Enemy Way

by Aimée

  “Okay, I’ll look this over, then I want you to send me a copy of this tomorrow morning. I strongly advise you not to approach any of the Bekis family, not physically, not on the phone, and not in writing, for any reason. They could very easily make up another story. If they approach you, tell them to talk to me, then don’t say another word. Needless to say, don’t touch them physically either.”

  “I won’t go near any of them,” she agreed. But if there was something else she could do to bring out the truth, she’d do that. Kevin didn’t need to hear that now, though.

  Kevin remained for dinner, and went through her notes again and again, questioning and asking for clarification on every aspect of her confrontation at the hospital. He was harder on her than any opposition attorney would have been, but she couldn’t fault him for doing his job.

  By the time he left, it was close to eleven, and Ella was exhausted. She looked at the phone, wishing she’d at least called the doctor to get his latest take on her mother’s condition. Right now, the switchboard would be closed, and her mother would be asleep, hopefully. She’d stop by tomorrow morning early, she promised herself.

  “Come on, Two. You can sleep in bed with me tonight. It’s cold out there, and I need a friend.” Sleep never came easily unless she was exhausted. In the back of her mind there was always that fear of what her dreams might become, tonight especially.

  During her waking hours she didn’t have to think about the hatred and wasted dreams of Navajo children who had fallen victim to the influence or violence of a gang, and of mothers who had seen the destruction of their children’s innocence. The thought that she or another cop might be faced with the choice of killing one kid to save another wasn’t something she dwelled upon. The responsibilities of the moment were enough to handle.

  But at night, the decisions she might have to make as a cop tormented her. Serving justice had little to do with the nightmares of a cop.

  Two’s choices were much simpler than hers. The dog followed Ella through the house, his toenails clicking against the hardwood floor.

  Ella undressed and crawled into bed, glad to have the mutt lying beside her feet. His comforting weight even kept her toes warm.

  She wasn’t sure how much time had passed when a low sound crept through the haze of bloody images her dream had become. The persistent rumbling reached her, nudging her senses. Ella stirred, and came fully awake as the sound intensified. As she pushed the nightmare away and opened her eyes, she realized that Two was growling. The menacing response from the normally quite gentle dog surprised Ella.

  She sat up and listened, hearing the sound of a car engine. Whatever it was had to be right out in the yard. Two’s ears were pricked forward and his lips curled away from his teeth in a snarl. It was a lethal warning if she’d ever heard one.

  Grabbing her pistol, Ella eased over to the window and peeked outside, listening. Suddenly the glass exploded and a hail of gunfire sent her diving to the floor.

  EIGHT

  Ella lay with her stomach pressed to the floor as the wall shook, ripped apart by a rain of bullets. Stucco and glass rained down on her as she pushed Two beneath the bed.

  Her heart was racing, adrenalin making her senses painfully sharp. She didn’t know how many gunmen were outside, but there were enough to make it impossible for her to avoid the barrage that was systematically destroying her bedroom. The blinds twanged as bullets passed through them, slamming against the opposite wall. More glass fragments rained onto the windowsill, then fell onto the floor, making it difficult to move without cutting her skin to ribbons.

  Then the shelf holding her shooting trophies lost a bracket, and the contents fell to the floor with a crash.

  As abruptly as the shooting had begun, it stopped and she heard two or more vehicles bouncing away at high speed down the dirt road. The silence that followed was almost as nerve-wracking as the chaos that had preceded it.

  Ella checked Two. He was still angry, but he was uninjured. He stayed right beside her as she made her way to the phone. It still had a dial tone, she discovered with relief, so she didn’t have to pick up the cell phone, which was recharging, or try to go outside and use the Jeep’s radio.

  An officer-needs-help call usually elicited a lightning fast response. Though on the Rez distances between patrol areas were great, she didn’t have long to wait before Michael Cloud, his brother Philip, and two other Tribal Police units arrived almost simultaneously. The crime-scene van and Justine Goodluck’s patrol car were just seconds behind them.

  Ella stood on the porch, Two by her side. She hadn’t turned on any of the lights, and had only checked the inside of the house, not the yard. The dog had never left her sight. She placed one hand on his collar, grasping it as the officers came up.

  “Did you see any suspicious vehicles on the highway on your way here?” she asked Michael, who was the first to come up.

  “The road’s almost empty, like it normally is at one in the morning,” he said. “But Philip and I studied the vehicle tracks leading out of here as we came up. You had at least three vehicles visit you, one most likely a pickup. Did you manage to make any IDs?”

  She shook her head. “I couldn’t. The gunfire kept me pinned. It was pretty intense for a while.”

  He nodded. “The wall around that window looks like a sieve. Is that where you were?”

  “Yes. It’s my bedroom. They must have been watching and noticed that’s where the last light was turned off. There were no automatic weapons I could detect, but they must have fired sixty or seventy rounds in all, large and small caliber. Only a few rounds went below window level, though, so I guess all they wanted to do was send me a message.”

  Michael Cloud glanced at Tache and Ute, who were already working the scene, taking photos of tracks and gathering up the shell casings they’d found outside. “To me, it looks like a gangbangers’ drive-by shooting,” Cloud said. “There are casings from at least three different caliber weapons here, even twenty-twos.”

  Justine approached, flashlight in hand. “Look at the side of Ella’s Jeep,” she pointed the light toward three foot high red spray-painted markings. “At least they didn’t fill it full of holes, too.”

  Ella groaned. “Not again. That’s the Many Devil’s tag. You can still smell the paint. Get a photo or two of that, and I’ll see how much I can rub off before it sets in. I don’t want to drive into Shiprock tomorrow giving those punks a free ad.” She glanced at her watch. “Did I say tomorrow? I should have said today.” She looked at the others. “The rest of you should just go get some sleep.”

  “I’ll stick around, just in case they come back,” Cloud said.

  Ella shook her head. “You’re working graveyard right?” Seeing Michael nod, she added. “Just make a pass by here every once in a while at random intervals. I really doubt they’ll return anytime soon.” She smiled grimly, then added, “They probably need more ammunition.”

  * * *

  It was still early when Ella woke. After successfully removing the paint, thanks to the protective undercoating so recently applied, she’d slept with Two on the living room couch. In the center of the house there were no bullet holes in any of the walls and, more importantly, it was where she felt safest.

  Ella was in the kitchen placing a slice of cheese between two halves of a tortilla when she heard someone at the front door. Ella peered out the window cautiously and saw her brother’s truck.

  Clifford came into the kitchen. “I came because I was angry with you for not visiting more with Mom yesterday, but I can see you’ve had your hands full. What in the heck happened here? Your bedroom must be a wreck. Were you injured?”

  “Nah, I’m fine. How’s Mom?”

  “Disappointed that you didn’t come back to see her when she was awake.”

  “I really couldn’t help it,” she answered, feeling guilty. “Things have been crazy and it never ends. Look around you. I went to bed exhausted, but then had a very rude awakening. This
was meant as a show of force from one of the gangs. And it worked, they’ve got my attention.”

  “I’d say they were trying to kill you.”

  She shook her head. “Look closer. All the shots came through waist high and above, and the sound of the cars gave me a few seconds warning. All Two and I had to do was flatten until it was over. The window was the target, not me, though I’m sure no one would have gone into mourning if I’d taken a round or two,” she said, and recounted the events.

  “I don’t like this. Are we dealing with a youth gang, or hardened criminals? We can’t take them all on at once.” Clifford asked.

  “We’ve done it before, against adults.”

  “But look at all the firepower, Sister. Are you sure it wasn’t someone like those Anglo bigots, The Brotherhood? They’ve tried to kill you more than once, and might just want to pin the blame on other Navajos. It would fit their concept of justice.”

  “I suppose it could happen. I’ll ask around discreetly and see if anybody knows what they’ve been up to lately. Maybe they have something in the works,” Ella said, then shrugged. “At least Mom wasn’t here last night.”

  “But she’ll hear about this soon, if she hasn’t already. If it wasn’t The Brotherhood shooting at you, do you have any idea who else it could have been?”

  “From the gang tag they left on my car, which could of course been left by anyone, it suggests the Many Devils. They sure have a reason to retaliate against me after we jailed three of them for stealing from parked cars. We also have another ready to go to court with a handful of driving offenses. At least one of them, Thomas Bileen, was also involved in terrorizing the Peshlakai woman and throwing a baseball bat at my windshield.”

  “Your assistant’s cousin? Mom will be really depressed when she learns about that. This Navajo gang flare-up is just another example of what the white world has given our children and what’s happening to us as a people.”

  Ella slumped down in her seat. “Can you break the news to her? It would probably be better coming from you.”

  “You’re not going to the hospital this morning?”

  “Not right away. First I have to find someone to come and check the utilities and repair the house. I also want them to measure and see what needs to be done to accommodate a wheelchair, just in case. Then I have to go to work.”

  He nodded slowly. “Okay. I’ll see Mother. But take care of yourself, and make time to get to the hospital sometime today. I can only drop by myself. I have a patient of my own. Mom worries when you can’t come by more often, though she did appreciate the note and the herbs yesterday. I know how you get when you’re on a case. Time seems to slip right past you.”

  “All right,” Ella said at last. “Tell you what. I’ll stop by this morning on my way in, and I’ll stay as long as I can manage. I promise.”

  “Good,” was Clifford’s only response.

  Ella stared across the kitchen for a while after her brother left. Clifford was right. Her work, for years, had become her center, a focus for all of her attention and dedication. And now, it seemed more like an ungrateful lover than anything else, demanding more than she could possibly give.

  After calling a handyman, a Navajo man who’d done several repair jobs at the police station, Ella fed Two, and let him outside. Then she got a brainstorm and went back inside.

  Five minutes later, she had Carolyn Roanhorse on the phone. Fortunately it was still early enough that Carolyn hadn’t left for work either. “My brother made me feel guilty this morning, so I think it’s time for me to do something for Mom. She needs me now, and I can’t let her down. How do you feel about sneaking Two into the hospital this morning?”

  “You know, I think it’s a great idea. We all need a break, something to make us feel young.” Carolyn said. “It’s been a long time since I pulled a stunt like this.”

  “Me, too,” Ella said, then chuckled. “And I’ve worked out a great plan. All I need is for you to fill in the details.”

  * * *

  Two was on the front porch looking for a spot of sunlight when Ella went to get him. A shift change at the hospital was due about the time she’d get there, which would make it ideal. People going off duty would be sleepy and eager to leave, and those coming on duty would be dragging their feet until the first cup of coffee kicked in. Getting the dog’s old blanket, Ella whistled and Two ran up to the car and jumped inside. “Get ready, boy. You’re about to go undercover.”

  The dog tilted his head to one side and looked at her.

  “It’s on a need to know basis, but I’m counting on you to behave.”

  Ella drove to the hospital, an undeniable excitement spreading through her. Carolyn was right. They needed hijinks like these, not only for her mother’s sake, but for all of them. Of course they weren’t kids anymore, and the price, if they were caught, would be severe. If things went wrong, Ella suspected she’d be banned from the hospital, which would make matters difficult while her mother was still there. For Carolyn, the price could be higher. Ella began to have serious second thoughts about involving her friend.

  Ella parked near the rear doors leading to the service elevator on the ground floor. This was the most direct way to the morgue, one floor below in the basement. Picking up Two with a grunt and covering him with his old blanket, she hurried down the hall to the elevator. A janitor gave her a curious look, but Ella was past him and inside the elevator before he could ask any questions.

  As the doors slid open, at the basement level, Carolyn met her. “Everything’s set. Your mother will go to the service elevator on her floor.”

  Ella set Two down, but kept the blanket over the dog, resisting the animal’s efforts to shake it off. “Let’s limit your involvement, okay? Just make sure no one else gets on this elevator.”

  Carolyn reached behind her and pulled a gurney with a zippered body bag into view.

  Ella’s eyes widened. “You borrowed a corpse?”

  “No, of course not. It’s mostly laundry and a pillow. But it’ll do. I’ll station myself in the elevator with you. Then even if someone plans on getting in, they’ll gladly let the elevator go when they see this lump.”

  Ella laughed. “Are you sure you want to take this big a role in this?”

  Carolyn nodded. “Look, in my job, you need to find ways to decompress, and this certainly fits the bill.”

  “Okay. We’ll stop for my mom, then go all the way up to the roof and keep the elevator there. Now, all I have to do is keep Two from barking at the wrong time.”

  They made it up to the Rose’s floor undetected, but as soon as the door opened and Two saw Rose, he barked. Ella pushed Rose’s wheelchair into the elevator quickly as Carolyn rolled the gurney in an angle, allowing her to pass.

  Dr. Natoni walked by just as the elevator doors started to close and Two let out another sharp bark. The doctor’s eyes widened but Carolyn began to cough loudly, leaning over the body bag.

  Ella reached beneath the blanket and clamped her hand around Two’s muzzle as the doors slid shut. “He knows,” she said, picturing Dr. Natoni’s perplexed gaze in her mind.

  “If he says anything, deny it. I’ll assure him it was a sound that came from the corpse passing gas.”

  Ella looked at her mom and seeing Rose’s wide-eyed look, burst out laughing. “Don’t worry, Mom, there’s no corpse in there. It’s just a bunch of laundry.”

  Two wriggled out from under the blanket and, placing his front paws on Rose’s lap, barked again. His tail was thumping wildly.

  “Quiet, dummy!” Ella ordered.

  Rose hugged the dog. “I’ve missed you, boy.”

  Ella saw the delighted look on her mother’s face and knew the risk had been more than worth it. As the doors opened onto the roof, a blast of cold air hit them, but neither Rose nor Two seemed to mind. Ella reached over and closed the doors again, and Carolyn switched the elevator off with a key so it wouldn’t move, or set off any alarm.

  Carolyn looked a
t Rose and Two, then back at Ella. “This was a very good thing we pulled off here today,” she said softly.

  “Yeah, I think so, too.”

  “I don’t know how you two managed this, but I’m sure glad you did,” Rose said, and laughed as Two tugged playfully at the folds of her jacket. “I can’t get up right now, boy, but soon, maybe.”

  “If you believe that, you’ll make it happen,” Ella said quietly.

  “I want my life back, Daughter,” Rose said slowly. “I miss home and my daily routines. Though I have to admit I’m glad I wasn’t there when those gangsters turned our home into Swiss cheese. Your brother already told me.”

  “It won’t happen again. The house will be repaired this week and, by the time you get home, you won’t be able to tell it ever happened. The damage wasn’t major. We’ll have to replace a few lamps and windows, and patch some walls, that’s all,” Ella said.

  Rose smiled. “I can always tell when you’re downplaying things for my benefit, but that’s all right. I know you’ll handle things at home until I can get back.”

  “Count on it.” Ella glanced at her watch. “We have to go now. I don’t want to give Dr. Natoni too much time to think about what he heard.”

  As they released the elevator and began to travel back down to her mother’s floor, Carolyn glanced at Rose. “Do you think you can make it back to your room alone?”

  Rose nodded. “Of course. And don’t worry. If Dr. Natoni’s still on the floor, or even waiting by the elevator, he may give you a hard time, but I don’t think he’ll cause you any serious trouble.”

  “I hope you’re right,” Carolyn said.

  “I am,” Rose answered confidently. “The biggest problem you’re going to have is when you hold the elevator doors open for me while I get out. You’ll be vulnerable during those few seconds.”