by Vr McCoy
I managed to sneak in another text to Steve while asking to be excused to the restroom. He agreed to meet us at the Sheraton where we would be staying. After Jeopardy we gave Ms. Jerrells our telephone numbers and departed. We knew that we wouldn't see her again, but it would be nice to check in on her every now and then. Sometimes seniors her age just needed someone to talk to. We were only in New Mexico to catch the serial killer, but she didn't need to know that. Then Mrs. Jerrells said something quite strange to us just before we departed.
“Christian, you should always follow your heart. Have faith in it and it will always guide you in the right direction.” Then she placed Nina's hand within mine. “I need you to journey safely together.”
We talked about what Mrs. Jerrells said to us the whole trip back to Albuquerque. The wisdom of seniors never ceased to amaze me. It was like they have a third eye or something. We met Steve at the bar of the Sheraton.
“Hey Chris.”
“Hello, Steve.”
“Agent Blackwater, how are you?” Steve inquired with a nod of his head.
“Doing well, and you?” Nina replied.
“I'm making it, Nina. I appreciate your continual assistance to our bureau. I'll make sure your superiors know of your vital support. I can assure you a commendation out of this regardless of the outcome. I could use a drink. What are you guys drinking?”
Nina ordered a Grand Mariner, neat, I had a Dos XXX dark and Steve ordered cognac.
“Here's the deal; I've been reinstated and given the case back, but I can't pull you back in with the A.D. over my shoulder. He caused a bit of a rift in D.C. when you walked out on him on medical leave, but I need both of you if we're going to find Gracie and catch this killer. I want you to continue with the investigative work you're doing, but only report to me. I will provide you with whatever you need from the Bureau. I need you to step lightly though. I can't have the Indian Council or others calling the A.D. about anything that you're doing,” Steve stated, then took a sip of his cognac and continued. “So where will you be starting?'
Nina interjected, “We received some collaborating information from Jay Horse that some Hopis in the Navajo Nation had been talking about killings and violence while on Nation Land. This is so irregular for the Hopis, we thought we'd shake some feathers there.”
“Interesting choice of words, Agent Blackwater,” Steve replied.
“Yeah, she does that,” I replied, smiling.
“Oh, please just call me Nina, Steve,” she stated and raised her glass.
“Will do,” Steve responded.
“They also are the builders of Kivas. In fact they are considered the people of the lower world,” she further stated.
“You guys seem to already have your strategy well planned. Can I interest you in another round?”
“Sure,” Nina replied as I dipped my head in affirmation.
“You never said how you reacquired the case,” I pointed out to Steve.
“Wow; you really don't watch TV. It's been plastered all over the news. The story was leaked to the press about Gracie's abduction from an unknown source,” he stated and smiled with a Cheshire Cat grin.
“And of course you don't know where or how they received that information,” I replied.
“I haven't the foggiest idea, but the A.D. caught the heat for it,” Steve stated, smiling from ear to ear.
“Well, gentlemen, in that case I propose a toast to the lucky person who got a chance to stick it to Pollin. Normally I'd say we have reason to celebrate, but under the circumstances,” Nina stated and raised her glass in a toast.
“Steve, you know Ortega is investigating the Pueblos. What if we run into him or someone says something to him?” I asked.
“You know, that's the last thing I'm afraid of,” he replied.
“What's the first thing” I asked?
“Why hasn't he discovered or reported the information that you found? He's the resident official here. Could he be involved, or is he just that inept? Either way, it's a problem,” Steve stated.
After leaving the bar I settled into my suite and telephoned Dianna. I couldn't wait to see her again, but it was getting late and I had to work again tonight in dreamscape. We talked for about an hour, after which I said good night. She had to get up early to work at the RO, and I had to get to sleep.
Kachina
Gracie was still alive and tied up in what we now believed to be a Kiva. She had given up hope by now, of me finding her. I sensed her despair even when I wasn't in dreamscape. I still had no further clues in reference to the killer, or where he was holding her. It was as if he knew how to shield himself from me, but how likely was that? Perhaps our investigations of the Hopis could shed some light on what was starting to become a futile search and rescue, like the rest.
When I woke up I gave Steve a call to assure him that Gracie was alive, and then called Dianna. It was good to be within miles of her now. I looked forward to seeing her, but I was heading out of town again this morning. It seemed like I was spending more time away from her than with her these days. It also seemed like I was spending more time with Nina, who had been a good friend during all of this.
Dianna and I discussed Steve's return to the ViCAP and my eventual return. She pondered about the media leak with me. We both suspected Steve of being the source of the leak, and if we suspected him, I'm sure the A.D. suspected it as well. Steve needed to tread lightly around Pollin and he wasn't getting off to a good start with Nina and me working as his rogue agents. Nina was up early, as usual, and knocking on the door while I was on the phone. She had coffee and bagels with her.
“Come in, Nina. Dianna says hello,” I stated while allowing her to enter the room. I had on my sleeping attire, which consisted of my favorite lounge pants with Felix the Cat on them, and no shirt, just the crystal her uncle gave me around my neck.
“Tell her I said hello,” Nina said as she walked towards the window and opened the curtains in her usual manner, but now I understood her need for the light.
I said goodbye to Dianna and hung up the phone. We didn't have time to waste on a formal sit-down-and-eat breakfast. We were chasing the clock again, and the 16th was approaching. By now I was used to getting dressed in her company, as she would put it - `she has seen it all by now'. I wouldn't get naked in front of her, of course, but she definitely wasn't one who respected my personal space, I owed all this to that one drunken night and now I had to live with the consequences. It wasn't much of a tradeoff, and it could have been worse. This was the gift and the curse.
The one thing I enjoyed the most about Nina was her patience. She never came in and attempted to rush me, but allowed me to move at my own pace. She knew I was a creature of the night by now, and she was a creature of the day, which made her an early riser. She always had confidence in my ability to recognize the urgency of the situation. Besides, I only woke up late because I would be up half the night. She recognized that as well by bringing the coffee to give me a jump start. She also knew how fast I moved once awakened.
I had showered and dressed in no time and we were out the door. Steve had arranged for the ViCAP jet to take us to the Hopi Nation. There was a private airport in Kykotsmovi Village, the third mesa, where the Hopi Tribal Council was headquartered. It would have taken us a four and a half hour drive otherwise, and the only closest commercial airport was in Flagstaff, Arizona, which was two extra hours in the opposite direction.
“So this is how the famous ViCAP team travels. It must be nice to have your own jet,” Nina stated as we entered the jet.
“It's not mine, but it does save on time. Can I get you something to drink?”
“You mean you don't have a pretty young steward to serve us?”
“That would be me, madam,” I stated and laughed. The jet was stocked with beverages, including alcoholic ones. I served us both iced mocha lattes. The team and I loved our coffee, and we had an espresso machine on the jet.
It only took us 40 minut
es to reach the Rocky Ridge Airport in the Kykotsmovi Village. The Hopi Nation consists of a total of 12 villages situated on three mesas, picturesquely set high in the cliffs and plateaus of what is called the Black Mesas.
The Hopi Nation was located exactly in the center of the Navajo Nation. They had been disputing over land boundaries for centuries, and it hadn't been until the middle to late 1900s that the Navajos had actually begun encroaching and attempting to settle on Hopi land. In 1974 the U.S. Government had passed the Navajo-Hopi Land Settlement Act, which had forced Navajos off Hopi lands and established true borders thereafter. Before these encroachment issues in the 1900s, the Navajos had been too afraid of upsetting the descendants of the Anasazi or `Ancient People.'
The Hopi were believed to be the descendants of the original inhabitants the people of the other world, the Chacoans, who were considered to have great mystical and magical powers, since they came from the other world. Their lands were revered and sacred amongst the Pueblo and other Indian Tribes of the Southwest, including the Navajo and Apache.
This time we didn't inform the council in advance of our arrival. I'm sure they had already been approached by another team of FBI agents before us. Ortega should have reached out to them by now during his investigation. Ortega, like the rest of FBI teams, didn't seem to have anything concrete or useful to assist in the investigation.
“So I'll meet you at the Cultural Center. There is a restaurant and inn located there,” I said to Nina before going into the Tribal Council Building.
“Good luck,” she replied.
“Yeah. We'll have to give them the benefit of doubt,” I stated, then Nina took the vehicle and drove off.
The council was surprised to see me, as expected. I introduced myself and the Hopis were as reluctant as the other tribes to assist; perhaps even more. I informed them of the purpose of my visit, which they had been made aware of by the Navajo Tribal Council and the media. They also stated they had already spoken with Agent Ortega and given him all the information that I would require. This immediately raised my curiosity. How did they know what I required or was going to ask? I didn't question them about that at this point, but it definitely roused suspicion.
I didn't want to upset the council, so I played along and concocted a story about us all working on different aspects of the same case. I also tried to ease their mind by telling them I had been at the Navajo Tribal Council Headquarters. I had to continue to fly under the radar on this case. I questioned them on any unusual behavior or recent crimes on the Reservation. They didn't contribute anything substantial. They, like their Navajo counterparts, had the Reservation Chief of Police assist and escort me around. This appeared to be protocol on the Res. The Police Chief inquired if I had spoken to Ortega also.
I had the police chief escort me to the hotel, but instead of taking me to the local Hopi Cultural Center in Kykotsmovi, he took me to the Moenkopi Legacy Inn and Suites. The Moenkopi Legacy was located in the Moenkopi Village, which was further out toward the Western Gate of the reservation, near Tuba City. It was the newer hotel, just built on the edge of the reservation. I didn't know if he did this to impress me, and get me to spend more money or just get me out of the way. I didn't question him and once again went along with it. I could see that staying under the radar would be a hard task with the Hopis. The police chief was clearly sending me a message by escorting me to the western gate. They wanted me off the Reservation.
Out of all the Indian Tribes in the Southwest, the Hopis had best managed to preserve their ancient culture. They refused to give into the pressures of gambling casinos and the negative baggage of greed that issued from it. The secured borders of the Hopi Nation, being situated within the secured borders of the Navajo Nation, assisted tremendously in the preservation of their culture and isolation from outsiders and their influences.
The Hopi borders were practically closed to the public and only guided tours were permitted in most villages of the mesas. The villages of the second mesa were precluded from visitors. These tours were conducted under the strict supervision of the Hopi Nation, with Hopi guides. The Hopis had built lucrative businesses in coal mining, tourism, artistic handcrafted merchandise and other capital ventures, while maintaining true to their culture and beliefs.
The Hopis remained one of the most secretive tribes in the Pueblo Indian Nation, with several clandestine societies that were off limits and never seen by non-Hopi members. These societies weren't even open to all Hopis. The members were carefully selected, and had to endure an initiation period or rite of passage before being inducted. These secret societies would be the center of our focus. Jay Horse implicated a particular society dedicated to the extinction of outsiders, non-Indian people. This seemed like a good place to start.
My interrogations turned out exactly as we'd thought it would. The Hopi Council reacted just as the Navajos had. They were polite and very direct in their approach when they escorted me to the door, but the results were the same. Fool me once, as the saying goes. I telephoned Nina after being dropped off in Moenkopi, she had already reserved two rooms at the Cultural Center Inn and checked in.
“Hey Nina, I'm in the Moenkopi Village at the Legacy Inn.”
“What are you doing there?” she inquired.
“The Police Chief brought me here. Instead of asking me to leave, he politely showed me to the door. He stated that this was their new hotel and better than the Cultural Center. I had to agree with him on that. It looks great here, but also expensive,” I stated.
“I guess they will refund me for the reservation here at the Cultural Center. I'll come up with some elaborate excuse. You know I'll be making a budget transfer to the FBI when this is all over,” she said and laughed.
“Please do. They seem to have a ballooned budget,” I replied, laughing in return.
“Alright; I'll see you in a little while,” Nina responded and hung up the phone.
Our plan was to have Nina go undercover on the reservation and attempt to blend in with the Pueblos. She knew the Uto-Aztecan language well, and could assimilate. This was the only way of getting any information from the Hopis. They weren't like the Navajo, it would be even harder to get information from them since they were so secretive and isolated. Nina would be gathering viable information while I was being escorted around by the Reservation Police Chief. My wild goose chase with the police chief would actually be a distraction for getting him out of Nina's way.
After we checked into the hotel, we went to the lobby concierge to question her and explore for local information if possible. This hotel was set up just for the outsiders; that's why it was located at the border of the Western Gate. We interacted with some of the visitors and hotel workers, and Nina scheduled several tours of the villages to meet and talk with the Hopi people. Then we ventured outside the hotel to the Tuuvi Café for a meal and conversation. Nina did most of the talking with the staff, which consisted of Hopis and Navajos. I spent my time listening and talking with visitors on the reservation. After leaving the Café, I called the police chief for my escort and tour.
Chief Tohannie escorted me around the villages of Hotevilla and Kykotsmovi. He took me to all the designated places where I couldn't disturb villagers. We visited about three malcontents, but no one worth attention or fitting the profile we were looking for. It was basically a sightseeing tour and a waste of time in reference to finding the killer. I did obtain much knowledge about the villagers, and enjoyed the cultural experience. I didn't mind the distraction, because it gave Nina the time she needed to conduct the real investigation.
The Hopituh (People of Hopi) were expert craftsmen and renowned artisans. I saw the most exquisite pottery, basket weaving and silversmithing I have ever encountered. I was also amazed by the other contemporary arts; paintings, sculpted glass and of course the Kachina dolls. I attempted to purchase a necklace for Dianna, but the young woman insisted on giving it to me for free. The Hopituh were extremely kind and peaceful people. They refer to t
hemselves as Hopituh Shin-nu-ma (Peaceful People of Hopi) and they truly were, as far as I could tell. They welcomed me into their homes as you would treat a guest you have known for a long time. After visiting the two villages for the day, the Chief took me back to the Legacy.
“Thank you for the sightseeing tour, Chief Tohannie,” I said sarcastically smiling.
“Any time, Mr. Sands. I'll show you the rest of the villages of the third mesa tomorrow,” he stated with a fake smile of his own. We were like two men playing a game of poker or chess; each bluffing or making moves to distract the other, In this case, the Chief believed he was fooling me, but he was the one being manipulated.
There was a crescent moon out that evening. It felt as if the night was calling to me. I was restless and full of life's energy, as I stared at the night clouds passing through the sky. Most people don't even notice them. It is as if they disappear at night, but they can be just as beautiful and wonderful as those of the daylight. I decided to go for a swim to wear off some of the energy and restlessness I was feeling. It was late and the pool was closed. I swung over the five feet high gate like a pole vaulter, with grace and ease. I didn't make a sound hurtling over the metal gate and letting myself in. I didn't break a sweat, nor did my heart rate elevate.
I surprised myself with my agility. It was something I had never experienced before. I suddenly had cat-like reflexes and I had no idea where they had come from, but something inside me told me I could do it. It was as if the panther had imprinted its physical abilities upon me.
I looked around for a second to see if anyone noticed me entering the closed area, but there was no one around. I placed my towel on one of the lounge chairs, then dove into the deep end with the same grace I displayed hurtling the fence. The sound of the dive was light and effortless as well. I was an excellent swimmer and often thought about competing as a boy, but I had too many other issues going on.
I had completed several laps to burn off the built-up energy when I heard a voice on the other side of the fence. I didn't recognize it at first because I was partially under the water, but then I felt her presence. It was Nina. How could she have known where I was? She spoke again from the other side of the fence.
