The Defender

Xavier... Janet halted in the middle of the alley, yearning filling her. How long had it been since they’d made love? Six months? Way too long! Janet felt threads of happiness winding through her chest. She loved the cartel leader with a desperation that drove her crazy. If it wasn’t guilt over giving up Katie, it was missing Xavier’s arms around her.

Her addled brain focused on her daughter. Somehow, Janet wanted to contact Katie. What would she do? Say? Would she be angry? Pissed off, tell her to take a hike? Janet felt anxiety zigzagging through her, erasing her excitement over Xavier’s arrival. Angry that she was allowing fear to run her, Janet finished off the last of the joint. Turning, she walked back to her office.

Pablo, who was twenty-one, entered her office just as she sat down.

“What is it?”

He closed the door and spoke in Spanish. “Señorita Janet, Don Xavier just contacted me. He said to tell you he’ll be here in one hour.”

Nodding, Janet sat down. “Good. Thanks, Pablo.”

“Si, señorita.”

Alone once more, Janet got to her feet. She moved to the bathroom and turned on the light. Xavier was a sinfully handsome dude. She critically studied herself in the dirty mirror over the sink. Liking the short cut, Janet had dyed her black hair a blond shade yesterday. Xavier liked blondes. Oh, she knew he had a lovely young wife in Guatemala who shared his bed, but when he came for a visit, she became his bedmate. Janet lived for these meetings. Staring at her oval face, she picked up her pancake makeup and added a bit more. Her cheeks looked pale so she added blusher. Janet added blue eye shadow. Lastly, mascara to make her short, thin lashes look fuller. Now, as she studied herself in the mirror, Janet felt beautiful. Once again, her lover would arrive and sweep her into his arms. Xavier knew how to treat her right. He would reserve a room at the most expensive hotel in Cheyenne, wine and dine her. They would make desperate, torrid love two or three times a night. Janet felt her breasts and lower body contracting with need of his masterful touch once again.

* * *

XAVIER LOBOS WALKED through the rear door of Mercury Courier. He knew Cheyenne well. Since she was eighteen Janet Bergstrom had fronted his drugs and arms efforts in order to establish a base of operations in the States. Quietly closing the door, he found Janet standing, her face filled with happiness as he stepped like a shadow into her office.

“Xavier!” Janet cried, throwing her arms around his lean shoulders.

He smiled slightly and took her full weight. Janet was five feet six inches tall and he was two inches taller than she. As he pulled her into his arms, he thought she looked old and tired. “It’s good to see you again,” he whispered in Spanish near her ear. He could smell the dye in the strands of her hair. She always wore heavy perfume and he hated the odor. Wrinkling his nose, Xavier forced himself to hold the embrace for a proper amount of time. Janet used to be beautiful, curves in all the right places. Now, she was overweight, breasts beginning to hang, her skin sagging everywhere. Xavier knew drugs could turn youth into old age in a matter of years. And Janet, the addict she had always been, never gave up her drug habit no matter how many times he’d pleaded with her to get clean. He kissed her, trying to put passion into the meeting of their lips, telling himself this was necessary because she was his anchor in Wyoming. He needed to keep her happy. Xavier visited his people in the States every year. It was wise to keep tabs on them and make sure they remained loyal to his cartel.

“Oh, Xavier!” Janet said brokenly, tears in her eyes, “I’ve missed you so much!” She stared up into his dark brown eyes framed with thick, long lashes. Xavier always wore his black hair over his ears. His thick, black mustache only made him look more dashing—and dangerous. She slid her lacquered nails across his shaven cheek. “You look so good.” And then her voice dropped to a whine. “I’m so lonely....”

“Hush, sweet one,” he said, kissing her wrinkled brow. He saw the pancake makeup sitting in lines across her forehead. “I’ve come to rescue you, take you on a magical carpet ride for tonight.” He forced a big smile and held her at arm’s length. “Come, I have the hotel prepared. Only the best for you, Janet.”

All her depression melted beneath his hooded stare. Her gaze settled on his full mouth. What a wonderful lover Xavier was! Her body literally ached to feel his hands playing her like a beloved instrument. “Oh, yes, I’m ready!”

“Good, then come. First, we will have dinner in the room, talk business, and then—” his mouth pulled slowly into a feral grin “—our bodies will whisper lovingly to one another all night.” Xavier knew he had to keep Janet satisfied. She was the hub of his business in Wyoming, and he was wisely making plans to move his work elsewhere. Janet would never know of his plans, of course. He was going to manipulate her into creating a second courier business based in Jackson Hole, where he would establish a second hub for the state and beyond.

“It sounds wonderful!” Janet sighed, picking up her purse. “Let’s go!”

* * *

“WELL, DID YOU HIRE JOE?” Iris asked as she came into Katie’s office area.

Turning in her chair, Katie smiled. “I did. He’s perfect, Iris.”

“And your raptors behaved?” Iris stood in the entrance leading to the mews, smiling down at her.

Laughing, Katie nodded. She touched the résumé Joe had left with her. “He’s a really nice person.”

“What’s good about Joe is that he’s a local,” Iris said, lifting the straw hat off her head.

“And I like the idea of hiring a military veteran,” Katie said. “So many of them are having trouble finding a job after returning home.”

“Yes, Rudd and I like your choice for all those reasons.” She studied Katie for a moment. “I need to sit for a spell and talk to you about something important. Do you have a moment?”

“Sure, sit down.” Katie moved a chair to the side of the desk for Iris. “Are you feeling all right?”

Iris said, “I’m fine. Don’t worry, I may look old but I’m not going anywhere soon.” She grinned and set her straw hat on the desk. “I need to let you know I’ve been up to something that involves you.”

“Oh?” Katie noticed how serious Iris had become. It unnerved her. She was always worried her world would take another unexpected turn. Katie never got used to the ups and downs, twists and turns her life took. Moving to the Elk Horn Ranch had given her a modicum of stability she’d never had before and she found herself liking it. Maybe too much? She held her breath as Iris became pensive. Fear entered her heart. Something was wrong. What was it?

Reaching out, Iris must have seen the anxiety come to Katie’s eyes. Gently, she said, “I hired a woman investigator to look for your mother, Katie.”

Eyes widening, Katie gasped. “You did?”

“Yes, because I know you’ve spent your entire life looking for her and coming up empty-handed.” Her fingers tightened over Katie’s hand.

Heart starting a slow pound, Katie looked into Iris’s narrowed eyes. The words whispered out of her mouth were loaded with anguish. “Did she find her?”

“Yes, my investigator found Janet Bergstrom. I know the state is never going to open up its sealed records and give you want you want. You didn’t realize it, but your mother allowed you to have her surname. I know this is an anchor around your neck, Katie. After getting to know you over the past year, I felt you deserved some help. I know your dream is to make a connection with your mother.”

Automatically, Katie’s fingers brushed against her pounding heart. “You found her? Where? Does she live in Wyoming? Or somewhere else?” Katie had never thought to look for a Bergstrom because the state never told her one way or another if that was her real mother’s name. She felt as if she was going to suffocate.

Patting her hand, Iris released it. “I’m going to invite my PI, Norah Merton, to come in and share the information she’s discovered. Would you like to hear what she found?”

“I would.” She stood up and slipped her arms around the older woman. She kissed Iris on the cheek. “You don’t know how much this means to me.”

Chuckling, Iris hugged her back and said, “Let’s get Norah in here, then.”

Katie was reeling in shock. By the time she had brought another chair over to her desk, a tall woman in her fifties had entered the facility.

“Katie, meet Norah Merton,” Iris said. “Norah, this is the young woman you’re working for.”

“Hi, Ms. Merton. It’s nice to meet you.” Katie winced as she heard her voice crack with emotion. The tall, slender woman wore a cream-colored linen pantsuit with a white silk blouse beneath it. She seemed elegant, her dark brown hair coiffed and shoulder-length. The sparkle in her hazel eyes made Katie feel a little less tense.

“Hi, Katie. Nice to meet you, finally. Mind if we all sit down and I’ll give you my report?”

“Please,” Katie said, gesturing to her chair. Iris sat down and so did she. Clasping her hands in her lap, Katie tried to sit still. She chewed on her lower lip as the woman pulled out a file from a black calfskin briefcase she carried.

“I’ve got a lot of information for you, Katie,” Norah said. “And some of it is very upsetting.” Her voice lowered and she went on. “Janet Bergstrom gave you up for adoption when she was sixteen years old. You were born in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Your birth mother gave you her last name. And that made it a lot easier for me to track her down.”

“She was sixteen?” Katie said, thinking about herself at that age.

“It’s very young to become pregnant,” Iris consoled her.

Norah nodded. “Normally, when a teen becomes pregnant, her family steps in. That wasn’t the case. Candy Bergstrom, Janet’s mother, was a drug addict herself. Janet was born with cocaine in her system. Candy gave Janet up for adoption right after birth. It was the start of a pattern. When Janet gave birth to you, she gave you her name, Bergstrom, and gave you up at birth. But she lied about who your father was. She put down Lawrence Kincaid, but there is no proof he ever existed. Janet probably lied to protect the real father for whatever reason. That means I wasn’t able to trace your grandparents, either. I’m sorry.”

She felt as if someone had struck her in the chest with a hammer. Katie touched her heart. “At least I know,” she managed in a strained voice. “What else?”

“Candy Bergstrom died at age forty of hepatitis B. She got the disease through a dirty needle. She died of liver failure.”

“Did...my mother know her mother?”

Shaking her head, Norah said, “No. I don’t know if your mother tried to find out or not.”

Norah handed Katie several black and white photos. “I found these photos of Candy Bergstrom at the Cheyenne Police Department. She was up on drug charges at least ten times in her life.”

Katie stared down at the mug shots. There were some full-face and two profiles of her grandmother. “I can see the shape of my face in her face,” she said in a low voice. But that was all. Lifting her head, she asked, “Do you have photos of my mother?”

Norah nodded and handed her three photos. “These are mug shots too, Katie. You need to prepare yourself. Your mother, Janet Bergstrom, was in federal prison for five years.”

Katie’s hand shook as she took the photos from Norah. “Prison?” Her voice cracked.

“Yes. Your mother grew up in ten different foster homes. I can only surmise she was rebellious but I can’t prove it. At sixteen, she was impregnated by someone, but we don’t know who it was. Your mother gave you up after birth and got tangled up with a drug-cartel boss named Xavier Lobos. When your mother was thirty years old, the FBI caught her running guns to Montana. She never gave up Xavier Lobos in court and went to prison for five years because she refused to cooperate with the FBI. They offered her a plea deal if she’d turn in the evidence, but Janet refused.”

“My mother’s a drug dealer?” Hot tears jammed her eyes. Valiantly, Katie tried to handle the shocking news. She felt Iris grip her hand to comfort her. The older woman was also moved to tears. “This...this is awful.... I had dreamed my parents were great people, important...successful.... God, I was so wrong...”

“I know, honey,” Iris whispered. “I know you thought your mother was someone special, that she had a good life and was happy.”

Norah added in a sad tone, “So often, abandoned children grow up with an incredible dream that their parents are accomplished, successful and happy.” Opening her hands, the investigator said, “Unfortunately, it’s usually the opposite, Katie. A young teen mother has no home support, so she gives up her baby. And sometimes, she spirals down after that instead of trying to mature and remake her life into something positive.”

Katie wiped her eyes with trembling fingers. She sniffed. “You’re right, Norah. I had these crazy dreams my mother was a pilot, a ballet dancer or maybe a famous artist....”

Iris said, “Honey, as you know, Rudd was adopted by Trevor and me. We know how painful it is for someone like yourself to discover her roots. And often, it’s not what you might have imagined. You’re looking pale. Do you want to take a break? Maybe get some coffee at the ranch house? Or would you prefer Norah come back another time? I know this is a lot to absorb.”

Katie squeezed the older woman’s work-worn hand. “No, I’m so thankful you hired Norah. At least now I know the truth. I can stop worrying and wondering who my mother was....”

Iris nodded to the private investigator. “Go on, Norah. Katie might look young and innocent, but she’s tough on the inside.”

“Okay,” Norah said with a slight smile. She turned and focused on Katie. “After being released from prison, your mother went to Guatemala. She remained there for a year. I can’t get any information on her there except that the police had proof she was living with Xavier Lobos. And then she moved back to Cheyenne. At that point, she built Mercury Courier service. It’s a state-wide courier service delivering packages and other communications around the state. I’m assuming Xavier Lobos underwrote her business. She didn’t have any income that I could detect. In other words, the police and FBI suspect but can’t prove she’s being bankrolled by Lobos.”

Dragging in a ragged breath, Katie couldn’t take her gaze off the black-and-white mug shots of her mother. Her hands turned damp and cool as she touched the photos. “She’s still a drug dealer, then?”

“Most likely,” Norah said, “but again, understand the authorities can’t prove it. If she is, she’s very good at it. Janet’s been out of prison seven years and hasn’t been caught. Maybe she’s not aligned with the Lobos cartel. I think you should assume she’s innocent until proven otherwise. Many times, prison will change a person for the better.”

“She’s really beautiful, isn’t she?” Katie said, still mesmerized by her mother’s photo.

Iris heard the wistfulness in Katie’s voice. “Yes, Janet is very attractive, but so are you.”

“We—look a lot alike, don’t we?” She lifted her gaze to Iris, whose face had gone tender with sympathy.

“Very much,” Iris agreed. “Listen, Katie, no one in this life is perfect. We all make awful mistakes. I hope, like Norah, that your mother straightened out after leaving prison. And that she’s gone on to become a successful businesswoman.”

“Norah, do you have a phone number for her?” Katie asked.

“I do.” She handed Katie the information sheet. “Everything you want to know is here.”

Feeling dizzy as the file with the information slipped between her fingers, Katie stared down at it, unable to speak. Finally, after twenty-six years, she knew where her mother lived, what she did for a living and her phone number. God, how many times had she dreamed of this moment? Closing her eyes, Katie pressed the file to her breast. The only sounds she heard were her breath and her pounding heart. My mother. And all it would take was one phone call. One. Opening her eyes, Katie stared over at Norah, who had a very compassionate expression on her face. This was probably not the first time Norah had been hired to hunt down a missing parent.

“Thank you, Norah. This means the world to me. Truly, it does.” Katie reached over and squeezed the woman’s hand.

“I wish I had happier news for you, Katie. I never know where the leads will go or what will be revealed. It’s always a journey.”

Raising her brows, Katie placed the file on the desk. “That’s it, isn’t it? We’re all on a journey?”

“It’s lifelong,” Iris agreed. “Would you like to ask Norah any more questions? She’ll leave her full report with you.”

“No...not right now.” Katie managed a tight smile. “I need time just to take all of this in. It’s...shocking.”

“You can call me at any time, Katie,” Norah said. She handed her a business card. “Iris has paid for my services. All the information I’ve shared with you is private. No one else will ever have it unless you decide to divulge it.”

“That’s good to know,” Katie replied. “I don’t think many of my friends would think as highly of me if they knew my mother had been in prison.” Her voice fell and she rubbed her head. “I mean...”

“We know what you mean,” Iris said. “Okay, we’re leaving. If you need me, you know where I am. If you want to talk, I’m here for you, Katie.” She gave the young woman a warm look. “You’re like another granddaughter to me, Katie. You’re beautiful, you have a good heart and you treat people right. That’s why I wanted you here on the Elk Horn. You do good things for people and animals. And now, let me be here if you need someone to listen.”

Katie stood when Iris rose from her chair and gently hugged her. “Thank you, Iris. I’ve always seen you as my fairy godmother who cares.” Katie released her and held the woman’s tear-filled gaze. She realized Iris was crying for her.

“You’re not alone in this, Katie,” was all Iris could choke out. After giving her a swift peck on the cheek, Iris walked to the sliding-glass door.

“Norah, thank you for all you’ve done,” Katie said, her voice wobbly. “You’ve given me back my life, whether you realize it or not.”

Warmly shaking Katie’s hand, the investigator nodded. “Call me if you have questions, okay?”

“Okay.” Katie watched the two women leave. Behind her, Sam shrieked. She knew from long experience that raptors could easily pick up on a human’s emotions. And right now, she felt as if a tank had run its treads over her heart and torn it apart in her chest.

Sam chut-chut-chutted. He flapped his long wings from his perch.

“It’s okay, Sam,” she called. “I’m okay. Really, I am...”

The eagle tilted his head, his yellow eyes piercing as he studied Katie in the aisleway. His whistle carried loudly throughout the facility.

Tears formed in Katie’s eyes as she walked back to her desk. Sam knew she wasn’t all right. Staring at the pictures and the report, Katie released a ragged breath. Tears spilled silently down her drawn cheeks. Suddenly, the make-believe world she had lived in for twenty-six years had been forever shattered.

CHAPTER FIVE

SOME OF JOE’S HAPPINESS eroded as he entered the raptor facility the next morning. Katie was sitting at the desk, poring over a file. She quickly shut it, as if embarrassed to be caught looking into it. Her eyes were reddened. Had she been crying? Joe didn’t expect the punch to his chest at seeing her so sad. Secretly, he was glad to see her again. “Good morning,” Joe said, stepping through the glass doors. He pulled the canvas bag containing his equipment off his shoulder. “Where would you like me to stow this?”

His smiling face changed to one of worry. His gaze probed hers, as if silently asking her what was wrong. The file Norah had given her yesterday was beneath her hand. Nervously, Katie stood, leaving the file on her desk, and pointed to two nearby green metal lockers. “You can use the second locker next to my desk and put your equipment in there.” Katie walked across the aisle to the weighing station where she pulled plastic bags of meat out of the refrigerator.

“Okay,” Joe said. Later, when Katie wasn’t around, he would try to see what was contained in the file. He heard the chirps of welcome from the raptors. Sam’s chutting was a lot louder. Glancing down the aisle, he asked, “How are the birds this morning?”

“Fine, fine.” Katie’s hands shook as she finished putting either mouse meat or rabbit meat into the smaller bags. Her gut churned and she felt nauseous. She’d completely forgotten Joe was coming in for his first day of work at 8:00 a.m. She wasn’t emotionally prepared. She’d slept poorly because of nightmares in which Janet Bergstrom screamed at her to go away, not even to try to make contact. Katie had awakened at 3:00 a.m., sobbing into her pillow. She hadn’t been able to get back to sleep after that.

She hoped Joe wouldn’t see she’d been crying. Every time she recalled yesterday’s conversation with Norah, tears would form. Girding herself, Katie forced down her feelings. She had to train Joe today. She heard the locker door open and close and turned as Joe pulled on his gauntlet. His handsome face had darkened with concern. Of course he could see she’d been crying. Great. Not exactly the foot she wanted to get off on with this trainee.

“Everything okay?” Joe asked, keeping his voice even. Katie appeared disheveled this morning. Her black hair was mussed, as if she hadn’t combed it. Her face was pale, redness rimming her blue eyes. An acute desire to reach out and touch her shoulder took him by surprise.

“Yes, yes, everything is fine,” Katie managed. Her voice sounded off-key even to her. Moving to the aisle, she said, “Joe, will you start on the left and go to the first mew? I’m a little out of sorts and the birds will feel it. Bring them up here one at a time. You weigh them, I’ll write down the numbers and then I’ll feed them. Afterward, you can return them to their mews. Okay?” She searched his pensive features. His green eyes were speculative and focused on her. A lump stubbornly remained in her throat. Grazing the area with her fingers, Katie added a limp smile to go along with her request.

“Sure, no problem.” Joe turned and walked down to the first mew on the left. The name Moon was on the cage door. Below it: Barn Owl. He opened the mew. Moon was not to be seen and Joe knew she would be found in her wooden nest box since owls slept during the day. He peeked in and kept his voice soft.

“Moon? You ready to be weighed?” Joe saw her heart-shaped white face lift. The barn owl had been sitting on the floor of the nest box, fast asleep. She revealed her round black eyes and opened her beak, as if to yawn. Joe forced himself to focus on the owl. He wanted to know why Katie was so upset. It had something to do with that file. His mind whirled with possibilities as he gently tapped the front of Moon’s box. A trained raptor knew the tapping meant they were to sit on the glove of the falconer. Moon stared sleepily at him.

“I know, you haven’t had your coffee yet, Moon, but you gotta come to my glove,” he told her with a grin.

Katie heard Joe talking to Moon. She looked around the corner. Joe was peering into the nest box, his glove even with the opening. She heard laughter in his tone as he spoke quietly to the owl. Her heart suddenly opened. Instead of pain, she felt a sense of calm. She studied Joe for a moment, really appraised his features and manners. He was dressed in a long-sleeved white cotton cowboy shirt and Levi’s. His dark brown hair was short and had been recently washed. She found herself liking his quiet demeanor and he certainly knew what he was doing with the raptors. Moon peered drowsily out of her nest box. Then she looked up at Joe, studying him. This was the first time Moon had seen him. He kept his glove on the lip of the box so she would climb onto it when she was ready.

“Have you handled many owls?” Katie called.

“No,” he said, glancing over his shoulder. Katie was standing in the aisle, a bag of food in her hand. It upset him to see how wan she looked. “Anything I should know about Moon?”