Shooting Chant (12 page)

“I just
don’t like the idea of hiding the fact that I’m the baby’s father. It goes against my own sense of right and wrong.”

“I know, but remember that no matter what you do, this baby will be surrounded by love, and that I can handle whatever comes.”

“I don’t doubt that for a minute. The real question is, can I?”

“It may take you some time to figure out all the angles, but you’ll come up with the
right answer, Kevin. You always do.”

As they drove back to the station in Kevin’s truck, an uncomfortable silence settled between them. The news had been harder on Kevin than she’d thought. She knew he was torn between the need to acknowledge the baby as his own, and the fear that, in the long run, it would do more harm than good. Kevin couldn’t predict how his clan would react any more than
she could.

“When do you plan to tell everyone that you’re pregnant?”

“Not for a while. I won’t quite wait until I’m showing, but I don’t want to rush into it either. I need to stay out in the field for now and, once Big Ed knows, I have a feeling he’ll want to put me behind a desk.”

“You shouldn’t stay in the field, Ella, at least not while you’re pregnant.”

“A lot of people depend on me,
Kevin. Right now there’s no one qualified to take over my cases. I’ve got to see some things through before I take leave or accept restricted duty. It’s my job to make this reservation a safe place for all The People’s children, not just mine. In the meantime, I’ll take all the precautions I can, and I’ll cover myself every step of the way, but I can’t put the entire world on hold just because I’m
expecting.”

Silence stretched out between them once again. Ella could feel his frustration. There would be no simple answers for either of them—not anymore.

Kevin looked in the rearview mirror, then increased his speed. Noting it, Ella glanced back. “That van’s coming up too fast,” she said. “Give him more room if he wants it. The entire road, in fact.”

Kevin glanced behind him again. “He’s
going eighty, at least, and closing fast.”

As Kevin slowed and started to pull to the side, Ella’s instincts for danger came to life. Something was wrong. That van wasn’t just speeding, it was going to try to hit them.

“No, don’t slow down, speed up. Get out of here!” Ella yelled, reaching for her cell phone. In a breath, the van was alongside them, and Ella felt the bone-jarring thump as the
van smashed against them, then heard the screech of tires as Kevin tried to keep them on the highway.

Ella’s hand was shaking as she tried to punch up 911 on her phone. She’d almost managed it when the van suddenly slammed into them again.

“I can’t hold it,” Kevin yelled. His truck veered to the right and careened off the highway. Bouncing heavily, they flew off the shoulder and into an alfalfa
field.

“Hold on!” Kevin yelled, keeping a death grip on the steering wheel as he pumped the brakes.

Ella reached over to help him steady the wheel, but they hit a patch of sand just then and it was like hitting a wall. The rear end of the pickup rose off the ground, then the air bags popped and they were slammed back into their seats, blinded by the fabric and deafened by the noise.

In almost
slow motion the truck tipped over nose first, and Ella blacked out for a moment.

When she opened her eyes again, she felt an odd sensation, then realized she was hanging upside down in her seat belt. Pushing away the collapsed air bag, she looked to her left. “Kevin? Are you okay?” She undid the safety belt, held out her arms to stop her fall, and landed on her knees atop the ceiling of the cab.

Kevin tried the same, except his knees collided with the steering wheel. “That hurts,” he grumbled.

“You still okay?”

“Yeah, I’m in one piece, more or less,” he said, operating the door latch, then kicking it open. “Can you get out on your side?”

“Yeah, my door’s banged in, but it’s not jammed against the ground. Your roll bar saved us.”

A moment later they stood by the side of the totaled
vehicle, the smell of gasoline, dust, and hot oil intermingling. Kevin looked at her, worried. “Are you sure you’re okay … and the baby?”

“The baby at this stage is so small, it’s well protected. Besides, my stomach wasn’t hit, just both my shoulders.”

As she spoke, she looked over at Kevin and saw blood streaming down his arm. “But you’re hurt,” Ella said quickly. “Let me find my cell phone.
If it still works, I can get the paramedics.”

Kevin sat down on a large boulder at the edge of the field. “I’ll be okay. It’s just a cut … and my arm feels like it may be broken. You know, all in all this is turning out to be one helluva day.”

She gave him a thin smile. “For me, too.”

Ella retrieved her phone, called for a rescue team, then contacted the police department. Next, she rejoined
Kevin, carrying the first aid kit he kept behind the seat. The blood flowing from the cut on his upper arm had slowed down considerably, so she decided against trying to bandage it because of the possible break.

“What was it with that van? Do you have an enemy who works in a repair shop? I really didn’t get a good look at the driver, but I saw the logo on the side of the door. Near as I can remember,
I haven’t got any unpaid repair bills,” he joked halfheartedly.

Ella had seen the logo on the side of the van as well. It was from a well-known appliance repair shop. “I don’t know what’s going on. The driver didn’t handle that van like he was drunk. I got a partial on the plates and I’ve already called it in. Let’s see if our guys can catch him.”

Hearing sirens wailing in the distance, Ella
started to walk back to the road. “It’s a good thing we weren’t far from town. I’m going to lead them over here. Don’t move too much until they check you out.”

Kevin didn’t argue. As she made her way to the road, questions filled her mind. If it had been a deliberate attempt, had it been aimed at her, or at Kevin? It was his vehicle, after all. An attorney in his position made almost as many
enemies as a cop. Every time he won a case, there was a new disgruntled loser to contend with.

Ella tried to recall if the van had been in the area of the police station earlier, but couldn’t remember. Although she had plenty of old enemies that would have been very happy to see her crash, she didn’t think she’d ticked off anyone lately.

Ella greeted the paramedics, then led them over to Kevin.
One stayed with him, but the other one came to where she was standing. “I’m okay,” she said, but the paramedic refused to accept her answer. Not in the mood for an argument, she submitted to the usual field tests for unseen trauma, and had some small cuts on her hands and knees tended. By then, Sergeant Joseph Neskahi had arrived on the scene.

Ella spoke to him while the paramedic bandaged her
cuts. “Go to Ben E’s Repair Shop. Talk to everyone there until you can narrow down who the driver was. We want to lock up whoever was behind the wheel. Impound that van when you find it, too.”

“I’ll take care of it,” Neskahi said as they loaded her into the ambulance. “Do you want me to break the news to your mother before she hears it from someone at the hospital?”

“If you could, I’d sure appreciate
it, Sergeant. Just make sure she understands that I’m fine. Tell her I said so personally.”

Ten minutes later, Ella allowed the doctor at the Shiprock hospital to check her over. Although she kept telling everyone that she was fine, no one seemed to believe her, especially after she advised the doctor that she was pregnant.

By the time she emerged from the ER with a clean bill of health, except
for her cuts and bruises, Rose and Wilson Joe were waiting for her. Wilson seemed a bit cool, but she put it down as his way of dealing with the news the car accident had happened while Kevin had been at the wheel. He’d never been a big fan of Kevin’s.

“Are you all right, Daughter?” Rose asked as they walked down the hall.

“I’m fine, just banged up a bit. Kevin got the worst of it.”

“We overhead
one of the nurses say that his arm was broken,” Wilson said stiffly. “What happened?”

“Other than being forced off the road, I’m not sure.” Ella gave them the few details she was certain about.

As they reached the lobby, Ella saw Kevin Tolino’s mom and dad waiting. She was about to go over and reassure them when Kevin came out with a cast on his arm. They began talking immediately, and not wanting
to interrupt, she waited.

After a few moments, Kevin came over to join her. He greeted Rose warmly, then took Ella aside. “I’m going to head home,” he said. “We can talk more tomorrow. Okay with you?”

“Sure. I’m going to go home with Mom, then I’ll catch a ride or use Mom’s truck to go back to work. I may need to talk to you later.”

He nodded. “Officer Jimmy Frank was questioning me while they
were setting my arm. I’ve got to tell you, although I’ve got enemies, I can’t think of a single one violent enough to pull a stunt like this. You better take a long look at the criminals you’ve been chasing. There’s no doubt in my mind that you were the intended target today.”

“That could very well be, but we’ve got to consider all the possibilities.”

“I better get going. I don’t want to keep
my parents waiting. I hope you’ll cut yourself some slack and take the rest of the day off, too. You’ve been through enough.”

Ella shook her head. “I’ll be diving into this case right away. Every minute that passes works against my investigation.”

“Is that dedication or obsession?”

His tone was critical, and that surprised her. She was sure his intentions were good, but if Kevin thought that
the baby now gave him the right to dictate what she could or couldn’t do, he was sadly mistaken. “I’ll handle things. Just go home, feel better, and let me take care of my business.”

Ella saw the flash of anger on his face just before he turned away. He wasn’t used to having anyone completely disregard his advice.

Rose smiled as Ella joined her. “Be it far from me to criticize you, Daughter,
but taking the rest of the day off couldn’t hurt.”

“You heard us?”

“Yes. If he hadn’t wanted me to, he should have whispered softer.”

Ella laughed. Kevin’s voice had been quiet, but he hadn’t counted on Rose’s sharp hearing. Though her mother’s face had taken on wrinkles with age, her hearing was excellent.

Ella noticed Wilson’s near silence as he drove her and Rose home. Something was on
his mind, but right now she just didn’t have the energy to try and find out what was bugging him.

“I know the lawyer believes that this accident was caused by an enemy of yours,” Rose said. “Do you have any idea who it might have been?”

“No, but I think my friend was too quick to jump to conclusions. The only thing I’m certain about is that it was deliberate, not an accident.”

“Should the rest
of your family be told about this?” Wilson asked, “Or is the threat one you feel sure won’t spill over to them?”

She knew what he was thinking. Skinwalkers were known to have multiple targets—the primary one, and others that could also be used to accomplish their goal. Wilson’s experience with them certainly entitled him to some paranoia. But she had made other enemies who were just plain old
criminals. The threat from one of them seemed more likely.

“I really don’t know anything at this point,” Ella said. “But maybe a little caution won’t be a bad thing.” She looked at her mother. “Would you consider staying with Loretta during the day?”

“Absolutely not,” Rose said flatly. “I can take care of myself. I may have to use a cane, but my senses are sharp. If anyone comes by, I can call
you or your brother for help.”

“You know that it takes time for our police to respond, even if we drop everything and race over. And my brother is often away with a patient. Just for a few days, won’t you stay with a friend while I’m not home?”

“No. I won’t be run out of my home. It didn’t work on me in the past, and it won’t work now.”

Ella sighed. She hadn’t expected any other response, but
it was still worrisome. “I’ll see if I can increase the patrols around home. And, if you see anyone or anything that doesn’t seem right, don’t wait. Call in, okay?”

Wilson glanced over at Ella. “I can stay for the rest of today, if you’d like,” he offered.

“That’s not necessary. I’m not so old that I need a baby-sitter,” Rose said sharply.

Wilson glanced at Ella, cringing slightly.

Ella made
a helpless gesture. “You heard her.”

A half hour later, Ella sat in the kitchen with her mother. She’d showered and changed, and although she now felt the bruises even more than she had before, she was ready to tackle the rest of the day.

“Well, things certainly have to get better from this point on,” she said sipping a glass of cold milk.

“Your life will get even more complicated as time goes
on,” Rose mused, “not less.”

Ella sighed. “By the way, did Wilson seem a little edgy to you on the way back from the hospital?”

Rose nodded. “But it was to be expected. He overheard the doctor mention to the nurse that you were pregnant.”

Ella closed her eyes, then opened them again. Trying to keep a secret on the reservation was hopeless. She wondered why she’d ever thought she’d be able to
pull it off. “I’ll have to talk to him later.”

“This is just the beginning of how it’ll be, Daughter. Your love for your work and the love you feel for your baby will always tear you in two different directions. One day you’ll find yourself coming apart, and it won’t be at a seam.”

“My baby will have all the love I can give her, but I can’t stop being who and what I am.”

“Discovering that you’re
going to have a child must have taken you by surprise. Are you sure you’re prepared for what’s to come?”

“No, I’m not prepared. I didn’t expect this. But now that it’s here, there’s no turning back. And, you know what? I wouldn’t want to. I want to be a mom.”

Rose smiled. “It’s not all sunshine and clover. Some daughters are difficult,” she said.

Ella laughed. “Gee, I wonder who you mean?”
She finished the last of the milk, then stood. “I’m going back to work. Is there anything you need from me before I go?”