by Lakes, Lynde
He bumped her leg. She didn’t expect him to apologize. His full concentration centered on getting to the sheep in time.
The four-wheel-drive bounced down hills, through streams and back onto a dusty road. Rad’s men followed in the other trucks. The glow ahead grew brighter. Then she saw it. Men herded sheep into two unmarked double semi trucks with license numbers blocked out by mud. By the time they got close, the rustlers had taken cover.
Bullets ricocheted off their hood and fender. Rad skidded the truck to a dusty stop. Everyone clambered out.
Two of Rad’s men lay on the ground, probably downed earlier while trying to stop the rustlers.
“Stay low and behind cover!” Rad shouted.
Sheep scattered, kicking up dust and bleating loudly in confusion.
Were the downed men alive? Toni crawled first to the slight-built one. Her breath caught. It was Kama, the young man who’d told her about Rutene being murdered. His skin was clammy. He had no pulse. She pressed her lips together to keep from crying out. Moisture filled her eyes; she blinked it away. Now wasn’t the time to get weepy. She moved on to the older, huskier man. She grasped his wrist and noted the spider web tattoo between his thumb and forefinger. He was a Maori, but that wasn’t a Maori tattoo. His pulse throbbed in a strong steady beat. She saw no sign of injury. His eyelashes fluttered.
“Rad. This one’s alive!” She clutched the man by his wrists and tried to pull him out of the line of fire. Rad crawled to her side. “It’s Tinihanga,” he said. “Take cover. I’ll get him.”
So this was Tinihanga. Did she imagine he’d snatched a quick look at her through slitted lids? If so, he closed them again quickly, making her uncertain.
Toni watched Rad grab Tinihanga under the arms and quickly drag him behind the truck.
Bullets zinged over her head. She returned fire along with Rad and his men until her ammunition ran out.
Through the confusion, some of the rustlers scrambled into the van of one of the trucks. The driver cut his lights and geared the semi into motion. It belched black smoke from its exhaust. Dust filled the air as its wheels gouged the dirt. It moved forward. They were getting away. With trailer swaying, the rear of the truck faded into the darkness.
While Rad and the other men returned fire with the remaining rustlers, Toni saw a man heading for the driver’s side of the other semi. She had to cut him off. Half of the gang had gotten away; she couldn’t let this one escape, too.
Zig-zagging, she ran as fast as she could. The approaching man paused and aimed his gun. The bullet whizzed past her head. She reached the cab a few steps ahead of him and yanked on the door. She had to get inside. Had to lock him out.
Before she could climb into the cab, the burly man grabbed her ankles and hung on like a bull terrier. Her feet went out from under her. She struggled with him, but he far outweighed her. For an instant, his face leered down at her. There was a blueberry birthmark on his right cheek. His fist connected with her jaw. She felt blinding pain, then sank into darkness.
****
It happened so fast Rad couldn’t react. He watched Toni go limp like a wilted rose. The driver had a hairy arm wrapped around her rib cage. He used her body as his shield.
“Hold your fire,” Rad shouted to his men. The remaining rustlers took advantage of the situation and clambered into the van. The driver hoisted himself backward into the cab, pulling Toni in with him. Rad charged forward.
“Stay back, or she dies!” The driver wrapped his arm around her neck, and he held his gun to her head.
Rad stopped. He didn’t breathe. The driver geared the truck into motion. .
Rad stood frozen for an instant. Then with no further need to proceed with caution, he chased the dark departing semi a few strides then paused, aimed his rifle and fired, hoping to hit the tires. The men inside the trailer returned the fire. Bullets whistled past his head. He fired again. His shots fell short of their destination. They were already out of range. Rad clenched his fist and slammed it into his other palm. They were getting away. Atua, the things they could do to a woman. “Damn! Damn! Damn!”
He hadn’t felt so helpless since the day his grandmother was murdered.
But this time he wasn’t a helpless five-year-old.
“Take care of the injured, the dead, and the sheep!” he said to his men as he ran to his truck. The semi was almost out of sight, but he could cut it off. It had to stay on the dirt road. He didn’t. His four-wheel drive gave him an edge. He didn’t switch on his lights as he veered off the road into the bush. Moonlight marked the familiar terrain. His shortcut cut off a mile. He returned to the road. Now he could catch the truck. Then what? Play it by instinct.
Why hadn’t he stuck by his original decision? Hiring Toni was a mistake, one that might cost her life. He floored the gas pedal. Every bump in the road mocked him. He swerved to miss the kiwi bird running across his path. Stupid bird!
The road narrowed, slicing a passage between solid rock on one side, a steep ravine on the other. A swerve now would send him to eternity. About three hundred meters ahead, tail lights loomed before him. The truck slowed. One of the rear double doors opened and a body tumbled out, rolling into his path.
Rad hit his brakes hard. His truck skidded and careened. He fought to stay on the road. Sweat broke out on his brow. Please Atua! he prayed. His truck screeched to a halt, inches from Toni’s body. He rushed to her. She lay still as death. He fell to his knees and gently gathered her into his arms.
Chapter Five
Old Doc James put the last of his instruments back into the bag and walked to the door. He pushed his spectacles above the humped bridge of his nose.
Rad stepped toward the doctor anxiously. “I can fly her to Auckland for X-rays or whatever she needs in my Cessna.” His voice went hoarse with tension.
“Not necessary. Don’t look so worried, Rad. Nothing is broken. Her face will be swollen for a day or two, and she’ll be sore and black and blue all over for at least a week, but she’ll be fine.”
“You’re sure?” He took a deep breath to ease the taut knots in his stomach.
“Positive. She’s made of tough stuff. I knew that when I first met her.”
“You met her? When?”
“Yesterday. She came to my office investigating Rutene’s death. She suspects murder, and, after tonight, I’m inclined to agree with her. I think the constable will, too.”
“She went to Reilly’s office?”
The doctor nodded.
Amazing woman. It hadn’t taken her long to jump into the investigation with both feet. He’d give her that. But tonight, her quick, impulsive action had resulted in injuries he couldn’t allow to happen again.
“She looks so…” Rad couldn’t finish. Welling emotion froze his vocal cords.
The doctor paused in the doorway. “You’ve nothing to worry about.”
Rad exhaled, letting out the aching, consticting tension. “Can you let youself out?”
The doc nodded.
Rad pulled his chair close and sat there rigidly, listening for her breathing. She didn’t move. He brushed a wisp of hair from her brow. Her delicate face was already swollen. He gently adjusted the ice bag to the curve of her jaw line. Dare-devil woman!
Rad’s chest expanded. While he didn’t like how she’d put herself in danger, he was proud of her. Her attempt to get to the truck ahead of the driver was gutsy. He shook his head. The guy stood three times her size. Then the slithering nakahi had grabbed her, taken her away and – Rad’s jaw tightened – dumped her out.
The image of the nakahi throwing Toni’s body from the truck merged with the image of his grandmother crumpling at his feet.
Tears filled his eyes. He wiped them away with his thumb and forefinger. Leaning his elbows on the bed, he rested his forehead against his hands. What good are spunk and bravery if you end up dead?
“What happened?” Toni asked weakly.
He looked up. She was conscious! He exhaled in
relief. He longed to touch her face, to hug her. With an effort, he held himself in check. “One of the rustlers dumped you out of the truck. You were lucky; Doc James said nothing is broken.”
“Did we get them?”
She tried to sit up and grimaced. He gently pushed her back to the pillow and forced a harsh tone. “Lie still. You have to rest!”
“Did they get away?”
There was no easy way to do what he had to do. It was for her own good. “Thanks to you, they did! You got directly in the line of fire. We would’ve had them if you’d stayed out of it.” His gut knotted at his unfair assessment. She’d almost stopped the escape, but telling her that would only encourage her.
“What?” She bristled and sat up. Her pupils dilated in pain, but she didn’t cry out. “And who let the first truck-load of men get away? At least I did something to try to stop the second bunch. But don’t worry. I’ll catch them next time.”
“There won’t be a next time, Miss Conners!”
“I don’t know who I’m angrier at, you or the man who shoved me out of the truck.” Her voice sounded hoarse, strained. “At least when he dumped me it was to save himself. You’re dumping me just because I’m a woman.”
“Think what you like, Miss Conners. But when you feel well enough, I want you out of here.” Rad spun around and strode to the door.
“If I were a man, you wouldn’t act so hastily,” she shouted after him. “You need me more than before and are too stubborn to see it. I saw the semi driver, up close. I can identify him.”
Rad headed down the hallway away from her, so she screamed her last words at the top of her voice. “And I refuse to be fired!”
****
Toni eased her head down to the pillow. Her argument with Rad had intensified her pain. Maybe he was right. She was banged up pretty badly. Perhaps Chuck or Damon could take over the field work. Before she even finished her thought, she knew she didn’t want that. This case was her baby. She couldn’t give it up. If Murdoch insisted upon firing her, she’d pursue the case on her own. But it would be a whole lot easier to continue staging out of his ranchhouse than from a hotel in Rotorua.
Toni looked up at the sound of the soft tap on the open door. Tukaha, the man Rad had assigned to see to her needs, stuck his head in. His eyes sparkled, and the corners of his lids crinkled when he smiled. “Time for your pain pill, Miss.”
“Pill?”
“Dr. James prescribed it before he left.”
The bulging shopping bag over Tukaha’s arm almost tipped over when he placed it next to the chair. He put a tray down on the night stand.
Toni vaguely remembered seeing the doctor, but she’d thought she had dreamed it. Tukaha handed her a glass of water to wash down the tiny white tablet. She wondered what was in the bulging bag.
“You’re feeling awful, ae, Miss?” She nodded and relaxed back into the pillow.
He sat down in the chair and stared at her. She closed her eyes. Maybe if she pretended to doze off he’d leave. She kept her eyes closed a long time, lying very still. The room became quiet, but she felt him watching her.
She opened her eyes. “You can leave. I’m fine. I just want to rest. Alone.”
Tukaha smiled. He showed no sign of leaving. “Would you indulge me, and let me do a healing chant I learned from my ancestors?”
Toni looked at him skeptically. “Do I have to move?” She didn’t want this.
“No, just relax, Miss. I promise the healing chant will take away most of the pain.”
Tukaha appeared to be a person who liked to make things better for people. She could relate to that. That was one of her own quirks. She had to solve this case for the same reason, to make it better for her mom. Besides, the old guy’s grin looked so hopeful it was impossible to say no to him.
“Will it take long? I’m getting sleepy.”
His eyes glinted with humor. “Only as long as it takes.”
He removed four stones from his bag and placed them at the corners of the room.
“Modern medicine is good,” he said,” but it never hurts to back it up with the old ways.”
When he sprinkled brown powder on the stones and lit it, the concoction gave off a scent similar to a mixture of chocolate and iodine. He closed the blinds and lit three candles, placing one on each of the night stands and one on the dresser that faced the foot of the bed. The placement formed a triangle.
Tukaha’s ceremony fascinated her, and she struggled to keep her eyes open. The layers of bone and herb necklaces around his neck rattled together as he moved. He swung a stone ball, decorated with feathers, from a leafy rope. Her eyelids grew heavier and heavier as he danced around the bed chanting in Maori. His resonant, soothing voice echoed around her as if she were in a deep canyon. Her pain floated away. She fought to stay conscious. It was probably rude to fall asleep while someone danced around your bed chanting.
She didn’t know how long she’d slept. Earlier she’d felt someone giving her sips of water through a straw and wiping her face with a cool cloth. She assumed it was Tukaha. But it had been too much effort to open her eyes to verify it. She became conscious of her surroundings by degrees. A lamp diffused muted light around the room. Someone sat close to the bed.
She turned her head. Unbelievable. It was Rad. His eyes were closed. Him here with her didn’t make sense. He’d criticized her, told her to leave, yet he sat with her as if he cared. His face was unshaven—how long had he been there? Still groggy, and with eyelids heavy, she marveled at how safe she felt with him close by. With a start, she realized he held her hand.
Chapter Six
The next morning Rad had disappeared, and Tukaha came through the bedroom doorway smiling. “Hope you’re hungry for a ranch-style breakfast, Miss.” His brown, leathery face revealed a gentleness as soft as his heart. She had learned quite a bit about him when they had talked before. The old, pure-blooded Maori had been with Rad so long he considered himself family.
Tukaha placed the tray in front of her and smiled. “Feel’n better, Toa Mumu?” His look was one of admiration.
“Toa Mumu?” Toni took a sip of bitter tea and waited for him to explain the Maori words.
“Valiant Warrior, Miss.” He beamed, exposing a gap where his two front teeth had once been. “Feeling better, ae?”
Toni nodded. “Thanks to you and the doctor.”
“And the boss, Miss. He stayed with you until four this morning.”
“He did?” So it wasn’t a dream.
“Yes, Miss, he was very worried.”
“I don’t understand him. One minute he’s brusque and unreasonable and the next he does something so caring.”
“He doesn’t understand himself. The boss is afraid of losing his heart. He’s waited so long for the right woman, I’m not sure he’ll recognize her when he sees her.”
She shifted. No way did she want to discuss Rad’s love life. “I appreciate everything you’ve done for me.”
“I used my most powerful potions and healing chants.”
“I’m afraid I fell asleep in the middle of it.”
“You were supposed to, Miss. And after you eat a bit, you can rest some more.”
“I haven’t stayed in bed this long since I was in my teens.”
“You’re not eating, Miss. You need food to build up your strength.”
Out of politeness, Toni forced herself to try a bite of burnt toast. She wrinkled her nose. It was soggy with butter.
“Did a package come for me?”
“No, Miss. But I’ll keep an eye out for it.”
Toni didn’t understand why the specially designed beeper and monitoring devices hadn’t arrived. She’d check on them later.
“Did Mr. Murdoch call the constable?” she asked. “Are the authorities looking for Kama’s killer?”
“Constable Reilly came out and brought the coroner with him. But Reilly can’t do much. He’s a good man, but he’s shorthanded; and it seems he only has time for the mo
re sensational cases.”
“I can’t let this happen. Kama was a wonderful young man, and his killer mustn’t get away with it. If it’s sensational that the constable wants, that’s just what we’ll give him.”
“You’re a fighter, Miss. It’s too bad you won’t be around long enough to stir up things.”
“What do you mean? I’m not going anywhere.”
“The boss told me to drive you to town when you’re ready.”
“Oh, he did, did he? Well, you can forget that.” She refused to allow Rad to break their contract without a fight.
“You’ll give my boss-man a bad time?” Tukaha’s dark, bloodshot eyes twinkled as if he relished the idea.
“Yes, indeed, a very bad time. Where is he?” She pushed the tray aside and reached for her robe.
“He rode out to the grazing land to look for clues. He wants Kama’s
killer as much as you do. He was close as a brother to the boy.”
“I don’t feel up to dealing with a horse. May I use the truck?” She dug through the dresser drawer and pulled out jeans and a sweater.
“You should stay in bed a few days, Miss.”
“I’ll be fine. Your healing ceremony did wonders. Besides, I’m afraid I’m going a little stir crazy.”
“I shouldn’t say ae. The boss’ll be angry. But I sometimes forget and leave the keys in the ignition. I’m getting old, koe mohio?” he said, winking.
Toni smiled and gave him a hug. She made a mental note to have her office express her a Maori dictionary. She understood the sprinkling of Maori words Tukaha used only because of the context. She needed to call Chuck anyway to find out what he’d discovered from the Bureau of Religious Entities about Orthodox Bell Towers Corporation. She suspected that it had nothing to do with a church.
“You should eat a bit more, Miss. For strength.” He glanced at the hardly touched food.
“I’ll eat a good supper. I promise.”
He shrugged and cleared the tray away, then left the room. Toni heard his mischievous chuckle echoing down the hallway.
