Navajo's Woman (28 page)

Russ walked toward the arts and crafts building. Jewel saw him. She started to lift her hand, but didn't.

Her gaze locked with his, and he followed that linked stare, each step taking him closer and closer to the one person who could give him back his life.

As he watched Russ approaching, Joe eased toward the doorway, making sure he could see but not be seen. He stood less than ten feet behind Jewel. With the girl's back to him, he had a perfect view of Russ's face. A combi-nation of fear and happiness comprised the boy's expres-sion as he drew near. A flash of purple swept past Joe as a tall Navajo woman walked out of the building. Joe thought she had to be the ugliest woman he'd ever seen and one of the biggest. She looked more like a man in drag. For a couple of seconds her body blocked Joe's view. An odd sensation hit him in the pit of his stomach.

Something was wrong.But what? A flash of metal glistened in the sunlight. Joe's gaze traveled quickly to the big woman's hand—holding a gun! Realization hit him, like a ton of bricks falling out of the sky.

Damn! Damn!How could he have been so blind? The woman was too tall.Too ugly. Hermovements unfemi-nine. She walked like a manbecause. . .shewasa man.

Joe motioned to the lawmen placed strategically inside the building,then he eased outside and prepared to attack. Everything happened all at once. The pseudo-woman was right behind Jewel. Joe's first instinct was to call out a warning, but who would be alerted by his cry?

As he raced out of the building, Joe heard Russ speak to Jewel. "Hi. Thanks for coming."

"I'm sorry it took me so long to agree to help you," Jewel said.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

The person in the purple dress bumped into Jewel, and when Jewel turned to see who was behind her, the man-in-disguise pressed himself against her back. Only be-cause Joe was so close was he able to see that the man held a knife in one hand and a pistol in the other. The knife, which could be seen only from a certain angle, was pointed downward directly at Jewel's lower back. The gun barrel glistened as the man tried to hide it in the folds of the massive purple garment.

Jewel's face lost all color. Her eyes grew large and glazed over with sheer terror. Her lips parted on an in-drawn breath. Her mouth rounded in a silent cry.Drums boom-boomed. The drone of laughter and conversation filled the air. The yelp of dancers echoed in the distance. People milled all around them.

Innocent fair-goers had no idea they were in danger.

With only a couple of feet between them, Russ froze to the spot, directly in front of Jewel and the purple-clad angel of death. No doubt, Russ had somehow recognized Lanza. Moving as casually as possible, Joe walked around to the side of the threesome. When he did, he saw Jewel's lips moving. She was mouthing the wordrunto Russ. Joe realized that Lanza didn't realize he'd been spotted, that he didn't know anyone other than Jewel and Russ were aware of who he was or thathewasn't ashe.

Sunlight reflected off metal as the man lifted his arm. A wide silver bracelet circled his wrist. And a 9-mm Sig Sauer pointed directly at Russ. Three things happened si-multaneously. Andi came out of nowhere, placing herself in the line of fire as she ran toward Russ. The purple-clad man shoved a knife into Jewel's back and stepped around her fallen body to grab Russ. And a bevy of small children carrying balloons came between Wolfe and his target.

Russ and his abductor disappeared into the crowd.

Joe motioned to the lawmen directly behind him, and two officers immediately rushed to check on Jewel.

Joe grabbed Andi's arm and dragged her through the throng, then shoved her toward Wolfe. "Take care of her."

"I can handle things for you," Wolfe said.

"Yeah, I know you can, but it is something I need to do."

Wolfe nodded.

Andi realized that she had inadvertently jeopardized Russ's life and Jewel's. She had acted on instinct because she hadn't been sure that anyone else saw what was hap-pening—that the tall Navajo woman was no woman and thathehad a gun in his hand.

Andi started to follow Joe, but Wolfe held her wrist. She stared into the coldest green eyes she'd ever seen. A shiver of fear raced up her spine. "Please. I have to go with him."

Wolfe nodded, and together they followed Joe through the crowd but didn't catch up with him. Andi suspected that Wolfe deliberately kept her a safe distance behind. She caught a glimpse of J.T.; then Bill Cummings ap-peared at J.T.'s side. She sensed more than she noticed a hum of activity, and she understood that the lawmen gath-ered at the fair were on the move.

And then she heard the awful sounds.Gunfire.People screaming.

Joe figured that the gunfire was between some of Lanza's goons and the law.A distraction to draw attention away from Lanza and Russ. Ignoring the uproar the gun-fire caused, Joe kept them in
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

view—Russ and the person he felt in his gut had to be LeCroy Lanza. Once or twice he lost them in the crowd, but then caught sight of them again as they hurried through the chaotic masses.

As frightened people ran helter-skelter, some scream-ing, Joe stayed thecoarse , keeping a discrete distance be-hind his prey. He followed them to the parking area. Lanza led Russ in and out between the parked vehicles. Did the guy know he was being followed? Joe didn't think so. Lanza acted as if he thought he'd gotten away safely.

Silent as a panther, Joe crept up on his quarry. His heart roared inside his head when, looking up from his crouched position, he saw Lanza's reflection in the rearview mirror. The guy shoved Russ up against the side of the truck and lifted the gun. Bile rose in Joe's throat. The bastard was going to shoot Russ in the head.

He had one chance to stop Lanza and save Russ. He had to act fast and shoot straight. He was almost as good a marksman as Wolfe. He prayed that would be good enough.

The truck's windows were rolled down, leaving no glass to obstruct the bullet's projection. With hghtning speed, Joe jumped up, aimed and fired. A look of pure shock crossed Lanza's face. Blood trickled from the hole between his eyes. His hand gripping the pistol lifted straight up into the air, and the 9-mm fired into the sky. Then Lanza slumped over and disappeared behind the truck.

Joe raced to the other side of the old pickup. Lanza lay on the ground, his sightless eyes seeming to stare straight up. Russ stood by the truck, shivering. His gaze met Joe's.

"Are you all right?" Joe asked.

"Yeah."

Joe approached Russ, uncertain how the boy would re-act to him. But when he placed his hand on Russ's shoul-der, Andi's little brother looked at him with a quivering smile on his hps.

"Man, I thought I was dead," Russ said. "I saw Andi before Lanza caught me. And I thought I saw you, but I wasn't sure. I didn't know what was going to happen." Russ stopped, clutched Joe's arm and groaned. "How's Jewel? He knifed her, didn't he?"

"I'm sure Jewel is on her way to the hospital right now."

Suddenly Joe and Russ were surrounded by represen-tatives of various law enforcement agencies.

Wolfe re-leased his hold on Andi, who ran toward her brother. She grabbed him and hugged him, and then kissed him on both cheeks.

"What the hell's going on here?" Russ pulled free of his sister's hold and glanced around at the army of law-men surrounding the parking area.

"We'll explain everything later," Joe said. "For now, the police are going to want a statement. After you're finished up at the police station, then we'll go to the hos-pital and check on Jewel."

Russ turned to Andi. "Joe saved my life."

"Yes, I know."

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"I thought I couldn't trust him.'' Russ held out his hand to Joe. "Thank you for helping me. I owe you my life."

"You don't owe me a thing," Joe said. "I owed your father."

"Yeah, I understand." Russ clamped his hands to-gether, obviously trying to stop them from shaking. "I guess your debt to him has been paid in full."

Andi slipped one arm around Russ's waist and then grasped Joe's hand, drew him to her and wrapped her other arm around his waist. The three of them, side by side, walked toward the waiting lawmen.

Two weeks later, Joanna and J.T. Blackwood hosted a barbeque to celebrate the release of two patients from the hospital. Eddie and Jewel held the place of honor at the day's festivities. Three families were united by a common emotion—thankfulness.The Lapahies.The Whitehorns.The Begays. Each had come close to losing a child. After Mr. Lavato refused to press charges against the boys for "borrowing"

his truck, the police agreed they had no rea-son to prosecute Russ or Eddie or Jewel.

Andi and Joe watched the younger children playing in the pool, and the older ones laughing and talking.

Had it not been for the cooperation and hard work of so many people, this perfect day could not have happened, Andi thought. But the person most responsible for her happi-ness was Joe Ornelas, who had not only saved her brother's life, but had announced only a few minutes ago that he planned to remain in New Mexico, on the reser-vation. She understood, even if no one else did, that Joe was staying not just for himself and perhaps even for her, but for Russ and Eddie. The boys needed someone to look up to in their lives, a role model to show them what a modern Navajo warrior should be.

Russ left the other kids and came over to where Andi and Joe were sitting. He nodded to Joe, who returned the gesture.

"I want to talk to you," Russ said.

"Sure. Here or in private?" Joe asked.

"Here's fine." Russ smiled at Andi and then looked back at Joe. "I just thought you should know that if you and Andi want to get backtogether. . .you know, get mar-ried or something, then it's okay with me."

Andi's mouth fell open. Joe chuckled. Russ grinned, then turned and went back to his friends.

"Joe, I don't—" Andi said.

He shot to his feet, grabbed her hand and said, "Russ might not have needed any privacy for what he had to say, but I do."

"What?"

He led her into the house and down the hall, all but dragging her in his haste. He pulled her into the nearest room, which just happened to be a powder room. After nipping on the overhead light, he closed the door, then eased her up against the wall and kissed her. He took her breath away. She shoved on his chest until he stopped kissing her. He gazed into her eyes, a soft smile curving his lips.

Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

"Andrea Stephens, in case you don't already know it, I thought it was about time that I told you I love you."

"You do?"

"Yes, I do.Very much."

"I love you, too," she said.

"That's what I was hoping you would say." He delved into his vest pocket and brought out the silver-and-turquoise bracelet that she had returned to him only a few short weeks ago. "I want you to have this." He clasped the wide band around her wrist.

She fingered the bracelet. Joe stuck two fingers down into his shirt pocket and came up with a ring. Andi stared at the shimmering, square-cut topaz surrounded by small diamonds.

"I bought this in Albuquerque yesterday," he said. "The minute I saw it, the golden stone reminded me of your eyes."

"Joe, it's beautiful."

"Not half as beautiful as your eyes."He lifted her hand and slipped the ring on the third finger of her left hand. "Andi, will you marry me?"

"Oh, Joe."Tears clouded her vision. She flung her arms around him and cried, "Yes, yes, a thousand times yes."

He kissed her again.Hard and hot, but quick. "Let's go out there and announce our engagement today.

And then you and Joanna had better get started on planning a wedding. I don't want to wait to make you my wife. Do you think you two can pull something together in a couple of weeks?"

"A couple of weeks?"She snuggled up against him, her arms around his neck. “I think that can definitely be arranged."

Epilogue

The new Navajo Tribal Police captain, Joseph Ornelas, posed for a picture with his wife and their two children, eight-year-old Seth and five-year-old Dinah. At twenty, Joe's niece, Summer Whitehorn, had become quite an ac-complished photographer and she loved to practice, using family and friends as her subjects. Andi had arranged this family event to celebrate Joe's promotion. She was so proud of her husband. In the ten years since he had re-turned to New Mexico, their lives had become more en-riched
Generated by ABC Amber LIT Conv
erter, http://www.processtext.com/abclit.html

with each passing year. And with the births of their children, their marriage had only strengthened.

Kate brought out a tray of fresh fruit and added it to the table already overflowing with food. Joanna Blackwood poured iced tea into tall glasses, and Doli Lapahie placed a bouquet of fresh flowers in the center of the banquet.

"I do hope Eddie doesn't forget about the party," Kate said. "I called him this morning to remind him, but the boy lives and breathes those horses."

" 'Thosehorses' are making a lot of money for Joe and Eddie," Andi reminded her sister-in-law.

"Breeding thor-oughbreds is a lucrative business. And Eddie is doing a fine job of running the O&W

Ranch."

Five years ago, when Eddie graduated from college, Joe had invested in Eddie's idea for a horse ranch, and under Eddie's management the venture had been a huge success.

"Mama, I'm hungry," Dinah said. "When are we go-ing to eat?"

Andi looked down at her daughter and, as she did every time she gazed into Dinah's black eyes, saw Joe staring back at her. “Eddie is running a little late today. As soon as he gets here, we'll eat."