Melina scanned the mountain range. She imagined her ancestors walking upon Mother Earth. How exciting the thought of them walking on the exact land. Her mind drifted off into the land of her ancestral spirits.
Over the ridge, she could see Crazy Horse standing with his arms outreached to his people. He wa well known as a chief and war leader. His Lakota name was Ta Sunka Witko. She pictured him sitting bravely upon his horse, his face painted with white spots. The paint protected him in battle. When Crazy Horse fought the white people, he carried his medicine in a small leather bag worn on a string around his neck.
“Melina, the mountain speaks to you, does it not?” She startled at Hawke’s whispered words. She hadn’t heard his footsteps.
“Yes, it does.” She stepped into his arms, and he held her close. He smelled of soap and the outdoors, his chest hard and strong. She could hear his heartbeat and imagined the lub-thub was saying, “Love you…love you.”
Two fingers touched her chin and lifted her face for his kiss. “Good morning, love.”
“Good morning to you, too. Give me a second to get my things and a thermos of coffee I made for us. I’ll meet you at the truck.” Melina stepped into the police station. Hawke remained outside, staring at the mountains, known as the Black Hills.
***
The Paha Sapa, Black Hills, is our home, Hawke thought. It is the spot the Lakota performs sacred ceremonies. They are so sacred that any animal, which comes from them, cannot be killed. He drifted into a realm of the unknown, as if he seeing what would manifest in the future . The vision came, clear and vivid.
Hawke crouched down, behind a boulder, waiting patiently as two men stood outside their truck. They argued . Then Ian raised his fist and hit the other man, knocking him off his feet.
Ian took off running toward the butte. Hawke ran after him. He disappeared behind the towering boulders. Which way had he gone? Knowing this was a waste of time, he closed his eyes and began to sing. He performed the ceremony to locate lost objects. He had lost Ian, so he knew this would reveal which way he went.
As his flight came into focus, he could see Ian running toward him. He had no place to hide, so he must change his appearance. Ian headed back down the path, searching for him. Hawke waited, disguised as a rock.
Ian drew closer. Once within arm’s reach, Hawke reappeared.
Ian stumbled falling backwards, hitting his head on a small rock. Hawke stood over the criminal as he came to.
Melina walked toward him, her arms full. “I’m ready to go.”
Her voice jolted him back to the present. He ran a finger down his face as if to wipe away the some of his mental fog. “Okay, I will be there is a few. The sacred mountains speak to me.”
He trusted Melina knew this was his moment, and he must be left alone.
His eyes focused on the sacred mountains, which had provided him a vision of the future. Ian’s involvement in Abby’s murder made him realize he had to prove this man guilty.
Just as he turned to go inside, a hawk flew in his path. The hawk is the messenger of things. He teaches you to be alert, take time to look at all the parts of the puzzle you are seeking to solve.
It sent its magic to him, for the hawk felt the stress in his heart. The hawk served as a messenger from his ancestors. It revealed how to walk the red road. The hawk’s cry was a sign for the beholder to be open to receive a message. It was time for him to take his flight from the hawk and deliver Abby into the spirit world.
Calm over him. He wrapped his arm around Melina’s waist and led her to his truck. They needed to get to Amy Winters’ house and wait for Ian, Pete, and Amy to leave for Las Vegas. They would follow at a safe distance, watching Ian’s progress on their GPS monitor.
They rode to Amy’s house in the early morning silence. In the distance, Eagle Nest Butte towered high. This white man thought he could fool everyone. Ian’s demeanor revealed he thought he was very smart. This thought reminded him of the story of the Coyote and Wasichu. It was told to him many winters ago, by his grandfather at the local powwow. Great storytellers of each tribe told the stories.
Long ago there a white man who was a keen business dealer. He was so well known for his deeds, nobody could outdo him.
Then, one day, a man confronted this wasichu saying, I know a man who can out cheat you at any time.
The wasichu was stunned. “That’s cannot be possible,” said the wasichu, “I have owned this trading post for many, many years and I have cheated nearly every person that has walked through those doors.”
“Maybe you have, but my friend, Coyote can beat you not matter what.”
“Okay then let’s see what he can do. Where is Coyote?”
The man glanced around until he saw Coyote then, pointing, he said, “He is over there, that cunning-looking guy.”
“Okay, I will show him a thing or two.”
The wasichu businessman walked over to Coyote. “I hear you can outwit anybody. Well let’s see you outdo me.”
“You have heard right, but I am sorry to say I cannot do it without my cheating medicine,” Coyote said.
The wasichu laughed, “Cheating medicine? Go get it, if that is what you think you need to win over me.”
“I live a long ways from here, and I would need to borrow your horse. Once I returned, I would prove it to you.”
The wasichu thought for a minute. “Well, okay. I will permit you to borrow my horse. Once you return, then we shall see who is the smartest.”
“My friend, I am not a very good rider. It appears your horse is as afraid of me as I am of it, but if you would be so kind as to lend me your clothes, he may think I am you.”
The wasichu was uncertain at this point but hesitantly replied, “Well, if that is what I must do to prove I am the smartest trader around, then okay, here are my clothes. Now, you should be able to leave.”
Therefore, Coyote rode away with the wasichu’s horse and clothes, while the wasichu waited there, bare-butt. Coyote was the slyest of all.
Hawke chuckled. This would turn out just like the story his grandfather told him. Ian Guidara had the attitude of the wasichu but he would not let Ian trick him.
Melina laid her hand on his thigh when he laughed. “What were you thinking about?”
He chuckled again, “Oh, just the story about the Coyote and the Wasichu.”
A warm smile creased her face. “Oh yeah. Grandfather told me that one, too.”
“Well, Ian will be like that wasichu in the story. He will try and lie but we must be like the Coyote.”
Melina nodded. “I know he’s lying. Why would he kill Abby? That question bothers me.”
“I’m not sure but I think she came across something she shouldn’t have seen or heard, so the only thing Ian could do was kill her.”
Melina’s cell phone rang, and she glanced at the display. “It’s my boss, Special Agent Seitner, in Minnesota.” She pressed a button. “Hello, Wolfe here.”
Hawke listened to every word but pretended not to. He did not want Melina to know his concern about what she would choose in the end.
“Well, I don’t know how much time I’ll need. We still have this murder to solve. Can I get back to you ?”
A pause then she continued, “I will call you in a couple of days.” Then another long pause. “Okay, yes sir. I will let you know soon. Good-bye.”
She dropped her phone into the console and crossed her arms. Silent.
He drove on, screaming on the inside. Finally, he broke the silence. “So, let me guess. He wants to know when you’re coming back.”
Melina sighed. “Yeah, that’s right.”
He drove by Amy’s house. The knot in his stomach loosened a few degrees. Ian’s van was still in the driveway. They’d made it in time. He drove up the street and down a narrow road, easing into the spot where they could keep an eye on the van. After he turned off the engine, he rested his wrist over the steering wheel and waited. Waited for the woman he loved to clue him in on her plans. Tension grew heavy and fierce inside the vehicle.
Finally, Melina spoke. “You’re going to let me make my own decision, aren’t you? You’re not going to interfere.” His gaze slid to hers, and he waited. A muscle in his jaw bunched.
She reached out and cupped his cheek . “You’re a good man, TJ Hawke. I respect you a lot. By remaining quiet instead of issuing me orders, you’ve proved your love and respect for me. My heart swells with love for you.”
“So, have you decided when you will return?”
She winked at him, “I plan on sticking around for a while, if that’s okay with you?”
“Of course I want you around.”
“Everything will work out. Your heart beats on a good path. Please remember how my heart beats, too.” She kissed him, and he pulled her close. They would be together forever.