Wind Dancer set the boy down even though he clung to his neck.
“No. No. The monster get me.”
“Little one, I am here. Together we will protect you.”
“Hold me,” the little one sobbed.
Jacque kneeled next to him. “I can carry you. How will that be?” Liam wiped at his tears. “Wind Dancer needs to carry the lady. We’ll take the dog with us, too.” By now, the dog had taken a position of obedience next to the Pawnee. Jacque stood and reached down for the boy who eased into his embrace. He patted the child’s shoulders and gave him a hug. “Now you be on the lookout for our helpers who are coming. It’s going to rain soon, and we have to hurry.”
Perez grabbed the extra backpack so Jacque could carry the boy on his shoulders. The little guy smiled and removed Jacque’s ballcap to place on his own head. Jacque pretended to protest and was rewarded with a giggle.
“We should get going,” she said as the wind gusts picked up again.
Wind Dancer bent down and easily scooped up Tonya, who moaned slightly. He followed the other two. The bloodhound would often lunge ahead for ten feet, freeze as if he thought better of the idea, and return to Wind Dancer’s side.
Thunder rumbled across an ever-increasing darkened sky. Trying to cross the stream with a kid on his back took careful maneuvering since the river had risen enough to cause the current to accelerate. Although the water still ran clear, a haze clouded it as they exited on the opposite side. Perez appeared a little concerned as she kept checking the sky and cocking her head, as if listening for the unexpected.
“Are we good? Keep going?” he asked as Wind Dancer waited, poised much like a stoic statue at the Museum of Art in Chicago. The dog had run ahead again, and Jacque couldn’t help but wonder if he might be keeping an eye on things for them.
“We have to pick up the pace. The river is rising, and I don’t want to get caught in any low areas. Most of the trail is high enough, but you remember where I nearly fell off? The water tunnels through there like a beast when there’s a flash flood. Rocks fall, trail gets slippery—well, you get the picture,” Perez warned as the first rain moved in, slow at first, followed by quick bursts of downpours.
Jacque strained to walk without hunching. When they got to the narrowed path where Perez had nearly met with an accident, the sky opened up and soaked them in a matter of minutes. They continued to press on carefully, with Wind Dancer taking slower steps than the others. He stopped to check on him, and the Pawnee nodded he was okay. In that moment, he wondered if his friend wasn’t part mountain goat considering how sure-footed he walked carrying an injured woman who must be at least one hundred twenty pounds.
The trail widened enough for him not to fear if he slipped, he wouldn’t fall to a rocky and watery death below. A rock overhang appeared with Perez motioning for them to join her. Jacque was happy to take a break and stretch when he lowered Liam to the ground. He turned to make sure Wind Dancer made it to the overhang. Deep inside, he’d hoped the Pawnee would appear exhausted and stumble to the protective cover. But he moved in like he’d been carrying a picnic basket and once more adjusted his hold on Tonya. He laid her on a flat rock the size of a table, up under the overhang.
Perez quickly checked on her and tried to move soaked hair away from her face. “Wind Dancer, where did you find her?” Her tone hinted at an accusation.
Wind Dancer appeared to pick up on distrust and shifted his gaze between her and Jacque.
“Back there.” He raised his stubborn chin to the area where they had just escaped. “Woods.”
“And the boy?” she snapped.
This time the Pawnee forced his lips together so hard, they pooched out as his eyes narrowed. “He was lost.”
The little guy moved to stand next to the Pawnee. “I go with Wind Dancer,” he beamed. “He said to come with him.”
Jacque felt like his hard swallow resembled a clap of thunder. The Pawnee was about to incriminate himself.
“Liam, are you saying Wind Dancer led you into the woods?” Perez bent down to be eye to eye with the child.
He nodded vigorously. “Yep. He said ‘let’s go’. It was dark. I scared. But he say he would keep the monsters away.”
The Pawnee laid a hand on the boy’s head, but Perez smacked it away and leveled a menacing expression that could crush stone. “Don’t you touch him,” she snapped.
The bloodhound let loose a growl from deep inside and bared his teeth at Perez, forcing her to step away. Wind Dancer spoke to the dog, and it withdrew, only to observe another distraction down the trail then his new master. The Pawnee jerked his head up and followed the dog’s line of sight down the trail.
“We have trouble,” he announced, picking up the boy and placing him up with Tonya. “The dog say we are in danger.”
Both Perez and Jacque leaned out to try and comprehend why the dog acted peculiar. A dark shape meandered onto the trail, blocking any means of escape.
Chapter 13
Cleo jerked on the door handle, as if by doing so would force it open. At the same time, she peered over the roof of the car to the other side to see who stood watching. There was no one there. In that moment a hand touched her elbow, causing a scream to escape.
The person jumped away and nearly fell.
It was the girl from the coffee shop.
“Lady, I’m sorry,” she said, laying a hand on her heart. Apparently, she’d scared the girl half to death. “I saw you slip and fall, so I rushed over to help.” Timidly, she reached out and dusted gravel and twigs from her denim shirt. She lifted a finger at Cleo’s hair. “You got a dead moth in your bangs.” Gently, she reached up and removed it.
“Oh,” Cleo said in astonishment. “I thought—” She waved the image of an ax murderer away. The whole weirdness of the inn had haunted her ever since she’d left. “Never mind.” She slowly turned around to spot the girl’s car. “How did you get here? I’m sorry. What’s your name?”
“Abby. And my car ran out of gas down the road. My dad is a ranger here. He’s not going to be happy I did this again,” she moaned. “He told me two days ago to fill up.” She put her hands on her hips and smiled. “Something wrong with your car?”
Relief washed over her. “I’m Cleo by the way. I had it worked on yesterday, but it’s still not right. Then I locked my keys in the car. I tried to call a friend who is camped in Kewa, but I’m not sure he understood I was broke down.”
“Kewa? It’s hit or miss with cell phones there. If a storm came up, it might interfere.”
Cleo shaded her eyes from the bright-blue sky. “Clear here.”
“Those mountain storms pop up all the time. I hear there’s a lot going on over there, too. Little boy got lost and a search and rescue worker is also missing. Why, even one of their dogs disappeared.” She shivered. “Spooky stuff always happens in that park.”
“Like what?”
“A hiker was found dead. No cause of death, they say.” She shrugged. “Probably drugs or something. Of course, that place is full of Indian spooks and legends. Superstition is all. But around here, we try to be respectful of those things.” She giggled. “Sure is fun around Halloween though.”
“I bet. Don’t plan to be here then.” Cleo noticed the girl’s pink tennis shoes then jerked her head up, wide-eyed, at the girl. “Where’s your cowboy boots?”
Abby looked down at her feet in surprise then at her. “Cowboy boots? I don’t even own a pair of cowboy boots.”
~ ~ ~ ~
Both Jacque and Perez ducked under the overhang but not before the large black bear spotted them. His guttural noise made the hair stand up on Jacque’s neck. Perez pulled her weapon.
“Not shoot bear,” Wind Dancer warned. “It belongs here. We do not.”
“I don’t want that bear to decide we are intruders and force us over the edge. See that river? It’s rising. And if we don’t get moving in the next few minutes, the low areas will be covered and we’ll be trapped. I only p
lan to scare it away.”
Wind Dancer turned to Jacque. “Do you want me to talk to the bear, buddy?”
“Yes. Make it snappy.” Wind Dancer nodded, paused, then gave a thumbs-up, followed by a grin. He edged out onto the path and was immediately soaked from the pelting rain.
Perez’s bewildered expression intensified when the Pawnee approached the bear with an abundance of caution. “Are you nuts?” she whispered to Jacque from the corner of her mouth. “He’s going to make me shoot that bear.”
The bear tossed its head in irritation before it stood up on its hind legs. Wind Dancer outstretched his arms and bowed his head then took a step closer to the bear as it dropped down to all fours again.
“What the hell is he doing?” she mumbled.
“Watch and be amazed,” he said as the bloodhound leaned against him.
The bear came so close to the Pawnee that he reached his hand out for it to sniff then laid it gently on the bear’s head. He appeared to be speaking to the bear and turned once to show where they hid. In seconds, the bear bellowed, turned away, and lumbered down the trail then into the woods along the ridge.
When Wind Dancer joined them under the overhang, the rain slacked enough to venture out again. Perez eyeballed him with more respect this time as Jacque slapped him across the chest.
“Thanks.”
“That was—amazing.” Perez’s eyes were wide with admiration, but her forehead pinched in disbelief. “What did you do? Say?”
Wind Dancer lifted Tonya in his arms to start the last leg of their hike and frowned down at the petite police chief. “I told bear about Liam being lost and we were trying to take him to his mother. Her cubs were nearby, and she felt we posed danger. When I explained about the boy, she understood. I said that the woman was injured because she tried to protect him.”
Jacque lifted the boy to his shoulders after fishing out a poncho from the backpack to cover him. Perez slipped out and started down the path after he handed her both packs. He helped Wind Dancer place his wet jacket over Tonya. At least it would help a little.
“Did the bear really have cubs nearby?”
Wind Dancer adjusted the woman in his arms and smiled at his friend. “No. It was a hungry male. I asked with respect to let us pass. I tell lie to the angry police woman. The story was good?”
A laugh spilled out before he could stop himself as he stepped out in the rain. “Very good. Let’s get these two out of the rain and to camp.”
The Pawnee nodded and followed his friend.
By the time they came into view of the lake where their camp was located, a half dozen first responders met them on the trail, carrying medical supplies and basic equipment. Tonya was placed on a stretcher and given a quick once-over before they hustled away. The boy wouldn’t turn Jacque loose, but the bloodhound followed his master to the section of the trail that circled the lake.
Liam’s parents could be spotted running along the water’s edge in front of Jacque and Wind Dancer’s camp. Their calls of relief and encouragement echoed across the water as the sun broke through the clouds and sent ribbons of bright light to sparkle against the waves that rippled out from where the boy tossed a stone he’d picked up at the overhang.
When they neared camp, the Kendals were waiting with tears streaming down their faces. The father pulled the boy into his arms and hugged him so tight, Jacque wondered if the boy could breathe. The mother surrounded both of them with her arms and sobbed into the little boy’s neck, which, of course, scared him.
“What wrong, Mommy?” He patted her head.
“Nothing, baby. Mommy is so glad to see you.”
“I am glad to see you, too.” He smiled like a little angel.
The mother turned to Jacque and Wind Dancer and hugged each of them. “Thank you. Thank you for bringing back my baby.” She laughed through her tears.
One of the first responders joined them. “We should take Liam to the hospital for doctors to check him out. He can ride up front with the driver. Tonya will be in the rear. There’s a helicopter waiting at the entrance of the park for her. Liam can take her place once that is taken care of. That okay with you, little guy?” he said then focused on the mother. “You’ll be able to get in there with him.”
“Use siren?” Liam’s eyes widened in anticipation.
The first responder lifted him from his father’s arms. “Sure. I’ll let you turn it on until we put Tonya on the helicopter. Okay?”
The child clapped his hands and went to the stranger. “Yay! Let’s go.”
“You folks follow me up. Tonya is going to Santa Fe. Bigger hospital there. We’ll be taking Liam to the one in Sunset Rock. If he needs more attention, then we’ll deal with that. Might be staying overnight, so if you need to pack a bag, do it quick.”
Ellie leaned in and kissed her son. He snaked out an arm to pull her in for a hug. “Love you, Mommy.”
This brought another round of tears. “Love you, too, big guy. Proud of you.”
He wiggled free of the first responder and ran to Wind Dancer who caught him up in his arms. “You brave warrior, Liam.”
When he placed him on the ground, he reached over and hugged Jacque’s legs. Jacque felt a strange emotion well up inside him as he laid a hand on the child’s head. “If you want to see that helicopter, you better go, Liam.”
In seconds, the little guy was being buckled into the passenger side of the ambulance.
Since the Kendals’ car was too damaged to drive, Jacque offered to drive them. While they ran to the tent to pack a few things, Perez turned to him, jamming her finger into his chest like a loaded gun.
“I want you two at headquarters after you drop the parents off.” She shifted her attention to Wind Dancer and eyed him top to bottom then snarled. “Don’t think because you scared that bear off, I’m impressed with you.”
Wind Dancer straightened his shoulders as his one eyebrow arched in a controlled slow burn. “Don’t think because you carry a badge and a gun, I am afraid of you.” He took a threatening step toward her, causing Jacque to wedge himself between them. Gently, he nudged Wind Dancer to the side. He knew full well the strength the Pawnee possessed since he’d crossed over through a parallel universe, could easily send him flying into the air, without much effort. His senses, strength, and physical abilities had skyrocketed because of it. Jacque reminded himself the Pawnee was like a toddler in charge of the launch codes to World War III.
“Let’s take a breath,” Jacque said, turning to Perez. “We’re all tired. Let me take these folks to the hospital, and we’ll swing by to talk. But honestly, I’m beat. I need a shower, hot food, and about ten hours of sleep. I know you gotta feel the same way.”
Perez tried to stifle a yawn as she nodded. “Okay. I’m running on fumes.” She offered a weak grin on one corner of her mouth. “Tell you what. Let me buy you lunch, and we’ll have a friendly conversation.”
“Deal,” he said extending his hand.
She eyed it a few seconds then gripped it.
When she walked away, Wind Dancer shoved him, causing him to stumble. He jerked around, feeling anger at his friend. “What the hell, Wind Dancer? You nearly knocked me into what’s left of the campfire.”
“I do nothing wrong. She wants to put me in jail. That would be a mistake,” he warned.
Jacque could only imagine what would happen if Wind Dancer was forced to do something he didn’t want to do. This would be a slippery slope. Maybe they could talk about what really happened after they got the Kendals to the hospital. Before he had time to run that suggestion by his friend, the anxious parents hustled to join them.
With the passengers tucked in their seats, Jacque carried the bags to toss in the rear of the SUV. When he started to open the hatch, Wind Dancer grabbed his arm.
“Jacque?” He lifted his chin toward the woods then the lake. “The bear say one more in danger.”
Chapter 14
Cleo second-guessed herself about seeing a pair
of cowboy boots on the other side of the car, even as she walked around to inspect the area. Nothing indicated anyone else had been there. There wasn’t much room between the car and where the thick brush grew.
“Are you sure you didn’t see someone standing next to the car when you walked up?” Cleo retraced her steps carefully, continuing to examine the ground in case she missed something. When Abby didn’t answer, she found her scrolling through her phone. Clearing her throat for the teen’s attention, Abby casually glanced away from the screen.
“What? Oh no. Didn’t see a thing.” Her carefree laugh spoke volumes. “Nearly missed you. I guess I was on my phone. This guy from school started texting me and well”—she sighed then rolled her eyes skyward—“he is so dope.”
“Dope? He’s dumb or on drugs?” Cleo realized an asteroid the size of a school bus could have crashed behind her, and the response would be similar.
Another lighthearted laugh. “No. Oh, I forgot you’re older.” When Cleo could feel her face contort into a frown, the girl backtracked. “Not that you look old or anything. That means cool or awesome. No offense by the way. I mean you don’t look old or anything. Really,” she insisted.
“Gee. Thanks.” This was one of those times she wanted to reenact a dance she’d learned as a child at the Field Museum of Chicago, from an obscure tribe, and turn the girl into a poison dart frog and make her bite herself. Or maybe a voodoo doll would work. She remembered a few curses and inwardly chanted it over and over until the girl broke her concentration on the phone.
“Let’s go find my dad. He should be at the check-in hut. It isn’t far.”
“Why don’t we just call the garage in town? I think I remember seeing a tow truck parked there. I’ve got AAA. I’ll have him bring you a gallon of gas, and your dad will never know.” She felt badly about trying to deceive the girl’s dad.
Dark Side of Noon (Wind Dancer Book 2) Page 9