Aimée Thurlo - Restless Wind

Dana took a deep unsteady breath. She needed a plan. But, first, she needed to free herself. Trying to ignore the way the tough fibers bit into her wrists, she pulled, then relaxed in a persistent cycle as she attempted to create some slack in the rope.

It was tedious, painful work but she gained ground slowly. Suddenly the door burst open. Hastiin Sani was thrown into the room and landed hard, facedown, on the floor five feet away from her.

“You finally got smart, medicine man.”

The light from the adjacent room gave Dana the chance to make out the features of the man standing between them and freedom. There was no hope of her knocking him out of the way. Their kidnapper was tall and well-muscled.

His gaze was sharp but expressionless as he looked over at her, then back to Hastiin Sani. “You were smart to cooperate, old man. You’ll live to see the sunrise, and the woman, too. But if the list you gave us is a phony, the schoolteacher will pay. Once you get tired of her screams, maybe you’ll be more inclined to do as you’re told,” he said. He looked at Dana again, this time with a leer that left no doubt he’d enjoy carrying that threat through. She tried not to let her fear show, but failed. He laughed, then stepped back and closed the door, locking it behind him.

Dana inched across the floor toward Hastiin Sani, uncertain of how she could help him. She was still trying to slip her wrists free of the ropes binding her. Blood from where she’d rubbed her skin raw was running into her palms now. She reached his side then stopped and waited. She called his name softly but he didn’t reply.

Then someone in the other room said something about cigarettes. There was the sound of another door closing, then silence. After a quiet two minutes, Hastiin Sani rolled over in the other direction and struggled to a sitting position. “I’m glad you’re awake,” he whispered through swollen lips. “We’ve got a lot of work to do, and not much time.”

Dana could tell that Hastiin Sani was doing his best to fight the aftereffects of the drug. Although his speech was thick because of the bruises and cuts around his mouth, his mind was becoming clearer.

“We need to find a way out of here and, to do that, we have to work together,” he whispered quickly.

“I’ve been trying to get loose since I woke up.” With one final, painful tug, she managed to slip one hand free. Dana cast aside the rope that had held her hands then went to untie him. As she worked she noticed he was holding a scrap of paper tightly in his fist.

“We need to pry some boards away from that window as quickly and quietly as possible,” he said, pointing. “And while we work you’ll need to listen to me carefully and remember everything I’m going to tell you.”

Together, they began the arduous task of trying to force the boards loose. He pried them with his belt buckle while she used a large nail she’d found on the floor. “These men have no intention of letting me live,” he said. “I know too much about their plans and they know I’ll do everything in my power to stop them. Your own future is in question as well, particularly now.”

“The list of names the man said you gave him…was a fake?”

“No, but I wish it had been. There was no way I could stop myself. All my training, wasted…What I have to do now is destroy the list and hope they won’t be able to remember very many names. The man who took the list also dragged me back into this room so I managed to pick his pocket. But the paper tore, and I only got half. I’ll have to get the other part that’s still in his pocket,” he added, shaking his head.

“First, we get out of here. Then we’ll find a phone and call the police. They can handle these men,” she said in a whisper.

He shook his head. “Listen and remember,” he whispered urgently. “A man named Ignacio Trujillo is behind what’s happened to us. His name was mentioned in front of me, something they wouldn’t have done unless they’d already planned on killing me. We were kidnapped because Trujillo wanted that list of names they forced out of me. He intends to murder those people.”

“But what can we do?”

“I belong to a circle of Navajo warriors,” he said in a very soft voice. “We exist in the shadows-available on call from our tribal leader to protect the Diné when our police and public servants aren’t able to do so. No outsider has ever been given the information I’m entrusting to you.”

“You belong to a group that works like undercover officers…or spies?”

He paused for a moment. “Not spies, no…more like a proactive defense force. But it’s more personal than that and more secretive. Our warriors are hand-selected and trained. Their loyalty to our tribe is without question-their anonymity, absolute. I’m their leader and the only one in the Brotherhood of Warriors who knows the identities of all our members. Those are the names these men wanted.”

“But you’ve got most of the list back, right?” she asked, working to pull out a nail she’d managed to wiggle until it was loose. Seeing him nod, she continued. “Once we get out of here-”

He shook his head. “We can’t count on both of us escaping. You’re young and unhurt, and less of a danger to them-they think. Your chances are better than mine. This is a time of crisis for the brotherhood and it’s crucial that the information on the list reach my second in command as soon as possible. Your photographic memory is the best shot we’ve got. But first I’ll need your word of honor that you’ll guard the names on the list from everyone else, including other members of the tribe or even law enforcement officers. The information won’t be completely safe with anyone except the one man who has already sworn to protect it with his life. The brotherhood has many enemies.”

“You have my word, but it isn’t going to be necessary. You’ll get out of here, too. We have to make it,” she said, desperation coloring her words. She pulled the board up and to the side, unblocking a six-inch-wide section of window. Light from the full moon above came in, making their work easier.

“Nothing is certain, but I won’t force this on you. I ask only as a favor. The second you memorize this list, you’ll be in even greater danger. If you say no, I’ll understand.”

Dana thought back to her childhood. She would have been a lot lonelier and gone to bed hungry more often than not if it hadn’t been for Hastiin Sani. “Show me the list.”

He handed it to her, and she turned so the light from the moon illuminated the paper. She studied it for fifteen seconds, learning eighteen first and last names. “Okay, I’ll remember them,” she whispered, handing back the paper.

“The first name on the list is the man you need to find. He’s a medicine man and my second in the Brotherhood of Warriors. His Anglo name is Daniel Runningbear, but he goes by the name of Hastiin Dííl.”

“Got it.”

“The list you’ve seen isn’t complete, but it’ll do. One last thing. Tell no one what I’ve asked of you. That’ll be your best protection.”

“I promise I won’t let you down. But we will get out of this,” she said, renewing her efforts to clear the boards from the window. They now had one board removed, and another was only held in place by one difficult nail at the bottom of the window trim. Two more after that, and they might be able to squeeze through.

He concentrated on his work. “If necessary, I’ll do my best to hold them off, but the information you now carry is more important than either of us. Although there’s another way for a new leader to learn the names of all the brotherhood members, it takes several days. In that time, our members will be in grave danger and our new leader won’t have all the information he needs to defend the brotherhood effectively.”