Shannon smiled and squeezed his waist. “Billy was wonderful. He used the survival skills you taught him to help us escape from those people who shot down our plane. I’m sure they would have killed us if he hadn’t gotten us away from them.”
“You were amazing, Shannon. You should have seen her, Jacob, running for miles in boots not meant for it. And she’s the one who got us untied when we were held prisoner.” Billy kissed her on the cheek. She had dirt on one cheek and a leaf in her hair, but she’d never looked more beautiful to him.
Jacob slapped Billy on the back. “Brave and beautiful. You got lucky, cuz.”
“Don’t I know it. Now we have to alert the authorities. Those people are probably already breaking camp since we escaped. We don’t want them to get away. They had frequency jammers, Jacob. I couldn’t even call for help when the plane started going down.”
“You will have to help us pin down their location.” Jacob looked serious. “It’s bad to have people like that so close to our home.”
“I will try to show you on a map. But don’t go near there. Not without reinforcements. They’re armed and dangerous.”
“I hear you. First we go to headquarters and check in. The old man has been beside himself. You have several search parties looking for you. Even a biker gang rode in and has been running trails looking for signs of your downed plane.” Jacob walked over to inspect the fire’s remains. “How did you start this fire?”
“The old way. Just as you taught me.” Billy looked down at his blistered palms. “It wasn’t easy.”
“I’ll just bet. But good practice. Now you know why we were so hard on you back then.” Jacob smiled at Shannon. “I see you lost your shoes. That had to have been rough walking.”
“He carried me for miles.” Shannon leaned against Billy. “Can you believe it?”
“A man takes care of his woman. I believe it.” Jacob pulled out a cell phone. “I’d better get the word out that we found you. I’m sure Ms. Calhoun has family worried about her too.”
“Oh, I hope not.” Shannon clutched Billy’s arm. “Billy? Do you think they put on the news that we were missing? I’d hate for everyone to get worked up about this.”
“Your names were withheld for the first twenty-four hours. Until the wreckage is found, that’s standard procedure. The only thing on the news was that a small plane was reported missing. No details.” Jacob stopped before he called. “Of course, we were notified because the airport knew you were flying over the reservation. When we heard you were with a beautiful lady, we hoped you two had just taken off for a Las Vegas wedding or something.” He grunted when Billy punched his arm.
“This isn’t a time for jokes.” Billy heard the crew working on the fire chuckle.
“The airport where you were expected to return tried to contact you when you were late. Then they put out the word to all local authorities that the plane was missing. A search was started immediately. They had your contact information so someone called your office. It was your secretary who called us since this is where you were headed. She called other people too, including those bikers I mentioned.” He smiled. “A good crew. Their leader knows what he’s doing.”
“Albert.” Billy turned to Shannon. “Mai would have called Calhoun headquarters too. I told her you were going with me. So you’d better call your family.”
“Let me call the Chief, then you can use my phone.” Jacob made a quick call.
“I bet they were frantic. At least we were missing for hours, not days. Though it feels like forever.” Shannon sighed then took the phone Jacob handed her. “This is ridiculous. I can only remember one phone number, my home phone. It’s too easy to just program numbers into my cell and forget them.” She punched it in.
Billy heard her talking to her housekeeper. He took the phone next and called Mai. When she burst into tears then ranted in Japanese, he was speechless. “Mai, honey, calm down. I’m fine. Just sore feet and a lost plane. Call Albert, will you? I don’t have any numbers here. My cousin says he’s been leading a search for me.” He listened to her scream in English this time. “Yes, I love you too.” He grinned and glanced at Shannon. “Got to go. Call my grandmother too, okay? Thanks.” He ended the call.
“Your secretary obviously cares about you.” Shannon sighed. “I need to meet her.”
“Yes, you do.” Billy picked her up and carried her to the back seat of Jacob’s ATV. “She’ll love you.” He put his arm around her when Jacob started the motor.
“Any chance we’re going where we can get a bite to eat? I’m starving.” Shannon pressed a hand to her stomach.
“There’s a great restaurant at the casino. I promise you it will be our first stop.” Billy was lying. He knew they’d have to see the Chief first. But that news would freak Shannon out.
“But I don’t have shoes!” She made a stab at pushing her hair out of her eyes. “And look at me. I think I have pine needles in my hair.”
“Trust me. They will serve you however you look.” Billy tapped Jacob on the shoulder. “Ready to go?”
“Yeah. The old man is happy. You’ve been a favorite of his ever since you won the dance competition as a junior.”
“What’s this?” Shannon’s eyes widened. “Dance?”
“At the Children’s Powwow. It’s held every January.” Jacob just had to share that as he turned the wheel and headed back toward the reservation. “You should see Billy do the Grass Dance. Killer.” He nodded toward the blanket they’d left by the creek. “The guys will stay for a while, make sure that fire doesn’t come back to life, and gather up your things.”
“Thanks. Thanks for finding us too, cuz.” Billy clapped him on the shoulder, though he could have gone all night without that slip about the dancing. Now Shannon was pelting him with questions. Of course, dancing was her thing. But she’d never seen anything like the Grass Dance. He’d have to bring her out here for that in January. Future plans. He was glad he could relax and imagine them now. He leaned back and kept his arm around her.
The vehicle bumped along the creek bank and he wished Shannon had on a seatbelt. But then she liked roller coasters and this felt like one after the hellish day they’d had. He was beat. And he still had to face the Chief. The old man didn’t always approve of him these days because of some of the clients he took on. He’d be unhappy about that fire too. It had served its purpose and that was what counted. They were safe. Any problems they’d have to deal with at the reservation were nothing compared to armed crazies in the woods. Or at least that’s what he told himself.
Chapter 10
“A fire in the woods. That was the best you could do?” The chief stalked around the room, clearly unhappy.
“I didn’t want Shannon to spend the night out there. We were watching the fire and had a plan for what to do if it endangered the forest.”
“Oh, you had a plan.” He stopped in front of Billy and finally gestured to a chair. “Sit. You look ready to collapse. How far did you walk? Jacob said you carried the woman part of the way.”
“She was no burden. Light as a feather.” Billy smiled and sat. Thank God. He’d showered and thrown on a T-shirt from the gift shop but he’d had no choice but to put on those damned shoes and socks again. He was throwing them away as soon as he got home. His feet burned.
“Where is this woman who has obviously captured your heart?” The chief settled into his chair, one designed to give him presence in the room. It had a tall back carved with the passion flower and was painted to match the casino logo Billy had seen everywhere.
“I left her in the cabin. Thank you for that. She wanted a long shower and to wash her hair. Naomi arranged for her to have clean clothes and some shoes. Her boots are still in the woods. They weren’t made for long walks.” Billy had encouraged her to stay in the cabin, promising Shannon he’d come back for her and take her to the restaurant after his mee
ting with his uncle, the chief. He didn’t have to be a mind reader to know she wasn’t eager to meet any more of his relatives while barefoot and with leaves in her hair.
“Jacob says she’s one of the Calhoun family. Related to Conrad Calhoun?” The chief tapped the armrest with his right hand. “We had an arrangement with the company to drill oil wells. It has provided us with a fine revenue stream.”
“Yes, I know. That’s one reason we were flying over the woods. We wanted to check the well sites.” Billy knew he couldn’t lie to the chief ,but he had a conflict of interest here. Calhoun Petroleum was planning to make good on what it owed the people Conrad had defrauded. Would it be unethical to hint at the real reason he’d done his flyover? Of course it would. Damn it.
“Is there a problem?” The chief was nobody’s fool. He leaned forward. “Why the sudden need to check the sites? From the air?”
Billy managed a laugh. “I was showing off my plane. Shannon hadn’t been up with me before. And her brother is doing an audit. He wanted to verify some numbers. The company wants to be fair. Since Conrad died, it’s only natural the family has to check out things.”
“Verification? Are the numbers off? In our favor? Or will we owe Calhoun money?” The chief picked up his cell phone. It was never far from his right hand. He had someone on speed dial. “Daniel, get in here.”
“Daniel? Is he your accountant now?” Another cousin. Billy felt like he was backed into a corner. If he said too much, he was breeching client confidentiality. He was also tied to this tribe. He didn’t want them cheated.
“Of course. When you start talking numbers, I bring in an expert.”
A door opened and Daniel Mathis strode in. “What’s up, Chief? Hey, Billy.” He held out his hand. “Glad to see you’re alive. Everyone here was worried.”
“You wouldn’t believe what we ran into.” Billy was all for a subject change. “I already told Jacob. There are tax evaders camping out close to the reservation, trying to stay off the grid. I’m sure they’ve been killing wildlife and living off the land. Saw a patch of marijuana growing near what I think is tribal lands too. I hope someone has called in the Feds.”
“Taken care of, William.” The chief obviously knew exactly what he was doing but let him get away with it. “Jacob put a man on that immediately. And at first light a group of our best trackers will retrace your steps and find this campsite, stake it out.” He frowned. “So close. We’ve been focused on other things. The casino, of course.”
“They were hiding in plain sight. It was their strategy. They assumed the Feds wouldn’t look for them so close to the boundary of a federally governed property. But I would be surprised if they didn’t stray into Tribal lands while they were there. You should check the borders.” Billy knew keeping the integrity of the land was important to the tribe.
“Yes, it will be done. We will pick up the litter you left behind too. You said your Shannon left her boots next to the creek?”
“Yes, sir. Couldn’t be helped.” Billy refused to stare down at the floor like he had when he’d made a mistake as a boy. “I couldn’t carry everything on my back.”
“Understood.” The chief turned to Daniel. “You will need to look over our royalties from the wells that Calhoun Petroleum has drilled on our land. There seems to be a question about the numbers.” He stood and Billy jumped to his feet as well. “Obviously, you cannot say more, William. You are their lawyer and have an obligation to the oil company. I remember how you helped us with the casino and dealing with the state of Texas. You have never sent us a bill for that and kept your silence when questioned about it later.” He clapped Billy on the shoulder. “I respect your integrity.”
“Thank you, sir.” Billy hoped that meant he was dismissed. “If you don’t mind, Shannon and I haven’t eaten since dawn. I promised her dinner at the restaurant.”
“A fine idea. And you will spend the night. Someone will drive you home tomorrow. After we find your airplane.” The chief turned to Daniel. “Perhaps we can wait to investigate the Calhoun numbers. For a few days, at least. If there is a problem, it would be inhospitable to William’s lady to stir up something that could turn into a difficult situation while she is on the grounds.”
“Thank you, sir.” Billy was startled when the chief embraced him. “I will bring her to meet you right after dinner.”
“I look forward to it.” The chief was smiling. “Now go. Eat. You look thin and exhausted.”
Billy hid a smile. Only the chief, who had at least fifty pounds on him, would call him “thin.” He nodded then bolted out of the room. The cabin where he and Shannon were staying was down a road that required a golf cart to get there. He drove past the lake and took a moment to just relax and appreciate the calm of being safe and at a place that always had given him peace.
He found her in the bathroom, putting on makeup from the collection in her purse.
“Ready to eat?” He slipped his arms around her waist. He liked the way she filled out the Opako Casino T-shirt. She still wore her own jeans but she had leather flip flops on her feet.
“Yes!” She finished putting on lipstick then turned to him. “Your cousin Jacob’s wife has been wonderful. She brought me a hairdryer, shampoo, conditioner, even shoes!” Shannon leaned into him. “But I’m going commando. No underwear for sale in the gift shop and I couldn’t bear to put on my dirty underthings.”
“Really. Let me check this out.” Billy slid his hand under her shirt and found a warm, round breast. “Yep, just the way I like it. Unrestrained.” He grinned. “I’m commando too. Should make it fun when we hit the sheets tonight.”
“Are we staying here?” She picked up a tissue and wiped off her lipstick.
“What are you doing?” He got his answer when she gave him a hungry kiss. Finally, she pulled back.
“I can’t tell you how much I admire what you did today.” She leaned her head against his chest. “I’m sure you’re exhausted.”
“Tired but not too tired.” He grinned and kissed her again. “After dinner, I’ll show you. And yes, we’re staying here. Someone can drive us home tomorrow.” He breathed in sweet, clean woman. “The chief is sending out a search party early in the morning. For your boots and my plane.” Billy finally let her go.
“You’re kidding!” She looked up at him. “I’m not sure I could ever wear those damned boots again.”
“The chief considers them litter. You’ll get them back whether you want them or not.” Billy grinned. “Now put on some more lipstick and let’s go eat. I need my strength. All this talk about going commando has got me thinking about sex. But I’ll be damned if I can imagine doing a thing about it without some food in my belly.”
“Right.” She picked up her lipstick and quickly proved she had her beauty routine down pat. “Let’s go.”
“I have to warn you, we may have company in the restaurant.” Billy held open the cabin door.
“Some of your relatives?” She grabbed his hand and they rode toward the large building with Opako Gaming above the wide porch.
“You’ll see. The restaurant is inside the casino.” Billy nodded to the security guard who held open the door when they got to the entrance. He was glad Shannon wasn’t limping as he steered her inside. She hadn’t commented about the full parking lot or noticed the group of bikes along the side. The noise hit them as they stepped inside.
* * * *
“I hope we’re going to eat, not gamble.” She couldn’t miss the dozens of slot machines in front of them.
“Sure. Look right. There’s the restaurant. Handy for gamblers who want to take a break.” He steered her to the hostess station which was deserted.
“Billy!” His name became a roar as men poured out of the back room, their beer glasses held in a toast. One man came forward and wrapped Billy in a bear hug.
Shannon stopped in her tracks. “Biker
s!”
“Yep.” Billy grinned. “Brace yourself.”
“Brother! We were afraid you’d crashed and died on us.” The huge man with red hair and a sunburned face wiped his eyes then turned to look at Shannon. “Ma’am.”
“Shannon, this is Albert Madison, also known as Slash. He’s the leader of this band of bike riders, the Blue Star Brothers. Shannon Calhoun, Albert.” Billy poked Albert on his brawny shoulder. “Man, I heard you guys helped search for us. Thanks.” He gripped his hand.
“It’s what we do when someone we respect is in trouble.” He turned to look at his crew, about two dozen strong. “Your tribe was on it as well. We like it here.”
“Blue Stars? Did all these men serve in combat? Is that how you named your club?” Shannon studied the patches on his blue jean vest. “Thank you for your service.”
“You’re welcome.” He nodded. “We’re all vets and most of us came home with some harsh souvenirs. Bud there has a prosthetic leg, more than a few of us have scars inside and out. Almost all of us suffer from PTSD. Riding together is a kind of therapy for us.” He scanned the group of men clustered in the doorway and his eyes narrowed. “Where the fuck is Simon?” His shout made the room go silent.
“Guess.” A man with a leather glove that must have covered his own prosthesis stood and gestured toward the slot machines a few yards away. “You want me to take a couple of guys and pull him out of there?”
“Let him go. I’m not his keeper.” Albert led the way to a corner table. “You two sit. You look like you’ve had a rough day and night.”
“Thanks, Albert.” Shannon smiled when he held out a chair for her. “Honestly, Billy was a hero. You wouldn’t believe how well he knew the woods. He started a fire with sticks!” She reached across the table to take Billy’s hand. “Even carried me on his back.”
“I’ll be damned.” Albert grinned and waved over a waitress. “Dinner is on me. No arguments. Order whatever you want. Not much of a wine list but I’m sending over a bottle of their best champagne.”
Texas Pride Page 15
