Eagle ignored the taunt and spread open the ugly flier Davy had taken off the tree.
Before he could speak, Gabe interrupted. “Glad you see it too, Eagle. But first, everyone needs to understand. No one, and I do mean no one, is to see that poster but us.
“That includes Chao, Kai, and
especially
Ana. We all clear?” When the men all nodded in agreement, Gabe turned back to Eagle.
Eagle leaned forward staring at the flier. He passed his hand over the flier several times, as if he had a divining rod in his hand. His expression was serious, his eyes focused in the distance. Gabe watched his friend closely, willing him to put together the pieces that were tearing Gabe apart. Then Eagle spoke.
“Let me start with the obvious. The guy hates Chinese. All three — Chao, Kai and Ana — have ugly exaggerated Chinese features. Even Ana, who is so striking, and frankly less Chinese-looking than her father and brother. That’s a given. But it’s important. It is a clue to his rage.
“It is also telling, the way he kills Chao and Kai. Chao was supposed to die slowly, painfully. Ideally pecked by birds and animals as he dies. It’s an old Apache trick. Unfortunately the fucker who did it wasn’t Indian. He tied the rawhide too tight. He didn’t know that the rawhide contracts over time. Chao was supposed to die slowly, steps away from his family. Able to hear them, but unable to call out. Kai on the other hand gets a relatively quick death. A broken neck and he’s gone.
“The next thing is that the murderous fucker is angry. I don’t have to tell anyone that. But something else strikes me. You notice how in every one of the attacks, the perpetrators are a
group
of men.”
“Damn. Eagle, you’re right.” Gunnar leaned forward, nodding in excitement. “That means he’s a coward. Has someone else do his dirty work.”
Gabe scratched at his chin. “Yeah, but there’s more to it. He doesn’t want to get his hands dirty. He wants distance from the violence. Partly because he’s afraid, but it’s more than that.” Gabe looked to Eagle for confirmation.
“You’re both right,” Eagle said. “But Gabe’s point is more telling. This guy does his dirty work from a distance and he hires people to do it. This is an important clue. At least three of the guys on our list personally revel in violence. The more vicious the better. They’re known for it. This guy isn’t. He hides his violent streak. He probably has an image to protect.”
Eagle was quiet for several minutes. No one else spoke… just watched him pass his hand over the drawing several more times.
Finally Eagle sat up straight and pointed first to the picture of Ana, and then to the one of Gabe.
“He’s angry. No, he is enraged that the two of you are together. He’s going to punish you both.”
Gabe stared at the pictures and then saw what Eagle saw.
“He is going to punish us in a personal way. He plans to have Ana raped and me stripped and whipped to death.”
Eagle nodded. “He wants to humiliate you both.”
Gabe nodded. “The way we humiliated him.”
Gunnar jumped in. “That’s a big clue. We just have to figure who wants Ana enough to kill both her and her lover.”
“I don’t know how that helps us, Eagle. Every goddamned man out there tonight wants Ana, including my partners,” Gabe said glaring first at Gunnar, and then at Eagle.
A small smile crossed Eagle’s lips as if to concede the point. Then his expression got serious.
“But that, Gabe, is the most important clue of all. He
doesn’t
want Ana. If he did, he wouldn’t let other men rape her. No, he wants to humiliate her. Punish her for something she or someone else did to him. It’s almost like she’s a stand-in, a proxy for someone else.”
“Then who the hell am I?”
“You’re the man who shamed him most. And you are going to pay for it. First you are going to watch the woman you love gang-raped. Then you are going to be whipped to death. Do you have any idea how long and painful a death that would be, Gabe?”
Gabe forced a harsh chuckle. “No, Eagle, I don’t. And I sure as hell don’t want to find out.”
~~~
Ana pulled the blanket over her shoulders. She shivered. She couldn’t get warm, no matter how many blankets she had. She sank deeper into the chair as if that would help, keeping her chin above the arm rest so that she could see her father’s face. She looked up startled to see Gabe standing beside her. She hadn’t heard him approach.
He smiled at her. “An old Indian trick. I learned it from Eagle. I got tired of him appearing out of nowhere, so I practiced, and look Princess, here I am.”
He frowned, reached down and touched her nose, then felt for her hand.
“Damn, Ana. You’re freezing. Do you feel sick?”
“No, no. I just… can’t get warm.”
“I can fix that.”
Before she knew it, he had scooped her up in his arms and sat down in the chair, holding her on his lap.
Ana was horrified. “Gabe, put… put me down. I can’t, Gabe, someone might come in–”
“Who’s going to come in, Princess? Kai is sound asleep in his chair. Your father is resting. I told Madame Ling that I would stay awake and watch your father.”
Ana felt his arms around her. She longed to sink into the comfort of them. To just let go and let him hold her. His thighs were warm, hard, strong muscles. The scratch of his whiskers warmed her cheeks. Oh God, she couldn’t.…
Several hours later, Ana woke to the most wonderful smells, nestled in a bed that surrounded her, held her. With a start she realized she had fallen asleep in Gabe’s arms. Oh no, she tried to sit up, but he held her tighter.
He whispered in her ear, his voice was low, rumbling. “It’s okay Princess. I’m here. And honey, you needed that sleep.”
In a strained voice, Chao agreed. “Yes, she did.”
Both Ana and Gabe jumped up. In a tangle of blankets, Ana was instantly at her father’s bedside.
“Father, oh father, are you… okay?”
Gabe was beside her, and from his chair, Kai roused. His voice broke when he tried to say ‘Father’; instead, he stumbled to his bedside and buried his face against Chao’s pillow.
Gabe stepped back, but Chao motioned him forward. His voice was a hoarse whisper. “We need to talk, Gabe.”
Gabe demurred. “It can wait, Chao. We can talk in the morning. I’ll leave now, so the three of you can talk.”
Chao shook his head. “No Gabe, stay. I want you here. I enjoyed watching all three of you sleeping so peacefully.”
Ana cried out, “Oh father, we were supposed to be taking care of you!”
Chao stroked her hand. His voice sounded almost normal.
“But you were, Ana. You never left my side. Neither did you, Kai. Or you, Gabe.”
Gabe agreed. “No, we didn’t. Thank God, Chao. You seem so much better.”
Chao gave them a weak smile. “I wish I could tell you what happened, Gabe.”
Gabe covered Chao’s hand with his. “Don’t strain yourself, Chao. It can wait.”
But Chao shook his head, a frown creasing his pale brow.
“No, Gabe. I need to try. To help you. The note… it… said: ‘I know who it is. Meet me in your office, alone.’ I thought it was from you or one of your men. All I remember is closing the door to my office. Then someone grabbed me and held that rag over my mouth. I didn’t wake up until they—” He stopped at the sound of Ana’s gasp. “You’re right Gabe, we’ll talk in the morning.”
He closed his eyes, his fatigue apparent.
Ana’s voice was soft, scared. “Please rest, father.”
Chao struggled to sit up. “Yes, yes, Ana. I will rest. But Gabe, I have to talk to you. I may not be able to tell you this—”
Gabe broke in. “Listen, Chao, whatever it is, it can wait.”
Chao’s grasped Gabe’s hand. His expression was fierce. “Gabe, you are not your father’s son.”
Gabe was startled. “Chao, please.”
“No, Gabe. I’ve wanted to tell you this for so long. Gabe, any decent man would be honored to have you as a son. That your father is not, is about him, not you.”
Gabe struggled against the vise squeezing his chest.
“Thank you, Chao. But there is no need. I am long past caring about my father’s opinion of me.”
Chao said, “If that were true, I wouldn’t be compelled to say this.” He waved off Gabe’s objections. “No, Gabe. Please hear me. You are not your father’s son. You are your own man. A kind, generous, fierce man. An honorable man.”
Gabe stepped back and took a deep breath, wrestling with the emotions choking him, cutting off his air.
“Thank you, Chao. I’ll think about what you are saying.”
He stared at the wounded man. At the sudden realization, he was unable to quell the anger rising in him. He prayed to God, he was wrong.
“One question, Chao. Do you agree that I am in charge here?”
Chao frowned. “You know you are, Gabe.”
Gabe came close and grasped Chao’s hand. He couldn’t hide the anger he felt.
“That sure as hell better not have been a lousy excuse for a death bed confession.”
Chao’s lips curled, and he shook his head no.
Gabe’s voice sounded angrier than he’d meant it to, but he couldn’t suppress his fury or his fear.
“Okay then. Let me tell you something. You are not going to die. Do you hear me, Chao? Tell me you hear me, that you agree.”
Gabe leaned down, his face next to this man he loved. “So help me, God. You are a hatchet boy, and don’t you forget it. You call on every ounce of strength you have. We need you. We all need you.”
Chao nodded, a slight smile curling his lips.
Gabe’s voice was impassioned. “Good. Because I swear to God, Chao. You even think about dying, I’ll kill you myself.”
Chapter 25
Ana couldn’t rid herself of the fear that she was forgetting something, something important. Every time she convinced herself it was the strain of the last day, the last week, a momentary flash of insight jerked her back. A frustrating glimpse of a memory that flickered… then died.
The day had been challenging. The person least affected was her father. Although his discomfort was obvious, he was talking, sitting up in a chair and surprising everyone with his remarkable recovery. But his bruised face and body swathed in bandages was a constant, chilling reminder that someone tried to kill her father. The sheer brutality of the attack horrified and infuriated her.
She knew from Gabe’s stern expression and clipped orders to his team that he shared her anger. He was kind to her and Kai, solicitous, ensuring that they were well cared for. He ordered the servants to bring them food in Chao’s chambers, ordered their water and tea refreshed hourly, and insisted that Ana bathe and change. He posted four guards outside Chao’s door and no fewer than three hulking men accompanied her, and stood outside her chambers while she changed.
Gabe didn’t bother to answer when she asked if she could ride to the canyons. He shook his head with a dark frown then went back to the solarium to meet with his men. He and Gunnar and Eagle huddled together for most of the morning. Other men came and went. They received Gabe’s brisk orders and then quickly left. Mid-morning, Gabe told Ana and Kai he wanted to speak with Chao privately. When they both objected, Gabe was insistent.
“I need to know precisely what he remembers. I also need to ask him about the beating — in detail.”
Ana protested. “No Gabe. You can’t. You mustn’t. He is still weak. He needs more time. He—”
Gabe held up his hand. The glimmer of a smile crossed his face, the first she had seen all morning. “Waterfall rules, Princess.”
Ana felt her face heat and would have argued, but she saw the determination in his eyes. She bit her lip hard to keep from responding, fighting the tears stinging her eyelids.
Gabe’s expression softened. He lifted her chin and held her gaze. “Yes, Princess, it is soon, and it will be painful for him to recount. But your father may have information that we need now. We have to follow every possible clue. We know they were wearing masks, but what kind of boots were they wearing? Did they talk to one another? Did they refer to the guy who hired them in some way? Did your father recognize anything about them?”
When she tried to pull away, he stopped talking. He put his arms around her and held her against him. His strong fingers massaged the tight muscles on her neck and shoulders. Without intending to, she relaxed against him. For one glorious moment she allowed herself to forget her pain, her frustration, and her anger. She buried her face against his chest and drank in the familiar smells she loved. She remembered falling asleep in his arms and waking up with him holding her. She wished with all her heart that she could forget what was happening and revel in his closeness.
As though he could read her mind, Gabe leaned down and nuzzled her ear. He whispered, “Later Princess. Later.”
She swallowed hard. Then drew herself up to face him.
“If you must talk to him, go ahead. But I insist that I am in the room. I also need to know what happened.”
Gabe stepped back and shook his head.
His voice was firm. “Sorry, Princess. That’s not an option. I need your father to tell me everything. He won’t do that if you are there. He will try to protect you.”
Though she knew he was probably correct, and that she was being unreasonable, Ana felt a flash of anger. She was glad that Gabe was here. They would be paralyzed without him and his men. But it was her father and her brother who were being threatened. She had never taken orders well and she wasn’t about to start.
She tipped up her chin and glared at him.
“I know you mean well, Gabe, but this is my house and my father. I insist—”
Once again, Gabe put his finger against her lips. But this time there was no teasing reference to their ‘rules.’ She saw a flare of anger as fierce as her own. She shivered and stepped back.
His voice was hard, cold. “No, Ana, I don’t mean well. I mean bad — very bad. Ana, when I catch the fucker who did this to your father and is threatening you and Kai, I will rip him in shreds with my bare hands. And I don’t give a fuck if this is your house or the President of the United States. You need to listen up. I don’t have time to argue with you or to sweet talk you into listening to common sense. I need you to do what I tell you to when I tell you. Do you understand?”