CH. 9

CH 9

Associations

Down in Tucson, A well -dressed man with slicked back hair, entered a nightclub without resistance. He took in the scene with a smile as the dancing masses ignored his presence. He was met by a "suit", who escorted him past the dance frenzy and loud music, upstairs to a private, soundproof office.

"Good evening Mr. James." A stark white man greeted him.

"Mr. Santini." James answered, placing a thin, black briefcase on the desk in front of him. "Shall we get straight to business?"

Santini nodded as James opened the brief case toward the man behind the desk. Immaculate black velvet highlighted by shimmering diamonds greeted his approving gaze. Santini snapped his finger to a large man on his left. Who obediently moved toward the diamonds, digging into his coat pocket. He pulled out a jeweler's eyeglass and picked up a diamond. He inspected it closely then moved randomly, scrutinizing at least twenty different stones. Mr. James waited patiently and confidently.

"They're good. Exceptional quality," said the man, stepping back from his inspection.

"An endless supply?" Questioned Santini, referring to their original conversation on the matter.

James nodded. "And I expect your supply is the same."

Santini smiled with a nod. They shook hands and drew up a contract.

Back in San Francisco, Natalie slept restlessly through a dream.

She stood on a desert plain, watching a scene unfolding before her.

She saw Adrian with a group of Navajo Indians at their village. He seemed to be living life among them with some happiness. He smiled as three young children came up to him and took him by the hand, leading him out of the village to the crest of a small slope. They pointed downward. There below was a group of bald white men in pickup trucks, speeding toward the village Adrian and the children had come from.

Adrian scooped up the two littlest ones and ran back to the camp calling out a silent warning. The trucks flew over the hill as the women and elders herded the children to the relative safety of a nearby Hogan.

Adrian and the other men of the camp stood shoulder to shoulder, facing the intruders. The white men got out of their trucks with rifles and shotguns. They looked over the group and yanked Adrian out of the line, roughly. But Adrian returned to his place with the Navajo. The men scrutinized him. They tried to decide if Adrian was an Indian or not. They looked him over carefully.

They decided he was, at least part Indian. "'Half Breed'" They yelled, spitting on him. Adrian didn't move. The men stepped back several yards and opened fire on the group. All the Navajo men fell dead, but the bullets had somehow missed Adrian. Adrian, looked straight ahead, jaw set, and took one step forward. Just then A Golden eagle let out a cry from above. He looked up, his arms stretched out to either side. The men opened fire on him. Natalie gasped as she watched bullet after bullet hit him, showering blood in all directions. Adrian went down to his knees with a smile of triumph on his face then fell to his back, dead.

Natalie screamed at the same time the eagle did. Her eyes shot open as she sat up in bed gasping for air. "Oh my God! Oh, my God!"

Julie heard her mother's cries and ran to her room. "Mom, are you okay? What happened?"

"A dream, I had a dream!"

"About what?"

"It was Adrian, he's in danger!" She held her left hand to her forehead, eye closed concentrating.

"Mom, are you sure?"

"I think so." Natalie snatched her cell phone off her nightstand and dialed Captain Stottlemeyer. No answer came. She closed her phone, afraid for Adrian's life.

Adrian, Randy and Leland were back at camp sitting around a fire, discussing the best options for getting into the cave without being seen. They would go back before sun-up and look around before the workers got there.

"So, where's Daniel been?" Stottlemeyer asked. "He's here, then he's not. Is he here to help us or what?"

"I believe he's watching our backs," Adrian answered.

"I hope so."

"Hey, maybe he's shape shifting!" Randy suggested eagerly. The fire illuminating his excitement.

"He's what?" Stottlemeyer asked.

"You know."

"No, Randy, I don't know," the Captain said with exasperation.

"He changes from human to animal. All Indians do it," Randy assured.

"Not all," Adrian corrected.

"Okay, so maybe not all."

Stottlemeyer and Adrian stared at him.

"Okay, not all at all. Just some." He looked to the ground uncomfortable with their eyes on him.

Quietly, Daniel entered the camp. He handed everyone some edible plants and made them an energy drink from some herbs from his pouch.

"You're not getting us wasted again, are you?" Stottlemeyer asked him as he crushed the herbs and threw them into a boiling pot of water. Daniel smiled at him with a nod no. He made motions with his hands to indicate it was to strengthen them for the journey.

After a simple meal and their energy drink, Stottlemeyer and Randy went to their bedrolls for the night. Adrian stayed by the fire with Daniel for a while. Daniel stepped around the fire and sat next to Adrian. He reached into his shirt and pulled out the eagle feather Adrian had stashed in his bag. But the eagle feather's quill had been wrapped in leather and strung from it were various colored beads. It also had a long leather loop. Daniel handed it to Adrian and indicated that he should put it on. Adrian slipped it over his head and looked at it. He gestured a thank you in Native sign language. Daniel nodded. He explained with sign and drawing pictures in the dirt what having an eagle feather meant and the honor it bestowed on the individual. Adrian was deeply touched by the meaning of it.

After the telling they remained silent and thoughtful for a while. Adrian struggled with how to broach the subject of his parent's death.

"I lost my wife eleven years ago," he started, staring into the fire. "I know the Diné don't talk about the dead, but the white man chooses to remember the beauty of a life once lived." Daniel looked at the young man next to him with soft responsive eyes. Adrian continued. "If we remember the beautiful and the good and take it with us." He stopped, looking for what he wanted to say, "Then when it is time to let go, we know that what we had was shared with more than just us ourselves." He looked at his eagle feather. "We both have the dark cloud of fear over us. Shall we let the Great Creator flood us with His light so we can move on?" Daniel and Adrian looked at each other. "We will not die well if we don't," Adrian offered. Daniel nodded his agreement and offered his arm to shake. Adrian gripped the boy's forearm in a shake of partnership.