Callahan's Gold (Southwest Desert Series Book 3)

by Mary Tate Engels

  "Everything for their daily lives is here," Ramona said, moving through the room. "The kitchen, with their crude utensils. They must have slept over here. Look, Tory, a turkey-feather blanket. I've seen a couple in museums, but most haven't survived—they're so fragile. And look at this, a wooden toy. And this . . ." Ramona went around the room, exclaiming over each discovery, explaining them all to Tory with pure, exhilarated enthusiasm.

  Tory appreciated the rarity of the articles, but as Ramona continued to talk, she began to realize the academic significance of the find. Ramona would receive tremendous credit and accolades in her field of work. It would provide great opportunities. No wonder Ramona was so excited.

  Ramona picked up a crudely woven basket. "This might be two, three or four hundred years old, Tory! I just can't believe it!"

  "It's amazing to think they've lasted that long."

  "Pueblo Bonito, in New Mexico, was like this. And Mesa Verde in Colorado. The cowboys who found them sold the items to other states, even other countries. But this one—Pyramid—will remain here, in tact, for extensive study. Future generations can learn firsthand how the people lived in those years. Oh, Tory!" Ramona turned around, tears of joy filling her eyes. "I'm so glad you were here with me today. As a witness to my documentation."

  "So am I. Look!" Tory reached down. "Could this be an ancient spear—."

  "Do not touch it!" a loud voice demanded.

  Startled, both women looked up.

  Yazzie stood by the doorway, a gun in his hand. "I said, don't touch a thing in here. It is a holy place."

  "Why, Yazzie, surely you know we would never damage anything here. It's amazing, isn't it?" Tory took a step toward him.

  "Hold it right there," he warned, and lifted the weapon a little higher. "Do not move from that spot."

  "Yazzie . . ." Tory's eyes riveted to the gun and the inlaid turquoise star on the barrel. Dodge's gun—the one stolen from the trailer.

  CHAPTER THIRTEEN

  "You!" Tory gasped. "You're the one!"

  "Shut up!" Yazzie demanded, the gun in his hand wavering slightly.

  Ramona took a step forward and muttered, "Put that stupid gun away, Yazzie. We aren't—"

  "Don't make a move! Stand still, Ramona!"

  Instinctively, Tory reached for Ramona's arm. "Do as he says, Ramona. I'm afraid he means business."

  "Huh? Yazzie?"

  Tory looked accusingly at the man with the gun. "You broke into my motel room, didn't you? And when you didn't find the map, you broke into Sharkey's old trailer where Dodge was living."

  "He did what?" Ramona looked at Tory as if she had lost her mind. "I've never heard any of this."

  "We didn't mention the break-ins," Tory explained. "Mainly because we didn't want to alarm anyone. Plus we didn't know who did it and wanted to see if the person would show his hand. And sure enough"—she narrowed her eyes at Yazzie—"you did. You scum! You took Dodge's gun! Did you also have anything to do with Rex's fall?"

  "You can't prove anything."

  "Oh, yes, I can. Dodge's gun has a mark. The star on the barrel. I remember it. Anyway, it's registered. And numbers don't lie."

  "No, but I do," Yazzie sneered. "And you poor, dear ladies won't live to tell anybody otherwise."

  "You can't shoot us! Dodge and Rex will hear gunshots and know who did it." Tory folded her arms defiantly. Her brave facade was just a masquerade, but with her arms clinched tightly, no one could see her hands shaking.

  "Not if I shoot them first."

  "Shoot them?" Ramona gasped. "But why? What is this all about, Yazzie?"

  He began pulling a thin rope from his hip pocket. "I have to keep them from finding this treasure. This is holy ground, the place where spirits live. It is unfortunate that you two found it. Now you must die."

  "That's ridiculous, Yazzie," Tory objected. "Yes, this place is a treasure, but it's a national treasure that belongs to everyone. It's a wonderful discovery."

  "It must never be discovered again. The spirits must be allowed to rest here alone." He began walking slowly toward them.

  "That's crazy!" Tory said. "We aren't going to destroy it—"

  This time Ramona hushed Tory with a squeeze of her arm. "Don't anger him anymore, Tory. This is what he's been after all along. Not necessarily the gold, but the Indian treasures here. The part about the spirits is folly. I don't believe that at all. You want to sell these artifacts, don't you, Yazzie?"

  Yazzie's mouth spread into a sinister grin. "The cowboys discovered that these old things are worth a fortune on the foreign and black markets. They're worth nothing here. But I will sell them only when I'm ready. And I will not share the profits with four. I discovered them, and I will be the one to gain."

  "Then you knew that Sharkey had found this place, too. You followed him here. You—"

  "Sharkey got in the way!" Yazzie said angrily. "He was stupid, only caring about the gold. There isn't enough gold here to buy a broken-down mule! But these"—he waved the gun in an arc—"these are centuries-old artifacts that are worth thousands. Many thousands!"

  Ramona's face paled and became drawn as the awful realization settled in. "You—oh, God, you killed him!"

  In one catlike motion, she lunged for Yazzie. He tried to avoid her and stepped back quickly, stumbling in the process. He landed on the floor, in a seated position, looking up at Ramona. With both hands, he raised the gun to aim directly at her stomach and pulled back the hammer.

  "Don't come any closer, or I'll shoot you now," he commanded coldly.

  Frantic, Tory grabbed her friend in a bear hug from behind and held as tightly as she could.

  Ramona was hysterical, sobbing and screaming, "You killed him! You killed him! How could you do that to your friend? I hate you!"

  Tory had no time to react to the news, for she could only think that she had to keep Ramona from getting shot by the crazed Yazzie. She held on as tightly as she ever had, using strength drawn from an inner power she didn't know existed. But she held on. "Ramona, please, don't! You have to keep your head right now. Don't make it harder on me."

  Yazzie was on his feet in an instant. He tossed one length of rope to Tory and barked, "Use one end and tie her up. Make it tight, because I'm going to check it. Hands behind her back. Leave the other end for her ankles. Don't try any tricks."

  Tory began clumsily wrapping the hemp rope around Ramona's wrists. By now, Ramona had stopped struggling. She was limp and weak as tears streamed down her face. Tears of hatred and of sorrow.

  When Tory finished her unpleasant job, Ramona stood erect and faced her lover's killer with a defiant gleam in her dark eyes. "You'll get yours, you bastard," she muttered. "I'll see to it! You'll never get away with this."

  He laughed defiantly. "Not from you, Ramona. No one will see or hear from you again. The facts will die with you. Now, sit over there against the wall." He shoved her and she fell clumsily to the spot he indicated. To Tory, he barked, "Tie her feet with the other end of that rope."

  Tory did as she was told. There was nothing else to do with a cocked gun pointed at them.

  "Now, you turn around," he said gruffly. "Hands behind your back."

  She did and with some relief heard the thirty-eight's hammer released. Yazzie tied her hands so tightly that she could feel her fingers tingling even before he finished. Then he pushed her down and tied her feet.

  "When they find you two, you'll look like that skeleton we left in the wash halfway down the mountain." He laughed evilly as he backed out of the room. "You'll never get out of here, so don't even try."

  Tory lay very still, hoping, praying he would leave them unharmed for now. She could hear certain strange noises coming from Yazzie, but when all was quiet, she whispered to Ramona, "What was he doing?"

  "Beats me. I think he's gone."

  They waited a while longer, but as soon as they were sure he was gone, they began struggling to release their bonds.

  After a few minutes, Ramona stopp
ed struggling. "Now, wait a minute. This is not working. We can't untie them, obviously, so they have to be cut or burned or broken in some way."

  "Well, just whip out your trusty pocket knife and cut them," Tory muttered dryly.

  "I usually do carry a pocket knife, so don't laugh."

  "Then get it! I'm not laughing."

  "It's in my saddlebag at camp."

  Tory groaned. "Good place. At least it's safe."

  "Maybe there's something around here we can use," Ramona mused, rolling to her side so she could look around the room.

  "Even I know the Indians didn't have pocket knives in those days."

  "No, but they did have spears. You almost picked one up."

  "Ramona, dear, I'm sure that after two hundred years or so, that spear has lost its edge."

  "Well, there must be something that will cut these ropes."

  "Clip them? Yeah, clip!" Tory said with mounting excitement. "Clippers! I've got some fingernail clippers in my jeans pocket. I had to trim another broken fingernail just before we left, and I stuffed the clippers into my pocket. Now, if I could only reach it . . ."

  "Roll over here. I'll see if I can get it out," Ramona said quietly. "I'll back up to you, and you scoot around until my hand can reach into your pocket."

  It took them almost half an hour of wriggling and twisting, but the clippers were finally captured and the ropes were cut, bit by tiny bit. Finally, when the last string was snipped, they both expelled a whoop of joy and, in a spontaneous moment, hugged each other. Then they dashed for the narrow exit.

  "Dammit! He blocked it!" Tory grasped futilely at the huge stone Yazzie had wedged between the two boulders that formed the small entrance to the cave.

  "So that's what he was doing! I could hear him grunting but couldn't imagine what he was doing. Maybe we can move it." Ramona pounded impotently on the stone with both knotted fists. "Oh, how I hate that man! We can't let him continue with his evil deeds. We just can't!"

  Unwilling to accept defeat, they pushed and shoved and heaved at the immovable force until they slumped on the floor in exhaustion.

  "Now what?" Tory moaned. "We have to warn Dodge and Rex. If not, it'll be disastrous for all of us."

  "Maybe there's another way out of here." Ramona hopped to her feet.

  "I never thought of that." Tory followed closely behind her.

  Ramona pointed out a sliver of light between several rocks. "I'm sure this served as a window for the ancient ones who lived here."

  Tory squinted closely at the window, which was located high above their heads. "If I could somehow boost you up there, Ramona, do you think you could slip through?"

  Ramona gazed skeptically at the slit. "No way. I'm not that thin. But we can yell and try to attract attention."

  Eagerly, they yelled at Dodge and Rex until they were hoarse, but no one answered their calls. And they weren't sure anyone even heard them. In frustration, they explored the room again.

  Ramona ran her large hands along the walls. "See if you can find any breaks or hidden entrances."

  Suddenly, Tory felt the stone beneath her fingers shift. Excitedly, she cried out. "Look, Ramona! A hole!"

  They discovered a narrow tunnel, a passageway to another area. Eagerly, on hands and knees, they followed it. At the end was another room, this one much smaller and completely empty. There was no exit there.

  "What was this room used for, Ramona? It looks strange to be so empty when the other one is so full of interesting items."

  "Yes," Ramona said as she walked around the small area, rubbing the walls with curious fingertips. "It's depleted." She stopped short and looked up at Tory. "Depleted ... Oh, God, Tory. That's it! Yazzie has already stripped this one and sold some artifacts. It makes me sick to think of it."

  "I'll bet he loads them on the mules and hauls them out of the mountains," Tory said. "That might explain what he's been doing every night when he goes off by himself. Loading his saddlebags with artifacts."

  "Yes, that's it! I'm sure of it! And he probably intends to lock us in here so he can unload that other room. Nobody would ever find us here."

  "Especially if he dynamited the hallway leading to this room."

  "Dynamite? Then he has some explosives, after all."

  Tory nodded. "Dodge and I saw him load something on his mule before we left his cabin. Then Dodge figured out it was dynamite to blast for the gold."

  "Well, obviously it wasn't for the gold mine. In fact, the best I can figure it, this cave backs up to the mine on the other side of the mountain. Their rear walls probably meet. So if we used dynamite in the mine, we'd risk tearing this place apart. That's why Yazzie didn't want Dodge using it."

  "Of course! Oh, he is a devil, that Yazzie! Is there no way out of here, Ramona? We've got to warn Dodge!" Tory swallowed hard and discovered she was near tears. They'd really gotten themselves into a terribly dangerous mess. And she was scared—more scared than she'd ever been. Not only was her own life in jeopardy, but those of her friends. And Dodge. What could happen to him frightened her more than anything. She couldn't stand the thought of Dodge getting hurt. Or losing him now.

  "It looks like a dead end," Ramona said, turning back to the wall and pressing and scraping with her fingers. A loose stone came off into her hand, and she smashed it in frustration against the wall.

  The stone broke into several pieces and fell to the floor, as did several chunks of the wall. Ramona stared, then picked up another stone and banged it against the same spot. Breathing rapidly, she picked up another. And another.

  "Ramona, I know you're upset, but this won't help," Tory said. "Anyway, you might hurt your hand . . ."

  "Tory!" Ramona ran her hand along a discolored strip on the rock wall. "Tory, look at this!"

  "Ramona, please stop before you—"

  "Do you see that I've uncovered a vein of gold?"

  "What?"

  Ramona turned an excited face to Tory. "This is it! This is what Sharkey sent us after! The gold is here!"

  Tory peered dubiously at the discolored vein. It was hard to see in the cave's semidarkness, and this wasn't exactly what she had in mind for the big gold discovery. However, if Ramona said this was gold, she guessed it was. "Fat lot of good a gold discovery does us now. Look what a mess we're in!"

  Ramona sighed. "You're right. We have to get out of here and warn the others."

  In desperation, they went back to the tiny window and yelled some more. Finally, with backs pressed against the wall, they sat on the cold rock floor.

  "It's getting dark," Tory murmured sadly.

  "Yeah."

  "Damn! I wish I knew what Yazzie was doing. What's happening down there?"

  Sudden gunshots penetrated the heavy silence. Two of them. Then more silence.

  Tory grabbed Ramona's hand and fought back tears. She'd never been so afraid in all her life. Afraid for the man she loved. She squeezed her eyes shut and prayed silently. It just couldn't be Dodge. But her imagination went berserk and she saw Dodge writhing in the dust, clutching his chest. Her eyes flew open. "Oh, my God, Ramona. I can't stand this!"

  "Tory, listen to me," Ramona began gently. "If ... if Rex and Dodge are, uh, hurt, Yazzie will be back to take care of us. We have to be ready."

  "Ready? What do you mean? I—I couldn't stand it if Dodge were hurt. Oh, Ramona, I love—"

  "Listen to me, Tory." Ramona's voice was sharp and commanding. "We can't just sit here and let Yazzie decide our fate. We have to be prepared to defend ourselves."

  "Defend? How? There's nothing here."

  "I'll show you . . ." Ramona scrambled into the artifact room and Tory followed.

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  Tory and Ramona awaited their evil captor, armed to the teeth with Stone Age weapons, the only things available to the lost-in-time room.

  "They might not be very sharp, but remember, Tory, we'll have the element of surprise."

  "I'm so nervous, Ramona, I'm shaking all over. I'm no
t sure I can do this. What if—"

  "Don't entertain thoughts of defeat. Imagine success. Picture us wrestling Yazzie to the floor and me holding a gun on him while you tie him up. We can do it! Didn't you ever watch western movies when you were a kid?"

  Tory perked up. "I saw Butch Cassidy and the Sundance Kid. But they lost in the end . . ."

  Ramona groaned softly. "Forget that one. Think about John Wayne and . . . and Harrison Ford. We're going to escape by our wits, just like they did in Temple of Doom! Now, listen carefully. Yazzie has to bend over to enter this small doorway. That's when we jump him, while he's off balance. It's our only chance. The minute he appears through those rocks, you lunge for his back and hang on for dear life. That'll give me time to knock his gun away. We can do it, Tory. We have to."

  "I've never done anything like this before, Ramona." Tory spoke with hesitancy.

  "That's because your life has never been threatened. Just stay calm and it'll work."

  "But, what if—"

  Ramona raised a warning finger to her lips. "Shh, I hear someone coming."

  The two women raised their weapons, poised for battle. The sight was almost ludicrous, but Tory knew their lives could depend on their ability to get the upper hand over Yazzie.

  The noise outside the cave's entrance increased, then they heard a man's groan. Someone was definitely trying to come into their little prison. It was time for the showdown, and Tory gripped her ancient club with sweaty palms.

  They held their breath in the tomblike silence until a familiar baritone voice roared on the other side of the rocks.

  "Tory! Tory? Ramona? Are you in there? Are you okay?"

  The shocking—wonderful—sound of Dodge outside the cave was met with wild jubilation. The women dropped their crude weapons and raced to the doorway, both shouting and cheering at the same time. "Yes! Yes! We're in here! We're all right, Dodge! Are you?" They pushed from the inside while Dodge shoved from the outside until the boulder shifted enough to admit him.

  Tory flung herself into Dodge's arms. She needed to feel him warm and solid inside her embrace.