“I hope you’ve called 911 already,” Montoya said.
“I have. They should be here any minute.”
“Good. I’ve got to get back out there. I haven’t found Neal and Chris yet but I think they’re here. I guess I made too much noise out there. Ramirez must’ve heard me. I was searching when I saw him briefly. He was running away. I think they’re here though.” He looked toward Stevens who was sitting silently now—his crying jag spent.
“Now’s your chance Sam,” Lin resumed her query. “You know where they are. You brought them here. Now help us find them.”
Sam Stevens took a deep breath. “I had them here, in this cabin. Then just a little while ago some guys showed up, two of them. I didn’t recognize them—but I know Mendoza sent them. They took us all, me included, out back toward the wash. They took my gun,” he looked at Lin as if to say he had lost the gun—at least at one point, “ but one of the guys—Neal I think fell into a prickly pear and they tried to get him up. That’s when they pushed me down. I fought them and got my gun back. That’s when I ran away. I ran back here but I didn’t know you had come.” He tried to sit back but Sgt. Montoya jerked him up to his feet.
“So all this mess goes back to the drug dealers, right?” Before Stevens could say anything more, they heard the sirens of the approaching authorities.
“That’ll be the deputies,” Montoya said, turning to Lin. “You wait here for them—I’m going back out to look for Neal and Chris. They have to be close by. Turn this guy over to them and tell them where I am.” He started to leave.
Lin wanted to protest. She wanted to join his search, but she realized that someone had to stay with Stevens. He was handcuffed but he still might run. She took back the gun and nodded to Montoya, “Find them, I’ll bring help as soon as this guy is in custody.”
In less than a minute a sheriff’s patrol car pulled up in front of the cabin and another followed closely behind. Lin was relieved to see DJ exit the first car, along with another young deputy. Two more deputies got out of the second car. Lin handed DJ the gun, happy to get rid of it. She wasn’t familiar with firearms and didn’t like them even. She realized that she probably couldn’t have used it effectively had the situation called for that and was happy that Steven’s had more or less collapsed after he’s been subdued.
“Where’s my cousin?” DJ asked looking around.
“He’s looking for the hostages. We think they’re over toward the wash but be careful. There may be at least two of Mendoza’s men over there also.” Lin didn’t know exactly what to say about Deputy Ramirez. Montoya hadn’t mentioned anyone else leaving but….the whole situation was confusing at this point.
DJ and the young deputy with him headed out in that direction, leaving the other two men to handle Stevens. They asked him to tell them what was going on but, at this point, Stevens opted for silence. “I’m not talking anymore. Not until I get a lawyer,” then one of the deputies escorted him to the patrol car. He placed him in the back seat and lowered the windows to the half-way point. The heat could build up rapidly in the closed vehicle.
The other deputy approached Lin. “Can you tell me what you know about this situation?”
“I’d be happy too, officer,” Lin replied, “but right now I’m worried. My fiancé and his friend are out there and a tribal officer, DJ’s cousin, went to look for them. I think there are two armed men out there also. They’re all in danger. Can’t we go help them and talk later.”?
The deputy obviously understood what she was saying but he had orders to remain there and keep her safe.
“I can tell you that another of your officers, Chief Deputy Ramirez was here earlier.” Since the deputy wasn’t going to let her join the search at that point, she decided to relate the story of Steven’s taking Neal and Chris hostage the night before. Stevens hadn’t mentioned Ramirez having a role in moving the hostages along with the other two men. In fact, he hadn’t mentioned him at all. There had been no indication that he’d seen the man here at the camp. That fact had Lin puzzled. Had Ramirez arrived, observed the situation and decided to save himself by fleeing the scene? Something wasn’t right here. She’d just gotten to the part of the story about her interview with Ramirez and their subsequently following him out to this camp, when the unmistakable sound of gunfire broke out from across the road behind the other cabins. The deputy Lin was talking to grabbed his gun and headed in that direction.
“You stay here with my partner,” He yelled back toward Lin, but this time she was having none of that. She took off after him despite the other officer’s yelling at her to come back.
She scrambled after the deputy, trying to be careful and stick to more open areas. Lin was well aware of the damage the prickly desert foliage could cause if one stumbled and fell into it. Nevertheless she maintained a good pace keeping the deputy ahead of her within view. There were no more gunshots. Lin wasn’t sure what to make of that. Had Sgt. Montoya succeeded in stopping those men or not? She refused to think that those shots had been directed at Neal and Chris.
They passed the cabins. Ahead Lin saw what had to be the blind constructed near the wash for viewing wildlife. The deputy ran past that point heading down in the wash but Lin headed for the blind; she hoped that she could see what was happening from there and know the best direction to take.
Lin came to the blind and stopped to catch her breath. She could observe the dust trail left by the deputy as he descended into the wash, but at that moment she could see nothing else. Finally, she heard Sgt. Montoya’s voice, “Over here. Get some help. We need medics and two ambulances.” Seeing that the deputy was still making his way down the slope toward whatever awaited at the base, Lin pulled Neal’s phone from her pocket, dialed 911, and relayed the request herself making sure that she said the victims, whoever they might be, were down in the wash area behind the cabins. Then she left the blind determined to negotiate the path down to whatever she might find. She was encouraged that Montoya seemed to be OK, at least but what about Neal? What about Chris? She tried to push her fears aside and focus on getting down the slope without falling into anything prickly.
Finally arriving at the scene, Lin was initially confused. The deputy she’d followed and Sgt. Montoya, were kneeling beside what appeared to be two bodies lying beneath a Palo Verde tree. All Lin could see were bloodstains—all over the clothing of the two individuals. She slowed her pace as she approached afraid of what she might see. Then she remembered. Both Neal and Chris had been wearing shorts when they were taken from the casita and these men, whomever they were, were clad in jeans. See breathed a sigh of relief, but where were the others? Where were Neal and Chris?
She approached Sgt. Montoya. He and the other deputy were busy applying pressure to the wounds of these men, seeking to staunch the flow of blood. Evidently both were still alive.
“Where are Neal and Chris? I called 911 help should be here shortly.” Lin blurted, almost forgetting to say she’d made the call in her eagerness to find her fiancé and his friend.
Montoya looked up at her. “They’re over there. He pointed with his head toward a thicket of Palo Verde. I didn’t have time to check them. These guys started shooting at me.” His eyes pled for understanding, “I need to keep these guys alive—alive so they can talk and tell us what’s really going on here.”
Lin understood but she had to see to the others. She headed for the Palo Verde thicket. It was slow going through the thick, prickly brush but she managed to avoid the cholla and prickly pear—at least for the most part. What she saw when she arrived wasn’t reassuring. Neal and Chris lay on the ground, at least partially in the shade but inert. She hurried and knelt beside Neal, calling his name. At first there was no response. She placed her ear to his chest and felt that he was breathing but it seemed shallow. His face was warm to her touch. She unbuttoned his shirt and then moved to check Chris who was in about the same condition. Returning to Neal’s side she once again, called to him. “Neal, Neal it’s me,
Lin. You’re safe now, help is coming. Wake up, talk to me—please.” They must be dehydrated she thought, mentally wishing she’d taken the time to retrieve that bottle of water she’d dropped back in the cabin. Seeing no signs of serious injury, she shifted Neal’s position—lifting his head and placing it on her legs. Maybe being a bit elevated would help him to breathe more easily. He stirred and finally opened his eyes. “Lin. It’s you,” he tried to smile. “I’m so thirsty.”
“I know,” she replied, “If you can sit up, I’ll see if I can find some water. Help is coming.” She helped Neal to prop himself up against the tree, noting that he winced in pain as he sought to lean back against the trunk, and then tried to do the same for Chris, but he didn’t respond. She could see that he was still breathing, but she couldn’t get him propped up without help. She carefully made her way back to where Montoya and the deputy were still working on the two wounded men.
“Any water?” she asked, “Neal and Chris are both dehydrated pretty badly. Chris is unconscious still.”
The deputy pointed to a water bottle attached to his belt. “I’ve got to keep pressure on this wound but if you can get this…” Lin moved to detach the bottle then hurried back to where she’d left Neal and Chris. She handed Neal the bottle but he shook his head. “Chris first, he hasn’t moved at all.”
Lin knelt beside Chris, lifting his head as she had Neal’s earlier. She gently poured a bit of the water over his parched lips. He began to stir and finally she saw him lick his lips to get some of the precious liquid. When she saw that, Lin lifted his head a bit more and tried to get him to drink. At first the liquid just dribbled over his chin, but finally he began to swallow. After he taken a few sips, Lin turned back to Neal and gave him a drink also. She continued sharing what remained of the water between them until Chris finally opened his eyes. He stared at her blankly and said nothing, but at least he was awake. By the time the water bottle was empty Lin heard the sound of help approaching. The EMT’s had arrived and were heading down into the wash with portable stretchers and medical kits.
Chapter 17
It was mid-afternoon. A sweltering August day with no sign of a monsoon shower for relief blazed outside the window of the emergency waiting room at Northwest Medical Center. Lin was grateful for the air conditioning. At least she was cool, although she still felt gritty and grubby after her scramble through the desert wash earlier. She was growing restless, waiting for a nurse to come tell her she could go back where Neal was being treated. The men who’d been shot had been taken in immediately, and Sgt. Montoya had reported that they were currently in surgery. He was waiting there with Lin even though she’d told him he could leave any time. He’d already given many hours to this cause that wasn’t even part of his jurisdiction. DJ had left to return to the law enforcement center but not before telling them that he planned to report Deputy Ramirez’s behavior directly to the Sheriff when he returned. Lin was grateful for that. Someone definitely needed to get on that case. It was clear to all involved today that he was deeply involved in this whole mess.
The men who’d been shot hadn’t regained consciousness before going into surgery; no one had been able to talk to them yet. Montoya and DJ were both certain that they were representatives of the drug lord Jose Mendoza, regardless. Hopefully, they would recover and would be able to provide information that would bring down that operation on the reservation and in nearby communities. DJ had indicated that the authorities would be willing to negotiate lighter sentences for them in exchange for such information. This could prove to be a valuable break.
The only other person waiting was Marla Dawkins. Lin had tried to engage her in conversation but Marla was withdrawn. Her demeanor wavered between concern and anger. Lin felt certain that Marla blamed her for what had happened to Chris and Neal. She’d appeared on the verge of saying something but instead had drawn away when Lin tried to tell her what had happened. Now she sat in the opposite corner of the room and had only talked to the nurse who’d come to update her on what was going on with Chris. Lin wanted to ask about him, but Marla’s expression made it clear she didn’t much want to talk to anyone and certainly not Lin.
Although Chris had still been slipping in and out of consciousness on the ride into the hospital Neal had been awake, and while in some discomfort, he’d been able to tell Lin a bit about their ordeal. Evidently Stevens had put them in the camp cabin but had given them no water all morning. Then the two unknown men had arrived fully armed. They’d argued with Stevens, evidently upset that he’d taken hostages, then they’d made him a hostage also, herding the three of them out of the cabin down to the wildlife blind. Neal described his own painful fall into a large prickly pear and the ensuing struggle between the men and Stevens. Stevens had managed to recover his gun that the men had taken from him earlier. He’d threatened the men with it and managed to run away, but the men had forced Neal and Chris down into the wash. That was really all he knew; he’d never seen Ramirez.
Lin was growing restless. Why couldn’t she go back? She knew Neal was awake and he wasn’t in surgery. She didn’t think his condition was too serious. She noticed that the aide at the reception desk was busy talking to someone who’d just come in so she decided to chance it. She got up quickly and headed directly for the double doors she knew led to the ER. She managed to slip inside before the aide looked up. Now all she had to do was locate Neal.
Lin didn’t want to disturb any of the other patients, so she avoided looking behind the curtains that were drawn around some of the cubicles lining the wide ER corridor. Instead she listened carefully as she passed each one while trying to appear as if she knew where she was going. No luck. She heard various conversations but nothing that sounded like Neal’s voice. Several quiet conversations were going on, and from time to time, she heard a groan here and there. At the end of the corridor some patient was obviously being worked on and was quite uncomfortable. Cries of “Ouch”, “That hurts”, “What are you doing to me?” were audible. As Lin approached that particular cubicle the patient’s complaints became louder and more distinct. She now recognized the voice. Something bad was happening to Neal.
Lin stepped forward and pushed the curtain aside. There was Neal lying face down on a flat gurney his back, buttocks, and legs fully exposed. A young male nurse was working feverishly at removing cactus spines that emerged from his red, mottled skin. Every time Neal complained, the young nurse grimaced, obviously sorry to be causing such discomfort. “Shall I give you a shot that will knock you out sir?” he asked. “You won’t feel a thing if I do that.”
“No, no shot,” Neal growled. “ Do what you have to do but be quick about it.”
“You were lying on your back sir, that caused some spines to break off and others to be driven deeper. I need to get as many as I can but still…you’ll have them working their way out for some time—not to mention the glochids…”
Lin felt sorry for Neal. She knew this was quite an ordeal; however, she couldn’t help but smile at the sight of him lying there naked, complaining so loudly.
“Everybody in the ER can hear you, Neal, and you’re quite a sight lying there.” She moved to his side. The young nurse started at her voice. “Ma’am I don’t think anyone is supposed to be back here just yet, perhaps…”
“I’m family—at least I will be in about a month,” Lin insisted, “besides, maybe I can help keep his mind off what you’re doing. At least I can try.”
Neal was surprised and somewhat embarrassed for her to see him in such circumstances but she quickly put his mind at ease. “Don’t worry. Nothing I haven’t seen before, although not under such uncomfortable circumstances. Just try to relax and he’ll be done soon.”
With Lin looking on, Neal’s complaints toned down considerably and the young nurse was able to proceed with his work more rapidly. Finally, he declared that he’d finished all that he could do. “I’ve gotten all of the big ones that I can see, but I wasn’t kidding that you’ll have small ones wo
rking their way out, along with the glochids for some time to come. Try to scrub yourself all over with a rough mesh or cloth when you shower, that’ll help.” He smoothed some salve over Neal’s wounds and then helped him to ease onto his back—very gently.
Neal had to grudgingly admit that he did feel better. At least he could lie on his back although he was still quite sore. “Guess I’ll avoid falling into a cactus in the future,” he quipped.
“At least you had a good excuse,” Lin smiled. “Has a doctor told you when you can leave here yet?”
The nurse had just begun setting up an IV pole. “He’s in pretty fair shape actually—just the cactus spines and he’s dehydrated. The doc wants him to have this IV for fluid but then he’ll probably let him go if he promises to drink as much as he can for the next several hours. He’ll be in to talk to you though, pretty soon.” He left the room. Since no one had come to kick her out, Lin pulled up a chair beside the gurney to wait for the doctor.
“What about Chris?” Neal asked. “He seemed in worse shape that I was, even considering my encounter with the prickly pear.”
Lin nodded in agreement. “I think he must’ve faired worse with the heat and lack of water. He was in and out of consciousness during the trip over. I know Marla was back here for a while, but now she’s sitting in the waiting room. At least she was when I came back…” she hesitated. “She won’t talk to me, so I really don’t know what’s going on with Chris.”
“What do you mean she won’t talk to you?” Neal seemed perturbed.
“Just that,” Lin said, “I think she blames me for you guys getting into this fix in the first place, and frankly, she’s right. It’s all my fault for keeping after these cases when I should have let things go.” There, she’d said it out loud—at least to Neal.
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