Her Hero

by Aimée Thurlo

  “No, not at all, little mother,” Joshua said.

  She smiled slowly. “You’ve always had a sixth sense about people, haven’t you? But I hope you haven’t told Gabriel.”

  “No, that’s your news to give.”

  “Where is my husband? Will he be home soon?”

  “In a few hours. He went to talk to the mayor, who’s camped out at Deer Lake. He said he’d be calling you soon, but in the meantime, he asked us to stay here with you.”

  “Good,” Lanie said, placing her hand over her belly. “I worry more than usual lately.”

  They went inside to the kitchen, where Lanie served lemonade. “Have there been any new developments?”

  “A few, but nothing final,” Joshua answered.

  Lanie leaned back in her chair. “I’m really worried about you, Tree,” she said quietly. “And you, too, Nydia. I can see the way you feel about each other.”

  Nydia shook her head. “This isn’t like it was between you and Gabriel. When my business here is finished, I have a son to go back to.”

  “When I first arrived, I thought my leaving was inevitable, too. But love finds a way, not to mention Four Winds,” Lanie added with a smile.

  Although Nydia didn’t agree, Joshua noted that this time she wasn’t quite as willing to scoff. Perhaps she’d seen too much already, or perhaps the wish that things could be different colored her outlook.

  He thought of how much he’d changed, too. Through this tragedy, he’d found a new source of strength. Nydia’s unfailing support had given him courage and bolstered his confidence when he’d needed it most.

  Yet he was too much in tune with everything around him to discount the reality of Nydia’s situation. She had responsibilities on the reservation that couldn’t be altered. Her wish to have a modernist husband be the parent of her son, rather than one who’d accentuate a way of life she didn’t truly believe in, was something he could do nothing about. He could not change who and what he was, and he knew himself well enough to know he would not be able to stop himself from instructing her son if that was his wish. The boy’s interest in the Navajo Way was too precious to waste. As his gaze drifted over Nydia, a heaviness of spirit encompassed him.

  The loud ring of the phone interrupted his thoughts. Lanie leaped to her feet and picked up the receiver. “Hi, there,” she greeted gently, obviously knowing who it was before she even heard his voice.

  “Yes, they’re both here and-Gabriel?” She shouted his name into the phone.

  Her cry tore through Joshua. He felt her fear stab through him like a naked blade slicing his flesh. In a heartbeat, he and Nydia were by her side. Together, they reached out for her before she could fall.

  “What happened?” Joshua tried to take the phone from her hands, but Lanie wouldn’t relinquish it.

  “Gabriel!” She screamed his name.

  “Lanie, stop it!” Nydia’s voice cracked through the air, and somehow managed to reach Lanie. “We need to know what happened!”

  “There was this noise…an explosion, I think, then the phone went dead!”

  “He may have had a blowout and dropped the phone to regain control of his Jeep,” Nydia said, not at all convinced. A voice whispered one word in her mind over and over again like a chant. Destiny, destiny. She glanced at Joshua, and saw the fear shining in his eyes.

  “We’ve got to find him!” Lanie rushed to the door.

  “No, wait! He’ll probably try to contact us here. Someone’s got to stay at the house,” Nydia said.

  “I’m going over to his office and try to get him on the radio. That’ll be the quickest.”

  “I’m going with you,” Lanie said. “I’m the sheriffs wife. Who better to let you into his office when he’s not there? If you try to break in, someone might shoot and ask questions later.”

  “It makes sense, but it’ll be better if you just give us the keys. I know you’re scared, but think this through. If the sheriff is under attack, then we’re all in danger. Can you go stay with Marlee? You can take the cellular phone and have the calls routed to that in case the sheriff tries to contact you.”

  “I’d rather go with you,” Lanie said.

  Nydia glanced down at Lanie’s belly. “It’s your decision, but you’ve got another who needs you to stay safe.”

  Lanie nodded slowly. “All right. Here.” She tossed Nydia the keys.

  Joshua looked at Nydia. Every argument she’d used made perfect sense, but he was almost certain that she knew far more than she’d said. He couldn’t ask her about it now, however, not with his sister-in-law present. His own sense of urgency assured him clearly enough that the web of danger was tightening around them all with each passing second.

  NYDIA AND JOSHUA WENT down Main Street, alert for trouble. “I keep hearing one word, ‘destiny,’ being repeated over and over again in my mind,” she said.

  He took a long, deep breath. “I don’t think my brother’s dead. I…think…I would feel it…somehow, like I did with my father.” Despite his hopeful words, despair as black as the darkest night slammed into him. His father was dead; now his brother’s fate was in question.

  Nydia placed her hand on his arm. “We’ll see this through together. Our enemy won’t win.”

  The warmth and gentleness of her touch wove a path to his heart, strengthening him. He would not lose hope. He would concede his enemy nothing except the one death he’d already caused. “You’re right. We’re still in the middle of this battle. If anything, we have to fight all the harder now.”

  They reached the sheriffs office and, using Lanie’s key, quickly made their way inside to the dispatcher’s room. As was routine office procedure at night, the dispatcher handled calls from a unit in her home.

  Joshua clicked on the two-way radio, appraised the dispatcher, then tried to reach Gabriel. Only a burst of static came through. He tried changing frequencies, but to no avail.

  “All this means is that his radio isn’t working, either, or is turned off,” Nydia said, more unconvinced than ever. Closing her eyes, she visualized the blanket, but nothing came except for the one-word litany. She shook free of its hold.

  “I’m calling Shadow,” he said.

  Joshua switched frequencies, and this time the transition was smooth.

  “Shadow, we’ve got trouble.” Joshua gave his brother an encapsulated version of the events. “I know Gabriel’s somewhere around the lake, but not the exact location. Where are you now? Can you stop by and check things out?”

  “I’m on my way back to town, still about a half hour or so away. I was called out on an emergency, but it turned out to be a hoax. I’ll contact the state police and ask for their help in locating Fuzz. But it sure looks like someone wanted us both out of town.”

  Lucas’s words filled Nydia with dread. Someone had gone to a great deal of trouble to isolate Joshua and her. A fight was at hand, and this time, they’d either win or die. She felt it in her bones, though the inner voice was curiously silent now.

  She looked at Joshua, who was staring pensively across the room. Once before, she’d fallen in love, but Death had taken that man from her. Destiny. The word echoed in her mind. Perhaps destiny would once again demand she face the loss of the man she loved. The thought made her tremble. She shoved her hands in her pockets, afraid he’d sense her fear. She wouldn’t undermine him that way. He needed all his strength now, and so did she.

  Joshua’s gaze was filled with love as it swept over her. “Don’t be afraid, sawe. There’s no reason to believe fate won’t bring us exactly what we’ve searched for, my father’s killer.”

  She nodded, not trusting her voice. Her most cherished dream, that which she’d kept hidden deep within her, and oftentimes even from herself, had little to do with finding a killer. It had everything to do with love.

  Hearing a noise at the back door, he quickly turned off the lights. “Hide,” he whispered.

  Easy for her, she thought, but where did a man Joshua’s size hide? She
had her answer a moment later when she caught a glimpse of him ducking into the next room, and flattening his back against the wall.

  A moment later, the door opened. In the light from the rear doorway, she saw Lanie and Marlee come inside.

  Nydia felt her heart start beating again, and she came out from beneath the desk. “What on earth are you two doing here?” There was something in Lanie’s eyes when she turned to look at her that made Nydia’s blood turn to ice. “What’s wrong?”

  “I kept the cellular with me, in case Gabriel called back. Right after you left, it rang. Your mother-in-law tracked me down through the operator. She wanted you to know right away that your son is missing.”

  “Missing?” Nydia repeated, her voice sinking. “That’s impossible. He wouldn’t have left his grandfather’s side.”

  “Your mother-in-law believes he took the bus, and is on his way here to find you.”

  Chapter Nineteen

  Nydia felt as if the air had suddenly been taken out of the room. She clutched the back of a chair for support. “She must be mistaken. He’d never do that.”

  “What if he thought you’d asked him to?” Lanie said, her eyes filled with compassion. “Your mother-in-law found a note from you on his desk. She said that she discovered it by accident. She wouldn’t have noticed his absence until school let out if she hadn’t decided to clean his room.”

  “But I sent no note.” Nydia struggled to clear her mind. This made no sense.

  “Someone has lured him here,” Joshua said softly, standing close beside her. “But if he’s on the bus, we can make sure we’re there to meet him. You can bet that he won’t be getting off at an earlier stop. And the person who sent for your son will be there, too. He’s embroiled in what’s going on here, and won’t be leaving town, not now, when everything’s at a critical point.”

  “I guess,” Nydia answered, unsure of everything. “I just can’t think straight! All I know is that John’s in danger!”

  Joshua placed a hand on her shoulder. “Nothing will happen to your son,” he said, then looked back at Lanie and Marlee. “When’s the next bus due?”

  “I’m not sure when exactly. I’ll find out, but I’m sure we have some time. It always comes into town late at night,” Lanie answered as Marlee went to stand by the window to keep watch. “But there’s more trouble brewing. I saw Mayor Burns as we drove in. He was with an angry group of people that included Darren Wilson. They didn’t look too interested in upholding the law, and they were heading this way. I have a feeling that group with the mayor plans to take advantage of my husband’s absence. You two need to get away from here.” She took a deep breath and steadied herself. “Have you located Gabriel yet?”

  “No,” Joshua answered gently. “But we will. Shadow said he’s calling in the state police to help.”

  “I have to meet that bus as soon as it comes into town and preempt whoever lured John here,” Nydia said. “How can I find the bus schedule?”

  “I’ll take care of that for you.” Lanie handed her the cellular. “Here. Take my phone. As long as you’re not in the mountains, it’ll work. While you search for Gabnel for me, I’ll get the bus schedule and the information to you.”

  “My son is my priority,” Nydia said. “I’ll-”

  Seeing the mayor’s group approach, Marlee called out a warning. “They’re coming. You better get going.”

  “I’ll be there for John. Find Gabriel!” Lanie said. “I’ll see what I can do about dispersing the crowd outside.”

  Joshua and Nydia hurried to the truck and got under way, but at the mouth of the alley, Joshua slowed to a stop.

  “Why are you waiting?” Nydia asked impatiently.

  He held a hand to his lips. “Listen. You can make out some of the conversation. Maybe one of them knows something about your son. I’m going in closer,” he said, getting out. “Keep the motor running.”

  She rolled down the window and listened carefully. She could make out the mayor’s voice. “The state police were on the sheriff’s frequency when it happened. Apparently, the sheriff was trying to locate me, and asked for their help since they were in the area. I can tell you this, the tape recording of the radio transmission I heard leaves no room for doubt. Gabriel Blackhorse was ambushed by his brother, the medicine man. The sheriff tried to protect him, blinded by family loyalty, but this just proves how wrong he was to do that. We suspect the sheriff is dead, though we haven’t located the body. In the meantime, the state police have issued a warrant for Joshua Blackhorse.”

  Her heart sank. Someone had obviously faked a tape recording. Joshua’s chance against this angry mob, particularly without the backing of his brothers, was slim. Fear shot through her. She wouldn’t lose him, not this way. She placed the truck in gear, ready for a fast getaway.

  “Let’s go find Joshua ourselves,” Darren Wilson said. “He can’t hide from us. We know this town as well as he does.”

  “We have to do this right,” the mayor argued. “This tape is damning evidence, that’s true, but it isn’t conclusive.”

  “Come on, Mayor,” someone else she didn’t recognize chimed in. “I heard that tape, too. The sheriff named his brother as the person attacking him. Then the static cleared, and there was only silence. Maybe Joshua planted another bomb, and this time it did its job.”

  “I say we go after him,” Darren pressed. “Justice, Four Winds style, is just what’s needed.”

  As voices were raised, she was relieved to see Joshua jogging back to the truck. Then, suddenly, a gunshot rang out, then another in rapid succession.

  Nydia pressed down on the accelerator, and pulled up beside Joshua. In a heartbeat, they were on their way.

  “They’ll come after us,” he said. “They’ve got some trumped-up evidence against me.”

  A shot whizzed between them, putting a hole the windshield and spraying glass shards into the cab.

  “Hang a right, fast.”

  They entered a narrow alley leading from Main to a residential street. “We can’t outrace them in this truck, so let’s leave it among the ones in that man’s yard just ahead. I know a better way to lose the men after us.”

  As they drove down the alley toward the residential area, a truck screeched to a stop in front of them, blocking their exit.

  Joshua reached into his medicine pouch, ready to use the only defense he had. Then he saw Ralph lean out the driver’s-side window. “My truck looks like yours,” he shouted. “I’ll lead them away from you. Head for the library. Jake will help you there.”

  Leaving his truck in the alley, Joshua took Nydia’s hand and raced toward the library. “We have to cut across this empty lot. It’s open ground, so once we reach it, there’s no slowing down. You ready?”

  She nodded. There were few things that fostered speed as much as being shot at. “No problem.”

  They were halfway across when someone spotted them. Angry shouts rose in the air.

  “They’ve seen us!” Joshua said, releasing her hand. “Keep going. I’ll create a diversion.” There was no time for her to protest as Joshua ran around the large elm that stood in the center of the lot. His song rose strong, and out of nowhere, a cloud of smoke filled the air. As she raced for the library, smoke engulfed everything around her.

  Even after the chant was finished, Nydia felt its power reverberating in the air. Through the haze, she could make out the library just ahead. There were shots being fired in the distance, but nothing seemed real except the anger in the voices around them.

  “Don’t slow down!” Joshua warned, suddenly right behind her. “They’re closer than they seem!”

  The smoke was clearing, and they had to reach the library before it dispersed and they were caught in the open. As she turned her head to glance back at Joshua, she caught a flicker of movement to her left.

  “Look out!” Her warning came at the same instant that Joshua pushed her down. A shot rang out.

  They tumbled to the ground together, bu
t Joshua’s arms were secure about her as he rolled with her out of the line of fire.

  “Stay down!” he said, his voice strangely unsteady.

  As he pulled away, she saw the blood that covered her sleeve. Aware of no pain, she suddenly realized that it wasn’t she who was injured. With a gasp, she saw the hole on the side of Joshua’s shirt and the blood that was quickly soaking downward from that hole.

  The pain in his eyes tore through her like talons squeezing her heart. Nydia placed her arm around him. “The library’s just ahead. Let’s go.”

  “No. You go. Unless I distract them, you won’t make it.”

  “We’ll go together,” she said stubbornly. “That’s how we started this, and that’s how we’ll finish it.”

  Joshua didn’t lean hard on her, but even taking some of his weight was difficult. Reaching inside herself, Nydia drew from a wellspring of courage and determination she hadn’t known she possessed.

  When they reached the library doors, a figure suddenly emerged from the shadows, shotgun in hand. Voiceless with fear, Nydia stopped in her tracks.

  “It’s me,” Jake said quickly. “I heard what was happening, and grabbed my shotgun.”

  Jake saw the blood seeping down Joshua’s side. “Can you make it?”

  “Yes.”

  His voice was full of determination, and Nydia’s heart filled with love and pride for everything he was and stood for. He had been willing to sacrifice his life for hers, but he was not through fighting yet.

  As they staggered through the front doors of the library, Jake released his hold on Joshua. “I need to barricade the entrances and windows. Hang tight. I’ll be right back.”

  “We’re outgunned and outnumbered,” Joshua said, looking at Nydia. “I won’t let you or Jake come to any harm because of me.”

  “No. Jake made his choice to back you, like I did.” The thought of selling Joshua out was as repugnant to her as the actions of the vigilantes outside.

  “You have a son who needs you alive.”

  “I won’t make a choice like that. I…can’t.”