by Lyn Horner
“But what about meeting Lara and Conn?” Michaela protested.
“Don’t worry, I’ll take you to them in the morning,” Josie said over her shoulder as she led them to their sleeping place. “You need some rest first. Besides, it’s too dark now to start up the canyon.”
“What canyon?” Dev asked.
“Conn didn’t tell you? They’re holed up in Canyon de Shay. Uh, that’s spelled de Chelly, C-h-e-l-l-y, in case you don’t know. Nobody will look for them there without permission from the Navajo Nation. Which they won’t get.
Josie drove them into the canyon the next morning in her Jeep. It was a rough, dusty ride but even without the promise of seeing Lara, the scenery was worth any discomfort. The sheer rock walls and fantastic formations were painted in amber, crimson, burnt umber and orange hues that took Michaela’s breath away. Carved out of the walls were caves, some small, some large enough to hold the ruins of apartment-like stone structures.
Pointing to one such cave, Josie said, “See those pueblo ruins? They were built by the ancient ones who lived here in prehistoric times. Canyon de Chelly is a national monument because of those ruins. They’re guarded by Park Rangers. Tourists are allowed to hike only on one self-guided trail. If they want to see more of the canyon, they have to hire a licensed Navajo tour guide.”
Obviously proud of her heritage, she added, “The canyon lies within the Navaho Nation and a number of families live here. They mostly raise fruit and ranch either sheep or cattle, or both. My dad has a small place up ahead. He grows peaches and herds a few sheep for their wool, which he weaves into blankets.” She chuckled. “Tourist love Navajo blankets.”
As they wound through the canyon, Michaela admired the narrow valley dotted with fruit orchards and pastures where cattle and sheep grazed. Among the green patches stood farm houses or domed, multi-sided hogans, the traditional Navajo shelter, Josie explained. She turned onto a bumpy path leading to one of the latter. As they stopped outside the entrance, an older man with long graying hair walked outside. His dark copper face was lined with age but he stood straight, head erect. He smiled broadly when Josie jumped out of the Jeep.
“Yá’át’ééh, Daughter.”
“Yá’át’ééh, Father,” she replied, rushing to give him a hug. “I have brought you more guests.”
“So I see.” He patted her back then released her as Michaela and Dev exited the vehicle.
“Father, this is Dev Medina, another friend of mine from the Army, and his friend Michaela Peterson. You two, this is my father, Leon Tseda.”
“Welcome, friends of my daughter,” Mr. Tseda said with a dignified nod.
They returned his greeting and Dev shook his hand. Then another man ducked out the hogan’s low doorway. As tall as Dev but not quite as heavily muscled, he was dark-haired and ruggedly good looking. When Lara Flewellen followed him out, leaning on a cane, Michaela knew he must be Conn O’Shea. She caught her breath at the sight of the jagged pink scar marring Lara’s right cheek.
Trying not to stare, Michaela realized the scar must be a result of the accident Lara had been in several months ago, which had killed her uncle, Malcolm Flewellen. Younger than herself by several years, with ivory skin, black hair and golden eyes, she was still hauntingly lovely. Michaela pitied her, not due to the scar, but because she must now assume the position of leadership her uncle had long held, largely unprepared for such responsibility.
“Glad to see you made it,” O’Shea said, addressing Dev and smiling at Michaela.
“You and me both,” Dev replied. “Hi, Lara. Good to see you.”
“Good to see you too, Dev.” Turning to Michaela, the young woman said, “Dr. Peterson, I’ve looked forward to meeting you.”
“Call me Michaela, Lara.” Closing the short distance between them, she gathered the new High Guardian in her arms. “We have much to talk about,” she whispered.
“Yes, we do. I’m going to need your help.”
Clearing his throat, Leon Tseda invited them into his home.
CHAPTER TWELVE
“Conn, wait up,” Dev said as the others trooped into the hogan. “I’ve got something to say to you.” He planted his hands on his hips, determined to get this off his chest.
Turning to face him, his onetime best friend crossed his arms and eyed him warily. “Yeah, what’s that?”
Dev took a deep breath. “I was wrong on the North Sea job. You were right when you ordered the crew to pull back before the second gas line blew. I should have listened. I’m sorry for blaming you for Ray Douglas’s death and … the rest.” Lowering his head, he spoke around a lump in his throat. “Michaela made me face the truth. It was my fault. I’ll live with that for the rest of my life.”
After a brief silence, Conn said, “I bet that hurt like hell to say.”
Raising his head, Dev sighed in relief. “It damn sure did.”
They both laughed like they used to and followed the others inside. Dev felt like a boulder had been lifted off his back.
*
Michaela sat Indian style with Lara on a Navajo rug in front of a small wood-burning stove in the middle of the Hogan. The sparsely furnished space was dimly lit by a few candles and a fire glowing through the stove’s glass window. Dev and Conn were with Josie and her father in the frame house located behind the Hogan, where Leon Tseda actually lived. The Hogan, according to Josie, served mainly as a meeting room and ceremonial place.
They’d all sat here earlier while she and Dev recounted her abduction by Andrew Kohler, Dev’s timely intervention and their journey from Galveston. Conscious of Josie and Leon’s presence, they hadn’t mentioned the scroll Kohler was after, currently hidden amid Michaela’s packed clothing. Only to have Conn O’Shea ask if Kohler was associated with the Hellhounds. Lara had quickly assured Michaela they could trust the father and daughter, but she still wasn’t comfortable with them knowing about the scrolls..
“Lara, you are High Guardian and I don’t wish to dispute your decisions,” she said now that they were alone. “But as you know, we Guardians all swore an oath never to reveal the existence of the scrolls to outsiders other than our chosen mates. So I must ask why you confided in Josie and Leon?”
Calmly hearing her out, Lara smiled and nodded. “You’re right to question such a drastic decision, but I hope you will agree with my reasons. First, Conn vouches for Josie’s integrity, and Josie does the same for her father. I believe they are trustworthy, and since we will be living with Leon and largely dependent upon him for weeks, perhaps months, I thought it wise to be completely honest with him. The man is, after all, risking his life by taking us in.”
Michaela considered for a moment. “I see his risk and understand your feelings, but the fact remains that you broke the oath you swore before the entire Comhairle, the High Guardian’s Council.
Lara no longer smiled. Leaning her elbows on her knees, she studied her loosely clasped hands. Long dark hair shielded her face, obscuring her scar. “Let me tell you my other reason for breaking my oath. Josie is a helicopter pilot with experience flying under fire, and since finishing her tour in Afghanistan she has built a small crop dusting company, meaning she owns a copter. Now, it so happens that one of the Guardians lives in a South American country riddled with drug smuggling. His name is Gabriel Valdez. You know him, don’t you?”
Wondering where this was going, Michaela shrugged. “I’ve met him several times at the Council’s annual conclave.”
“Well, it seems he’s been trying to bring down a major drug lord who has some high officials in his pocket. As a result Mr. Valdez is on the government’s list of accused traitors and has gone on the run. The best guess is he’s hiding out somewhere in the country’s mountains.”
“Whose guess? How do you know all this?”
“I found a brief news report on the internet. Conn contacted an FBI agent he knows, another friend from the Special Forces. They were a tight knit group and he’s kept track of them. Anyway, this woman dug up more in
formation for us on Gabriel Valdez.”
“I see, and I’m guessing you want Josie to fly down, locate him and bring him here.”
The High Guardian nodded. “Yes. Now you know why I thought she deserved to know how vital it is to get Valdez and the scroll he guards to safety. Thank the Goddess she has agreed to help us.”
Michaela stared at the dancing flames in the stove, thinking over everything. Sighing, she met Lara’s watchful gaze. “In the face of all this, I agree with your decision.” She smiled. “And by the way, thank you for sending Dev after me. If you hadn’t, I’d probably be dead by now and I … I might have broken my sacred oath. I found out the Hellhounds are not above torture.” Hunching her shoulders, she lowered her eyes. Her voice grew husky. “I thought I was strong enough to hold out, but the truth is I might have given up the scroll my ancestors have guarded for eons.” The admission shamed her.
Lara bent close and clasped Michaela’s hands. “I don’t believe that for a second. From what you and Dev said, that monster Kohler terrorized and hurt you, but you didn’t break.” Straightening, she said briskly. “Now, it’s time to join the others. Leon has prepared supper. After we eat, there are other matters to discuss.”
Minutes later, they sat around a yellow pine table with the rest of the group. Josie’s father served up a simple meal of beans with bacon, cornbread and sliced peaches swimming in rich sweet cream. The peaches came fresh from Leon Tseda’s orchard. After stuffing themselves, they lingered at the table sharing pleasantries until Lara stood, drawing everyone’s attention. She glanced from one to another, licked her lips and spoke softly.
“Friends, I am so glad that Michaela and Dev have joined us.” Her voice grew stronger. “Now, we must gather the other Guardians as soon as possible. I believe it will require our combined powers to overcome the evil ones, the Hellhounds as my uncle named them. But there is a terrible possibility I am forced to raise.” She paused and took a deep breath as if reaching for courage to say what needed to be said.
Watching her, Michaela guessed what was coming and wished otherwise.
“I fear there may be a traitor among the Council members,” Lara said in a heavy tone. “It’s the only way the Hellhounds could learn about the scrolls and my uncle’s position as High Guardian, at least the only way I can think of. Perhaps it also explains how they located me in Ireland and Michaela in Galveston.”
“I’ve also come to the same unhappy conclusion,” Michaela said. The words left a bad taste in her mouth.
“Unhappy indeed.” Lara sighed and sat down. “And that means we need to discover who the traitor is. I’m afraid all we can do is find the others, tell them about Malcolm’s death and watch how each reacts. If any show the slightest hint of guilt, we must not let them know our location.” Smiling at Leon, Lara added, “I do not wish to bring evil to our kind host.”
“I thank you for that, Woman Who Wields Power,” the Navajo said in his deep voice.
Lara shook her head. “It is I and all of us here who thank you, Leon Tseda, for your hospitality.” She grinned. “Thank you also for such an august name. I am honored.”
“If I may,” Michaela said, “I can offer a sure way to discover who the traitor is. Before bringing a Guardian here, allow me to meet each one somewhere and read his or her thoughts.”
“No!” Dev barked. Seated next to her, he gripped her wrist and scowled. “You were almost killed once. I won’t let you put yourself in danger again.”
Patting his hand, she smiled reassuringly. “Easy, big fella. I don’t need to be in the same room with any of them. Whoever goes after each Guardian can stop with their charge at an agreed upon motel over night on the way here. I’ll be waiting in a nearby room. The subject of my mind probe won’t even know I’m there, although the person might experience a headache.”
“I still don’t like it. The traitor might have Hellhounds following. What if they pick up on what you’re doing?”
“Why don’t we hold off deciding on Michaela’s suggestion,” Lara broke in. “It’s a good one, but I agree with you, Dev, we should not endanger her unnecessarily. There may be other ways to test each Guardian’s loyalty. For now, Josie has agreed to go after Gabriel Valdez.”
The Navajo pilot nodded. “I have and I’m anxious to get going. Should be an adventure.”
“Humph! Please do not make it your last adventure, Daughter,” Leon said gruffly.
“Don’t worry, Pops, your little girl can take care of herself.” Laughing, Josie gave his arm a fist bump. Michaela and the others joined in her laughter.
“In the meantime,” Lara said, gently bringing them to order, “Conn and I plan to visit New York, where another Guardian currently lives. Her name is Charlotte Dixon.”
“Oh yes, she’s a nurse,” Michaela remarked. “I recall her saying at the last conclave that she’s caring for a handicapped child.”
“Good to know. I hope to find and bring her here without any Hellhound interference.”
“Provided she isn’t the traitor and doesn’t sic her conspirators on you,” Conn said ominously, suggesting he wasn’t crazy about the idea.
Lara sent him a playful smile. “I’m not worried. You’ll be there to protect me.”
Receiving a grim frown in return, she transferred her gaze to Michaela. “While we’re away, I’d like you and Dev to find out what you can about the other three Guardians. We didn’t get around to searching for them on the web, but I have their names and addresses. Which I am not supposed to divulge, but desperate times and all that.” She waved her hand, brushing the thought aside. “Two of the three are in this country, the third lives in France.”
“That would be Delilah Broussard. She’s some sort of banker, I think. She never talks much at the conclaves. I’ve always gotten the impression she resents having her valuable time taken up by her Guardian duties.”
Lara frowned. “Do you think she resents it enough to betray us?”
Michaela tipped her head to one side, considering. “Hard to say. She’s so tight-lipped, and I never tried reading her thoughts.”
“Well, whatever you and Dev can glean from the internet about her would be helpful.” Lara glanced around the table. “Unless someone has something more to discuss, I suggest we all get some rest. Tomorrow is time enough to undertake our various missions.”
No one argued with that. A short while later, Michaela lay next to Dev in the bedroom they’d been assigned. Sighing tiredly, she snuggled against him. He held her close, stroking her back without saying or doing anything else.
“You’re very quiet. Is something wrong?”
“Sorry.” He kissed her forehead. “I was just thinking over everything.”
“Mmm. It’s a lot to take in all at once. Lara impressed me, laying out the job ahead of us and the problems we face. When I first saw her at her initiation as Malcolm’s apprentice a few years ago, she seemed timid and unsure of herself, but now I think she’s going to make a strong High Guardian. I suspect your friend Conn gets the credit for building up her self-confidence.”
“You’re probably right. He’s crazy about her, I know.” After a moment, he said, “I had a talk with him earlier, right after we got here.”
“When you two stayed outside?”
“Yeah. I needed to clear up things between us.”
“About the explosion when you were burned, that you blame him for?”
“Yeah, how’d you guess?” He laughed dryly. “No need to explain. You started me thinking about who was really to blame for the accident. Exactly as you intended, admit it.”
She gave a one-shouldered shrug. “I only asked a few innocent questions.” She brushed strands of tawny hair from his brow.
He rubbed his cheek against the top of her head. “I’m glad you did. You made me see the truth. The accident was my fault, not Conn’s. I told him so today.”
Kissing his chest, she said, “That took a lot of courage. I’m proud of you.”
�
�Yeah, well, I’m not proud of myself. I cost a friend his life.”
“We both carry guilt, me for my Tara, you for that poor man, Ray. It’s something we’ll never escape but perhaps we can lighten each other’s burden. Maybe that’s why the Goddess brought us together.”
Dev placed a finger under her chin and gently tilted her head back. Gazing into her eyes, he smiled sweetly. “No maybe about it. I knew you were meant for me when I dreamed of you, my Golden Goddess.”
“And you for me,” she whispered just before his lips claimed hers in a kiss that promised forever.
CAPTURING GABRIEL
Romancing the Guardians, Book Three
By
Lyn Horner
The Book of Invasions (Lebor Gebála Érénn, c. 1150), in an early compilation, contains a poem saying the Tuatha Dé Danann came to Ireland in “flying ships” surrounded by “dark clouds.” When they landed on the Iron Mountain in County Leitrim, they “brought a darkness over the sun lasting three days.” And, “The truth is not known, beneath the sky of stars, Whether they were of heaven or earth.”
CHAPTER ONE
Josie Tseda shifted her aching backside. She wasn’t used to spending all day in the saddle, much less on a stiff-legged old mule. The animal constantly bounced her up and down as she followed her guide up a rough, zigzagging trail through the hills west of Cali, Colombia. She longed for her smooth-gaited mare, now in her father’s keeping back home in Canyon de Chelly, heart of the Navajo Nation in northeastern Arizona.
Surrounded by a hot, steamy jungle of tropical trees and undergrowth that plastered her clothes to her sweaty skin, she also wished for the dry climate of her people’s homeland. She mopped her damp cheeks with her shirt sleeve and laughed softly. Who was she kidding? Despite the discomforts, her wanderer’s soul loved exploring this lush green land. Of course she also had a mission to carry out.
Glancing over his shoulder, her young, tan-skinned Colombian guide hauled back on his reins and shouted, “Hurry, señorita. Is not safe for you here. You must keep up.”