Montana Summer Ch. 13

"Let me get dressed and I'll be right in."

---

After breakfast, Ryan went out to the corral to feed the horses. As soon as Bernie spotted Ryan, he trotted to the gate and waited for the man that rode him. Ryan laughed as he opened the gate.

"No, I haven't forgotten about you." He reached into his jacket pocket and retrieved an apple and a small knife. With the knife, Ryan began to cut the apple into slices and fed them to his horse.

Ryan felt quite a bit better than when he had gone to bed. No one had mentioned what Becky had said the previous evening, and Janice had gone so far as to give Ryan a quick hug when he had walked into the cabin.

Breakfast had been a boisterous affair with everyone talking at once. One thing Ryan had noticed was that he had caught his uncle staring at him several times and each time he had looked deep in thought. Ryan hoped his aunt hadn't said anything about Becky claiming that he had gotten her pregnant.

Ryan had just finished feeding the horses and filling up the water trough when he heard Bill call out for him. He felt a sense of dread when he saw the serious look on his uncle's face.

"I'd like to talk to you, Ryan."

Ryan leaned the pitchfork against the top rail of the corral and steeled himself for the expected verbal onslaught.

"I don't know quite how to put this to you," Bill began, his eyes focused straight into Ryan's. Bill paused for a moment and gathered his thoughts and then his voice got quiet. "I saw them this morning."

This wasn't what Ryan had expected to hear and he was taken off guard. "Who did you see?"

Bill took a deep breath and then let the two words release as he exhaled. "Ghost Riders."

"What?" Ryan couldn't believe what he had just heard.

Nodding, Bill continued. "I saw them this morning when I was on my way to the outhouse."

He turned and pointed to the grove of trees where he had seen the Wanagi. "Right over there. There was a mist this morning, and they seemed to ride straight out it and then they disappeared right back into it. They stopped just before I lost sight of them and the leader turned and looked right at me." Bill shivered for a moment. "It felt like he was looking straight into my soul."

Ryan hung on to every word as his uncle relayed his early morning experience and, when he had finished, Ryan found himself speechless—all he could do is shake his head in amazement.

Bill looked down at the ground for moment. "I believed you when you said that you had seen them, but I didn't believe that they were real."

"They're real, there's no doubt about it," Ryan interjected.

Bill nodded in agreement. "Well, now I believe it. I think they let me see them intentionally. When the leader looked at me..." A shiver passed through Bill's body.

"That was Spotted Owl."

"Yes, well, when he looked at me I could almost feel him talking to me."

Ryan furrowed his brow. "You know, the first time I saw them, that is exactly how I felt." Ryan stopped for a moment, and he wasn't sure how to phrase the question, so finally he just asked. "What did it seem like he was telling you?"

Bill thought for a moment. "It's hard to put into words, but it was like an affirmation of everything that you had told me about them."

Slowly Ryan asked his uncle, "So, you believe what I told you about what Spotted Owl said about Jessi, that we're not related?"

Bill stared up at the mountains, his eyes seemed to get a little misty and then he looked at Ryan. "Yes, I believe you now." The tone in Bill's voice hardened a bit. "It's going to take more than you and I seeing ghosts of dead Lakota riders to convince Suzanne, though."

"Yeah, I understand." Ryan agreed with what his uncle was telling him. It would take a hell of a lot more to prove to his aunt that he and Jessi were not related. "Well, Jessi is going to check into DNA testing once she gets back to school."

"That might be the best thing for the two of you to do." Bill was thinking of how to tell his wife. "That way it would prove it one way or the other."

After leaving Ryan to finish up his chores with the horses, Bill walked across the clearing to where he had seen the ghost riders. He knelt down and stared at where Spotted Owl had stopped his horse. He had half expected to find signs of horses, but there were none. All he could see was undisturbed grass. His grandfather had told him on more than one occasion that there was magic in these mountains and that there were things that couldn't be explained away with logic and science. It made Bill wonder if his grandfather had known of, or had seen what he had seen, this morning.

Bill let out a long, soft sigh and gazed at his surroundings. His thoughts were of his wife and his daughter. If the Wanagi were real, then what Spotted Owl had told Ryan and Jessi was true. Bill scratched his head as he whispered to himself, "Then who in hell is Jessi's biological father?"

He looked back towards the cabin and wondered how he was going to tell what he knew to his wife.

---

Jessi and Beck had just finished making the bed and straightening up the small loft. Becky sat on the bed and looked at her friend. "We had some of the best times up here when we were younger."

"Yeah, we sure did." Jessi smiled as she remembered. "And, there will more good times up here."

"I hope so." Becky's face had a wistful look to it.

Jessi sat down beside Becky. "Are you going to tell Stan before we go back?"

Becky shook her head. "No, I don't want to, not just yet. Things are just starting to get back to normal with him and Lindsey. I don't want to screw that up on a maybe."

"What if, what if you are...?" Jessi didn't want to say the word pregnant.

"I don't know what I'll do." Becky's face was full of worry as she looked at Jessi.

---

Ryan had finished taking care of the horses. He removed his hat and wiped his brow and looked around. At one end of the clearing was Becky's parents' new truck and camper, and at the other end was Charlie's tipis. To his left was the newest of RV's and to his right was the first American RV. He chuckled as the thought of the contrast of the old and the new struck him.

He could see Rob and Janice puttering about their camper. Walter had the hood up on his old pickup and was tinkering away. Uncle Bill was kneeling in the grass at the edge of clearing. He knew the women were in the cabin cleaning up.

After thinking for a moment, Ryan decided to go check out the tipis to see what Charlie was up to. He walked over and peeked under the door flap and saw Charlie straightening up inside.

"Do you mind if I come in?" Ryan asked.

Startled, Charlie looked at Ryan and smiled. "You shouldn't sneak up on me like that. After all, I am a warrior, but yes, please come in."

Ryan sat down on one of the beds. "I was just thinking while I looked at Rob's camper and your lodge, the tipis is like the original RV."

Charlie chuckled at the analogy. "I suppose you are right. I really love using this thing, it seems to bring me closer to my heritage. But, there are times that I wish it had a bathroom, especially on those chilly nights."

"Speaking of bathrooms, did Uncle Bill talk to you about what happened to him this morning?"

Charlie gave Ryan a quizzical look. Had he missed something in the conversation? He shook his head slowly and replied, "No, he didn't say anything. Why? What happened?"

Ryan was sure that his uncle would have talked to Charlie already. "Well, I dunno if I should say anything?"

Charlie's interest was piqued now. "Should I go talk to your uncle?"

"No." Ryan shook his head. "I guess he will talk to you about it when he is ready."

"Is everything okay?" Charlie wondered out loud.

"Yeah." Ryan was torn but, in the end, he thought that telling Charlie might be the right thing. He looked at him and his voice dropped to almost a whisper. "He saw them this morning, just before dawn. He was headed to the outhouse when he saw them, Charlie. He saw the Wanagi."

"That makes some sense." Inwardly, Charlie was surprised, but he showed no emotion on his face. "He seemed different this morning, like a man who had a lot on his mind." Charlie studied Ryan as he asked, "Why do you think they showed themselves to your uncle?"

"Well, I almost hate to say what I think. It would seem that I am being too presumptuous and placing too much importance on me and my problems." Ryan was too embarrassed to tell Charlie that he thought they had made their presence known to his uncle so that Bill would know what Ryan had told him was true.

Charlie smiled at Ryan. "Don't sell yourself short, I think it is because of you that they showed themselves to your uncle."

Ryan changed the subject. "Do you think there is time for you to take me where you think the old village was located before winter sets in?"

"I don't see why we couldn't take a weekend and ride in there," Charlie mused. "It's been quite some time since I was last there."

"Good! I'll call you later this week and we can make some plans."

Charlie nodded. "You might want to ask your uncle, he may want to come along with us."

Ryan nodded in agreement. "I think he might, and I'll ask him." Ryan picked his hat up and stood up. "I guess I should go see what's going on." He chuckled as he made ready to leave the tipis. "I wouldn't want anyone to think I was trying to avoid helping out."

"I think I will pay your uncle a visit. I have a feeling he might want to have a talk with me."

Ryan stopped at the door way of the tipis. "Please don't tell him that I told you."

"No, I won't say a thing."

---

This was the last day they would be able to spend at the cabin. Jessi and Becky would have to head back to Missoula the next morning. After the previous day's excitement with the bear, no one was particularly interested in leaving the cabin. It was decided by all to just spend the day relaxing around the cabin.

Charlie and Bill spent most of the morning deep in conversation near where Bill had seen the Wanagi. Suzanne was glad to see Bill with Charlie. If there was anyone who could make sense of what her husband had seen it was Charlie.

Rob spent time cleaning and puttering about in his new camper. It seemed that every time he opened a cabinet or cupboard, he would discover some new feature. Janice was glad that he had something to occupy his time. She wanted to talk to Becky alone for a few minutes. She felt that things had gone badly the previous evening and wanted to let Becky know that no matter what happened, pregnant or not, she would be there to support her.

Suzanne and Esther sat on the porch and discussed what the evening meal would consist of. Walter and his wife had gone for a short hike up the mountain. She had gotten a new camera and wanted to take some pictures while the colorful orange and red leaves still hung on the aspens.

Ryan emerged from his tent, after he had opened the doors and the windows to air the tent and his bedding out. Even though the sun felt warm, the air hadn't lost its crisp feel. There was that damp smell of decay that people associate with autumn on the breeze. The days were getting shorter and shorter. Ryan looked at the snow-covered peaks around him and wondered how long it would be before the snows would blanket the ground up here and further down in the valley.

Using a small whisk broom, he began to sweep out the tent. He was just about finished when a familiar voice broke the silence.

"Hey, cowboy, do you do windows, too?" Jessi's voice was cheerful.

Ryan poked his head out of the tent. "Only for certain pretty girls."

Jessi laughed. "You're smooth, really smooth."

Ryan just laughed and finished sweeping out the tent and then sat down in the grass. Jessi lay down in front of Ryan and propped her head up in the palms of her hands. "I'm going to miss you and I don't know how I'm going to stand it."

"I'm going to miss you too," Ryan replied in a quiet tone. He attempted to lift both of their spirits. "Well, it's not going to be that bad. You can come on some of the weekends and I was planning to take a few trips up to see you."

Jessi smiled at the thought of Ryan coming to Missoula to spend the weekend. It would be nice to have him there and not have her mother watching over their every move.

"Where's Becky?" Ryan asked.

"She and her mother went for a walk. She wanted to talk to Becky."

"Oh boy." Ryan grimaced. "I wouldn't want to be in her shoes right now."

"No," Jessi replied. "I don't think it's like that."

Ryan snapped his fingers. "I almost forgot, your dad saw Spotted Owl and the rest of the Wanagi this morning."

Jessi's jaw dropped. "No way!"

Ryan nodded his head. "Yup."

"Wow!" Jessi exclaimed. "What happened?"

"Well, I guess he was headed to the outhouse just before dawn and saw them riding along the edge of the trees. He said that they stopped and that Spotted Owl looked straight at him."

Jessi laughed. "I bet that gave him the shock of his life."

"Yeah, I think it did, in more ways than one."

Jessi furrowed her brow. "What do you mean?"

"He now believes what I told him about us seeing Spotted Owl at the hospital, and he also believes what Spotted Owl told us," Ryan answered.

"Wow!" Jessi let out a low whistle. "I didn't think about that."

Ryan reached out and touched Jessi's cheek. "He thinks that's why they showed themselves to him, to let him know that what we said was the truth."

Jessi they for a few minutes trying to absorb what had happened. She felt her spirits lift and it felt good to know that her father was on their side now. Jessi stood up and pulled on Ryan's hand. "Let's go for a walk."

They hiked up the slope behind the cabin and sat down just before the tree line. They were high enough that they could see a good deal of the valley unfold below them. Jessi leaned her head against Ryan's shoulder. "As long as I can remember, I have always wanted to live up here. When I was a little girl, I would always wish just before I went to sleep that when I grew up, that this would be my home."

Ryan put his arm around Jessi and squeezed her shoulder. "I would like to live up here too. From the first time your dad brought me up here, I knew this is where I wanted to live."

In Ryan's mind, he could see the house that he would like to build for Jessi. They sat up there, high on the slope for most of the afternoon talking like young lovers do. For a few hours they were lost in world of their own. To them it was perfect, full of plans and dreams. It was only when Suzanne began calling for them did they leave that world. Each felt a bit of disappointment as they walked down the hill and returned to reality.

---

Kenny's cell phone chirped. At first he wasn't going to answer it, as he was about to get into the shower. When he saw the name on the caller ID, he changed his mind and answered the phone.

"Kenny, my friend, I thought I would give you a call and see how the man I found for you was working out." Tony's voice was soft and smooth. Every time Kenny heard it, he was reminded of velvet. Kenny gave a momentary shiver when he reminded himself at how much power was behind that voice.

"He is working out very well," Kenny replied. He knew Tony wouldn't be calling just for a social visit. There was a reason for everything the man did.

"When do you plan on starting your little—project?" Tony enquired in a polite and patient manner.

"I was thinking of waiting for spring." Kenny sat down on the bed and pulled his shorts back on. He always felt vulnerable when he was naked and on the phone.

"I'm not trying to tell you how to run your affairs, but I think it would behoove you to at least check out the area before the snow comes, so you can be ready in the spring." Tony's suggestion sounded more like a command than a suggestion.

'Behoove?' Kenny thought. 'Who the fuck says behoove anymore?' He took a deep breath. "Well, with what happened to Sal, I thought it might be a good idea to lay low on this for a while."

"I can understand that and I can appreciate your caution. I don't think I would send your man, Hank, back in there. He's too hot to be seen around that town right now. I have another idea." Tony explained.

"Okay, let's hear your idea." Kenny was curious.

"Photography!" That was Tony's single word reply.

Kenny was confused and blurted out, "What the fuck does photography got to do with looking for gold?"

"We send your Mr. Campbell there with one of my people. They could pose as photographers taking pictures for a travel magazine," Tony elaborated.

"I don't know if it would work. What if someone checks out the travel magazine?" Kenny asked.

"Not a problem. The travel magazine is Italian and if anyone takes the trouble to call them, they will be told that they are indeed working for the magazine," Tony replied.

"I'll have to check to see if Mr. Campbell knows anything about taking pictures." Kenny had an image in his mind of two men running around the mountains with those cheap disposable cameras that were sold everywhere.

"I have a man that can handle the photography end of it and Mr. Campbell can pose as his assistant," Tony explained.

Kenny nodded his head, and he could think of no more objections. The thought of getting some men in there before the snow came had serious merits. For one thing, they would be able to confirm the existence of the gold and maybe get a feel for how much gold there was. "Okay, when do want to do this?"

"It will take me a few weeks to get things set up. If you are in agreement, I will start the planning from my end."

"I will speak with Mr. Campbell and let him know that you will be in touch with him." Kenny was trying to think of a legitimate reason for him to be in the small town in Montana at the same time. He wanted to watch over and protect his interests.

"Good. I will be in touch."

Kenny was sitting on the bed when Stella walked into the room. "I thought you were going to shower."

He looked up at Stella. "Yes, I am. I got a phone call from Tony. I think he's trying to move in on the gold deal."

Stella felt a chill run down her back. There was something about the gold that made her apprehensive. "What gives you that idea?"

"He wants to have the area scouted out before winter sets in," Kenny replied. He paused and then added. "And he already had a plan worked out."

"Is it a good idea to go back there so soon?" Stella asked.

Kenny shook his head. "I don't know. I would have rather waited until spring, but Tony wants us to at least get a good look at the area. I'm worried that it might be too soon to go back, especially after what Sal did. On the other hand, once we know what is up there, then it will give us the whole winter to develop a strategy for getting as much gold out as we can in the shortest amount of time."

"Are we going to be going back there?"

"Yes." Kenny reached out and took Stella's hand in his. "We'll be going back as well. I want to meet with the DA and see about getting the charges against you dropped, and see if we can work out a plea deal for Hank."

Stella watched as Kenny walked into the shower. She sat down on the bed and looked into the mirror. The worry on her face was evident. The thought of returning to that town had left her feeling uneasy.

When Hank and Sal had begun to loot the Lakota burial platforms, she had told them that she had felt something was wrong. They had just laughed her off and had continued pilfering the burials. Now, Sal was dead, and the man that she had begun to fall in love with was talking about going back there. She wasn't a religious woman by any stretch of the imagination, but tonight she was going to pray.