by Aimée Thurlo
Dana could tell that Hastiin Sani was doing his best to fight the aftereffects of the drug. Although his speech was thick because of the bruises and cuts around his mouth, his mind was becoming clearer.
“We need to find a way out of here and, to do that, we have to work together,” he whispered quickly.
“I’ve been trying to get loose since I woke up.” With one final, painful tug, she managed to slip one hand free. Dana cast aside the rope that had held her hands then went to untie him. As she worked she noticed he was holding a scrap of paper tightly in his fist.
“We need to pry some boards away from that window as quickly and quietly as possible,” he said, pointing. “And while we work you’ll need to listen to me carefully and remember everything I’m going to tell you.”
Together, they began the arduous task of trying to force the boards loose. He pried them with his belt buckle while she used a large nail she’d found on the floor. “These men have no intention of letting me live,” he said. “I know too much about their plans and they know I’ll do everything in my power to stop them. Your own future is in question as well, particularly now.”
“The list of names the man said you gave him…was a fake?”
“No, but I wish it had been. There was no way I could stop myself. All my training, wasted…What I have to do now is destroy the list and hope they won’t be able to remember very many names. The man who took the list also dragged me back into this room so I managed to pick his pocket. But the paper tore, and I only got half. I’ll have to get the other part that’s still in his pocket,” he added, shaking his head.
“First, we get out of here. Then we’ll find a phone and call the police. They can handle these men,” she said in a whisper.
He shook his head. “Listen and remember,” he whispered urgently. “A man named Ignacio Trujillo is behind what’s happened to us. His name was mentioned in front of me, something they wouldn’t have done unless they’d already planned on killing me. We were kidnapped because Trujillo wanted that list of names they forced out of me. He intends to murder those people.”
“But what can we do?”
“I belong to a circle of Navajo warriors,” he said in a very soft voice. “We exist in the shadows-available on call from our tribal leader to protect the Diné when our police and public servants aren’t able to do so. No outsider has ever been given the information I’m entrusting to you.”
“You belong to a group that works like undercover officers…or spies?”
He paused for a moment. “Not spies, no…more like a proactive defense force. But it’s more personal than that and more secretive. Our warriors are hand-selected and trained. Their loyalty to our tribe is without question-their anonymity, absolute. I’m their leader and the only one in the Brotherhood of Warriors who knows the identities of all our members. Those are the names these men wanted.”
“But you’ve got most of the list back, right?” she asked, working to pull out a nail she’d managed to wiggle until it was loose. Seeing him nod, she continued. “Once we get out of here-”
He shook his head. “We can’t count on both of us escaping. You’re young and unhurt, and less of a danger to them-they think. Your chances are better than mine. This is a time of crisis for the brotherhood and it’s crucial that the information on the list reach my second in command as soon as possible. Your photographic memory is the best shot we’ve got. But first I’ll need your word of honor that you’ll guard the names on the list from everyone else, including other members of the tribe or even law enforcement officers. The information won’t be completely safe with anyone except the one man who has already sworn to protect it with his life. The brotherhood has many enemies.”
“You have my word, but it isn’t going to be necessary. You’ll get out of here, too. We have to make it,” she said, desperation coloring her words. She pulled the board up and to the side, unblocking a six-inch-wide section of window. Light from the full moon above came in, making their work easier.
“Nothing is certain, but I won’t force this on you. I ask only as a favor. The second you memorize this list, you’ll be in even greater danger. If you say no, I’ll understand.”
Dana thought back to her childhood. She would have been a lot lonelier and gone to bed hungry more often than not if it hadn’t been for Hastiin Sani. “Show me the list.”
He handed it to her, and she turned so the light from the moon illuminated the paper. She studied it for fifteen seconds, learning eighteen first and last names. “Okay, I’ll remember them,” she whispered, handing back the paper.
“The first name on the list is the man you need to find. He’s a medicine man and my second in the Brotherhood of Warriors. His Anglo name is Daniel Runningbear, but he goes by the name of Hastiin Dííl.”
“Got it.”
“The list you’ve seen isn’t complete, but it’ll do. One last thing. Tell no one what I’ve asked of you. That’ll be your best protection.”
“I promise I won’t let you down. But we will get out of this,” she said, renewing her efforts to clear the boards from the window. They now had one board removed, and another was only held in place by one difficult nail at the bottom of the window trim. Two more after that, and they might be able to squeeze through.
He concentrated on his work. “If necessary, I’ll do my best to hold them off, but the information you now carry is more important than either of us. Although there’s another way for a new leader to learn the names of all the brotherhood members, it takes several days. In that time, our members will be in grave danger and our new leader won’t have all the information he needs to defend the brotherhood effectively.”
Assured he’d done what was needed, Hastiin Sani rummaged in his pocket for matches and set the list on fire, holding it until the last second, then letting it fall to the floor. It burned another few seconds, then he stirred up the ashes with his shoe, making certain nothing remained intact to read. “Now let’s hurry and finish up with those boards before the man reaches into his pocket and discovers what happened.”
They worked hard, managing to pull another board loose. It looked as if she’d be able to make it out now, and maybe him as well if he maneuvered through sideways. She looked at him, and he nodded, signaling her to go through first. Just then, they both heard footsteps right outside the door.
Hastiin Sani reached through the hole they’d made and pushed open the window that had been boarded up. “Go now!”
“Not without you.” Dana reached out to grab his hand but he’d already moved away and headed toward the door.
“Hurry!” he whispered harshly. “Those names cannot fall into their hands again. Once they start working you over and pain’s all you feel, you’ll talk. And no one can blame you. Then they’ll kill you. This is your one chance. If you want to live, run! I’ll buy you as much time as I can.” He jammed a board beneath the door in an attempt to wedge it shut.
The door shook and came open just a few inches. Dana climbed up onto the windowsill, but before she could swing her legs outside, two men burst into the room. Unable to leave her friend, Dana jumped back down to the floor, picked up the closest board and swung it around like a baseball bat, hitting one of the men in the shoulder. The two syringes in his hand flew across the room.
Hastiin Sani kicked the second man in the chest, knocking him back into the edge of the door. As the kidnapper struck the back of his head against the wood, he groaned and staggered back.
Dana knew that they were in a fight for their lives. Their attackers hadn’t been carrying dart pistols that time. They’d had those syringes. The men had come back to kill them now that they’d been judged to be of no further use.
She fought hard. Her attacker, anticipating another swing of the board, ducked as he rushed her. But she’d already changed tactics, and this time jabbed him in the gut. He doubled over in pain.
Out of the corner of her eye she saw Hastiin Sani kick his attacker’s legs out from u
nder him. Then, in a lightning fast move, he jumped on the man, locking his arms around the man’s neck.
When her own assailant looked up, pain clouding his eyes, Dana jabbed the end of the board directly into his kneecap.
The man cursed and howled as he fell forward, grabbing his knee. Hastiin Sani was on him immediately and delivered a swift blow to the back of the man’s head to take out her opponent. But it wasn’t over. She could hear other men shouting, moving into the cabin from outside.
Hastiin Sani slammed the connecting door shut and jammed one of the boards under the doorknob. Then he put his shoulder to the door, intending on holding them back with his own strength.
“Go!” he ordered.
“I’ll come back with help.” Dana jumped up onto the sill, and swung her legs outside. As gunfire erupted, she looked back and saw the holes that had appeared in the door. Then, to her horror, she saw blood seeping from wounds on Hastiin Sani’s back. Yet, somehow, he managed to stay on his feet.
“Trust no one,” he said, his voice thick with pain.
Dana jumped out, hit the ground, then took one last look back. Hastiin Sani was sliding slowly to the floor, blood covering his shirt. But he was still alive. Clinging to that, and knowing she had to bring back help quickly, she raced to the tree line, using the bright moonlight to guide her.
Dana crossed into the forest, knowing her footprints would be hard to track in the dark. She was barely twenty feet into the woods when she heard footsteps directly ahead of her. One of the men must have circled around to intercept her. If he’d come from the cabin, that meant he was extremely fast on his feet-much faster than she was.
Fear invaded every nerve in her body. Think! He didn’t know where she was, not exactly. It was too dark among the thick vegetation, and he wasn’t using a flashlight. She could duck down and hide, remain absolutely still, then wait until he went past.
Holding her breath, she crouched at the base of a thick piñon, and waited. The footsteps seemed to be coming from the direction of the road, not the cabin. Maybe someone had heard the sound of gunfire and was coming up the mountain to help. But the chances of that were slim-false optimism. The kidnappers hadn’t been worried about noise, so there probably wasn’t another human being around for miles.
The footsteps came closer, and she crouched even lower, searching the ground for something to use as a weapon. There were small, crooked pine branches, but nothing big enough to call a club. That left her with one choice-the large rock near her left shoe. She reached down and grabbed it.
Hitting while holding a rock was better than hitting him with her fist. She looked down at her hand. As far as fists went, hers were pathetic. The closest thing she had to a callus came from holding her grading pencil too tight.
She kept her eyes on the area around her. It was a still, clear night. She heard a soft sound-nothing more than the rustle of a gentle breeze through the leaves. The next instant a big hand clamped over her mouth.
She struggled wildly, trying to hit backward with the hand that held the rock, but her captor clamped his arm around her, pinning her arms to her chest in a viselike grip as he lifted her to her feet.
“Be still. I’m on your side,” a rich masculine voice breathed in her ear. “Ranger Blueeyes, remember?”
She instantly became aware of his hard, muscled chest and strong arms. A second later, he eased his hold. Her heart did a tiny somersault as she turned and gazed up at him. “I thought you were…”
“Dead? Not even close.” He had a rifle slung around his shoulder and a knife in the scabbard hooked to his belt. “Now where’s Hastiin Sani?”
Chapter Two
“He’s…” Dana’s voice broke, but she swallowed back her tears. “My friend needs help,” she managed to say.
There was a flicker of sympathy and other gentle emotions in his eyes, then his expression hardened. “I heard the shots. I’ll go get him, but I need to know what I’m up against. How many are there and do they know you’ve escaped?”
“I saw four men. Two of them were injured in the fight as I escaped. But there may be more.”
He nodded, then handed her a set of keys. “My truck’s parked about a quarter of a mile down the road. Stay there and lock the doors until the police arrive,” he whispered. “I’ve already called them.”
“I don’t think you heard me right. My friend is back there,” she said, anger rippling through her. “I’m not going anywhere. You’re armed. Let’s go help him.”
She noticed the butt of a pistol sticking out of his pocket. “You’ve got a rifle, a pistol and a knife. Give me the knife so I can defend myself and I’ll show you where he is. We need to get to him before it’s too late. He was bleeding badly.”
“Your choice,” he said, handing her the knife. He looked past her, then brought the rifle to his shoulder. “Get down.”
He fired a shot, then motioned for her to follow him. “Hurry, and stay low!” he whispered. “At least two of them are on the move.”
They moved quickly to their left. Behind them, there was the sound of bullets striking the tree where they’d been, and nearly simultaneous gunshots from somewhere to their right. They circled as quietly as possible, then stopped behind a rock. The cabin was about fifty yards to their right, and she could see the front fender of the van on the other side of the building. Two more shots rang out, ricocheting off a rock several feet behind them. At least one of the men had moved along with them.
“They’re trying to keep us from outflanking them,” he whispered. “That knife won’t do you much good now. You’re going to need my pistol.” He pushed something, then handed her the big.45 automatic. “The trigger safety is off. Just point, line up the sights-the post in the middle of the v-and squeeze the trigger. But hang on to it tightly with both hands. It’s going to kick like a mule. Once you fire, change positions or they’ll zero in on the muzzle flash.”
Cold sweat bathed her skin and her stomach was heaving. She sucked in a breath, determined not to give in to the terror she’d kept at bay so far. Hastiin Sani needed her, and she’d come through for him just like he’d come through for her so many times in the past.
Dana saw one of the men break from cover and move to their left, running toward the cabin wall. Ranger raised his rifle, but she fired first. As the gun kicked upward in her hand, the trigger of the weapon ripped painfully into the web between her thumb and forefinger. Despite the unexpected stab of pain, she managed to hold on to it. Remembering what Ranger had said, she immediately stepped behind another tree to her left, watching and trying to listen, though her ears were still ringing.
“You forced him back. Good. Just keep behind something solid, and move after you fire,” Ranger said, watching the cabin, not her. “Make every shot count, you’ve got seven more.”
“How did you find us?” she asked.
“Friends-and his cell phone,” he said, then waited for a moment, watching and listening. “They’re not moving. They realize we’re both armed now. But they also know we can’t get to the cabin without coming out into the open. We’ll have to draw them out.”
He led her to the right at a brisk pace, choosing a path that led them through some chest-high brush. “They’ve heard us moving for sure. Now let’s give them a target.” He reached into his hip pocket and brought out a small flashlight. Then he jammed it into the fork of a sturdy branch and aimed toward the cabin. “Move north to a new firing position as soon as I turn this on.”
She looked around her. “North? Are you kidding me? Point!”
He gestured with his chin to their right. “That way. Go!” By the time he clicked the button she was already on the move. Less than five seconds after the light came on, several shots rang out in rapid succession. From her new spot beside a large boulder she could hear branches being clipped and the whine of bullets across the ridge. Suddenly there was a clank, and the light went out. But now they knew the men’s positions.
Ranger, several feet to h
er left, motioned for her to stay low, then took the lead, slipping through the brush and heading northeast. She followed, trying to move as silently as he did, but managed to step on a big branch. It snapped loudly like a fresh carrot. Suddenly several more shots rang out, whining through the trees behind her like angry bees.
Her heart thudding against her ribs, Dana squeezed off two shots in the direction of the gun flashes, then ran forward. The end of the cabin was visible now to her left through the outer ring of trees, and she realized it was long and rectangular, much bigger than she’d thought. The light inside was off, making the structure almost invisible against the forest-covered hillside.
She saw Ranger, up ahead, signal her to stop and get down. On one knee, he brought his rifle up and fired three shots, working the lever quickly between rounds. There was a flurry of return fire, but the shots sounded more distant, and whistled high overhead, not coming even close.
Dana heard the sound of tires rolling across the ground, but then that noise was drowned out by sirens wailing from somewhere behind her, coming up the mountain road. Hopefully, an ambulance had also been dispatched along with the police.
Following Ranger’s lead, she moved to the edge of the forest, stopping beside a wide juniper. From there they had an unobstructed view of the cabin. There were four windows on the east side, two on either side of the central door. The window she’d climbed out of was at the far north end, about a hundred feet away. Seeing Ranger advancing, she matched his pace, watching the cabin and praying they’d be able to reach Hastiin Sani in time. He was strong and they’d be able to help him very soon.
“The van’s gone,” Ranger said. “They must have jumped in and let it roll downhill or we would have heard the engine. I’m going into the cabin. Stay back and behind cover just in case it’s a trick.”
He’d just finished speaking when they both noticed a thin ribbon of white smoke coming from the window at the far end. A heartbeat later, the entire window blew out, followed by a burst of orange flames.
