CHAPTER TWENTY-TWO

______________________

 

 

 

 

 

 

The doors of the produce truck trailers opened and heavily-armed men wearing bullet-proof vests and helmets began to pour out of them. More than two dozen FBI agents swarmed the area, all screaming for everyone to get down on the ground.

The men holding the girls were clearly taken by surprise. The display of force by the FBI was overwhelming. Many of Apollo’s men dropped their weapons and raised their hands. Some of them took off running.

Apollo simply raised his hands in the air, still holding his pistol. His men, clearly taken off guard, all followed suit, dropping their weapons and raising their hands. Agents circled them quickly, guns aimed.

“What the fu . . .” HRT began.

“FBI!” screamed one of the agents, as men continued to swarm toward Apollo, HRT and his men, like a nest of swirling angry hornets. “Drop your weapons or we will open fire.”

“At least I’ll get you, you son-of-a-bitch,” Apollo hissed at Rainhorse. He lowered his pistol and aimed it at the big Cheyenne’s head. Rainhorse grabbed Apollo’s gun wrist and twisted it upward. Apollo’s gun fired into the air twice.

“Shots fired!” an FBI agent called out. Six armed agents took aim at Apollo.

“Don’t shoot,” commanded the leader. “He’s too close to our man.”

Rainhorse twisted Apollo’s wrist again, harder.  He yelped loudly and dropped the gun. The former Ranger heard the sound of bone crunching as he twisted Apollo’s arm behind his back. He wasn’t certain if Apollo’s wrist or elbow were broken—perhaps it was both.

Apollo howled in pain and fell to his knees and then slumped to the ground, holding his broken arm. “Ahhhh, son-of-a-bitch, that hurts like hell!” he screamed.

“On your knees, Rattling Thunder!” an agent screamed. “Down on the ground,” yelled another. HRT fell to his knees.

Four of the FBI Agents headed straight toward Apollo and HRT.

“Tony Apollo and Henry Rattling Thunder, I am Special Agent in Charge Jim Andrews. This is Special Agent Johnson. You are both under arrest.”

HRT flashed an angry look at Apollo, “The FBI?  You said we’d be warned if the FBI was tipped off. You lied.”

“I didn’t,” Apollo said.

“That’s right, he didn’t lie,” Agent Andrews said. “Yesterday, we received an anonymous tip that someone inside our organization was feeding you information, Mr. Apollo. You will be sad to hear that we have taken FBI Agent Chris Petersen into custody, pending an investigation into accepting payment from you in exchange for confidential information, including our movements and activities. Mr. Rattling Thunder, you should also know we have Tribal Police Deputy Roland Lone Wolf in custody, pending the same investigation. Given the fact that neither of you seemed to have any idea we’d be here today, it’s probably safe to assume we have the right men.”

“You’re going to want to get Apollo to the hospital,” Rainhorse said.

Johnson looked at Apollo’s arm, twisting his head sideways and grimacing.

“Break his arm, did you?” Agent Johnson asked.

“In one place at least,” Rainhorse replied, “probably two.”

“That looks gnarly. Well, it couldn’t happen to a nicer guy.”

Apollo looked up at Johnson and sneered.

“We have medics standing by,” Johnson continued.

Two more agents came forward and swept Apollo and HRT away.

“I guess it’s showtime,” Agent Johnson said. “I’m going to follow them and read them their rights.”

Andrews nodded. Johnson walked away.

“I take it Vern Gill was able to reach you with my instructions?” Rainhorse noted.

“He reached me fine,” Andrews replied. “The instructions were quite detailed—thank you. You were cutting it thin, my friend. We almost didn’t have time to get setup.”

“I wanted you to scramble,” Rainhorse said. “I figured it would give you less time to disrupt my plans.”

“I tried to make Vern Gill crack and spill all the beans early,” Andrews said. “He wouldn’t do it.”

“Thank him for me,” Rainhorse said. “This is the second time someone from the Brotherhood Protectors bailed me out at the end.”

“Thank you for all you’ve done,” Andrews said to Rainhorse.

“I came here wanting to get Lona safely back to her mother and to free this reservation of Tony Apollo and Hank Rattling Thunder,” Rainhorse said. 

“And you not only brought them down, you brought down their entire organization in the process,” Andrews added. “Good work.”

Rainhorse nodded solemnly.

“So, tell me, was it worth your freedom?” Andrews asked.

“I did what I had to do,” he replied.

Andrews smiled and nodded, “I figured. That was gutsy, having Vern Gill call me knowing that today you’d either be dead or facing prison,” he said. “It took real courage. I admire that. The instructions were quite detailed. Well done.”

“Thank you.”

“I will make certain the judge knows what you have done here today,” Andrews said. “Because of you, we have busted the biggest drug and sex trade ring in the mid-west. We have the masterminds in custody, and my men are gathering up the rest of Apollo’s men waiting for you on the outskirts of town. That will go a long way at your sentencing.”

“Well, I have one more thing for you,” he said, reaching into his back pocket.  He pulled the journal he had taken from Rose Rattling Thunder’s purse. He handed it to Andrews.

“What is this?” Andrews asked.

“It’s a secret journal maintained by Rose Rattling Thunder,” he replied. “In it you will find the names of all the Indian girls and boys who were abducted from the res by Apollo and HRT.  The information goes back to the beginning. And as a bonus, you will also find information on every customer who paid Tony Apollo for one of these girls or young boys. It gives names and dates.”

Andrews whistled loudly, thumbing through the book, “Hoooo-leee shit! Would you look at this? I recognize a lot of these names. The ones I know are really bad men—the worse kind.”

“I hope it will help.”

“You bet it will,” Andrews said. “This is amazing. This is the mother-load. We’ll be able to use it to trace the whereabouts of the children and women who have been sold. We’ll find them and return them to their families, I promise.  A lot of very bad people are going to go to jail, Rainhorse. This entire reservation owes you a huge debt. The FBI thanks you as well.”

“Just make sure Apollo and HRT can never terrorize this reservation again and that will be thanks enough.”

“You can count on it, Rainhorse,” Andrews said. “I promise.”

“What will become of Rose?” Rainhorse asked.

Andrews shrugged, “We don’t have much on her. It appears she didn’t have an active role in the drug or sex trade businesses.”

“She runs HRT’s illegal gambling trade,” Rainhorse said.

“That’s a local matter,” Andrews said. “As far as the FBI is concerned, she may end up walking.”

Rainhorse nodded, “That is too bad.”

Andrews let out a breath and looked around him, before turning back to the former Ranger. He held up the journal again.

“You know, you could have very easily parlayed this journal into even more time off your sentence.”

“I know,” he said.

“Why give this up for nothing?” Andrews wondered.

“Because there are children’s lives at stake,” he said. “The men responsible for all this horror need to be brought to justice. They are the ones who buy women and children. They need to be caught and punished. It all has to end. And it needs to be done now, not after some long negotiation to get my sentence reduced.”

“Very admirable. Still, I feel badly for you,” Andrews said. “I don’t think you really considered how serious your situation is . . .”

“I do know. What do you think I’m looking at . . . time wise?” Rainhorse interrupted.

Andrews scratched his head, “If we had just caught you outright, you’d probably be on death row, or at the least, sentenced to life without parole. With all the work you’ve done today . . . I don’t know. If you admit to assassinating even half the scumbags we think you killed, I’m guessing you’ll get fifteen to twenty years even after today’s efforts have been considered. With good behavior, maybe you’ll be out in ten to twelve.”

Rainhorse nodded, expressionless.

“You know, right after Lindsay Vanderbilt was recovered from the kidnapping attempt, I studied your dossier,” Andrews said. “There wasn’t a single target of yours that wasn’t a low-life murderer, drug dealer, illegal gun runner or sex trader.”

“Your point?” Rainhorse asked.

“My point is that you killed no one who would not have received the death penalty or life without parole if we had caught them ourselves.”

“I doubt the court will see it your way,” the Cheyenne replied.

“You’re right. I just wanted you to know, if it was up to me alone, I’d shake your hand for a job well done and let you go right now.”

“It is not up to you, though, is it?” Rainhorse asked.

Andrews shook his head, “I’m sorry to say, it isn’t. You don’t seem all that concerned about it, though.”

“It no longer matters. I did what I came to do.”

“Well, you’re a much different man than I thought you’d be. I’ll give you that. Is there anything else?”

“Lindsay,” Rainhorse said. “We talked briefly about her role in the shooting at the diner . . .”

Andrews nodded, “Don’t worry, big guy. As far as we are concerned, you, and you alone, are the one who shot all the bodyguards at the diner. Lindsay never even held a gun. That’s what the evidence will show.”

The big Cheyenne nodded, “Thank you.”

“You know, you never actually told me how you got my private cell to have Gill call me in the first place,” Andrews said.

“You gave your business card to Lindsay two years ago, when you questioned her about me,” he said. “You wrote your private cell number on the back.”

Andrews raised his eyebrows, “Ah . . . yes, of course. Well, I’m glad you had my private number. If Vern Gill had just called the FBI switchboard, Agent Peterson may have found out what was going on and warned Apollo. If that had happened, today’s little party may have gone very differently.”

Rainhorse saw Neha, Lona and Lindsay walking toward them. They stopped about thirty feet away. He managed a soft smile and looked back at Andrews.

“You made one more commitment to me,” he said.

Andrews looked at Neha, Lona and Lindsay, then back at Rainhorse.

“Sure, but I’ll have to cuff you,” Andrews said.

“No cuffs,” Rainhorse said. “I’ll be right here where you can see me. I just need ten minutes to say goodbye.”

“Cuffing the prisoner is protocol,” he insisted.

Rainhorse glared at him.

Andrew’s sighed, “Ok, make it quick. Ten minutes.”

Andrews backed away.

Lona Littlebird was the first to approach him. She approached him apprehensively and stole a glance back toward her mother. Neha smiled and nodded at her.  Lona turned back toward Rainhorse.

“You look just like your mother when she was your age,” Rainhorse said. “Your beauty takes my breath away.”

She smiled, stealing another look at her mother.

“I wanted to thank you,” she said, meekly. “Mother said you were responsible for my release.”

“Are you hurt?” Rainhorse asked.

“No,” she said. “Scared out of my mind, yes, but no, not hurt.”

“Good. It’s over now,” he said. “You never have to worry about those men again.”

“Thanks to you,” I’m told. “Would it be ok if I . . . gave you a hug?”

He smiled warmly and extended his arms, “I would like that.”

Rainhorse and Lona hugged. She clenched him tightly. “Thank you,” she said. She smiled, “Thank you so much.”

Neha began to tear up again watching the two of them embrace. After a moment, he pulled away, “Please, take care of your mother for me,” he said.

“I will,” Lona replied. “My mother told me she has many stories to tell me about you.”

Rainhorse smiled softly, “That can be taken one of two ways.”

“No,” Lona said. “If you could have seen her face, you’d realize . . .”

“Realize what?”

“That she loves you,” Lona said. “She loves you—very much. She will wait for you to come back.”

“I need you to be strong for her, because I won’t be back, not for a very long time—perhaps forever.”

“What did you do?”

“Things from my past that I am not proud of,” he said.

“I’m sorry,” she replied.

“Me too.”

She turned to walk away but paused to look back, “Goodbye,” she said.

Neha came to him next, sliding into him, wrapping her arms around him tightly. She tiptoed to give him a long warm kiss. He could taste the salty tears that had made their way to his lips.

“I’ll wait for you, as long as it takes,” she said, clinging to him. “No matter what.”

Rainhorse’s face looked positively dour, “I’m so sorry that I must leave you once again.”

“It’s not your fault,” she replied. “It’s not fair.  After all these years, I have found you once again. To lose you now . . .”

“I have committed many sins. I must make amends,” he admitted. “If I did not do this, we could never be together. I would continue to look over my shoulder every day. You have a daughter. My life would be no good for you.”

“But you’ve done so much good,” Neha said. “You saved many lives today, and single-handedly eliminated the drug and sex trade on the res. The good you have done cannot be measured. That must count for something.”

Rainhorse said nothing, just smiled at Neha and stroked her hair.

“Before I go, I must tell you something,” he said, “something I have wanted to say for many, many years.

“Please,” she encouraged.

“I love you, Neha Littlebird. I love you with all my heart, and I always have. I have never stopped loving you. No matter what happens to me from this day forward, I will be able to remember these last few days with you. They will give me comfort.”

Neha broke down in tears, “I love you, too, Rainy. I’ll never stop.”

Andrews cleared his throat, standing several feet behind Rainhorse.  He tapped his watch. The Cheyenne nodded.

He kissed Neha once again before she returned to Lona. “Stay strong, Neha,” he called after her. She turned one last time, managing a soft smile and nodded at him.

Lindsay ran toward Rainhorse and embraced him tightly. Tears were streaming down her face. “They told us they were arresting you—that you turned yourself in voluntarily.  Why didn’t you tell us?”

“I could not do this alone,” he replied. “It had to be done. It was the only way. It was my decision, and mine alone.”

“That doesn’t explain why you didn’t tell us,” Lindsay argued.

“Would you have allowed me to do it?” he asked.

“Hell no,” she barked in response.

“There you have it,” he said. “I did not have the time or energy for that conversation.”

“We could have figured something else out,” she said.

He kissed her forehead and wiped the tears from her face, “It no longer matters.  I did what I came to do and I got to see you again. I am tired of running and hiding.”

“No,” Lindsay screamed. “I won’t let you go.”

“You don’t have a choice, Lindsay. What about your mother?”

“She still doesn’t know anything yet, but she will soon,” Lindsay said through the tears. “The FBI is calling her today.”

“I am sorry.”

“Don’t worry,” she said. “There will be a lot of screaming, crying and such. I’ll get chewed out real good, but I’ve been chewed out before. I can handle it.”

He chuckled softly, “I know you can. Lindsay, I have a favor to ask.”

“Anything,” she said.

“With HRT, Apollo, and all their men in custody, there are a lot of drug users who will be cut off from their drug supply,” he said. “That means lots of people will be forced to ween off . . .”

“I’ve already spoken to Ellie,” she said. “I am staying on for a few days until we can figure something out.  Hell, I have a pretty large trust fund. Ellie is not hurting for money. You can count on Ellie and I, Jackson. We’ll figure something out to help the people here.”

Rainhorse smiled, “I knew you would be ahead of me on that.  What about college, though?”

“I’ll take a year off if I have to,” she said. “I’m not worried. Finishing what we started here is far more important.”

“I am so proud of you,” he said. “Your mother will be most displeased, though.”

“She will have no choice in the matter,” she said. “I can handle my mother.  Hell, I might even get her involved. Once she gets over being pissed, she’ll want to know everything. She really has a heart of gold, and her pockets are lined with it, too.”

“Good, then.  I will leave in your capable hands.”

“You got Agent Andrews’ number from the card I gave you, didn’t you?” she asked.

“Yes, I knew he had a . . . special interest in me,” he replied.

“I’ll get you a lawyer,” Lindsay said. “I’ll find the best one in the country, I promise.”

“Thank you,” he said. “I need you to do something for me—something very important.”

“What?”

“I need you to make . . . a promise to me,” he said.

She eyed him suspiciously, “What kind of promise?”

He paused, looking at her with eyes that made Lindsay feel he was looking straight into her heart.

“I want you to start living your life again,” he said. “I can be happy wherever I end up as long as I know you are living a full life. I want you to follow your dreams. I want you to find the right man to marry, to love, to have a home and raise a family. I can face anything if I know you are safe and happy.”

“No. I’ll never rest until you are free,” she said. “After all you’ve done, the last place you deserve to be is in jail. I’ll fight . . . as long as it takes.”

“No, my dearest Lindsay, you are not hearing me,” Rainhorse insisted. “I am done fighting. Lindsay, do you not see? You have been my inspiration—my muse. Because of you, I found a way to give my life meaning and purpose. What we have done today has allowed me to believe in myself again. I could not have accomplished this without you. What remains is for me to pay for my past sins. Then, and only then, will I never have to look over my shoulder again. I will have my own name back—no false identity, no looking behind me. I will never have to pretend to be someone else when this is done. It will be worth whatever time it takes. I want to do that, Lindsay, but I need your help.”

“My help? I don’t really understand what you’re asking of me,” she said.

Rainhorse held her face in his hands. He kissed her very gently, “It is time for you . . . to move on.”

“No!” she screamed.

“Lindsay, please. It is time. You have to let me go.”

Lindsay took in a breath and held it. She gasped and placed her hand over her mouth. Her eyes widened.

She gasped, shaking her head, “Never.”

“You have to, Lindsay,” he replied. “Let me go . . . please.”

Lindsay had already been crying but hearing Rainhorse’s words brought all the emotions she had been feeling to the surface. Everything she had been feeling inside suddenly exploded in cries and tears. She sobbed out loud, crying longer and harder than at any time of her life. She buried her face into his chest and squeezed him as hard as she could.

Andrews tapped him on the shoulder, “Rainhorse, I’m sorry. It’s time to go.”

He nodded and released Lindsay from his embrace. She fought him, trying to grab onto him again, but he took her hands gently into his and forced them to her side. Neha had approached and softly took Lindsay by the shoulder, turning the young woman toward her and embracing her. Neha managed a soft smile and nodded at Rainhorse.

He turned to Andrews and held his wrists up, “Let’s go.”

Andrews cuffed the big Cheyenne and led him away. The FBI wagons had arrived. Andrews led him by one of them. Apollo, Takoda and Hank Rattling Thunder were all inside, in wrist and leg irons.

“Hey Cheyenne,” HRT yelled out.

Rainhorse paused and looked toward the sound of the voice.

“You lied to me,” he continued.

“I did not. I said I would deliver your daughter to you, unharmed,” Rainhorse said. “I did that. I also said I would turn myself over to you. I did that as well. I never said anything about not sending in the FBI.”

“That’s bullshit, Cheyenne,” HRT barked.

“What goes around comes around, Chief,” Apollo threatened.

“It would appear you are correct,” Rainhorse replied, nodding at his leg irons.

“I’ll be behind bars, but so will you,” Apollo bellowed.

Rainhorse nodded, stealing a glance at Andrews before turning back to Apollo, “Worth it!” he said.

Apollo scowled.

“If you think I can’t get to you in jail, you’re wrong. You’ll be dead within three months.”

“I do not see how that is possible,” the Cheyenne replied.

The sneer that had been pasted on Apollo’s face faded, “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“What I mean is, you will have little time to think about me,” Rainhorse said. “The way I see it, you and Rattling Thunder will be spending most of your time avoiding assassination attempts from your . . . valued customers.”

Andrews tried unsuccessfully to squelch a chuckle.

“What the hell is he talking about?” Apollo demanded to know, looking at Rattling Thunder.

“I don’t know, I swear,” HRT responded.

“Please, allow me to explain,” Rainhorse continued. “I just turned over Rose’s journal to Agent Andrews.”

“What . . . journal?” Apollo demanded to know.

“Oh, shit!” HRT gasped loudly, looking as though he was going to be physically ill. He buried his face into his hands.

“What’s he talking about?” Apollo yelled.

HRT did not look up.

“Will someone tell me what the fuck is going on?” Apollo demanded.

“I will leave it to Rattling Thunder to explain,” Rainhorse said. “Suffice it to say, very soon there will many high-powered criminal types who will be most unhappy with you. I would venture to say some of them have resources that may be able to reach you in prison. Karma is a bitch. Good day, gentlemen.”

Andrews looked at Rainhorse. He was staring at Apollo, expressionless. After a few seconds, the retired assassin formed a tiny wry smile on his face. 

Andrews led Rainhorse away, “Those two will not have to wait very long for one of their former customers to get to them in prison. That is, if they don’t kill each other first.”

“Such a pity,” Rainhorse replied in a neutral tone.

Andrews chuckled, “You don’t seem too distraught over that prospect.”

Rainhorse turned to Andrews and shrugged, his face remained impassive, “Of course I am,” he said. “This is how I look when I am distraught.”

 

 

. . . our story is not quite over.