Coyote, page 22
“I have a driver waiting outside.” David glanced up at her. “After my brother was arrested this morning, the main office sent him to me. Given my injuries, I accepted. I’m happy to take you to retrieve your things. We probably should go right away, don’t you think?”
“Well, okay since Lolita’s not answering. Thanks. But then can we go see your sister-in-law? It’s urgent I talk to her.” Jessica followed him out of the hospital and into his waiting limo, a shiny black sedan flanked by a driver dressed in freshly pressed livery.
On the road to the lodge, cars lined the narrow highway in and out of East Glacier. Tourists and workers alike were heeding the evacuation warning and taking to the roads.
The air was thick with smoke, and when they reached the lodge, the mountains were obscured by haze.
Without its panorama of jagged peaks to give it life, the lodge was reduced to a dying log house, its charm erased along with the view. The sky bled into the pool water, forming a billowing shroud that drained away the red rose bushes along with the vistas.
The Ruby Buses were overflowing, and a long queue of people lugging suitcases was wrapped around the train station and hemorrhaging into the parking lot. When the Amtrak train pulled into the station, tourists started shoving and shouting, jostling to board, and the air was electrified by sheer panic.
Chapter 46
When they reached Rightway Ranch, Lolita used a bolt cutter to snap the padlock off the gate at the entrance. Her girlfriend’s resourcefulness was amazing, and Kimi beamed with pride. After over five hours on the bike, Kimi couldn’t wait to get off. Her butt hurt and she needed to stretch her legs. They had to ride another full mile on a dirt road surrounded by farmland before they came to the central compound of the Church Complete and Victorious.
In the distance, the sun-bleached tower of Pinnacle Beacon jutted violently from the verdant earthy landscape, an unholy zenith ascending out of the bowels of the planet. The spired temple towered over the middle of a square of charming brick houses. Beyond the square, a grand three-story mansion with manicured lawns, white fences, and horses grazing in lush pastures stood on a hill overlooking the bucolic town.
“You’re sure my sister’s here?” Kimi scanned the idyllic scene. It could have come from a futuristic sci-fi movie where genetically engineered people live in identical houses. Fit young men and women wearing yoga pants strolled the spotless sidewalks carrying yoga mats and green drinks.
“I’m sure.” Lolita parked the bike, swung her long limber leg over the handlebars, and turned to face her. “But not for long.” Her wink melted Kimi’s broken heart.
“Do you believe in love at first sight?” Kimi whispered, almost to herself.
“Depends.” A sly smile spread across Lolita’s lips.
“On what?”
“The lighting in the bar.” Lolita winked again.
When Kimi frowned, the Russian beauty kissed her cheek. “I’m just joking, lyubov moya. If a star fell from the sky every time I’ve thought of you, the moon would be lonely.”
Healthful new-agers stopped to stare. “Can we help you?” asked one thin blond-haired, blue-eyed woman wearing paisley tights. Her bright copper bracelet winked in the sunlight.
“We’re looking for my friend’s sister.”
“Her name is Hurit.” Kimi awkwardly slid off the back of the bike. “She’s fourteen with black hair, brown eyes, about five feet tall.”
“You mean Harmony. We take new names when we join the Pinnacle Beacon. She’s in the garden planting peas and carrots. I’ll go get her.” The fit young woman handed her green juice to her equally healthy friend and jogged around the corner to a huge community garden. She returned with a nearly unrecognizable Hurit in tow. No longer wan and wasted, she’d gained weight and her rosy cheeks glistened in the sunshine. She wiped long strands of black hair off her face with the back of her gardening-gloved hand. When she did, she smeared dirt all across her forehead, and the overly helpful woman pulled a Kleenex from her yoga jacket pocket to wipe it off.
“Hello, sister,” Hurit said in the voice of an automaton.
Kimi rushed to hug her, but her sister stood immobile, refusing to hug her. “Huri, baby bunny, I was so worried about you.”
“As you can see, sister, I am well. My name is Harmony now, and I’ve given up a past full of negative energy and moved into a place of peaceful love. My brothers and sisters in Church Complete and Victorious have saved me from the wickedness and abuse that was my life until now.” Hurit’s emotionless words sounded rehearsed and stiff. High on new-aged religion, she had an unnerving placid smile on her face that was almost worse than her spaced-out look when she’d been high on drugs. She’d gone from one form of opiate to another.
“Huri, bunbun, we’re here to take you home.” Kimi gently grasped her sister’s hand.
“This is my home, sister.”
“She’s happy here,” the helpful woman said. “We found her naked and sick crouched on the side of the highway. We brought her here and gave her the physical and spiritual nourishment she needs to heal. She’s our sister now.”
“It’s no use. They’ve got her brainwashed. Come on, Kimi, let’s go.” Lolita remounted her bike, turned the ignition, and revved the Harley.
“But I can’t leave her—”
“Get on the bike. We’re going,” Lolita commanded.
Kimi narrowed her brows and gave her guardian angel a questioning look, but she complied. Once Kimi was seated on the motorcycle, Lolita turned and whispered, “Keep your feet firmly on the ground.”
The Russian beauty jumped off the bike, grabbed Hurit around the waist, and whisked her onto the front of the motorcycle. Before Hurit could free herself, Lolita jumped back on the bike and gripped the struggling girl around the waist with one hand as she gunned the Harley with the other. When she peeled out of the square, Kimi nearly fell off the back.
“Hold on!” Lolita shouted. “We’ve got to get out of here fast. These religious zealots are armed to the teeth and more dangerous than the Russian mafia.”
Kimi grasped her guardian angel around the waist and held on for dear life. And the three of them sped out of the compound, stacked tight like peas in a pod.
Once they’d escaped, and now that both of her sisters were safe, all Kimi could think about on the long drive home was baby Apisi. If he didn’t die in the accident, he’d be eleven next week. She knew he had to be alive. She could feel it.
Chapter 47
Jessica jumped out of David’s sedan and dashed across the lawn to the bunkhouse to fetch her few belongings. She would have left her junk behind if it weren’t for the championship silver buckle she’d won barrel racing just before her dad died. As she skidded to a stop at the entrance, she remembered how he’d beamed with pride and insisted her mom take their picture. That photo was in her room too.
Inside the lodge, pandemonium greeted her as staff escorted elderly guests out to the Ruby Buses waiting in the parking lot. She weaved her way through the crowds all the way to the back building that housed the bunkhouse, then rushed into her room to gather her things and stuffed them in her backpack.
She paused before she wrapped the framed photograph into a dirty shirt: hair pulled back into a ponytail, she was wearing a black hat, black boots, and a little red fringe jacket. Her dad was grinning from ear to ear, holding the belt buckle above her head, and Mayhem was nuzzling her shoulder. Back then they were both in their prime, the horse and her dad.
She swathed the silver belt buckle in a wad of underwear, crammed it in the bag, scooted out the rear door and back around the grounds, and then hoofed it back around the grounds to the parking lot.
When she got back to the limo, David was arguing with the driver. She would have given them some time alone, but sirens and cops meant it was time to go.
“Sorry to interrupt,” she said as she settled into the back seat next to David.
“Is that all you have?” he asked.
“This is it.”
“You travel light. The smoke’s getting thicker, so we’d better get going.”
“Where to, sir?” the driver asked.
“Look, McQuin, I want to know every place Richard’s been in the last week and who he’s talked to.” David leaned forward and put his hand on the back of the front seat.
“McQuin, spill the beans. Would you rather tell me or the prosecutor? Out with it! My brother’s in jail and you’re driving for me now.”
“Mr. Knight had me make several trips to Browning for business meetings, but I don’t know who—”
“When?”
“Usually late in the evening,” the driver said.
“Who did he see?”
“I can’t say, sir.”
“Why not?”
“I don’t know, sir.”
“Fine, just take me to them then,” David said.
“Right now?” McQuin asked.
“Yes, right now. Let’s go. Take me to the same places you took Richard for these late-night business meetings. I want to see who we’re up against.”
“Do you mind?” David turned to Jessica. “I’d like to get some things cleared up as soon as possible. Then we can have a nice leisurely dinner.”
“David, I really do need to talk to your sister-in-law as soon as possible. It’s about my cousin’s death.”
“Your cousin’s death? All right, we’ll go to Dallas to see Maggie, but one stop first.”
“Dallas! How the hell are we going to get to Dallas?”
“Trust me. This time I know what I’m doing.”
They sat in tense silence as McQuin drove back across the plains to the outskirts of Browning. The sign alongside the highway saying “Entering Blackfeet Reservation” was unnecessary. It was obvious from the way the landscape had changed from uplifting green to depressing brown. As the reservation got closer, the mountains got farther. After nearly a half hour on the highway, McQuin stopped in front of a sprawling ranch house with a monstrous yacht dry-docked in a field across the street.
“Time to find out what my dear big brother has been up to. Are you coming?”
“Me?”
“Why not? You can give me moral support and the courage to face whoever answers that door. Come on. Think of it as an adventure.”
A large Indian man with a potbelly wearing tight pressed Wranglers, fancy cowboy boots, and a tan leather vest answered the door. “Can I help you?” His baritone voice boomed.
“I hope so. I’m David Knight. You know my brother, Richard. If I’m not mistaken, we’re in business together.”
“That’s right,” the man said, extending his hand. “Tribal Chairman Dakota Rowtag. Nice to meet you.”
“Good to meet you, Tribal Chairman Dakota Rowtag. May we come in?”
“Sure. Terrible news about the explosion at the construction site. I was sorry to hear you were injured.”
“Yes, it was unfortunate,” David said. “You may have heard that Richard is out of commission for the time being, so, I’m taking over where he left off. Trouble is, I’m not sure where that is, you see. I was hoping you could help.”
“Out of commission? I hope it’s nothing serious. Is he sick?”
“That remains to be seen,” David said. “Might you fill me in on the details of our business together? Remind me, what are your dealings with Knight Industries?”
Chairman Rowtag narrowed his brows and tightened his lips into a thin line. He opened the door wide and gestured them inside. “You might as well come on in and have a seat. Would you like a cup of coffee?”
“No thanks,” David said.
“What about you, miss?” he turned to Jessica.
“Apologies. How rude. I should have introduced you. Chairman Rowtag, this is my friend Jessica James.”
“Coffee, Miss Jessica?” He pointed to the couch in his sprawling living room, and they all sat down.
“No thanks.” Surveying the living room, Jessica was taken aback by two stuffed cougars, mouths open, fangs bared, staring down at her from a log perched high above her head. In the center of the polished wooden floor was a bearskin rug that repeated the theme of beastly maws growling for all eternity. The far wall sported various mounted antlers, moose, elk, deer, and one colossal mountain sheep. Obviously, Chairman Rowtag preferred dead things to living beings. He was into trophies, things he could master and control. When she surveyed the room, she noticed photographs of Chairman Rowtag with various beautiful women…. More trophies.
“So what business were you conducting with my brother, Mr. Rowtag?” David asked again.
“This and that.”
“This and that by the book, or this and that in a gray area?”
“I’m not sure what you mean, Mr. Knight. Are you making accusations?”
“No, sir. Let’s just say your dealings with Knight Industries have come to a close. We won’t be pursuing any more drilling on Blackfoot land. I’m closing all the wells and pulling out of Montana altogether. This country’s too beautiful to ruin with crude oil and fracking.”
“I’m not sure I follow, Mr. Knight. You’re shutting down your fracking operations on the reservation? All of them?”
“That’s right.”
“But I gave Knight Industries exclusive rights to drill. You have the sole leases. That was the deal. Your brother and I were partners. You can’t just pull out and close up shop. What about me?” Chairman Rowtag crossed his burly arms over his chest.
“What about you? Do we owe you money?”
Chairman Rowtag glared at David.
“Well, do we owe you money, Mr. Rowtag?” David asked.
“You’ll owe me plenty if you close those wells. I’m counting on that income. I’ve invested my own cash in the housing development. What about that?” Rowtag pounded his big fist into his knee.
“I don’t know what to say. I’m sorry.” David stood up. “If we owe you for services rendered, please send a bill and I’ll make sure you’re paid. It was nice meeting you Tribal Chairman Dakota Rowtag. I wish you well, but without Knight Industries.” David extended his hand to Chairman Rowtag, who just looked away and huffed. When David offered his hand to Jessica on the way out the door, she didn’t have the heart to refuse. He looked so pleased that she took it, and he led her back outside to the limo.
“That was terrifying…and sort of fun!” David said once inside the sedan. His countenance had changed from stormy back to sunny. He’d been so authoritative inside with Chairman Rowtag, and now he was downright giddy.
Was it just an act? Which was real? The mean David or the nice one? Fortunately, neither David, the cute empty-headed surfer dude or the arrogant cutthroat businessman was her type. She preferred sexy nerds. Although it was tempting—he was tempting—she’d sworn off men for the summer so she could concentrate on revising her Master’s thesis. Still, David had his charm…and it had been a while.
“No more hydraulic fracturing on Blackfoot land, at least not on my watch. This calls for a celebration!” he said. “We should tell Kimi. Call her and see if she wants to join us for a celebratory drink. Then you and I can sneak off to dinner alone!”
“What about Mrs. Richard Knight?” Jessica dropped his hand. “How can I get to Dallas, and where can I find her?”
“On my brother’s private jet.” He smiled and shrugged.
“Private jet! Well, if that’s what it takes.” .
“Why do you need to see Maggie exactly?”
“She may be responsible for my cousin’s death. And I think she stole a baby.”
Chapter 48
Jessica felt like James Bond when the smartly dressed flight attendant brought out a silver shaker and poured her martini into a chilled triangular glass. My name is James, Jessica James. Even in her childhood spy fantasies, she’d never imagined herself on a private jet. Instead of rows of seats crammed into a flying school bus, Knight Industries’ Boeing 737 was a posh one-bedroom apartment with four custom-made leather easy chairs, wood paneling, and a full bar. The crew consisted of a flight attendant and an ex-Air Force fighter pilot.
Whispering and holding hands, Kimi and Lolita were sitting across from her and David in their leather easy chairs, Orient Express luxury train style. Jessica eyed her best friend and realized why she hadn’t planned another high-stakes poker game. Usually, the Poker Tsarina didn’t pass up an opportunity to relieve rich gentlemen, or not-so-gentle men, of their spare change. The sexual tension between her roommate and her friend gave her a contact high.
David laughed and rubbed his hands together. “Believe it or not, this is my first time on this plane. My brother will be so pissed when he finds out I’m using it.”
Out of the corner of her eye, Jessica glimpsed her best friend kissing Kimi’s hand. Come to think of it, she’d never seen Lolita kiss anyone. She’d seen plenty of men—and an occasional woman—put the moves on Lolita, but her friend never reciprocated. Lolita played with men like a kitten playing with a stunned mouse. Usually, she batted them around for a while and then abandoned them—stunned, alone, and shivering. Given her friend’s glowing countenance, she suspected Lolita was feeling the claw this time. She hoped to hell her friend knew what she was doing getting involved with such a prickly pear.
David was rambling on about his adventures in Glacier Park, gushing about how much he’d fallen in love with the place. He practically swooned talking about speeding along the Going-To-The-Sun Road in his rented Mustang. Munching on warm nuts, he proudly announced, “Ms. RedFox, you’ll be glad to know, Knight Industries is closing all its wells and packing up.”
Dropping Lolita’s hand, Kimi smirked at him. “You have two dogs fighting inside you, good and evil. While you’re throwing a bone to the good one in front of everybody, you’re feeding the evil one behind our backs. Which wins depends on which you feed.”
