The Warrior's Way

“You want to know why I’m stuck up here in the hinterland instead of working on a case?” she asked.

Jack shifted in his seat. “Sure.”

“I was involved in an incident of fatal force.”

That was a euphemism that told him she’d killed someone. Likely shot them.

“I’m sorry to hear that.”

“So I’m on administrative leave until they finish the investigation and clear me.”

“FBI conducts their own investigations, right?”

“Yes.”

“So you should be fine.”

“What’s that supposed to mean? You think they’ll sweep any mistake I made under some rug bearing the FBI seal?”

He shrugged and set his vehicle in motion.

“Well, they won’t. I could be relieved of duty, permanently. And that can’t happen.”

“If you say so.”

“And they wanted me to see a shrink. When I said no, they extended my leave.

“It wasn’t even the assignment I’m working, which is going to hell, I’m sure. Luke thought I might like to go home to our rez.” She shook her head. “Can’t do that so he came up with this to distract me. A welcome diversion. Ha. Oh, anyway, it doesn’t matter. I’m stuck here until they take me back.”

“You can’t go home?” he asked.

She cast him a look and then turned to stare out the window. Only then did he realize he had asked Luke nothing about her upbringing. All he knew was that she was of the Black Mountain people, butterfly born of spider.

But who was she deep down, where it mattered? Jack wanted answers.

“You want to talk about it—the investigation?”

She shook her head.

“Okay. I’m a good listener. Just saying. So, do you have brothers and sisters?”

She didn’t look at him. “Yeah. And tons of cousins. My mom came from a big family. Where are we going?”

“Top of the canyon. I thought I’d give you an overview. Okay?”

She nodded.

“I’ve got three brothers,” said Jack. “Carter is the oldest. He’s my twin and he’s coming home soon. He’s under protection by the Department of Justice.”

That sure got her attention. Her posture changed and she half turned to stare at him.

“Why?”

“Witness. He went with his wife, Amber, who survived the mass shooting at Lilac copper mine. She was going to testify in a federal case against Theron Wrangler.”

“But Wrangler is dead and so they don’t need witnesses.”

“That’s right.” She was quick and pretty.

“Then there are Tommy and Kurt. They are younger. Kurt flies in the air ambulance out of Darabee. Next town over. And Tommy is a Shadow Wolf on the border.”

“Border patrol?”

“They work under Immigration and Customs Enforcement—ICE. But he works with border patrol, too.”

“Shadow Wolves. That’s the all–Native American outfit, right?”

“Exactly. They’re on the Tohono Oodham lands.”

“I’ve been down there. It’s hot.”

“Most of Arizona is.”

“But not here and not Black Mountain.” She seemed to have lost some of her bristle. “Listen, I’m sorry your people feel threatened by BEAR.”

“What’s your take on it?”

“I’m not briefed. Really, I only know that group has been connected with the Lilac shooting and might be involved with the Pine View wildfire in July.”

On the drive he told her what he could. Carter had rescued Amber Kitcheyan from the Lilac copper mine and placed himself between her and BEAR’s assassins, and the Lilac shooter had been caught. She knew that the mass murderer had been subsequently executed and that the assassin was a member of the Turquoise Canyon Apache tribe, Detective Bear Den’s tribe. She did not know that the shooter had been terminally ill, or that his death had brought suspicion on his daughter, Morgan Hooke.

“Our men set up protection for Morgan Hooke as a precaution.”

“What happened?”

“She helped us recover the blood money paid to her dad. And she and her daughter are safe. You’ll meet Ray Strong soon. He’s one of our men and her assigned bodyguard. Soon he’ll be her husband.”

She made a face that showed her disapproval of that turn of events.

“You know about Meadow Wrangler?” he asked.

“More than you do, I’d suspect.”

“She witnessed her father’s death.”

“I know that. I also know she has a history of substance abuse resulting in rehab.”

“She got drunk at eighteen and swam in a country club’s fountain.”