Restless Wind

by Aimée Thurlo

  Though he hadn’t said much, she could feel his grief as clearly as she did her own. A very precious life had been lost. “I wish I were home right now, grading papers, and none of this had ever happened.”

  “The pain will pass, and the papers will still be there for you when this is over.”

  She yawned, leaning back, her eyes automatically closing. “It’ll end soon. It has to,” she murmured, then drifted off to sleep.

  Ranger glanced at Dana. She was exhausted and he didn’t have the heart to wake her.

  DANA WOKE UP when the truck came to a stop. The lights of the parking lot were bright and it was hard to stop squinting and get her eyes to focus.

  Ranger placed a hand on her shoulder. “Wait for me here. I’m not going far.”

  Her senses numbed with exhaustion, she tried to concentrate on the conversation he was having with the other man.

  “If you want to stay below the radar for a few days, I’ll be glad to pass along a message to your brother,” the man she took to be Tony Birdsong said.

  “Not necessary. But thanks for bringing the car.”

  Hearing a bunch of car details that meant absolutely nothing to her, Dana drifted off to sleep again. In a sleepy haze, she felt strong arms lifting her out of the pickup. Without even opening her eyes she knew it was Ranger. He had a special outdoor woodsy scent about him that seemed to fit in perfectly with the man he was. Dana rested her head against his shoulder, comforted by the warmth of his strong, male body.

  Awareness and desire ribboned around her-and that suddenly brought her back to a state of alertness. “Put me down, Ranger,” she said, her eyes wide open. “I’m perfectly capable of walking.”

  He laughed. “Enjoy the luxury while you can. You’re so tired you can’t see straight.”

  “You’ve got to be worn out yourself, and if you faint from exhaustion, I’ll need a forklift to carry you.”

  The chuckle started like a low rumble in his chest, then became a full-throated laugh as Ranger set her down.

  For a brief second Dana stared at the old car, wondering if Ranger was playing a joke on her. The two-door sedan had its original finish-a medium blue that was nearly gray in places from oxidation.

  The interior, from what she could see from her position by the passenger’s side, was original, not including the almost matching blue tape that covered several splits in the vinyl dashboard. The upholstery was covered with stretchy terry cloth in a pale green-machine washable, no doubt. A battery-powered radio, one of those probably offered free with a magazine subscription, occupied a portion of the gaping hole in the front dash where the original radio had once been installed.

  She burst out laughing when she saw the crocheted pink baby booties hanging from the rearview mirror. “You steal this from the senior center, or was it just abandoned, say in 1973?”

  “Don’t be fooled by what you see. This hunk of iron has plenty of modifications. Did half of ’ em myself. And it’s got run-flat tires. No spares needed for this little jewel.”

  “Little jewel? Are you sure you’re not hallucinating from extreme fatigue?”

  “Wait till she shows you what she’s got.” He had to struggle to open the passenger door and when he did, the metal squealed like an old iron gate. “A little lithium grease will take care of that,” he mumbled.

  As she got in, she was grateful to note that the bench seats were surprisingly comfortable, and the seat belts were in good shape. “Are you sure about this? Your truck seems to be running fine to me.”

  “That’s not the problem. My pickup has been ID’d by whoever’s after you. We’re better off in a forgettable car-one without bullet holes.”

  “If that’s the goal, then you’ve succeeded.”

  As he switched on the engine, her eyes widened. The deep-throated growl sounded more like a racing engine that the lawn mower putt-putt she’d expected to hear.

  He glanced over and gave her a killer smile. “See? Trust me. A gentle touch and a little perseverance always works wonders.”

  His gaze slid down her slowly, leaving a trail of fire in its wake. Suppressing the delicious shiver that touched her spine, Dana took a deep breath and focused on the car. She was tired, that was all. Her brain was getting scrambled. “So where to now? Hopefully a place with a bed.”

  Seeing his slow grin, she nearly choked. “I meant a bed to sleep in. Alone. For hours.”

  As they reached the highway, the little sedan picked up speed quickly, giving them a remarkably smooth ride. For a long time neither of them spoke, each hiding behind the curtain of their own thoughts. He’d sensed that she carried a secret, but she also knew that he had his own as well. Those secrets were now creating a wall between them.

  After a half hour, she glanced at him. “You never said where we’re going, did you?”

  “To a friend’s place. No one will be able to find us there. It’s just off the reservation.”

  She closed her eyes, intending just to rest, but in seconds she fell asleep.

  SEEING HE HAD no cell phone service where they were, Ranger decided to stop and make a call on a public phone just outside a convenience store. As he glanced over at her, he realized that there was not much chance he’d wake Dana up when he got out of the car.

  People reacted to stress differently. He was still amped up and angry that he’d been taken out when the kidnapping went down. He wouldn’t have been able to sleep on a bet.

  Ranger parked the car, then glanced over at Dana. She didn’t even stir. Watching her as she slept, he felt a tug deep inside him, a gentling of sorts. He pushed the feeling back instantly. He couldn’t afford the luxury of distractions now.

  Moving as silently as the wind, he stepped out of the car, grateful that his door moved smoothly. Seconds later he heard his brother’s voice on the phone.

  “I need a sit rep,” Hunter said, asking for a situation report. Ranger noted that his twin sounded tired, but alert.

  Ranger updated him quickly. “Dana’s holding something back. I suspect that she may have overheard what was forced out of our medicine man.”

  “If he’d thought that had happened, he would have sworn her to secrecy,” Hunter said.

  “Exactly. My guess is she’s doing her best to honor that,” Ranger replied.

  “Is it possible she was involved in the kidnapping?”

  “I can’t be sure at this stage, but I doubt it,” Ranger answered.

  “Does she know about the Brotherhood of Warriors, or suspect you’re one of us?” Hunter pressed.

  “If she does, then she’s pretty good at hiding it.”

  “We have to assume that the medicine man was tortured into giving them names. That means that some, or all of the brotherhood, may be in mortal danger. We’ve got to find out everything she knows about this. You’ve never failed to get whatever you want from a woman. What’s so different about this one?”

  “She’s on a mission of sorts, and she appears to be very loyal. I’ll stay on it and get back to you with anything I manage to learn.”

  After he hung up, Wind walked back to the car, gazing at the lights of the city to the east. The medicine man had known there was something special about Dana. He was sure now that was why Hastiin Sani had asked him for a ride from the school. He hadn’t been above playing matchmaker.

  Ranger’s gaze drifted to the sleeping woman as he slipped back into the car. He’d never even been tempted to become a one-woman man, but Dana made him feel things he’d never felt before. He wanted to keep her safe, and not just because it had become part of his mission.

  Dana stirred when he closed the door. “This car may look like a wreck, but these old bench-style seats are sure comfortable.”

  “You’re just dead tired.”

  “I am, but I shouldn’t have drifted off.” She looked around. “You stopped to make a call, huh? Cell phones are always iffy out here. Where are we going now?”

  “To a house on Farmington ’s east side. But I want
to make sure no one’s tailing us, so we’ll be taking the long way around on the back roads. Get more sleep if you can. We’ll be there by first light.”

  Dana took a slow, deep breath. “I won’t be able to go back to my job teaching on Monday unless all this is settled. Do you think it will be by then?” she added hopefully.

  “Miracles happen, but the way things are going right now, I really doubt it.”

  “If they’re after me because I can identify them, why don’t we set them up using me as bait? They’re sure to come for me and you guys can be ready and catch them. Then I’ll be able to pass on the names and go on with my life.”

  “What names, and pass them off to whom?” he asked quickly.

  Mentally thumping herself on the head, she came up with a quick answer. “I was talking about the names of students who won’t be passing this semester. There are a lot of forms, calls and so on. Just teacher stuff.” It was weak, but it was the best she could come up with quickly. She was too tired to even think straight anymore.

  Frustration tore at him. He was almost certain now that Dana had overheard at least some of the names of the Brotherhood of Warriors members. That was undoubtedly the information Trujillo had been after. But he couldn’t be sure of anything except that Dana knew something, and he had to find out what it was.

  “It’s too early for a sting. The ones who come after you would only be the tip of the iceberg, hirelings like those we think are working for Trujillo.”

  “We need to take control of the situation, not just react. I’ve learned that in teaching. And don’t think I’ll stand passively by while you guys make all the decisions. It’s not my nature to let others do my thinking for me.”

  Normally, ultimatums irritated the hell out of him, but he understood where she was coming from. As a kid, her life had been out of control. As an adult, Dana was determined to make sure that never happened again.

  “We still have a lot of intelligence to gather before we can strike back,” he said at last. Taking her hand, he held her gaze for a moment, then focused back on the road. “We’re both having a problem trusting each other-except when it comes to mutual survival. You agree?”

  She nodded.

  “So let’s simplify things. You know I can keep us both alive. Will you trust my skills and decisions on security matters?”

  She considered it, then nodded. “I will. And it’s a good starting point toward building more trust.”

  “It’s settled then.”

  They reached their destination just as the first rays of sunlight peered over the horizon. “We’re here,” he said. He hadn’t looked over, and she’d yet to move a muscle, but somehow he’d known she was awake. There was a strange but powerful link between him and Dana.

  The fifties-era residence was just outside the eastern city limits of Farmington, and there were no neighbors in the immediate vicinity. Fields, apple orchards and a fenced pasture with four horses butted up against a hillside of what seemed like a peaceful, ordinary ranch-style home.

  Ranger retrieved the key from under a rock in a flower bed beside the porch, then unlocked the door for her.

  As she stepped up to the threshold, Dana noted a tiny carving in the wood near one corner of the door frame. It looked like flames bounded by a circle. Before she could give it much thought, Ranger ushered her inside.

  Chapter Seven

  As they stepped into the comfortable-looking living room-with a contemporary brown leather sofa, matching love seat and recliner-the smell of fresh coffee greeted her.

  “Coffee!” she said, ignoring the rest of the furnishings to focus on the sensory delight. Following her nose, Dana went directly to the kitchen and poured herself a cup from the large coffeemaker that had been left plugged in. Ranger put the car inside the garage, then came back into the kitchen to join her.

  Several dishes were in the drain rack, dry, but the sink was still wet on the bottom. “Where are our hosts? They haven’t been gone long, have they?”

  “No, but they won’t return till we leave. Safety precaution.”

  “You arranged for someone to give up their home so we could stay here tonight?”

  “That’s the way it works,” he said, not elaborating.

  She offered him some coffee, but he shook his head. “I’m going to try to catch a few hours of sleep.”

  “You’re going to need more than that. You’ve been up all night.”

  “A few hours is all I need,” he answered.

  “Do you think anyone will mind if I take some food from the fridge?”

  “No. We can take as much as we want,” he said. Looking around, he spotted some fry bread in a plastic storage pouch on the counter beside a container of honey.

  “Fry bread,” she said, hungrily, following his gaze. “Care to share?”

  He pushed the bag with the puffy, saucer-size pieces of golden skillet bread to the center of the table and placed the honey beside it. They each took a few pieces from the bag, then poured honey liberally over the tops.

  “This tastes great,” she said, licking the honey from her fingertips.

  Hungry, they almost ate the entire contents of the bag.

  “Now that my stomach’s no longer empty, I’m going to take a shower,” he said. “Then I’ll catch some shut-eye.”

  “I like the way you set your priorities,” she said, laughing.

  He stood. “There’s only one bedroom, so if we stay the night, the bed is yours.” He tilted her head up and brushed a crumb from her lip with his thumb. “But if we share the bed, I promise not to hog the covers,” he added, his gaze holding hers.

  The impact of that look melted her insides, but somehow she managed to find her voice. “No sharing. Behave.”

  “I behave very well in bed. I guarantee you’ll wake up with a smile.”

  Her thoughts blurred and her skin flushed with an almost seductive warmth, but she managed to keep her voice steady. “You need that shower-a long, cold shower,” she answered, her heart beating so fast she was close to having a heart attack.

  He smiled, then walked away.

  “Ranger?”

  He glanced back at her. The look in his eyes was filled with just a touch of promise and sent a shiver racing through her. “I just wanted to ask you if I could use the phone…”

  “Of course. Anything else? The shower here is large and modern. What are your feelings on water conservation?”

  His gaze held a caress more intimate than should have been possible. For a brief eternity, Dana’s brain stopped working.

  He raised one eyebrow and smiled slowly. “Don’t think about it so much. Sometimes it’s better to just follow your heart.”

  Suddenly aware she’d been holding her breath, she gasped, her face turning scarlet. “Go take your shower,” she managed to say.

  He came toward her, stripping off his shirt as he did. “But playing in the water can be such fun.”

  His bronzed, muscular shoulders and that beautiful strong chest were like a playground for consenting adults. Her fingers tingled as she fought the urge to touch him…to press herself against him.

  Ranger held out his hand. “Come and play,” he whispered.

  The deep resonance of his voice traveled straight to her center. She wanted to…and it was crazy. She never acted on impulse. It just wasn’t her. Yet, at that moment, following him made all the sense in the world to her.

  She rose to her feet, then a loud explosion from somewhere down the highway rattled the windows. “What was that?” she asked, flinching.

  He looked out the window, careful to avoid being seen from outside. “A backfire from a badly tuned car. Don’t worry. I work around cars. I know the difference between that and a gunshot.”

  Breathing again, she averted her gaze. Ranger was too much of a temptation. It was like looking at hand-churned ice cream with whipped cream on top after a two-month diet. “Go take your shower. It’s not too early to call my principal,” she said, checking her w
atch. “I’ll need to request an emergency leave of absence.”

  As he left the kitchen, Dana dropped back into her chair. She’d very nearly accepted his offer. What in the world had she been thinking? Well, maybe that was the problem. Around him, her brain cells automatically drowned in a sea of hormones.

  After getting her leave of absence, Dana went out into the hall, stood there and listened. She could hear Ranger in the shower. Now was her chance. Finding a phone book, she searched for Daniel Runningbear, Hastiin Dííl’s legal, Anglo name. The directory included the Shiprock area, too, but she didn’t find a listing. She had intended on calling the information operator next, but the water had stopped running in the shower.

  She sat on the sofa, considering her next move, when something odd struck her. There was nothing personal in the rooms she’d seen. No photos were on the coffee table, bookshelves or the wall, and no letters or mail of any kind had been in the top cabinets or in the drawers she’d searched when she’d looked for the phone book. Although the place was meticulously clean and well cared for, it had all the warmth of a model home.

  Curious now, she walked down the hall to check out the rest of the house. The second bedroom had been turned into a study, judging from the desk and the extra bookshelves. Most of the volumes were nonfiction-southwest references covering everything from regional history to plant life. She turned on the small desk lamp and looked around carefully. Like the kitchen and living room, there was nothing in here that spoke of the house’s owner. But she was getting distracted. Her top priority was finding something-anything-that might lead her to Hastiin Dííl.

  She sat down at the desk and began to search through each drawer, but all she found were office supplies. Although she’d been careful to search in silence, when she looked up, she was startled to see Ranger standing by the door, watching her. He’d obviously just come from the shower, and was naked except for the towel wrapped low on his hips.

  For a moment she couldn’t speak. Her gaze drifted over him slowly and lingered over the gap that revealed everything from his left hip down.