“I’ve heard the Apache could be quite creative with their enemies back in the day, and with good reason, considering how many your ancestors had. This is a beautiful piece of land you have here. I don’t blame you for wanting to keep it that way.”
“It’s barely a fragment of what my people once had, but you know that story and that’s a topic for another time. We aren’t trying to take anything back though, and the purpose of our security is not to quarrel with the government. Like I said, most of us served that same government, fighting America’s enemies overseas. But you know how thin military resources are spread all over the world now. And with what’s happening here at home, they can barely contain the problems even in the populated areas of the cities and coasts. They’re not even in control of the border out here in the west. Maybe in some places down in Texas, but certainly not in Arizona and New Mexico. And they sure aren’t concerned with the mountains and deserts up here, far away from everything and barely populated to begin with. And that is the problem. It leaves huge areas free for the taking by whoever has the most guns.”
Eric said that Ethan had told him as much, and then he told Nantan what he had seen in the mountains to the north, how he’d encountered the small militia camp first, then found the much larger one that had been wiped out.
“That was a military strike,” he said. “Aaron can attest to it, because he was being held there when it happened, along with others who’d been caught crossing the militia-held wilderness area there. My own daughter barely avoided capture, and then found her way to an Army checkpoint on the highway east of those mountains. I’m pretty sure it was her report that led to the execution of the strike.”
“Maybe,” Nantan said. “But there is heavy fighting going on between these groups that would surprise you. Some of them are far more organized than you would think, and they are well-funded. Many of the soldiers they have working for them are professional mercenaries from all over the world. The cartels are throwing everything they have at expanding their business while they have this window of opportunity. They are collaborating with and supplying weapons to the jihadists and anyone else who will help them create more chaos and kill more of their opposition. So, it is difficult to know who the enemy is and where they will strike next. But we are interested in everything you have seen, as we are trying to gather all the intel we can about the lands surrounding our reservation and beyond.”
“Understood,” Eric said, “and I’m trying to learn more likewise. As you already know by now, I have to go back there, through that same area to get my ex-wife and two friends. I was hoping you and some of your men who know the area could help me choose the best route to make the quickest trip. It seems that horses are the best option, and I have the two I came here with, but I want to take a couple more just in case. And I’ll need supplies. I can pay you well for any of this you can spare.”
“We won’t sell you horses, but your daughter is a friend of one of ours, and you are a brother in arms who has fought in the same wars we have. Like us, you are looking after your own people now, and like our people, your family is threatened by the same enemies that threaten us. You won’t have to go alone, because we will help you bring your friends and the mother of your daughter back. Those of us who go with you will do so not only to help you though, but because we want to see for ourselves the extent of these operations that threaten our lands.”
Eric wasn’t expecting this at all. These same men who’d beaten and interrogated him now regarded him as a friend and even a brother. “That’s a generous offer, Nantan, but aren’t you worried about dividing your forces, and leaving your lands more vulnerable to encroachment while you’re away?”
“That is something to consider, but no, I’m not worried. We won’t be gone all that long, and the men of our security forces have the advantage of knowing every detail of the land here and the nearby lands beyond our borders. It only takes a few scouts to keep tabs on the movements of anyone trespassing nearby. But if some of us go and learn more of where those people are basing their operations, then perhaps we can take the fight to them before they bring it here. Generations may have passed, but it’s not too late to learn from the tactics of our war chiefs, who were very good at defeating many, even when their numbers were few.”
Eric couldn’t argue with that. He knew enough history to know the difficulty the U.S. Army had in subduing the last defiant Apaches of the late 1800’s. Those hardy warriors were masters of guerrilla warfare and of using their knowledge of the harsh landscape they inhabited to their advantage against what would seem impossible odds. What the Army learned during the course of the Apache Wars eventually contributed to the training Eric and other special forces operatives like him had received. And using disloyal indigenous scouts to hunt down notorious and elusive warlords worked as well in Afghanistan as it eventually had with Geronimo.
It would be good to have the company of fellow warriors who knew the territory for his trip back to the cabin, but Eric knew too that it might come with a price. It sounded to him like Nantan and some of his buddies were ready to go on the warpath, and Eric didn’t really want to get involved in any fighting if he didn’t have to, but then again, everything was a tradeoff. It would likely take longer if he went alone, because he would be relying on the trails and main roads he’d used to get here, not knowing the shortcuts these guys could show him. And while he didn’t feel that he needed backup on the way out, it would be nice to have some extra guns for the journey back, when he wouldn’t be looking out for himself alone. He knew Shauna could pull her weight, but he was unsure about Vicky, and with that broken leg still in the healing process, Jonathan wasn’t going to be a hundred percent for at least a few more weeks.
“Only a few of us will go, maybe four or five, if you agree to this.” Nantan said. “I will be one, and we will finalize the rest after a brief meeting and discussion.”
“I’m fine with it, if you’re sure you really want to go to all that trouble,” Eric said. “But how soon can you leave? I am anxious to get started because the weather in the mountains is only going to get worse, and I’ve already left them alone there in that cabin long enough. They are bound to be getting anxious by now, and knowing my ex-wife like I do, I’m not sure how long her patience is going to last before she decides to head this way on her own.”
“We can leave tomorrow, if you are ready. We’ll get the supplies and horses together today and ride out in the morning at sunrise.”
Eric left the meeting with Nantan feeling optimistic about the collaboration. Now, all he had to do was convince Megan of why she’d be better off staying here to wait for him, and though he was sure she would have her objections, he hoped to win Aaron over to his side first and enlist his help. The kid was waiting for him at the general store nearby, and Eric walked over to tell him that his business in town was done and they could head back out to the ranch if he was ready. Aaron had wanted to go to the meeting with him, but Nantan had not invited him, so that had worked out well for Eric.
“I’m sure you can convince him to let us ride with you,” Aaron said, when Eric told him that Nantan and a select group of men would be accompanying him on his journey.
“No, I don’t think so. This is going to be a reconnaissance mission for them, and there’s always the possibility that we will engage with hostiles somewhere along the way. Nantan is choosing men from his security force that have combat experience. This is no place for my daughter, or for you, Aaron.”
“But look at what we have been through already, Mr. Branson. We have already had many hostile encounters. I was even taken prisoner and survived, and we have both traveled a great distance through the wilderness.”
“I understand that you have, Aaron. I appreciate all that you have done for my daughter, especially convincing her to come here, even if you arrived separately. But as someone who cares about her as I’m sure that you do, you must understand the risks involved in a trip like this. You both made it through tho
se mountains one time, but that is no guarantee you could do it again. We will be traveling light and pushing hard. I have no doubt that Nantan and the men he chooses to go with us are as good as any I’ve worked with in overseas operations. They’ve already proven it to me with the ease with which they tracked and captured me.”
“I’m good too,” Mr. Branson. “I may not be a soldier, but I’m an expert woodsman. I learned from my father and my Uncle Ethan. People think that modern Indians have lost all of the skills of the old ways, but that’s simply not true, at least not here. Not all of the knowledge was lost, and many things were passed down that way from father to son, for generations. Even though we can no longer live on the land as hunters and warriors, we take pride in preserving the knowledge. At least a few of us do.”
“I believe you, Aaron, and that is why I am counting on you to look out for Megan while I’m away. If I took her with us, then I would be worried about looking out for her all that time too, and it would divide my attention and my focus, which right now is on getting to that cabin to bring Megan’s mother, Vicky, and my friend, Jonathan back here. I’m willing to leave Megan in your hands because I know that you are a true friend to her, Aaron, and that you will do everything in your power to protect her. Can you do that for me, sir? Can you accept this as your mission so that I can complete mine swiftly and without worry for her?”
Aaron was silent for a moment as he thought about all that Eric had said. Eric knew he must be disappointed, but he was a smart kid too, and the logic Eric presented to him was unassailable. “Yes sir! You can count on me, Mr. Branson. I’ll protect Megan with my life. I was prepared to do that when we left together, and I’ll still do it now. I screwed up when I let those guys take me by surprise, and I’m sorry for that, but at least they didn’t see Megan. She’s a smart girl and brave too. I can’t believe she followed them all the way back there in order to know where they were taking me, and then found her way to those soldiers to report it. She is brave, and you must be proud of her.”
“Yes, she is, and I’m glad she was able to do what she did. That brings me to my next point. I know those people that took you to their camp were part of the same militia group I encountered farther north, because it was the information I got there that led me to the camp. But tell me; are you certain the men of the attacking force that rescued you were really soldiers? I mean official U.S. military personnel?”
Aaron thought a minute before he answered. “I guess so. I mean they said they were, and they wiped out all those guys in that camp and burned their stuff. They rounded up all of us that were being held there and said they were taking us someplace safe. I have no idea where. I just knew I couldn’t go with them though, or I’d never be able to find Megan. I had no idea where she was by then, but I knew I had to go back to where I’d last seen her and go from there. I knew those men wouldn’t let me do that, so I took off running into the woods when I had the chance. They even shot at me, but I don’t know if they were actually trying to hit me or not. They didn’t though, and I felt lucky to get away.”
“Did you notice any official looking markings or insignia on their uniforms or their equipment? Flags or anything like that?”
“Man, I honestly don’t know, Mr. Branson. I was pretty shaken up, you know. This all happened so fast and it was so unexpected. I didn’t really question who they were, because they said they were the good guys and they’d just killed all the bad guys. As far as their uniforms, I don’t know. I mean, they were like green camouflage or something, but I didn’t pay much attention to them.”
“That’s okay,” Eric said. “I’m just curious.”
“Why? Do you think they weren’t really soldiers? Maybe another militia group or something?”
“I don’t know. After talking to Nantan and your Uncle Ethan, I’m getting a better idea of what’s going on out here. I doubt if they were militia, since the strike seemed to correlate with Megan’s report of the camp to those soldiers she found at the outpost on the highway, but they may be hired contractors doing work the Army isn’t authorized to do, especially considering this is happening on U.S. soil. It’s hard to say, and we may never know, but the main reason Nantan wants to go is to learn more of what is going on. It’s valuable knowledge that will help him and the rest of the security force here keep your people safe.”
“I understand, Mr. Branson. I wish I could go, but I will respect your wishes and stay here with Megan. She may not be too happy about it, but you’re right. She’ll be safe here.”
“Thank you. I’ll talk to her when we get back to your uncle’s.”
Just as he expected, Megan was even more displeased than Aaron when she found out she wasn’t going to be included in Eric’s expedition to go back to the cabin to get her mom and the others.
“It seems like all I ever do anymore is wait! I’m going to be bored out of my mind sitting here that long!”
“You sound just like your mom! She’s had to do a lot of waiting too, but we all have. I know it’s not what you’d prefer, but it’s best for you and it’s best for me this way. We are going to be traveling fast and as hard as we can push the horses, and believe me, it won’t be any fun.”
“It’s still better than sitting here doing absolutely nothing!”
“Well, at least you won’t be alone. Aaron is staying with you, so there’s that. I like him. He seems like a good guy.”
“I like him too, Dad, but now I’m like, what’s the point in getting to know him better? You’re saying the only option we have is to get on a boat and sail to some faraway island, so I guess I’ll never see him again.”
“Nothing is certain anymore, Megan. First, I have to go get your mom. I don’t know how or when we’ll get back to Louisiana, but if Aaron wants to come with us, I don’t have a problem with that.”
“He won’t, because this is his homeland, and these are his people. He’s never lived anywhere else besides here on the reservation and in the dorm on campus for that brief time he was there. I doubt he’s ever even seen the ocean, much less sailed. So, this will just be another sad good-bye like with every other friend I had.”
“Vicky will be coming back here with us. She doesn’t have any close family anywhere near here now that her grandparents are dead.”
“Yeah, she still has her mom, but she’s so far away, I don’t know how she would ever get there on her own, but she may want to try.”
“If not, she can go with us. The option is there if she wants it.”
“How much room do you have on this boat anyway though, Dad? You said Mom wants to go, but if she does, that means Daniel and Andrew will be going too of course, which seems kind of weird, considering that it’s your boat. And then there’s Grandpa and Uncle Keith. And what about your friend, Jonathan?”
“It may be tight, but there’s room to fit everyone that wants to go. I don’t think your Uncle Keith will though, because he still feels it’s his duty to serve his parish, especially now that they’re so shorthanded. And I don’t know if your grandpa will go either. I wouldn’t be surprised to get back and find him wearing one of those spare badges Keith’s department has lying around down there. You know your grandpa. Jonathan’s plan was to find a boat and hang around the Atchafalaya where he could fish. I never promised him a ride to the islands, but he’s been a hell of a trooper ever since I met him, so I wouldn’t tell him no if he’s changed his mind. Your stepdad wasn’t too happy about any of this, but I think he’s had time to make an attitude adjustment. It’s none of my business anymore regarding him and your mom, but she’s not going to stay there while you and I sail away, you can believe that. So, Daniel is going to have to make his choice.”
“Well, the sailing sounds fun and all, but this is way too complicated and not something I’m ready to think about right now. I just hope things settle down first and it doesn’t come to that. I’m really more optimistic that they will now, after the way that Army sergeant helped me out by getting me here and then sent tr
oops to attack those guys that took Aaron. I think they’re getting it back under control, so that’s what I’m counting on.”
As long as Megan was willing to stay there on the reservation with Aaron without complaint, Eric saw no reason to burst her bubble, but he didn’t share her optimism and saw little reason to alter his long-term plans just yet. He changed the subject and tried to simply enjoy spending what little time he had left with Megan before he had to leave. In the morning he would be up before dawn, checking his weapons and getting Maggie and Sally ready for the journey.
Ten
ERIC MET NANTAN AND the four he’d chosen to accompany them just after sunrise, and the six-man party started out to the north without further ado. In addition to the extra horse Eric was leading, they had three more packhorses with them that could serve as mounts for Shauna, Vicky and Jonathan if for some reason the other horses left at Bob’s place were unavailable. Nantan and his men were traveling light; with winter sleeping bags and bivy sacks and as much weight in weapons, magazines and ammunition as their other gear and supplies combined. Eric packed likewise, having already told them of the enormous stockpile of supplies Bob had stored at the cabin. Carrying food for the return journey wasn’t really necessary.
They crossed from Jicarilla reservation lands onto adjacent national forest property, and from there the Apaches led the way across a landscape of brush-covered rolling foothills well to the west of the Continental Divide. Nantan said it was a faster route than the high-country trails, and that they knew shortcuts that would avoid most roads altogether. Still, there were some that had to be crossed, and scattered ranches and communities they had to skirt around, along with barbed wire fences that presented obstacles for the horses. A couple of the men carried wire cutters for the latter, but in the places where it was isolated enough to do so, they used existing cattle gaps to avoid leaving traces of their passage.
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