“The one on the left. He was one of the men who kidnapped us,” she said, interrupting his thoughts.

He had to struggle to refocus. “And the other one?”

“I haven’t seen him before.”

Reading his brother’s note, Ranger filled her in. “The one you recognized is Bruce-Del Archuleta’s brother. He used to work for the city of Farmington as an animal control officer.”

Ranger passed the news to Hunter, then hung up, avoiding what would have undoubtedly been his brother’s next question-what was next on their agenda.

“We need to find Bruce and Del, and we have Del ’s last known address. What do you say we go pay him a visit?” he said.

“I’m ready when you are,” she answered.

They drove to the address they had for Del and found he’d moved. The new tenant, a young, slim, college-aged woman, seemed to want Ranger to stick around, so she invited them in.

“I’ve forwarded a few pieces of mail to Del, and I’ve got his new address around here someplace,” she said, brushing back a strand of long, blond hair. “He lives with his creepy brother, Bruce.” She fished around a drawer for a few moments, then finally pulled out a small notepad. “Here it is,” she said, handing it to Ranger.

Dana tried not to feel ignored, but the woman hadn’t taken her eyes off Ranger since they’d come in.

Ranger gave the young woman one of his devastating smiles. “I appreciate your help.”

“Let me know if you need anything else. My casa is your casa, as they say around here.” She stepped closer and gazed up at him. “Good luck.”

As they drove to the address she’d given them, Dana laughed. “I felt like the invisible woman back there.”

“Jealous?” he teased, then shaking his head, added, “Nah, you’re way too secure for that.”

She thought about what he’d said. “It’s a funny thing about security. I spent most of my life trying to create it for myself-through my job, my friends, my lifestyle. But these past few days, as we fought just to stay alive, I learned that security isn’t a tangible thing, it’s a spiritual outlook. Security comes from courage, and faith, in yourself…and in those you trust.”

For the first time Ranger saw hope for them and not just for a few stolen moments here and there.

They reached the address a short time later. Ranger parked about half a block down the street from the small one-story house and waited. “They’re both in there, judging by the two cars in the driveway,” he said after a moment. “Unless one of them has a visitor.”

“No, Bruce is there. I just saw him pass by the window,” she said, her voice shaky as she handed him the binoculars. “I’ll never forget his face.”

“Don’t let him get to you,” he said. “He’s going down.”

“I just remember…him. He was one of the men who questioned the medicine man. When I see his face…I see death.”

“Stay here,” he said. “I’m moving in.”

“I’m going with you. There are two of them, and that’s not an even playing field. I can help balance the odds a bit.”

“All right then. I’ll watch your back and you watch mine.”

Ranger checked the pistol in his belt, then started the truck and drove down the street. He killed the engine as they got close, and coasted into the driveway silently, blocking both vehicles.

Ranger nodded to Dana, then climbed out of the pickup and walked over to the door. She stood behind him, and to the left as he knocked hard on the door four times. Then he pushed the doorbell, not taking his finger off.

“ Del, gotta talk to you, man. Business,” he yelled, faking a southern New Mexico accent.

As Del yanked open the door, Bruce reached around Del and slammed the door shut.

“Run!” they heard him yell.

Ranger kicked the door open instantly and the force of it knocked Del to the floor. Ranger was on him in a second. Grabbing him by the back of the collar, he swung Del around, bouncing him off the wall.

“If he tries to get up, shoot him wherever you want,” he said, handing Dana a small pistol pulled from his jacket pocket. “And grab that cell phone,” he added, pointing to a unit on the coffee table, an idea forming in his mind.

Ranger raced across the living room just as Bruce went out the back door, slamming it shut. By the time Ranger opened it again, the fugitive was already pulling himself up the cinder-block wall across the backyard.

Ranger jumped over the wall, landing in a crouch, his hand on the butt of his pistol. Bruce was nowhere in sight.

Ranger stood still and listened. Hollow footsteps came from his right. Taking three steps, Ranger jumped down into the dry irrigation ditch that bordered the property. Bruce was fifty feet ahead, sprinting around the curve in the dry channel that ran underneath the street about a hundred yards away.

Ranger pressed hard, gaining ground, but Bruce ran up the concrete apron lining the ditch at the bridge. A second later a woman screamed.

Running up the concrete, Ranger reached the street level just as a green pickup raced away, Bruce at the wheel. An elderly Navajo woman lay on her side on the asphalt. As Ranger ran over to help her, the woman rose to her knees, shaking her fist at the departing pickup and cursing colorfully.

Ranger thought of a few more pertinent words to add to the string of obscenities. He’d lost the race, and there was no way he’d catch up to Bruce anytime soon.

Ranger made a quick call to Agent Harris, updating him on all the events. Before Harris could go on a tirade, Ranger abruptly ended the call. There’d be hell to pay later, but for now, he had other business.

After making sure the woman was all right, he returned to Bruce’s duplex. Del was sitting on the floor, and Dana still had him at gunpoint.

“ Del, you’re in one heckuva lot of trouble,” Ranger said casually, taking a seat across from him. “I’m going to turn you over to the feds, but I need some fast answers. Cooperate with me, and I’ll return the favor when you go before the D.A.”

“Forget it. I’m not talking,” Del spat out.

“ Trujillo ’s got his own problems right now,” Ranger said. “I wouldn’t worry about him sending anyone after you.” Even as he said the words, he knew that Trujillo probably still had other assets, and with those he’d be able to buy himself a new bunch of men.

Del shook his head. “People like that never forgive or forget.”

Ranger considered it for a moment, then took Dana aside. “I’m going to tie Del up and leave him here for Agent Harris. But you and I need to get going.”

“What if his brother returns?” Dana countered. “He’ll free Del. ”

“Bruce won’t be coming back here. He’s probably looking for another vehicle right now.”

Ranger took the cell phone from Dana, shoved it in his shirt pocket, then tied Del up to the frame of the sofa with rope taken from the curtain rods. They were out of the house five minutes later. Two blocks from the house several police cruisers, sirens blaring, roared past them.

“What’s next?” she asked.

He handed her Del ’s cell phone. “Does he have Ignacio on speed dial?”

Dana checked it out. “There’s an I.T. listed so I think that’s probably him,” she said.

“Okay. Now I’m going to need something my brother has…or, more accurately, the brotherhood does.”

This was the first time he’d mentioned the brotherhood by name, and she gave him a surprised look.

He met her gaze, then focused back on the road. “You’ve risked your life repeatedly to help us. You’ve earned the right to be trusted,” he said.

“Will the others think that, too?” she asked in a soft voice.

“Once they know the whole story, yes,” he said slowly. “We can be ruthless with our enemies, but we also know how to honor our friends.”

He picked up the phone and called Hunter. “I need a piece of equipment-the voice scrambler gizmo. I have plans for it.”

“Okay, but we can’t use any of our usual drop sites because we don’t know which-if any-have been compromised,” he said. “So go to the place where you used to exchange notes with your first girlfriend, the preacher’s daughter. Remember?”