“Loki and Dadron, yes. Raymond Redmond, no.”
She eyed him suspiciously. “And they’re not here to help their grandfather?”
“Ask your sergeant. I just accused Raymond Redmond of murder, not that he was interested.”
“If you got something to say, young lady, why don’t you just spit it out?” Mary Ann asked. “We’ve wasted enough time here already.”
“I thought she was looking for her grandfather.” The young woman whisked the red-and-blond bangs out of her eyes. “Raymond Redmond is evil. He’s responsible for the death of many innocent children. Nalusa Chito will come for him soon, and that is what he fears. As should anyone trying to help him, as he will devour anyone who gets in his way.”
“If Redmond hurts Loki or Dadron, you won’t have to wait for this Nalusa Chito. I’ll kill him myself,” Jake said.
The woman studied him and finally nodded. “I heard you ask about Henry and Rose Redmond. Henry was not like his father. He was a good man. There are many rumors surrounding their deaths.”
“I was looking for the accident report from the night they crashed. The sergeant says there isn’t one.”
“As I said, there are many rumors. There is usually some truth mixed in with the lies. Their bodies were never found, and there was no car accident. They simply left the reservation and were never seen again. I will talk to my friends. If what you say about Loki is true, then we will help you find her. Meet me here tonight at ten. I will bring someone who was here then and knows the truth.” She handed Jake a card. “Do not betray us, Jake Savior, or you also will die.”
Mary Ann walked toward their car. “Don’t tell me you’re going to meet her tonight. And who’s this Nalusa Chito she’s talking about?”
“My Choctaw history is a little rusty. We’ll ask Jules when we get home.” Jake stuffed the card into his pocket. “And yes, Mary Ann, I’m going to meet her tonight.”
“Whole world has gone crazy, if you ask me. So where to now?”
The sergeant walked out and gave them a hard look.
“I don’t think we’re very welcome here. Let’s head back to the house,” Jake said.
Jake let her drive for several miles. “You knew Loki’s grandfather. He must have mentioned his daughter’s death.”
Mary Ann nodded. “He spent a small fortune looking for her right up to the day he died.”
“Then why do Loki and the boys think they were killed in a car wreck? Surely he would have told them the truth.”
“Broke poor Ernest’s heart when they gave him the news. Then there was the battle to see the children. They thought their parents were dead and had grieved. He made me promise not to say anything. If he found the parents, then he would tell them. He died still holding out hope that he would see Rose again. Not right for a parent not to be able to visit their child’s grave.”
“Why keep the secret now? Why didn’t you tell Loki after he died?”
“Didn’t seem right to hurt the child more than she was already hurting. Thought it best to keep my promise to Ernest.” Mary Ann turned in the seat, her jaw trembling. “But if I’d known she was thinking about helping that crazy old coot on the reservation, I’d have tried to stop her. Always figured he had something to do with their disappearance. Raymond Redmond is a mean, vicious man.”
Jake rubbed his arm, his thoughts darker than he liked. Loki had been upset with her grandfather, but she didn’t hate him. She’d talked about trying to mend fences and restore the family someday. He needed to talk to Jules and take him with him tonight. Maybe some of the answers would be there.
32
Neta brought out two plates of roasted rabbit, greens, and fried arrowhead bulbs. “Papa is still pretty good with those arrows, and plants are plentiful here. We shouldn’t go hungry.”
“Thanks, Neta.” Harry bit into the rabbit and chewed. The meat was slightly tough, but he hadn’t realized how hungry he was. “How is your father holding up?”
“I haven’t seen him this happy since before Mother died. He says he feels like a young warrior again. I believe he wants to die fighting.” She sat on the ground beside Harry, nibbling at her food. “Papa says we’re not too far from where the first smoke signal went up and maybe only about ten miles from the fire we saw burning. We should find tracks tomorrow.”
“I think you and Nat should stay here in the cave while we do some scouting tomorrow. Nat can watch our backs that way.”
Neta laughed. “So that’s how you’re going to sell it to him?”
“Not buying it, huh?” Harry chuckled. “I’d forgotten how quick you were to figure things out.”
“Loki tells me you’re engaged.”
“Yeah.”
“I’m sorry, Harry, sometimes I stick my foot in my mouth. Papa is always telling me I’m too talkative.”
“We had a fight before I came out here. I’m not really sure where I stand right now.”
Neta smiled and placed a hand over his. “I am. When lovers quarrel, it’s because they care about each other enough to fight. If there are never fights, then there is really no passion in the relationship.”
Reggie came out of the cave, rubbing his stomach. “With food like that, I might change my mind about camping.” He glanced at Neta’s hand covering Harry’s. “Oops, hope I didn’t interrupt anything.”
Harry passed his plate to Neta and stood. “You’re just in time. Grab your night goggles, and we’ll check out the perimeter.”
Manjael passed Loki a plate and sat beside her. Thompkins had disappeared into the forest and not yet returned. Loki took her time studying the man who both terrified and intrigued her. Something about him was familiar. He wasn’t American, nor was he Native American. His skin was dark but not as dark as that of African-Americans. Perhaps he was a mixture of several cultures.
“Why did you try to save the one at the creek?”
Manjael’s voice was deep and a little scratchy, as if he didn’t use it very often. “I gave him my word that if he told me certain things, I would try to save his life. I always keep my word.”
He grunted and shoveled the food in quickly. “Tell me about the man who is searching for you. The one who walks quietly without sound and is swift like the deer.”
“Why, so you can kill him?”
Manjael turned his dark eyes on her. Once again she felt the vague familiarity of having seen him or met him somewhere before. “You have my word that I will not kill him.”
“His name is Harry, and he’s my cousin. Well, a cousin of sorts. We grew up together here. He left to move to Texas, and when I needed a place to go, he took me in.”
“He will not stop coming. He has warrior blood in his veins.”
Loki sat her plate on the ground and hugged her knees to her chest. “No, Harry won’t stop coming until he’s found us. Dead or alive.”
“And your younger brother, the one who is not here, does he also possess this quality of love for his family?”
“Yes.”
“If I were wounded, would you heal me?”
Loki thought about her answer. Manjael had not hurt either of them yet. “Unless you were trying to hurt someone I loved, I would do what I could to save you. My family, or most of them, believe in helping others. Even Harry would not kill you unless he had to.”
Manjael nodded to where Dadron was sitting alone. “Your brother, he has warrior blood in his veins also. If you had not come, he would have died.”
Loki followed his glance. Dadron was just finishing his food. “I think he would have preferred that. He’s very angry with me.”
“He is a man. You will have to let him save you.”
“And just how am I supposed to do that?”
Manjael stood. “When the time comes, Little Warrior, you will know. He has wounds. You should tend to them now.”
Little Warrior. No one but her father and Grandpa had ever called her that. Loki stood and dusted off her pants, her eyes following his path. The aur
a surrounding him was dark like his eyes. It was probably just a fluke. He couldn’t have known what that name would mean to me.
She’d missed an opportunity to question Manjael about what they were looking for. A drug shipment in a plane would have to be awfully valuable for them to go to all this trouble. And that would mean there were lots of drugs and they wouldn’t be able to carry them all out. There had to be something else on that plane.
Manjael was right about one thing—Dadron had wounds, and whether he liked it or not, Loki was going to tend to them. He glanced up as she approached.
“I need to tend your wounds.”
Dadron turned his back to her and slipped off his shirt. Loki knelt beside him and examined the welts. “They’re healing nicely. If Manjael will go with me, I’ll pick some more marigold leaves and treat them again.”
“Loki…”
“Don’t, Dadron. You were right. I was selfish, and I came back because it was easier to die with you than to think I let you die.”
“And I was angry because it was easier to die alone than to have to watch you die. So I guess we both were selfish.”
Loki smiled at him. “Then the solution is that neither of us dies.”
“We’d better think of something before tomorrow because once we reach that plane, he doesn’t have any reason to keep either of us alive.”
“We’re that close?”
Dadron nodded. “We’ll be there by late evening.”
“Any way we can slow it down? Harry is coming, and he’ll be here soon.”
“Shhh…Thompkins is headed this way.”
“On your feet, Redmond.”
Dadron rose. “It’s getting dark, Thompkins. We try moving on now, and we’re likely to run into those bears or, worse, a group of pigs.”
Thompkins leered at him. “We’re not moving on, but I’ve got a job for you.”
“What kind of job?” Loki asked, moving closer to Dadron.
“These guys following us are getting too close for my liking.” He grabbed Loki’s arm and pulled her against him, a knife held at her throat. “You’re going to find them and tell them to back off, or little sister here is gonna be bear bait.”
Loki started to protest but, remembering Manjael’s words, kept her mouth closed. It was Dadron’s decision, and he would have to make it.
“All right, but it may take me a while to find them.”
Thompkins laughed. “If you’re not back here tomorrow by nightfall, we won’t be here.”
Dadron buttoned his shirt, his eyes dark and dangerous in the firelight. “You harm one hair on her head, Thompkins, and there won’t be any place on this earth you can hide that I won’t find you.”
Thompkins maintained his hold until Dadron was ought of sight then shoved her away from him. “Our boys ready, Manjael?”
Manjael nodded.
“Good. Go with them, and make sure you don’t leave anybody alive.”
“No!” Loki screamed and rushed him. Thompkins was ready for her, and the butt of his rifle came down on the side of her head. Dizziness and nausea dropped her to her knees. She felt her arms being jerked behind her and a rope pulled tight right before the darkness overcame her.
33
Jake took two of the pain pills Dr. Coomer had prescribed and washed them down with coffee. “We should be back by one or two in the morning.”
“Still don’t like it, Jake. You could be walking into a trap.” Mary Ann filled a thermos with coffee. “And you said it yourself that Loki didn’t want Jules on the reservation.”
“We won’t be there long.” Jake shoved his Glock in his waistband as Jules picked up the rifle by the back door.
“I still wish you’d let me go with you.” Grace stood with her arms crossed over her chest. “I could help.”
Jake knew the help she was talking about, but the choice hadn’t been his, and Jules was adamant that Grace stay behind. She would have to learn, just as he had, that if she wanted to love a Redmond, she had to let them go sometimes. “I’ll take care of him, Grace.”
“And who’s gonna take care of you?” Mary Ann grumbled. “You’re still not well enough to be traipsing all over the country at all hours of the night.”
“I’ll take care of Jake, Dr. Coomer.” Jules reached for the car keys. “He’s the only one so far who will let me drive.”
The drive took less than an hour and a half, and they arrived a half hour early. “Do you know where we’re going?” Jake asked.
“Not really. I was eight the last time I was here. I programmed the address into the GPS, so let’s hope it takes us where we’re going.” Jules turned right, headed away from the main district and into the country. “We’re looking for an old barn on the left about six miles out.”
It was just beginning to get dark, and Jake felt the first stirrings of apprehension. If anything happened to Jules, Loki would never forgive him. “Maybe I should go in alone when we get there. You can man the getaway car.”
Jules glanced at him. “I thought you were going to let me finally be a man, Jake? This is about my parents, and I have a right to hear it. If Dadron or Loki were here, would you have them wait in the car?”
The kid had a point and one Jake couldn’t really argue with. “I think that’s it over there.”
Jules turned in to the dirt road that led to an old barn on the hill. Several cars were parked in the rear, and a young man waved Jules around to a grassy area. A small crowd had gathered in the back, and people turned to stare at them. Jake spotted the young girl who had invited him. Her smile quickly turned to a frown when she spotted Jules behind the wheel.
“I thought you were coming alone. What’s he doing here?”
Jules climbed out of the car. “Jake says you have someone who knows what happened to my parents. That’s why I’m here.”
“He speaks.” She turned to Jules and held out her hand. “Millie Crow. If you two will follow me, I’ll introduce you around.”
Millie introduced them to a group of young people, many of them eyeing Jules suspiciously. “If you want to be accepted here, you’ll have to speak.” Millie opened the doors to the barn and led them in. The middle portion was filled with chairs, and a small podium had been set up in front.
“Speak about what? I thought we were meeting someone who could tell us what happened to Henry and Rose Redmond.” Jake studied the area for both cover and an exit.
“That will come after the meeting. Jules will need to speak about his grandfather. They will want to be sure he isn’t here to help him.”
“What exactly is my grandfather doing?” Jules asked. “And what is this place?”
Millie grinned. “Have a seat and listen. We’re about ready to begin.”
It didn’t take long for Jake to scope out that most of the young people were former drug addicts. The group was a support group and had also organized to rid the reservation of the evil that had invaded it. His apprehension grew as they began to work themselves into a frenzy, many of them carrying rifles and raising them over their heads. The stories they told were heartbreaking tales of prostitution and death. He gained respect for Millie when he heard her story of her five-year-old brother’s accidental death from ingesting her drugs. Addiction was hard to break, and she could have gone either way. Instead of letting the tragedy destroy her, she’d used it to try to help others.
Millie walked to the podium and within minutes had the crowd calmed down. “We have a special guest tonight. Most of you won’t remember him, but you’ve heard the stories. I believe he’s here to tell us those stories are lies.” She motioned for Jules to join her, and he glanced at Jake before rising. All eyes turned on Jules as he walked toward the podium. Jake’s hand rested lightly on his gun.
“First of all, I’m not crazy. I’m Choctaw. In the old days, we walked with the spirits of our ancestors, and we had visions. Much of that has disappeared today. What happened to me only made me more of what I already was. I was too young to under
stand at the time, and my grandfather led the tribe to believe I was demon possessed or demonic. He turned the tribe against me, and against my brother and sister. Loki thought it best for us to leave. This is the first time we’ve come back to the reservation.”
The barn was deathly quiet until Millie spoke. “Rumor has it your grandfather is missing and that your sister and brother are trying to find him.”
“I don’t know anything about my grandfather being missing. Loki and Dadron came here to help Tim Whitefeather find two missing hunters.”
Murmurs went out through the room, and Millie held up her hand. “Rumor also has it that Tim Whitefeather is dead. Is that true?”
“I don’t know. We haven’t heard from Loki or Dadron in days. At this point we’re concerned for their safety, and with what you’ve said about our grandfather, I think we have good reason to believe he’s behind their disappearance.”
Millie walked to the platform. “Mr. Savior, if you and Jules would wait outside, please.”
The barn doors closed behind them, and Jake nodded toward the car. “We should be ready to leave.”
“What do you think they’re doing?”
“Voting on whether they believe you or not. If they do, we’ll probably get some help. If not, and Millie can’t control them, we’re going to have to fight our way out of here.”
The group came out of the barn slowly, and a few stopped to shake Jules’s hand. Jake breathed a sigh of relief. “Maybe now we’ll get some answers.”
Millie came out last and closed the doors behind her. “Follow me, and I’ll take you to my grandfather.” She handed Jules a pack of chewing tobacco. “My grandfather will tell you what happened to your parents, but he will expect payment.”
Jules took the tobacco and started to climb into the car as Millie took off toward the field behind the barn.
“It’s only a few miles, but I would hurry if I were you. Rumor also has it that Nalusa Falaya is haunting us once again,” Millie said.
Dadron stopped at the creek and knelt, pretending to study the ground as he listened to the sounds around him and sniffed the wind. At least four men were following him, waiting for him to lead them to Harry. The spring where they’d camped was only a short distance away, and if he was lucky, the pigs were still in the forest. He picked up a sharp rock, cut his forearm, and rubbed the blood on his pants. It might take more than luck for him to survive, but he knew what was waiting. The men following him didn’t. He’d paced himself to this point, preparing for the time when he’d have to run. They would have to run to keep up with him.
Innocent Blood Page 17
