Novels
Ella Clah series
Blackening Song
Death Walker
Bad Medicine
Enemy Way
Shooting Chant
Red Mesa
Changing Woman
Plant Them Deep
Tracking Bear
Wind Spirit
White Thunder
Mourning Dove
Turquoise Girl (March '07)

Sister Agatha series
Bad Faith
Thief in Retreat
Prey for a Miracle
False Witness (June '07)

Lee Nez series
Second Sunrise
Blood Retribution
Pale Death
Surrogate Evil (Nov.'06)

Works-in-Progress
Turquoise Girl (March '07)
False Witness (June '07)
Ella Clah untitled '08
Ella Clah untitled '09

CHAPTER ONE

Ella exhaled softly. There was so much her mother would never say openly to her. Ella's refusal to accept the old ways stood as an insurmountable chasm between them at times. She needed facts, but her mother's facts were often rooted in her beliefs, and those were ones Rose didn't want to expose to Ella's coldly logical viewpoints. "I'll take my pistol, don't worry. It should be in the trunk I shipped ahead."

She went down the hall to what had once been her room. Her childhood books still filled the shelves. A maroon and silver Shiprock Chieftains banner was proudly displayed on the white washed walls, along with a watercolor painting of Shiprock she'd done back in the eighth grade. That her mother had chosen to keep all of her treasures warmed Ella's spirits. As her gaze drifted to the far wall, she saw the crucifix that hung over the bed.

Ella stared at it. She'd never quite believed in the Christian god, but then again, she wasn't quite about the Navajo gods either. She could understand Clifford's aversion to the religion the missionaries had brought into the Southwest. Navajo fear of the chindi was strong, and the stories she'd heard as a child made it difficult for her to imagine the apostles feeling anything but stark terror when Jesus visited them after the crucifixion.

"I put your trunk in the closet," Rose said.

Ella retrieved it by the leather handle, and unlocked the lid. Grabbing the windbreaker from the top, she rummaged among the clothing and retrieved her pistol, ammunition, and running shoes. "I'll be back," she said, taking off her street shoes and lacing up the sneakers. She then slipped the pancake holster through her belt, and adjusted it. "Please don't worry."

Her mother said nothing, but concern was evident in her stiff, disapproving stance.

Ella headed down the dirt track, knowing it would be easier to go this way until the track reached a dead-end. Although she was in good physical shape, hiking across the uneven, desert terrain was always tiring.

It had been a wet summer; the desert received almost all its rain in July and August, and thunder boomers in the afternoon were very common. She glanced around her, seeing the results of those rains. Water had carried away tons of sediment, leaving large furrows that would have been particularly cruel to passengers in a car or truck riding over them. She picked her path carefully, among the natural ditches that bordered the dirt track. Hearing a loud rumble of thunder, she glanced up at the gathering clouds. It was likely to rain again soon.

Ella walked carefully, patiently sorting her thoughts while she came to terms with the world she'd reentered. As dusk settled over the Four Corners region known as the Colorado Plateau, the ground became shrouded in increasingly deeper and darker shadows. The hum of night insects rose to a droning crescendo, and the air became sticky, almost humid.

Struggling mentally with the events of the past two days, she reached the top of the latest rise, then started downhill. She was watching a large jackrabbit scamper away in its typical endless retreat, when some sixth sense compelled her to turn around. At the top of the little hill she was descending was a large animal. She tied to make out some details, but the creature was well camouflaged against the purple and gray backdrop of the twilight sky.

It was too large to be her mother's dog, or any dog for that matter. A bear would have been a possibility, but it was the wrong shape. Cougars were rare in this area, so she ruled them out too. She took a step toward the creature to get a better look, but as she did her skin prickled uncomfortably. Ella stopped as the animal moved back into the shadows and vanished. She wondered if it might have been a wolf.

Abruptly an old black pickup appeared at the same spot the animal had been standing only seconds before. It started down the rutted incline, bouncing and sliding. She heard the engine revving up, and stared in disbelief as the vehicle careened directly toward her. It ripped through the sagebrush and pinon faster than anyone who knew the land would ever dare go.

She started running as fast as she could, heading for the next rise. If she could get there with a few seconds to spare, she might be able to fire off a few shots and either disable the truck or hit the driver.

Ella glanced behind her and realized the pickup was gaining ground too quickly. She'd never get away. She'd have to make her stand right where she was.

She whirled and pulled out her pistol, going quickly into a two handed combat stance. In the semi-darkness, hitting the driver of a truck that was bouncing all over the place would be nearly impossible. Her only chance was to wait until it was almost upon her. She swallowed back her fear and took careful aim.