CHAPTER 18
BETRAYED
“Just remember to be an angry tenant, Elizabeth,” said Small Bear. “I’ll do most of the talking.”
They were approaching the end of the driveway. Barns, Skunk, a dozen cops and a dozen motorcycle gang type toughs waited for them at the gate. Small Bear was right, thought Elizabeth, something was up. Two of Small Bear’s deputies had joined them, but none of the other Tribe members were in sight. The others must be hidden very nearby, Elizabeth reasoned, but that didn’t make sense to her. The tribe should be showing strength openly to keep the Fenster forces from doing anything stupid.
“I have legal papers to serve,” announced Barns, as they approached. He was holding a quarter-inch thick stack of legal-sized papers. “As an established resident, Ms Winters, we’ll make due with you as the recipient.”
“I don’t think I can substitute for Johnny,” began Elizabeth.
“Legally, you’ll do just fine in this case,” said Barns. “But first they’ll have to be signed by the Tribe.” He held the papers out to Small Bear, who took them without comment. “Pages three and twelve, original and two copies.”
Small Bear nodded, flipped through the pages, then pulled out a pen and started writing on the documents.
“What are you doing?” asked Elizabeth, alarmed.
“It’s all very simple Ms. Winters,” said Barns. “Acting Chief Small Bear is signing over all logging rights to Goth land. You’re here only as a witness, and the Goths aren’t even involved.”
“What?” exclaimed Elizabeth.
“Afraid so,” agreed Small Bear, grinning as he continued to sign the papers. “It’s all legal. A couple of years back Chief George got worried about the Goth line giving out, and got old Mort to sign over the logging rights to the Tribe. You and Johnny abandoning the Mountain pushed them into doing it. Legally at the moment, due to the deaths of the chief and shaman, the Tribe is me.”
“Traitor, assassin! Stop him!” Elizabeth shouted as she slapped Small Bear across the face and tried unsuccessfully to grab the papers from him. "Two Bears lives, you traitor!"
"Actually I have officially reported him dead," retorted Small Bear.
Elizabeth hoped that the two tribal deputies that accompanied them would step in and stop Small Bear. Instead, they grabbed her arms, immobilizing her. She looked at the deputies more closely. They were vaguely familiar, but she couldn’t recall their names. Both were big, mean looking young men.
“Elizabeth, meet my two oldest friends, Tall Fox and Night Hawk,” explained Small Bear. “Without their work in the Chief’s office I’d have never come up with this plan. Fenster didn’t even know about it; he thought that doing away with the Goths was all that was necessary, and Mort made that part easy. But when I saw that logging rights had been assigned to the Tribe I knew that in addition to removing Mort, both the Chief and the Shaman had to be replaced by me.”
He handed a copy of the signed papers back to Barns, who immediately placed them under Elizabeth’s pinned right arm. Barns scribbled her name in several places using his own hand, but if necessary the other people present would testify that she did it.
“Delivered and duly witnessed,” said Small Bear. He glanced nervously towards the surrounding woods. “I had them move further back, but the few tribal men watching us from the forest that are getting very confused and trigger happy right about now. Sheriff Barns, we’re off the Reservation and in your jurisdiction. Arrest this woman for assaulting me just now and let’s be on our way pronto.”
“Gladly, Small Bear,” agreed Barns. At a nod of his head two burly Deputy Sheriffs took possession of Elizabeth and the papers. They dragged her kicking and screaming to a squad car, where they quickly handcuffed her and put her in, none too gently. Both deputies sat in back with her, while Barns drove and Small Bear sat beside him.
The squad car and the rest of the entourage drove away rapidly, escaping the onrush of several shocked tribesmen that quickly converged on the gate.
Soon they were out of sight and parking alongside a county rescue squad vehicle. Elizabeth kicked and screamed as two medics approached her door. It was the same medics that had previously wanted to examine Two Bears, she realized: Fenster’s men. Despite her struggles they gave her some sort of shot in the arm that immediately made her dizzy. As everything faded from view she saw Small Bear and Barns looking down at her, grinning evilly.
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Secrets of Goth Mountain Page 44