“I’ve explained to Michael, that if he does know where the pots are and he does find them, they can’t be moved,” Danielle said. “A permit would have to be issued to retrieve them, if he does locate them. If they are in some spot where they are at great risk—that could be done fairly quickly.” Danielle looked seriously at Michael , “I know Michael wants to make amends—for his uncle—and to restore honor to his family. That is why I’ve agreed to let him look.”
Michael seemed to realize that he might not be successful, but it seemed worth a try. Lin remembered that she still had the topo map on which Neal had marked spots for his students to search—spots she now knew were where he thought the pottery might have been hidden. She saw Michael’s eye’s brighten as she told him about the map and went to retrieve it from her desk drawer. When he saw the map, he told her it looked similar to the hand drawn map of the area which Raymond Tso had given him and Teddy.
“This one is more sophisticated—it has the elevations and stuff—but the “xs” seem to be in the same spots—this will help,” Michael smiled.
Soon they were in Danielle’s SUV heading for Lomaki. The bouncing of the vehicle caused Lin’s shoulder some discomfort but she tried not to let that show. She retrieved her bottle of Tylenol from her daypack and took two pills with a swig from her water bottle. Danielle had found an extra water bottle for Michael also.
“Are you sure you are up to this,” Danielle asked as she pulled into the Lomaki parking lot. It was the first day the ruin had been reopened for visitors but only a couple of cars were evident.
“I’m fine,” Lin insisted. “I’ll find a shady spot to watch while Michael checks the area—I promise, no climbing or rambling over rocks.”
“Good,” Danielle said as they exited the car, “It’s eleven now. I’ll be back here by one. That should get us back to the visitor center before Sophie comes back. I’ll meet you right here in the parking lot.” Danielle reached for her own day pack, “ Here, take some of my granola bars, it’s almost lunch time now—you’ll at least need a snack.”
Lin grabbed a couple of bars and added them to her pack. She and Michael got out of the SUV and Danielle drove off. Before heading down the box canyon, Lin had Michael to spread the map out on an information sign and they studied the lay of the land carefully. Michael pointed to a marked spot that appeared to be on a rise above the area where the bodies of Darren and Henry had been found.
“There is a small ruin there,” he said. “It’s near our clan’s collection site and it would’ve made a good hiding spot—the soil might be softer there—easier to dig.”
“But you have no tools,” Lin reminded him.
“No matter, I can’t dig anyway—at least not with tools. I think I can tell if the soil is looser, maybe disturbed. I can try anyway. Use my hands. I promise not to remove anything.”
Lin and Michael proceeded up the box canyon toward the slot that led to the open area beyond where the bodies had been found. Lin found herself cringing a bit as they edged past the large earth crack where Cullen’s remains had been discovered earlier. She still wished she knew exactly what had happened to him. The two of them threaded their way through the slot area, emerging on the other side. This was the area where parkland bordered private ranch land. On the ground it was impossible to know exactly where the line was. Lin located a shady spot up against a large rock outcropping where she could still observe the place Michael wished to examine. She insisted that Michael take his water bottle with him.
“We can eat something later, when you have finished examining this spot. If you don’t find what you are looking for, maybe you will have time to check a couple of the other spots which are marked on this map,” she said.
Michael set out to walk the trail that led up the higher outcropping, while Lin settled herself in the shady spot to wait for his return. She had a clear line of vision and could easily see Michael as he climbed to the higher area. That may have been where Henry met his death, she thought. The sheriff’s report indicated his body had been dragged from some higher spot to where it was found near Darren’s.
Even though she sat in the shade, her back and shoulder resting against a boulder, Lin felt the heat of midday. She did feel tired but she wasn’t in much pain at all—a good sign, she thought.
Michael had reached the higher ground and she saw that he was examining the soil surrounding what appeared to be a random pile of rocks. She now recognized that it was really a small collapsed wall—probably one of the many small ruins that dotted this entire region that straddled the border between park and ranch land. She saw Michael stand up.
“I think I may have found something here,” he called down as he turned to further examine the rocky area, his back toward Lin.
Just at that moment, Lin felt something hard and cold against her neck and a familiar male voice shouted out, “Good work Michael, I’ll be up shortly!” A rough hand fastened onto Lin’s good left shoulder. “Get up you nosy bitch! I’m tired of you trying to ruin my business,” John Sessions spoke directly in her ear. Lin cringed realizing he had a gun—against her neck. She had to warn Michael!
“Run Michael,” she screamed as Sessions yanked her to her feet. Sessions shoved her roughly to the ground as he raised his rifle to fire at the fleeing boy. A searing pain rang through her injured shoulder—momentarily blinding her as she hit the ground. Two shots rang out. She opened her eyes to see Sessions standing over her—the butt of the rifle swinging toward her. He killed those men she realized, as she rolled her body toward her good arm—seeking to dodge the blow. She was not quick enough. A searing pain enveloped her head and the world went black, once more.
***
Lin fought her way back to consciousness through the dense fog that seemed to envelop her body. Where am I she thought—what happened? Her head was throbbing and her injured shoulder was on fire—in fact, she hurt all over. Her mouth was dry and there was a ringing in her ears. Straining, she managed to open her eyes. She lay in a narrow space up against a pile of juniper branches. Steep walls rose on either side. Slowly she realized she was in the earth crack! This was the spot where Cullen Honeyestewa’s body had been found. She managed to roll over a bit and tried to look at her watch but the face was shattered. It wasn’t dark yet—she could still see light above her—but she had no way of knowing how long she had been unconscious. She tried to call out but could manage only a thin rasp—her throat was so dry. She needed water. She closed her eyes and lay still—trying to gather her strength. She tried calling out a couple of times but was not sure her voice would be audible to anyone in the area. Finally, she felt like she was fully conscious. Her body was racked with pain but she knew she had to try to move. She needed to find water.
Lin had the thought that Sessions might have tossed her daypack, which held her water bottle, in the crack after her. That might make it appear that she had fallen in accidentally, after all. He wouldn’t have wanted to leave her things where they could be easily found and he surely wouldn’t have wanted them on his person!
Lin gathered her strength. The spot where she lay was narrow but, with careful maneuvering, she could manage to push herself against one wall and maybe move about. She remembered that Neal’s student had been able to walk into the area. It seemed as if it took her forever to sit up, leaning her back against the wall. Her head was spinning and she knew she could not stand—she had discovered that her ankle was painful anyway and probably wouldn’t support her weight. Carefully, she rolled sideways onto her knees and looked about.
There! She spotted her pack about ten feet away. Slowly she began to crawl toward it. The earth crack narrowed in that direction but she managed to ease her body forward until the pack was within reach. Painfully, she raised her good left arm—at least it used to be good. She could still move it but it hurt—probably bruised—she thought. She managed to grasp the pack and drag it toward her. She crawled backward to a wide spot where she could manage to sit and lean back agains
t the side of the earth crack. Her right arm was totally useless. The slightest movement brought severe pain but she managed to place the pack on her legs.
It seemed like hours, but it probably took her only a few minutes to work the zipper loose with her better hand. Groping inside the bag she managed to locate her water bottle and the granola bars. Fortunately, the water bottle had a flip up spout that she could manage with one hand. The liquid eased her parched throat—never had a drink of water felt so good.
Lin wanted to keep drinking but realized she needed to conserve her limited supply so she turned to the granola bar. Finding that she couldn’t tear the wrapper with only one hand, she resorted to biting through it to reach the salty, nutty treat. She chewed the first welcome bite—spitting out the paper. Chewing made her injured head throb more but the food seemed to help clear her thoughts.
Lin surveyed her surroundings. She was wedged against the wall of the earth crack. The junipers she had originally landed against were to her right. To her left the crack narrowed initially but then opened up a bit. The walls seemed higher at that point. She realized she could never get herself out. Her only hope was that someone would come to her rescue—otherwise—Lin tried not to imagine slowly dying in this place. Was that what had happened to Cullen?
Thinking of Cullen reminded Lin of Michael. She remembered the shots ringing out before Sessions struck her—had Michael managed to escape or was his body sprawled atop the ruin where he thought he had found the pots?
Refusing to dwell on Michael’s fate, Lin focused instead on the fact that Danielle would have returned, expecting to meet them. She would have realized something was wrong and initiated a search. The question was would anyone think to look here soon enough? What if they had already looked here while she was unconscious and unable to hear them? Any searchers might have already moved on to other places.
Lin took one more drink of her precious water and then forced herself to close the bottle. Looking up she saw that the light was fading—soon it would be dark. She must have been unconscious for several hours. Maybe she was right and this area had indeed already been searched. She couldn’t have called out and, if anyone looked, she might have been hidden against the juniper branches. The thought was frightening and Lin tried to push it from her mind. She tried to stay focused. I will listen for noise above, she thought. I’ll save my voice and call out only if I hear someone up there.
Lin tried to remain alert, listening, but she felt herself becoming groggy again. I have to stay awake, she thought—I can’t sleep! She tried to focus on her discomfort—she dared not drink anything more just yet—nor eat her remaining granola bar. She began to think about her family, about her plans for her grandchildren’s upcoming visit—where would they go and what would they do. That worked for a while but eventually, Lin lapsed into a troubled sleep. She could not stay awake.
She awoke with a start—she heard footsteps somewhere up above! Gravel fell into the earth crack a short distance away—but she didn’t hear any voices. Someone was there, she was sure of that, but who was it? Was it a rescuer or had Sessions returned to see if she was already dead? Lin realized her own dilemma—stay quiet and convince Sessions, if that’s who it was, that she was dead or risk calling out in case rescue was at hand.
Lin decided she had to take a chance—she knew she would die anyway if she didn’t get out of this place. She managed a feeble cry for help, “I’m here, in the earth crack!” She heard more gravel hit the walls ahead of her and a strong beam of light appeared.
“I see her,” it was Danielle’s voice, “She’s about ten feet ahead of us but it’s too narrow to climb down there. We’ll have to go in here, but we should be able to reach her. I knew we were right to come back here to search again!”
Relief coursed through Lin’s painful body. She didn’t try to call out again. She let herself relax against the wall and closed her eyes to wait for her rescuers. She could hear small rocks falling as someone scrabbled down the side—most likely on a rope like the students had used. When she heard steps heading toward her, she opened her eyes.
Neal Smith scrambled toward her—falling to his knees as he wrapped his arms around her, “Oh, Lin—I thought I had lost you!” his voice cracked with emotion.
Lin managed a smile, “Watch it,” she said—reaching for his arms with her good hand. “I hurt all over.” Lin let herself collapse into the fog which sought to envelop her, “It was John,” she managed to murmur, “John Sessions.” The fog won and her world once again went blank.
She became aware again, when Neal lifted her into the rope sling that had been lowered into the earth crack at the wider point. The pain was almost unbearable as her body was tugged upward and she couldn’t help crying out. Mercifully, she lost consciousness again as they brought her out of the crack and placed her on the ground.
Chapter 30
The next time Lin awoke she found herself back in a hospital room, presumably at Flagstaff Medical Center. This is getting to be a habit she thought. She glanced around the room. Sue Gray was once more seated nearby—a book in hand. What appeared to be late afternoon sun was streaming in the window.
Lin managed to turn her head and ask, “What day is it and where am I? What happened?”
“It’s Monday afternoon,” Sue said as she approached the bed and offered Lin a sip of water, “can you not remember anything? …Maybe not, you had another concussion—worse this time.”
Lin started to shake her head in a negative response, but a throbbing headache stopped her cold. She managed to sip more water and was able to speak, “All I remember is being in the earth crack— but I don’t remember how I got there,” She felt herself drifting back into the fog but she heard Sue’s voice, “Just rest for now. I’ll tell you all about it later—next time you’re awake.”
***
The next time didn’t come until morning. Lin awoke to find a brisk business-like male nurse gently lifting her in the bed and placing her against a wall of cushioning pillows.
“Time to wake up and smell the roses!” he grinned, pointing to a tall vase of lovely yellow blooms sitting on the dresser. “You’ve slept pretty soundly during the night. How do you feel now?”
Lin silently took an inventory of her pain—head, shoulder, ankle—general aches all over. “Sorta like I’ve been hit by a truck,” she murmured, “at least like I imagine that would feel.”
“Pretty close,” the nurse was a big, strong fellow, as evidenced by the ease with which he was able to lift and shift her body to make her more comfortable. “Apparently you were dropped about ten or twelve feet into that earth crack!”
“By the way, the fella who brought those,” he nodded at the roses with a genial smile, “is waiting at the end of the hall—been there all night…”
“ Send him in,” Lin smiled. The nurse straightened her bed a bit and checked her IV before leaving.
Soon, Neal appeared in the doorway. There were tears in his eyes and Lin felt herself tearing up also. Neal came to her side and grasped the rail on her hospital bed. Without touching her body at all, he leaned over and placed his lips gently on hers—kissing her lightly. She found herself responding, her lips seeking his more hungrily. His answering kiss was deep and passionate. He broke away but Lin wouldn’t let him go—her lips still seeking his.
In a few moments, Neal pulled away more forcibly, reaching for a chair that he pulled up to the side of the bed. “I’m not going anywhere,” he said, “not until you’re out of the woods, anyway. Then you can send me packing if you want too,” his eyes sought hers, searchingly.
“Why would I want to do that?” Lin managed to say. Sleep seemed to be once again overtaking her.
“I’ll tell you later,” Neal smiled at her as he stroked the hair from her forehead, “you rest now.” His piercing blue eyes were the last things Lin saw as she drifted into a peaceful slumber.
***
Lin wasn’t sure how long she slept but when she awoke Dr. Ba
rnes was entering her room, accompanied by the male nurse who had attended her earlier.
Dr. Barnes greeted her, asked a few questions, and then proceeded with his examination. As he probed and poked her still painful body he recited the list of injuries she had sustained. “ Another concussion—somewhat worse than the first one but still it could have been even more dangerous—you were lucky there. Not so lucky with the shoulder. You evidently landed on it when you were dropped. I went in yesterday and cleaned out some damaged tissue but I’ll need to do surgery this time. When you recover sufficiently from the concussion, we’ll probably have to put in a plate,” he spoke purposefully. “Other than that you have a badly sprained ankle and a multitude of scrapes and bruises.” He smiled, “You need to stop playing detective!”
Lin tried to protest but the words wouldn’t come. She looked up to see that Danielle and Billy Taylor, accompanied by Neal and Sue Gray, were entering her room. She struggled to sit up—but the pain brought her back down.
Dr. Barnes observed her discomfort. “Now that you are awake and seem to be more clear headed, we can up your pain meds,” he nodded toward the nurse who was busy elevating her bed again, “Bobby here will see to that and I will leave you with these folks. See you tomorrow.”
Lin smiled gratefully at Bobby as he emptied a syringe into her IV tube and settled her back against the pillows. All four of her visitors had managed to crowd into the tiny room and were surrounding her bed.
“OK folks, now tell me everything—including what happened to Michael,” Lin braced herself for bad news.
She felt a wave of relief when Danielle said, “He’s going to be fine. In fact he’s right down the hall. Sessions shot him in the arm and shoulder but he managed to get away and get to the main park road. I found him there when I came back by. He couldn’t identify your assailant; however, he had heard your warning. I called the medics for him. Then I called Toby and Neal to help me search for you. After we sent Michael to the hospital we began our search. Billy and his men joined us. We missed you the first time we searched near the earth crack—you must have been unconscious and unable to call out. We looked, but must have missed you in the shadows. Luckily, we came back by there again when we didn’t find you elsewhere.
Earthcrack: A Lin Hanna Mystery Page 33