Canyon Standoff

by Valerie Hansen

  “I thought so.” Gabe shrugged and drank more water. He had to keep their conversations as light as possible because every time he allowed himself to picture her being swept away by the flash flood, it tied him in knots. He’d tried to tell himself he felt the same about the loss of any life and quickly realized that wasn’t true. He was sorry for the drowned crook, sure, and would have been even more upset to lose tourists, but that wasn’t the same as what he was feeling in regard to Holly Forbes. He admired her beyond reason. Why he did was the critical question for which he currently had no answer.

  Another thing Gabe refused to contemplate was what it would be like to bid her goodbye once this rescue and capture was over. The FBI was bound to send her away. Seeing each other again or having a chance to get well acquainted was not likely.

  Thinking about that possibility was more than ridiculous, Gabe told himself. Forming a personal relationship would mean a total change of lifestyle for one or both of them and he was perfectly happy right where he was. He’d met and exceeded his goals and had no intention of ever being anything but a National Park Ranger.

  “So get your head on straight and stop dreaming of a different future,” he told himself in disgust. “You worked too hard to get where you are to even consider throwing it all away for a pretty face.”

  Except Agent Holly Forbes was so much more than that, his mind countered. She was courageous, intelligent, clever and more fun to match wits with than anyone he’d ever known. Given other circumstances he might have let himself fall for her.

  His radio crackled. The negotiator had arrived at Lee’s Ferry and was being brought down to their location by boat because that was the fastest way.

  Gabe’s eyes met Holly’s and saw a query there. “Our negotiator is on his way.”

  “It’s a man, then?”

  “Yes.”

  “Where will he come ashore?”

  “Over there. It’s not an official landing area but allowed in this case. Why?”

  “Because I intend to be there to greet him,” she said flatly, “and ask why they decided to go over my head when I’m also trained to negotiate.”

  “Maybe they figured men would respond best to other men.” The scowl she gave him left nothing to the imagination. She was furious.

  “Men. They always assume a woman is less capable.”

  Gabe decided to speak his mind. “Sometimes they are.”

  “Oh, terrific. You, too?”

  “Hear me out,” Gabe urged, lightly taking her arm to discourage her from storming off. “We’re generally stronger and larger, for one thing. And we tend to keep our emotions under control better than women do.” He arched an eyebrow and gave her a quirky grin. “Like now.”

  She jerked her arm away but didn’t leave. “Point taken.”

  “However,” he went on, “in the case of dealing with scared kids or being a crack shot or even having equal or more stamina, a woman can excel.”

  Seeing her shoulders begin to relax told him he was on the right track. “You managed to rescue that woman and her son despite having little gear and no recent training here in the park. I consider that exemplary. Even if the higher-ups at the Bureau don’t fully appreciate you, I do.”

  Holly’s wide eyes misted, reflecting the towering rocks in the distance and the sky above. Gabe didn’t tease her about being too emotional. He was pleased to have had the chance to offer moral support, especially considering what she’d revealed about losing her sister. If she hadn’t experienced such a dramatic event, perhaps she might even have become a ranger the way she’d once intended.

  But she hadn’t. She wasn’t. And imagining working beside her all the time was idiotic. While she was here in the canyon, he’d look after her. Once she left, he’d put her out of his mind the way he had other women, other friends who came and went because they didn’t fit his lifestyle.

  For the first time in recent memory, Gabe realized—and admitted—he was lonely.

  SEVEN

  Portions of the Colorado River were turbulent as it wended through the canyon. The wider area at Spirit Station was placid compared to the rapids. Just to the west of the settlement, two footbridges—Kaibab and Bright Angel—connected the North and South Kaibab Trails where Bright Angel Creek fed into the impressive river.

  Holly stood in the center of the first bridge with Gabe, watching for the approach of the FBI agent’s raft. When she spotted a large one being manned by a crew of fit young men she asked, “Is that what we’re waiting for?”

  “Yes. I recognize some of my rangers. They’re dressed as tourists but it’s them.”

  “Good,” she said. “More muscle.”

  She watched his expression until she saw him realize she was baiting him about male superiority. Then his eyes narrowed and he gave her a mock scowl. “Right.”

  Holly laughed. “Took you long enough. I was beginning to wonder if you were paying attention.”

  “I have a lot on my mind.”

  Sobering, she touched his forearm. “I know. Sorry. What’s the plan now?”

  “We hold our observation positions and keep our fingers crossed.”

  “A little praying probably wouldn’t hurt, either,” she offered.

  “Absolutely. I just wish we knew how the injured ranger inside is doing and how many civilians are being held.”

  “I suppose you’ve tried phoning and asking?”

  When Gabe nodded, she was relieved he hadn’t taken her question as criticism. She knew he was good at his job. She’d seen plenty of examples in the past and he was even more impressive now. The problem for her was rooted in the psychological differences in the way men and women reasoned. Males tended to be linear thinkers while her mind bounced all over the place when she let it. That wasn’t necessarily a bad thing. It sometimes produced ideas that were actually useful. Offbeat, maybe, but good nevertheless. That was one of the oddities that had not been on Gabe’s list of female assets. Before she left the canyon, she was going to make sure he understood how valuable her input could be.

  The raft carrying the negotiator beached upriver about a hundred yards and began to offload passengers and cargo. Holly kept up with Gabe as he jogged to meet it and introduced himself.

  The moment she recognized the older man the Bureau had sent, she gritted her teeth. Andrew “I Am Always Right” Summers. Terrific. She might as well go sit in the shade and eat another energy bar. That man was never going to listen to a thing she said. Gabe would have a better chance of being heard but even he was going to be surprised once Agent Summers started issuing orders as if he were the only voice of reason.

  Squat, perspiring and looking uncomfortable in his khaki clothing and fabric hat with sun flaps, Summers awkwardly disembarked with help from the fit and agile rangers. He shook Gabe’s hand. “I was briefed on the way in, McClellan. Take me to your command post and then show me the closest vantage point. I’ll work from there.”

  If Gabe was put off, he gave no indication of it. Holly fell into step behind the men. Talk about feeling like a third wheel. She might as well be invisible. Then again, maybe that wasn’t so bad. At least she’d escaped notice by Summers. Best to be thankful.

  Pausing at the open-sided tent denoting his temporary command post, Gabe dispersed the relief crew to personally notify the others that help had arrived.

  “Isn’t that the hard way?” Summers asked.

  “We’re keeping radio communication to a minimum,” Gabe replied.

  “That’s about to end.”

  “I beg your pardon?”

  Holly knew what was coming and wondered how her calm, self-controlled ranger friend was going to react. His opinion might not show but she was sure she’d be able to tell what he was really thinking.

  “I’m going to need a good phone connection,” Summers said flatly.

  “There
are no telephone lines down here,” Gabe said.

  The older man rolled his eyes. “Cell phones, man. Satellite. This is the twenty-first century.”

  “No cell service, Agent Summers.” Holly saw Gabe stifle a smile as he continued. “The canyon is too deep and the angle is wrong.”

  “Radios, then. Give me yours. And have somebody fetch my megaphone.”

  Gabe stepped away far enough to use his radio without letting the agent grab it. Using the usual frequency, he ordered several of his rangers to bring the gear from the landing, then told them to take a vacation.

  Covering her mouth, Holly smothered a chuckle. The astonished look on the other FBI agent’s face was priceless.

  Summers held out a hand. “Radio, please.”

  “I’ll get you one in a few minutes. This is mine.” Stepping out, he gestured. “Follow me. You, too, Agent Forbes.”

  “Who?”

  “Agent Holly Forbes. She’s been on this case since it began over in Vegas. Surely, you were informed.”

  Summers waved a hand toward her. “Heard something about it.”

  “Good, because she’s a valued advisor here in the park.”

  Holly could have jumped for joy, thrown her arms around Gabe’s neck and kissed him. She did nothing of the kind, of course, except in her mind. That was enough to redden and warm her cheeks, particularly when Gabe caught her eye and winked.

  She mouthed a silent thank-you and received a polite nod in return. If he’d been wearing his full uniform, she was sure he’d have tipped his Smoky Bear–style hat to her.

  Bottom line, she reminded herself, they were all there to do the same job. That meant getting along. It also meant letting Summers do the talking, and praying he’d have success liberating the hostages and saving lives. She didn’t have to like him to respect his skills.

  God willing, he’d help them accomplish their mutual goals before anyone else died. Having been shot at twice and almost smothered in mud and debris, she was more than ready to embrace an end to this standoff.

  * * *

  Seven of Gabe’s men had erected a makeshift barricade that faced the front of Spirit Station. Behind the station building was a rockfall with boulders the size of cars. Rubble along the sides precluded a clear passage to the river unless a person was skilled at scaling unstable rocks. That helped Gabe more than it did the criminals because he could concentrate most of his manpower along the most accessible side.

  If he had known the type of man the FBI was sending, he would still have set up their barriers the way he had, but he might have moved the initial access point even farther away. It was a surprise that those nervous, twitchy crooks didn’t fire at Summers the moment he spoke with that megaphone.

  “Attention in the ranger station. This is Special Agent Summers of the FBI. You’re surrounded. Put down your weapons. Come out with your hands up and no one will get hurt.”

  Nothing happened. Gabe had figured it wouldn’t. He borrowed a spare radio from one of his men and passed it to the negotiator. “I think your first idea was better,” Gabe said. “Here.”

  “About time.”

  Staying crouched behind the electric farm carts and bales of hay from the mule barn that were piled in a curved line, Gabe worked his way over to Holly. “What’s with that guy?”

  “Andrew has an overblown opinion of himself. I will say he’s accumulated a pretty impressive success record but that’s when he’s dealing with real criminals. These guys are different. They’re basically businessmen who got themselves into this mess by fronting the money to a gang for drugs, then running for their lives when the shooting started. I doubt they have the slightest idea how to get themselves out of trouble.”

  “Surely he was briefed about all that.”

  “If he listened. He tends to form an opinion quickly and hang on to it like a stubborn child with the last ice-cream cone.”

  “Interesting analogy. You must be hungry again.”

  “I hadn’t thought about it but I could be.”

  He pretended to check his pockets. “Sorry. Fresh out of food. If you go back to the place we left the extra supplies, will you bring me a bottle of water and a snack, too? Please?”

  “Sure. No problem since you asked nicely.” She eyed the back of the negotiator. “I’ll even bring something for him.”

  Gabe quirked a smile. “Well, okay. Just don’t overdo it.”

  “Not a chance.” She returned his grin. “Be careful and keep your head down while I’m gone, will you? No heroics.”

  Gabe chuckled softly. “Absolutely. I can’t act like a hero again anyway. I gave back my trusty steed.”

  “The mule?”

  “Hey, a steed is a steed. Don’t knock the ones with long ears. They can outdo a horse, especially in country like this.”

  “Same as you and your men are far better suited to this operation than our negotiator,” Holly remarked, squinting at the man’s back. “We’ll need to keep a close eye on him.”

  “We?” Gabe felt his grin widening when he noted her reddened cheeks.

  “Yes, we, Mr. Ranger, and don’t you forget it.”

  He laughed aloud. “Never.”

  EIGHT

  There was enough activity in the valley to keep Holly from feeling complacent. Not only were the newly arrived rangers in plain clothes mingling and issuing warnings, there were enough tourists present to create confusion.

  Men mounted on mules stood as sentries, keeping the outsiders at bay and isolating the rescue attempt, but the rest of the valley reminded her of what an anthill looked like after being stepped on. There didn’t seem to be a lot of purposeful direction to many of the hikers and tourists and even the red-shirted staff members of Spirit Ranch were acting frazzled. That figured. After all, their livelihoods depended upon keeping their visitors happy, and being under siege wasn’t exactly conducive to serenity.

  Holly headed straight for the cache of supplies. A good-looking man with a crew cut and muscled, well-tanned arms was standing guard while several other men were working on a nondescript gray private raft in the background. “Can I help you?” the guard asked.

  Holly had lost her official ID in the flash flood so she bluffed through. “Agent Forbes, FBI. Ranger McClellan sent me for water and snacks. He’s part of the team set up over by the station.”

  “He sent you? Why?”

  This was the perfect time to play up her femininity so she bit the bullet and resorted to doing it. “I’m the least important member of the crew right now and he can spare me,” she said, sounding every bit as disgruntled as she was starting to feel.

  “That so?”

  “Yes.” She gritted her teeth. “That’s so.”

  The man grinned. “You think you can carry what you need or do you want help?”

  “I’m stronger than I look,” she said, stepping forward until he moved out of her way.

  “Whatever you say, ma’am.”

  “You can call me Agent Forbes, or just Agent.”

  He gave a mock salute. “Yes, ma’am, Agent Forbes. Pleasure to make your acquaintance. You can call me Bodie.”

  Looking him up and down, assessing him, Holly managed a lopsided smile. “I suppose Bodie is one of the names I can call you if you refuse to drop the ma’am.”

  He laughed. “I’m sorry. I truly am, but it’s a habit. My mama would have taken a switch to me if I hadn’t called every lady ‘ma’am’ when I was growin’ up in Georgia.”

  Holly sighed. “Sorry if I sounded cross. I worked very hard to become an agent.”

  “I get it,” Bodie said. He started helping her load a pack. “All law enforcement tends to favor men. I’m not sayin’ that’s right. It’s just how it is. Better now than back when my daddy was a cop, though.”

  “Women have to be at the top of their class in order to
succeed.” Holly wondered if he was going to argue with her.

  Instead, he laughed again. “Yes, ma...sir.”

  She was still grinning widely as she bade the young ranger goodbye and shouldered the pack. She had worked hard. Very hard. And she still did, every day. Her job meant the world to her, as it should. Every criminal, every killer, she put behind bars was one less on the street to threaten helpless citizens like Ivy. Her younger sister had been on the brink of adulthood, ready for the adventures life brought, about to start college and begin her studies to become a doctor. Until someone had beaten her to death for no reason.

  A shiver skittered along Holly’s spine, causing her to look back. Bodie waved casually. But behind him, by the beached gray raft, two surly-looking workers were staring back at her. They didn’t look like part of the crew who had ferried the last group of rangers. Still, they’d need a permit to enter the canyon so there should be no reason for her to be uneasy. Yet she was.

  Despite the heat bouncing off the steep rock walls and warming the valley, Holly felt chilly. She quickened her pace. She was trained. Ready for anything. So why was the urge to hurry back to Gabe so strong? Perhaps it was because he’d rescued her so recently. Or maybe she was subconsciously recalling the past when he’d helped other summer volunteers pull her out of the river when she’d tried to make a solo rescue without a safety rope. Whatever the reason, her desire to be back with the rangers was almost a compulsion, particularly when it came to Gabe.

  Thinking of him, picturing him, brought a little relief. He was special, more than a former role model. He was an extraordinary man who treated her as an equal, not because he was required to do so but because he truly believed it. In her eyes, that made him a superhero.

  * * *

  Gabe saw Holly returning because he’d been apprehensively waiting for her. Rational thought kept being pushed aside by his desire to know she was safe. To see for himself that nothing had happened to harm her.

  “It’s normal to worry about my men,” he muttered, knowing that was stretching the truth in more ways than one. Holly wasn’t a genuine part of his crew and she certainly wasn’t a man. Oh, he’d treat her like one of the guys. That was a given. But his heart was convinced he would never be able to view her that way in his private thoughts.