Page 28 of Desert Angel

“But did you hate them?” he pressed.

She looked at him through damp eyes and then leaned into him and kissed him. “No, I didn’t, I don’t hate them. But I feel very sorry for them.”

Dylan took her in his arms again and held her as she calmed. He didn’t tell her he was trying very hard not to hate the two men.

Hank called that morning to inform Dylan of the arrival of two BP men the next day. Dylan didn’t tell him anything about the border incident, he figured he’d give it a day or two. He didn’t need the lecture.

He spent the day babying his knee. His shoulder ached but wasn’t in as bad a shape. He wondered, if something happened today, would he be able to deal? He sincerely hoped so.

The message didn’t come by phone this time. It came by mail, or at least was left in the mailbox. Nikki drove out to the end of her road to check the mailbox without Dylan aware and by the time she rolled back in he was ready to give her an earful. Until he saw her face. Without a word, she handed him the note, making sure to hold it on the corner of the paper.

“I didn’t handle it anywhere else,” she said quietly then walked past him with a stack of letters and flyers.

He carried the paper to the sofa table and laid it down. With a pen, he unfolded it and read it, his ire rising with each word. “Next time I won’t miss.”

He went into the kitchen and picked up his sat phone. Within a couple of minutes, he was connected with Captain Wallace. “I need you out at the ranch.”

“I’m pretty busy right now,” began the Captain but Dylan interrupted him.

“I think you’ll want to hear how our night and early morning went, Captain.” He hung up and sat at the table. When Nikki joined him, he filled her in on his call. “I didn’t want to involve the local police in the morning’s events, but we need to now.”

She nodded. “Why not before?”

“Because we can’t be sure they aren’t involved.”

Captain Wallace eyed the pair of them as he entered the house. Nikki’s eye had started darkening and she’d have a shiner for several days. Dylan walked with a visible limp and sported the jeans cropped at one knee. The police officer glanced at his pants and lifted a brow. “Fashion choice?”

“Necessity,” Dylan said and waved the Captain in. “Let’s go to the kitchen. I can get in and out of the chairs easier there.”

Nikki hid her surprise. He hadn’t appeared to have any more difficulty maneuvering in the living room furniture than in the kitchen. She held her peace and followed the two men into the kitchen and started a pot of coffee while Dylan displayed the note.

“This time?” The captain looked at Nikki and then Dylan. “Tell me about the first.”

They spent the next half hour detailing their trip and the subsequent incident. Wallace’s reactions ranged from incredulity at Nikki going out in the desert after leaving the office and the charges behind her to concern at their injuries. “You were d--- very lucky. You both could have been killed.”

“We know. And we’re well aware of the danger.” Dylan took a breath and then continued. “Mark Williams and Wayne French were in the group but I also recognized some of the other men. I’ve seen them in town when we’ve been there.”

The captain bit back a curse and looked at Nikki. “You agree?”

She nodded. “I saw Wayne and Mark. I didn’t get a close look at any of the other men. You might look for some scratches or scuffs on the trucks in town, as well as the ATVs. That’s what was used to turn us over.”

The policeman huffed a humorless laugh. “Every truck and car in this area has dings and dents, yours and mine included. But I’ll take a look around town. Were there any people you didn’t recognize?” he asked Dylan.

Dylan nodded. “I’m sure there were. There were at least six vehicles in the mix, and I figure there were a couple or more different groups involved. I just happened to see the men that passed through the headlights.”

The captain flipped his notebook closed and stood, then looked around. “You got any plastic bags, Nikki? I didn’t bring any evidence bags with me.”

She stood and retrieved a small plastic bag from her cabinet and handed it over. After he’d picked up the note by the corner and slid it into the bag, Captain Wallace sealed it and stuffed it into his pants pocket. He leveled a look at Dylan then. “Don’t go out again tonight. I’ll have somebody come out tomorrow and help you retrieve the ATV but don’t go looking for trouble.”

“Okay.”

Nikki knew he was agreeing but also knew the only reason Dylan wouldn’t be out in the desert tonight, with her at his side, was because of his knee.

They turned in early that night, both of them tired from the early morning adventures and sore from their tumble. When Dylan admitted to having some pain pills in his pocket from his previous injury, Nikki tried in vain to convince him to take them. “It makes me too drowsy, honey. I should have flushed it a month ago.”

He chose instead to stretch out on the sofa and drowse for the evening while she tried to read, her eyes drifting to his form numerous times instead.

Finally, at nine she roused him. “Go to bed. You’ll be more comfortable.”

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