Page 30 of Desert Angel

“Good.”

They stood there, waiting. This time it didn’t take the police an hour to respond. It took them thirty minutes, which Nikki assured Dylan was speedy when they had to drive across the county. Captain Wallace arrived with a university t-shirt on that Nikki suspected he'd slept in and the other officer looked so young she was sure he’d just come out of the academy.

They took the statements, gathered the evidence, and photographed all of the damage done to the house. When Captain Wallace asked for Dylan’s gun, he hesitated before handing it over. “You’ll have it back as soon as they remove the bullet from our guy.”

Dylan nodded and Captain Wallace turned to follow the officer with the prisoner. At the door, he turned to them. “That was a close-range shot, Dylan.”

“I know.”

“Not a headshot?”

“No.” Dylan glanced at Nikki and then repeated his answer. “No.”

Wallace studied him then nodded and turned away. “I’ll also get some handwriting samples if the guy is up to it. Hopefully, he’s our perp in all of this and we can relax.”

Nikki didn’t start shaking until she was sitting at Dylan’s side on the sofa after the police had departed. He held her until she stopped and then while she cried into his shoulder.

They trekked out to the equipment shed and with the single, small piece of plywood that remained in the building, trekked back to the house and to the window. As Nikki held the wood in place she said. “Maybe I need to invest in shutters. At least if I get my windows shot out again, I can just close them and not have to worry about it.”

“Isn’t that what the pioneers did? Close the shutters against the howling wolves?” Dylan joked, his good humor returning with each nail going in.

“Yeah. But wolves only howl and bite.” She said, her tone morose. When he looked at her she shrugged. “I’m fine. I just need a minute.”

He took the nail out of his mouth and leaned over to kiss her. “You are amazing.” Then he returned his attention to the hammer and nails.

The next morning Captain Wallace called with a double purpose. Nikki’s hearing with the judge was set for the next week and he’d learned of the prisoner’s identification. “Dennis Wells lives in Arizona along the border. His family has worked for different ranches for generations and he’s been in and out of work there and in Texas and New Mexico for a while. He’s loosely affiliated with one of the groups that spend their time patrolling the border, scaring the illegals and such. He has a history of assault and some DUIs, brawling, that sort of thing. If he’s been involved in anything more, it’s not on the record.”

“Did you get anything out of him?”

“Other than his signature, which we can use for a handwriting sample, no. He clammed up and asked for an attorney.”

“Thanks, Captain. I’ll pass on the hearing date to Nikki.”

“Tell her I think the worst is over,” the captain said. “I think you both can relax now.”

Dylan disconnected the call and gave Nikki the news. When she heard the court date she sighed. “I don’t think I’ll forget it, but I’ll make a note.”

He smiled and stretched out his leg, wincing at the sharp pain in his knee. He hadn’t mentioned it to Hank yet, so he might as well call him.

When he did, Hank spent several minutes cussing him out for taking chances. When he’d calmed down, Dylan filled him in on the shooting and the subsequent arrest. “Could you look into this guy a little deeper? I don’t feel easy yet.”

Hank agreed and took down the information he needed, stating he’d call the state police office and get a photo and prints sent to him. Dylan didn’t ask how he’d manage that, he didn’t really care. He just wanted to know Nikki was safe.

When Hank asked if he still needed the other BP guys, Dylan surprised himself by saying, “Sure, I can keep them busy for a couple of days.”

“I thought it was all over.” Hank’s tone had sharpened.

“It probably is. But BP’s presence in the area will help cement that fact. Oh, and you know that leave of absence I’ve had for my stab injury?”

“Yeah,” Hank’s tone was cautious.

“My knee is really out of commission. I’ll probably need at least a month to get it back in shape.”

16

Dylan was right. The presence of three Brotherhood Protector bodyguards, each with his own brand of muscle and brawn, had effectively put an end to any harassment Nikki might encounter. She took trips to Animas and Lordsburg with a man in tow, shopped and even visited the hardware store, where Mark Williams refused to meet her gaze. At the trading post, Wayne stood just inside the door and watched her greet several of her church’s members with affection. When she turned to look at him and nod, he stepped back into the shadows without a word. She should have felt some remorse at losing his friendship, Nikki thought. But she hadn’t ended the relationship. His own actions had done that.

When she arrived at the courthouse for the hearing, several of the church’s members were in the spectator’s seats. Surprised, Nikki glanced at Dylan, who was at her side, along with the attorney Hank Patterson was supplying. He smiled at her when she expressed her feelings. “They’re your friends, what would you expect?”

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