Day 9
Another wait at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport. We didn't talk much. Didn't have to. Seemed each of us knew exactly what the other was thinking, and neither of us cared to admit that this thing was over our heads.
Jimmy arrived with the first flight the next morning. No way overlooking that guy in a crowd. Six-foot-seven, full-blooded Arapaho, and an intense look in his jet-black eyes like he had just come off the warpath somewhere. I had met him once before during a visit with Cut's folks down in Oklahoma. He still wore that bear-claw necklace I admired so much. Tried to jew him out of it at our first meeting—hell, I even offered him my most prized possession—my H&K 93A3 Assault Rifle—for it, but he wouldn't give it up.
Cut grinned from ear to ear as they shook hands. "You remember Chase?" he asked and signed at the same time.
Jimmy nodded down to me with a gesture that looked like a salute.
"Good to see you again, Chief." I saluted back, and frowned at Cut because he started laughing.
"He just said hello," my friend informed me.
Damn sign-language, I thought. Never could understand any of it.
It seemed Chief had the easier part. He could read your lips—at least as long as he looked at you.
Buck had no problem with it whatsoever. He just kind of purred in delight when Jimmy bent down to scratch him behind the ears. So much for being my loyal sidekick!
"What?" I queried, glancing over at Cut and somehow getting the feeling that this had been a bad idea. Chief might as well have been speaking Chinese, since I had no clue what he had just signed toward me.
"He was wondering if that's the little pup you brought along three years ago."
"Sure is," I answered, and Buck rolled over to get his belly rubbed.
"Hate to break up the reunion," Cut grinned, "but we're burning daylight."
"You must've been watching them old John Wayne movies again."
"Nothin' like the Duke and a cold one after a hard day's work," he mused.
Jimmy's eyes moved back and forth between us, and I wondered how much of our friendly little bicker he could make out, since we spoke quite rapidly.
"Did you tell him what this is all about?" I got back to the problem at hand.
"Thought I'd do that on the way back up. Didn't want to put anything in the fax that might work against us later," Cut grumbled, adding something in signs for his cousin.
" 'Preciate that! Well, we better get going...hey, Chief!" He looked at me when I touched his shoulder. "Welcome to the party!"
Apparently he understood, considering he nodded and for the first time—as far as I could remember—actually smiled.