by Doug Ball
“I do not think so, Mi General. I think they have been spoiled and will fight to hold their lands, but at your word we will fight.”
“Or you will face a firing squad, Capitan.”
North of the Border
The General paced from one end of his command post, a deserted gas station in Arivaca, to the other, as his Radioman trudged along behind reporting all communications on the air. For the most part they were mundane requests for this and that, but every now and then there was something that was tactical.
The General stopped, “Get me a current status of all posts.” Turning to the Major, who twenty minutes ago had been promoted to his Chief of Staff, “Contact Flagstaff, Phoenix, Kingman, and Globe concerning the status of troops on hot standby for the Indian wars.”
To everyone in hearing, “What am I missing here folks? None of these issues can just keep dragging on. Anybody got any ideas, I’m tapped out?”
Everyone replied with some form of negative response.
“So the sum total so far is that the Indians are rising tomorrow and the Mexicans are tearing down our fence?”
Affirmative responses.
“Anybody got anything else?”
Negative responses.
“I hate the waiting.”
At the Legislature
The Hawk and Speaker White sat comfortably in the easy chairs in the Hawk’s office reading the proposed bill which their staffs had worked on all night concerning allowing the tribes to choose to be separate counties within Arizona. If the tribe so chose, they would be more or less in total control of what happened within the boundaries of their reservation. They would be allowed to name their county and have all privileges and duties as prescribed by the laws of the state of the Arizona.
The Hawk looked up as Tony White mumbled something under his breath. “What?”
Tony looked up and thought a moment before he spoke, “I’m not sure I like the part about the tribes only having ninety days to make the decision.”
“Personally, I think they will jump at making a decision for or against.”
“That’s the problem. If they jump at against, they would have no recourse should they change their mind in the future.” Tony thought for a moment more, “And, you know how long it takes to get things done on some of the reservations.”
“Okay, you have a point on the getting things done side of things, but I think there needs to be a deadline so they cannot hang it over the head of the state or the county in the future. You know, if we don’t get our way we will separate from you, etc. etc.”
“You have a point. Also, what if the county they are now in doesn’t want this to happen?”
“Tough. Most of the counties will encourage the tribes to go. I know the northern counties will probably encourage the separation.” Hawk reached for his coffee cup and eased his tie.
Tony poured another glass of water from the carafe on the table before sitting back in the chair and reading again.
There was a knock at the outer office door. Hawk rose to answer the knock. As he opened the door, a page handed him a message in an envelope with a return address of the Arizona State Attorney General’s office. Hawk knew this was trouble just from the method of delivery. “Thank you,” he told the page and shut the door in her face. He ripped it open and read the note.
Hawk,
The U.S. Attorney General’s office has just informed me that what we are doing is against the Constitution of the United States and we are to cease and desist with the border controls, welfare changes, and, get this now, we are required to take all Federal funds as prescribed by law in order to do business as a state.
He also threatens to take us to the Supreme Court. I think he is full of bull. Let’s call his bluff. A copy of this has gone to Tony and the Governor.
Wayne
“Hey, Tony, get a load of this. We are in deep trouble, as my teenage grandson would say, ‘not.’”
Tony took the offered note and began laughing almost immediately. “What is this, some kind of joke? Oh, yeah, the AG doesn’t joke, does he?”
Governor’s Office
10:00 AM
The phone rang and Josie picked it up on her head set. “Arizona Governor’s Office.”
A pause. “Wait, I’ll see if she is available, Mr. Whiting.”
The Governor nodded and grabbed her phone. “Yes, Mr. Whiting. How’s my favorite opposition news media doing this fine and lovely day?”
“I actually am thinking about backing you, Governor. I like the results of what you are doing.”
“That’s good to hear and thank you. How may I help you today?”
“My Crazy Man reporter needs to see you and your DPS Director, now.”
“What’s up?” The Governor stood and began pacing the floor. Josie knew it was time to get her other pad, the one with the list of things to do on it.
“All I can say is that what he’s found may solve the Indian problem.”
“Where did he get this info?”
“From the river bed mansion of a contact now deceased.”
“How did he decease?”
“Had his throat cut. You will want this info and do need to see Ted Fuerte and his faithful sidekick, Rusty.”
“Well, then, send them over. How long before they arrive?”
“Minutes.”
“Thank you and good bye.” She hung up. “Josie, get me the DPS Director. Urgent.”
“Can do, Governor. Your wish is my every dream to fulfill.”
“Stuff it.”
Flagstaff
One of many cheap motels on old 66
10:00 AM
Tan returned to the motel he and Robert had picked for the night after the shootout-that-wasn’t at the bridges, with breakfast from Burger Doodle. With both hands full, he kicked the door to get Robert to open up. The door flew open. Robert lay on the bed with four feathered shafts sticking out of his chest. Tan dropped everything and drew his weapon. A quick scan of the parking lot registered nothing. He checked the room and found nothing except Robert, dead. He picked up Robert’s hand held radio from the end table and called it in before stepping outside for a better look around before the mob got there. There was a cleaning cart in front of the room furthest from the highway.
He surprised the Hispanic woman when he said, “Could I talk with you for a moment, please?”
She jumped swinging the vacuum head around like a bat. “Don’t touch me.”
“Whoa. I just have a couple of questions for you.” He flashed his badge.
“I am legal. I have my papers.”
“I am in room 14. Did you see anything down there in the past twenty minutes?”
“Oh, Si, I mean yes. There was a truck with two men, dey knocked on the door when I start this room. They park the truck and knock on the door. That all I see, but I did hear them leave maybe two minutes later. Is there a problem, officer?”
“Yes, my partner is dead in that room.”
“Oh, I am sorry. I will pray for his soul. Funny thing, when I pass that room there was funny smell. Was he dead long?”
“No.” He thought for a minute and then remembered the slight smell of something when he kicked the door open, a smell like electronics burning. Thinking even more he visualized the room to note that Robert’s weapon was laying on the end table next to the radio he was using. Robert was out before the men knocked on the door.
He trotted back to the room after telling the woman, “Thanks,” and checked the door jam. They had picked this old motel because they believed no one would imagine them in a dump like this. It must date back to the ‘40’s or ‘50’s. The rooms each had their own carport allowing them to cover the truck with a tarp and hide away. Still they were being watched was the obvious conclusion. He thought back on the morning in the room trying hard to stay in cop mode and not fall into the pain .
After awakening with a slight headache before Robert was even grumbling, he got a lukewarm shower. The sli
ght dizzy spell he had during the shower he attributed to the lack of sleep and being exhausted. When he was dressed he got in the truck after folding up the tarp and drove out of the motel lot, passing two drunk dark skinned individuals in a gray Chevy truck. He assumed they were drunk and returning to their room for the day and some sleep.
The Burger Doodle was a mile or so up old 66 and the service was slow due to the lines in the store during the tail end of morning rush hour traffic. He bought a paper from the machine and, when his order was up, he drove back taking his time, there was no hurry. Arriving at the motel lot he took a good look at things. There were no new cars. None had left. The only thing missing was the gray Chevy truck. Find the truck and find the killers rolled through his head. He called that information in, frustrated at what little good that would do. He asked himself, “How many gray trucks were there in Flagstaff?” and sobered at the thought.
He examined the door carefully as he heard the sirens getting louder. There was a faint foot print with no sole pattern right next to the lock and the jam was split. Splinters of wood lay on the worn carpet. From the looks of the dust on the carpet, the door jamb was pretty rotten and wouldn’t have taken much of a kick to break in.
The first car arrived, Flagstaff Police. “What’s up?”
Tan proceeded to tell him and then had to repeat it to the detective that showed up four minutes later, just before the ambulance. Cop mode was fading fast.
Governor’s Office
10:14 AM
Ted and Rusty arrived and were ushered into the Governor’s office without delay. They each found a seat before the big desk after shaking hands with the Governor. “I think I’ve met you before, Mr. Fuerte.”
“I’m sure you have, Governor. I attended most of your campaign press conferences and wrote some hard to answer questions in my coverage of you. You never did answer any of them.”
“That’s because I did not want to be entrapped in the idea of every issue has an answer and every issue must be addressed before taking office. There are many issues that someone who has not held the office has no way of knowing all the information needed to come up with realistic ideas. Thank you for pointing out each and every one of them. Did I answer them in my tenure?”
“Yes, you have. I might add, you answered them in very dramatic and original ways that no one had ever tried before.”
“Did you like any of them?”
“You really want to know?”
“I wouldn’t have asked?”
“Yes. I like most of them.”
The DPS Director Armistad found his way into the office and was introduced. He turned to the Governor, “What’s going on?”
Crazy Man went into the whole story and ended with, “There is one man listed here in this card file that is running guns and explosives into the reservations, particularly the ones in the northern and eastern parts of the state, Navajo and Apache with a bit to the Mojave. He has paid very high prices for the materials he has purchased and has been constantly doing this for over a year. The only name on the cards is Arab.”
Rusty looked at the Governor, “He has paid double the going rate, Governor.” Crazy Man had warned him of the use of Ma’am.
The Governor looked around the room, thought, took a sip of her water, and finally, “Sounds like you are telling me we have a terrorist supplying the Indians in rebellion. Is that a fair summary?”
“Yes, Governor, it certainly is. I am some surprised by Tommie being involved and have a feeling that Tommie was seriously afraid of the man. One of the notes read, ‘never sell gun and ammo in same shipment.’ He was afraid of the man loading up and blowing him away just for practice,” Rusty said.
“Well, gentlemen, it looks like we have a gunrunner at the least and a terrorist at the most, either is totally detrimental to the people of the State of Arizona.”
She twisted a bit in her seat to face the DPS boss, “Desi, I will leave these two in your hands and ask that you get on with finding this Arab.”
“Off and running, Governor.” Desi replied. He turned to the two men, “Let’s go find this Arab.”
Phoenix
Arizona Capital
11:00 AM
Hawk led the Governor around as she glad handed each and every member of the Legislature within reach and a few she chased down, thanking them for their speedy passing of the Arizona Tribal County Act which would allow all reservations to be their own county if they so desired. If they did not desire, they could stay the way they were.
Her cell phone went off with the tone that told her it was Josie and it was important. “Yeah, Josie.”
“You forgetting the press conference?”
“Yeah I did. Be there in five.”
“Okay, I’ll stall.”
She turned to Hawk and Tony, “Join me for a press conference. Now we have two things to let them in on.”
“Sure.”
“Definitely.”
They rushed to her conference room only to be met with news of Robert’s death. “Damn. Now there are three things to discuss and I hate doing the third one.”
26
Tuesday
18 June
Governor’s conference Room
11:10 AM
“Ladies and Gentlemen, thank you for being on time. I apologize for being slightly late, but I believe the info I have for you will be found to be worth the wait. There are no talking notes, because things are happening very fast. I asked you here for one reason and now I have three, each of them is very serious.
“First – We have been told that all we are doing in protecting our borders and refusing Federal monies is against the Constitution of the United States of America and Arizona received a threat of being taken to the Supreme Court of the land by the U.S. Attorney General. Sound bite – Bring it on, Mr. U. S. Attorney General. See you in court.”
“Two – The State Legislature has today passed the Arizona Tribal County Act under emergency conditions. This act is in effect immediately and allows each reservation in the state to turn their reservation into a county separated from its current county. Federal lands of the Reservation are covered under Federal law to a great extent and when that fact is added to this law, the Tribes acquire the closest condition to total sovereignty they can get and still be a part of Arizona and the United States of America. Each tribe has 120 days to decide this issue and then the window will close. I repeat, this is totally voluntary on the part of each reservation’s government.
“Three – This morning, in Flagstaff, a DPS Officer was killed in the line of duty by unknown assailants using arrows made in the old way. There were four arrows left in his body, one from each of four tribes. I will not name the tribes because we believe that these represent rogue individuals from the tribes and are not an expression of those tribes. We know that there are rogue groups in many of our tribes, much the same as there are rogue militias in our nation who do not represent the general population. Hear me, his killers will be brought to justice.
“Oh, yeah. Four – The Mexican Army is massed at our southern border as you well know. All they have done so far is rip down the fence in most places. What happens next is totally up to the Mexican Government. I have been in touch with El Presidente’ and found him to be totally uncooperative and, to put it bluntly, pigheaded.
“Fifth – this list is growing all the time – We will not cave in to violence, threats, or erroneous interpretations of our Constitution. I ask for peace and extend a hand of friendship to all mankind. If the hand of friendship is not taken, that hand will turn into the fist of power when responding to violent acts of hate and anger with all the force necessary, and that’s another promise.
“Sixth – We have an Arab giving guns and explosives to our rebellious Indians.
“If you who are standing against Arizona, or what its government is doing, but will sit down at the table with us in peace, we will work with you. If not, bring it on. Arizona will stand. All her peoples will stand
. Just call my office to schedule the conference room if you desire to talk. Let’s do it.
“Not bad for a three point conference, yeah?”
She turned and walked out. No one noticed the tear running down her cheek except Josie who met her with a tissue. “Well done, boss. We now have three guards in the outer office and hall way; one DPS, one National Guard, and one from the Phoenix PD. Handsome critters, too, with big guns.”
“Josie, how you do talk.” The Governor smiled. “Show me.”
Flagstaff
Route 66 Motel
Noon
The local DPS, County, and City law enforcement were on high alert. Robert’s death started a fire in the hearts of these men and women. Each had his own thoughts, and for the most part those thoughts began with, ‘it could have been me.’ Racial profiling was the order of the day. Every car with dark skinned individuals in it was stopped and the people politely and formally questioned as to their whereabouts that morning. Individuals were questioned on the sidewalks and in the malls. Many officers had come on duty voluntarily to assist with finding the killers of one of their own.
One of the men working the ambulance at the motel was a member of the White Mountain Apache Reservation. He entered the room and sniffed before beginning the process of removing the remains of Robert Jaegar to the ambulance. “Sergeant,” addressing the nearest officer, “this room has a faint odor.”
“Yeah, so what.”
“It smells like burning electronics, right?”
“Yeah, what’s your point here.”
“The Nednais Apache have a concoction that has that odor and the ability to cause a deep sleep for all those in the room. Some people go under very quickly and others get a slight headache and some nausea before sleeping just lightly or not at all. The medicine men would use it before doing their equivalent of surgery. It is burned in a smoldering pot and the drug enters the room in the smoke. I don’t remember what it was called, but it works fast and well on most folks.”
