Death Walker Read Online Free PDF Page A

she arrived. Her last one had left a blood-soaked trail that still haunted her nightmares, and this time there was a child involved. That thought and its implications made her heart turn to ice. She gripped the wheel tightly, her knuckles turning white under the strain.
    Forcing her fears aside, she took a deep breath and let it out again. She was an expertly trained detective, an ex-FBIagent who had resigned despite the enticement of a promotion. Fear would work for her, sharpening her instincts and fine-tuning her senses. And this was certainly the type of situation where a woman officer excelled. Men tended to be too confrontational when they dealt with other men, especially in this part of the country.
    Before long, with the reservation far behind her, she reached the busystreets of Farmington, heading toward the community college area above Twentieth Street. As she reached a residential district she saw a roadblock ahead. Red flashing lights seemed to fill the tiny street, flanked on both sides by inexpensive tract housing. Residents had been evacuated and were being contained behind a police barrier at each end of the lane, where they waited anxiously for somethingto happen.
    Four units were positioned around the front of the house in a half circle, shielding the group of officers who crouched behind them. One glance let her know that snipers were in position on roofs across the street and in an adjacent house.
    She passed through the first barrier, badge in hand. Blalock, tall, brown-haired, and well dressed in a gray suit, was behind the center policeunit. He was talking on a portable phone to the hostage-taker, asking the man to surrender.
    Ella made her way to where he stood. “I’m here,” she said as he put the phone down in disgust.
    “About time, too. What the hell took you so long?”
    “The Navajo police helicopter was having the rubber bands rewound, so I had to drive. Counting the seconds, were you?”
    “Cut the crap. Here’s the situation.The guy’s name is Tony Zahnes, born and raised on the Rez, apparently. That’s why I had you called in. You can establish a rapport better than I ever could.”
    “I remember going to school with someone by that name. Give me everything you’ve got on him.”
    “He married Jenny Wilson, an elementary school teacher from Farmington, ten years ago. They’ve lived apart for the last three years and finallydivorced six months ago. He’s an alcoholic, and was judged an unfit father, so the courts awarded sole custody of their little girl to the mother. Zahnes apparently went on a binge, broke into his ex-wife’s home, slapped the woman around, and tried to take the kid back. Before he could get the kid’s stuff and leave for the Rez, one of the neighbors spotted him through the kitchen window. He knockedthe kid’s mother in the head with the butt of what she says is a big automatic pistol, maybe a .45 caliber, then left her bleeding in the kitchen.”
    “So the wife is still in there?” Ella asked.
    “No. The neighbor pulled her out when the husband took the girl into the other room. Then she called us.”
    “Where’s Jenny Wilson now?”
    “She’s at the hospital by now. She fought like crazy not to leaveher kid, but the paramedics insisted.”
    “Tell me about the child. What’s her name, and how old is she?”
    “Her name’s Lisa, and she’s seven.”
    “Did you shut off all the utilities in the house?”
    “Right away, and we had the phone company put a lockout on the phone. We’re the only ones who can talk to him now. It’s just too bad it isn’t winter. Nothing like the cold to hurry up negotiations.”
    “Whatabout food?”
    “Jenny told us that today was grocery day, but she hadn’t gone to the store yet. The fridge and the cupboards are nearly empty.”
    “Good. That’ll give us some bargaining power.”
    “Word of warning, Ella. He’s convinced the girl is his ticket out, and he really wants his kid back. He’s not thinking