by R. S. Scott
Jeremy comes over and sits down in Karen’s chair.
“This is a boring meeting. The chapter officials here are more corrupt than mobsters.” Jeremy points at the man seated at the center of the podium. “All of them, starting with that one. So, where is this medicine man anyway?”
“I don’t know, but I don’t like what’s happening in here, it’s dark in here,” I observe.
“I feel it, too. Bad mojo in here,” Jeremy agrees. “No medicine man is going to show his face in here. He’s got a massive bull’s eye on him.”
Toward the exit sits Holden, who is then nudged by his deputy. They both head out the north exit. “Where’s he going?” I observe.
Chris motions to his deputy, the deputy follows.
Karen returns. “Hi, Jeremy. Steve, here’s your coffee.”
“Holden and his deputy just went out,” Jeremy says and offers Karen her chair back.
“Where’s the Chapter Vice President?” Karen points to the empty chair at the massive podium in the front of the chapter house.
“Steve, you take the north door. Karen and I will see what’s going on outside. Go quietly, don’t raise a ruckus,” Jeremy says sternly.
I glare at Jeremy cautiously, remembering previous conversations with Karen about Jessica being in Tolani Lake. I resort to a stoic facial expression and smile. “Sure.”
I get up and wander to the north door where Holden and company had exited. I drink my coffee. Karen and Jeremy make their way through the kitchen to the rear exit. Jeremy fetches a frybread. Chris stands by the front entrance reading bulletin postings as the meeting continues.
A Teesto deputy taps my shoulder and motions me outside. I glance at Chris. We share a nod.
Holden appears weary and breathing fast. “We had to muzzle Simon at the jail. He somehow got the duct tape off and started chanting and cursing. We wrapped his head around his mouth with duct tape and chained his arms behind his waist then to his ankle chains. He’s grunting, but at least he can’t say anything or curse anyone.”
“Where are Karen and Jeremy?” I ask.
“Over there.” Holden points to an old green pickup truck. In it sits the medicine man.
I return to the front entrance to find Christopher. “The medicine man is here, but he won’t come in. He says there’s someone in here to kill him,” I say and glance at the podium. “The Chapter Vice President is back, where was he?”
“The bathroom, I think. Look, he’s got a shake to him,” Chris points with his lips.
I note the awkward neck twitching on the Vice President. “Watch the exits,” I say and walk to the men’s room. I feel a massive eye looking down into my soul. I’m being watched.
The bathroom is a dirty, generic, men’s bathroom with two sinks, a toilet, and two urinals. There’s nothing out of the ordinary, nothing amiss as I inspect the trashcan and the sinks. I raise my view and notice a ceiling tile has been lifted and moved above the toilet. I climb up on the toilet and reach for the tile, there is weight upon it as I bring it down. On the ceiling tile is a leather pouch, a smelly leather pouch with organic items in it. I set it in the middle of the floor as if I’ve just discovered the lion’s den within. I am careful not to touch it and use a pen to inspect it. I walk to the men’s room entrance door and keep an unruly teenager from walking in. “Men’s room is closed, sorry.”
“I was just in here. I need to wash my hands,” the teenager says.
“You can do it later, beat it,” I tell him.
The rebellious teenager turns and walks away.
I motion to Christopher and show him what I had found.
“Holy shit, don’t touch it, have you touched it?” Christopher asks.
“No, I moved it there using the ceiling tile and a pen. Up there.” I point to loose tiles above the toilet. “It looks like he stood on the toilet with muddy shoes to reach up there. You have a lighter or something?”
“In my truck. Hold that door. Don’t let anyone in,” Chris says and strolls off with a bit of urgency. A deputy returns to the door.
“I got this door, watch for the window.” The deputy lowers his hat, pulls his pistol, and stands defiant. I close the men’s room door.
From the window, Chris hands me a lighter, a tin coffee can, and lighter fluid. Karen stands behind him, pistol drawn.
“Burn it, quickly,” Chris commands. “And close this window.”
I use paper towels to pick up the pouch and place it in the tin can. I pour lighter fluid over it and light it. Green flames appear that fuel a sense of terrible urgency in the air.
There is a sudden loud commotion from the main chapter meeting hall, I hear screaming and yelling. I sit and watch the burning of the pouch. Guns shots ring out from the meeting hall as only half of the pouch burns. I pour on more lighter fluid and again reignite the green flame. Small sparks form as the commotion beyond the walls continues.
The wall structures creak and move as I sit watching the flames consume the pouch. A heap of contorted ashes remains. I flush the ashes down the toilet. I pull my pistol and cycle a round as the commotion beyond the men’s room door seems to calm. I open the door to find the deputy missing, but there are ash and murky powder around the door jam and entrance. I emerge into the meeting hall.
“Steve, is it done?” Christopher asks.
“Yes,” I say.
Officer Christopher is eye to eye with the Teesto Chapter Vice President. “Stand down, right now.”
The meeting hall is almost empty with those that remain cowering into corners and the kitchen area. Karen stands by the front door aiming her pistol at the chapter official. I fixate my aim on the twitching Vice President.
From the north door emerges an old man walking with a cane, escorted by a deputy. He wears sunglasses, a denim jacket, and brand-new cross-trainer shoes. He walks to the podium at the front and greets the Chapter President. “Hello, Son.” They shake hands. The terrible, sinister cloud that seemed to frighten everyone seems defeated. Calmness now fills the meeting hall as all seem drunk on sublime solidarity.
The Vice President and Chris still share a gaze in locked formation in the center of the meeting hall. The Vice President tries to look at the old man.
“No! Not there, me! Me! Look at me!” Chris holds his gaze as the chapter official starts bearing his teeth with his neck twitching progressing into violent jerks and loud teeth chatter.
“What the hell?” I lower my pistol. “Chris?” Smeared on Chris’s shoulders and arms are more of the murky powder. It also covers portions of his face and hair.
“Karen, keep your gun on him,” Chris commands. “Holden, you OK?”
Holden limps toward the kitchen. I rush to his side. “What happened?” I ask.
“Karen shot me.” Holden says, grasping his torso.
“What? How?” I ask in disbelief.
“It was him,” Holden says pointing at the Vice President. “He was throwing people around, making them fight. I’m alright.” Holden reveals a Kevlar vest under his jacket as he reloads his revolver. “That hurt. That really hurt.” He clutches his right torso and again stands at the ready.
“Karen…” Chris waves at Karen while still locked in a gaze with the twitching Vice President. “Karen!” Karen fixes her aim again at the chapter official and away from Chris, tears form in her eyes. “Karen, you OK over there?”
“Yeah, I’m good.” She holds her sights on the Vice President.
Jeremy storms back into the meeting hall, his pistol drawn.
The medicine man approaches the Chapter Vice President. “As you must know, I am not rude nor am I to become rude, ever, for death is calling me.” His broken English is difficult to understand. He pulls out his own pouch of murky powder. The Vice President’s eyes shake as much as his hands, and baleful grunts escape his lips.
The medicine man continues, “In the old days, we would just let you do what you want to do. Now it’s different. Now the will of our children is stronger,
and in many ways better, so I bless you.” The old man throws the murky powder on the Vice President.
Karen’s gun goes off and nearly kills the medicine man as he staggers backward.
Chris collapses as the Vice President is now perched upside down on the ceiling corner above the main podium area. The screaming and yelling start up again. The Vice President’s face contorts as he sits in the ceiling corner upside down as a spider would.
Karen lowers her aim.
I regain my senses and point my firearm at the perching entity in the corner, as Holden, Jeremy, and the remaining deputies who haven’t lost their wits also aim there.
“Mr. Vice President, get the fuck down from the ceiling, now!” Jeremy’s voice cuts through the commotion. “Right now!”
“Shit!” Holden’s deputy struggles with his aim. His hands shake as he slowly points his weapon at Jeremy. “Help! Help!”
“Stay on him,” I say and lower my pistol to rush to the deputy. I grasp his aim and point it upward away from Jeremy. Slowly, it starts moving downward toward Jeremy. The strength behind the deputy’s aim is powerful. “Jeremy!” I struggle with the deputy’s aim.
“What’s happening to me?” The deputy’s aim again fixates on Jeremy as I struggle to move it in a different direction.
From the rear of the meeting hall comes a loud bang as Holden fires his .357 magnum revolver. Jeremy ducks as the deputy’s firearm goes off. I yank the pistol out of his hand. The perching entity falls behind the podium and the remaining chapter officials scramble away. Chairs fly in different directions as a massive human spider rights itself. Jeremy and Holden fire upon a contorting mess that used to be the Chapter Vice President.
He moves like an actual spider with incredible speed. He leaps past the medicine man, who looks on in bewilderment, then past the madness and out the north door. Several massive jumps and it disappears behind some trees into a ravine north of the chapter house. Holden and Jeremy rush out with pistols drawn.
“Steve, come on!”
I glance at Karen. “You OK?” I ask. She nods. “You two stay here, watch that door!” I order the deputies and rush out after Holden and Jeremy.
I catch up with Holden as he slowly and timidly approaches some foliage and small trees at the edge of the ravine, his magnum revolver ready to fire.
Jeremy arrives at the ravine edge hoisting a scoped rifle. “Over there, come on.” We run along the ravine’s edge westbound.
“There.” I point to a shepherd’s flock scattering in differing directions. Several shots ring out from a large caliber rifle. “Come on.” We run through a maze of sage bushes and small trees. “Stop, stop!” The shepherd points his gun in our direction from across the ravine. “Hold your fire! We’re police officers! Where did it go?” He points due west. We gaze westward. “That thing is probably long gone.”
“Holden, get a statement from that shepherd. We need to know who he is and exactly what he saw.” Jeremy motions toward the armed shepherd. “Steve and I will head back to the chapter house.”
Holden takes Jeremy’s scoped rifle, chambers a round, and starts across the ravine. Jeremy and I return to the chapter house now swarming with federal agents and local medical staff.
“See how they show up after things happen?” Jeremy observes, points at federal officers in blue jackets scrambling about, “Where were they when we actually needed them?”
“Just shady,” I return. I notice Agent Tom among the new arrivals.
The medicine man leans over Chris and chants.
I sit by Karen as the Chapter President tries to calm the people.
“He’ll be OK,” the medicine man says and turns to Karen, “Child, be strong, but yet always be honest. Worry and fear will corrupt your soul, be blessed.”
Agent Ellington also sits down. “What’s wrong with Sergeant Benally?”
“He sleeps, peacefully, as we all should,” the medicine man says with a smile.
“Sergeant Benally! Wake up Sergeant!” Tom startles half of the chapter house occupants, Chris wakes.
“Whoa!” Chris sits up looking around then hastily paws about for his sidearm. “Where’s the Vice President?”
“He ran off. Have a good nap?” Jeremy helps Chris to his feet.
“Son, never do that,” the medicine man says, glaring at Tom.
“I don’t believe we’ve met. I’m Thomas Ellington with the FBI. I’m working with officers here regarding all of this that is going on.” Tom extends his hand to the medicine man.
“I know who you are.” The medicine man shakes Tom’s hand, “Peace to you, Son. And, always be cordial, it will work in your favor.”
We all glare at Tom. “I’ll remember that. We still need a statement from you so don’t run off.” Tom returns.
“Damn it, Tom,” Karen says and pulls Agent Ellington away.
“We need statements from everyone. I’m told a lot happened here. Several shots were fired. There are bullet holes on that wall, as well as that one. One guy ran off, but some people here didn’t even see that. They saw a giant spider on the ceiling that you all shot at, and then it ran out. How is all this related to the former Chief’s death? And exactly which family did this? The Nelsons or the Monroes? We need statements.” Tom stands glaring at Jeremy. “We have jobs to do.”
“Son, I’m going to get coffee. The rest of you, help out our new friend, Tom, here,” the medicine man says and makes his way to the kitchen. “We are nothing if not compassionate.”
Jeremy glares at Tom. “The Chapter Vice President is one evil piece of shit. Go hunt him down. He caused all this. We did not shoot the walls, we shot at him, and he got away that Teflon-coated piece of evil. Figure that one out. We shot at him with bullets and he didn’t die, figure that one out.” He turns to Karen. “Much love, it’s OK.” Karen nods. “Let’s all be honest in our reports. It will help Tom.”
“Thank you, Officer Bennett, thank you.” Tom stands with notepad in hand. No one sleeps peacefully this evening.
In the restless night, I call Karen. “Good morning.”
“Keller, what are you doing up this early?”
“I haven’t slept, yet. I keep seeing a contorting mortal man mimicking an arachnid. I can’t sleep. I close my eyes, and I see his face. Fucking spiders. I hate spiders,” I tell her.
“Well, I was sleeping until my phone rang,” Karen says.
“Sorry,” I say.
“It’s OK. I’m here.”
“I tried calling Jess, but she’s not answering her phone,” I say. “I sent her an email telling her I missed her. I do miss her.”
“Yeah, great. Maybe, perhaps, she’s asleep,” Karen suggests.
“Geez Karen, later.”
“No, Steve, listen.” I hang up. My reserves for the intolerable are nearly depleted, patience I have not. My phone rings again, I ignore it and stare at my bedroom ceiling, slowly, finally drifting off to sleep.
“Pastor, you might have heard that the chapter meeting yesterday went to crap.” I say, “Apparently, the Chapter Vice President is a Monroe by marriage.” We sit down for coffee.
“Is that Rocky Lee?” Pastor asks.
“Yeah, you know him?” I say, looking at Pastor surprised.
“Before his mom died, she used to attend the Assembly of God church up the road on Hopi land.” Says Pastor.
“And you’re just saying this now?”
“Steve, how would that have changed anything?” Pastor asks.
“We would have been better prepared. If Rocky didn’t out himself as he did, he might have killed the medicine man.” I say sipping my coffee.
“Ah, that would be Lester Begay, the medicine man.” Pastor nods, “I know him too.”
“So, you know him as well?” I stare at Pastor, flabbergasted. “You’re holding out on us.”
“I grew up with him. He’s a good guy, and he’s so close to a conversion to Christianity, he seeks truth.”
“How? Why?” I ask.
<
br /> “Medicine men are a wise bunch. They seek wisdom and peace. It’s then no surprise that they end up in church joining Heaven’s kingdom. They know true peace when they feel it. They know true redemption when they find it.” Pastor smiles.
“Pastor, you have any idea how fucked up that sounds?” I gulp the last of my coffee.
“Son, please watch your language, this is a church,” Pastor says, sipping his coffee.
“Sorry, I didn’t sleep well,” I say.
“More coffee?” The kitchen attendant gets my attention.
“Yes, please. Where is Karen?” I glance out to the parking lot. “I finally sleep and then I’m here at 8:00 am, and where is she? Not here, there’s where.” I sip more coffee. “I don’t do well with sleep deprivation. How is the child? Simon gets released this evening, and he’s a handful and a half.”
My phone rings and I see it’s Jess’s number on the display.
“I’ll be right back,” I say and enter the empty chapel, closing the door behind me.
Through the door window I see Karen and Christopher arrive at the church, we share nods. They talk amongst themselves in serious tones and laugh timidly. They drink coffee as if there is not a crisis happening.
“Jess, listen. I love you. What more is there to say? Come on.” I shift the earpiece to my other ear. “Jess?”
My heart races as my conversation with Jess gets worse and worse.
Karen taps on the chapel door. “Keller, we need you out here.”
“OK,” I wave halfheartedly as Karen returns to the dining hall. “Jess?”
“Look, if you’re busy, I don’t need you to be talking to me right now,” Jess says. “I’ll call you back. I’ll make an appointment or something.” her sarcasm digs deep.
“Don’t be like that. We’re talking now, right now. Don’t leave me behind like this,” I say.
The silence is deafening.
“Leave you behind? Exactly on what planet are you making this shit up? You are the one that left our home. You are the one that left. Max still waits by the bathroom door by the way, wondering when the fuck you’re going to come out,” Jess scolds.