by Ciana Stone
Chapter Five
Swain County, North Carolina
It was midmorning when Wyatt and Chance returned to where they had left his old Jeep parked. Wyatt laded the gear in the back then climbed in, started the engine and headed down the winding trail.
Chance was quiet. Her thoughts were split between the unbelievable night she had shared with Wyatt, and compiling a mental list of the things she needed to do to get her investigation underway. She was so lost in her own thoughts that she paid no attention to the passing scenery as they pulled off the path onto the gravel road. But her attention abruptly shifted as a man stumbled into the path of their Jeep.
Wyatt slammed on brakes. Dirt and gravel flew from the tires as the Jeep turned sideways in the road. Before Chance could do more than gasp, Wyatt was out of the Jeep, running toward the man who staggered toward him.
“Billy! What the hell happened?”
Billy Hawkes was dirty, scratched and bloody. “Holling,” he panted as Wyatt looped Billy’s arm over his shoulders and helped him to the Jeep.
Chance was waiting outside the Jeep. Wyatt helped Billy into the backseat while Chance fumbled around through their gear for a canteen.
“No time!” Billy’s voice was rough with dryness and fear. “Have to get out of here, now!”
Wyatt didn’t argue. “Get in!” he barked to Chance as he climbed in and started the engine.
Chance turned around in her seat and looked at Billy. “What happened to you?”
“Holling. They came into Ralph’s. Greg grabbed Jenny. He cut her face.”
Chance gasped and looked over at Wyatt. His face looked as hard as stone and his jaw was clenched tight as he looked up at Billy in the rearview mirror. She scrambled over the seat, grabbed her backpack and dug out her miniature tape recorder and the canteen.
After giving Billy the canteen, she pulled a clean but damp shirt from her bag and had him wet it. While he drank his fill, she tried to clean his face and hands. Once she finished, she climbed back across the seat. “Just lie back and try to rest,” she told Billy. “I’d like to ask you some questions. Would that be all right?”
He nodded and she held up the recorder. “Okay if I tape it?”
Again he nodded. She turned on the machine and held it midway between herself and Billy. “Your name is Billy Hawkes, correct?”
“Yes.”
“And Billy, you said you were at Ralph’s?”
“Yes.”
“That was last night?”
“Yes.”
“Can you tell me what happened while you were there?”
“Greg Holling and about a dozen of his men showed up.” His voice was soft but the bitterness and hate was still clear.
“Could you speak a little louder?”
“Sure. I was having a drink and Greg Holling showed up with his men. Holling said they could have their pick of which red bastard they were going to skin. Everyone got real quiet and a couple of guys started to stand up, but then Greg opened his coat and let everyone see he was packing. So no one did anything. We all just sat there.”
Billy paused to take another drink from the canteen. “Then Jenny, one of the waitresses, walked by Greg and he grabbed her. She screamed and he pulled a hunting knife from his coat and put the tip against her face, right below her eye. He started to cut her and I yelled at him to let her go. He mouthed off at me about being yellow and that’s when Ralph went for his old shotgun from beneath the bar. But Holling shot him before he even had it in his hands good. Ralph fell and everyone was talkin’ at once and Jenny was screaming. Then Holling shoved Jenny away from him and pulled his gun on me. He dared me to come at him.”
Billy ran his hands over his face and looked at Wyatt’s reflection in the mirror. “I wanted to, Wyatt, I swear to God, I wanted to. But I couldn’t, I just couldn’t. He was holding that gun pointed at my head and I just couldn’t.”
“You did the right thing,” Wyatt said in a tight voice. “Getting yourself killed isn’t going to solve anything.”
Billy nodded miserably. “Yeah, well, being a coward isn’t doing a whole lot either.”
Chance waited for a moment as Billy looked out the window in shame then spoke up. “Billy, can you tell us what happened next?”
“Holling kicked me and I fell back over a table. The next thing I knew he had this bottle of liquor with a burning rag in it. People were really getting scared and they were out of their seats and he said that he’d shoot the first one that made a move. Then his men backed out and as he left he threw the bottle against the back wall. It exploded and the fire fanned out over the curtains and pictures and stuff. There was like a stampede for the door. Hal Ross made it to the door but Holling and his men gunned him down. Man, it was like hell! Everyone was trying to find a way out, breaking windows and crawling all over each other. And the fire was getting bigger all the time. I got Ralph up and got him to the window. I shoved him out then climbed out behind him. Soon as I hit the ground Holling was there with a gun on me. His men threw me in the back of a truck. They met another truck loaded with dogs and told me I had a five-minute head start ‘fore they’d come after me.”
Chance’s mouth dropped open. “You mean they were hunting you? Like an animal?”
Billy turned to her with a look of resentment on his face. “You’re white—don’t you get it? They think we’re animals.”
Chance looked from him to Wyatt then turned off the recorder. She was silent for a few moments then turned once more to Billy. “Well, they’re wrong! And with your help, we’re going to put a stop to what they’re doing.”
He looked at her then tapped Wyatt on the shoulder. “Hey, I think I must’a missed something. You wanna tell me what’s going on? What’s she talking about?”
Wyatt looked up in the mirror. “She’s talking about stopping the Hollings, Billy—the legal way. No fighting, no killing. We’re going to let the law work for us this time.”
Billy threw back his head and laughed harshly, “Yeah, right—the law working for the Indians. It’ll be the first time in history.”
* * * * *
Winston Holling hung up the phone and went to the door of his study. “Manning!”
An elderly man in a dark suit appeared at the end of the hall. “Yes, Mr. Holling?”
“Has Greg come in?”
“He returned just a short time ago. He is upstairs.”
“Tell him to get his ass down here,” Winston ordered sharply. “Now!”
He slammed the door of his study and poured himself a stiff drink. His glass was half empty when Greg walked into the room.
“Sam just told me he saw that Hawkes boy with Wolfe,” Winston barked. “You have anything to say about that?”
Greg shrugged. “Indian was better at running than we thought. So?”
“So?” Winston threw his glass across the room at Greg, barely missing him but drenching him with alcohol. “So, I’m not happy, you stupid prick! Jesus Christ! I’m surrounded by incompetents. Give you a simple little job and what do you do? Fuck it up, that’s what!”
Greg swiped at the liquor that wet his face from the glass Winston had thrown. “I didn’t fuck anything up. Hal Ross is in the hospital with three slugs in his leg. He’ll probably never walk right again, Ralph’s is a smoldering pile of wood and Billy Hawkes is scared so shitless he won’t have the balls to show his face.”
Winston’s face was red with anger. “Let me say this one more time, just in case you didn’t hear me. Hawkes was seen with Wolfe.”
“So?” Greg asked smugly.
“So, Wolfe was last seen with some reporter,” Winston said. “The way I hear it some broad from CNN. Now, just what does that say to you, son?”
Greg grinned. “Says I should meet his reporter—straighten her out on all the lies she’s been hearing.”
Winston studied his son for a few moments. “Just what makes you think you’re gonna change her mind about anything?”
Greg
’s smile widened. “Let’s just say I have a way with the ladies.”
Winston snorted and turned his back on Greg. “Then you better get to it, boy, ‘cause my associates are real pissed off about the way things worked out. More importantly, I’m pissed off.”
Greg walked over and put his hand on his father’s shoulder. “Don’t worry, Dad, I’ll take care of everything. You just leave that reporter to me.”
Winston turned to look at him. “Fine, but don’t put all your eggs in that basket. I want John Wolfe taken care of—and that old man, Eaglefoot. He’s the most dangerous. But don’t kill him. He has something I need.”
“Sure thing,” Greg replied arrogantly and gave Winston’s shoulder another thump. “But right now I have to get moving. Got a special lady waiting.”
“That fancy lawyer woman?” Winston asked.
Greg grinned. “One and the same.”
A smile took hold of Winston’s face. “Well, give her my regards. That tip she passed along last month really paid off.”
“Yeah, I’ll bet.” Greg’s grin widened. “She’s incredible, Pop, and a real knockout.”
“So when am I going to meet this Venus?” Winston asked.
“Soon.” Greg started for the door. “She’s thinking about leaving Atlanta and settling somewhere in North Carolina. Listen, I’ve gotta go. Don’t wanna be late. Check you later.”
Winston watched his son leave the room then picked up the phone and dialed. “Hey, it’s Winston. We’re gonna take care of the reporter… Yes, I’ll have Eaglefoot soon… No, I’m not sure he has it, but he’ll know where it is… Yeah, Wolfe is as good as dead… No, John… Yeah, yeah, I know, you want to be there when Wyatt goes down. Don’t worry, I’ll save that for dessert… Sure, I’ll be in touch.”
He hung up the phone and smiled to himself. Soon he would have everything he wanted.
* * * * *
John Wolfe helped Billy inside as Wyatt pulled the Jeep around back out of sight. He and Chance unloaded their gear and went in the back door. John was pouring coffee into mugs and Billy was sitting at the kitchen table when they entered the house.
“Hungry?” John asked.
“Yeah,” Wyatt replied. “Billy tell you what happened?”
John nodded but didn’t speak. Chance walked over beside him and he turned to look down at her. “Mr. Wolfe, I want to help…if you’ll let me.”
“What you going to do?” he asked shortly.
“Anything I can,” she replied. “But to begin with, I’d like to tell you some things I found out.”
John nodded and handed her a cup. She smiled and gestured to the table. “Can we sit?”
He took a seat beside Billy. Chance looked up at Wyatt as he picked up a mug from the counter. He gave her a short nod and pulled his chair around close to her.
She saw the look of surprise on his father’s face. John turned at him and the two exchanged a look. Chance didn’t know what it signified, but after a moment John nodded and looked at her again. This time his expression was one of curiosity.
She quickly filled him in with what she had found out about someone trying to block construction of the casino. She told him what she did for a living and how she wanted to do a story about what was happening.
“What good will that do? Who’s gonna believe the Indians over a bunch of rich white men? Already the government’s trying to shut down our game rooms, make us stop the video games. This will only make things worse.”
“I disagree. I think it’ll help. If we can find out who’s behind this—and from what Billy said, I think we already have a good idea—then we can press charges. Not only that, we can file a civil suit to recoup the money the reservation is losing by construction being held up.”
“And how’re we supposed to pay for all this? We’re already in too much debt. If we don’t get the casino built and running, we’re gonna be broke. We can’t afford to spend money on some high-priced lawyer.”
“Well, I can.”
All three of the men looked at her at the same time. She turned to Wyatt and took his hand. “I inherited a lot of money from my mother. Maurice has never been able to touch it. I’d like to pay for the attorney and whatever else is needed.”
Wyatt shook his head. “Chance, we might be talking about a lot of money.”
She smiled and squeezed his hand. “As long as we don’t go over thirty million I can swing it.”
“Thirty million! You have—”
“Wyatt, it doesn’t mean anything to me,” she interrupted. “I’ve had access to it for some time and I’ve never touched it. I work for a living, just like everyone else. I don’t care about the money, but I do care about what’s happening here, and if that money can make a difference then I want to do it. I need to.”
He looked at her for a moment then smiled. “Okay, if that’s what you want.”
Wyatt turned to his father and regarded him silently for a second. “Dad, let’s do this her way. We can’t win by fighting and personally, I don’t think I can stomach any more killing. So let’s try it.”
John got up and walked to the window. For a long time he didn’t move or speak. Then he turned to Chance. “I appreciate what you offer, but I have to be honest. Having you involved may do more harm than good.”
She looked at him with a puzzled and hurt expression. “What do you mean? Because I’m white?”
“No,” he replied and walked over to her. “Because you’re Maurice Davenport’s daughter.”
Chance looked from him to Wyatt then back at him. “I don’t understand. I told you this money is mine. It’s from my mother’s estate. None of it comes from Maurice. I haven’t taken money from him since the day I graduated college.”
John pulled his chair around in front of her and sat down. “What do you know about your father’s business interests?”
“Not much. He has interests in a lot of different things. Why?”
John looked down at the floor then ran his hand over his face once. “Your father is partners with Winston Holling.”
Chance felt like someone had just kicked her in the stomach. “What? But that’s not possible. He doesn’t even know Holling.”
“Yes, he does. They met when they were boys. You see, Maurice Senior and Winston Senior were big fishermen. They met in college and became good friends. A couple of times a year Maurice Senior would come up and visit old man Winston. That’s how I met your dad. My father, Jacob, was friends with your grandfather.”
“You knew my grandfather?”
“Since I was a small boy. When your dad got old enough Maurice Senior would bring him along. He and Winston Junior got to be good friends.”
“Then why didn’t I ever hear about the Hollings?”
John shrugged. “You’d have to ask Maurice about that. But my point is, you’re part of the very thing we’re against. And once that gets out Maurice will do everything he can to make sure you don’t hurt his position.”
Chance’s eyes flashed. “Well, that’s too bad for Maurice. Mr. Wolfe, I’ve found out a lot of things about my father that aren’t very nice. I’m afraid I don’t feel the same about him I once did.”
John looked at Wyatt. “She had nothing to do with the abortion,” Wyatt said. “Maurice had her drugged and taken to a hospital.”
“Then why didn’t she tell you?”
“She didn’t know. She had blocked it out. Just like the time up here when she was eight—and a lot of other things. Tsa’li helped her remember.”
After a few moments John reached over and took Chance’s hand. “I’m sorry. I guess I was wrong—about a lot of things.”
Chance’s eyes began to tear as she looked at Wyatt’s father. “I’m sorry, too. I wanted the baby.”
He nodded and patted her hand. “And now?”
She cut a quick look at Wyatt before answering. “I love Wyatt. I always have.”
He smiled and gave her hand a squeeze. “I’m glad. Maybe now Wyatt can quit
running from how he feels.”
She wiped at her eyes and smiled. “Well, he can run if he wants to. But I’ll chase him.”
John laughed and released her hand. “You remind me of how you were as a child. Always tagging behind him like he was the greatest thing since chocolate.”
Chance laughed as Wyatt’s hand moved around her, hugging her against him. “He is.”
John picked up his cup and went to the stove to refill it. “Well, I guess it’s time you quit calling me Mr. Wolfe.”
She turned to look at him. “What shall I call you?”
Wyatt gave her shoulders another squeeze. “I have a suggestion.”
Chance looked from Wyatt to John with a bewildered expression as both men smiled. They looked at her and she raised her eyebrows. “Someone want to let me in on the secret?”
Wyatt laughed and pulled her onto his lap. “How ‘bout you call him Dad, or Pop, whichever you prefer.”
“But he’s not—”
“But he could be your father-in-law.”
She pulled back and looked at him in surprise. “What are you saying?”
“I’m saying that I think Chance Wolfe sounds good.” He smiled. “What do you think?”
“Are you serious?”
“Totally. Unless you’re not interested.”
“Not interested?” She jumped up and grabbed his arm to pull him to his feet. “Come on!”
“Hey!” Billy called as they started for the door. “Where’re you going?”
“To find out who at the council has the authority to perform marriage ceremonies,” Chance called out over her shoulder.
John started out after Chance and Wyatt with a gesture to Billy. “Come on.”
“Where are we going?” Billy asked.
“To a wedding.”
* * * * *
Chance turned to her assistant, Dianne. “So, what we have is three construction companies who have all paid heavily due to breach of contract with the Cherokee and no explanation as to why the contracts were breached? Diane? Hello, earth to Diane.”
Dianne jerked around and looked at Chance with a flushed face. Chance smiled to herself. The women in the office had been falling all over Wyatt ever since they arrived at the CNN offices in Atlanta that morning. She could understand their reactions.
