Hotah slumped to the ground. The flames had burned bright and hot, but not for long. I doubted the burns were deep, but they’d be painful. He trembled and moaned, his eyes clenched shut.
“Should we call an ambulance?” a girl said in a panicked voice.
“No,” I said, hauling him up. He cried out, and I can’t say I even felt a twinge of compassion.
“We’re taking him to the hospital now,” Mika said.
“Or thereabouts,” I whispered.
HE WAS A CRYING, drooling mess on the exam bed. The lighting was low. His pants were charred and red, and swollen skin was exposed. He trembled violently and then screamed, “Get me a doctor!”
I grabbed his wrists and tied both his hands to the bed’s rail. “What are you doing?” he yelled.
A female doctor and nurse walked in, crossing their arms across their chests. Their faces were like stone. Mika glared at him from the corner.
I pointed my finger in his face. “How does it feel?”
He writhed in agony and screamed at us again like a wild animal.
“Now you know what it’s like to be alone, in pain, with no hope of anyone standing up for you. This is what the girls you attacked went through.”
“Argh! Get me to the hospital!” He pulled his hands, but the restraints held fast.
I leaned in and he bit at me, so I jerked my head back. “Whoa there. You know your boss just ratted you out? The police will be here to arrest you any minute.” I silently pressed record on my phone again.
He ground his teeth and tried to wrench his hand out of the zip tie. “Chaska owes me! He’s mine! There’s nothing but cowards’ blood in him. He’s soft and afraid. I’m the true leader of the tribe.” He growled. “I don't do anything for him that I don’t want to do.” Aha, there it was. He was singing like a canary. His eyes rolled back in his head and he gasped from the pain. “And those girls,” he whispered. “I was doing them a favor. They were traitors to the tribe. I set them free.”
I leaned forward and whispered in his ear. “Do you want to be set free, Hotah?”
He hauled back and tried to headbutt me. I easily dodged. “Get away from me! Get away! I will get you back for this!” He motioned to Mika. “I will see you all dead.”
“A fool digs his own grave, Hotah.”
We left him to his screaming. It was a pathetic end for a pathetic man. I had what I needed for Watters—this confession would solidify his place as the new chief, and than he could elect Yona as leader and turn Chaska in to the authorities.
Mika was crying, tears pouring down her cheeks.
“What is it?” I put a hand on her shoulder.
“I just can’t believe our chief is the one who ordered the murder. He must have known Lina was talking with Timothy.” Her bottom lip trembled. “I hate the thought of him working against his own people that way. It’s all so horrible. If it weren’t for you coming here—I can’t believe it worked.”
I gave her a hug. “It’s time for you to get a good leader. Now wipe up your tears. We’ve got a lot of work to do.”
I texted Yona that an emergency elders’ meeting needed to be called—and everyone had to be there.
Mika wiped the tears from her eyes.
I looked up at her, and something suddenly dawned on me. “It was you.”
From her expression, I judged she knew exactly what I was talking about. “And Skah,” she said.
The pieces finally fell in the puzzle. “You found Lina and knew Hotah had been hired, and knew he’d never be prosecuted. So you dragged her body into Timothy’s car.”
Guilt and sadness flashed over her face. “It was awful, finding her. And the last straw. That’s when I knew we had to get someone from the outside involved. I’m so glad it was you.”
I smiled. “Well, it’s not over yet.”
“I’m ready to stop working for that stupid show.” She smiled. “And start working on my next novel.”
“Let’s settle this once and for all so you can get on with your life.” I squared my shoulders and strode outside, feeling like things might work out after all.
“THE COUNCIL IS CALLED to order,” Chaska said after the drums stilled. He held up a wounded hand and I put two and two together. Hotah took his finger and would have taken the tribe as well if it wasn’t for Watters.
“Yona has called this emergency meeting in order to deal with—”
Watters stood and interrupted. “I would like to take the floor, if you don’t mind, Tate.” Chaska flushed red in the cheeks, but nodded.
“Thank you.” I knew what was going to happen. Watters would accuse Chaska of murder, of hiring Hotah to kill for him. He would call for Chaska’s immediate removal as chief and to vote Yona in as acting chief. We went over the details in person before the show and I had his word. I felt like this was the last play before things were set right.
We sat in a circle in the old room. Dust filtered through the light beams that shone on the floor. The tension was thick. Everyone was eyeing each other as if they were about to be stabbed in the back. Yona looked stronger than I’d ever seen her—she held her chin high, she’d worn a long skirt, and there was a fierce light in her eyes. She looked like a queen. Chaska looked scared and in pain, though he tried to hide it. He eyed me distastefully, as if I were garbage he couldn’t wait to throw out. Watters was as calm and businesslike as usual.
“I have been doing a lot of thinking, and with the feud, bloodshed, and lawlessness going on around here unchecked, it has forced me to take action.” Watters shot me a look and continued. “I was informed by Miss Steele that she has some evidence to share with the council, and I believe you all should hear her out.” He paused. “Miss Steele?”
Tahatan stood in the doorway with a young man also in uniform.
I was only allowed in the council meeting because Watters got me past Tahatan. In this case, money talked, and Tahatan knew who signed his checks. I set my phone on the little table and pushed play. They heard Hotah hollering his confession. Mutters and whispers filtered through the council. Chaska cringed when he heard his name and then his face wrinkled in anger. “Stop this!” he said, fear flashing in his eyes.
Yona’s face darkened. “Exactly. We need to stop this.” She stood, and Watters lifted his hand to gain the floor.
“Based on this confession and the detailed report Miss Steele and her associates have provided me, I am placing you under arrest.” Motioning to Tehatan, Watters still did not move to introduce Yona, but he was gearing up for something.
The council bubbled over, people talking over each other, Chaska yelling and waving his arms wildly. My alarm bells went off and I watched Yona, vowing to protect her if it got any more out of hand.
“Quiet!” Watters boomed. He held up a talking stick and the people calmed. Some even sat down again. “I hold the talking stick and I have the floor.” Chaska put his hands on his hips and glared at Tehatan and Watters. No one moved, and Tehatan seemed confused as to what to do.
Yona pointed at Chaska. “I’ve defended you my whole life, hoping that one day you’d remember who you were and see what you’ve become. I used to love you!” Yona’s voice cracked, but she recovered. “What you’ve done, been a part of… it makes me sick. I hope you rot in an American prison.”
Chaska lunged at her. I rushed forward. Taking a defensive stance, I kicked his knee. With a cry, he went down. I punched him in the temple, and he didn’t move. Two-hit knockout. My kick-boxing training had served me well.
“He’s done here,” I said.
Tahatan came forward, a heavy crease to his brow. “You sure you want to start this, lady? That’s our chief!”
“Not anymore,” Watters said, holding up a hand. “I am stepping in as acting chief, as head of the family and rightful bloodline of the tribe.” No one moved and my face was throbbing. He was going to betray us—his own tribe and his sister. “I had the votes anyway, and now that Chaska’s crimes have come to light, this is th
e way it must be.”
Yona went pale. She moved her mouth, but no words came out. Watters turned to Tahatan. “I told you to arrest him. Now do your job or I’ll have you removed from your position and have someone put in who can follow orders.”
Tahatan slid his hand to his sidearm, then pointed a finger at me. “You ruined everything! I’m not going to let you get away with this.” Glaring at Watters, he cursed and spun around, storming out muttering.
I relaxed when I heard his truck rumble away. I could see that Watters and our evidence had won the council--they looked to Chaska with hatred. I cursed myself for trusting Watters, and now he had the council and the casinos, just like he always wanted. Yona was shifting her weight and I knew that her anger would eventually turn to submission if something didn’t happen, and soon.
Watters spoke up. “Because of this betrayal of our people, we risk our laws being overruled by the laws of the U.S. government. We risk losing our right to be a tribe, our way of life.”
Watters turned to the remaining tribal police and commanded them to arrest Chaska. “Put Chaska in the holding cell and then I’ll file proper charges against him.”
Two men in uniform stepped forward and took Chaska. They cuffed his hands behind his back and held his arms, and Yona faced Watters. “You made a deal. You promised. How could you?”
He hesitated. For a moment, he looked so old and sad. “You never did understand how the real world works.” Lifting his hand, he said loud enough for all the council to hear, “Yona will be the new head of the tribal police and oversee that justice is done, that the abuse against women comes to an end!” With this, the council cheered, and I wanted to tear his head off. He lied, and now he was making himself look like a hero.
Yona took his hand, and with more self-control than I’ve ever seen, she said, “Greed. Power. They turn people into something unrecognizable. Old ideals are smothered by a lust for more.”
She was going to make a great leader—she could stop the crime at the casinos and keep everyone safe. What started out as simply getting Timothy free from a false murder charge had led to a change in the whole system, yet it all left a bitter taste in my mouth. Watters used me, and I would not rest until I found out to what extent he was involved and if the casinos were still going to be in the underground smuggling operation.
Yona came up to me with a look of sullen victory in her eyes. “Well, I guess things didn’t go as we planned. I’m so angry with my brother for using this situation for his personal gain. I should’ve known better.”
“We both should have seen it coming, but I wanted to believe him. So, what now?”
Yona sighed. “I do what I can with the power I have. The girls will be safe and I’ll do what I can to make sure my brother stays on the right path. He may have won this battle, but I plan to win the war.”
I hugged Yona tight, and tears welled up in my eyes. “You are going to make a great chief one day. This is your tribe, you are a great leader, and most of all—you care. I am so proud of you.”
“I owe it all to you, Sarah. You believed in me, and that made me want to stop hiding. Thanks for putting yourself on the line for me, for us.”
I hoped that Yona would have what it took to keep in front of her brother, but a part of me wondered if she could. He was not only smart, but he was ruthless. Yona was nothing close to ruthless, and sometimes bad things have to happen to make things change for the better.
Yona was talking to a group of council members and Watters was grilling Chaska. They were in some sort of deep, heated conversation and I half listened, suddenly wanting to be home. The longing for Solomon’s arms around me was acute. Then my cell buzzed in my pocket “Hello?”
“It’s Mika. Hotah escaped. He got free somehow and knocked out the doctor, and the nurses were locked in a closet!”
I cursed fiercely, striding to the exit. I knew exactly where he was heading.
“Sarah, what are we going to do? He’s dangerous.”
I closed the phone and walked into the night. “So am I.”
I COULD SEE LIGHT up ahead, so I killed the headlights and stopped my car. I wanted to go in on foot, keep the element of surprise for whatever I planned to do. I didn’t have much more of a plan than that. Most of it was to get in unseen and take Hotah in whether he liked it or not.
I glanced up at the stars and glowing moon and felt a wave of peace fill me. This was who I was. This was what I was supposed to do. Hunt the bad guys down and give them what they gave out.
Taking my car keys, I put them in my pocket and double-checked my gun. It felt good having it there. If he was in there, for sure, his truck sat parked out front.
I unzipped my backpack and took out the package of zip ties and duct tape. I put a few ties in my pocket and made sure I had a spare set of clothes just in case. I closed the trunk as quietly as I could and began walking toward the light blazing on the porch of the cabin. The cabin was old and rotting—what an eyesore. A rusted-out truck sat on the lawn, and junk littered the porch. There was one door and two small windows in the front of the cabin—this would be a good place to set up.
Crickets and cicadas and frogs made a cacophony of noise, muffling my steps. The woods surrounding the cabin were thick and choked with brush. The hair on my neck stood on end and I got the unmistakable feeling that someone was watching me.
The thought that I was taking this a little far did cross my mind, but like a good little crazy person, I stuffed it under. Maybe the skill of stuffing feelings could work for me instead of against me.
“Hold it right there.” A low voice spoke behind me. “Ah, hands up and turn around slowly. You think you were alone?”
I turned. Tahatan held a handgun straight at my head. He must have parked somewhere else and walked back here to take care of Hotah.
“Tahatan, why on earth would you defend such a piece of pond scum like Hotah? Have you no pride?”
“What makes you think I was here to help him?” He swallowed. “Hotah’s a loose end, and I hate loose ends.”
I laughed. “So you plan on killing him?”
“What are you doing here, Miss Steele? I thought you got your way. You even managed to get out of jail and yet here you are again, shoving your nose where it doesn’t belong.”
“I thought I’d bring in reinforcements.” I put my hands behind my back casually, feeling the familiar bulge of my gun. “You know—the FBI, the police, a few of my friends from the DA’s office.”
This time Tahatan laughed. “Nice try, but you are alone. I watched you drive in all by yourself.”
“Okay, so now what?” I hadn’t put a round in the chamber yet. Tahatan had his gun at his hip, held loose in his hands. Could I draw faster than him? The thought gave me a thrill. He hadn’t even checked to see if I was armed. The best part about being a woman was that I was constantly underestimated.
“I think we should go for a walk.” He motioned with his gun to the dark forest. “I don’t want to have to drag a body if I can get you to walk to your grave before I kill you.”
He was going to kill me. ”You think ahead. Good for you.”
I walked toward the tree line. The thick grass caught on my ankles, and I let it slow me down. If the distance between us was shortened, I’d have a better chance of beating him or catching him off guard. It was the longest walk I’d ever taken. My senses were on full alert—my skin tingled and my heart surged with adrenaline.
When I walked through the tree line and into a small open area, I saw that a hole had been half dug. A shovel stuck in the dirt like an arm pointing to the sky—or a grave marker. I expected a bullet anytime. My hands trembled, and I took a deep breath. The moon cast a glow on everything. I heard a rustle of clothing as he raised his arm. This was it.
I dove behind a tree and pulled out my gun as I landed. He shot and bark splintered, showering me with grit. I rolled and came to my feet on the other side of the tree, firing twice. Tahatan staggered back three steps a
nd fell to his knees. The gun slipped from his fingers. He looked at me in shock. “You had a gun?”
I blew the smoke from my barrel. “The great Tahatan, beaten by a girl.”
He gurgled blood and fell face forward in the dirt.
I held my position for a minute and when no one came running, I slid my gun back into its holster. I thanked Solomon silently for encouraging me to keep up my shooting. The gun range knew my name and I felt comfortable with it now, like it was a part of me.
My heartbeat pounded in my ears. I let out a long breath. There was so much energy in me, I felt as if I were on fire, as if I could do anything. Was this what true power felt like? I had finally accepted who I was, and it felt amazing.
Now I had to hide my tracks. Tahatan was a big man, and the hole was meant for me. I holstered my weapon and grabbed the shovel. It was soft dirt, so the digging was not that hard, but I was sweating buckets by the time I was done.
I rolled him to the grave. By the time I got him there, I was covered in dirt and my muscles trembled with fatigue. I pushed him in and he lodged at the bottom of the hole. I covered him, put a few big rocks on top, and moved some underbrush on top to mask the fresh dirt. After that, I covered my tracks around the site, rearranging the grass I’d plowed through, rustled up crushed leaves, and buried my footprints in the dirt. It wasn’t a perfect cover-up, as any dog would be able to find him on a warm day, but it was good enough for me.
Thirty minutes ago, I was led into the forest to die, but now I came out the victor. Triumph surged through me as I walked to the brightly lit cabin with my shovel in hand. I figured I might need it again before the night was through.
IT WAS NOT A brilliant plan, but it was something. I was hunting, running on pure instincts, and it felt good. Was it smart, immoral? I didn’t care—it was what I felt I had to do. I had to make things right somehow, even if that meant killing along the way.
The Steele Collection Books 1-3: Sarah Steele Legal Thrillers Page 37
