Merciless Mayhem: Mayhem Series, #8

By Sue Coletta

Shawnee and Mayhem continue to wreak havoc on the Killzme Corporation—the largest animal trafficking ring in the country—by killing one poacher at a time. The stakes grow increasingly higher when the nefarious group retaliates by putting a bounty on their heads.

 

Meanwhile, the traffickers set their sights on capturing Orca for profit and pleasure.

 

With a ticking clock and no place left to hide, Shawnee and Mayhem alternate between undercover surveillance and clandestine battles to save their loved ones and the Innocent Ones from Killzme's evil plans. Skills are tested. Tenuous alliances are formed. Not everyone will make it out alive.

Set in a world of cultural wonder, environmental threats, and looming danger, this heart-stopping eco-thriller will have you glued to the page from the first sentence to the last.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Sue Coletta
• Release date: Oct 17, 2023
• ISBN: 9798988163855

Book preview

Merciless Mayhem

Mayhem Series #8

SUE COLETTA

Shawnee and Mayhem continue to wreak havoc on the Killzme Corporation—the largest animal trafficking ring in the country—by killing one poacher at a time. The stakes grow increasingly higher when the nefarious group retaliates by putting a bounty on their heads.

Meanwhile, the traffickers set their sights on capturing Orca for profit and pleasure.

With a ticking clock and no place left to hide, Shawnee and Mayhem alternate between undercover surveillance and clandestine battles to save their loved ones and the Innocent Ones from Killzme’s evil plans. Skills are tested. Tenuous alliances are formed. Not everyone will make it out alive.

Set in a world of cultural wonder, environmental threats, and looming danger, this heart-stopping eco-thriller will have you glued to the page from the first sentence to the last.

MERCILESS MAYHEM

Mayhem Series, #8

Sue Coletta

©2023 Sue Coletta

Crow Talons Publishing

Cover Art: Elle J. Rossi (evernightdesigns.com)

Editor: Staci Troilo

This book is licensed for your personal enjoyment only. This book may not be resold or given away. If you would like to share this book, please purchase an additional copy for each recipient. If you’re reading this book and did not purchase it, or it was not given to you for the purpose of review, then please purchase your own copy.

Thank you for respecting the author’s hard work.

This book may not be used to train artificial intelligence (AI technology) without the express permission of the author.

This story is a work of fiction. The names, characters, places, and incidents are products of the author's imagination. Any resemblance to actual events, locales, or persons, living or dead, is entirely coincidental.

ALL RIGHTS RESERVED

DEDICATION

May you know peace.

For as long as the Moon shall rise,

For as long as the rivers shall flow,

For as long as the Sun shall shine,

For as long as the grass shall grow,

May you know peace.

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The heartfelt message in the dedication is a Cheyenne blessing.

Francis Hall, thank you for the prayer cards and replica of Saint Kateri Tekakwitha’s rosary beads. I love them. So much so, they adorn my office walls.

Sandi and Amiel Tutolo, the beautiful portrait of Poe and Spirit Crow inspires me as I write. Thank you so much.

Special thanks to all the consultants and sites who added realism to Merciless Mayhem:

Nature Bob

Archery Dude

Orca Network

Robert Refeather

Ya-Native!

Shane & Wally at Navajo Traditional Teachings

NavajoPeople.org

NativeLanguages.org

Indigenous Ability

GrandfatherSpirit.com

Defenders of Wildlife

iGlobe News

The Blue Dot Perspective

NativeAmericanOnline.com

Grand Aleutian Hotel

Corvid Research Blog

Bob Vila

Tribal Trade Co.

Indian Traders Co.

Penguin Health Co.

Master Jonathan Field

Rushkult

Diffen.com

AmericanOceans.org

Churchgists.com

Free Dive UK

The Best Brain Possible

In the Shadow of the Wolf

Eagle Eyed Adventures

Dolphin Communication Project

Warpaths2Peacepipes

Family Cookbook Project

WWF World Wildlife Org.

Awionline.org

AnimalMatters.org

TribalCollegeJournal.org

AskABiologist.edu

Alaska.org

Cornell.edu

Bigs hugs to my family: Bob, Bobby, Kathy, Berlyn, Scarlet, Joey, Frank, and Dad. Thank you for remaining my loudest cheerleaders. Love you all!

Last but not least, thank you, God, for blessing my life in unimaginable ways.

MERCILESS MAYHEM

Mayhem Series, #8

SUE COLETTA

A bird's paw with claws Description automatically generated

Chapter 1

Monday, 9:33 a.m.

All semblance of safety, of normalcy, shattered the instant Poe’s alarm call ricocheted through the Alaskan wilderness. I chased Mr. Mayhem through the forest, slapping branches out of my way. Even with my arms pumping, I couldn’t keep up, my legs unable to match his long stride.

As we neared his log cabin—our sanctuary after going head-to-head with multiple poachers, trophy hunters, and animal traffickers—panicked caws coiled through the treetops. Ebony wings slashed through a cloudless sky, the cool breeze whipping corvid voices into a frenzy, the sweetness of pine and cedar enhanced in their wake.

By the time I reached the back deck, Mr. Mayhem’s deep, husky voice rang clear.

Jacy Lee! Heavy footfalls pounded up to the second floor. Jacy Lee!

"Shicheii? I zipped into and out of every room downstairs then booked it upstairs, my tone quavering more and more. Shicheii!"

Mr. Mayhem raced into the hall with his bow, a quiver slung on his back, multiple knife sheaths clipped to his waistline, and a shoulder-holster strapped with a pistol.

"What’s happening right now? Where’s Shicheii?"

Without a word, his moccasins pounded down the stairs.

Answer me, dammit! I chased him into the living room. Where’s my grandfather?

I’ll find him.

Whaddaya mean, find him? Where’d he go? Only then did the overturned chair and coffee table register. I clawed both hands through my hair, almost tearing the roots from my scalp. Gut-punched, I dropped to my knees. Killzme…

I couldn’t breathe, couldn’t form the words, couldn’t accept reality. Cheeks soaked in devastation and lungs unable to get air, guttural whelps forced their way from somewhere deep inside me. No, no, no, no, no, no. This can’t be happening. Down on the floor, I buried my face, my body trembling and weak. "Not my grandfather, not Shicheii. Nooooo. I shook my head. It’s not true. It can’t be."

Mr. Mayhem shot into the kitchen.

I leaped to my feet. Where the fuck are you goin’? I chased him out to the deck, where he positioned the ladder. Binoculars hung around his neck. This is all your fault! I told you I didn’t wanna go for a run.

Without a word, he scrambled up to the roof.

By the time I stepped onto the shingles, he was already at the peak, scanning the road for the caravan of black Escalades. In the distance, all the vehicles blended, my vision clouded by tears. Continual chest heaves lightened my head, and I swayed. Without lowering the binoculars, his hand latched onto me before I fell off the roof.

The disposable iPhone jangled on the table below. Mr. Mayhem sprang into action, sliding down to the ladder. Before he stepped on the top rung, he glanced up at me.

Second ring.

I slid down the roof. Go!

On the deck, he swiped the cell. Raised it to his face. Answered without looking at the screen. You made a fatal error, friend. Return him immediately.

His usual iPhone rang, and he tossed it to me.

I punched the green connect button. If you fuckin’ touch him—

Kuruk cut me off. Ghost Dog?

Can’t talk.

Put Shadow Wolf on the phone. It’s urgent.

In front of me, a thick vein in Mr. Mayhem’s forehead pulsed through the skin, the phone pressed to his ear. If he even stubs a toe in your custody, I will bathe in your blood. Am I clear?

He can’t talk, either. I wept, my voice crackling with pain. "Killzme Corp took Shicheii."

Put Shadow Wolf on the phone. I’m trailing the caravan.

Hang on. I backhanded Mr. Mayhem’s chest, whispered, Running Bear’s behind the caravan.

He covered the mouthpiece. Tell him to hold his position. His attention diverted back to the caller. I need proof of life before I make that deal. The pause lasted ten years. Jacy Lee? I’m putting you on speakerphone. His finger stabbed the button, the phone leveled in his palm. Please repeat.

Shicheii rambled on and on in Athabaskan.

What’s he sayin’? I whispered.

A stick-straight finger raised to his lips.

Every so oftenmy grandfather said one word in English before veering back into his native tongue. Mr. Mayhem motioned for me to grab a pen and paper, so I jogged into the kitchen.

Still there, Running Bear? Kuruk’s Apache name.

I’m here.

He said to hold your position. I swiped my grandfather’s sketchpad and charcoal off the island then bolted for the sliders. "Shicheii’s on speakerphone."

Mute me but let me hear the conversation.

Alright. After dropping the sketchpad on the table, I sat beside Mr. Mayhem. Muted Kuruk. One phone laid beside the other.

Mr. Mayhem jotted down only the intermittent English words. Here, and, right, back, or, red, her, or, the—

Shicheii gasped.

Does this old man speak English? Those bastards ripped the phone away from my grandfather.

Not well, Mister Barley, he said. He’s Diné.

Barley? I raked back my bangs. He’s the poacher we captured and tied to a tree out back, that Odin, the raven, freed once we got far enough away.

You have proof of life.

In the background, Shicheii hollered, Even, love, score, too.

Zero hundred hours or he dies.

The line went dead.

Those last words slashed open my soul. Eyes wide, mouth agape, my entire body numbed.

Mr. Mayhem raised the other iPhone closer to his lips. Running Bear? No response. Running Bear?

I unmuted the call.

Shadow Wolf? Urgency laced his tone. Do you copy?

Without revealing your location over an open line, how far away are you?

Five miles.

Turn around. I need you here.

What the hell? But he’s— Mr. Mayhem slapped a hand over my mouth, and my eyeballs almost exploded from their sockets.

I apologize, Cat. However, this is an open line. Understood?

Once I rocked a yes, the hand lowered.

Copy that. Kuruk’s voice rose from the speaker. Be there in ten.

The second Mr. Mayhem punched END, I flung out my arms, heat enveloping me from the inside out. Why’d you tell him to leave? He’s right behind ’em for fuck’s sake!

The language is not helpful, Cat. A moment later, his piercing gray eyes softened. Tell me what you need.

"Shicheii! I wailed. I need my grandfather. I gagged, tears soaking my face, forehead cradled in my palms. I won’t make it without him. I won’t, I really won’t." Again, I gagged, my lungs refusing all forms of oxygen.

Mr. Mayhem lifted me off the chair. Tucked me into his chest, powerful arms locked around me as I cried harder. My soul wilted. Dead inside.

Cat? When he lifted my chin, my saline-slick lips quivered, mouth forming a perpetual frown I couldn’t erase. I know this isn’t easy, but I need you to trust we will bring your grandfather home safely.

Neither confirming nor denying, my head shook in a circular motion.

The saddest eyes gazed down at me. Then, as if something dawned on him, he skimmed the surrounding trees. Have you seen the others?

My heart thudded. Poe and Odin were here when we first got back, but—

Not Spirit Crow?

I choked out, No.

Chest swelling, he raced into the cabin. Zipped into and out of each room on the ground floor before bounding up the stairs. In the kitchen, footfalls pattered above my head.

I’ll check the trail. I fled through the sliding doors, scrambled halfway off the porch.

An upstairs window glided up the tracks, and I whirled around.

Call my cell. He hung halfway out, one long braid dangling mid-air. Keep an open line between us.

My hands smoothed around the waistband of my buckskin pants. I don’t have my phone.

Don’t move. In seconds, he returned and tossed my iPhone through the window. Call my cell.

I stabbed the digits.

By the second ring, he was on the porch. Change of plans. I’ll go while you wait for Running Bear.

What if they come back? I can’t lose you, too.

Would you feel safer if we waited together?

Climbing the stairs, I nodded yes. Sorry. I know it’s a big ask.

After skinwalkers brutally murdered Kimi, his ALS-stricken wife, her soul reincarnated into the angelic Spirit Crow. So, I basically made him choose between the woman he’d loved for the last forty years—they met as kids—and me, his protégé, who Kimi died to protect. I still grappled with the last part, that she forfeited her life for mine.

Time chugged.

Silent, my mentor paced like a caged jaguar. At the table, I bit my half-eaten fingernails down to nubs, my knee jouncing with excess energy.

Even with a clear sky, darkness overshadowed the cabin, the surrounding forest mourning the loss of three sentient beings, our sweet corvid family. Sure, Poe and I’d had our problems in the past, but that didn’t mean I wished him harm. Spirit Crow morphed into a second mother to me—my mom and her were best friends in life, and Kimi swore to protect me after Mom died. If anything happened to her, I might never recover. Mr. Mayhem would become a shell of his former self, an empty, hollow version of the most loyal man on the planet.

Black wings soared around the corner, flapping straight to the deck, and we both audibly exhaled. Gold bling shimmered in the sunlight as Poe fluttered down to his father’s shoulder. Rattle, rattle, rattle.

Hey, bud. He kissed his feathery cheek. Are you all right?

Poe’s bill dipped, raised.

Odin landed on the table in front of me. Gronk, gronk.

Have you seen your mother?

His freakishly human crow companion leaped off his shoulder. When Mr. Mayhem hustled into the kitchen after him, I chased them. Poe circled the living room then flew upstairs, and we followed. In the master’s en suite bathroom, he landed on the tiled floor, soldiered to the cabinet under the sink, then lifted one leg, his talons resting on the wooden door.

Mr. Mayhem and I exchanged a look of disbelief. When he opened the cabinet, Spirit Crow cooed. Chest caving, tears welled in his eyes. He swept her into his arms, rained gentle kisses on her head, cheek, and bill.

The love they shared was so pure, so palpable. Indescribable, really. Even death couldn’t break their bond.

"Shicheii must’ve hidden her." The tears came full force, and I dropped my face in cupped hands.

Footsteps approached.

After Mr. Mayhem pressed Spirit Crow to my chest, his muscular frame filled the doorway. Running Bear— Head wagging from side to side, his body deflated. Please announce yourself from here on out. Poe rode his shoulder into the hall.

I followed them down the stairs then out to the deck, where we sat around the table, my knee still drumming the wood. Shicheii’s usual chair sat empty, shredding my heart more and more, but I’d be damned if I showed weakness in front of Lover Boy. Despite being in a committed relationship with Levaughn, I’d flirted with Kuruk—who aggressively flirted back—before Mr. Mayhem revealed the player had a wife and three kids. But man, no one could deny his good looks. Native, with long silky black hair and a sculptured V-body like Mr. Mayhem, muscles rippled the material of his skin-tight black T-shirt.

Some might even call him irresistible until they learned about his extra-marital affairs with multiple women. Total dog. No offense to canines.

If Killzme has Jacy Lee, why’d you tell me to drop the tail?

How did you find the caravan? Side-stepping questions was Mr. Mayhem’s specialty.

I didn’t. Poe did.

All three of us turned to Poe. Now, with a captive audience, he strutted across the table—struck a pose to show off the tricolored gold braid around his neck—then sauntered back to his father. If that wasn’t dramatic enough, he added a final leg kick so the Sun could kiss his gold ankle band. Friggin’ drama queen.

Cracking a smile at his beloved crow companion, Mr. Mayhem veered the conversation back on track. Explain.

I was cruising the waterfront, beautiful day and all.

Yeah, right. Beautiful day, my ass. More like searching for his next conquest to add another notch to his bedpost.

Poe and Odin flew past me. A few car lengths ahead, Poe circled back to land on a specific vehicle. I passed the guy ahead of me for a better view. And that’s when I saw him surfing the utility rack of a black Escalade with Odin watching his six from above.

All our gazes shot back to Mr. Personality, who didn’t hesitate to model his bling again as if competing for the number one spot on Audubon’s Most Eligible Batchelor list.

Bravo, handsome.

Rattle, rattle.

Crooning a similar sentiment to Odin—an impressive, loyal raven, who helped me come to terms with Kimi sacrificing herself for me—Mr. Mayhem ran a gentle palm over his feathery crown.

If Poe’s right, Kuruk continued, Jacy Lee is in the Kilo-Zulu-Mike-Echo-forty-three vehicle.

Three Killzme Escalades invaded Unalaska, Alaska, in search of this cabin, each with license plates starting with KZME, showing they were the property of the Killzme Corporation, the largest animal trafficking ring in the U.S. boasting membership numbers of five thousand. And that was a low estimate. All had photos of me and Mr. Mayhem, as a one-million-dollar bounty had been placed on each of us.

Poachers had no problems violating laws and ethics. It wasn’t a stretch to believe most would murder a human or two for that kind of money. Would they also kill my innocent grandfather?

Chapter 2

As long as man feels that he is the most important thing in the world, he cannot really appreciate the world around him. He is like a horse with blinders; all he sees is himself, apart from everything else.

—Native American Culture and Spirituality

10:30 a.m.

As Shawnee and Kuruk bickered about the best way to rescue their elder, tossing around risky ideas with no real forethought, Mayhem rewrote Jacy Lee’s English words vertically and searched for the hidden code.

Here

And

Right

Back

Or

Red

Her

Or

The

Even

Love

Score

Too

A grin raised the corners of his lips. Your grandfather is such a clever, clever man, Cat.

Whaddaya mean?

He tore out a separate piece of paper and blocked every letter but the first initial. Read down.

Shawnee leaned in, pulled back, her emerald eyes widening. Harbor Hotel S.T.

Score, too. Or room twenty-two.

She jolted to her feet. Let’s go get him.

Kuruk stood almost as quickly. I’m in.

Why did their reaction not surprise him? Unless you two want to turn the rescue into a suicide mission, we need to do reconnaissance and have a solid plan in place first. Mayhem waved them back down to their respective chairs. Cat, would you mind whipping up a quick breakfast? Our bodies need fuel to operate properly.

Me? A splayed hand spanned her chest. I don’t cook.

Did she say—? At all?

She sloughed off a shrug. Not really, no.

How, pray tell, have you survived into your thirties?

A nonchalant shoulder swayed. "Bo, Nadine, Levaughn, takeout, and now, Shicheii."

I got you, Ghost Dog. When Kuruk passed Shawnee, he sifted his long fingers through the back of her raven hair, cherry trusses falling into place.

Thank you, Running Bear. Mayhem wagged his head at Shawnee. Does your grandfather know you can’t cook?

On her shoulder, even Spirit Crow craned her neck to look her in the eye. As a Chippewa wife and mother, Kimi never failed to impress with her culinary skills, food an important part of culture and tradition. What a shame life robbed Shawnee of that.

I dunno. Her upper lip curled. Why? What’s the big deal?

The big deal, as you so eloquently stated, is that everyone should know how to feed themselves. What if you didn’t have anyone around to cook for you and the nearest restaurant was fifty miles away?

I’d pick on popcorn or have a frozen dinner or whatever.

What if you had no groceries?

Then I couldn’t cook, either. Could I?

"Au contraire. He swayed an open hand at the forest. We’re surrounded by ingredients. Why are you not cognizant of that?"

Her lips smoothed into a straight line. Is this really what’s important now?

I’m just surprised, is all.

Why, ’cause I don’t have a penis?

Unwilling to touch that question, he cleared his throat. Poe, before we left for the Arctic, you completed the mission I tasked with you. Correct?

The bill dipped once.

Good boy. He crooned, fluffing his chest feathers. Here’s why forethought is paramount, Cat.

He opened an app on his cell then switched the tracking device to dark mode, which blackened the green lights to avoid detection. The screen showed an animated map depicting a blue SUV driving on a road.

You and Running Bear asked why I told him to pull back? Smirking, he flashed Shawnee the screen. Your grandfather is on the waterfront.

Jaw slacked, she stared in disbelief. How?

Well, when Mister Barley and his associate paid us a visit, I seized the opportunity for counter-surveillance. Hence why I let him live.

Okay… A hesitation soaked her tone. But I’ve been with you the entire time. How’d you get a tracker on his vehicle?

Without a word, he jabbed a chin at Poe, now prancing across the table with his head held high.

Mouth agape, a gasp escaped her lips. No.

He smiled. Yes.

That’s why we had to wait for him? I thought he needed a potty break or whatever.

"Au contraire. Poe was planting the device. To be fair, the LandAirSea™ GPS has a powerful magnet. Thus, he only needed to drop the lightweight disc on the roof. With the Escalade’s black exterior, the tracker should stay undetectable."

As though she couldn’t trust her ears, her head shook. So, when Running Bear saw him on the roof—?

He was ensuring the device was still in place.

Speechless, she focused on Poe, who didn’t hesitate to model his jewelry.

Quite remarkable, isn’t he?

When Poe’s gaze shot to Shawnee, she swallowed her pride. Regarding this? I guess he is. Thank you.

The little rascal whipped his face forward to Dad.

"Aack. He’s impossible. She batted away the compliment. Why do I even bother?"

Grub’s ready. Kuruk stepped out to the deck, two plates balancing on one arm, another in his hand.

Poe’s bill parted in disbelief. Every time Jacy Lee cooked, he spoiled him with a serving of his own. Before he vocalized his displeasure, Mayhem hustled into the kitchen for something to satisfy all three of his beloved companions. A bowl of cubed melon from the fridge should do the trick.

When he returned to the deck, Poe, Spirit Crow, and Odin had their talons wrapped around individual crunchy bacon strips from his plate. By all means, help yourselves.

Kuruk and Shawnee both chuckled—the palpable storm cloud of despair thinned for a brief moment. Soon, silence enveloped the deck, fork teeth scraping against ceramic plates. Even the forest seemed quiet now. No birds flitted in the leaf canopies. No squirrels played in the trees. No chipmunks scurried through crunchy leaves. Jacy Lee’s absence impacted everyone. Especially his granddaughter, who pushed poached eggs around her plate but hadn’t eaten a thing.

Cat?

Her head raised. Yeah?

He wouldn’t want you to skip meals.

I know. Emerald eyes pooled with tears, her chest heaved in choppy bursts. Do you have a plan to bring him home?

I do. We need to wait till they’re stationary.

"But Shicheii told us he’s at the hotel."

If only the situation was that simple. Did he? Or did he simply relay their destination?

The backs of her hands dried her tears. How would he even know about the hotel if he’s not there?

As Mayhem bit into a buttery English muffin dipped in yolk, he side-eyed Kuruk, who stopped gorging long enough to join the conversation, albeit without swallowing first—how gauche. Hotel pamphlet, room key, overheard chatter, could be anything. He’s convinced them he doesn’t speak English.

I guess. The fork teeth popped the yokes, but she still hadn’t taken a bite. "What if Shicheii’s at the hotel and the Escalade’s heading somewhere else?"

Once the vehicle stops, we’ll be in a better position to answer that question. After Mayhem dabbed his lips with the napkin, he steepled his hands over his plate. There is one wrinkle we should discuss. Wavering on the kindest way to deliver this news, he rephrased Jacy Lee’s instructions three or four times. Your grandfather asked for you to stay here.

In an instant, her demeanor turned rageful. Don’t even fuckin’ think of leaving me behind.

Language, please. Though her reaction didn’t surprise him, he tried to reason with her. Look. You are cognizant of his vision, are you not?

"I don’t care what Shicheii saw. Vitriol edged her tone. I’m not stayin’ here."

What if I told you they asked for an even trade? Jacy Lee’s safe return if you agreed to take his place.

A squeal escaped her lips. After a few moments, her voice steadied. Do it. Make the trade.

I will do no such thing.

Shadow Wolf—Kuruk’s fork clanged against his plate—we at least need to make it look like we’re following their demands.

No. Why could neither of them foresee the outcome of this transaction? You and I can handle this without jeopardizing her life.

If they don’t at least see her, we’ll never get close enough to Jacy Lee.

We can, and we will.

Shawnee’s arms waved above her head. Doesn’t matter what you two say. With or without you, I’m saving my grandfather. She shoved her plate away, then rose. End of conversation.

I don’t like it. Mayhem rocked his head from side to side. I don’t like it one bit.

With one last glower, her knuckles balanced on the table, narrowed emerald eyes fixed on him. I. Don’t. Care.

When she stormed into the cabin, Spirit Crow shot an icy glare of her own before chasing after her.

Why am I the bad guy? He swung his arms wide. I’m trying to protect her. Voice low and whisperous, he leaned aside to Kuruk. Killzme Corp found an overseas buyer for her. Do I need to spell out the repercussions of her capture? Another no rocked his head. Too risky. You and I will handle this mission alone.

Hey, I get it, Shadow Wolf—I really do—but she doesn’t strike me as the type who’ll stay put.

The eyeroll, he resisted. To put it mildly.

Then wouldn’t it be safer if she stays with us rather than go rogue? At least we’ll be able to keep track of her.

For several never-ending minutes, Mayhem paced, his heart thundering more and more. Until finally, he glided open the slider. Cat, he called out, may I have a word, please?

No response.

Passing the butcher block island, he skimmed the hall to his left, the living room to his right. Couldn’t locate Shawnee in either place. With a hand on the banister, sunbeams splashed diagonal lines across the pine walls. Cat?

No response.

He loped up the stairs. When he shoved open her bedroom door at the end of the hall, the room sat empty. Her turquoise armband was also missing, along with her Apache Tears choker. The walnut case for Jacy Lee’s face paints laid open on the mahogany dresser in his room, partitions for black, charcoal, and red now empty.

Racing into and out of every room in the cabin, first and second floors, he frantically searched every possible hiding spot. Where did she go?

Back down in the living room, he swiveled left and right. Where’s Spirit Crow?

Running Bear! He gathered every weapon in the cabin, pocketing more knifes, bows, quivers, and firearms. Where’s Shawnee’s favorite knife?

Footfalls pounded into the living room, and Mayhem spun. She’s gone. And she took Spirit Crow with her.

Shit. Kuruk punched the air. I warned you, she’d go rogue.

We need to find them. Now—

Oh, Cautious Cat, please don’t do anything stupid.

Chapter 3

11:25 a.m.

In a stolen car, I cruised the waterfront, my hair blowing from the opened window, the salty air breaking my heart more and more. Where are you, Shicheii?

Other motorists zoomed past in the opposite direction, too wrapped up in their own lives to even glance my way. Beside me, Spirit Crow perched on a stack of books in the passenger seat, her feathery head in a continual swivel, scanning the area for a glimpse of the caravan.

Fuck men. We didn’t need them to bring Shicheii home safe. Granted, it was a tempting offer for two Apache warriors to take the reins, but not if I had to wait at the cabin.

No one could stop me from rescuing my grandfather, even if it meant Mr. Mayhem cancelled my mentorship.

Without question, I pissed him off. Didn’t care. All that mattered was Shicheii’s safe return. What if those scumbags were torturing him for intel? Spirit Crow became my only saving grace. With her by my side, determination oozed out every pore.

My iPhone belted out Ironic, Alanis Morissette’s voice muffled inside the pocket of my knee-high moccasin. Guess who that is?

Unfazed, Spirit Crow returned to scanning the waterfront.

My thoughts exactly, girlfriend. That’ll teach him to ditch us.

No one could miss the Harbor Hotel. A massive, cubed building with white-painted concrete walls, an aqua metal roof and matching trim. Once I passed it, I banged a hard right down a side road. Parked at the dead-end.

In the rearview mirror, I recited the usual prayer, my fingers swiping charcoal lines from my forehead to chin. With this paint, I will transform. A rebirth, with new responsibilities, new obligations, new relationships.

And isn’t it ironic?

"Aack. Your husband’s a persistent little fucker." Ignoring the call, I smudged each line to create alternating shades of gray, like Mr. Mayhem taught me. For the final touch, I pressed a shockingly red handprint across my mouth. Not only had I earned it, but it showcased the fact that I was not the type to mess with.

We should probably disguise you, too. Any objections?

Spirit Crow hopped into my lap.

Should we do black, so you look like a normal crow? Not that, y’know, I think you’re abnormal or anything… You know what I’m sayin’, right? Your angelic plumage makes you a target.

Rattle, rattle, coo…

Love you, too. I painted each feather black like Shicheii did when we fought skinwalkers, my insides screaming this was a terrible idea. Please be careful. If anything happens to you—

She set a gentle foot on my abs.

I know, I know. Stay positive.

The bill lowered, raised.

With a dirty rag from the backseat, I cleaned my hands. Wiped down the steering wheel and anyplace