Eagle's Last Stand (6 page)

Kim stepped closer to the bed. “Uncle Frank, I came by to tell you that I won’t be at my place for a while,” she said, explaining about the break-in.

“She’ll be safe where I’m taking her,” Rick added.

“Aren’t there any surveillance cameras around your duplex? I don’t recall seeing any, but what about the street side?” Frank asked.

She shook her head. “It’s a low crime neighborhood except for the usual college parties that can get a bit loud. Anyone who lives on my block is too busy getting by, Uncle Frank. Not much to steal.”

“My brother will canvas the neighborhood and check out traffic cameras,” Rick said as they readied to leave.

“I’ll be out of the hospital in a day or so and be able to take a look at what’s left of my restaurant,” Frank said. “If you need me, Kim, call my cell phone number.”

Outside in the parking lot a few minutes later, Rick noted that Angelina’s pickup was still parked in front of the jewelry store. “Looks like we’ll have to come back later,” he said, nodding across the street.

“You’re right. There’s no sense in another confrontation right now,” Kim replied, climbing into the passenger side of the SUV.

Once they were on their way again, Kim glanced at Rick. “From the questions you asked my uncle, I gather you’re thinking that this could be a case of insurance fraud. Since my uncle was struck on the head and left to die, he can’t be a suspect. So that leaves whom? Art?”

“He’s one possibility. Preston’s people will check the evidence and then we’ll see where we stand. Patience is the key.”

“Sorry, I’m fresh out.”

* * *

A
N
HOUR
LATER
they’d left the wide river valley far behind them, and were well on their way into the Navajo Nation. The dry mesas were scattered in the distance, those to the north and west topped by junipers and piñons. Beyond those formations were the foothills, leading to mountain ranges and forests filled with pines and fir.

“I love this open country. It’s not houses backed up against houses. The skies are blue and you can breathe out here.”

“I gather you’re a country girl at heart?”

“No, I belong in a town or small city, hopefully wearing a badge someday. To me, coming out here is a chance to decompress. Everyone needs that.” She saw the flicker of approval that played on his features. “Is that why you’re staying at Copper Canyon?”

“Yeah. The place is small but it’s a three-bedroom. Kyle and Erin invited me to stay with them until I could figure out what was next for me.”

As they drew closer to their destination, a high mesa that curved into a blind canyon with a single outlet at the base, he smiled.

“This is Copper Canyon—home. My brothers and I know this place like the backs of our hands.”

She glanced around, a worried frown on her face. “It’s really isolated here, Rick.”

“This is the safest spot around. There’s only one way in for vehicles—a narrow road easily monitored. We’re on it now. Also the place transmits sound like a giant megaphone. From the moment we crossed the wooden bridge, Kyle and Erin could hear the rattle of the timbers even though the ranch house is still some distance away.”

“I don’t see a house anywhere,” she said, looking around.

“It’s farther ahead. Maybe a quarter of a mile.”

“From what I can see, there’s a series of trails. That means there has to be more than one route to the ranch house once you’re inside the canyon,” she said, observing her surroundings. “This particular pathway is super rough,” she said, holding on to the armrest as the SUV rocked from side to side. “How about taking the one to our left?”

“That’s a common mistake, and a bad idea. The other trails may look smoother, and people who haven’t been here before often choose those, which explain their presence. Before long, those people either get bogged down or high center their vehicle,” he said. “There’s also an arroyo ahead that intersects the other routes. That’ll stop anyone not on horseback or foot.”

She looked around her. “I see what looks like a big, plowed field, but other than that the trees and undergrowth are pretty thick. I’ve already seen rabbits and quail. Is there any other wildlife around?”

“Big cats occasionally hunt here, and so do coyotes. Then there’s the occasional bear that comes down out of the mountains. But the bigger predators avoid people. The trick is never to corner them.”

Kim soon spotted the rectangular, sand-colored, stucco-and-wood-framed house, not far from one of the steepest cliffs. The metal roof shimmered in the sunlight. Beyond that she noted the log corral with two beautiful piebald horses.

“Horses!”

“Women and horses,” he said, smiling. “Those belong to Kyle and his wife. She fell in love with them from the moment she saw them at Gene’s ranch,” he said. Then pointing ahead, he added, “Looks like Erin’s just finished feeding them.”

Kim saw a petite brunette brushing hay from her clothes as she walked toward the house.

As Rick pulled up and parked by the side of the house, a short distance from a small storage shed, his brother came out the back door to greet them.

“Welcome, guys,” Kyle said.

“So you heard us coming?” Rick asked with a grin.

“Yes, but only a few minutes ago. I’m not as good as Gene and Preston at picking up visitors at long range.”

“Yeah, you and me both,” he answered and looked at Kim. “Some of my brothers are incredibly attuned to nature here. For example, the absence of birds or their sudden flight lets them know when anyone’s around. Gene, in particular, can listen to a coyote’s howl and tell you if everything is okay.”

Erin joined them and gave Kim a hug, having first met her at the Brickhouse. “You’ll be safe and comfortable here, Kim. Come inside and help me fix dinner.”

As they reached the small porch, Kim heard an ominous rumble. Looking off into the distance, she noted the billowing clouds beyond the canyon walls to the west.

Rick followed her gaze and glanced at his brother. “White Thunder. Remember what Hosteen Silver used to say about him?”

Kyle nodded. “None of the medicine men ever called on White Thunder during ceremonies because it was said he only brought trouble.”

“So that’s a bad sign?” Kim asked.

Rick shook his head. “Not necessarily. Thunders have the power to find things, too.”

They’d just reached the front door when a silver-gray hawk cried overhead and landed in a tall piñon about a hundred feet from the house. It remained there, gazing down at them.

“Isn’t it beautiful? It hangs around here a lot,” Erin whispered.

“Hosteen Silver’s spiritual brother was Winter Hawk,” Rick told Kim.

Kyle nodded slowly. “White Thunder and now Winter Hawk.... It’s a welcome and a warning.”

“Well, if there’s danger ahead, Copper Canyon’s the place to be. Let’s go inside,” Rick said, his voice tense.

Chapter Seven

Kim felt Rick’s tension as clearly as her own. She didn’t believe in omens, but she didn’t dismiss them outright, either. She’d learned at an early age that New Mexico was the land of the unexplained. Here, the mysterious existed along with the ordinary, each finding its own place.

As she stepped inside the main room, she smiled, feeling instantly comfortable. It looked like the interior of a rustic cabin, very similar to those in country magazines. Though sparsely decorated, it had an undeniable elegance.

To her right the room opened up and against the far wall was the kitchen. Closer, and in the center of that space, was a large dining table pieced from several pine logs.

Centered in the room was a sofa covered in rich brown leather. Beautiful wool Navajo rugs were hung on the wall opposite a huge stone fireplace with vents that probably circulated the warm air generated from the fire.

On the wall opposite the dining side was a walk-in closet that had been converted to fit either computer equipment or TV screens.

“What a special place!” she told Erin. “I can see why you wanted to live here.”

“The brothers all agreed that we could make it our home, so I sold my place in Hartley and Kyle and I moved in,” Erin explained. “It’s the perfect place for us. I can irrigate and have more land to grow my crops. The fields have already been leveled, and this coming spring we’ll be putting in rabbit-proof fencing. I’m a chili farmer and Kyle’s in the family security business. He runs Complete Security for Daniel and often works from home.”

Kim smiled. “I work for Complete Security now, too, as a paid intern.”

“I’ve heard,” Erin replied, leading the way to the kitchen. Rick and Kyle were already there, coffee mugs in hand.

“It’s hot and it’ll warm you up,” Rick said. “Want a cup?”

“It’s
hot
? That’s the nicest thing you can say about my coffee?” Erin said, laughing as she handed Kim a mug.

Sipping her coffee, Kim watched them kid around with each other as they all pitched in to fix dinner. Although the fare was simple, she had to admit the green chili hamburger, thick and on homemade buns, was the best she’d ever tasted.

After dinner, they retreated to the sofa and chairs. The blazing fireplace would keep them warm and comfortable. “Your letter, the one Hosteen Silver left for you, is on the third shelf of the bookcase,” Kyle said to Rick.

“Although I’m tempted not to read it, that would be showing disrespect, and I owe Hosteen Silver everything,” Rick said, walking over to pick it up. They’d all been left letters to read upon their foster father’s death, but Rick’s undercover work had kept him away. This was the first time he’d ever even seen the envelope.

“We’ve all read ours, so yours is the last,” Kyle said.

Rick sat on the hearth and stared at the envelope in his hand.

“The longer you put it off, the harder it’ll get,” Kim warned softly.

Rick tore open the sealed envelope, his expression hard. In a gesture of solidarity, Kyle came over to stand beside his brother as Rick pulled out the small piece of paper.

No one spoke as Rick read it silently. “As cryptic as ever,” he said at last, then read it out loud. “‘It’s not Eagle’s nature to accept what seems to be. As what is hidden comes to light, your fight will begin. You will walk in beauty only after blue overcomes red and your eyes are opened to a truth that eluded me.’” Rick placed the paper on the coffee table so they could all see.

“There’s something different about your letter, bro,” Kyle said. “First, it doesn’t really look like Hosteen Silver’s handwriting. It’s shaky. Then look at the date on top. That’s the same day we think Hosteen Silver disappeared.”

Rick took a closer look at the letter. “It’s his writing. Look at the
f
with that extra loop in its center. The
g
is also not connected to the letter following it.” After a moment Rick added, “I’m guessing his hand was trembling.”

“The man was without fear. Maybe he was sick at the time he wrote it,” Kyle said.

“That’s what I think, too,” Rick answered.

“What’s that stuff about blue overcoming red?” Kyle asked. “It sounds vaguely familiar, but I can’t nail it down.”

“It’s part of the story Hosteen Silver used to tell us about the Hero Twins and their special prayer stick.”

“Who were the Hero Twins?” Kim asked.

“Navajo creation stories tell us about the sons of Changing Woman and Sun. The twins were great warriors, so their father, Sun, sent them on a great quest to destroy mankind’s enemies. Before they left, they were given a special prayer stick that was covered with blue paint and sparkling earth, symbols of peace and happiness. They were told that anytime the prayer stick turned red, a deadly battle lay ahead.”

Kyle nodded. “Now I remember.”

“I think he was telling me that there’s a mission I have to complete here, a wrong I have to right before I can find peace,” Rick said.

“But if he didn’t tell you, how will you know what that wrong is?” Kim asked.

“That’s the essence of all of Hosteen Silver’s predictions,” Rick answered. “You don’t have to go looking for answers. Eventually what you’re after, or what you need, will come to you.”

After the revelation, everyone’s mood turned somber. Although they remained by the fireplace for several more hours, they were quiet for the most part, all lost in their own thoughts.

Finally, Erin stood and stretched. “I’m going to bed. I can show you your room if you like, Kim.”

“Tonight I want to keep a lookout, so I’ll be sleeping on the sofa,” Rick said.

“How about we trade off keeping watch? You could crash in the remaining bedroom when I’m on duty,” Kyle said. “We’ve got cameras rigged up at a few key points, too, so we’ll get an alert the minute anything larger than a coyote comes down the road or approaches the house. The system immediately starts to record, too, so just open the cabinet and check the monitors if we get a hit.”

“Works for me,” Rick said. “I’ll take the first watch and wake you up in four hours.”

“I could help,” Kim said. “I’m a good observer. Right now I can tell no one’s around. There’s a coyote howling in the distance, and I don’t think it would announce its presence if humans were around.”

Kyle smiled. “No one ever hears Rick move—not unless he wants you to, that is. We used to call him Shadowman.”

Rick smiled. “It’s a gift.”

“You said you’d train me, and here I am. Let me help,” she insisted.

“All right,” Rick said at last. “Neither of us got much sleep last night, but together we can keep each other alert.” Rick looked at his brother. “I’ll come get you when it’s time.”

When Kyle and Erin left, Rick turned off all the lights. Only the glow from burning piñon logs in the fireplace—and the monitors—illuminated the room. “I’m glad you volunteered to stay up. I’m tired and it’ll be easier to stay focused with a partner.”

She smiled, glad to be considered a partner. “Tell me more about that note,” she said, taking a seat on the hearth. “If I read you right, there was something else about it that troubled you.”

He nodded slowly. “My gut’s telling me that Hosteen Silver wrote that after he knew he was dying. Since I’m the youngest, he probably put me last on the list when it came to his final message. I think that’s why his handwriting was so shaky,” he said. “I know Hosteen Silver was trying to tell me something, but he always overestimated my ability to understand him.”

“I have a feeling he knew exactly what he was doing when he deliberately chose you to do what needed to be done,” Kim said. Rick could be gentle, but his strength never wavered. Remembering the way he’d kissed her, she felt her skin prickle. “How are you different from your brothers?” she added, forcing herself to focus on the conversation.

“They prefer team efforts, but I like working solo. That’s why I volunteered for undercover work.” He stood by the side of the window, pulling back the heavy curtain to look out into the canyon. The desert was bathed in moonlight and every rock and patch of open ground wore a faint, glowing blanket.

“You’re fine working with your brothers, though,” she said.

“That’s because I trust them, but I still like taking point.”

“Wow, talk about double-speak. Or is it ego?”

He chuckled. “Maybe both.” He walked to the note Hosteen Silver had left for him, picked it up off the table, folded it and placed it in his back pocket.

“What I don’t understand is the reference to Eagle. Who or what is he?” Kim asked.

“That’s also linked to our Traditionalist beliefs. Hosteen Silver gave each of us a special fetish, and mine’s Eagle. The spirit of the animal is said to become one with its owner, and by sharing its special qualities, it enhances my own.”

“You mean you can see things that are far away?” Kim asked, trying to understand.

“No, it’s not like that. Eagle stands for vision and power through balance. It’s not distance vision, however, it’s the ability to see the overall picture, something any investigator has to learn to do.” As he checked the monitors, he added, “Eagle’s about honoring knowledge by knowing when it’s okay to share it and when it’s better to withhold it.”

“Sometimes I get so sidetracked by details, I lose the overall perspective. I wish I had Eagle’s ability to see the whole picture.” Kim took a deep breath. “When I lost my job at Angelina’s I was terrified. Having my apartment wrecked after that made things even worse.

“Now that I have a new perspective,” she added, “I realize that getting fired from Silver Heritage was one of the best things that ever happened to me.”

“Angelina made it that tough?”

She nodded. “I liked to take time to talk to the customers, to get a feel for what they were really looking for, but Angelina was all about making the sale—” She stopped abruptly and her eyes widened. “I just recalled something that may be important.”

Rick nodded. “Go on.”

“About three weeks ago there was a curious incident at the store. An Anglo man in his late forties came in. He was a professor at a college in Durango. He asked if we could connect him to a local Navajo medicine man who was said to occasionally use Hopi fetishes in blessings for protection.”

“Did he mention Hosteen Silver by name?”

“No, but I was sure that’s who he meant, so I suggested he speak to Angelina. At the time, I didn’t know about the bad blood between her and Hosteen Silver. The instant I mentioned her by name, the professor politely declined and left the store. That’s the last time I saw him.”

“You don’t have a name?”

“Sorry. I never asked, but I’d recognize him if I saw him again. If he’s still teaching up in Durango, there’s got to be a photo of him somewhere.”

“Good thinking. We’ll look that up in the morning.”

They kept each other alert until 2:00 a.m. when Kyle came into the room, unannounced.

Rick grinned. “So I see your internal clock is still working.”

“Go to sleep, you two,” Kyle said, ushering them out. “You’ll have a long day tomorrow.”

Rick walked Kim to her bedroom. “Sleep well.”

“You going to be in the next bedroom, Rick?” she asked.

“Nah, I’ll crawl into a sleeping bag in front of the fireplace. I prefer to be on hand in case Kyle needs me.”

She went inside the room and, exhausted, stripped down to her underwear and crawled in between the heavy blankets. Almost as soon as her head hit the pillow, she was fast asleep.

Kim never woke until the sun peered through the curtains, yet it wasn’t the daylight that had nudged her awake. Unsure of what it was, she went to the window and peered out.

It was dawn, but the canyon floor was still in shade because of the cliffs. Rick was already outside. She saw him check the immediate area, including the shed beside the house, then head up the canyon.

Curious, she dressed quickly then went into the living room. It was empty. Kyle had gone back to bed. Making an impromptu decision, Kim slipped out the front door. Being Rick’s backup was part of her job now.

Bundling her coat around her tightly, and trying to protect herself from the cold breeze, she followed the trail Rick’s boots left in the sand.