Earthway (36 page)

“Yes, but my mom and Herman are there,” Ella answered.

“How about getting them out of the house for the day?” Blalock said. “Officers could pass themselves off as your mother and stepfather, and guard Ford from inside as well as out. It’ll look perfectly natural to anyone watching and give him maximum protection.”

Ella considered it, then
nodded. “That sounds good, but I’ll have to talk to my mom. It’s her house.”

“Do it now, Shorty. We’ll wait for you,” Big Ed said.

Ella stepped out of the office, and walked down the hall. After deciding how best to broach the subject, she called Rose. “Mom, what are you plans for today?”

“Why? What’s on your mind?”

Ella sighed. Had she honestly believed that Rose wouldn’t know something
was going on? “Mom, I need your help,” she said at last. “Is there someplace you and your husband can go to spend the day?”

“We’ve already decided to do just that. It’s such a beautiful day, my husband and I are going to drive to Navajo Mountain. On the southern slope, near the top, are some black rocks that form a circle. That’s where Monster Slayer was born. Offerings can be made at the sacred
spring by there. Afterwards, I was thinking we could spend the night in Page, then return tomorrow afternoon.”

“The car ride will give you hours to talk. That’s a good idea, Mom,” Ella said.

“And the offering will give my husband strength to face whatever’s disturbing him,” Rose said. “We’ll be leaving in about a half hour.”

After getting her mother’s permission, Ella returned to Big Ed’s office.
“It’s set. We can use my mother’s home. Joe, you have Herman’s general build so you’ll take on his identity. He’s been spending a lot of time outside lately, messing with the cars and doing chores. That’ll give you the opportunity to watch the property. Justine, you’re closest to
Mom’s size, and you’re most familiar with her habits and mannerisms. Go outside once in a while, but not beyond the
garden. Your job will be to stick close to Ford once he arrives.”

“You’ve got it,” Justine said. “Where will you be?”

“I’ll be positioned on the mesa behind the house. I can keep watch on the arroyo from there. That’s the best way of sneaking up on the house. But heads-up, people. If they strike, it’ll be fast, and if they use a sniper, he’ll be likely to make another long-range attempt. Never
stand still in a place where you present a sight picture. That includes you, Ford.”

“I’ll direct the watch on the suspects—those we can locate,” Blalock added.

“Okay, then down to another detail,” Ford said. “Shall I make the initial call from here using my cell phone? I know you’ll all want to hear firsthand, and I could put it on the speaker, but I’d recommend against that. People can always
tell.”

“No need,” Teeny said. “I can place a small recording device on your phone. We’ll have the conversation on record then, and there’ll be no telltale sounds.”

After Teeny had the recorder in place, Ford called Dr. Lee’s office on campus. The professor picked up on the first ring.

“This is Reverend Tome, Dr. Lee. I’d like to meet with you this morning to discuss a matter of interest to
both of us.”

While Ford listened, Ella bit her bottom lip, wishing they’d used the speaker anyway.

“All right, the faculty break room in an hour it is, though I would have preferred someplace more private, considering what I have to say.” He listened again. “It’s entirely your choice. I’ll see you soon.”

He hung up, then looked at the others. “She doesn’t trust me, that much was clear. That’s
why she insisted on a
public place. I could have argued, but I think that would have been a mistake.”

“Once you start telling her why you’re there, she may regret her decision and opt to take you elsewhere, like maybe her office,” Ella said. “But stay on campus, whatever you do.”

The remaining details were worked out quickly, and Ford left to meet with Dr. Lee. Teeny and Ella followed him at
a distance. They’d be monitoring the microphone Ford was carrying. Despite their careful planning, Ella felt her stomach tying itself into knots.

“We’ve got him covered, Ella. Stop worrying,” Teeny said.

“This group has had us running in circles for a while. I don’t trust them to act in the way we would expect. They’re unpredictable—and that’s what makes them so dangerous.”

“
We’re
even more
dangerous,” Teeny answered.

“True,” Ella said and smiled.

Finally on campus after thirty minutes, they parked and waited. Soon Ford’s voice came over the monitor’s speaker.

“Dr. Lee, I’m glad we were able to get together.”

“I was surprised to hear from you, but I am intrigued, Reverend Tome. What’s on your mind?” Dr. Lee asked casually.

“Everyone in the community knows that there’ve been
at least two attempts on my life. Although I should have probably left the investigating to the police, I got involved because I needed to understand why I’d become a target.”

“I would have done the same thing,” she admitted.

“Before I became a minister, I worked for the government, creating psychological profiles for persons of interest—frankly, political and environmental activists with extremist
views. Using avenues that were still open to me, I looked into the backgrounds of people I’ve had contact with lately. You got my attention almost immediately.”

“Me? Why?”

“I’ve learned about your opposition to nuclear power in its many forms—including our new tribal facility. I also noticed that now when the plant’s about to become operational, you’ve abruptly stopped protesting. To me, that
sends up a huge red flag. If it meant so much to you, why stop now? Taking that a step further, I’ve wondered if you’ve become involved in something far bigger than you bargained for—one that you must now keep secret at all costs.”

“That’s quite an imagination you have, but there are flaws in your logic. If, as you suggested, I’m against the power plant, why would I have wasted my energy attacking
you and not the plant?” Dr. Lee asked in a pleasant voice.

“Because it’s an ideal way to keep the cops distracted. It’ll also draw manpower while something of greater importance is taking place—maybe a move directly against the Hogback facility.”

Ford waited, but Dr. Lee said nothing.

“I’m not out to condemn you, Professor, nor do I doubt the sincerity of your concerns against nuclear power.
I’m here as a minister, hoping you’ll see the danger you present to yourself and others by choosing a path of violence. Ask God to forgive you, and choose peace. I assure you it’s not too late.”

Dr. Lee cleared her throat. “Your suppositions are way off base, Reverend. As I’ve said before, I’ve given up fighting the power plant because it’s a lost cause. I’m now focused on a mission that’ll bring
about real change—women’s rights.”

“My theory’s on the mark, Professor. We both know it. Others charged with protecting our nation’s utilities will soon come up with the same idea, too, if they haven’t already done so. If you know anything about any threats against
Tsétaak’á
Generating Plant, you have to go to the police now. That’s your only way out. The government has a lot of latitude these
days regarding the ways they investigate acts of terrorism. You don’t want to go down that road.”

“This has been fascinating, but I have to go back to work,” Dr. Lee said firmly. “Good-bye, Reverend Tome.”

Ella and Teeny heard a door open and close, then the sound of footsteps. A few minutes later, Ford spoke. “Okay, I’m outside. I’ve done my part. I’m going back to my car and over to your place,
Ella. I’ll drive slowly to make sure I can be tailed.”

Ella then called Justine and verified that everything was in place. “Ford’s on his way.”

“Good. We’re ready. Officer Michael Cloud’s keeping an eye on Dr. Lee as we speak.”

“Make sure Ford wears a vest even inside the house. He may not like it, but it’s necessary.”

The morning turned into afternoon, but nothing happened. No one made
a move on Ford. They had officers on every major player, including Baker and Whitefeather, but since both those men were outside their jurisdiction, Blalock was in charge of watching them.

Ella routinely checked in with the others via cell phone. It was now time to make a call to Teeny, who’d been monitoring Dr. Lee’s calls and her computer.

“I’ve got nothing so far,” he said. “You?”

“All three
subjects have been involved in normal-looking activities. Baker has a laptop in his pickup truck. While running around town, mostly to auto supply stores and such, he has gotten it out a couple of times, briefly. Whitefeather, according to the deputy watching him, has been in the Bottoms Up bar in Bloomfield for the past hour. It’s possible he may have used his unit’s computer to check his e-mail
prior to going in. Michael Cloud followed Dr. Lee home—part of her normal routine.”

“Jane hasn’t logged on,” Teeny said. “Wait a sec—here she is now. She’s on MySpace, and she’s edited the content of her profile. She’s also changed the music on her page. It
used to be something classical, but now it’s a Paul Simon song, ‘Slip Sliding Away.’ ”

Before Teeny could finish, her call waiting beeped.
Ella switched to the other caller. Emily Marquez, the county deputy Blalock had chosen to keep tabs on Whitefeather, was on the line.

“I lost him, Ella. I got worried when he failed to return to his car, so I went inside to check on him. I ran into some goons and got held up for about five minutes. He’d apparently told the bozos that I was stalking him, and they kept me there just long enough
for him to slip out the back. His unit’s gone.”

“Head west, then. Maybe he’s on his way back to Shiprock,” Ella said. “We can’t have county dispatch asking other deputies to call in if they spot him because that would alert him as well. He’s probably listening to the calls.”

After ending the conversation, she switched back. “Teeny, I need your best guess. Could Jane have sent a signal via computer
to one of the others without your knowledge that Ford’s out of hiding and ripe for a hit?” Ella asked.

“No way. If you’re worried about the changes in her page, those are more likely to be a panic button signal. Check on the truck driver and see how he’s reacting,” he suggested.

Ella called Phillip Cloud next, the man assigned to Baker. “Whitewater has managed to ditch us,” Ella told him. “How
about your subject?”

“He almost lost me for a while, but I’ve still got him.”

“What happened?”

“He pulled into the parking lot of a coffee shop, fiddled with his laptop for a few minutes, then went inside. After he failed to come out, I went in for a look, keeping an eye on his pickup through the store window. The clerk said he’d gone out through the back. I tracked him down an alley, and am
currently following him at a distance along the street. We’re both on foot, and he doesn’t seem to be in a hurry.”

“Stay with him, and keep a vehicle handy in case Baker catches a ride.”

“Baker’s not ditching me, I guarantee it.”

With Whitefeather gone, Baker and Jane Lee were now of prime importance. Making a fast decision, Ella called Justine. “Change of plans. I want you and Joe to take
Ford back to Teeny’s. Just make sure you aren’t spotted. Then pick up Anna, go to Dr. Lee’s place, and take the professor into custody. Work quickly so she can’t raise another alarm, and then leave Anna behind in her stead. From a distance, they look alike and, with luck, the others won’t know we’ve made a switch. I’ll meet you and Joe back at the station.”

A
short time later, Ella met Justine in the station’s hallway. “Is Dr. Lee in custody?”

“You bet. But she’s steaming mad and screaming for a lawyer,” Justine said.

“Stall. Don’t let her have contact with anyone. Is Anna back at Dr. Lee’s place?”

“Yes, and Michael Cloud’s covering her. A few calls came in for Dr. Lee from her teaching assistant, Mona
Tso, but that’s about it. Anna didn’t answer the calls.”

“Okay. We’ve got the first part of my plan down. Now we move to the second part, and this’ll have to play out in a very public way. The only hitch is that I’m going to need the college administration’s cooperation.”

Before she could continue, Blalock came in. “Not necessary. I have the authority to force the issue. Whaddaya need?”

“I
wanted to get someone in administration to call Mona Tso, Dr. Lee’s teaching assistant, and tell her that Dr. Lee will be unavailable for class because she’s helping the police on an important matter.”

“You want the other members of Dr. Lee’s group to
believe she’s turned traitor and is a threat to their operation,” Blalock observed, putting things together quickly. “But do you really think
they’ll make a move on her here at the station?”

“No. That’s why I also wanted the TA told that Dr. Lee can be reached at home in the evenings, and if any of the students have a problem they can contact her there. Word will get around fast. If I’m right, the group will go after Jane at the house—only we’ll be waiting, one guard showing, the rest under cover,” Ella said.

“They’ll need a
very
good reason to believe Dr. Lee is there,” Blalock said slowly.