He watched the tiny creatures work together as a team, just as Melina worked beside him.
The early morning sky radiated reds, blues, and oranges, and something overtook his feelings. Almost as if the spirit of Abby heard his thoughts and was trying to assure him she was fine. As he rolled down his window, a gentle breeze blew. His mind calmed, and his sadness faded. Now determination filled the void. He must solve this for Abby. He’d made a promise, one he intended to keep. Hawke realized at that moment, the Great Mystery provided him the knowledge to solve this case. He closed his eyes and prayed. “Great Mystery, thank you for allowing me to feel the comfort of your arms and the guidance of your heart.”
“Hawke, Ian and Amy Winters are coming out of the house.” Melina held binoculars to her eyes. “Both have overnight bags. Ian’s tossing the luggage in the back.”
“Do you see Pete?” Hawke scanned the area.
“No, I guess they’re going to pick him up somewhere. Don’t start the truck until Ian’s turned the corner. We don’t want him to hear us.”
“I won’t.” He turned on the GPS screen so he could track them. “Ironic, isn’t it? Our ancestors used signs to trail their prey. We’re using electronics.”
Melina lowered the binoculars and nodded. “True, but we’ll also use our ancestors’ wisdom. That will never change.”
The black van pulled out of the driveway and drove down the dirt road. Once it turned the corner, Hawke turned the key, and his truck purred to life.
***
After following the black van to an old garage where Ian met Pete, they were soon on the highway toward Las Vegas. So far, everything was going according to plan. The GPS screen helped a lot. “I wish we had one of these for our reservation department, but our funds are so limited. We could never afford one.”
“The FBI gets new ones every year.” Melina shot Hawke a glance. “You wouldn’t believe the size of our budget.” She made herself comfortable as she pulled a book from her huge purse.
Hawke glanced at the title. “The Many Roads to becoming a Medicine Man. Nice book you have there. There are many roads to travel, and it never ends.”
Melina looked up. “Do you plan on becoming a medicine man? Grandfather states I am the only one left to carry the tradition because he fears you do not have the inner spirit to be one.”
Hawke’s gaze ricocheted from the road to the GPS screen and back to the road. “I will become a medicine man in due time.” He yawned. “When I am ready, Joe Whitehorse will be there to help me. It takes time and patience.”
“Pull over, and we’ll change places. You’ve been driving for over two hours. There’s a gas station up ahead. Let’s pull in there, use the restrooms, and then I’ll drive for a while.”
Five minutes later, they were back on the road again. Their prey—Ian and Pete—remained on the same highway about five miles ahead, according to the GPS. Hawke held the book Melina had earlier. “Where do you want me to put this?”
She winked at him. “You read the book. Grandfather gave it to me, but if you are willing, then I will have him teach you his medicines.”
“Sweetheart, are you sure? Don’t take me wrong, I would be honored to be gifted the medicine of Joe Whitehorse.”
Melina favored him with a warm smile. “He will also be honored.” The gleam in her eye revealed she stated his wishes, too. “Now, read the book while I drive.”
Hawke opened the pages and began to read. Different paths entered his mind. He would hold many medicines. He reached for the small stone in his pocket. The amulet bestowed upon him by his grandfather was protected by a deerskin pouch.
Hawke remembered his grandfather’s words. “My grandson, remember medicine items should only be discussed in a very private setting. Many traditional elders, including myself, prefer not to speak of medicine topics, because they are personal and sacred.”
Melina changed the radio station. They exchanged smiles. Her small face illuminated her perfection. He had lost her before, but he would never jeopardize their love again.
When’d she decided to become an agent, he had been dead set against it. Her strong willed attitude forced her to leave the rez. Maybe to prove herself . She became an FBI agent and never returned, until now. Part her reason for staying away so long was his behavior when he had learned of her dreams.
He’d taken her for granted. A mistake he would never make again. The murder of Abby had brought him to see that life was short. He must live for the now.
He was honored Joe Whitehorse respected him enough to want him to accept the road of the medicine man. An honor he would cherish.
Joe Whitehorse and his grandfather had told stories to the children. When he was a child, he did not understand the importance of them. Now he realized it taught him about life. Each story illustrated a virtue, which is essential to balance, and happiness, no matter what the journey holds.
Hawke laid his head against the headrest. Thoughts of his grandfather consumed him. How he missed him and longed to reunite with him. He closed his eyes and relaxed, sensing a connection to his grandfather. Then his faint words streaked through his mind
“My grandson, I walk every path you walk. I remain in your mind and heart so, therefore, I am not dead. You will make a good medicine man. Tell my friend, Joe Whitehorse, thank you for guiding my grandson on the right path. Remember to always open your prayers with Father Sky and Mother Earth.”
The voice faded. Calm enveloped Hawke’s entire body. His breathing deepened.
***
“Hawke, wake up.” Melina shook him.
He grunted and opened his eyes. “What’s wrong, Melina?”
“According to the GPS, they’ve stopped.” She cast him a worried glance.
He straightened in the seat. “Keep driving. If they’ve stopped for gas or something to eat, we’ll drive on past and pull over ourselves. If they’ve stopped to harm Ms. Winters, we need to stop them.”
“Yes, I agree.” Her eyes focused on the road, her jaw set in determination. “Your idea to borrow the dispatcher’s truck so we wouldn’t be recognized was a good one.”
“Both Ian and Ms. Winters know the department vehicles and my personal one. Kylee’s truck is like so many, it blends right in.” Minutes later, they whizzed by a gas station and saw the black van parked at the pumps. Ian’s back was to them as he filled his tank.
“Well, that’s a relief. Everything looks fine. There’s a turnoff up here. Take it, and we’ll stop until we can see on the screen they’ve gone past. Then we’ll follow them again,” Hawke glanced at Melina. “Did you reserve us hotel rooms in Vegas?
“I took care of everything. Stop worrying.”
He nodded, “Did you call the Las Vegas Police Department.?”
“No, remember we decided to wait until we got here so we could explain this mess in person?”
“Yeah, I remember. Just getting everything straight in my mind again.” He fell silent.
“What are you thinking about?”
“Oh, about how Ms. Winters must.”
Melina took the turnoff and made a U-turn, pulling the truck into an area of concealment. “Don’t you worry. What you told me earlier, when I felt the same way, is very true. We will get Ian for doing this. We will.”
Chapter Twenty-Three
About ten minutes later, Melina saw movement on the GPS screen. “They’re back on the road.”
“Give them a head start and then we’ll follow.”
“Sounds good.” Melina shot Hawke an amused stare. “Tell me, which one of the casinos are we going to visit before we leave? Let’s see, there’s the Bellagio, MGM, and the Mirage to name a few.”
His disgusted face showed he had no desire to visit these places. He was there to do a job and nothing more. “I don’t believe that is necessary.”
She chuckled and shook her head as she turned the ignition key. “You truly are traditional. Guess that’s why I love you so.”
They rode on in
silence except for the CD of Native flutes Hawke slipped into the CD player. The truck ate up the miles, its tires humming on the highway. Hours passed, and they stopped once at a fast food restaurant to stretch and order some food to eat on the way. Hawke insisted on taking over the driving.
As they sped up the highway, he held a French fry in front of his mouth. “Where are we staying tonight?”
“We have a room at the Holiday Inn Express, just off the strip.” She bit into a sandwich.
He reached for some more fries. “Boy, you can tell we are not rich.”
An hour later, they drove down the famous strip, laughter filling the car. Melina watched Hawke’s face drain. What a ride this was turning out to be.
The traffic grew heavier as they got downtown. The people lined the streets, walking in and out of places, normal routine.
“So, what do you think about Las Vegas?” Melina asked him.
He cleared his throat. “Well there really are no words. A lot of people and cars. This place is not for me. I like the simple life: my ranch, my dog, and my horses.”
Melina smiled for she knew his heart was good. He lived simply, loving all forms of life. She remembered how he’d cared for a hurt hawk and a wolf pup. Every morning he would walk out to his barn and feed the hawk. Then he would go to the wolf pup and bandage its leg.
When he had to set the hawk free, his heart flew with it. As far as the wolf pup, he kept him and named him Three Paws. Fitting name considering the vet had to remove the injured leg. The wolf dog loved him, obeyed his every command. Hawke had a hard time leaving him behind while they spent so much time on this case, but DeShay had taken Three Paws to her home and promised to take care of him.
The local vet would call on him often. The rez housed a lot of injured animals in the area and, of course, if one needed a home, Hawke would take it in. His love knew no limits. He always gave thanks for the things he took from Mother Earth and likewise he would try to return the favor in some way.
The GPS screen showed Ian’s van stopped on West Flamingo Road. Hawke headed in that direction. Traffic snarled to a crawl which was a great help.
“There!” Melina pointed. “Same van, same plate number. They’re checking into the Palm’s Place. Pull into the gift shop parking lot right there. Why would they get a hotel room if Ian owns a house in the area?”
“Maybe he doesn’t want to mix business with pleasure. Who knows how a man like that thinks?”
“I need to check things out.” She pulled her hair back into a ponytail and twisted her long tresses into a bun. From her bag, she pulled a collapsible broad-rimmed tan hat and black sunglasses. “I’ll walk over and see if I can find out what room they checked into. How do I look?” She tugged on the hat tilting it to an angle to conceal part of her face. The big sunglasses hid her dark eyes.,
“I’m coming with you. There’s no way I’m letting you….”
“Do you have a disguise? Keep the motor running. I’ll be just fine. Relax I’ve done this lots of times.” She opened the door and, with a wave, strutted toward the hotel as if she owned the place. “Don’t keep me from doing my job, Hawke.”
After the longest ten minutes of his life, Melina came into view, eating an ice cream cone. He felt like wringing her neck.
She opened the door and hopped in. “Room 212. On the back side of the hotel. All three in one room. Should be cozy.” She licked the ice cream and gazed at him funny. “What?”
“What? I’m worried sick about you, and you’re buying ice cream?”
“Well, there was a little stand at the back of the hotel’s adjoining lot. I got in line, using the other customers for cover, so I could watch Ian, Pete, and Amy carry their bags to their room. They never noticed me.” She tugged off her hat and sunglasses. “Are you pouting because I didn’t get you any?” She started laughing, but she stopped when he glared at her.
Hawke coiled his fingers around her wrist and leaned toward her. She swallowed. Suddenly he licked across her ice cream cone and leaned back.
“I can’t believe you did that!”
“Now, who is pouting?” The flashing car emblem on the GPS screen quieted their laughter. “They’re moving. Maybe they’re going to the warehouse Ian talked about.” Hawke started the truck and backed out of the parking space. Several streets later, the black van pulled into a popular seafood restaurant and parked.
“Looks like they’re just going for dinner. While they’re in the restaurant, let’s get checked in at the Holiday Inn. Then I’ll come back. Melina, you can stay at the hotel and rest.”
“No way. We stick together.”
He turned right and drove to their exit. Near the end of the street, he turned into the parking lot of the Holiday Inn Express. Melina took his hand. “I’m proud to have you by my side. You are a good man, TJ Hawke.”
He smiled at her. “Melina Wolfe, you hold my life in your palms. We will one day journey the same path together.”
They squeezed each other’s hand tight, as the flute CD filled the car. This city stayed awake no matter the hour, but it would be difficult for them because they were used to the simple life.
***
While Ian, Pete, and Ms. Winters stayed occupied at one of the casinos, Hawke and Melina checked in at the Las Vegas Police Department. Chaos zoomed around them. The detectives ran around the office helping book inmates into the jail. Hawke grew wary of being ignored. Finally, Lieutenant Doug Vasicek sat down across from them.
“Sorry for the wait. We are always busy around here. Now, how can I help you?”
“I’m Detective TJ Hawke, from the Pine Ridge Police Department, and this is Agent Melina Wolfe, FBI.” Hawke produced his badge, as did Melina.
“Okay, that explains who. Now suppose you tell me why you’re here.” Lieutenant Vasicek’s demeanor had turned rigid at the mention of FBI. His eyes kept shifting to Melina in curiosity.
“We’re here looking for some evidence that could be linked to a young woman’s murder. We hope you can help us.”
Lieutenant Vasicek leaned back in his chair. “Okay, what can we do to assist?”
Agent Wolfe took folders out of her bag. “We’re looking for anything you have on a man by the name of Ian Guidara. He may have a home on North Mountain Way.”
Lieutenant Vasicek rubbed his chin. “Yes, I’m familiar with the name…and address. He’s currently being investigated for drug trafficking.”
Hawke nodded, relieved to have this officer’s cooperation. “Yeah, that is the information we received. However, we’ve been able to get very little information. Ian’s obviously intimidated everyone who knows him. Folks are being very closed-mouthed. Do you have any proof he’s a dealer?”
“We have an open investigation matching that address.” He shrugged. “We’ve been investigating him for over a year. We have two big drug rings we’re trying to shut down. The hard part is trying to determine the ringleader in both. Some tell us Ian Guidara’s one of the top men in one of the rings, but we can never catch him here in the city.”
“He’s here, now,” Melina stated. “We followed him and two others.”
Lieutenant Vasicek straightened in his chair. “Where is he?” He picked up his pen and flipped to a blank page in his notebook..
“Before I share, I need your assurance your department will cooperate with us completely. I don’t want a pissing contest here.”
Hawke’s head snapped toward Melina, surprised by the fierceness of her tone and her choice of words.
Lieutenant Vasicek spared her a hard glare, too. “And I don’t want the FBI riding in here like the damned cavalry, taking over my investigation.”
Melina didn’t hesitate for a second before uttering her comeback. “Oh, believe me, Hawke and I don’t ride in like the cavalry and bungle the job. We ride in like proud Natives, brave, determined, and forceful. Detective Hawke and I are at your disposal.”
His eyes narrowed. “I’m glad to hear that.”
Me
lina gave the lieutenant the name of the hotel and room number. After he jotted down the information, she asked, “How can we help you catch this guy? We want him to pay for a murder committed in our jurisdiction. Who arrests him makes no difference to us. We just want him behind bars.”
She’d obviously appeased the officer. He nodded and exhaled an audible sigh. “Fair enough. Suppose you tell me about the murder.”
Melina nodded to Hawke in a silent signal for him to speak. “We have reason to believe the young woman murdered on our reservation has connected to this address. She was the girlfriend of Ian. He has a residence in South Dakota but believe he owns the house on North Mountain Way as well. We want to add to your investigation, not take over and will show you and your officers the highest respect as long as you do the same for us.”
Lieutenant Vasicek nodded. “I like how the two of you think.” He leaned back in his chair and clasped his hands behind his head. “My department has had the house on North Mountain Way under surveillance for a long time. We cannot jeopardize the investigation by charging in until we’ve got the names of the ringleaders.”
“Lieutenant Vasicek, the man with Ian Guidara is Pete Crowe. They’ve duped a woman, the mother of the murder victim, to come along. Her name is Amy Winters. As far as we know, she is innocent. She’s just a grieving mother trying to hang onto the memory of her only child by spending time with her daughter’s boyfriend. They brought her along to keep her away from our questions. We must make sure they don’t know they’re being watched, for the safety of Ms. Winters. She trusts this man, for her daughter cared for him.”
Lieutenant Vasicek nodded again. “I fully understand the consequences if they learn they’re being watched. Here’s what we’re going to do.”
***
Lakota Justice Page 10