Death Walker (49 page)

Ella arrived at the hogan twenty minutes later, glanced around outside, then went in. The hogan was cooler, but not by much. She reached beneath her skirt and pulled out her portable radio. “I’m here,”
she said, using the same tactical frequency as before.

“So are we,” came Big Ed’s reply.

Ella drank some water from the plastic barrel that Naomi kept on hand, but it wasn’t much help. She forced herself to wait patiently, but her thoughts kept drifting to her family and to Justine.

Finally the sun disappeared behind the clouds, and twilight began to descend over the desert. Ella heard the
night insects begin their incessant humming. Most times the monotony of the sound soothed, but tonight it got on her nerves as it obscured other sounds.

Ella studied the low-light monitors for an hour through bleary eyes. There was still no sign of anyone outside. Once the stars were out, she hunched over to hide her height and went outside holding one of Naomi’s crystals. With methodical precision,
she repeated the pattern the stargazer had taught her. Everything remained quiet.

After a while, she walked back to the hogan. Maybe Brownhat had decided to wait. By now he might have become complacent, certain that he’d outwitted the police. Ella sat there, watching the monitors as the hours passed uneventfully. Toward dawn, she wrapped herself in a blanket to ward off the chill. The officers
keeping watch had no such luxury, but Ella knew they were all wearing jackets.

Just toward dawn, the tension rose again, and Ella started pacing. She built a fire in the stove and started heating water, just like Naomi would do under normal circumstances. Sitting there, bleary eyes on the monitors, Ella tried to analyze the situation.

If Furman didn’t come within the next hour or so, he would
probably not take action until the next evening. It would be hard for any of the cops to maintain their sharp edge if they had to sit up another night. It would also be harder to maintain security on the deception the longer time went by.

Ella reached down into her pocket and took out the badger fetish. It was cool to the touch, and her intuition told her that Furman wasn’t buying the trap. Still,
she had to wait it out a little longer. Bored, she made herself some coffee. The men outside, around her, would have to wait for theirs.

Finally, at eight o’clock in the morning, Ella decided to call it off for the day. She pulled out her radio. “He’s not showing. Let’s stand down for a while.”

“I agree,” Big Ed answered back. Looking as discouraged and tired as she felt, he met Ella by the
entrance to the hogan. “I’ll have our team report in, then work their way here, checking the area as they proceed.”

By the time he’d radioed his instructions over the tactical frequency, Ella had poured a cup of coffee for the chief. He took it gratefully.

“Thank you, Mrs. Zah. What do you think Brownhat is up to?” Big Ed wondered aloud, looking around the edge of the trees as he spoke. Some
of the closer-positioned officers were now visible.

“Frankly, I’m surprised. Our security was pretty good, and I don’t think we tipped ourselves off during the night. Let’s see what the rest of the team has to say.”

Fifteen minutes later, all the officers made their reports. No one had seen any sign of Furman, or any other human, for that matter. The closest call any of them had was Officer
Neskahi. A skunk had walked right past him, and it had been difficult to keep his position and not gag at the smell.

Ella removed her disguise while others collected the monitor batteries for recharging. They had to be ready for the next evening.

Anxious to check on her family and Justine, Ella went to her car while Big Ed briefed two new officers who had arrived. They would be watching the
place during the day.

Ella reached the vehicle and picked up the cellular phone as she drove out to the highway. She got her mother within two minutes.

“Hello, Mother,” Ella said nervously. “How is everyone? Has Loretta had the baby yet?”

Her mother’s worried voice came through the air clearly. “Loretta is delivering the child now. The time has come.”

Ella drove with the bubble on top of her
vehicle and the siren screaming. She thought of the last stillbirth. If anything happened to this child, she wasn’t sure how her brother and sister-in-law would weather it.

Forty minutes later, Ella raced into the hospital, flashing her badge at each checkpoint from the entrance doors to the elevator. Finally reaching Loretta’s room, Ella peered inside. Rose placed a finger to her lips.

Loretta
was sleeping and Clifford sat by her bed. Her brother gave her a tired, proud smile. “Go see the baby. He’s perfect,” he whispered.

Rose led Ella down to the nursery. “Labor was short and difficult, but the child is healthy and strong,” she assured Ella. “For now, he must stay in a special incubator because he’s not full-term, but in a short time he’ll be home.”

Ella went inside the small room
with her mother. Two nurses walked around, tending the infants.

Rose stopped by the small unit near the door and looked down at her grandchild. “Your nephew,” she said.

Ella looked down at the baby. A tiny silver chain hung around his neck, holding a thick silver square that rested on the child’s breast. “Is that a gift from you?”

Rose shook her head. She reached for the nurse, who was passing
by. “What is that chain on the child?”

“It might be a gift, but it doesn’t belong inside that incubator,” the nurse snapped. “I’ll have to remove it.”

Ella watched as the nurse took the chain off the baby. “May I have that?”

“Certainly, but no one is to put any jewelry on that child until he leaves this unit.”

Ella took the chain from her hand and studied it. “The ornament isn’t a medal of
any kind. It looks like it came from a watchband.” Ella twisted the chain, so she could study the back without handling it. As Rose came to stand beside her, Ella saw that the initials
R.C.
had been carved into it.

Rose gasped. “That belonged to your father-in-law! It’s an invitation for his
chindi
to enter the child.” Rose’s voice was a horrified whisper.

Ella faced the nurse. “I want a list
of everyone who came near this child.”

“Our staff goes in and out, and parents are allowed too.” The nurse shook her head slowly. “I’m sorry, but your request is impossible to fulfill.”

Clifford came into the room. Seeing the look on his mother’s face, he quickly turned to Ella. “What’s happened?”

“This was on the baby,” Ella said, holding the pendant up for Clifford to see.

Clifford grabbed
it from her hand and threw it onto the floor. “My child will not be harmed by this. I
will
see to it.” His voice shook with emotion.

The nurse picked the chain up and handed it back to Ella. “You’re disturbing the other infants. Please take your problems outside.”

Ella took the chain. Fingerprints would be useless now. She’d known that Peterson’s allies would make some move against them, but
she hadn’t expected this.

Clifford stood by his child and, reaching into his medicine pouch, began to chant in a soft voice. The nurse started to order him out again, but then, after one look from Clifford, changed her mind. She went over to check another tiny patient in her care.

Rose walked out with Ella. “My grandson will be fine. There are ways to counter this. He will grow to be strong
and healthy,” she assured Ella.

“How is Justine, Mother? I haven’t gone to see her yet.”

“She was recovering well last I heard. I haven’t had a chance to stop by her room since just before you called.” Rose patted her daughter’s hand. “Don’t worry. She’s not been neglected. She may even have company right now. A young man called just a while ago asking about her. I took the call for her because
the nurse had taken her to X-ray.”

Ella stopped suddenly. “What young man? Nobody besides immediate family is supposed to know she’s even here.”

Rose paled. “He didn’t give his name. It couldn’t be…”

“What’s her room number, Mom? Quickly.”

“It’s 328. Go past the children’s ward and turn left.”

Ella was already halfway down the hall, checking numbers on the doors as she ran. Pulling out her
radio, she ordered all officers to keep an eye out for Furman Brownhat and gave a description. Then she made a specific call. “Report in, whoever is assigned to watch Officer Justine Goodluck’s room. Report in now!”

Ella entered the stairwell and ran up the stairs. She’d been on the second floor, but she didn’t have time for the elevator. A call came through while she was climbing, but the message
was garbled, probably because of the metal stairs.

Bursting out the heavy door, Ella looked at the number of the closest door. It was 312. “Repeat your message, I didn’t copy,” she yelled.

The radio crackled. “This is Officer Lujan. I’m just outside Goodluck’s door. Everything looks clear.”

Ella heaved a sigh of relief and slowed to a jog. “Stay in position, no matter what. I’m almost at your
20.” Ella placed the radio back on her hip and slowed to a walk as a young couple came her way. She saw them stare at her, but they glanced away as soon as she met their gazes. Ella felt as if she’d been running a marathon, and guessing from their expressions, probably looked it too.

As she passed the hall door leading into the children’s ward, Ella had the sensation that someone was watching
her. She stopped, placed her hand on the butt of her pistol, and turned back to look through the window in the door. Several beds in the ward had children in them, but only one adult was present, bending over, talking to a child. Her heart stopped as the adult turned around and she saw Furman look directly at her.

Before she could even respond, he ran out the door at the other end of the ward.
Ella hurried after him, radio in hand, reporting Furman’s position and direction of travel to all the officers within range. As she passed one small child, Ella looked to see if she had been hurt. The little girl smiled, and said hi.

“Hi,” Ella said, and managed a smile. Increasing her speed, she slipped out the same doors Furman had just exited, then looked around. There was only one way to
go. Another stairwell was at the end of the hall.

Calling out her position over the radio, Ella reached the stairwell door and peeked through the window. She couldn’t see anyone, but she could hear footsteps going down the metal steps. Without hesitation, she followed.

Taking three steps at a time, Ella flew down the stairs. She passed the second-floor landing, then the first, following the
running footsteps just ahead of her. Finally she burst through the door to the basement and ran right into Carolyn Roanhorse.

“What’s going on? First somebody runs past my office full speed, then you almost knock me down,” Carolyn complained.

“I’m after a killer, a young man. How many ways are there out of here?” Ella was breathing hard, but thinking clearly.

“There are only two ways to leave:
up the stairs you came down, and the elevator.” Carolyn waved her hand in the direction of the elevator, less than ten feet away.

“Did the guy take the elevator?”

“No, he went toward the morgue.” Carolyn looked down the hall anxiously.

“Do you have keys to the stairwell?” Ella took her pistol in hand.

Carolyn nodded. “Sure, they’re right here in my pocket.”

“Give them to me, then take the
elevator up and switch it off, so nobody can use it. Tell the officers you find to come back down in the elevator, armed and ready. I’m locking myself, and him, in.”

Carolyn handed her the keys and ran to the elevator as Ella locked the door leading to the stairs. “You shouldn’t do this alone,” Carolyn called back.

“Go, and don’t worry. This is what I do.”

Ella, watching the hallway closely,
radioed instructions to the other officers in the building. She would have help coming down soon, but meanwhile, Furman could not leave the floor.

Carolyn got on the elevator, and in a few seconds the doors began to close. “Be careful,” Carolyn called out.

Placing her radio back on her belt, Ella walked slowly and silently down the hall. The first room was Carolyn’s office, and Ella could tell
at a glance it was empty. Moving cautiously, Ella reached in, locked the door, and pulled it shut. Then she proceeded toward the morgue itself.

The floor was completely silent. She suppressed a shudder. Walking wide to the right so Furman could not grab her as she entered the room, Ella peered to her left toward the place where the bodies were stored. Three gleaming chrome and steel gurneys in
front of it were empty, white sheets fresh and ready, but two carts on the other side of the room held covered bodies. Although it was customary to leave the feet dangling out from under the white sheets so the toe tags could be read, both bodies were completely hidden.

Ella watched the bodies for a second. They were completely still; she couldn’t detect even the slightest breathing motion. She
decided to bypass the bodies for now. If she was lucky, she’d find Furman some other place first. Walking so both bodies were within her field of view, Ella edged over to the door of the autopsy room. She glanced quickly through the window, but the tile and metal room seemed empty. Bringing the keys in her pocket out with her left hand, Ella glanced up at the autopsy room number and down at the
keys. Finding the right key, she quickly locked the door. If Furman was inside, he would stay there until help arrived.

Standing back from the covered bodies, Ella put the keys into her pocket and retrieved her radio. Quickly she reported her actions, and learned that four officers would soon be coming down in the elevator.

Reattaching the radio to her belt, Ella tried to decide if she wanted
to peek under the sheets now or wait for the other officers to arrive. Circling around the gurneys with the bodies, Ella waited patiently. If he was underneath one of the sheets, Furman was being very still.

A quick glance around revealed there were no other hiding places. Either Furman was locked in the autopsy room or he was masquerading as a corpse. Then she noticed a smudge mark on one of
the sheets. It was near the edge, on the far side. She brought her pistol up, ready, and moved closer. “Okay, Furman. It’s time to stop the game. You have nowhere to run anymore. Come out with your hands where I can see them.”