None that I like,” Gabriel answered. “These are people all of us know. It’s difficult to imagine anyone in Four Winds hating us this much.”

  “But the answer has to be there,” she insisted.

  “The only person besides Shadow who I know is familiar enough with bombs to build one is Jake Fields, but I can’t imagine what motive he could have for the crimes. He didn’t even know our father that well.”

  “Then it’s got to be someone else,” Nydia said.

  “I’m doing background checks now, and hopefully we’ll know more soon. Shadow and I just came by to make sure everything was okay here. I also wanted to tell you that I think you both should be armed. I have a shotgun and rifle in my truck. You’re already deputized,” he said, looking at Nydia. “Which would you prefer?”

  “Neither, but I’ll take the rifle.”

  “I’ll leave you with enough ammo.”

  “But even with a rifle, without the ability to call for help, we’re sitting ducks if we’re caught in here,” Nydia said. “The cell phone won’t work unless we climb the ridge.”

  “This place is far from perfect in a tactical sense, but Tree knows this country. He can find hiding places you’d never dream of. And nobody knows about this cabin. Together, that gives you a considerable advantage.”

  Gabriel went outside, then returned with a box of cartridges and the rifle. “This is all I can spare.”

  “It’s more than enough,” Nydia said. “If I have to fire more than a few shots, then we’re in too deep for gunfire to get us out.”

  Gabriel looked at his youngest brother. “I can’t give you a weapon, not one that belongs to the town, but I can lend you my shotgun.”

  Joshua shook his head. “Personally, I don’t think that even your deputy,” he said, looking at Nydia, “should have one. If we respond with gunfire to any challenge we get here, the situation will escalate. We can’t hope to win in a situation where firepower is the deciding factor. Using a gun is an absolutely last-ditch option as far as I’m concerned.”

  Gabriel thought about it, then finally nodded. “Okay.

  That’s your call, I suppose. Can I count on you to stay here?”

  “No,” Joshua answered. “Tomorrow, I intend to pay Jake Fields a visit.”

  Gabriel’s eyes narrowed. “You think he might actually be involved? If you do, tell me, because I’m counting on him to help me out. He’s going to try and track down the places where the bomber could have purchased bomb components.”

  “I don’t know if he’s involved or not—that’s why I need to talk to him. I have the books I borrowed from him, so I’ve got a perfect reason to go see him. What I intend to do is sound him out on all this. If he’s innocent, I’ll know it soon enough.”

  “Are you sure you want to go back into town?” Lucas pressed. “You might get jumped—or worse.”

  “Nobody will attack me face-to-face, and nobody will ambush us in broad daylight. You can count on that.”

  “I hope you’re right I don’t suppose you’ll let me talk you out of this,” Gabriel asked.

  “No.”

  After both of Joshua’s brothers left, Nydia sat down on
the sofa. Joshua joined her. “I can tell there’s something on your mind. What’s wrong?”

  She exhaled softly. “I’ve been at odds with the traditionalists for quite some time. To turn away from medical science and hold to ways that, to me, were as outmoded as the horse and buggy seemed incredibly foolish. I wasn’t at all sure it was good for my son to continue learning about traditionalists’ ways. But now…”

  “Something’s changed your mind?” He leaned forward, regarding her closely.

  “After what I saw today, let’s say I’m thinking it over. The way you held it together, despite the way the situation was tearing at you, and in the face of your brothers’ outrage—the old ways have given you strength, not weakened you.”

  “Yes,” he answered, leaning back, almost as if disappointed with her answer, “but they demand much, too.”

  “I don’t doubt that for a moment. I’m sure there are times when you’re tempted to chuck it all, and act with your heart instead of your head, like your brothers.”

  “I’ve had second thoughts, but I’ve chosen the right way for me. The old and the new can coexist, you know. Medical science, for example, takes care of the body, but a hataalii treats the person. We take into account the effect that harmony gives the body. Our people need both the old and the new. Do you know that many of the dineh are using both doctors and hataaliis now as a matter of form? A few months back I was called in to do a sing for a man who’d been in the hospital for appendicitis. The doctors removed his appendix, but the patient wanted me to do a lifeway to heal the wound the knife had left behind. Both methods support each other.”

  Nydia brought out her tape recorder, ready to work. “Will you tell me more about a hataalii and what the work demands?”

  He stood up and shook his head. “Not now. We both need rest. Later today, at sunset, we’ll go down into town, but I need to be alert then.”

  “Take the bed, then—I had it last night.”

  He shook his head. “I’ll sleep outside. I can’t stay in this cabin with you anymore. I have to keep an eye on the area, and I’ve trained myself to sleep, but not so soundly that I miss danger. Only I need to be outside since the cabin mutes the sounds and dulls my senses.”

  “The bedroll?” Nydia asked, pointing.

  “No, I won’t need that until after nightfall. It’s too warm right now. Get some rest yourself,” he said as he left.

  Though they’d had precious little sleep the night before, Nydia lay awake in the bedroom. Restlessness held her captive as her heart listened for his in the silence.

  JOSHUA LAY BACK, using the trunk of a tree to rest against. Attuning himself to the sounds of the land, he closed his eyes. If anything changed, he would know, and he would awaken.

  As his body relaxed, his mind drifted back to the woman now alone in the cabin. Hunger flared between them like lightning in the summer skies. He needed her, and she needed him, but some needs were better left unfulfilled. A one-night-stand would only increase his desire to possess her body and soul.

  He took a deep breath, trying to banish her from his mind. He had to restore his harmony, not confuse it with other, more-primitive urges. He wouldn’t be able to help anyone if he wasn’t in control of himself.

  As the breeze touched his skin, its warmth reminded him of the soft caress of her hands. The thought burned through him, and his body stiffened. With a groan, he shifted restlessly. It was useless. Underneath and around every thought he had, was the woman herself.

  He exhaled softly, knowing the wisdom of accepting what was happening between them. He couldn’t change what was; he could only control his actions.

  As the cicadas filled the silence with their continuous, pulsing song, he kept his eyes closed, but did not sleep.

  Chapter Eight

  They arrived in town at around three that afternoon. Joshua’s gaze darted everywhere as Nydia drove through the back streets in her truck, avoiding Main. A few townspeople saw them, but they didn’t give them more than a passing glance. It was almost as if people were trying hard to pretend they hadn’t seen them at all.

  As Nydia parked in the alley beside the library, near the cover of some brambling pyracantha bushes, Joshua remained alert to anything that might signal danger. He watched Nydia out of the corner of his eye, aware that she’d stored the rug in the rear bench. Its presence made him uneasy. He forced himself to focus on their surroundings. He was aware of the laughter coming from the diner patrons, and closer still, kids near Charley’s waiting to gas up their cars at one of the two pumps. Everything seemed painfully ordinary, though it was not. The reason he was here was enough to rob him of any comfort familiar patterns might have given him.

  “All right. Let’s get going. If we run into anyone, face them squarely. Don’t show any hesitation, or that in itself will bring on trouble,” Joshua warned.

  “All right.” She took the books they’d borrowed and, giving him half, climbed down out of the pickup.

  As they reached the back door, they saw Jake busy nailing down a loose board on the back porch. “The library’s closed for the day,” he said without looking up.

  “We know,” Joshua answered softly.

  Jake glanced up at them quickly, then put down the hammer, opened the door and hurried inside with them. “What in the name of all that’s holy are you doing in town, boy? Haven’t you caught on that it’s not safe for you here?”

  “Your books,” Joshua said without answering his question.

  “You took that kind of risk for those?” Jake shook his head. “It would have waited.”

  “I came to talk to you, also,” Joshua said, pulling out a chair for Nydia and one for himself.

  Jake swung a chair around, and straddled it. “All right. I’m listening.”

  “Someone is working real hard to make me look like a criminal. Planting that bomb in my brother’s house means he’ll stop at nothing, including more deaths, to destroy my family. But whoever it is has some specialized knowledge about skinwalkers and bombs. What’s your take on this?”

  “You know that I served in the Rangers. I could have built that bomb, if that’s what you’re thinking, and had I done it, I might have used a double timer to take out anyone trying to disarm it. That was well thought out. But I didn’t do it.”

  “Who else around here might know how to build a bomb?”

  “I honestly don’t know. But I can tell you this-I’m keeping my eyes and ears open. The way I see it, you’ve got few friends and lots of enemies in town right now. Ralph Montoya and I are doing our level best to fight the rumors with facts, and make people see that going off halfcocked isn’t going to solve anything. But the danger to you is real and always present. One thing you can count on is that I’ll fight by your side if things get out of hand. I don’t much care for vigilantes.”

  Jake stopped, then met Joshua’s gaze. “But even having said that, I’ll understand if you still have doubts about me. I do have the skills needed, several times over, to have committed the crimes. Only keep in mind that your brother Lucas does, too, and you know he didn’t do it.”

  “You have no reason to strike out at any of us,” Joshua conceded, “and you’ve proven yourself to be a friend, despite the risks. I don’t suspect you.”

  Joshua was aware of Nydia’s gaze on him. Whatever thoughts she had, she was keeping to herself.

  Almost as if sensing what Joshua was thinking, Jake turned to look at Nydia. “You’re not so sure about me, are you?”

  “I don’t know you, and there’s no past friendship between us to confuse me,” she said bluntly. “I’m not saying that you’re guilty, but I think I’ll wait before I judge you a friend. My definition may be a lot narrower than yours.”

  Jake glowered at her, then suddenly and unexpectedly laughed. “I don’t trust people easily, either, so I can’t hold this against you. But for what it’s worth, I will look out for both of you. In time, you’ll see that my definition of friendship isn’t much different fro
m yours.”

  They stayed and talked for a while longer. When at last Joshua and Nydia started heading for the door, Jake suddenly stopped them, and gestured toward his private quarters. “I almost forgot! There’s an issue of the Last Word you should see.”

  Once inside the Spartan living area, he picked up a copy of the town’s daily paper. “Ralph is openly acknowledging the peddler’s visit. I’ve kept a close ear on what people are saying, but the only thing everyone agrees on is that the peddler came for a purpose and accomplished it, or he wouldn’t have left.”

  “So now they’re waiting for the other shoe to drop,” Joshua said.

  “And watching you, thinking that somehow you’re involved and that you’ll profit from all of this.” He glanced at Nydia and explained. “The tragedy that always follows the peddler has struck, you see, but now what remains to be seen is who will benefit from the good fortune that the peddler also brings.”

  “But they can’t have it both ways,” Nydia argued. “My understanding of the legend surrounding the peddler is that no one with bad intentions ever profits from whatever gift he brings.”

  “That’s also tied in to the legend of Flinthawk, my ancestor,” Joshua said.

  “So if they think you’re the murderer, then they also can’t expect that you’ll profit from the crime, right? It doesn’t fit the legend,” Nydia said.

  “You’re using reason,” Jake said, “but in an emotionally charged situation, people bend logic. Fear twists them up inside. The only thing that’s going to settle them down and bring this town peace is finding the killer.”

  Joshua set the newspaper down. “Thanks for showing us the article.”

  As they reached the back door, Joshua abruptly stopped in midstride and held a finger to his lips. “Did you hear that?” he mouthed, looking at Jake, then Nydia.

  Jake nodded once, then hurried to the side window and pulled the curtain back slightly. Looking back at Joshua, he shook his head.

  Joshua opened the back door and peered out cautiously. The alley was empty.