“Work gave me another week off and I took Half-Breed on a hike. I simply forgot my phone. There was nothing to be worried about.”
“After being followed and someone trying to break into your house you shouldn’t go anywhere without that phone,” he scolded as he paced back and forth in the foyer.
He was clearly upset and I nearly fell for it until it dawned on me that I never told him I had been followed. “David, how did you know I was followed? I don’t remember telling you that?”
“Oh, Aunt Agnes mentioned it and asked me to keep an eye on you. She’s a little worried about you, too.”
I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt on this one, but I still couldn’t trust him. I was waiting for him to try to “romance the stone off me” as he put it. I wasn’t planning on giving him the opportunity, but I knew it wouldn’t stop him from trying. Though I was prepared for any trick he might try and pull, what he did next totally surprised me.
“Well, as long as you’re all right I’ll head home. You make sure you put that alarm on as soon as I leave,” he said as he turned and headed out the door.
I wondered why he was so worried about me. He knows something is about to happen, I could feel it.
“David?” I said.
He turned back to me. “Yeah?”
“Thank you for caring. It really means a lot to me.”
“I’ll call you tomorrow, Pam. Maybe, since you’re not working, we can do something together.”
“Okay, we’ll talk then,” I said as he headed toward his truck.
Closing the door behind him, I set the alarm and turned to Half-Breed. “That was so weird. What did you think of that?”
I don’t know what he’s up to but I’m pretty sure it’s no good.
David spoke into the cell phone. “She’s been missing all day long . . . Yes, of course I asked her where the hell she was. She said that she was hiking with the wolf and left her cell phone home, but I don’t buy it. My guess? My guess is that she’s got both halves of the stone and she’s figured out how to use them. No. I don’t know if she knows the location of the cave but we’ll find that out soon enough. I say we just wait and watch her. Let’s see where she takes us and then we make our move. No! No, we have to wait. We have to let her lead us to the cave. I don’t care how long it takes. Oh yeah? You think you can do any better? I still think I’m your best bet. I’m the only one she lets close and I think she’s starting to trust me but you’ll do it your way anyway no matter what I say. You’ll get your way . . . You always do.” He tossed the cell phone onto the passenger seat and drove away.
He ran his hand through his hair and sighed. He knew what was expected of him, what he had to do. But he was starting to have feelings for Pam.
As I watched David drive away, my hand drifted to rest over the dream catcher. Now that I had both halves of the stone, I needed to focus on learning the full extent of its powers. There had to be so much more to these stones or why would some have died to protect them and why would others kill to get them? I knew it was the path I had to follow, no matter the danger. I also knew I belonged with Moheeladeck and had to find a way to remain with him in his time. It was a bridge I felt destined to cross.
The magic in the stones held the key to enable me to slip away from my time, to clear things up and bring me where I knew I belonged, in his arms and I needed to figure out how to use them.
“Hello, Donna Grant,” Donna said as she answered the phone on her desk.
“Hello, my dear. Am I calling you at a bad time?”
“No, not at all,” Donna answered as she got up from her desk to close the door to her office. This was a personal call, and a conversation she didn’t want anyone else to hear.
“I hope you don’t mind me phoning you at work, my dear, but I need to call in a favor.”
“Yes, of course. My brother told me to expect your call. What can I do to help you, Agnes?”
“I need you to send an email to Pam, one containing that virus so that we can gain remote access to her computer. We need to find out what research she may be doing.”
“I’m her boss, so I’m sure if I ask her to look over a proposal, she would do it.”
“Are you sure, dear?”
“Certainly, I’ll do whatever you need me to do. You know where my loyalties lay. Despite changing my last name, I really am, after all, a Williamson.”
Although David had only been gone about five minutes, I still stood staring out the window beside the front door, deep in thought, when my cell phone rang. My boss, Donna. What the heck could she be calling me about? I thought she said I could take this week off.
“Hi, Pam. How are you doing?”
“Hi, Donna. Oh, just dealing with things and hanging in there I guess,” I said.
“Gee, I can’t imagine what you’ve been through. Listen, I know I told you that you could take this week off, but I really need your help. If I e-mail you a proposal, would you take a quick look at it? We’re meeting with a big client tomorrow. I hate to dump this on you when you’re going through a personal crisis, but you’re the only one that can handle this, and, Pam, this client is your baby.”
“Sure, I’ll take a look at it. Go ahead and send it.”
The conversation came to a quick end once she had gotten me to agree to look at the proposal. This was so typical of her.
“Duty calls,” I said to Half-Breed as I went over to my desk in the corner of the living room and turned on the laptop. By the time the computer booted, the email was already there waiting.
Anxious much? I thought and I sat down at the desk to read the email. Half-Breed lay at my feet and I felt comforted by his presence. I bet Donna had this email all set and all she had to do was press send once she got me to agree. I was annoyed with her for intruding into my thoughts and interrupting me. I had just started to review the proposal when my cell phone rang again.
“Hello.”
“Hello,” said the kindly voice on the other end. “It’s Agnes Warren, dear. Am I calling you at a bad time?”
“No, Mrs. Warren, not at all. How are you?”
“I’m well, my dear. I haven’t spoken to you in a few days and I’m calling to see how you’re doing and how that dog is working out for you?”
“I’m well and Half-Breed is great. He’s smart and really good company for me. The alarm has been installed and between that and Half-Breed I’m starting to feel safe.”
“That’s good news! Have you returned to work, dear?”
“Umm, no, my boss gave me this week off to tie up loose ends, but actually she just sent me an email and I’m working on an important presentation for a meeting she has tomorrow with one of my clients,” I answered, laughing nervously. Why am I feeling so uneasy?
“Oh, wasn’t that nice of them to give you more time off. What have you been doing to keep yourself busy?” Wasn’t she listening to a word I said? Didn’t I just say I was working?
“Well, today I took Half-Breed for a long hike. Actually David was pretty upset with me.”
“David?”
“Yeah, apparently he had been trying to reach me all day but I left my cell phone home,” I answered with that nervous little laugh again. Why was I so nervous?
“With all that has happened to you recently, do you think it’s wise to be out and about without your phone?”
Here we go again with the cell phone, I thought. I was getting suspicious and then I remembered the conversation I’d overheard between David and Williamson about the GPS chip. I wonder if David had slipped one into my cell phone. He might have put his aunt up to making this call to verify my story.
I wouldn’t put it past him, either, Half-Breed agreed.
“I was with Half-Breed and besides, I probably wouldn’t get cell service out in the woods,” I replied to Mrs. Warren.
“You’re probably right about that, but you should still be careful. You know, there are things out in the woods that can be very dangerous. What i
f you had fallen and needed assistance?”
“Good point, Mrs. Warren. I promise to be more careful.”
“What are your plans for the remainder of the week, my dear?”
“I hadn’t really given it much thought. I’ll probably take Half-Breed out for another hike while the weather is still nice. Once the snow and cold set in we won’t be getting out much.” I tried to keep my mind on the conversation rather than wondering what Mrs. Warren was really up to.
“That’s true. Anyway, dear, the reason I phoned was to ask if you would like to come to dinner one evening this week. I have some exciting news that I think may be of interest to you.”
Finally, getting to the bottom of why she really had called, I thought. I wasn’t usually this impatient. Why am I now? What’s this all about and what’s going on with me?
“Really, and what would that be?” I asked.
“There is a lot to tell, but the long and short of it is that the museum has just received a grant from the federal government. The government would like us to do more excavation at the site of the original Aloscotay village and to open a new exhibit featuring the finds that will hopefully be discovered at the dig. As soon as I got the news of the grant, I immediately thought of you.”
“Me?”
“Yes, dear. In light of the interesting artifact you have just acquired, I thought it might be interesting for you, and, well, I really wanted to wait until dinner with the committee to ask you this, but I was wondering if you would be interested in participating in the actual dig.”
“That’s great news for the museum,” I said with excitement in my voice, but my thoughts were running in another direction. I bet she wants me to donate the “interesting artifact” to the exhibit. Why would she want me, an advertising agent, to go on an archeological dig? Is this all an odd coincidence? The hair on the back of my neck rose and goose bumps ran up my arms.
“I really don’t know if I would be much help. I’m more likely to get in the way on an archeological dig,” I said. I wonder what more she expects to find at the village? The stone perhaps?
My thoughts were scrambling. I don’t know why I felt the sudden urgency to get this news to Moheeladeck.
Half-Breed’s thoughts rushed in, Already taken care of.
I don’t know what I would do without you, Half-Breed.
“So, can I expect you at the committee dinner, dear?” Mrs. Warren’s voice sounded in my ear and brought my attention back to the conversation.
Although I had no reason to be wary of Mrs. Warren, I couldn’t shake the uneasy feeling that the circle of enemies was tightening around me, and the catcher vibrating over my heart reinforced my uneasiness. There was no way I was going to get out of this gracefully.
“Would it be all right if I brought Half-Breed with me?” I said.
“Oh yes, certainly, dear. It’s not as if he hasn’t been here before.” She chuckled.
“Is Mr. Harvey on the committee?”
“No. Oh no, dear,” she said with a laugh, “his expertise lies in . . . other areas.”
“Well, in that case, if I am available, I would love to come.” I lied, hoping that would pacify Mrs. Warren and still leave me an out.
“Wonderful, I’ll set it up for later this week and get back to you with the details. I am really looking forward to this,” she replied.
“I look forward to it as well. I’ll see you then,” I said, and with that we hung up.
I stared at Half-Breed. “I can’t explain it. I’ve been to Mrs. Warren’s house before and felt so relaxed and safe, but now, I have such an uneasy feeling about going there.”
You could have declined the invitation.
“I couldn’t think of a graceful way to get out of it. Don’t you wonder why she wants me to be part of all this? Why would she want an ad agent to be part of an archeological dig? I need to talk to Moheeladeck. For some reason, I don’t trust her. I think our enemies are about to enter our inner circle and we need to be ready.”
I could hardly focus on the proposal. I forced myself to concentrate on my work and after making a few suggestions, sent the e-mail back to Donna.
“That should do it. Now let’s talk to Moheeladeck,” I said to Half-Breed as I took the catcher into my hands to summon him.
No, Princess, I have made him aware of this. He is engaged in the tribal business of settling a dispute so you should wait. You will be with him tonight and you are in no immediate danger. That will be time enough. Half-Breed seemed like the voice of reason. He’s pretty wise for a mere wolf and I wondered what more there was to him.
Chapter 22
David was deep in thought as he slipped his cell phone back into his pocket. Confusion stirred his spirit. How had I gotten to this place in my life? He thought he knew who he was and what he wanted, until now. The feelings he had for Pam made him question everything he thought he knew about himself. His mind wandered. Ever since he had met her, his entire world turned upside down.
He had never known his father. All he knew of the man were the few stories his mother and Aunt Agnes had told him. He had never even seen a picture and hadn’t given that much thought until he had dinner at Pam’s. Pam had framed photos of her family, pictures of her with her parents, friends, and even with the family dog. Why didn’t his mother have even one photo of his father? Vague memories clouded his mind and mingled with his thoughts. Something wasn’t sitting right.
Being raised by his mother and Aunt Agnes, he always thought of himself as having two mothers. Through his innocent child’s eyes he didn’t think anything of the fact that Aunt Agnes had made every decision, especially regarding him.
Now that he was an adult, he had to ask himself why his mother had always allowed Aunt Agnes tell her what to do? Especially where he was concerned? Was that normal? He couldn’t help but wonder if his mother was afraid of Aunt Agnes. Maybe it was because his Aunt was the elder in the family and his mother sought her older sister’s wisdom? No, he thought, it was more than that. Aunt Agnes had always had the final say on everything. His entire life, he was being molded by both of them in preparation for some significant duty in his future. They had said as much. Unanswered questions haunted him.
Why didn’t his mother or his aunt ever allow him to have any close friends, or a serious girl friend? Why was every attempt he made at love squelched by his “mothers?” He had dated women before, but he had never experienced deep romantic love and Pam seemed like someone he could explore that with. He admired Pam’s courage. When confronted with personal danger, she faced it without even flinching. She was pretty, smart, fun, and he really loved being with her.
Then this whole situation with the stone had come up.
He knew the significance of the stone. He knew what legend said was in that cave, but the truth was that none of it mattered to him. He could never tell his aunt about his feeling for Pam because he knew she would put a stop to the relationship. So what if the treasures of the cave were beyond imagination? What he treasured more than anything in the world was finding real love and he was finally falling in love for the first time in his life . . . with the woman he knew he was destined to destroy.
Moheeladeck longed for Takshawee to be by his side. Time had brought them together once again and now circumstances in her time were keeping them apart. He needed to find a way to help her eliminate those obstacles. After the funeral ceremony when Emanudeck was about to leave to resume his duties, Moheeladeck approached him.
“Emanudeck, I need to speak with you.”
“Certainly,” Emanudeck answered. Placing his arm around Moheeladeck’s shoulder he guided him away from the center of the village. “What troubles you?”
“It is Takshawee.”
“What has happened? Has my daughter done something to displease you?”
“No, she is the very essence of my life.”
“Then tell me what is wrong and perhaps together we will find the path to the solution.”
�
��Time has brought her back to me and I long for her to remain here with us.”
“How is that a problem, my son?”
“Circumstances in her time are holding her prisoner there.”
“Circumstances? What is it that holds her there?”
“She has a debt and must find a way to repay it so she will be free to remain here with us.”
“Are you sure it is a debt that holds her there?” the wise Shaman asked.
“Yes, that is what she has said. I need to find a way to help her be free in that time, free to be our Princess. I feel lost without her. I dream of a family, of peaceful days with her by my side.”
“You are thinking of children?”
“Yes, I want nothing more.”
“Nor do I, my son. I long to see my grandchildren playing in this village.”
“Then help me, Emanudeck, for I know no one more wise than you.”
Emanudeck removed a pouch from his belt and handed it to Moheeladeck.
“Take her into the cave, my son. There you will perform a most sacred and ancient ritual. Do as I instruct you and say the ancient words I will teach you. Do this in the place the Aloscotay hold most sacred.”
Moheeladeck bowed his head reverently. “Emanudeck, I knew your wisdom would show us the way.”
Emanudeck placed his hand lightly on Moheeladeck’s bowed head. “The Great Spirit will hear your prayer,” he whispered and then he was gone.
That night, when I got ready for bed, I was anxious, uncertain of what danger was coming at me and who the source of that danger was. Unanswered questions swirled in my mind. David had been so worried about me. At times he was so kind and thoughtful, how could he possibly be the same man I overheard in the park with Williamson? Who else was he working with and who were the both of them answering to?
Then there was the unmistakable feeling of uneasiness whenever I had to deal with Mrs. Warren. She had rescued me from Mr. Harvey in the museum. I thought she was one of the good guys, but now I wasn’t so sure. She was a sweet little old lady. Of course she couldn’t be dangerous. Could she? I recalled Weekatay’s words. “She could come to you in any form, even that of a man or an old woman.”
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