"My head hurts, but overall I feel pretty good. Nothing a few days' rest won't help me get over." He looked at Jenny's body. "It's a real shame she's not still with us."

Annja nodded. "I know. But hopefully she's finally at rest. And happy."

"You think she is?"

"I don't know," Annja said. "I just don't know."

"By the way," Davis called out to Annja again. "What exactly were they doing up here with you guys, anyway?"

Annja frowned. "They brought us here to kill us. Like they did this morning. Only this time, they actually succeeded in taking one of us down." Annja pointed at the truck. "I'm going to give Joey a ride back to his grandfather's. Any problems with me doing that?"

Connor pointed at Jenny. "Leave her here. We'll have the State Police take good care of her."

"You're sure?"

"Least we can do," Connor said.

The rain had tapered off, but still dotted their faces.

Connor looked at Annja. "This is the part of the drug war people never really see-the invisible casualties."

Annja nodded. "Maybe it's time someone let the criminals know they can't get away with this stuff."

Connor eyed the truck for a moment and then looked back at Annja. "Maybe you're right."

Annja backed away. "Get in the truck, Joey."

Connor nodded at Annja. "Good luck."

"I'm not the one who's going to need it," Annja said quietly. Then she hopped in the truck and gunned the engine. In seconds, she and Joey were speeding down the road in the rain-slicked darkness.

Chapter 39.

Annja dropped Joey off at Dancing Deer's house. Joey jumped out of the truck and looked at her as the rain continued to fall. "You're going off on your own, aren't you?"

Annja nodded. "It's something I have to do, I'm afraid."

Joey smirked. "You're not afraid. You don't seem to be afraid of anything. At least to me."

"I'm afraid of plenty of things," Annja said. "But I can't let that fear stop me from doing what's right."

Joey looked up into the rain. "Even if it means you might die in the process of doing what's right?"

"Even if."

Joey looked back at her. "If I was older, you know I'd insist on coming with you."

"I know you would, Creeping Wolf. And I would be grateful for your help. But tonight, this is going to have to be all about me. Any other time and I'd welcome your a.s.sistance."

Joey nodded. "I understand. Sometimes the path of the warrior is surrounded on all sides by many foes. But only the warrior can fight his way out of the bad situation. Help is not help at all."

"That another one of your grandfather's sage sayings?"

Joey shook his head. "Nope. Mine. I'm trying some out to see how they sound."

Annja smiled. "I'll keep that in mind. You'd better get inside now before you catch a cold to go along with that concussion."

"Will you come back?"

Annja shrugged. "I don't know. What I'm about to do might just be the last thing I ever attempt."

"In that case, I hope the spirits of all my ancestors travel with you and help you on your quest. Even if the final battle is yours alone."

"Thank you."

Joey shut the door and stood in the rain while Annja backed out of the driveway. A light came on over the porch and she saw Dancing Deer with his right hand upraised. She held up her hand and felt a sensation of warmth come over her.

Joey stood there for a second and then turned and ran into the house. In another moment, the light was off and the night reclaimed its dominance.

Annja took a deep breath and then slid the Tahoe into Drive.

As she drove down the road, she took the map and directions out of her pocket. She pulled over and studied them briefly. She hadn't driven in this part of the country before, but the directions seemed easy enough to follow.

She made it back to the interstate after twenty minutes of hard driving. Every once in a while, she flipped the blue lights on to pa.s.s a car on the stretch of road leading to the highway, but otherwise the dense rain seemed to keep everyone at home.

Annja hoped it stayed that way.

She drove south through small towns and hamlets of scattered homes and ranch houses. People worked hard for very little in these parts, it seemed. To Annja's mind, it just enraged her all the more that someone was polluting their area with the drugs she was transporting.

It ends tonight, she thought.

Annja reached for the glove compartment and found a cell phone in the box. She flipped it open and dialed the number on the paper that had been in Tom's pocket. It rang three times on the other end before picking up.

"Yeah?" a voice said.

"I'm coming to you now. I've got the merchandise." Annja frowned. She felt like she was on an episode of Miami Vice. Miami Vice.

The voice on the other end sounded gruff. "Good. You know the place?"

"I've got the address."

"How long?"

"Maybe forty minutes until I get there."

"Tom with you?"

"Nope, just me."