Rocky Trail

by Waggoner, Robert C.

  David could appreciate that and wished it was another time so they could enjoy the ancient history of the area. But for now, someone was trying to kill them and that needed one hundred percent concentration to stay alive. Johnny noticed one thing a little different about David. He was starting to get that look in his eyes that something would happen in a few days if not sooner. Johnny liked that about David; he made things happen rather than wait. He made the opposition come to him. The home field advantage you might say. Johnny knew it would be him and David buried alive breathing out of a reed or straw or something like that. It didn’t much matter to Johnny one way or the other. He was just concerned that if the game was to be played, then a level playing field was tantamount to good relations. White people continually tried to rip the Native Americans off.

  David pulled into the Kayenta Airport. It wasn’t hard to spot the plane with the pilot slowly walking around the plane inspecting for anything amiss. This airport was mostly a self service owned by the Navaho Nation. David parked out of the way and all three walked to the waiting plane. Their pilot, Amy Waterfield, was a no nonsense professional pilot from Flagstaff. David noticed she was rail thin and wore coveralls with a company patch on one breast and her name on the other. She said, “Boys, if you have to pee, now is the time. There’s not a lot of rest stops where were going.” Johnny thought she had a little Indian in her, but not a full blood. He noticed she was listening hard to Mosi and he was telling her what David wanted to see. She was nodding her head and later Johnny found out she was a cousin of Mosi on his mother’s side.

  In no time they were up in the air flying about two hundred feet above the desert floor. She told everyone they would follow the Old Trail to Monument and then make concentric circles until told different. David’s instructions were clear: fly low and slow. What he was looking for was a place to park the RVs and a good location for the shooter that was easily accessible from the road. He felt confident that he would find such a place.

  Chapter XII

  For Clyde Hyster the anticipation of being with Helen was almost too much for his libido to handle. He smiled as he sipped his highball thinking how most men his age had Viagra as a necessary part of their lovemaking. Not him. Clyde was gifted in that way. Also he was gifted in size and duration that stroked his ego. At that moment, Helen Backster walked in looking quite stunning in a teal outfit that hugged her form revealing every curve of her perfect body.

  Clyde stood up greeting her with slightly tobacco stained teeth. Helen met his eyes that radiated desire and she responded in kind. It didn’t take long to dispense with the small talk and dinner was finished by eight. Both ordered an after dinner drink with coffee to increase the stimulation needed from dinner.

  When the time came Helen took command and led him to her room. The first thing she did was call room service and ordered some drinks and some snack foods. Clyde was riding high thinking this was going to be an all nighter. She said, “Clyde let me freshen up a little while you make us some drinks. I’ll be right back. It’s been a long day so I will take a quick shower so I’m fresh as a daisy for you.”

  Clyde had been sitting at the small round table in the motel room. Now he stood up expecting any minute room service to arrive. Helen had no more gone to the bathroom when the knock came to the door. Clyde gladly used his room number and set forth to make some drinks.

  With drink in hand he turned on the TV to find some music to set the tone of having some good sex. By the time he found some music the bathroom door opened revealing a scantly clad Helen. She walked straight over to him. Her eyes never left his. He reached out to give her drink, but she only sat it aside. Then she started to undress him.

  Vince in the next room viewing the performance via his laptop felt sorry for the guy. Men were such fools when it came to beautiful women. Especially the weak ones like Clyde Hyster. Well no matter, business was business and Clyde was to change sides in the middle of the game. His new boss was Inspector David Cockrun.

  *~~~~*

  David, feeling very good after the fly over, said goodbye to Amy thanking her for a great flight. David inquired about a helicopter and she told him there was one available. He asked for a ten am appointment and they drove off back to the hotel satisfied for the time being. It needed further inspection, but he thought he spotted a location that might fit their plans. The real problem was the wide open space of a high desert. It afforded very few locations for an ambush. Contrary to the old western movies filmed there, to surprise an unsuspecting victim was not an easy thing to accomplish. At their meeting tonight he would warn all of them to be alert for anything.

  *~~~~*

  Dennis and his partner Ann were having lunch at the same restaurant David and team had breakfast earlier that day. When the waitress came to take their order he asked how far it was to Kayenta. After that he asked her about what time the tall white man with a dark curly haired lady friend had been in. Then he added that some Native Americans might have been with them. He told her they would meet up at Kayenta as they were all going to visit the famous Anasazi site.

  Janet, the Navaho waitress realized these were the two white people that Moni warned her about. She was supposed to give them what they asked for; and she did. Afterwards, Janet told her friend that the white man had very scary eyes and the lady was a witch. After they left Janet snuck out the back to see what they were driving. She saw them get into a pickup truck with a dirt bike in the back. Janet then sent a text message to Mosi telling him all what she had heard, said, and saw.

  *~~~~*

  Back at the motel after their flight to the area in question, David said to Janice, as he flopped down on the bed, "Sometimes I think we are in over our heads Pine Queen." She jumped on top of him, he continued, "You know for many years you and I have been partners and now we have three additional people we are responsible for. These assassins care less for human life and we are so susceptible to fatal injury it's not funny. Not only that, I could lose my one and only thing in life I treasure. I have a bad feeling about this case. A major company like Allied is not without some power. Well, I'm going to take a shower and wash off some red desert dust. After that, let's have some lunch and you can tell me what you and Kay talked about," She rolled off and he left with a smirky smile on his face.

  "Hey Kemosabe," as she followed him to the bathroom. "Kay and I think we can handle these guys with some high tech holograph. She talked to some folks in the UK and they are so confident a rep is flying over to demonstrate how it works. He'll be in Flagstaff tomorrow sometime late at night."

  "Sounds good and now what are we going to do about lunch. I told the guys to fend for themselves and take a rest this afternoon before we meet up later this evening."

  "We dare not go outside to eat. Let's go to the restaurant and see whose staying here and what they're doing. Make sure that our two nemesis' are not among the guests. Besides I want a salad. It seems like we have been eating too much rich food as I'm gaining weight, I think."

  "Good idea and I can get a feel for the place at the same time. Let's take BT with us. Better yet let's see if Johnny and Kay and Milo want to have some lunch."

  Janice stood up from sitting on the toilet seat cover and said, "Good idea, let me comb my hair and I'll go call while you dry off and get dressed."

  The restaurant had a panoramic view with lots of glass to appreciate the landscape. David and his group decided not to sit next to the windows and instead sat at tables that lined the inner wall. Mosi was the first to speak saying, “I got a text message from Janet in Tuba City. She says two white people, man and woman were asking about us. She told them where we were and then she said she went out back as they were leaving. She saw them get into a pickup with a dirt bike in the back.”

  A silence engulfed the tables. David sat back crossed his arms in deep thought. Why a dirt bike, he wondered. He asked, “Mosi, what does this mean to you? I mean, how do you think the assassin might use this type of off road rig to his a
dvantage and to our disadvantage?”

  Mosi said, “A dirt bike would leave a dust trail for miles behind it. I’m sure after today when we use a helicopter tomorrow to look around the assassin will observe that. If they know we have access to the air, it makes a dirt bike impractical. Unless”—as he paused in thought---“it’s used at night.”

  Now it really was quiet. It would seem that all heads were resting on their chests. Kay was the only one who looked from person to person wondering what was coming next. Janice was confused. She had zero experience with dirt bikes. And she had no idea what David’s experience was with off road vehicles. She looked to Johnny to see if there was some wish that he knew about dirt bikes. She saw nothing on his usual stoic face. Well, she thought, this sucks. I’m hungry so I’m going to make a trip to the salad bar.

  After she left for the salad bar, Kay followed and then all made a trip to have some lunch. Janice was going down one side and looked to see her husband grinning at her. She had a puzzled look and then he winked at her breaking the tension. Then he said, “Not to worry Pine Queen, I’m not unfamiliar with off road vehicles.” That brought some relief to her as she stacked on more tomatoes atop her salad.

  The mood around the lunch table was a somber affair. David felt it was his place to lighten up the heavy atmosphere. He said, “It would appear that we are rather vulnerable here at the hotel. Has anyone any suggestions?”

  “I think we should post a guard, but I have no idea where to post a guard or what a guard should look for,” said Mosi. David was starting to really like Mosi. He was always ready to say or do something, not just sit back and let things happen.

  Johnny said, “I for one prefer having BT on alert, but here in the desert and hotel, he’s rather frustrated. I for one think we need to move out into the desert where we can at least have a fighting chance. Now we are susceptible to taking a bullet as we walk out the door.”

  David knew exactly how they all felt. He too felt like a sitting duck here at the hotel. He decided that after tonight they would pack up and move to the desert. `Also he would make a call to Chicago and have someone deliver a motor home to Kayenta tomorrow. Then he said, “Let’s make this our last night in civilization and move out to Monument Valley tomorrow sometime. We’ll need some supplies and as a division of labor is needed,” he laughed, “ladies would you be so kind as to make a list of supplies, like hotdogs, buns, fry bread, strawberry jam.”

  That short conversation lightened up the heavy air with Mosi being the most vocal with a knee slapping laugh. Then he said, “I called into my office and they will send out four teams of two to patrol the area tonight.” That seemed to relieve everyone except Johnny. He still felt more comfortable outside.

  *~~~~*

  AJ hung up the phone and said to Jake and Alex, who were sitting around AJ’s desk, “That was David requesting a motor home for tomorrow. It would seem that staying in that hotel is rather risky business. Alex would you call and take care of that request please. He said a twenty five footer would be fine; same as Bloom’s. Jake we need to tighten the screws on Allied after we get some pertinent information from this guy Hyster. Also excuse me for a second while I call the Flagstaff Airport to have that helicopter on a twenty four hour standby basis in Kayenta. Air cover is necessary. We don’t want the bastards to slip away.”

  Alex said, “AJ make sure that chopper has spotlights like the police have. If it’s at night then they’ll be needed. In addition I’d say we have a shooter standing by just in case. The pilot and partner can camp out at the airport. I’ll see to it they have supplies.”

  Jake added, “I talked to Virginia this am. It would seem that the Home Security has gotten wind of this and word has filtered up to the president. I’d say my friends; we have our asses hanging out there a mile or so.”

  AJ said, “Tell someone who really gives a shit. They’re just pissed cause we are doing some good and they aren’t. All of us here are too old to really care much what they think. They’re pissed off that we wrapped up a serial killer in one weeks time. And now the justice department has been trying to build a case against Allied for a long time. Then we step in and make something happen. Jake, we are going to enjoy this ride while it lasts. Alex will take over after we’re gone.”

  “You wouldn’t leave me holding the bag AJ?”

  “Nope Alex, you and Carol can share the burden,” AJ said smiling.

  *~~~~*

  David woke up with a start. He reached over and felt better after he found Janice next to him. They’d taken a nap and he went out like a light. He looked at his watch seeing it was five thirty. Eyes on the dark ceiling he thought back to morning and how long and how much had transpired since then. And worst of all the day wasn’t over yet. Janice stirred and asked him, sleepily, if he was awake. He squeezed her butt as she lay on her stomach saying yes he was awake. Then she told him they had a dinner meeting soon and they’d best take a wake up shower.

  David groaned a little and walked naked to the bathroom. When the shower got warm, he gladly stepped under the hot water. Janice was not far behind him and insisted on washing the good parts of his body. By the time he was dry, dressed and satisfied with the nice nap and shower they left for the conference room.

  David sat at the head of the table and announced that Chicago was sending a motor home and a helicopter would be at their disposal. Tomorrow would be one busy day. First light would be the arrival of the video from Hyster’s performance and next would be the helicopter fly over for location of camp. Kay and Janice would go to Flagstaff and meet the rep. from the UK and book him into the hotel here. After that Mosi would set up the wind instruments for cover. A large tent needed setting up for what looked like a busy group forth coming.

  Janice noted how quiet and somber the group was. It would seem that Kay was the only one a little jovial with a smile on her face. Johnny sat beside her with BT at his feet. The hotel people were not so happy with the idea of a dog in the restaurant, but when they realized the importance of the group, they overlooked it. Janice thought Johnny was troubled by something. He sat starring at the table in front of him without a word being spoken or an expression on his face. Mosi was also contemplating what was being said by David, but what, Janice had no idea what was going through his mind.

  Slowly, Janice noticed, Johnny turned to David and said, “David, me and BT are going for a look around. Something is bothering him and me too. Sorry to take off, but we’ll be back soon.”

  David went on full alert and said, “You want some company?”

  “No, we are fine. I’ll go out the back and circle around to the parking lot. I think BT needs a little fresh air. I’ll check on the motor home and make sure it’s locked up tight.”

  Walking down the hallway to the backdoor, Johnny felt uneasy and it appeared that BT was not relaxed either. He subconsciously felt the 45 in the small of his back. At the door he said to BT, “Be careful and stay with me.” BT looked up at him and then they slowly moved through the door hugging the wall trying to stay in the shadows away from the light. Trying to stay low and move quickly, they made their way towards the motor home. A strange light was on the opposite side of the motor home and Johnny wondered what was happening. Was someone trying to break into the motor home? Or was it a trap. Johnny thought trap and decoy was the logical solution. The light appeared to be moving as if someone was walking with a flashlight. He crouched down putting his arm on the back of BT whispering soothing words into his ear. BT had been starring at something towards the entrance to the parking lot.

  There were few cars in the parking lot. David’s SUV was parked a couple spots away and Johnny dashed for the side of it away from the entrance for protection. By now both he and BT were on full alert. He moved to the back of the SUV and looked around at the motor home and saw a flash light swinging back and forth pointed at the ground. Johnny listened but only heard the sound of an occasional car passing down the road. BT was still starring towards two parked ca
rs near the entrance.

  If the bad guy was behind the cars, Johnny had way too much open area to pass through; not to mention the parking lot lights. Does the guy know I’m here, he wondered. BT was fidgeting. He was at a loss as to what to do. It was about twenty feet from where he was to the motor home. If he made a dash for it, then he could open the driver’s door and back up to where the bad guy was revealing his hiding place.

  His plan made, he told BT to run with him to the side of the motor home. Johnny made a run for the motor home with BT right behind him. Just as Johnny reached the backside of the motor home, he heard a popping sound and a small yelp emerged from BT.

  With gun drawn, he heard a motor cycle start up and a cruel laugh come from behind the two parked cars. Johnny saw immediately that BT was hit and down. He heard the motor cycle take off and Johnny ran to an open area to take a shot at the still laughing rider. The light was not good but he got off a few shots knowing full well the chances of hitting the bike rider were slim to none.

  David returned to what he was talking and thinking about as Johnny and BT left. He said, “We need some supplies for our expedition. Janice would you please take some notes. To conserve fuel and to minimize noise with generators we’ll need some gas lanterns, fuel, stick matches, shovels, pick and I’m getting tired of thinking about it.” Kay started laughing and it was contagious. Soon as it quieted down, he continued by saying, “I’m going to delegate here and make Mosi the supply boss.” That brought on more laughter and then all voices went quiet when shots were heard.