Chapter 2
The next morning in the bullpen, saw a rather angry DiNozzo, he was pacing up and down.
"Aww Boss, I'm Senior Field Agent, should it not be me that's going to Wyoming?" Tony questioned.
"Development opportunity, and anyway we have a case," as Gibbs looked at Tony.
"But…"
"DiNozzo, may I remind you Arizona," as Gibbs took off his glasses and stared at Tony.
"Ok you win, but I'm still Senior Field Agent," as he sat at his desk giving Gibbs daggers.
-oOo-
A woman in a sheriff's uniform, was waiting at the arrivals gate. She was leaning against the car, her uniform either on the small size or she was a full bodied woman for the clothes, the glock 19 hung at her waist.
"Howdy, Victoria Moretti, at your service, but you can call me Vic, so you'll be the city slickers from Washington then," she said smiling at the two, "Good journey?" as she opened the trunk of the vehicle and let the boys throw their bags in.
The 4 hour flight into Denver from Dulles had been fine, uneventful, but the then 90 minute flight to Absaroka County Airport in a smaller plane had made Tim queasy, and with still a 32 mile road journey to Durant he was not looking forward to that, both Tim and Jimmy had numb bums so to speak, but the journey in the Dodge Charger would soon get the blood flowing again.
"Yes, thank you Ma'am," Tim replied, "Bit weary but we'll be fine once we freshen up."
"I'm not a Ma'am, I'm Vic if you want to meet a real Ma'am I'm sure Henry Standing Bear can provide," she laughed as she started the vehicle.
"Henry Standing Bear, is he a real Native American?" Jimmy asked.
"Cheyanne; and he's the owner of the local tavern…The Red Pony," as they set off down the highway.
Tim had spent the flight to Denver, trying to find out as much as he could of Walt and of the case.
Avon Vipond real name Avonaco Vipponah meaning Lean Bear Slim Face in Cheyenne, had been a Petty Officer 1st class EOD, so an Explosives Ordinance Disposal Technician. Served Iraq, and Afghanistan. Exceptional record; no enemies; well-liked and respected. Mother Native Indian, teacher in American studies, father Navy retired, but maternal grandparents still lived on the reservation outside Durant. Took his mother's maiden name, not his father's surname, which was Taylor.
The journey to Durant took about 30 minutes; Jimmy just watched the scenery, the Bighorn mountains, Ma'xekȯsáeho'honáéva in Cheyenne, looming large into the azure blue sky with little white cotton wool clouds dotting about, the plutonic rocks of granitic and quartz gave a grey pink sheen, oh yes Jimmy was going to enjoy his development opportunity.
Vic didn't say much on the way, she could see the boys were tired and anyway she wanted to assess them in the mirror, but she tried some small talk.
"First time away from the city?" she questioned.
"Yes…no," both Tim and Jimmy said in unison.
"It isn't for me," Tim began, "I have been to Los Angeles, and did have a few days up at the Canadian border a few years back and of course local states, Maryland and Virginia, once went to Stillwater Pennsylvania," as he began to think that really Maryland and Virginia were not really getting away.
"I've not been out of D.C., except if you call Maryland or Virginia out of the city. I'm still what Agent Gibbs would call a Probie. I'm still learning, not that I'm not capable of doing autopsies, I just haven't passed all the exams, but Dr Mallard has faith in me. In fact, just last week I found…" as he saw the look in Vic's eyes in the mirror and shut up, Vic just smiled and shook her head slightly, oh yes, she could fair make a meal out these two. They travelled the final miles in silence. Finally Vic drew up in front of an impressive red sandstone building, which Jimmy knew Dr Mallard would have loved to have told him was Paleozoic sedimentary rock, from the Devonian period spanning some 60 million years from the end of the Silurian to the Carboniferous periods some 358 million years before present and how it is was named after Devon England where rocks from this period were first studied.
"Jimmy, you ok," he heard Tim break into his thoughts.
"Sorry yes, was miles away," as he exited the car.
"Vic was just saying we should meet Sheriff Longmire before we get checked into our accommodation, but I for one would love to see the crime scene as soon as possible," Tim replied.
"Sorry of course, as would I, purely to get the lie of the land before I see the body, so I know what to expect," he answered as he followed Tim and Vic up the stairs and into the Sheriff's Office, to meet Walt and "The Ferg" Ferguson.
-oOo-
Inside the office, Tim saw Walt was talking to Jim Ferguson, and an older woman who was included in the conversation.
"Hello," Walt said turning to face them, "Put your bags over there, Ruby has booked you into the Owen Wister hotel, and Jim here will take your bags there for you, but first you will be wanting to see the crime scene?" as he saw the two nod, "Fine back in the car I've asked Henry to come with us," as he motioned for the two to leave. "Vic you're in charge just don't do anything rash," as he followed the boys out the door.
Henry was standing at the car, the same Dodge Charger, that had picked the boys but he looked at the two suspiciously.
"Hello," Jimmy ventured, but got a glare.
"Henry, these are the two I was telling you about, Tim McGee and Jimmy Palmer," as Walt indicated, but Henry just got in the passenger seat.
"I believe Avon was found near the Reservation," Tim began to say.
"Yes," Henry replied, "At the foot of the gorge…The Weeping Rock."
The car went past the Reservation and eventually stopped at the start of a narrow passage. They got out the vehicle.
"This gorge, has served as a passageway for centuries by the Native Indians," as Henry pointed, "It was during the Great Sioux wars, that on June 17th, 1876, a war party of Sioux and Cheyenne took Crook's soldiers by surprise in southern Montana and routed them in the Battle of the Rosebud. General Custer then led a force against the Indians. On June 25th, he and his men ran into a Sioux war party on the Little Bighorn River. Not a single soldier in Custer's immediate command of some 300 men survived "Custer's Last Stand.""
"I have heard of that but what happened then," Jimmy began to ask.
"The northern Cheyenne decided they should move but as they passed through the gorge, the army in retaliation, attacked, they used a Gatling gun on the tribe, as well as rolling rocks from the top, they murdered, men, women and children. Because the stone in the gorge is mostly granite, when the rain falls and then the sun shines; and the rock sparkles with droplets of water, it looks like tears running down the surface, hence it has become known as the Weeping Rock."
"That is so sad," Jimmy replied.
"So Avon was found down here," as Tim began to point through the walls of the crevice, and then looking up at the height of the walls and shivering.
"You want to go up top and look down?" Walt asked looking at McGee.
"I would, but unfortunately I have a fear of heights, but how high are the rocks?" Tim answered.
"30 feet," Henry replied.
"I'm not scared, and to be honest I would like to see the area, and just see in my mind," Jimmy added, looking at Henry and Walt.
"You did check the area for any disturbance and have you taken photographs for analysis," Tim asked Walt only to see the glint in his eyes, "Of course you will have done, you are LEOs, it's just I would like to see them and of course I would like to talk to Avon's grandparents if that would be possible," he added beginning to wish the ground would open up and devour him.
"I will have to ask Officer Mathias," Henry began to say " He's Chief of the Tribal Police, and isn't happy that Longmire here has brought in outsiders, but Walt, take the car to the plateau and let the M.E. here have a look about, you never know a fresh pair of eyes," as he saw Jimmy smile.
Walt and Jimmy got out the vehicle first and Jimmy just looked in awe across the landscape and the Reservation, he was mesmerised by the open space, and the mountains, "Jim" he heard a voice cut his thoughts.
"Sorry Sheriff, this is just so magnificent, I wish I'd brought my camera, but then I'm not here to sightsee I'm here to work, so Sheriff, where would Avon have fallen from?" as he began to walk about.
"We reckon he went over from just about the spot you are standing," as Walt saw Jimmy take a step back, but Jimmy looked at the stones that were scattered about, he now wanted to see the body.
-oOo-
The Owen Wister Hotel, was situated in the main street of Durant, in fact it wasn't the only street in Durant, so definitely not the one horse town Tim had thought, as he unpacked his bag and set his laptop up. Walt had ordered that they eat at the Busy Bee restaurant and then a night cap at the Red Pony, "I want you boys' fresh in the morning…and yes the body is still on ice at the Durant Regional Hospital, but I'm sure Ferg will be delighted to take you there," as he said his goodnights.
Tim tried to get a signal; it was intermittent must be the weather or the mountains, but he eventually got a signal and sent an email to Gibbs, telling him what they had, he sighed and flopped into bed while Jimmy, in the adjacent room was fast asleep dreaming of the open Prairie and Indians.
