by Aimée Thurlo
At long last Daniel spotted movement, then pointed out the figure of a man in camouflage green and browns behind cover at the foot of the ridge. He had a rifle in his hands and was turning his head back and forth, watching the trail and the meadow to the south.
Daniel gestured for Holly to follow him. Although the range was ridiculously long for a handgun, he’d be able to force their enemy to stay low, and give him something to worry about.
Daniel made his way down carefully. More than once he felt a boulder rock under his weight, throwing him slightly off balance. A fall could easily be fatal here, if not from the rocks, then from the oncoming bullets.
As he glanced back at Holly, she looked up at him instead of at the path, and slipped. She recovered instantly, but not before a trickle of rocks went bounding downhill.
A barrage of gunfire followed and Holly dove behind a boulder, Daniel seconds behind her. One bullet ricocheted off the rock with a high-pitched whine.
“Help me push this,” Daniel said, putting his shoulder to the large rock.
“That’s our cover! Are you crazy?”
“Do it. Once it starts to tumble, hug the ground,” he said.
The boulder finally gave under the combined pressure, rolled a few feet, then crashed into other rocks with a loud clack. Those rocks then tumbled down, striking others, and the momentum continued. Within a few seconds, hundreds of rocks were sliding, tumbling or falling down the talus slope.
The shooter snapped off a few quick shots before having to make a run for it.
“Move now before he starts shooting again,” Daniel said.
They raced into the underbrush, their noise covered by the ominous rumble of the rockslide. Soon they reached a hiding spot about fifty yards west of the SUV.
Looking out from the thick cover, they saw that two of the tires were flat. From their hiding spot in an arroyo they could also see the gunman standing beside a black four-wheel drive SUV.
“We’ll have to forget about my SUV. Even if the tires weren’t flat, there’s no way we’d reach it in one piece,” Daniel whispered. “Keep going down the arroyo. Once we make it to the road, we should be within cell phone range.”
“It won’t take him long to realize where we’re going when we don’t show up here. My guess is that he’ll start cruising up and down the road, waiting for us to poke our heads out.”
He nodded. “I know. That’s why we’re going north again, over to Copper Canyon and the house we built with Hosteen Silver—what we all called home.”
“Do you think this guy knows where it is?” she asked.
“Maybe. I don’t have any way of gauging how much he’s learned about me and my history, but he’s proven to be very good at gathering intelligence.”
“How did he find us? I can’t figure it out. Nobody except Martin and Gene knew where we were going,” she said.
“We’ll have to deal with those questions when we get back. Right now, we need to focus on getting away. Stay sharp,” he said.
An hour later, they descended the trail above Copper Canyon. As they hurried toward a stucco frame house several hundred yards farther down and across a meadow, Daniel spoke to Gene on the cell phone and explained their situation.
Daniel shoved the cell phone back into his pocket just as they heard a vehicle coming up the trail to their right. “Cut through those trees and head for the front door,” he said, spotting the black SUV.
As they raced directly toward the house, the SUV was forced to circle around a deep wash. Daniel groped in his pocket as he ran, reaching for the house key. “There’s no bridge over the arroyo, so he’ll have to circle around. We’ll reach the house ahead of him,” he told Holly.
Daniel sprinted toward the porch, unlocked the dead bolt and flung open the door. Holly ran inside and he closed the door behind him, locking up again.
“You plan to make a stand here until help can arrive?” Holly asked, swallowing hard as she looked around the room, which was sparsely furnished with wood-framed furniture.
“We’re not staying, but I’m going to need you to start a fire in the fireplace. There are matches on the hearth, a stack of old newspapers and kindling right beside it,” Daniel said, looking outside between the gap of one of the shuttered windows. “We’ve got three minutes, give or take.”
“We’re not staying, but you want me to build a fire? Are you that cold?” she said, working quickly.
He took one of the chairs from around the kitchen table and wedged it against the doorknob. “It’s for show.”
“I don’t get it,” she said, lighting the fire.
“You will.” Daniel grabbed her hand. “Let’s go.”
They ran out of the back door moments later, locking it behind them, then headed down a narrow trail leading into the woods.
“Now I get it,” Holly said after a moment. “The lights are on but nobody’s home.”
Smoothing away the few tracks they’d left, Daniel then led her farther into the trees. As they reached the heavy brush, they heard a vehicle pulling up in front of the house.
“Keep going,” Daniel urged.
They ran for another hundred yards, then dropped down into an arroyo. The ground was damp, but sandy, not sticky. Staying below ground level, they remained hidden by the scant scrub brush that bordered the ditch. Moving quickly they made their way toward the highway.
“Once we reach the road, we’ll need to get a ride fast—like from the first car that comes along,” Daniel said. “I’m going to flag them down.”
She looked at Daniel, her gaze taking him in quickly, and shook her head. “Any smart driver will steer around you and keep on going. You’re armed, but you don’t have a badge to show. You’re just plain scary looking right now with that gun at your waist.”
He gave her a confused look.
“Trust me. I’ll handle this part.”
Five minutes later, they reached the highway via the arroyo, then climbed up to road level. Seeing a pickup coming in their direction, she looked over at Daniel. “Hide your pistol, stay back and let me handle this.”
She slipped off her heavy jacket, letting it fall to the ground as she stepped out onto the pavement. In a move that took her less than ten seconds, she unfastened her bra and pulled it out through her sleeve.
Holly stepped out into the lane, then waved the hot-pink, lacy, designer garment in the air. A few seconds later, the pickup, with at least two passengers, came to a screeching stop.
“Hi, boys!” Holly called out. “Got room for me and a friend?”
Chapter Twenty
As the passenger side door was thrown open, Holly smiled at the men. “Thanks, guys.”
Daniel approached, holding Holly’s jacket, and studied the men at a glance. Their dusty coveralls, and sweat stained caps with a local drilling company’s logo, identified them as roughnecks riding home after pulling an all-nighter.
“You can ride in the cab with us, sweetheart,” the younger one said, then gave Daniel a guarded look. “Dude, it’s pretty crowded. You’re going to have to ride in the back.”
Daniel met his gaze and held it with a steely-eyed look that made the guy look away. “She can sit by the window,” the man added quickly.
“Just behave, boys,” Daniel said, his voice a low growl.
Moments later they were on their way to Hartley. It was colder than ice riding in the bed of the truck, but gritting his teeth, Daniel crouched low near the cab, out of the air stream, and used the time to call and update Gene. “She did what?” Gene said, then burst out laughing.
“Yeah, you heard me,” he grumbled into the phone. “I need you to pick us up. How about we meet at the Terminal Café on East Main next to the truck stop? I’ll ask our ride to drop us off.”
“You’ve got it. In the meantime, I’ll see if I can find out how you were tracked.”
“Go to Roanhorse first. The trail starts there,” Daniel said.
It took another hour of freezing cold befor
e they reached town. As they were dropped off by the popular coffee shop, Daniel saw Gene exiting his own extended cab pickup.
Daniel turned to Holly, who was looking toward the café. “Help has arrived,” he said, pointing ahead.
Seeing Gene, Holly waved. “Good. Now we can all go inside and you can warm up. You were probably freezing, riding in that open bed.”
“I managed.”
They were sitting in a booth moments later. With a steaming cup of coffee before him, Daniel turned to his left and glared at Holly, seated beside him. “Don’t ever pull something like that bra stunt again.”
“We didn’t exactly have a lot of options. As you very clearly pointed out, we had to get a ride fast, and that meant the first set of wheels we saw. Mission accomplished.” She paused. “But I am sorry you had to freeze all the way into town.”
He grunted, then took a long swallow of coffee. “What did you get from Martin?” Daniel asked, looking across the table at Gene.
“He was surprised as hell, and told me that the only way someone could have accessed that information was if they’d hacked into the tribal system, then into his own files.”
“Who else has his password?” Daniel asked.
“According to Martin, just his assistant, Joe Yazzie. But Yazzie wasn’t in the office when Martin and I spoke.”
“Take us to the plant,” Holly said. “I want to talk to Martin face-to-face. If he’s lying or covering up something, I’ll know.”
Both men exchanged worried glances.
“Guys, I’ve worked with Martin for the past two years on various projects. I know how to read him. When he’s uneasy, he has a way of tugging at his earlobe or playing with his pen. If I ask him straight-out if he shared our whereabouts with anyone, and he starts doing, either, we’ll know he’s involved.”
Daniel nodded. “Okay, then. We go there next.”
“What about your SUV? You want me to take care of that for you?” Gene asked. “You said two of the tires were flat.”
“Yeah, hopefully that’s all he did to it, but you should call the tribal police and fill them in first. The tires and the vehicle itself are evidence, and they may want to check them out before they release it back to you.”
Gene nodded. “Why don’t you take my truck for now? Hosteen Silver’s pickup is back at your office, and I can use it for transportation while I’m here.”
“You sure about this? That truck’s your baby. I can rent something,” Daniel said.
“Yeah, you could, but not with an engine like mine. This truck’s built for off-road work. It’ll go anywhere a Jeep can, and has a lot better highway performance.”
“All right, then. I can use the extra power.”
“Just remember one thing, bro,” Gene said. “If you get it all shot up, you bought it. I depend on those wheels to haul hay out to my cattle and horses when I’m hip-deep in snow.”
“You’ve got yourself a deal—and thanks,” Daniel said. “Since we’re going to take your truck, let’s head to my office instead. We can exchange rides there and not leave you without transportation.”
“I could use some time to wash up, too,” Holly said, glancing down at herself. “I smell like campfire smoke, and…dirt.”
“I always liked that outdoorsy scent myself,” Gene said, nudging her playfully with his elbow as they walked back to his pickup.
Daniel yanked Gene aside, taking his place beside Holly. “Hands off. Don’t make me have to get rough with you.”
Gene laughed. “You’ve been out in the cold too long, city boy? You’re way too soft to take me on.”
“Keep dreaming.”
As they climbed into Gene’s truck and pulled out, Holly began looking behind them. “How long do you think it’ll be before he finds us again?”
“Doesn’t matter. There are three of us in the fight right now, and I don’t think he’s going to risk those odds,” Gene said, then glanced at Daniel.
“I agree with that,” Daniel said. “I’ve noticed that he’s changed his tactics. He’s become more patient—a planner. He won’t strike again until he thinks he’s got a clear advantage.”
“Do you think you may be dealing with a dirty cop? That would explain the lack of evidence at the scenes, his fighting skills and maybe even the way he gathers intel on you,” Gene said.
“That really does fit,” Holly said slowly. “A law enforcement officer would have access to many databases and be able to get cooperation from most people and agencies. The only problem with that is I don’t know any police officers except for Preston.”
“It’s still an interesting theory. Let’s not discard it altogether, at least not until we get more to go on,” Daniel said.
They arrived at Daniel’s office a short time later. As they got out of the truck, Gene tossed his brother the key.
“Do you want me to stick around? If not, I’m going over to Hosteen Silver’s place. I’m interviewing some more people for the handyman job this afternoon.”
“Go. You may have to repair the front or back door, too, if he broke in,” Daniel said, explaining. “There might also be some bullet holes.”
“I’ll head over there right now, take a look around and see what’s what.”
As Gene left in Hosteen Silver’s old truck, Daniel led Holly inside. Though she’d shown herself to be a very resourceful partner, the toll these past few days had taken was etched on her face. There was a haunted look in her eyes, and as she moved he could see how tired she was.
He wished that he could have offered her that perfect, predictable life she seemed to want. Yet even the thought of living in a rigidly structured world gave him the willies.
They’d faced danger together, and had come out standing. As far as he was concerned, that was as perfect as things got.
“Holly, he won’t win,” he said, taking his hand in hers.
She squeezed it gently. “It’s good to know you’re on my side.”
“Always.”
Something tightened inside him. She could make him feel like one helluva man with that soft voice and those doe eyes. His brain crashed to a stop. He wanted her again.
“Let me wash up and then we’ll head to the plant,” she said, nodding toward the back rooms.
Forcing himself to stay where he was, he watched her walk away. The sway of her hips played on his memory and made his body ache. As she stepped out of view, he suddenly realized one thing. His world would never be the same without her.
HOLLY WASHED UP then took a bandanna from the top of a chair and fastened her auburn hair into a ponytail tied at the base of her neck.
It was time to go hunting for answers again. If Martin was the man behind the attacks on her, she needed to know why. It made no sense that a man she had a good working relationship with would suddenly want her dead. He’d even been the one to insist Daniel protect her. They had to be missing something.
Seeing a pair of boots by the closet, her thoughts drifted to Daniel. Even if heartbreak lay ahead for her, she would never regret the time she’d spent with him. He’d stood by her every step of the way. She’d never thought herself capable of trusting blindly, yet when she looked at Daniel, she knew with certainty that he would never betray her.
Love had made a place for itself inside her, and that feeling had redefined her and what she wanted in life. As far back as she could remember, she’d known what her ideal mate would be like, but that image was the opposite of everything Daniel was. So maybe perfection was overrated. Maybe the world created by Norman Rockwell was best left on canvas or on the cover of a magazine. After all, it lacked…reality.
“Are you about ready?” Daniel called out. “I tried calling Martin, but I can’t get an answer, not even voice mail. Something’s going on and I’d like to go take a look for myself.”
She hurried down the hall and met him at the door leading into the front room.
He smiled as she joined him. “My bandanna looks good on you.”
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p; “You don’t mind that I borrowed it?”
“You can wear anything of mine that fits you,” he answered.
“I’ll keep that in mind,” she said and smiled.
They were in the truck and heading to the reservation’s natural gas plant seconds later. All traces of playfulness were gone from Daniel’s face. All she could see there now was tension and grim purpose.
“I’ve missed something. What’s happened?” she asked.
“While you were in the shower, I spoke to Jerry Powell, the chief of security. He says that the police are there questioning Martin.”
“Tribal police?” she asked.
He nodded. “Something about misappropriation of funds.”
She expelled her breath in a soft hiss.
“You don’t look surprised,” he observed.
“I’ve often wondered about all his spending,” she said. “Martin always seemed to have too much—a brand-new truck, a watch that cost a small fortune, the latest electronic gadgets.”
“I thought his wife came from a wealthy family—the Markhams?”
“She does, and that’s why I didn’t dwell too much on it. One time he caught me looking at his watch and told me that it had been a gift from his wife. Though he was toying with his pen like crazy, and I wasn’t convinced, I gave him the benefit of the doubt.” She paused. “Yet even if he’s guilty of embezzlement, that doesn’t mean he’s responsible for what’s been happening to me.”
“True, but I still want to talk to him,” Daniel said.
“Do you think the tribal police will allow it?” she asked.
“Maybe, depending on who the lead investigator is.”
They arrived a short while later and went directly to Martin’s office. Martin was sitting at his desk, a uniformed officer at his side. A tribal police detective was speaking to Martin’s attorney in the middle of the room.
“You’ve got nothing but a few accounting errors. Face it, Detective, that’s just sloppy bookkeeping, not a crime,” the attorney said.
“It’s enough for a warrant, Mr. Eltsosie,” the detective shot back, and nodded to another officer who’d just entered the room.
