Holdin' On for a Hero

by Ciana Stone

  Wyatt pulled her down on his lap and nuzzled her neck. “Just don’t go getting in trouble.”

  “Trouble?” She pulled back and looked at him in mock innocence. “Who me?”

  He shook his head and pulled her back to him. Their lips met and for a moment everything else faded into the background. Neither of them heard John until he cleared his throat then they both turned and looked at him standing in the doorway. “Did I hear something about you selling something again?” he asked, looking at Chance.

  She smiled and got up to take his arm and lead him to the table. “As a matter of fact, Tom was just here and we were all talking about the best way to sell sand to an Arab.”

  John raised one eyebrow at her then looked over at Wyatt. “I always knew this girl was going to turn out to be a handful.”

  Wyatt laughed as Chance put her hands on her hips and pretended to be insulted. “You don’t know the half of it, Dad.”

  Chapter Ten

  Wyatt was making himself busy, trying to keep his mind occupied as he waited for Chance to get back from the hospital. He didn’t hold much hope that she could convince Graham Dickerson to testify against Holling, but he hadn’t told her that. And maybe his father was right. John seemed to think she would be able to get through to Dickerson.

  After putting away the rest of the dishes, he walked outside and picked up the ax that was propped against the woodpile. His father was resting, and after the beating he had taken he was in no shape to split wood. Wyatt, on the other hand, felt like he needed the physical exertion just to dampen the turmoil that brewed in his mind.

  He’d just put a large log on top of the splitting block when he heard the phone ring. Leaning the ax against the block he ran up the back steps. Just as he opened the door the ringing stopped. He heard his father’s voice coming from the den.

  “Well, I don’t know. Why don’t you hold on and let me find out.”

  Wyatt walked into the den just as John was rising from the couch. “Is that Chance?”

  “No, Iris Waters.” John covered the receiver of the phone with his hand. “She said she wants to come over and talk to us about what happened last night but there’re some problems with her rental car and she can’t get another one until in the morning. She wants to know if you’ll come pick her up. ”

  Wyatt considered it. He almost wished Iris had not had his jeep returned. That would have given him an excuse. And he knew that Chance did not want him to be around Iris. She was convinced that Iris had deliberately tried to coax Walker out. Why, she had no idea. But she was very insistent that Wyatt not be alone with her. They couldn’t take any chances on Walker making another surprise appearance.

  Wyatt valued her insight, and after what happened the last time he was with Iris, he was not inclined to argue. Iris did seem to want to bring Walker out. Wyatt couldn’t figure out why. She was supposed to be there to help them, and having Walker take over and run amok was the last thing they needed.

  “I don’t know,” he finally answered. “Why don’t we wait for Chance then both of us can go over and get Miss Waters.”

  John relayed the message then listened for a few seconds. “Why don’t you just talk to him yourself,” he said and held the phone out to Wyatt.

  For a moment Wyatt toyed with the idea of refusing to speak with her. But when he heard a mocking laugh echoing in the dim recesses of his mind and Walker’s voice taunting him for being afraid of a woman he grabbed the phone from his father.

  “What?” His voice was harsh and unfriendly.

  “Well, hello to you, too.” Iris sounded amused. “Since you seem to be in such a fine mood, I won’t keep you long. I just need to know if you’ll come pick me up so we can go over what happened at your father’s house.”

  “What time?”

  “Ummm, say sevenish?”

  “Fine,” he replied and hung up the phone.

  John looked at him with a concerned expression on his face. “Is there something you’re not telling me about this lawyer lady?”

  “Like what?” Wyatt turned away so that his father wouldn’t see his face.

  “Like for instance the way she seems to be conveniently around when…when Walker takes over.”

  Wyatt was surprised that John knew. He turned and looked at his father. “Chance told you?”

  “This may come as a surprise, but I don’t think you should discount her ideas, Wyatt. Chance isn’t what I expected. In fact, I’m downright impressed with how she turned out. She’s got a good head on her shoulders and she sees a lot. Maybe more than the rest of us. At least Tsa’li seems to think so.”

  Wyatt sat down across from his father. “Don’t you think it’s kind of strange how Chance and Tsa’li hit it off? I mean, here she is, growing up in the rich world, surrounded by luxury and ignorant of our ways and beliefs and she comes up here and immediately Tsa’li takes her under his wing like…like…”

  “Like he sees something in her the rest of us don’t?”

  “Yeah. Don’t get me wrong, Dad. I love Chance. I guess I always have, I just ran from it for a long time. And I know she’s smart and insightful and I value her opinions. But there’s more going on between her and Tsa’li than we’re aware of.”

  “What makes you say that?”

  “For starters, she’s the one who told me about Walker.”

  “You think Tsa’li told her?”

  “Well, who else could it have been? I didn’t remember and you sure didn’t tell her, so…”

  “I see your point.” John leaned back and closed his eyes for a moment. “Wyatt, I think maybe it’d be best if we just trusted Tsa’li on this. He’s not one to make rash decisions, or one to put trust where it isn’t deserved. Besides, if he hadn’t told her about…”

  John’s voice faded off and Wyatt looked at him in concern, afraid that maybe he had overtaxed his energy. “Dad? You want to lie down? Can I get you something?”

  John shook his head and opened his eyes. “Some things are just painful to remember.”

  “You mean Walker.”

  John nodded sadly and Wyatt felt an uncertainty take hold of him. “Dad, do you ever—” He stopped in mid-sentence, unsure whether to ask the question.

  “Do I what?” John leaned forward and looked at him seriously.

  “Do you ever wish it had been me instead of Walker?” He looked down at the floor as he asked.

  “Never. Son, look at me.”

  When Wyatt looked up and met his father’s eyes he saw the love that burned bright within them. “Don’t blame yourself for what happened. All you did was try to prevent a killing then try to survive. There’s no dishonor in that.”

  “But I killed my brother. My twin. Dad, I’ve been remembering things…things about when we were kids. Walker and I…we were more than brothers. We were like two parts that made up one whole, if you know what I mean. He was like part of me—the part that was strong and brave and not afraid of anything. I loved him. How could I have killed him?”

  “Son, we can’t change the past. No matter what we think we should have done, it doesn’t matter. It’s done and all we can do is learn and move on. Besides, you were only a child.”

  “That still doesn’t excuse me. God, when I think about it, it makes me sick. I almost wish I hadn’t ever remembered. Maybe it would have been better just to let it stay buried and not remember because now I have to face that not only am I a killer, I have been since I was a child. What kind of man does that make me? How can I even think about having a life with Chance, about having a family? What am I supposed to do?”

  “What you’ve always done, son.” John pushed himself up and walked over to put his hand on Wyatt’s shoulder. “Be brave and honest and true to what you know to be right. That’s all any of us can do. As for Chance—well, I think that’s already been decided now, hasn’t it? That young woman loves you, Wyatt, more than she loves herself. And she’s willing to do whatever it takes to help you get free of Walker’s prese
nce. If I were you I’d take strength from that love and hold on tight to it. Real love has power that most people can’t imagine. You just believe in it and nothing can stop you.”

  Wyatt looked up at his father and smiled. “I never knew you were such a romantic.”

  John smiled and patted his shoulder. “There was a time, boy. Yes, indeed, there was a time.”

  Both men turned at the sound of a car turning into the drive. Wyatt walked to the door and saw Chance getting out of her Jeep. She ran to the door and threw her arms around his neck. He hugged her tightly for a moment then set her down.

  “You’re supposed to be resting!” she exclaimed as she saw John standing. “Now come on, you need to get your strength back.” Hurrying over to him she took his arm and led him back to the couch. “Are you feeling okay? I can call the doctor and ask him to come over if you want or I’ll drive you to his office. Did you eat anything? Can I fix you something?”

  “Whoa!” John laughed and held up his hands. “I’m fine, really. Thank you. Now, tell us what happened at the hospital.”

  Chance grinned and sat down beside him. “It took a little convincing but I talked him into it. As we speak Graham Dickerson is giving a formal statement to Sheriff Smith, telling all about how Greg Holling gave him and the others orders to come over here.”

  Wyatt sat down and looked at her in amazement. “I can’t believe it! What did you do, bribe him?”

  “Puh-leeze!” She tossed her hair and pretended mock indignation. “I simply pointed out the advantages to telling the truth—and added a few little inducements like what happens in prison and how long he would probably be there since I was a witness and have a global news network behind me. In the end, he saw things my way.”

  John smiled and patted her knee. “Like I said, you should’ve been a salesman—or a politician.”

  “Uuugh!” She shuddered then gave him a kiss on the cheek. “So, what have you two been up to while I was gone?”

  John looked at Wyatt with raised eyebrows and Wyatt looked down a little sheepishly. “What?” she asked. “Wyatt?”

  “It’s nothing. Iris Waters called wanting me to come get her so she could come over and talk about things and I told her we would pick her up later.”

  “When later?”

  “Around seven.”

  “You’re going to have to call her back then. Or have you forgotten? I’m supposed to meet Greg Holling tonight.”

  “I don’t want you to go!” Wyatt’s voice came out harsh and commanding.

  She looked at him for a moment then cut a look at John. John shrugged and she got up to go over and sit on Wyatt’s knee. “I have to. If I can get Greg to admit to something then that just makes our case against him and his family stronger. And we’re going to need all the ammunition we can find if we’re going to fight them and win.”

  “I just don’t like the idea of you being alone with him. I don’t trust him.”

  “Neither do I. But I can handle him. Please, let’s not fight about it. I have to do this. You and John can go over and talk to Miss Waters. There’s no reason she has to come here. And with your father with you she won’t try any tricks.”

  “Okay,” he agreed after a few moments. “But you take your phone and Wa’ya with you.”

  “Yes, sir.” She gave him a goofy salute and stood. “Now, if you two don’t mind, I have to talk to Tsa’li. Wa’ya’s outside waiting. I’ll be back in a little while.”

  “I’ll go with you,” Wyatt offered.

  “No,” she said then looked at John. “John’s supposed to attend a council meeting and I think you should drive him and make sure he doesn’t overextend himself. Besides, I’ll be fine. Wa’ya will be with me.”

  “I guess there’s no point in arguing with you, is there?” he smiled reluctantly.

  “Nope.” She returned the smile then grabbed his shirt and pulled him over to her. “Have I told you lately that I love you?”

  “Not that I recall,” he teased.

  “Well, let me rectify that. I love you, Mr. Wolfe.”

  Wyatt smiled and leaned down to kiss her. “And I love you.”

  Chance wrapped her arms around him and clung to him for a few moments after the kiss ended. Then she released him and gave him a smile. “I’ll be back soon.”

  He nodded and watched her leave then turned and looked at his father. “What time’s the meeting?”

  “About the meeting—George Red Fox is stopping by on his way. I’m going to ride with him. We have some things we wanted to discuss beforehand.”

  “I don’t mind taking you.”

  “I know and I appreciate it, but I want to talk to George. Matter of fact, I think I’ll get cleaned up. He’ll be here pretty soon.”

  Wyatt nodded and watched John leave the room. He flopped down on the couch and stared at the plywood that covered the broken window then picked up the phone to call around and see if he could find a replacement window somewhere. He had to do something to keep busy. That was the only way to keep his mind off the faint but constant threatening presence of the other in his mind.

  * * * * *

  Tsa’li was sitting on the back steps of his house looking into the depths of the crystal when Chance and Wa’ya emerged from the trees into the backyard. He looked up at her as she walked to him. Chance stopped in front of him, cramming her hands into the pockets of her jacket.

  “I need help,” she said despondently.

  “What help?” he asked, looking once more at the crystal.

  “About what you told me,” she said as she took a seat on the ground. Wa’ya lay down beside her and put his head on her leg. “I’ve been thinking about it,” she said as she rubbed between Wa’ya’s ears. “And I think I know what the starting point was.”

  Tsa’li looked at her and she continued. “It was when Sarah died, wasn’t it?”

  He didn’t answer but turned his attention once more to the crystal. Chance looked at it then at him. “That’s the crystal you had last night, isn’t it? The one that caused that light. You called it something when you were talking to Walker and he said something about it being magic.”

  “Do you believe in magic, Woman with the Eyes of a Wolf?” Tsa’li looked her in the eyes.

  “I didn’t use to. Now I think I do. Will you tell me about the crystal?”

  Tsa’li looked down at the crystal in his hand then extended it to her. Chance took it from him. As soon as it touched her skin she could feel the vibration that emanated from it. She looked up at Tsa’li in surprise but he didn’t seem to notice. His eyes were lifted to the sky. A moment later he began to speak.

  “In the legends of my people the crystal, Uluhsati, is told of. In times long past there lived a giant serpent, so fearful and deadly that even to look upon it was fatal to man. This was the Uktena. It is said that the body of the Uktena was as thick as a tree trunk and that it had scales that glittered like jewels. On its head was a pair of horns and between the horns was an enormous crystal, the Uluhsati.

  “The Uluhsati was a great prize, for whoever could win possession of it would be ensured with success in every activity of man. But beyond that, the Uluhsati endowed its owner with the ability to foretell who would live and who would die. Many sought the Uluhsati but it is neither easily won nor possessed. The light from the magic crystal was so bright and pure that it would befuddle the senses of man, causing him to run toward the Uktena and thus becomes its victim.

  “In all of the history of my people there is only one man who succeeded in killing an Uktena and securing the Uluhsati. That man was a powerful Shawnee conjurer, a Cherokee prisoner of war by the name of Oganunitsi. The Cherokee planned to kill Oganunitsi, but he bargained for his life by pledging to seek out the Uktena and secure the crystal for them. He won his freedom with this pledge and was released.

  “Oganunitsi searched the length of these mountains and beyond. Along the way he encountered many dangers and faced many trials. But still he persevere
d. It was not until he reached the mountain known as Cohutta in what is now the northern part of the state of Georgia that he finally came upon the Uktena, sleeping on the mountaintop.

  “Oganunitsi set about devising a way to defeat the Uktena. First he dug a circular trench along the mountainside. Then he piled the trench high with pine cones. When this was done he set the pine cones on fire and shot an arrow into the seventh spot on the body pattern of the Uktena.

  “The wounded serpent leaped at Oganunitsi. But Oganunitsi was prepared and evaded the attack by leaping beyond the trench of fire. The Uktena writhed and spit its deadly venom in its death throes but Oganunitsi was safe beyond the barrier of fire. At length the Uktena died. Oganunitsi waited seven days, during which time the scavengers of the forest stripped the carcass of the Uktena so clean that only the Uluhsati remained. Oganunitsi took the crystal and returned to the Cherokee, presenting it to them and fulfilling his vow.

  “Since that time the Uluhsati has been guarded by the Keepers, of whom I am the last.”

  Chance stared at the crystal for another moment then returned it to him. “But everyone knows about it, don’t they?”

  Tsa’li shook his head. “Its existence has been kept secret for many years.”

  Chance thought about the story for a few moments, idly scratching Wa’ya’s head as she did. Suddenly she looked up at Tsa’li. “But what if it’s not a secret? I mean, surely someone besides you knows about it. Does John know?”

  “Yes, he knows.”

  “How did he find out? Did you tell him?”

  “No.” He shook his head. “He was told by my daughter.”

  “Sarah,” she said for clarification.

  “Yes.”

  “Then isn’t it possible that Sarah told someone else? Maybe someone who doesn’t have the same high morals or scruples that John does?”

  “I cannot answer that. What reason would she have for divulging the secret?”

  “I don’t know,” Chance murmured. A possibility was taking shape in her mind. “But just for the sake of argument, let’s say that she did. What if she did it by accident, not really intending to give away the secret? If that happened, and someone found out that you had the crystal, then maybe they believed in its powers and decided they wanted it for themselves.”