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?”