Innocent Blood

by Linda S. Prather

  Jules dried the last dish and placed it in the cabinet just as a loud knock sounded on the front door. “Are we expecting someone?”

  “Not anyone I’m aware of.”

  He grabbed the rifle at the back door and hurried to the front. “Who is it?”

  “Harry. Let me in, runt.”

  Jules propped the rifle next to the door and swung it open, immediately enveloped in a bear hug. “What are you doing here?”

  “Vacation. A much-needed one, so I thought I’d drive down and visit for a few days.” Harry’s eyes darted around the front room, not missing the rifle propped near the door. “Where is everybody?”

  “Let’s go sit in the kitchen. It’s a long story.”

  “Got a beer?”

  “Plenty.”

  “Good. If it’s a long story, I’m going to need one.”

  Grace stood as they entered. “Do you want me to make some coffee?”

  “You must be Grace.” Harry wrapped his arms around her and twirled her around the room. “I’m Harry Redmond, and since Loki adopted you, that makes you family.”

  Grace laughed. “Loki told me about you.”

  Harry sat her down near the sink. “I’ll bet she didn’t tell you everything. The runt will take a pot of coffee. I need a beer.”

  “Refrigerator.” Grace finished making the coffee and politely excused herself, pleading exhaustion.

  “What are you really doing here, Harry? I don’t remember you being so jovial and playful.”

  “And you couldn’t talk when you left Corpus Christi. I guess we’ve both changed.”

  Jules remained silent, raising one eyebrow.

  “I told half the truth. Jenna and I had a big fight. I had some vacation time and decided to visit Jake and Loki and see how things were going while we both calmed down and took a breather. Where are they?”

  “Jake is in the hospital in Tunica. He was shot yesterday. Loki and Dadron are on the reservation, trying to find two hunters who went missing.”

  Harry finished his beer, tossed the can in the trash, and poured a cup of coffee. “So what has Jake gotten himself into this time?”

  Jules filled him in on the police shootings in Anderson and Tunica, and Jake being hired by Rafe Wilson’s brother to investigate his death. “He found pictures at Wilson’s house that led him to believe Wilson’s family would be killed if he didn’t do what he was told. Jake was going to Anderson this morning to talk to the wife there and see if he could find similar pictures.”

  “Do they know who shot him?”

  “No, but he was shot with an arrow, Harry. They haven’t told him yet, but the doctor says he may never be able to use his right arm again.”

  “What about Loki and Dadron? Wouldn’t finding those hunters be a job for the Feds if they’re lost on the reservation?”

  Jules shrugged. “Grandfather insisted Loki come, and then Tim Whitefeather went missing. They found him last night, scared half to death. And then there’s the third hunter they found with his tongue and eyes missing.”

  “Damn.” Harry sipped his coffee and frowned. “That still sounds like a job for the Feds.”

  “I don’t think much has changed there. If there isn’t a murder on the reservation, the Feds don’t get involved. Loki has me grounded here. She still treats me like a baby. I should have been there helping Jake.”

  Harry plopped his cup on the table. “Loki knows what she’s doing, Jules. If she says you need to be here, then you need to be here. Now tell me where I need to be. Do I go help Jake or head to the reservation to help Loki and Dadron?”

  “Why ask me?”

  Harry grinned. “Because you’re like your mother, logical with good instincts. And because I trust you to send me where I’m needed the most.”

  “I wish I wasn’t so logical. I want to send you after Loki and Dadron, but I think you should help Jake. You’ll have to be careful, though. Choctaws aren’t real popular in Tunica or Anderson right now. Especially Choctaw police officers.”

  “Find me a map. I’m going to take a quick shower, and then I’ll hit the road.”

  “It’s eleven o’clock, Harry. Why don’t you catch a few hours’ sleep and start out in the morning?”

  “Ever have one of those feelings like someone just walked over your grave?”

  Jules sighed. “More than I’d like to talk about.”

  “Well, I just had one. You’re right, Jake needs me. If you don’t mind, throw a couple of sandwiches together and a thermos of coffee. I’ll be leaving as soon as I’ve showered and dressed.”

  Jules watched Harry saunter down the hall, ashamed of his pouting spell. Harry was right. If Jules had gone with Jake, Grace and the baby would be alone. A shiver ran down his spine. And he’d be the one lying in that hospital, or the local morgue.

  Jules rose and filled a thermos with coffee. Harry wouldn’t be in the shower long. They still had a steak left over from dinner, and some vegetables. He wasn’t letting Harry leave until he’d eaten a proper meal.

  12

  “I still wish you’d let me go with you.” Tim stood leaning against the porch rail as Loki and Dadron prepared to leave. It was only four a.m., but they’d wanted to be ready to hike in the cooler part of the day.

  “You know where we’re going, so if we don’t come back, you can send a search party after us,” Loki teased him.

  Dadron tossed the bag of sandwiches that Neta had prepared into the front seat. “Don’t pay any attention to her, Tim. We’re not going to get lost.”

  “There’s been some black bear sightings near the creek and river. Best be careful there.”

  “Bears don’t normally bother people unless people bother them. Stop worrying, and get well.” Loki climbed in and fastened her seat belt. “We’ll be back in two or three days whether we find them or not.”

  Dadron chuckled and started the car. “Bears, swamps, and a crazy person pretending to be Nalusa Falaya. Nothing to worry about at all.”

  Loki waved as they sped off. “It’s been almost a week now. We may not be able to find a trail. That’s why I said two or three days. If we can’t pick up some sign by then, we’re coming home.”

  “It hasn’t rained, so if they left any signs at all, I’ll be able to track them. Nat gave me a pretty good description of the area they were last seen in.”

  “I feel bad about not bringing him with us.”

  “He understood.”

  “At least he helped us find Tim.” Loki knew Dadron was right. The trip ahead would be rough going, and there was no way Mr. Blackwell could have kept up. The thought didn’t appease her guilt, or the heartache she’d felt as he stood on the porch and waved them off. “Maybe we can find something for him to do when we come back.”

  “Isn’t that your cell phone ringing?”

  Loki dug through the pack at her feet and jerked it out. “Hello.”

  “Hey, cousin. How are things on the reservation?”

  “Harry? How did you know I was on the reservation?”

  “Stopped by the house last night, and Jules filled me in on everything.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Just parked at Tunica General Hospital. Figured I’d check on Jake and give him a hand.”

  “Is Jenna with you?”

  The silence on the phone said more than words. “No. Had some vacation time and thought I’d spend it fishing on the farm. Should have known you and Jake would get yourself in a mess before I got here.”

  Loki watched the top bar disappear from her phone. “I’m going to lose cell service any minute, Harry. Take care of Jake for me, and tell him I love him.”

  “Where are you headed now?”

  “Tallahaga Ridge. That’s the last place anyone saw the hunters.”

  The second bar disappeared. “Harry, I’ve got to go.” Loki tossed her phone in the bag. “We lost the signal.”

  “Does Harry have visions too?” Dadron asked.

  “Not that I know of.
I think sometimes he feels things, but he keeps it to himself. Why do you ask?”

  “Just seems kind of odd, him showing up right when we need him. Now we can stop worrying about Jake.”

  Loki closed her eyes and leaned back in the seat. Dadron might have stopped worrying, but she hadn’t. Now she had to worry about both Jake and Harry.

  Harry toyed with the phone, the urge to call Jenna nagging him. She’d want to know about Jake, but she was probably still asleep. Waking her after the fight they’d had wasn’t the smartest thing he could do. They both needed time to cool down.

  He exited the car, walked through the hospital entrance, and stopped at the information desk. “Jake Savior’s room, please?”

  The girl behind the desk was young and pretty, and Harry was sure she knew just how pretty she was. “Is that a Texas drawl I hear?”

  “Yes, ma’am.”

  She keyed the information into the computer. “Mr. Savior is in room 303, but visiting hours don’t start until eight. There’s a refreshment room just down the hall, and I was getting ready to take a break for some coffee. I’d be happy to show you where it is.”

  “Thank you, but I think I’ll take my chances and try to sneak in.” Harry faked a hat raise. “You have a good day, ma’am.”

  Stepping into Jake’s room brought back memories of the day Cara had been killed. Jake didn’t look quite as bloody as he had that day, but he looked just as bad. A huge man was fast asleep in the armchair, but his eyes sprang open as Harry approached the bed. A gun came up, and it was pointed straight at Harry’s chest.

  “Stop right there.”

  Harry raised his hands. “I’m Harry Redmond, Loki’s cousin and Jake’s old partner.”

  The gun lowered. “Sorry about that. Can’t be too careful right now. Reginald Merriweather. I was Rafe Wilson’s partner.”

  “How’s Jake doing?”

  “Not good. Infection set in last night. They’re pumping him full of antibiotics.”

  “Does Loki know?”

  “He made me promise I wouldn’t tell her. Felt like a prime jerk when she called last night.”

  You’ll feel a hell of a lot worse than a jerk if Jake dies and Loki finds out you lied to her. “Why don’t you tell me about your partner and what happened here?”

  “I don’t know much. Jake found two pictures of Rafe’s wife and kids hidden in a desk. One had innocent blood scrawled across it, and the other one had would you die for them written on it. He was going to Anderson and talk to Mrs. Cain to see if maybe there was something similar there. Kirby Cain was the officer who shot the officers in Anderson.”

  “And he was Choctaw?”

  Merriweather nodded and stood. “Now that you’re here, do you mind if I run home and shower and change? I feel kind of responsible for Mr. Savior, and I didn’t want to leave him here alone until he was well enough to protect himself.”

  “You’re coming back?”

  “Yeah. What you got on your mind?”

  “Jake was headed to Anderson. If you can keep an eye on him, I’ll head down there when you get back and see what I can find out.”

  “I’ll be back by lunch if that’s okay with you. Here’s my cell number if you need me before then.”

  Harry took the seat Merriweather had vacated and propped his boots against the bottom rail of the bed. “I’ll be here.”

  Merriweather turned off the overhead light and closed the door on his way out. Harry settled into the armchair and closed his eyes. It was four thirty in the morning. If he was lucky, he could catch at least two hours’ sleep before the nurses came in. His body ached from the long hours on the road, but his mind refused to shut down. The beeping of the machines and loud ticking of the wall clock didn’t help, either. After ten minutes, he gave up and searched through the nightstand for the notepad and pen most hospitals stored there and started a list of questions. Most criminals had an agenda that wasn’t always easy to see in the beginning but became apparent as time went on.

  Dialing Merriweather’s number, he chuckled. The guy probably hadn’t had time to get out of the parking lot yet.

  “Merriweather.”

  “How many officers were killed here?”

  “Three. Four if you count Rafe.”

  “Do you know how many were killed in Anderson?”

  “I think it was three there too, but I can check when I get home and call you back.”

  “Thanks, Mr. Merriweather.”

  “Call me, Reggie. Mr. Merriweather makes me feel old.”

  “All right, Reggie. Call me when you find out, and also I’ll need the address for Mrs. Cain.”

  “Be back to you in thirty minutes.”

  Harry returned to his notes, jotting down the information. If both officers killed three people, then the number three had to have some significance. Both officers were Choctaw, and he’d be willing to bet that none of the officers killed were.

  His cell buzzed. “That was quick.”

  “Traffic was light. There were three officers killed in Anderson, four if you count Cain, just like here. You think that means something?”

  “Maybe. Do you still have those pictures Jake found?”

  “Yeah.”

  “Bring them back with you.”

  “Anything else?”

  “Just the address for Mrs. Cain.”

  “Seen you at noon, then.”

  Harry hit the end button, leaned back, and stared at the clock. It was almost six. The nurses would be coming around any minute. Jenna would be up now, making that first pot of coffee and getting ready for the day. He dialed the number before he lost his nerve. The phone rang four times, and he was almost ready to hit the end button when her sleepy voice came on the line.

  “Hello.”

  “Hey, it’s me.”

  “Where are you?”

  “Tunica, Mississippi. Jake’s been shot.”

  “Oh, Harry, I’m sorry. Is he going to be okay?”

  “I don’t know. It’s sort of iffy right now.”

  “Is Loki okay?”

  “She’s off in the wilderness on a case.”

  The line was silent. Harry could almost visualize Jenna sitting up in bed, running a hand through her mess of curls.

  “Is there anything I can do to help?” Jenna asked.

  “No. I’ll let you know how things go.”

  “Okay. Take care of yourself.”

  “You too.”

  Harry hit the end button. It was the first time in almost two years he’d ended a call without saying I love you, but that was probably the last thing she wanted to hear right now.

  “Harry?”

  The voice was weak, but Harry grinned as he leapt out of the chair and leaned over the bed. “About time you woke up. I thought you were going to sleep through my entire vacation.”

  “Vacation? Since when do you take vacations?”

  “I’m getting old, partner. Figured it was time I started doing a few things.”

  “See if you can find a doctor and get me out of here.”

  “I think we’ve been here before, Jake. You need to stay here, rest, and get well.”

  Jake shook his head and groaned. “No time for that. Whoever is behind this will do it again if we don’t stop them.”

  “I talked to Merriweather. He brought me up to date. I’ll be heading to Anderson right after lunch to talk to Mrs. Cain and see if I can find anything there to tie the cases together.”

  “Have you talked to Loki?”

  “I called this morning when I got here. They’re heading into a no-cell-service area, so we probably won’t hear from her for a day or two.”

  Jake’s eyes closed, his breathing raspy and labored. “You be careful. Call and check in every few hours.”

  Harry leaned in close since Jake’s last words were barely a whisper. “Anything else?”

  “If it’s green, press the morphine button for me and find the son of a bitch who shot me.”

  Harry
pressed the button and stood by the bed until he was sure Jake was asleep again. Jake’s shooting raised another set of questions. He’d been on the job only since yesterday, and Tunica was the only place he’d visited so far. Whoever was behind this was close, watching the fallout after the shootings.

  Harry shuddered as a thought niggled at the back of his mind. Or the person responsible is another police officer.

  13

  Loki removed the backpack and flopped to the ground as she waited for Dadron to examine the area for tracks. Four hours of hiking, climbing, and walking, and they’d finally reached the spot Mr. Blackwell had described as being the last place the hunters were seen, as well as the general area where the third hunter was found. Gone was the quiet beauty she’d enjoyed the night before. Now all she felt was dirty, sweaty, and hot. The only good thing about hiking into country like this was that it gave her time to think. We should have gone to the hospital before we came here.

  Brush rustled overhead, and she glanced up to find Dadron grinning down at her. “I’ve found some tracks. Do you want to take a lunch break before we move on?”

  “Are we going up or down?”

  “Up.”

  “Let’s take a break, then. We’ll eat and talk before we decide to go on.”

  Dadron jumped from the small ledge and landed a few feet from her. “Something bugging you?”

  “A lot of things are bugging me.” Loki removed two sandwiches from her backpack, along with two bottles of water. “We didn’t do our homework before we came. How do we really know these hunters are missing or that the third one was attacked by someone else? The men we’re looking for could be the ones who mutilated him, thinking he would die before anyone found him. I let Grandfather upset me, and I’m beginning to feel really stupid, Dadron.”

  “What else is bothering you?”

  “It took us four hours to get here. How did Mr. Blackwell know this was the last place the hunters were seen? He couldn’t possibly have made that climb.”

  Dadron finished his sandwich, washing it down with half the bottle of water. “I found tracks where a man was tied to a tree. Another one was dragged across the ground. There are still specks of blood on the rocks around that area, and there are four sets of footprints. Three of them headed up the trail.”