Fatal Intent (Desert Heat Book 3) (5 page)

“Thanks, babe. I’ll feel much better when I know people won’t necessarily recognize you on the street.”

“Me too, I guess.”

They thought no more about it as Alex baked her cake and her housemates arrived with pounds of fresh shrimp they’d brought on ice from Rocky Point. Between the three girls, enough friends showed up to celebrate Dylan’s birthday that he felt part of a group of happy people for the first time in a long while.

SEVEN

Between the festivities of the party, which included some very odd pairings of beer and birthday cake, and Dylan leaving, Alex forgot her promise to take her picture off her blog that night. She remembered the next morning though, when an anonymous comment appeared for moderation. She read it in disgust and then deleted it. No way was she going to allow that filth on her blog. The comment called her everything from a fucking whore to a cock-sucking bitch of a wetback-lover. The worst part wasn’t the language. It was the utter disregard for everything she was saying, the deliberate misunderstanding.

A little more cynical now, Alex removed her photo from the blog and replaced it with the symbol that spoke to her most from the O’odham tradition. I’itoi, Big Brother, stands at the entrance to a maze representing life. The journey is long and takes many twists, but at the center is a return to the center of everything. Alex imagined it as the heaven she’d read about, though she hadn’t been raised in any particular religious tradition. Instead, she thought of a sort of misty otherworld, where spirits roamed free of pain, suffering and sorrow.

After class on Tuesday, she met with her adviser, the journalism professor who’d first encouraged her to blog and to make it a paying enterprise. That it barely made enough to support her internet connection didn’t matter. She told him about the ugly incident at the coffee shop and the disturbing comment she’d refused to publish.

“Alex, there’s a fine line between censorship and keeping yourself safe. Did you get the sense that the person who commented had any personal animosity toward you?” Professor Daniels asked.

“Well. Yeah, I got the idea it was the same person, actually. Some of the phrases were the same. But I want my blog to be as appropriate as it can be, considering the subject matter. I want kids to be able to see it, too. So I couldn’t really allow that language.”

Alex firmly believed that kids as young as pre-teens had just as much right, when their parents or other loved ones were missing, to know what was happening as anyone older did. She’d known from a very young age that her mother had gone somewhere and not come back. No one ever told her, though, whether they thought she was dead. In fact, her dad to this day insisted she was alive.

“I understand, and for that reason I support your decision to ban inappropriate language. But you can’t ban everyone’s dissenting comments. Otherwise, what you have is editorials, not journalism.”

Surprised, Alex retorted, “I intended to have editorials. That’s what blog posts are, aren’t they? Opinion?”

“Only if you unequivocally state them as such. Do you?”

The question disappointed her. Had her professor, her
adviser
, not read her blog? Surely, he should have known.

“Unless the post is a news item, I do label it an editorial,” she said. Was her tone sufficiently respectful, even though she was disappointed in the man she thought was on her side?

Unbelievably, he had yet another challenge for her. “And do you think it is in the best interest of the debate to disallow dissent with your opinion?”

Was this a trick question? Alex took a moment to think. “No… ” she said, still thinking as she spoke. “I don’t guess it is. To be fair, though, I haven’t had many comments, and most of them have been in agreement with what I’ve said. Only this one wasn’t, and it didn’t really have any thing intelligent to say. Just name-calling.”

“Very good, Alex,” Daniels answered, smiling now. “You’ve crossed another milestone. Journalism is about exposing truth. You can’t expose truth without debate. You’re doing fine.”

Alex was relieved, until he spoke again. “Did you ban that person, or just his comment?”

“Just the comment.”

“In that case, make sure there is no trail leading back to your physical location. He sounds like a dangerous character. Your boyfriend was right to insist you take your personal photo down. I only hope it’s not too late.”

Alex left Daniels’ office wide-eyed and fearful. She’d had enough personal interaction with danger in her short life, and she wasn’t particularly interested in pursuing another encounter with it. When she got home, she’d talk with her housemates about always securing the door, even when they were at home. Her discussion with Daniels suggested she’d better think more seriously about getting a private hosting account with extra security around the ownership of her blog. Not once did she consider abandoning it.

Two days later, she was thankful she hadn’t. She arrived at the regular get-together of the activist group at the Student Union building, to find the group in chaos.

“What’s going on?” she asked one of the boys that seemed closest to Dawn.

“Have you seen or heard from Dawn?” he asked, startling her.

“No, why? Haven’t you?” Alex was under the impression that this boy was more than a fellow activist to Dawn. In fact, she’d thought them a couple.

“Not since Sunday,” he revealed. He gestured at the knots of others, all talking with animation and plenty of noise. “I’ve asked everyone. No one has heard from her since I did. She sent me a text Sunday afternoon that she was going for a visit to the rez. Since then, nothing.”

“What about classes? Have you checked to see if she was in class? Maybe she’s just been busy.”

The boy, whose name Alex now remembered was Jesse, became even more agitated. “No, that’s just it! Every class she has, she shares with one or more of us. We haven’t seen her. She hasn’t returned my texts or calls. It’s as if she disappeared into thin air!”

“Calm down. Let’s get this organized,” Alex said. She stood on a chair and whistled loudly. Everyone turned to look at her.

“Jesse tells me Dawn is missing. We need to verify if that’s true, and if so, we need to get a search organized. Has anyone heard from her or seen her since Sunday afternoon?”

No one responded. Alex began to get a sick feeling.

“Does anyone know her people on the rez?”

A couple of girls raised their hands. “Can you call and see if she’s still there? Maybe she’s sick or something.” Alex climbed down from the chair and met Jesse close to the two girls, who could have been sisters. One was holding a cell phone to her ear.

“There’s no answer,” she said.

Alex could see no other alternative than going to Dawn’s home in person. A call that she was missing might panic her folks, come to think of it. Who knew what that would cause? “Can you direct me to her parents’ home, if I drive?” she asked.

Jesse answered. “I can. We can take my truck.”

“Come on, then. If she isn’t there, there’s no more time to waste.” Alex remembered vividly how close to death she’d come while being held in a small RV. Granted, the weather wasn’t quite as hot in early June as it had been in late July, but the heat could still be deadly. If her calculations were correct, Dawn had gone missing at least four days ago, possibly a little longer.

She followed him out of the building at a trot and climbed into his old pickup on the passenger side. She didn’t know Jesse well. None of them, really. She was an outsider to the group, even though she was sympathetic to their cause. Dawn going missing gave her a stronger bond, because of her own experience. Someone had to find her.

While they drove, she sent Dylan a message. He’d be home from work by now, probably even have the kids in bed and trying to have a relaxing evening. This was a different county from theirs, and she knew none of the law enforcement people here. She was hoping Dylan could get hold of Lt. Wells and ask for a referral to someone in Pinal County in case they needed a search party. At the same time, she held out hope that they’d find Dawn safe at home and nursing a summer cold or something.

When she finished her text and received Dylan’s reply that he’d do what he could, she turned to Jesse.

“Forgive me if this is none of my business, but isn’t Dawn your girlfriend?”

“I wish,” he answered. “I used to think so. But once she got involved in this, she didn’t seem to have time for me anymore. I hang out with this group in case she wants to see me that way again.”

His voice was so flat that Alex wondered if he’d given up hope. She put her hand on his arm. “Don’t give up on her,” she said. What if Dylan had given up on her when she was being such a pill about her career?

Jesse smiled a sad, sweet smile. “Never,” he said.

They got to the rez at a little after nine, which wasn’t ideal. Ordinarily, Alex would never knock on the door of a stranger at that time of night, but this could be an emergency. She knocked, with Jesse standing just a bit behind her.

When the door opened, a short, stout Native man appeared. His expression was one of annoyance until he spotted Alex, and then it turned to puzzlement. Alex could read his thoughts. What was a white girl doing knocking on his door at this hour?

“Mr. Redbird?” she queried. “I’m a friend of Dawn’s. Is she here?”

Visibly startled, he started to reply when a question from the inside of the house interrupted him. He spoke over his shoulder in Spanish. Alex recognized only a couple of words, but understood him to be asking the person inside where Dawn was. In a moment, a woman who had to be Dawn’s mother appeared at the door.

“Who wants to know?”

“I’m Alex Ward,” she said. “This is Jesse, another friend of Dawn’s. Is she here?” she asked again.

The woman’s face changed, warmed. “You’re Alex Ward? Well, come in Alex. Dawn has told me you are a supporter. Jesse? Are you the Jesse my daughter dated for a while?”

“Yes, ma’am,” he answered. He didn’t seem to know where to put his hands, and settled for holding one out to Dawn’s father, who shook it.

The two were ushered inside the small but comfortable home, and when they were seated, Dawn’s mother asked, “What’s this all about?”

Alex understood now that Dawn wasn’t here and tried to think of a way to soften the blow that their daughter was apparently missing. Jesse had no such diplomacy.

“Dawn’s missing,” he said. “No one’s heard from her since Sunday. Is she here? Sick maybe?”

The looks of shock on her parents’ faces evidently made him see his mistake. Alex hastened to intervene. “Mr. And Mrs. Redbird, if Dawn isn’t here, we need to report her missing right away.”

Mrs. Redbird burst into tears and collapsed against her husband. “I knew this would happen! What she’s been doing, it’s made her a target! It’s those Patriots!”

Alex was busy texting Dylan that they’d learned Dawn was in fact missing. She alerted to the word Patriots. “What do you know about the Patriots, Mrs. Redbird?”

EIGHT

Despite the fact he’d never met the girl Alex was so concerned about, Dylan had a weird sense of d
éjà
vu as he called Lt. Wells and told him what Alex needed. Wells said he’d take care of it. Dylan went back to get Davi his second glass of water, a delaying tactic the kid had recently become fond of. Dylan’s idea was to get Davi as many glasses of water as he wanted and hope it would come to an end when Davi wet the bed. So far, Davi was winning. The kid must have a bladder like a camel’s hump.

Dylan couldn’t help but worry that Alex was putting herself in the path of danger again. The girl was relentless when she thought she had a story, and her last text had mentioned the Patriots. He’d told her to stay away from them, hadn’t he? She had to know how violent they were. In fact, she’d said she did, but did the fact that one of her friends had maybe become one of their victims mean she’d go after them with an investigative piece? He had to prevent that at all costs.

It was only ten, and he knew for a fact he’d find Paul Ward at Jen’s bar, so he gave him a call.

“Hey, Dylan, what’s up?” Paul said. Then he snorted. The old man must be a little drunker than usual, which wasn’t very drunk at all. Maybe Dylan had misunderstood the joke.

“Paul, are you with Jen?”

“Naw, we’re just friends. What can I do for you, son?”

Yeah. Drunker than usual. This wasn’t going to work. “Nothing, just wanted to say hi. Your daughter bakes a mean birthday cake, did you know that?”

“Yeah. Always did a bang-up job on mine. Hers, too, when her Nana wasn’t around. Say, it’s almost her birthday. Think you could get her to come home for it?” Paul wasn’t slurring his words, but his manner was definitely more open than usual. It amused Dylan to find Paul this way. The older man wasn’t nearly the stick in the mud he’d thought him so many years ago, and Dylan liked it when he called him son.

“I’ll do my best, sir.”

“Good. Hey, come on down, I’ll spot you a game of pool.”

“I’ve got the boys, remember? Can’t leave them alone.” Dylan wouldn’t have played pool with Paul anyway. He was getting a reputation as a shark.

“Oh, yeah. Give the little fellas a hug from me, will ya?”

“I will, Paul. Be safe going home.”

Dylan managed to end the call before Paul came up with another meaningless subject. He thought about what he could do, but with the boys asleep, he could hardly go join in the search. Would Alex expect him to? Then he thought about the search dogs from Sells that had been involved in the search for Alex. He called Wanda.

“Tia Wanda, I’m sorry to call so late. Did I wake you?”

“No, Dylan. I don’t sleep much these days. What can I do for you?”

Wanda had lost her husband to a cartel mix-up about six months earlier. Dylan’s heart broke when he heard she wasn’t sleeping. He’d give anything to turn the clock back and save Hector. But he couldn’t do that, and there was a girl he might be able to help.

“Could you send those guys with the dogs from Sells to Casa Grande? Alex has a friend in trouble. Been missing for more than four days.”

Wanda’s voice became more animated as she answered. “How long have they been searching?”

“They just figured it out today, Wanda. The search is just getting started. It’s a Pima girl that leads that activist group Alex has been covering for the student paper.”

Wanda gasped. “Dawn Redbird?”

“Yeah, that’s the name. Do you know her?”

“I knew her parents when she was a little thing. I know her by reputation. Dylan, the Patriots are involved, I can feel it. Yes, I’ll call Sells. Can you get there to help Alex? I’ll come over for the boys.”

Dylan could hear Wanda bustling around as she spoke, but his heart had stopped when she, too, mentioned the Patriots. So it was true. He trusted Wanda’s gut feeling, and his concern for Alex was growing by the minute. What if it had been a Patriot who’d harassed them in the coffee shop? What if Alex was the next target? His priority shifted from the Pima girl to his love in a heartbeat.

“How fast can you get here?” he asked Wanda.

“I’ll be there in five,” she said. “I’m on the way now.”

Dylan threw a change of clothes and a couple of changes of underwear in an overnight bag and went to check on the boys. Both were sleeping soundly, only stirring a little when he kissed their foreheads. He didn’t know when he’d see them next, but Wanda would take good care of them in the meanwhile. He had to go and take care of the woman he hoped would be their mom someday.

He greeted Wanda a moment later as they passed in the entryway. “They’re asleep. Don’t let Davi out of your sight at bath time. I’ll be back as soon as I can.” After this hurried speech, he kissed her on the cheek and rushed out.

It would take an hour and a half to get to Casa Grande. The search dogs would get there half an hour after that, if they were lucky. He sent Alex a text that he was coming.

A few minutes later, his phone beeped and he risked a glance at the return text. “I love you.”

Now, if he could only persuade her to leave this alone. Volunteer for the search party or the support group, if she wanted, sure. Report the results, even, if she wanted. He needed to make Alex see that it was too dangerous to print one word about the Patriots, though. He had to convince her.

~~~

By the time Alex and Jesse got back to Casa Grande, the Student Union building was closed, but some of the group were milling around outside. After a little debate and a check with her housemates to see if it was okay, Alex invited them over to her house so they’d all be in one place when the police came to interview them about Dawn being missing. It didn’t take long.

While officers were talking to anyone who had any ideas, especially Jesse, who’d apparently heard from her last, she got Dylan’s text that he was on the way. Now she was anxious to get these people cleared out of the house. As soon as Dylan got here, she wanted to join the search effort.

Authorities had already established that Dawn had left her parents’ house at about the same time she texted Jesse. The text didn’t mention she was out of town, or when she’d see him, only that she had some plans she’d be presenting at Thursday’s meeting.

Alex thought it a little curious that Jesse hadn’t raised the alarm sooner, but the police seemed satisfied that he’d had no reason to. He willingly turned over his cell phone and when he was through with the interrogation, told Alex he only heard from Dawn rarely anymore. Dawn got annoyed when he just called to say hi, as if she had no time for anything that wasn’t school or her group.

Alex believed it. It was the way she’d been with Dylan for a while, after the kidnapping and before the murder in the park. She dropped her eyes when Jesse revealed his hurt at Dawn’s treatment of him. Had Dylan been that hurt? She had to make it up to him, somehow.

Now, she was elated he was on his way. It had only been four days since she’d seen him, about the same time since Jesse heard from Dawn, she realized. She couldn’t wait to see him again. In a gesture of solidarity with the sad boy in front of her, she patted his shoulder. “It will be okay, Jesse. We’ll find her.” It was a foolish promise to make, but it cheered him up.

At last, the police had finished their interviews, and everyone was leaving. Jesse asked Alex if she would join the search and she told him her boyfriend was on the way to do exactly that, and they’d see him later. Alex wasn’t sure if Dylan would want to rest first and search in the morning, or get started with the earliest responders. She would wait for him, either way.

The search area was a nightmare. Twenty-one miles was nothing in a car, on a highway. Searching along the route, which included farmland, rough desert terrain and the outskirts of the city, was something else again. They were going to need a massive amount of manpower.

There was no guarantee Dawn hadn’t been abducted along the way, the most likely scenario, since her car hadn’t been found abandoned in the time she’d been missing. Alex knew better than almost anyone how easy it was to make someone disappear like that.

Her housemates had gone to bed despite the crowd in the living room, so as she waited alone after everyone else left, Alex had nothing to do except think of Dawn. Was she afraid? Desperately thirsty? Injured or dead? Did someone have her, doing unspeakable things to her? Alex worked herself into quite a state before Dylan arrived. When she heard his vehicle stop at the curb and the door slam, she flew out of the house and into his arms, sobbing uncontrollably.

“Hey,” he soothed, wrapping himself around her like a shield. “Tell me. Did they find her? Is she…?”

“No,” she managed to say against his chest. “I’m just… I know what she’s going through.”

Dylan held her even closer. “Let’s go in the house,” he said. “We can join the search tomorrow. Right now, I need to hold you.”

Alex didn’t intend to be a baby. The panic attacks came rarely now, and she knew what would trigger them and what would help. She should have taken a Valium as soon as she learned Dawn was missing. But she had Dylan’s arms around her now, and that made her feel safer than anything. With a nod, she let him lead her to bed and hold her until she slept.

In the morning, Alex was calmer. She assured Dylan she’d be okay at home and agreed she probably shouldn’t try to join the search. She would work on her homework and wait for his call.