by Gail Koger
My eyes popped open. “Stay out of my head.”
“No can do. Only death can sever our mental link. I can sense when you’re happy, worried, or hurt,” Jake advised.
“That’s how you knew I had been shot.”
“It is. Get a move on it. We’re dining with Zarek and Uncle Saul.”
“Oh yay.” I hit the yellow button. Hell’s tornado spun around me. I let out a yelp and hit the red button. The hurricane of hot air stopped. “That’s one way to get dry.”
I stepped out of the shower and realized my uniform, weapons belt and boots were gone. “What did you do with my stuff?”
“Shrek collected them for safekeeping.”
“I’m never unarmed,” I grumbled.
“Along with the battle armor, you get a weapons upgrade.”
“I want my stun gun back.”
“I’ll retrieve it for you,” Jake promised.
I quickly dressed and to my surprise everything fit perfectly. Rats. My hair pins had vanished in the hurricane. “Got a rubber band or a hair clasp? I need to braid my hair.”
“I have something better.”
“Okay. Did Zarek find out who the three stooges work for?” I was dying of curiosity.
“Giovanni Dragos.”
“Is he related to me?”
Jake popped into the room. “A distant cousin.”
“When I was trying to find my birth father, I researched the Dragos clan. They’re mostly conmen and thieves.”
“You never found Aldo Dragos?” Jake seemed surprised.
“Nope, I stopped looking when the Dragos assassins kept showing up. I still have no idea why they wanted us dead.”
“Do you think Aldo sent them after you?”
I shrugged. “Father interrogated some of the hired assassins. He discovered there was a million-credit bounty on my head, but none of the hired guns knew why.”
“Maybe I can help with that. Central Command has a lot of data on the Dragos clan.”
“You would do that for me?”
“Without hesitation. We need to know why they want you dead. If we can find Aldo, you can ask him in person.” Jake sat on the bench and held up some long bronze chains. “Sit down and I’ll braid your hair.”
“I can braid my own hair.”
“Do you know how to do warrior braids?”
“I’m not Coletti,” I retorted.
“But you are a warrior,” Jake coaxed.
With a sigh, I sat. The fact I was a cop and a shaman scared most men off, but Jake wasn’t most men.
“You have beautiful hair. It’s like black silk.” There was a sensual note in Jake’s voice as he stroked it.
I blinked in surprise. I liked him touching me. Which was bad. Really bad. “Ah, thanks.”
“How did you end up with Elder Tsosie?” Jake plaited bronze chains into warrior braids on the right side of my face.
“We were fleeing a team of assassins. The van blew a tire. Mama lost control and we crashed.” A memory of mama’s blood-covered face flashed across my mind. I missed her so much.
“Elder Tsosie rescued you?”
I nodded. “He promised my dying mother he would raise me as his own and he did.”
“How old were you?”
“Five.” A tear leaked down my cheek.
Jake tugged on my hair. “You want a French braid or a Dutch braid?”
“You actually know the difference?”
“I braided Kaylee’s hair from the time she was knee-high to a tadpole,” Jake said in a good ole’ boy voice.
“French braid, please. Your sister is mated to Zarek’s son, Talree?”
“That she is.” Jake efficiently plaited my hair. “Growing up with Kaylee made me an expert at dealing with troublesome females.”
“You think I’m a troublesome female?” I turned to face him.
“I do.” Jake gaze focused on my mouth.
“A wise man would think twice before trying to kiss me.”
“I’m not a wise man.”
I gave him a narrowed-eyed glare. “Like living dangerously, do you?”
“Warlords thrive on danger.” Jake lowered his head until his lips barely touched mine. “One kiss from me, buttercup, and your panties will be wet.”
I rolled my eyes. “It’ll never happen. I’m immune to your charm.” Part of me knew challenging a warlord wasn’t smart, but the cocky bastard needed to be taught a lesson.
Jake’s mouth closed over mine. It was the kiss of a scoundrel filled with wicked intent and seduction. He ignited a raw hunger in me I couldn’t control. To my horror, I was suddenly kissing him back and our tongues were tangling in an erotic dance. I felt a rush of dampness between my legs.
Jake abruptly lifted his head. “We’re being summoned, and your panties are wet, buttercup.”
“I’ll admit you’re a good kisser, but it’s never happening again,” I said as I tried to calm my shattered nerves.
A big grin on his face, Jake taunted, “Keep telling yourself that.”
I pulled back my fist to punch him.
He grabbed my hand. “Are you a sore loser?”
“You’re such a jackass.” There was a flash of blackness as Jake teleported us. Presto! We were in a small dining room.
Zarek and General Jones were already seated at a table for four.
Keeping a tight grip on my right hand, Jake led me over to the table, pulled a chair back and seated me. A warlord with manners. Who knew?
“Wine?” Zarek asked.
“No, thank you. Navajo shamans don’t drink,” I said automatically, then winced. I had lived as a Navajo for so long, their customs had become mine.
Zarek cocked an amused eyebrow. “Iced tea?”
“Tea’s good.” To my surprise the waiter was an elf.
“He’s a Farin, not an elf,” Jake advised mentally.
“He has pointy ears and long white hair. That makes him an elf,” I shot back as the elf set my glass of iced tea on the table. “Thank you.”
“It is my pleasure and you may call me Halfdan.”
I smiled at him. “Thank you, Halfdan.”
“Halfdan is also a warrior and bodyguard,” Jake added.
“Zarek needs a bodyguard?”
“No, but it keeps Detja, his mate, happy.”
“Smart man,” I said. Halfdan placed a plate with cheese enchiladas, rice, and beans in front of me. “Wow. Mexican food.”
“It’s your favorite,” Jake stated as Halfdan served him a huge, hunk of bleeding meat and what looked like fried worms.
I took a bite of the enchiladas and moaned. “My compliments to the chef.”
“It came out of a food replicator,” Jake responded.
“Huh?” I poked at my beans. Fake food?
Jake snorted. “Does it taste like fake food?”
“Quit eavesdropping on my thoughts,” I snapped.
“Nah, it’s too entertaining.”
Zarek interjected, “I want you to teach Jake how to become a shaman.”
“I don’t know if I can.” One look at the implacable resolve in Zarek’s eyes and quickly added, “But I’ll try.”
“You will do more than try,” Zarek replied.
“Yes, sir.” I stuffed a piece of enchilada in my mouth. As long as my father was on this ship, I’d do whatever Zarek wanted and he knew it.
General Jones busily cut his meat into small pieces. “What do you know of your birth father?”
“Not much. I was four when we were forced to flee Italy. I have vague memories of him giving me piggyback rides and taking me to the circus. He was gone a lot for his job.”
“What kind of job?” Zarek asked.
“Mama never said.”
General Jones’s warrior’s bracelet chimed. One glance at the screen and he tapped an icon. “You have another murder Officer Yellowhorse?”
My appetite va
nished.
“Yes, General. Two tourists and their guide were found slaughtered at the base of West Mitten Butte in Monument Valley,” Office Yellowhorse stated.
“Send me the coordinates.”
“Sending now.”
I butted in, “Who’s handling the crime scene?”
“Nez and Yazzie were the first officers to arrive and they have secured the area,” Officer Yellowhorse replied.
“Tell them not to touch anything until we arrive,” I ordered.
“I will relay your instructions.” There was a slight pause before Yellowhorse asked, “Is Elder Tsosie with you?”
“My father was severely injured by our suspect. General Jones brought him to the Coletti ship for treatment. He’ll be back in time for the council meeting.” At least I hoped so.
“I will advise the council members.”
“Thank you.”
The General severed the connection. “When is the council meeting?”
“Next Monday,” I answered.
The General patted my hand. “Your father will be able to resume his duties by then.”
“As soon as he’s at full strength, he’ll want to join the hunt,” I groused.
A smile touched Zarek’s mouth. “Your father has a warrior’s heart.”
“He’s utterly fearless in battle,” I said.
Jake added, “So is his daughter.” He pulled back my chair. “Let’s go get your battle armor.”
“I’ll need my murder bag too.”
“No, you won’t. The armor comes with a warrior’s bracelet that’s equipped with all sorts of goodies,” Jake said.
I smiled. I loved gadgets. “I can’t wait to try it out.”
“I’ll meet you in the shuttle,” General Jones said. “Don’t dawdle.”
Dawdle? Like I was going to apply makeup and do my hair first?
“We won’t.” Jake slid an arm around my waist and teleported. We appeared in a room filled with all sorts of weapons. Swords, knives, laser pistols, rifles, war hammers and metallic black belts in an assortment of sizes.
An older, badly scarred warrior walked over to us. “This is your mate?”
“Partner. I’m his partner,” I corrected.
The old guy cocked an eyebrow. “Are you now?”
“Yes.”
“Have you drunk his blood?”
I didn’t like where this was going. I nodded.
The old guy continued, “Are your minds linked?”
“That is none of your business,” I snapped.
The old guy grinned. “Do you know how to fight?”
“I’m a cop and a shaman. What do you think?”
He pulled a belt off the wall and held it out to Jake. “I like her. She’s feisty.”
“That she is.” He took the belt.
I gave Jake the stink eye. “Have you forgotten we have a murderer to catch?”
“No, ma’am.” Jake fastened the belt around my belt. “As promised, your body armor.”
“It’s just a belt.”
“Which can morph into body armor,” Jake replied.
I poked at it. “Are you kidding me?”
There was a tiny tic in Jake’s jaw. “No, buttercup, I’m not. This is Askole armor. The best in the galaxy.”
The Navajo nation was a tiny bit isolated from the rest of the world, and with my shaman duties I never had enough time to keep up with current events. “My bad. I never knew the Askole made armor.”
“If you had accepted Central Command’s offer to update your systems, none of this would be a surprise to you.”
“We’re a sovereign nation. Your upgrades came with too many stipulations,” I countered.
Jake shot back, “The Navajo nation is about to be dragged into the 21st century, whether they like it or not.”
“We have a treaty.”
“Which is about to be amended,” Jake stated.
“It’ll never happen.”
“You and your father are the harbingers of change.”
I stared at Jake in horror. “You gave my father Coletti blood?”
“It was the only way to save him,” Jake answered.
“Whose blood?”
“Zarek’s.”
Fuck.
“You two done?” The old guy asked.
Jake nodded. “For now.”
The old guy handed Jake a small bronze warrior’s bracelet. “For your lady. It has all the extra features you asked for.”
“Many thanks, Xan.”
“It was my pleasure.” Xan disappeared into a small workroom.
Jake secured the bracelet on my left wrist. “It’s a comm-link and has multi-functional scanners you’ll need to investigate crime scenes.”
“With our budget, it’s hard to get goodies like this.”
“That won’t be a problem any longer.” Jake slid into my mind. “Open yourself to me. I need to share my knowledge with you.”
“Why would you do that?”
“Trust doesn’t come easily to you, does it?”
“I’m a cop and someone has been trying to kill me since I was four. What do you think?”
“I’m your partner. I’ll never hurt you and I’ll always have your back. Now, do you want to be able to work all the cool, new Coletti technology I’m giving you or not?”
I really did, but Coletti warriors were sneaky bastards. “Is this going to strengthen our bond?”
Exasperation filled Jake’s mental voice, “Our minds are already permanently linked. This will simply give you the knowledge you need to function as a Coletti investigator.”
“What does this knowledge download include?”
“How to use your warrior’s bracelet, battle suit and an assortment of Coletti weapons. I’ll even throw in how to fly a shuttle.”
Somehow Jake knew I was a pilot and that I’d always wanted to fly a shuttle. But he was right. If I was going to keep my people safe, I needed to join the 21st century. “Deal.” The minute I opened my mind, Jake’s power flooded into me. Whoa what a rush. A kaleidoscope of images and memories suddenly spun through my head. Just when I thought my head would explode into a million pieces, everything abruptly clicked into place. Damn! I even knew how to sword fight.
“Memory transfer is complete,” Jake announced.
“I’ll say.” I cocked my head. “Kaylee’s birthday is next week. Have you gotten her a gift?”
“I have. Chips, salsa, chocolate and her favorite perfume.”
“That’ll work.”
Jake smiled and ghostly fingers stroked my body, sending pleasure cascading through me.
Instead of smacking him, I reveled in the sensations for a moment. I hadn’t realized how much I needed a man’s touch, but Jake did, and he was deliberately seducing me. I reigned in my raging hormones. Two could play at this game. Once Jake understood the Navajo people and our customs, he’d see things differently. “Shaman training takes years and if I can share my knowledge with you, it’ll simplify things.” Saccharine sweetness coated my words.
Jake eyed me suspiciously. “After we’ve processed the crime scene, we’ll do that. Now, try out your new armor.
I examined my bracelet and double tapped the armor icon. Snikt. Schlik. Schlik. Schlik. Schlik. Schlik. Dang it formed over my clothes and within seconds black armor covered me from head to toe. I took a couple of experimental steps. The armor fit perfectly and was effortless to move in. The heads-up display was awesome. The battle computer provided an easy flow of visual data and tactical information. “I love it.”
“It repels bullets, laser blasts and is space worthy too,” Jake said.
“Good. Getting shot sucks.”
“Get your butts to the shuttle,” General Jones ordered.
“Yes, sir.” Jake teleported us.
We appeared in the shuttle. I took one look at the command console and shazam! I knew how everything worked. “C
an I drive?”
The General’s eyebrows shot up. “Drive?”
“Fly the shuttle.” I retracted my helmet. “Jake showed me how.”
“Did he now?”
“Mind meld.” Jake quickly guided me to a seat behind the pilot’s chair. “In a couple of days, I’ll take you out for a test flight.” He fastened my battle harness. “Okay?”
I grimaced. I really wanted to try out my new skills, but now wasn’t the time. “Okay.”
Jake dropped into the pilot’s chair and fastened his harness. “You ready to go into space?”
“I am.”
Jake’s hands flew over the console. With a roar the shuttle catapulted out of the landing bay. An endless fall of stars filled the viewscreen.
Whoa! I’d always dreamed of going into outer space and visiting other worlds. I just didn’t expect it to happen like this. The shuttle swung around giving me a bird’s-eye view of Earth. It really did resemble a big, blue marble with white swirls.
“I sent the crime scene photos to your bracelet, CeeCee. Look them over and tell me what you see,” General Jones instructed.
“Yes, sir.” I tapped my screen and frowned. Our serial killer had attacked a Navajo guide and his tourists with a sword. Which he had conveniently left behind. The big question was why. The victim’s mutilated heads were lined up on a boulder and bloody body parts were strewn in every direction. “I think killing his partners pissed him off.”
“I want to know where he found Testavorrs and how they ended up on Navajo land,” General Jones said.
Jake interjected, “It’s isolated and there’s very little technology. It’s the perfect place to hide out.”
The General grunted in agreement.
I scrolled through the pictures. “His rage is growing and if we don’t find him soon, there will be more bodies.”
“We’ll stop him,” Jake promised.
Monument Valley filled the viewscreen. It was a flat, sagebrush covered desert interrupted by clusters of majestic, red sandstone buttes. The valley is sacred to the Navajo people who have lived here for over five hundred years. Their predecessors were the mysterious Anasazi who left behind petroglyphs to document their lives. Tourists still came from all over the world to see this natural wonder.
Chapter Six
East and West Mitten Buttes resemble two gigantic mittens with their thumbs facing inwards. Jake landed the shuttle at the base of the west butte and shut down the engines.