I Will Fight No More Forever

by E B Corbin

  Henry did a cursory inspection of the rest of the missiles. He stood and dusted off his hands on his jeans. The buzzing had not let up. His instincts told him he had to get out of there. He forced himself to conceal his distress. “They look okay to me. I wouldn’t store them in this shed much longer, though. The dust and hot air could damage them.”

  Doughboy shrugged. “They won’t be here much longer.”

  “You’re not going to launch them from this clearing, are you?”

  “What’s it to you?” Coveralls stuck out his chest.

  “There’s not enough clearance here. Your missiles will hit the trees and fail.” Henry looked at Doughboy. “You should know that.”

  The Army guy crossed his arms over his chest. “’Course I know that. We’ll be movin’ them soon.”

  “I’d like to see your intended launch site.” Henry thought he might be able to figure the layout of the compound if he could get to another spot. He really wanted to find some bunkhouses or cabins and catch some of the thousand residents on film. He didn’t know if it would help or hinder his team’s request for aid from the FBI, but he would feel better if he knew where innocent civilians were staying.

  Not that any of the civilians were innocent; they came together knowing they would have to fight for their cause. But they might not know the extent of damage their group would cause. At any rate, Henry couldn’t worry about that now. He needed to see more of the compound.

  When no one answered his request, he frowned. “Well? Are you going to show me the site or not? I can’t guarantee these missiles will work unless I know the exact position they’ll be in when fired.”

  Coveralls stepped so close to Henry he nearly spat in his face. “What the hell do you need to know that for? Either these missiles will do the job or they won’t. The launch place don’t matter.”

  Henry stepped back and held up his hands. “Whoa, there. I was asked to verify that these Javelins could do the job. I can’t do that without seeing the launch site. Either you can take me there or I can report that the missiles seem fine but I can’t guarantee they’ll do what they’re supposed to.”

  Doughboy pulled Coveralls away. The two of them spoke in whispers, glancing at Henry every so often. Biggie and Petey shuffled their feet and remained silent, trying to overhear the conversation. The whispers became louder as Coveralls disagreed with Doughboy. Henry had no idea which of them objected to his seeing the site, but he hoped the other won the argument.

  Finally, they stepped closer. Coveralls scowled at Henry as Doughboy said, “All right. We’ll take you there.”

  Henry’s shoulders dropped in relief. Perhaps the change of scene would lessen the buzzing. “Let’s go then.”

  “Petey, you and Biggie put these missiles away and make sure you lock the shed.”

  “Why do we always get the grunt work?” Petey whined as Biggie moved to pick up the first missile.

  With authority, Coveralls said, “’Cause somebody’s gotta do it, and you’re here” and glared at them.

  As Petey mumbled and moved to help his friend, Henry raised the tailgate to his truck. He doubted these guys would overlook the two CLUs in the bed, but he thought he’d give it a try. Doughboy was overseeing the move of the missiles. Coveralls climbed into the pickup behind Henry’s and started the engine, honking for Doughboy to join him.

  Henry held his breath as he opened the driver’s door and lifted his foot to enter the cab.

  As Doughboy headed to the truck, he glanced into the bed of Henry’s pickup. “Hey! What the hell do you think you’re doing with those CLUs?

  Henry stuck his head out the window. “Shit! I forgot they were back there.”

  Doughboy dropped the tailgate and called to Petey to get the CLUs.

  Henry waited for a signal from Petey before he started the engine. The buzzing never lessened as he followed Coveralls and Doughboy into the woods. They took a winding path, barely wide enough for the pickup, but Henry could tell it was a well-used track. He bounced along behind them for about ten minutes, all the while scouring the woods for signs of buildings of some sort. He saw nothing but trees. Once he thought he noticed a circle of tents nestled among the pines, but he couldn’t stop to get a better look.

  When the path began to climb, Henry hoped his old truck could make it up the steep hill. He downshifted to second gear and kept a steady pace. Before long, they came to a flat area at the top of the hill. Trees had been cut to make a large clearing. From there, Henry could just make out the roof of the casino in the distance. Instead of diminishing, the farther they got from the missiles, the buzzing maintained a steady pace—loud enough to make it almost impossible to function. When Henry pulled out binoculars to look at the casino, the buzzing reached a crescendo.

  He thought of Sam and White Cloud waiting for him outside the compound. He’d told them to meet him at the casino when he was done. The panic began when he realized that the buzzing could be signaling trouble on the reservation. He had to get out of there and find his friends.

  Chapter Twenty-Seven

  Henry circled so that the camera in his pin could pick up the details of the area. It was a good position; the missiles could easily hit a target on the reservation from where he stood. He grunted his approval to Doughboy and Coveralls. “This will do.”

  “Damn straight, it’ll do. Ya think we’re idiots?” Doughboy stood with his arms crossed, his feet apart, ready to argue.

  “I think I needed to see it for myself.” Henry opened the driver’s side door. He wanted to get out of this place as quickly as he could without arousing suspicion. “We can go now.”

  Doughboy snorted but climbed into the truck with Coveralls. Henry followed them through the woods to the area with the missiles. Everything was closed up tight. Petey and Biggie were nowhere in sight. They came to a stop, side by side in the clearing.

  Henry called to them through his open window. “Can I get out of here the same way we came in?”

  “That’s the only way,” Doughboy yelled back. “I’ll call down to Donnie and Hulk to open the gate for you.”

  Donnie and Hulk? That made six men he knew were on site. Not a lot for the type of operation they were planning. Henry wondered if all the others were kept in the dark like him. Perhaps they had no idea about how their ultimate goal would be achieved. Henry didn’t have time to worry about that. If they were so stupid to believe they could have a sovereign state with no bloodshed, it was beyond his comprehension.

  Doughboy pulled out a phone and held up a finger for Henry to wait. “They’re on their way back from the reservation. Give ’em five minutes. They’ll open the gate as soon as they get back.”

  Henry’s alarm spiked to panic level. Sam and White Cloud were on the reservation. What were two goons from this group doing there? He kept a straight face and nodded. “I’ll start on down.”

  It took all his willpower to keep the truck at a decent speed as he bumped down the hill to the gate. He saw a Hummer blocking the entrance as soon as he cleared the trees. When he was halfway there, he pressed the gas pedal and sped across the dry, brown earth, leaving a trail of swirling dust behind.

  A muscle man leaned against the bumper of the Hummer. He straightened when Henry came into view but made no effort to move.

  Henry pulled up to the gate. “You want to open that? I don’t have all day.”

  The driver stepped out and rounded the front. He rubbed a hand over his close-cropped hair. “You might want to take your time going through the reservation right now.”

  In a measured voice, Henry asked, “Why is that?”

  “There’s a bit of a commotion at the casino. Seems like some woman’s gone missing. The rez cops are all over the place.”

  Henry felt his heart gallop It couldn’t be Sam. She had two guns and a knife, and White Cloud would keep an eye on her. Who would try to grab her under those circumstances? “When did this happen?”

  “Just now. We almost didn’t get out o
f there before they shut the casino down.”

  “They shut it down? That seems pretty extreme.”

  “Yeah, well, this woman must be some kind of special person.” The driver shrugged. “If I were you, I’d drive on by as quickly as you can without drawing attention to yourself.”

  Henry nodded. “I’ll do that. Thanks for the warning.”

  He shot through the gate as soon as muscle man opened it and lifted his hand in farewell. The minute he was out of sight, he floored the little pickup.

  A reservation police car blocked the entrance to the parking lot for the casino. People milled about near the front, many of them irate at having their chance to win the big jackpot interrupted. A Native American officer held up a hand to stop Henry then waved him away.

  Henry ignored him and pulled up next to the young cop. “What’s going on?”

  “Casino’s closed temporarily.”

  “What happened?”

  “Nothing to concern you. Move along, now.”

  “I’m supposed to meet my friends there.”

  “Can’t do it now.”

  “But they’re expecting me.”

  “Sorry. Call them and let them know you can’t get in.”

  “One of them is my boss. I’ll be in trouble if I don’t meet them.”

  “Look, mister, there’s been a report of a missing person. No one comes or goes without permission until the situation is cleared up.”

  Henry took a deep breath. “I may know that missing person.”

  The Native American gave him a stern look and shook his head. “Can’t let you in.”

  “How about you call my friend, White Cloud. He’ll vouch for me.”

  The policeman’s eyebrows rose. “You’re meeting White Cloud?

  Before Henry could answer, an older cop walked over—gray streaked his ponytail, but he looked fit in his brown uniform. He eyed the orange pickup for a long time then finally spoke. “What is the problem here?”

  “Guy says he wants to meet White Cloud.”

  “White Cloud? What is your business with him?”

  “He’s a friend.” Henry controlled his anger but couldn’t control the buzzing.

  The older cop stepped close and inspected the truck. “This looks like the truck that Thomas used to drive. What are you doing with it?”

  “White Cloud loaned it to me.” Henry’s frustration made him sound angry, though he knew he needed to keep his temper in check or end up on the wrong side of a cell.

  “Shut off the engine and give me the keys.” The officer held out his hand, palm up.

  Henry sighed and put the truck in gear: since the hand brake on the old beater didn’t work too well, he’d learned to always leave it in first gear when parking. He dropped the keys into the cop’s outstretched hand.

  The Native American stared at the keys in his hand for a moment before he tucked them in his pocket then walked away without a word. Henry simmered. The incessant buzzing didn’t help matters.

  It seemed like forever but was only a few minutes when he saw White Cloud approaching. His friend waved the younger cop away and walked to Henry’s door. He handed him the keys and told him to park in a handicapped spot toward the front of the lot.

  Several onlookers turned to watch him as he pulled in. Through his open window, he heard them muttering among themselves. “Who’s that?” “How did he get in here?” “He doesn’t look handicapped.”

  He ignored them as he jumped out and waited for White Cloud.

  “What’s going on? What happened? Where’s Sam?” The words tumbled from Henry’s mouth as soon as White Cloud was within earshot.

  He took Henry’s arm and guided him though the milling crowd. He waited until the door had closed behind them, then led Henry over to a cluster of chairs in the lobby. “We do not know what happened to her. She was not in the gift shop, where she was supposed to be.”

  “What the hell was she doing in the gift shop? Why weren’t you with her?”

  Unfazed by Henry’s outburst, White Cloud explained how they had split up so he could keep an eye on the two men in the Hummer while she kept up the pretense of looking for a gift.

  “I just saw those two men. Did they abduct her?” Henry had not seen a third person in the car, but the windows were tinted enough to make it difficult to see inside.

  “They do not have her. I watched them the whole time. They were parked at the rear of the lot and never got out of the car. When I could not locate Sam, the head of security here called the rez police. The Hummer was never out of my sight. I watched them pull out as the cops arrived. Sam was not with them.”

  “Then what happened to her?”

  “I do not know,” said White Cloud.

  Henry glanced around the empty casino. Several men and two women in brown uniforms stood around looking puzzled. “Have you checked the restrooms? Maybe she’s sick.”

  “We have looked everywhere. They ordered everyone, including staff, out of the casino when Uncle told them to shut down.”

  “Thomas is here?”

  “Uncle liked Sam and felt responsible for her involvement in this mess. He is not one to shirk his duty. He has been here searching for the past hour. Sam is not in the building.”

  Henry ran his fingers through his hair. “Jesus. What could have happened to her? She had two guns and a knife, and she knows how to defend herself.”

  “The guns and knife are in my glove compartment in the Firebird. Weapons are not allowed in the casino, so she had to leave them behind before she went in.” White Cloud would not look Henry in the eye.

  “Shit!” Henry ran a hand over his face. “What do we do now?”

  “I was waiting for you. I believe she is not in the building or anywhere around here.”

  “You think somebody snatched her and drove away?”

  “That is my best guess. These men and women have looked in every corner of the casino. She is not here.”

  “Would she have wandered outside?” Henry couldn’t give up hope that Sam was still around somewhere.

  “We have searched a wide radius. There is nothing but brush and dirt. Not even a tree to hide behind. I am afraid she has been abducted.”

  “Goddammit! Son of a bitch!” Henry remained at a loss. “I guess you should let them open the casino. No sense causing more inconvenience.”

  “I will let them know.”

  Henry watched his friend approach a man in a brown uniform who appeared to be in charge. He gestured in Henry’s direction and spoke in a language Henry could not understand. The man nodded and signaled to his people to unlock the doors.

  Within seconds, the people outside crowded through the double doors. They made a beeline for the casino floor while the employees tried their best to take their places behind the blackjack and craps tables. Murmurs and anticipation filled the room.

  The noise of the slot machines and roulette tables became too much for Henry. He felt as if his head would explode. “I have to get out of here.”

  White Cloud followed him out to the Firebird. “We can leave the truck here. Everyone knows it was once Uncle’s, so no one will touch it. We need to decide what to do now.”

  “Yeah, but I don’t have a clue.”

  “Since we know it was not the two who followed us, it has to be someone sent by Sam’s father.”

  “More than likely,” Henry muttered. “But why would Sam go without causing a fuss. She knows how to fight.”

  “Nevertheless, she is gone.”

  “Who could have overpowered her without a struggle and where would this person take her?”

  “Where, I do not know. But I have been thinking it might be the blond woman in the silver car we saw this morning.”

  Henry opened the passenger door when White Cloud popped the locks. “We lost her, didn’t we?”

  “I am not so sure.” White Cloud settled into the driver’s seat.

  “Okay.” Henry ran his fingers through his hair again. “If it was
the blonde, she’s probably taking Sam back to Portland. Maybe we can catch her on the road.”

  Without a word, White Cloud started the Firebird and pulled out of the parking lot. As soon as they were on 26 again, he sped up—fifteen miles per hour over the speed limit—and kept his focus on the road. “When we leave the reservation, we will see what this thing can do.”

  Henry sat at attention, his eyes scouring both sides of the road. His mind kept repeating, We have to find her. We have to find her.

  ✽ ✽ ✽

  Sam remained motionless as the silver Mercedes streaked past every car on the road. Her mind maintained focus but she could come up with no way to escape without this antidote the blonde mentioned. If she could move, she could do something to escape. But no matter how hard she tried, she couldn’t get her limbs to cooperate with her brain. Hell, she couldn’t even blink and the incessant staring straight ahead was beginning to drive her crazy.

  The blonde glanced at Sam when they stopped at a red light in a small town. “You were a hard one to catch. I was beginning to think I’d never get you alone without your shadow.”

  She pulled forward when a car behind her honked after the light turned green. “He’s a hunk, by the way. But, then, I guess you already know that.”

  Sam didn’t want to hear the gloating in this woman’s voice, but she could do nothing except try to tune her out.

  “You know, it’s too bad you have a price on your head. I bet we could be friends. I heard about what you did at the Totem Pole the other day. It was impressive.” She swung around another car as soon as a broken center line appeared on the road. “My name’s Kat, by the way. And it’s nice to finally meet you in person.”

  Sam wanted to spit in her abductor’s face, but she couldn’t even feel if she had any saliva in her mouth. She wanted to scream, to lash out, to fight for her freedom in any way possible.