Montana Summer Ch. 15

Phil had known Milt long enough to know the Sheriff was serious. Sure, Milt could spin a good fishing or hunting yarn but when it came to his job, he was dead serious. "You know you have my promise."

Phil felt shivers run up and down his back several times as he listened to Milt talk about the gold and the Wanagi. He could only shake his head when Milt filled him on the killing of the man who had shot Ryan McFayden.

"Quite a tale!" Phil remarked.

"Yeah, it is." Milt looked at the clock. "Well, it's too late to drive out there tonight. I think I'll take one of my deputies for a ride tomorrow and poke around out there and see what I come up with."

"Let me know what you find, and call me if you need anything."

"Thanks, Phil. I appreciate all you've done. You take care and have a great weekend."

"You, too, Milt."

---

Charlie had ridden further than he had intended. He became lost in his thoughts as he rode and really hadn't paid attention to how far he traveled. He was almost around the backside of Baxter's when he reined his horse to a stop.

He patted the horse on his neck. "Looks like we should be turning around. It's gettin' late. We'll be ridin' in the dark for the last hour or so."

A sound of metal on metal caught Charlie's attention—a sound which should be foreign out here. His curiosity piqued, he set his horse in the direction the sound had come from.

"What the...?" Charlie muttered as he stood up in his stirrups. The creek was still hidden from view by the mountain. He saw the two RV's parked in a grove of trees. From the road, about a mile away, they would be well hidden from view. From his vantage point, he could see some people milling about the two motor homes.

"There shouldn't be anyone camped out here." Charlie spoke aloud.

Due to a drop off─about six feet─Charlie was forced to take a circuitous route to where the motor homes stood. There was no point in risking injury to his horse attempting to jump down the bank.

Two men stood outside of the larger of the two vehicles when Charlie rounded the motor home. Charlie flashed a welcoming smile and greeted the two men. "Howdy."

They turned at the same time, surprised to see the old Lakota man sitting astride his horse.

"Can I ask what you're doing here? Charlie asked politely. "This is private land, and is posted."

"We got permission from the owner," The first of the two men answered.

Charlie shook his head. "I don't think so. This is part of the Wolf's Creek Lakota Reservation. You would have had to get permission from the Chief."

"That's who we got the permission from." The second man sneered back at Charlie.

"I know you didn't get permission from the Chief." Charlie watched the two men carefully and wished he had pulled the old .30-.30 from its scabbard before rounding the vehicles.

"And how the hell would a geezer like you know something like that?" The second man taunted Charlie.

"Because, I am the Chief," Charlie replied. "Now, would you mind telling me what you are doing here?"

"Not at all." The first man flashed a humorless smile. Before Charlie could move, the man pulled an automatic pistol from inside his jacket. "Now, you just get off the horse and we'll tell you all about it."

He looked at the second man. "Go get the boss. I'll keep an eye on him."

Charlie was halfway tempted to just spur his horse and try to run the man with the gun down but he was just a little too far away. With reluctance, Charlie dismounted his horse.

The second man returned with Vincenzo at his side. Vincenzo eyed Charlie and then looked to the first man. "Take him into the motor home and tie him up. We'll let Tony decide what to do with him when he gets here later tonight."

It was only then that Charlie noticed the men working by the creek. His heart sank. All of a sudden, the trouble he had gotten himself into registered. He cursed himself for not being more careful.

The man with the gun motioned Charlie into the motor home. "Get in there, Chief. And don't do nothing funny, I got me an itchy finger on this trigger."

---

Esther arrived home later than she planned. There were so many people to talk to. She enjoyed her trips into town and catching up on all of the local gossip. She wasn't surprised to find Charlie gone. She thought he probably walked over to Walt's house for some company.

She carried all of her bags from the car into the house and set about putting everything away. Esther glanced up at the clock and began to prepare supper. She decided she would wait until supper was about ready before calling Walt and having him send her wayward husband home.

---

Vincenzo checked his watch. He looked at the man standing next to him. "Keep an eye on our guest. I'm going to pick up a few things in town and then head out to the airport to pick up the boss."

The man nodded. "What time do you expect to be back?"

"Tony said they expected to land around eight to eight-thirty, so we should be back out here somewhere between nine-thirty and ten."

In the other motor home, Norm Campbell was going over his checklist in his head. He had squirreled the necessary supplies in his backpack, which was sitting in the storage area of the RV. Tonight was going to be the night. He felt more apprehensive knowing a man was being held prisoner in the other motor home. If he screwed up, it would not only mean the end of his own life, it also assured the death of the old man tied up in the other RV.

Norm had changed his mind on the route he was going to take. Originally, he planned on going over the mountain. While the distance was shorter, the going would be a lot tougher. He needed distance now. Skirting the edge of the mountain would mean he would be able to move faster and with luck, find a telephone sooner. Originally, he had hoped to use his cell phone but Vincenzo still hadn't returned it to him.

He watched as the SUV pulled out and the taillights disappeared. His pulse raced as the adrenaline coursed through his body. He went back to the bed, and stuffed some pillows under the blanket to mimic his body laying there. It would only pass the most cursory of inspections.

With all of the stealth he possessed, Norm crept out of the RV, and closed the door behind him. As he opened the storage compartment, he was sure the squeak in the hinges would have alerted the men in the other motor home. He slung the pack over his shoulder and made his way towards the base of the mountain.

Charlie was a worried man about now. His face didn't show it though. There was no way he would give his captives the satisfaction by showing fear. His wrists ached where they were bound with yellow nylon rope. He had been trying to work the knot loose, but so far he had no success.

He watched out the window as the men holding him captive played cards at the front of the RV. The moon was just coming up. Charlie was surprised when he saw a figure dashing from the other RV, running towards the mountain with a pack over his shoulder. He felt maybe there was a glimmer of hope after all.

How long would his wife take before calling around and looking for him? He hoped she would look out in the corral and realize his horse was missing.

---

Esther put the lid on the frying pan and looked at the clock on the stove. There was still no sign of Charlie. She shook her head and muttered, "That man."

Just as she reached for the phone, it rang. "Hello," she said after picking up the handset.

"Hi mom." It was her son, Walter. "Can I talk to Dad for a minute?"

"He's not here. I was just going to call you and see if he was over there." Esther shook her head.

"No, I haven't seen him all day," Walter replied. He paused for a moment and asked, "It's getting kind of late, any idea where he might be?"

"No, I went shopping in town today. Before I left he said that he was going to go for a ride."

"Go check the corral, see if his horse is there."

"Okay, hold on." Esther set the handset on the counter, picked up a flashlight and went outside to the corral. She felt a sinking feeling in the pit of her stomach when she realized neither Charlie's horse, nor his saddle was anywhere to be seen.

She returned a couple of minutes later and picked the phone back up. "Walter, I don't see his horse or saddle out there."

"I'll be right over."

Esther hung the phone back up. She was worried his horse had become lame, or had thrown him. A shiver passed through her body as she had a premonition something had happened to her husband. She sat at the table, and waited for her son to arrive.

---

The dinner at the ranch had started off quiet. There had been uneasiness among the older adults. Everyone present was more than relieved no one had brought up the topic of the DNA tests.

Becky's parents met Josh for the first time, and instantly took a liking to the lanky firefighter. Like Jessi, everyone had noticed a similarity between Ryan and Josh.

As Josh finished his supper, he looked up at Ryan. "I can see why you decided to stay here. This is one of the best meals I've ever had."

Ryan laughed and pointed at his Aunt. "Don't tell them! They think the real reason I stayed was I like ranching. Now, the truth is out. It's Aunt Suzanne's cooking!"

Suzanne blushed with pride. Josh's stock jumped in Suzanne's books. The sure way to her heart was to compliment her cooking. "I hope you saved room for dessert. Margaret and I baked six pies this afternoon."

"What?" Ryan looked over at his mother. This represented a huge change in her behavior. "You baked pies."

Margaret straightened her top and smiled at her son. "I happen to bake excellent pies." She looked back down at her plate. "It's just generally I don't have the time. I can't recall either you or your father ever requesting I bake a pie."

Ryan looked at his father. He looked back at Ryan and shrugged his shoulders. "You could have asked for one just as well as me."

---

Walter tried hard not to show the worry he felt for his father. He knew Charlie would never stay out this late on purpose. While it wasn't uncommon for Charlie to pack up a few things and spend some time in the mountains, he always let someone know where he would be, and when he was coming back.

An inspection of the corral and the house proved Charlie hadn't packed any gear which would indicate that he was planning on camping out. Walter watched the minute hand of the clock drag by. If there were no sign of Charlie by nine, he would call the Sheriff's office and report Charlie missing.

As much as he wanted to saddle up his own horse and set out in search of his father, Walter knew it would be futile to try to track him in the dark. The best he could do was get everyone organized for a search at first light.

---

Norm was well out of sight of the motor homes. He had had gotten away and felt the advantage was his now, the outdoors his element. The light of his small flashlight kept him from running into trees and tripping over deadfall. Every few minutes, he would check his compass. With each passing minute, he put distance between himself and the men sitting in the RV's. He was counting on at least a two-hour head start. Norm figured two hours was the minimum amount of time it would take Vincenzo to get to the airport and back.

Vincenzo met Tony at the airport. After giving the pilot instructions to have the aircraft ready to return to Denver by 10:00 in the morning, they headed out towards Baxter's

"Have you heard from Kenny?" Tony asked.

"No, padron, I haven't."

"Do you think Mr. Campbell may have heard from him?"

"No." Vincenzo shook his head as he drove. "I never gave his cell phone back to him. I told him mine had quit working."

Tony scowled. He hadn't heard from Kenny in a number of days now. Each time he called his cell, it would go directly to voice mail. "I think we've been double-crossed by Kenny. Somehow he must have been warned."

Vincenzo was quiet. He could feel Tony's eyes staring at him, assigning blame. He went over everything in his head. At no point could he find any evidence the leak had come from his end. "I checked Mr. Campbell's cell phone, and there was no indication he called or was called by Kenny."

Tony shook his head. "He could have deleted the record of the calls from his cell phone before you took possession of it. If I were in his place, that's exactly what I would have done."

Vincenzo remained silent as he drove, it was something he had considered, but had kept silent.

"I'm not holding you responsible. There are too many variables in this situation you had no control over." Tony could see the muscles in Vincenzo's cheeks working. He could sense the tenseness in his employee.

"We can have a chat with Mr. Campbell when we get to the camp," Vincenzo replied in a flat tone of voice.

"Yes, we will," Tony replied softly.

---

The McFayden house was awash in conversation. It sounded like ten people talking and laughing, all at the same time.

For the first time in over eighteen years, Margaret was happy to be at the ranch. It had always bothered her thinking her husband had fathered his niece. There had been a lot of pent up jealousy within Margaret over Jessi. She would have loved nothing better to than to have had a daughter. She had always viewed Jessi as the daughter she was cheated out of.

With the results of the DNA tests the jealousy evaporated. She watched Bill and Roy. It had been a long time since she had seen the two of them have so much fun together. Old tales of their wilder days scorched the walls of the room.

It was obvious to her Ryan and Jessi were deeply in love, and she felt there was something between Becky and Josh. She smiled as she thought how she had felt about Roy when they were the same age. A warmth began to build in her. Her husband didn't know it yet, but he was going to get lucky tonight.

She would never admit it aloud to another person. Margaret was glad about what had happened with Jessi and Ryan. A lot of good had come out of it. She still wasn't totally pleased with Ryan's decision to take up ranching, but worse things could have happened. At least he was still going to school. And maybe, just maybe, in a few years, she might be able to gently push him into politics.

The ringing of the phone interrupted the goings-on in the house. Bill grinned as he got out of his chair. "It's probably the neighbors complaining about the wild party."

A few minutes later Bill, returned to the living room. The smile was gone from his face. He looked almost ashen. The room became very quiet as everyone stopped talking. Bill's expression said whatever the news was, it wasn't good.

Bill looked squarely at Ryan. "That was Walt on the phone. Charlie is missing."

"Missing?" Ryan couldn't believe what his uncle had said.

"Walt said he went out riding, and hasn't come back."

Scenario after scenario played out in Ryan's head and none of them good. "We have to go looking for him."

Bill nodded. "I told Walt we would be up there with the horses before dawn. We can set out at first light and follow his trail."

Josh spoke for the first time. "Is there anything I can do? I've had some search and rescue training."

"Can you ride a horse?" Ryan asked.

"No, not very well." Josh shook his head.

"That's not a problem." Bill patted Josh on the back. "Walt said he already called the Sheriff. He's organizing a search party. I'll give him a call and let him know you want to help out."

Suzanne turned to Margaret and Jessi. "We'll follow Bill and Ryan. Esther is going to need all the help and support she can get."

Ryan glanced up at the clock. It wasn't late, but there would be little sleep tonight. A lot had to be done to get ready.

---

Tony was seething with anger. Outwardly, his demeanor looked calm and controlled, but inside a rage was burning. First Kenny had fallen through his grasp, and now Norm Campbell was gone.

His ice-blue eyes burned as he addressed Vincenzo. "I though you had a man watching him."

"I did, Padron, but you heard what Bruno said. Campbell went to bed, and Bruno came over here to check on our guest and returned almost immediately to the other vehicle."

Bruno had worked for Tony for too long. He had no reason to doubt Bruno's statement.

"What do we do now?" Vincenzo asked Tony. "Do you want us to go after Campbell?"

"No." Tony shook his head. "He's got at least a three hour head start on us. Someone is surely going to be looking for the old man come morning. Our only option at this point is to get out of here as soon as possible. We will deal with Mr. Campbell in due time."

Vincenzo nodded. He wanted to be the one to take care of Mr. Campbell, who made him appear incompetent in front of his employer. This was no longer just business to Vincenzo. It was personal now.

"I want these motor homes to be on the road by dawn." Tony pointed to Vincenzo. "You and I will take the gold on the plane with us. Bruno can drop us off at the airport and catch up with the others."

"What about the old man?"

"We don't have time to make it look like an accident. Set his horse loose, and make it run. Shoot at it if you have to. We need tracks leading away from here to give us time. He can be disposed of late."

Tony went back into the motor home and looked at Charlie. There was something which unnerved Tony about him. There was a complete absence of fear in his face. Tony felt a shiver go down his back. "Someone has just stepped on your grave." Tony remembered his grandmother's words.

---

It was well past eleven. Ryan had set his alarm to go off at 3:45. All of the gear was loaded into the horse trailer. The truck and trailer were hitched and ready to go. Only the loading of the horses into the trailer remained to be done. Three horses occupied stalls in the barn─Ryan's horse, Bernie; Bill's horse, Duke; and the horse Roy would ride, Blackie.

Ryan was happy his father stepped forward and immediately volunteered to ride with them. Even more surprising was when his mother simply stated she would go with Suzanne and Jessi.

Rob and Josh were going to meet the Sheriff before dawn. Becky and her mother were going to help with the search by making coffee and manning the radios.

Ryan was worried about Charlie. He hoped it was something as simple as his horse had gone lame. There was a nagging doubt in him though, which told him Charlie was in some sort of danger.

He was about to get into bed when he heard a quiet knock at his door. The door opened and Jessi came through the door.

"I wanted to spend the night with you." Her face showed the same worry Ryan felt inside.

Ryan walked over to her, put his arms around her, and kissed her softly. "I'm glad you did."

"I'm worried about Charlie," Jessi confessed after they had gotten into bed.

"I am, too," Ryan admitted. "I just have this feeling something's wrong."

The thought of sex or lovemaking never entered their minds. Their thoughts were only for Charlie. It took a while but they fell asleep in each other's arms.

---

Ryan felt a touch. His eyes opened.

"It's time."

"Are we going to find Charlie?"

"Yes."

Ryan got out of bed. He turned; he was going to give Jessi a kiss goodbye. He felt a shock pass through his body. He could see himself sleeping beside Jessi. He turned and looked at Spotted Owl as he pointed at his still sleeping body. "What?"

"You're in our world now. It's time, we need to go."

---

The past and the present are on a collision course. How much of the future is predetermined by the past? The mountains have surrendered one secret.

I would like to thank Selena for once again editing this chapter. I hope you enjoy this chapter.