Vanished in the Mountains Read online

  She shook her head. “We have that in common too. I thought if I could just reach that mother in California, I could save those little girls. It didn’t work.”

  “Why not? Why didn’t God honor your commitment and your struggles? For that matter, why did He let a woman and an innocent babe die like that, in the middle of a dark road alone and afraid?”

  She shook her head slowly. “I’ve asked myself a similar question over and over again. Why couldn’t God make my dad love me? Why couldn’t Daddy just let go of the anger and love us?”

  He pinned that piercing blue gaze on her. “I hope you got answers because I didn’t.”

  “Oh, I got an answer and I’m sure you did too. You probably just didn’t like it.”

  He glared at her. She could barely see his features in the dark but the pale moon, partially covered by clouds, still reflected off the hard set of his jaw.

  “Sin is here, Austin. From the moment the angels turned away from God, sin entered the world. Bad things happen to good and innocent people. God weeps but He allows it to happen so we’ll understand that His mercy is our only hope. He’s the source of all good and our best reason to go on. Romans 9:23 says it perfectly. ‘And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.’”

  She met his doubting gaze. “We were prepared for glory, Austin. That means we’re unique. Special and loved. I cling to that every time I feel defeated. It’s hard to hear His still, quiet voice in the world we live in. But He’s there, listening, whispering in our hearts.” She paused and looked up at the sky, at the brilliant bright stars. “Maybe the Navajo have it right living way out here. It strips away all our mechanical tools and illusions of power. His glory surrounds us in the skies and stars, so close we can almost touch them. I think it’s easier to hear His quiet voice here because there’s nothing to block out the sound and nowhere to hide.”

  The moon finally came from behind the cloud. She glanced back at Austin. His jaw was set and his blue eyes were hard and angry beneath the brim of his hat. The smooth line of his jaw tightened even more and the cleft in his chin twitched. He turned and stalked to the front of the passage.

  With a heavy heart, Dulcie began pacing again. She was so cold, her teeth chattered.

  Austin ran back to her, his voice pitched low. “Someone is coming down the path with a light.” He grabbed her arms and pushed her toward one of the T-shaped openings into another room. “With that light, they’ll be able to see right down this passage. Go deeper. But be careful. One wrong move and the wall could come tumbling down on you.”

  Dulcie gingerly stepped over the lip of the doorway and crouched down in the corner. Austin followed. They turned back to look through the doorway just as light flashed down the passageway they’d just vacated. The light beam swayed from corner to corner.

  “Hey, you two, come out of there before you freeze. Let’s go get warm.”

  The light flicked away. Dulcie and Austin stared at each other as Bea Yazzie’s low voice echoed through the ruins.

  SEVEN

  Austin motioned Dulcie to wait while he checked outside. Sure enough, the old woman stood on the other side of the fence, her dog seated beside her.

  “Come on. It’s safe.”

  Dulcie scrambled out of the cramped space and they moved down the passage into the opening. Austin had to help Dulcie over the fence, a sure sign of her cold, numb state. When they reached the older woman, she shook her head. “You should not go to the ancient ones’ houses where you will freeze. Why did you not come back to me when those two left?”

  “How did you know they were following us?” Dulcie’s teeth chattered when she spoke.

  Bea clicked her tongue. “Those two...they sounded like a team of horses galloping down the trail, arguing and carrying on. I waited a long time after they left to come find you.”

  “We didn’t want them to bother you, ma’am. They may be noisy but they’re dangerous.”

  “Yes, I heard the gunshot. Fools.” The vigorous shaking of her head showed even in the shadowy light of the moon. “Come on. I made you some Navajo tea. It will help.”

  They climbed the trail, the older woman moving ahead of both them. Their bodies and limbs were sluggish from the cold. When they entered the hogan, a battery-operated lamp sat on the table, casting a white glow over the single room. The cast-iron stove in the middle of the hogan radiated heat. Austin’s face and fingers immediately tingled. He couldn’t imagine how Dulcie was feeling. Bea handed her a heavy Navajo blanket and pushed a chair from the table closer to the stove.

  “Sit. Both of you, sit.”

  Austin helped Dulcie tug the blanket around her as Bea poured a mug of tea. Dulcie wrapped cold fingers around the steaming cup and sniffed the liquid.

  “What is it?”

  Austin pulled another chair close to her and sat down. “An herbal tea made from a local plant. It’s called greenthread. Go ahead and drink. It’s full of antioxidants and good for you.”

  “I don’t care how good it is for me. It’s warm.” She flashed him a little smile. Her dark eyebrows rose in an expressive gesture and her long curls bounced against her cheeks. Although she’d just spent four hours in the freezing winter temperatures, she looked wonderful. He couldn’t turn away from her brown-eyed gaze or her peach-colored lips as she sipped the tea. Thankfully, Bea handed him a blanket and a mug.

  He drank his tea and let the heat from the fire sink in. His harsh words echoed through his mind. He felt bad about what he’d said to Dulcie, almost accused her of being weak and useless. She’d probed a painful wound and he’d lashed out...unthinking. It was cruel and he regretted it. But she seemed to handle it better than he did. She was over it by the time he’d returned and even spun it back on him with truths he couldn’t deny.

  Was she right? Did they have many things in common, like a need to save the world? It was why he joined the sheriff’s department in the first place, to help make a difference. But when he’d lost Abey, he’d felt useless and thought he’d given up the notion of making a difference. But here he was again, trapped in a hogan at the bottom of a canyon with men waiting for him above...all because he thought he could help a frightened waiflike woman with the same need to help. He believed that need was dead...along with his faith in God. But he was wrong. Obviously, he hadn’t given up all hope. He still had a sliver of faith that the Lord meant him to do some good and Dulcie had sensed it, had dragged it out of him. Otherwise they wouldn’t be here now.

  If she was right about that, maybe the rest of what she said was true too. Maybe they were prepared for glory. Maybe the Lord had plans for them...for him. He certainly hoped so. Or else all his efforts to help Dulcie would end tomorrow morning.

  The old woman pulled more blankets off a shelf, and Dulcie helped her arrange them into pallets near the stove. When they finished, Dulcie grasped her hand. “Thank you. I don’t think I could have lasted out there through the night.”

  The old woman nodded her head. “Tonight, you sleep. Tomorrow will take care of itself.”

  Yes, tomorrow will take care of itself. As he settled in his pallet near the warm stove, one last thought drifted through his mind. Please, Lord, don’t let me fail her.

  * * *

  Austin opened his eyes slowly. With his senses tuned to any sounds outside the hogan, he hadn’t slept well, and he had a crick in his neck.

  Bea was already up. Water boiled in the kettle on the stove for more Navajo tea as she mixed bread in a wooden bowl. She pulled large pieces of the dough loose and dropped them into a cast-iron skillet next to the kettle. The bread sizzled and the smell of pork stew drifted over the air. His stomach grumbled without warning.

  “You need to eat,” Susan’s grandmother said with a chuckle. “When you see people on the trail, then you can go. Those fools won’t touch you when
others are around. They are cowards who don’t want to get caught.”

  Austin smiled, amazed at the older lady’s wisdom. She might have led a secluded life but she was one smart woman. Dulcie stirred and rose from her pallet. She asked how she could help. Bea told her to set the table and she found bowls and spoons on a shelf. When the fry bread was done, the elder lady spooned the stew into bowls and they ate on their pallets, close to the fire.

  All the while, Dulcie’s gaze wandered back to the loom. It wasn’t long before Bea explained how it worked. She talked about her craft, how so much of a Navajo woman’s heart and soul went into the making of a Navajo blanket. Austin listened and remembered Abey’s grandmother saying the same things. But this time the words didn’t hurt.

  Maybe Dulcie was right. Talking about the good things eased the pain of the bad.

  About nine o’clock, he heard voices and looked out to see two couples making their way down the trail to the ruins.

  “It’s time.” He stood and Dulcie helped him fold and stack all the blankets.

  Dulcie turned and grasped Bea’s hands. “Thank you. We wouldn’t have made it through the night. You saved our lives.”

  The old woman nodded. “Yes, it is because he is the one who will find my granddaughter and bring her home.” She turned to Austin. “Do not forget. I am waiting.”

  Two days ago, her words would have filled Austin with guilt and trepidation. But today, thanks to Dulcie, he half believed the old woman.

  And that he might make known the riches of his glory on the vessels of mercy, which he had afore prepared unto glory.

  We’re unique. Special and loved. Dulcie’s favorite scripture and words echoed in his ears. Austin wanted to believe. He needed to. People were counting on him.

  He nodded toward the old woman. “Thank you.”

  She nodded back at him with a half smile that made Austin think she understood everything he was thinking. He gave her another quick dip of his head and moved toward the door.

  Dulcie gripped the older woman’s hands and said, “May I come and visit you again?”

  “Yes. Come. I’ll teach you more about the weaving.”

  Dulcie’s responding smile was beautiful. Austin could have stood by the door forever, watching her dote on the older woman. But they had a long trek ahead of them. He forced himself to turn and walk away.

  Austin stepped outside to check the trail and the lookout above them before he allowed Dulcie outside. Bea stood in the door of her hogan and waved as they headed up the trail. Dulcie seemed particularly subdued. Just before they moved out of sight, Dulcie turned back and waved. When she saw Austin watching her, she gave him a shrug. “I never had a grandmother.”

  That thought occupied his mind for a long while during the trek up the trail. He couldn’t imagine not having a grandmother. Even though his lived far away, he knew Abey’s grandmother well. She used to laugh at his jokes so he saved all the corny ones to tell her. The memory pleased him.

  Now that they were rested and fed, the trek up wasn’t as difficult as he expected. No one met them coming down. He wished someone had. He would have liked to ask about the parking lot, how many cars and who was there. But they met no one descending, and sooner than he expected they drew near the top. As they reached a corner, he told Dulcie to pause.

  “Wait here for me. I’m going to leave the trail and climb over those rocks so I can see the parking lot. If it’s clear, I’ll call you.”

  Dulcie’s warm, soft hand grabbed his, made him want to linger, but she gave it a squeeze and let go. “Be careful.”

  He climbed the steep hillside and crept over the large boulders marking the parking lot. He lay flat and peeked over the edge. The lights of a tribal police car flashed. The vehicle was pulled up behind his Jeep and a tall, slender, familiar figure walked around it. Austin sighed with relief. Rising to his feet, he waved Dulcie up and climbed the rest of the way.

  “Ya ta he, brother.”

  Cade Hatalhe paused and turned, “Ya ta he. It’s good to see you walking around in one piece.”

  “You don’t know how glad I am to see you too.”

  Cade shook his head. “We got a report of a gunshot. When I saw your Jeep, I was sure I was going to climb down there and find you with a hole in your head.”

  “You almost did.”

  “Your lieutenant has been burning up the airwaves looking for you. What kind of trouble are you in now, brother?”

  Dulcie came running up. Both men turned. She’d spent the night on the dirt floor of a hogan and hid in dusty ruins and still, she looked amazing. Her russet curls shone in the early-morning sun, and her eyes were expressive and sincere as she examined Cade. Austin felt a sense of pride...that was quickly squelched when he caught Cade’s speculative glance.

  “Who is this?”

  “Dulcie Parker, this is Deputy Cade Hatalhe from the tribal police. He’s my...” Austin hesitated.

  “Clan brother,” Cade finished for him. “Even though my clan sister is gone, I still claim this one.” He nudged his head in Austin’s direction. A thankful flush of warmth washed through Austin. He didn’t deserve Cade’s faithfulness or affection. He’d walked away, turned his back on the people here, people who loved him, who were hurting too. He shouldn’t have left. They could have shared the pain, walked the path of grief together. He felt humbled that they still wanted him back. And he owed that realization to the slim redheaded waif beside him.

  “Our office got a report of two men on the trail and a gunshot early this morning. I was headed out here to talk to Bea Yazzie so I got the order to look around.”

  “Are you working the Yazzie girl’s case?”

  “Yeah, not that I’m getting very far, very fast. I’ve hit another dead end. Any idea who fired at you?”

  “Walter Benally and Bob Carson.”

  Cade shook his head. “Benally. That one is trouble. I heard he was running with a man from Durango but I didn’t know who. So why are they after you, brother?”

  Austin trusted Cade implicitly, so he related the events that had led them to the canyon. Cade listened with an occasional shake of his head and a muted sound of frustration.

  “You know if Benally is involved, Whitehorse is the one giving him direction.”

  Austin nodded. “I suspect Whitehorse’s bar is one place the victims all have in common. They snatch the girls from different locations but I’m sure they spend time at The Round Up bar. The girls would probably recognize Carson and Benally from the bar and not be on their guard. It would make their kidnapping easier. I’m going to pay it a visit.”

  “So, you think Susan Yazzie didn’t just run off. You think she’s one of the ring’s victims?”

  “I think so, yes.”

  Cade looked away, frustration in his taut movement. “I thought she might have gotten tied up in that situation with Judy Begay and her stepfather, but once he was arrested, I believed it was over. I had no information about this ring.”

  “And I had no clue about Susan. The ring has been suppressing info. We’ve discovered that much for sure.”

  Cade shook his head. “This is bigger than all our departments. You need to report this to the FBI office in Farmington. We can use their resources.”

  “As soon as I get Dulcie someplace safe, I’m going to The Round Up.”

  “It’s my case too. Let me help. I’ll go to Whitehorse’s place while you take care of Dulcie and go to the FBI. I’ll put out an APB for Carson and Benally. Any idea what those men are driving?”

  “No, we were already in the canyon when they arrived. But Carson’s mother said he owned a white panel van. As soon as I have cell reception, I’ll contact my lieutenant. See if he can’t get Carson’s registration. We’ll get the ball rolling on our end too.”

  “Interdepartmental cooperation.” The tall man grinned. �
�May be a first.”

  “Let’s hope it’s not the last. Be careful at The Round Up. You could be walking into trouble. Whitehorse and his cronies know they’re suspects. There’s no telling what they might do.”

  “I’ll tread carefully.” Cade patted Austin’s shoulder. “In the meantime, get to Farmington. This case is crossing too many jurisdictions and we need help. Ask for Agent Bostwick. He’s our contact.”

  “Will do.”

  “I’ll follow you until the turnoff to Whitehorse’s place. I want to make sure those two aren’t waiting to ambush you on the road.”

  “Good idea.”

  Cade waved. “It was nice meeting you, Ms. Parker.” He headed to his vehicle. Austin took his keys from his pocket and they loaded into his Jeep.

  They pulled out of the parking lot onto the main road. When they drew closer to the highway and phone reception, Austin’s phone buzzed with consistent messages. “I suspect my lieutenant has been trying to reach me.” His wry tone made Dulcie smile.

  He punched the connect button on his steering wheel and called McGuire. When his supervisor answered, his voice was taut. “You’d better have a good excuse for not checking in for the last twenty-four hours.”

  Austin shook his head. “How about getting shot at and trapped at the bottom of a canyon? Is that a good excuse?”

  McGuire made a frustrated sound. “I knew something was wrong. This shouldn’t have happened. I need to know where you and Ms. Parker are at all times.”

  “Agreed. I won’t make that mistake again.”

  “So what did you discover in the canyon?”

  Austin filled him in on all that happened, right up to the meeting with Cade.

  “Carson’s mother was right. He’s neck-deep in serious trouble. Listen, she also said he owned a panel van. Can you check his vehicle registration and get me a license plate ASAP? I want to get the info to Cade before he heads to Whitehorse’s place.”

  “I’m on it now. I’ll also contact the tribal police chief, and both the New Mexico and Colorado state police with the info. Your friend Cade is right. It’s time to bring this case out into the open.”