by Aimée Thurlo
“That’s because key elements are still coming to the surface,” Kyle said.
“Someone’s trying to scare Abby away from the ranch. That’s a given. The rest is murky. There’s a corporation interested in her land, but it would use their business connections and economic muscle—all legal. Why risk breaking the law by trying to scare her out?”
“That’s what’s really bothering you, bro,” Daniel said. “This is your beat, and knowing that someone’s threatening a woman right under your nose is making you crazy.”
“It’s more than that,” Kyle said quietly, looking at Preston. “You really like this woman, don’t you?”
“Okay, you’ve got me. I like her, probably more than I should,” he admitted grudgingly. “Abby touches a lot of lives and makes a difference. I respect that. For instance, there’s a kid who hangs around there, a Navajo boy named Bobby Neskahi. He’s in foster care. Right now the ranch is his real lifeline.”
“Speaking of Bobby, you asked me to check up on him,” Daniel said. “I got some background, but it’s all unofficial. I couldn’t access anything that’s under Child Services, and I didn’t feel right hacking into those files.”
“I can respect that,” Preston said. “Show me what you have.”
Daniel manipulated files and commands on the display surface and sent a new screen onto the wall monitor. “Bobby’s mother died when he was three. He continued to live with his dad, but the man had a serious gambling problem—and one enemy too many. Neskahi Senior was shot in a fight after a private card game and had to be hospitalized. Bobby lived at home, by himself, for weeks because tribal services had no record of him. His dad finally called Child Services and gave up custody. It took a fight and a half to get the kid to go with them. He was sure his dad was coming back.”
Bobby’s stories about his dad the spy now made a lot more sense. Bobby had desperately needed to hold on to something that explained why he hadn’t mattered enough to make his dad want to stick around.
“The woman on her own, a foster kid, that’s almost your story,” Kyle said.
Preston looked at Kyle, the only one of his brothers who’d come close to being able to read him, and nodded. “I understand both of them. Abby’s committed to an ideal and Bobby’s...trying to survive.”
“Son of a gun,” Daniel said. “Sounds like you’re falling in love.”
“No, I’m not the family type,” Preston growled. “I like living solo and coming and going when I please. I’m married to my job.”
“That’ll soon come to an end,” Daniel said with a grin. “The tough cop’s getting soft.”
“Wanna test that out?” Preston stood and faced Daniel. “Take off your weapon and come over here to the carpet. Let’s see what you’ve got, bro.”
Once they were away from the computer table, Preston tried to turn him around and pin his arms behind him, like he would a suspect. Daniel knew his moves, though, and stepped to the side, sweeping Preston’s legs out from under him and sending him crashing to the carpet.
Preston was quick and grabbed Daniel’s foot as it came by, knocking him down, too. They were rolling around trying to pin each other when Kyle stopped laughing and whistled loudly.
“Cool it, guys. You’ve got a call, Preston. It’s Abby.”
Preston jumped to his feet and took the phone.
“Bobby spotted someone sneaking around the ranch,” she said. “The man’s staying out of view so I can’t see him right now, but it looks like he’s searching for something.”
“Where are you now?”
“In my house with Bobby. Can you come over?”
“I’m on my way, and I’ll call a patrol unit. You two make sure the doors are locked and stay inside.”
Preston ended the call, then requested a police unit as he picked up his weapon and keys from the counter.
“Abby’s got a prowler. I’m going over there,” Preston said, heading for the door.
“We’ve got your back,” Daniel said, Kyle already a step behind him.
“We may get there before the patrol car arrives,” Preston called out to his brothers. “I want the dirtbag in working order. Other than that, it’s whoever gets to him first.”
Chapter Sixteen
Driving over in two vehicles, they took the truck bypass around Hartley and made it in twenty minutes. After verifying via phone that Abby and Bobby were okay, Preston coasted into the parking lot, engine turned off to avoid making noise. As Abby had said, no vehicles except hers were on the grounds and he could see no one in the immediate area. The volunteers wouldn’t arrive until later, during feeding time, and with no kids on the premises, Michelle wasn’t on the grounds either.
Preston’s brothers had parked along the road. They were going to come onto the ranch via the west flank of the basically rectangular property. Preston moved in silently, using the buildings to screen his approach. They’d all agreed to give the suspect some room and see if they could figure out exactly what he was after before moving in.
Preston soon spotted a figure in the shadow of the barn. He watched as the person, a man, judging from his size and stride, slipped around the near corner and headed to Abby’s hay truck, which was parked across from the barn.
“He’s by the hay truck,” Preston whispered into his phone to Daniel and Kyle.
Using the barn itself to screen him, Preston cut across the yard and reached the shadows where the man had stood only seconds earlier. Another fifty feet and he’d be close enough to recognize a face—if the person turned around.
When the man fished something out of his jacket pocket, Preston’s muscles tightened. A small bottle with a rag hanging from it could be only one thing—a homemade fire bomb.
Preston stepped out of the shadow of the barn and called out. “Police officer! Place the bomb on the ground, then step away from it and get down on your knees.”
The man, his face still hidden by the hoodie and sunglasses, set the bottle on the ground. Then, instead of doing as he’d been ordered, the guy cut around the truck and bolted north, racing down the row of outdoor enclosures.
Daniel broke radio silence. “We see him. Kyle and I will cut him off before he reaches the far end.”
Preston remained in pursuit, narrowing the distance. Far ahead, he could see Daniel and Kyle climbing a corral fence at the north end. The intruder was caught in the middle.
Just then the man stopped, opened a stall gate and started yelling. The two horses inside spooked and ran out at full speed. Preston had to leap onto the fence and dive over the rails as the animals raced past him, snorting and bucking.
The suspect had reached the camels by then and threw open their gate. He started yelling again, but this time the animals held their heads up high into the air and just stared at him. The guy grabbed a lead rope draped over the fence and hit one, yelling as he did. Both camels thundered past him, racing toward Kyle and Daniel at the far end.
Going down the line, he spooked the animals in two more enclosures. Preston had to jump over the fence and into a turnout area to avoid being trampled again, and when he looked back, the intruder had disappeared.
As Kyle and Daniel worked their way up the fence line slowly, the animals began to calm down. Preston met his brother about halfway, talking softly as he passed each wild-eyed animal.
“Are you okay?” Daniel asked. “Those first two horses almost ran you down.”
“Yeah, I’m just pissed off.” Preston turned to look back at the ranch house and saw a uniformed officer coming up with Abby right behind him.
“I heard the animals going nuts. What happened?” She looked around and inhaled sharply. “Where are the rest of them?”
“The intruder opened the gates, then spooked them half to death. He used the confusion to get away,” Preston said.
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br /> “I’ve got to get all of the animals back into their pens. They’ll come to me, but if they’re worked up and scared, they may be hard for anyone else to catch. I don’t know if the gate out front is open or closed either, with all the coming and going. I need to keep them from wandering out onto the road and causing an accident or getting hurt.”
“Where’s Bobby now?” Preston asked.
“He’s safe back at the house. The doors are locked,” she said. “I’ve already called his foster mom and she’ll be picking him up shortly.”
“Give me your keys,” he said. “Then call and tell Bobby that a uniformed officer is coming to meet him.”
Preston looked at the officer and gave him the house keys. As the officer went to check on Bobby, Preston glanced at his brothers. “Stick around, guys.”
“Sure thing. We’ll search outside the grounds and herd any animals headed toward the highway back in this direction,” Kyle said.
“The camels probably didn’t go far,” she answered. “They’re a bit barn sour and don’t like to leave a familiar place. Let me get some lead ropes, halters and treats to lure them in.”
Once they reached the driveway, Preston studied the tracks. “The horses headed north, but the camels went west.”
“We’ll round up the horses,” Daniel said. “We know how to handle them.”
Abby gave them several halters and lead ropes, and they split up.
“I’m pretty sure I know where Hank and Eli went,” she said. As they walked down the road in the opposite direction of the highway, she pointed straight ahead. “I walk them down that arroyo sometimes, and they feed on the brush. Once we spot them I’ll get Hank. You take Eli.”
“How will I be able to tell them apart?” Preston asked, noting the camel tracks led in the direction of the arroyo, as Abby had predicted.
“Eli’s quieter. Hanks more vocal and likely to kick if he’s angry or agitated. Considering a camel can kick in four directions, those feet are quite a weapon.”
They left the highway and started walking up the wide ten-foot-deep wash, which was dry and sandy on the bottom at the moment. The camel tracks led down the meandering channel to a sharp right-hand curve.
Daniel called in a short time later and Preston put him on speaker. “We’ve gathered up three of the horses and can see two others back at the ranch, behind the barn. Guess they never got out.”
“That’s great,” Abby said. “Which ones got out completely?”
“Well, one’s Big Red and he knows me. I grabbed his mane, and I’m leading him in. The other two are following, and Kyle’s back there with them. They’re the oldest ones, I think.”
“That’ll be Missy and Tracker. They’re very gentle and will just follow along,” she said, loud enough for her voice to carry.
Before Daniel could answer, she heard a familiar squeak from around the curve.
“That sounds like a dog toy but out here?” Preston said.
She smiled and shook her head. “That’s actually Hank’s alarm call. I need to let him know it’s me.”
They hurried to the curve in the arroyo channel, and about a hundred feet ahead they could see the camels. Preston stopped as Abby moved closer to them.
“Hank, I’ve got treats,” Abby called out. “Come on. Butterscotch ones! Time to go home.” She stopped and waited.
Both camels came toward them, ambling down the sand-layered arroyo.
“That’s a good boy,” she said and held out the treats. “Let’s go home, boys,” she said, haltering both and giving Eli’s lead rope to Preston.
“I feel like Lawrence of Arabia,” he muttered.
“They’re great here in the desert. Low maintenance compared to a horse and a lot gentler. Takes a lot to rile a camel, but once you do, they don’t forget.”
It took another hour to get all the animals back into their stalls and check to make sure none were injured.
“Since we’ve got the place to ourselves right now,” Daniel told Abby, “I’d like to set up a couple of cameras. They won’t feed into our monitors back at the office, but they’ll record. The others can be put up later, but I think we need something for right now.”
“That’s fine,” she said.
As Kyle and Daniel drove off in Kyle’s pickup, Abby glanced back at the house. “Bobby’s still inside the house and I bet he’s scared, even with the officer there.”
“Let me go,” Preston said. “I’ll release the patrolman and talk things over with Bobby until his foster parents pick him up. The boy did a real good job today, spotting the intruder like that.”
As Preston headed back, Abby slipped into the camel pen to remove their halters. Feeling really down, she leaned against Hank, fighting the tears forming in her eyes. What was happening? Up to now, Sitting Tall Ranch had been a dream come true. She’d led an almost perfect life, giving kids time away from their challenges and becoming part of a community she’d learned to love. Now she couldn’t even keep her own animals safe!
Hank made a soft gurgling noise, as if to comfort her. “I’m okay, Hank. I’m glad you are, too.”
Abby went to the barn and hung the halters in the remodeled stall that served as their tack room. Hearing a sound behind her, she spun around, her heart at her throat. That’s when she saw it was only Charley, the donkey, poking his head over the door of his stall.
Abby took a breath, but instead of calming down, she began to tremble, and no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t seem to stop. Leaning against the door of the tack room, she slid downward until she was in a sitting position, her arms around herself. She rocked herself silently for a moment or two, scarcely aware of what she was doing.
Abby wasn’t sure how long she’d stayed there, but when she heard Preston calling her name, she wiped her face quickly and stood. “I’m over here, in the tack room.”
Preston walked up, took one look at her and pulled her into his arms. “Today was a win, Abby. Sure, he got away, but we kept him from doing any harm.”
“I usually don’t fall to pieces like this, Preston, but I just don’t know how to deal with what’s happening.”
“I do. Let me handle it.”
“But I’m running out of time. I put everything I have into this ranch, and I can’t lose it now. If I do, then Sandy...” She buried her head against his shoulder and said nothing more.
“What about Sandy?”
“One of the many things this ranch does is keep Sandy’s memory alive for me,” she whispered. “It was my way of affirming that her death brought about at least one good thing. If I lose it...”
“You won’t lose the memory of your sister or of anyone you love. That’s inside you, safe and sound,” Preston said. “No matter what happens to this ranch tomorrow, next week or in thirty years, Abby, you’ve already won. You took your dream, made it real and shared it with a lot of kids.”
“But I might not be able to hold on to Sitting Tall Ranch and that possibility terrifies me. It would be like losing a piece of my heart. I’ve tried to be strong, but...”
“Everyone can use a helping hand from time to time. That doesn’t make you weak. It makes you human.” He walked with her to the house, keeping her close to his side. “In fact, I’ve got a great idea. Let me move into the bunkhouse until the case is closed.”
“No, the ranch is too dangerous now. I have to stay, but not you.”
“I can handle danger. I’m a police officer and that’s what I do,” he said. “Falcon will be right there to help me, too.”
“Is he one of your brothers?” she asked.
Preston smiled. “In a way,” he said, going back into the house with her. “Falcon is my spiritual brother.” He reached into his shirt and lifted the leather cord around his neck. A small pouch hung from it. He opened it and took
out a black fetish carved out of jet. “This is Falcon, Hosteen Silver’s gift to me. Its magic will protect you, too,” he said, holding it in the palm of his hand.
“Tell me more about Falcon.” She took the delicately carved bird, studied it for a moment, then returned it to him.
Abby watched him place it back carefully in the pouch as she waited. She wanted to know everything about this man who was so gentle with her, yet could become such a fierce protector the instant danger closed in.
“All but one of us—Paul—got the fetish on our sixteenth birthday,” he said, taking a seat on the sofa. “For me, my foster father chose Falcon because when my brothers fought, I’d be the one who stepped in to break it up.”
“That sounds like a dangerous thing to do,” she said.
“Nah, we knew each other’s moves too well,” he said, chuckling. “Sometimes I’d take a misplaced hit, but we never went all out with family.”
“How does Falcon fit in with the role of peacemaker?”
“Falcon is about harmony and the value of hard work. Since he hunts close to the ground, Falcon focuses his searches and sees what others might miss. He shares that gift with me and that’s helped make me a good detective.”
“I wonder if I could get a falcon fetish for myself. If I can see trouble coming, it might help me get through this.”
Preston shook his head. “Falcon’s not right for you, but I think I know what would be a good match. I’ll bring it to you.”
“I’d love that, but I should be giving you a thank-you gift, not the other way around. You’re even willing to stay in the bunkhouse and I know that wouldn’t be easy for you. Beliefs like the chindi are part of your culture. You may not believe in it, but you still respect it.”
“Yeah, I do,” he said with a nod, “but as a cop, I’ve learned to work around it.” He brushed the side of her face with his palm. “I’m needed here.”