Star Trek; Frank Grayson

River of the Wind

Sept 28, 1869

After hiring twelve riders, Ernest Coe and his small group of men headed out into the hot desert of Sante Fe. It took the better part of three weeks for Ernest to pick up tracks, and another week to close in on the foothills where a cluster of Apaches de Nabaju called home. Under the pretext of a badge, and being ranchers who promised cattle to feed the Indians, Ernest and his men were able to ride into the heart of the Nabaju tribe unchallenged. So desperate were this starving Nabaju tribe for food, they had let themselves become deceived by Ernest Coe and his men.

Finally, on the second day of riding with the tribe, Coe and his men let their true intentions be known. They had come to find the tribes most senior Chief; Satangkai. Plus, as an incentive to Coe's hire hands, he would allow the hired hands to take as many Indian scalps as they could for trade down south.

Coe sat in his saddle, upon his horse, atop a small hill, and listened to the screams of terror, and cries of death, as his hired hands at first corralled, and then scalped the Indians. In some parts of Mexico the scalps of Indian children actually paid double that of the adults. Coe nonchalantly ate some of his pack dried fruit as he watched an Indian child's scalp being pulled back gently by one of his men. The child looked up to Coe, waiting for the man to somehow come to his rescue. But finally, the child saw only the cold glare of a man, Coe, who did not care for the life of one Indian child. Coe, and his men, were driven by greed.

The slaughter had taken nearly two hours before it was all done. Nearly 150 men, women, and mostly children, were dead. The hired men who had killed the Indians rejoiced in their bounty, and bragged about how much gold the scalps would fetch down in Mexico.

Finally one of the men, Norpis, gave Ernest Coe the information he had come for. One of the older Indian women had promised to give up Satangkai's hiding place to Norpis, in exchange for her people's lives. Norpis had accepted her plea, got her information, and then proceeded to take her scalp as well.

Ernest watched as Norpis pointed to the foothills in the close distance. The woman had assured Norpis, shortly before he killed her that the Chief would be found there.

With that said Coe watched as his men cracked open the two kegs of beer that Coe had brought along for their reward. Coe took one last look at the village, with blood strewn everywhere, and then joined the celebrating throng he had hired. He could only shake his head in silent disgust He headed for the foothills to find Satangkai and to bring this matter to a close. Part of his plan was to leave no strings.

Part of Coe's 'no strings' strategy was already in work. For unknown to his hired men, the butchers of the Indians, the beer they were now drinking was poisoned. They would all be dead before the next sunrise which was just three hours away. Coe was told by his employer not to leave any loose strings; One hundred and fifty Indian souls, and the twelve hired hands of his, had all played their parts in this chapter. And just like so many strings, they were cut away, and left to flutter away in the wind. Coe listened to the laughter of the slaughterers he had left behind in his wake.

"Demented fools," he said to himself as he pressed on.

Nearly an hour later, with the first traces of dawn kissing the eastern sky, Ernest Coe finally reached his destination; Satangkai. Coe had to navigate through a small maze of rocks, and then finally upon the aged Native American, sitting on a deer shin blanket next to a small fire. Coe slid out of his saddle and walked over to the Satangkai. Coe did feel a slight feeling of awe as he looked down upon the old-man; his dignity wore proudly with a full feather headdress befitting that of a leader. Coe also noticed that another deer skin had been draped on the ground across from the Indian. Coe did as expected, and sat down on the padded ground.

"You know what I have come." Coe finally said.

"For many moons," Satangkai spoke with a disjointed accent, "my people have been guided by our Gods. They have long spoken of this day; this day that has come. Unlike the Mississippi, the rivers of the wind cannot be dammed. Someday your people will learn this to be true as well."

Coe nodded in agreement. "Maybe, but it would have been so much less bloody had your people just told me where you were."

Satangkai just stared blankly at Coe. "We both know that is not the truth. The souls of my people were part of the price. Be it not, I do not want to lessen the haste of what is to come. Yes, Man named Coe; I know why you are here. It has been foretold and so it must come to be."

Satangkai reached for a wrapped dear skin. It was obvious to Ernest Coe that there was something inside the wrapped skin. Satangkai closed his eyes as he reached out and handed it to Coe.

"Your people died for whatever this is?" Coe asked as he took the wrapped item.

Satangkai opened his eyes and gazed again at Coe. "My people died the moment your people arrived on our shores. We were willing to share willingly what you desired to take. It became quite clear to us then that you do not serve the Gods, yours or ours. You want the Gods to serve you. Thus I have given to you this source of great power; but many of your people will die before its secrets are revealed. Perhaps even more souls than the souls you have taken this night. I do not speak of revenge, man named Coe, I speak of destiny."

Coe smiled at the Indian Chief. "You do understand that I will have to kill you now. I have to because I have been paid to make sure you die. I have been paid by my employer, and also by those who your kind has killed as well. Your people have not been the only victims on this continent." Coe stated coldly.

"We fought to defend, you fought to conquer." The Chief stated flatly. "Now, it is true; you may say that you are here to end my life. Yet my path does not end here, man named Coe." Satangkai said. "We shall meet again; that too has been foretold. I am ashamed to say that mercy will not be found in my eyes when our paths cross again. You have tainted this land, and our souls."

Suddenly Satangkai's body morphed into a very bright light. Coe had to shield his own eyes and then, slowly, the light diminished, and suddenly, in Satangkai's place, was a red tailed Hawk. The hawk looked into Coe's eyes, then screeched, and took off, soaring high into the sky. Coe drew out his pistol to shoot the bird, but decided not to at the last moment.

"No," Coe said to the Hawk as he watched it fly east. "I do not think we will be meeting again, you stupid old coot." Coe said with a smirk on his face; he was wrong.

Coe retrieved the wrapped dear skin and mounted his horse. Strangely enough, he too was headed east. Little did he know that he would also cross paths with a mountain man who did not take kindly to the murder of Indians; A man named Zeb Macahan.

CONTINUED