CHAPTER 1

The suffering was akin to a biblical plague and everything in and aroundLake Travis was either dead or dying, including the lake itself.

The meanest drought in Central Texas history had shattered all heat recordsand showed no signs of ending anytime soon. The broiling temperatures hadslowed the Lower Colorado River to a trickle, and in some spots a person couldalmost walk across the lake on the freshly exposed islands. By mid-August, thelake was less than half-full—and dropping a rate of almost two feet per week.

Oddly enough, despite the drought, people were drowning in record numbers.

Most of the fatalities could be attributed to the falling water level, which hadexposed a number of dangerous obstacles. Once able to safely enjoy recreationalwater sports, boaters and swimmers now had to look out for fence posts, sandbars, and tree limbs. In a summer when stock tanks evaporated and wells ran dry,a simple day on the lake had become a high-risk proposition.

Five people had drowned since the beginning of August, and Cody Hayeswas about to become victim number six.

The Westlake High School student was enjoying a carefree afternoon, racinghis jet ski across Devil's Cove, when he smacked into a 55-gallon oil drum thathad been submerged just below the water line. The impact catapulted him overthe steering wheel and into a tree, where he was impaled on a low-hanging limb.

Incredibly, the body hung there for two days before it was discovered by apark ranger. By the time it was dragged to shore, the putrification process hadbegun. Due to a proliferation of bacteria, the skin around the abdomen had turneda greenish color, and the face was swollen.

Parks and Wildlife called the Travis County Sheriff, who in turn contactedthe DPS—Department of Public Safety. They referred the matter to the TexasRangers, which is how it landed in the lap of Sergeant Emilio Chavez, companyH, in Austin.

Chavez was one of 134 commissioned officers in the Ranger Division andone of the top homicide investigators in the state. When he got the call from hissenior captain, he immediately set out for Lake Travis, briefly wondering why theRangers would get involved in a boating accident.

By and large, the Rangers operated within the confines of their mandate andwere responsible for such things as murder investigations, political corruption,protecting the governor, and tracking down fugitives. Theoretically, they alsoacted as riot police, hence the slogan "one riot, one ranger."

These were no easy tasks, and since 1935, 108 Rangers had died in the lineof duty.

When Chavez arrived at Devil's Cove, he was instantly recognized by his"star in a wheel" badge and his attire. Although the Rangers had no prescribeduniform, they were required to wear Western clothing, which meant boots,gunbelts, and hats.

After a brief exchange among the peace officers, he was led to the shorelinewhere the Travis County Sheriff had erected a makeshift morgue. To his surprise,there were two bodies lying side by side on a plastic sheet, both of them wellbeyond the initial stage of rigor mortis.

"What do we have here?" Chavez asked the sheriff.

"Two dead folks," he replied. "One male, one female." He explained that theyoung man had driven a jet ski into an oil drum, jarring open the lid and exposingthe decomposed body of a woman. "The male was a student at UT." He consultedhis notes. "Cody Hayes. He's from Westlake."

"Have you notified his family?"

"They should be here by noon."

"What about the female?"

The woman appeared to be Caucasian, perhaps in her twenties, and ofaverage height and weight. There were no signs of molestation, although herhands and feet had been bound with chicken wire.

Dan Wallace, the Travis County M.E., knew what Chavez was thinking. "Twoto three weeks," he said to him.

"How can you tell?"

"I didn't smell any hydrogen sulphide—the rotten egg smell. The gases tendto dissipate after six or seven days." He pointed to the head area. "If you lookclose, you'll notice that her hair, nails, and teeth are starting to detach from thebody. That tells us that the corpse has been sealed for two or three weeks. After amonth, the tissues would be liquefied, and the body cavities would burst open."

"Did she suffocate or drown?"

"Neither." Kneeling, he gently brushed away a strand of hair on her forehead."See that little hole—above the eyebrow? It was made by a small caliber bullet,probably a .22."

"Odd place to shoot someone."

"That's the exit wound. She was shot behind the right ear. One round. Rightthrough the brain."

"Professional hit?"

"I doubt a pro would use chicken wire. Of course, you would know moreabout that than me."

Chavez rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Any clues about her identity?"

"She was probably married." He stuck a pencil under her ring finger andgently lifted it up. "See the indentation?" He looked up, puzzled. "Why wouldthe killer remove her ring?"

"Maybe it was engraved."

"I didn't think of that."

"Any other jewelry?"

"Nope."

"Did they check the oil drum?"

"Thoroughly."

"Any markings?"

"Just some numbers."

Chavez slipped on a mask and took a closer look at the body. There was atattoo on her right shoulder—a blue diamond inside a red sun. The design lookedfamiliar—he was certain that he'd seen it before—but he couldn't place it. "Whatdo you make of this tattoo?"

"Interesting."

"Look familiar?"

"Nope."

"I've seen this design before."

"Maybe in Oklahoma," a park ranger said. "Those are Choctaw Indiansymbols."

Chavez stood, eyeing he park ranger suspiciously. "Who might you be?"

"Jimmy Deatrick. I'm the one who found the young man's body."

"How do you know about the symbols?"

"I spent some time in Tuskahoma, the capital of the Choctaw Nation. Thesun represents happiness, growth, and power. The diamond is derived fromthe marking of the diamondback rattlesnake, which is a source of food andmedicine—as well as danger. Choctaw women weave diamond patterns into thetrim of ceremonial dresses. They view the snake as being worthy of respect."

Chavez snorted. "I'm worried about a different type of snake. Where did youfind the oil drum?"

The park ranger pointed to an area offshore. "The rescue divers couldn'tbelieve their eyes. They weren't expecting to find two bodies."

"No, I guess not." Chavez dropped his head to study the ground with athoughtful expression. Without looking up, he said, "How long have you beenworking out here?"

"Three years."

"Know the area well?"

"Yes, sir, I do."

"How many parks do you operate?"

"Fifteen."

"How many have boat ramps?"

"Eleven."

"Are they all open?"

"No, sir, just one." He pointed to a spot across the lake. "Mansfield Dam hasone usable lane. The rest are closed due to the drought."

The impassive expression wavered for just a moment, the dark eyes flickingtoward the dam and then back to the park ranger. "If I'm not mistaken, visitorshave to pay a day-use fee."

"Five dollars per vehicle."

"So that means you issue permits."

"Yes, sir."

"By computer?"

"Uh-huh."

"I'll need a copy of those records."

"What are you looking for?"

"Just grasping at straws," Chavez admitted, taking one last look at the dam.He turned away and said a few words to the medical...