Red Gold

by Sandy Nadeau

  “Now, now,” Judge Markum interrupted. “Let’s keep this on subject. All of your plans look sound. As long as you correct any other problem areas, I don’t see why this should disturb you, Mr. Shonee. The lay of the land looks like there will be little, if any effect on your peace and quiet. Several hundred yards and the elevation climb alone will diminish any noise issues. Efforts can be made by the crews to limit the noise and they won’t work after sunset, so your evenings will be quiet.

  “The actual site for the old style town is well to the backside of the mine and the hill would buffer the noise. Even when the guests enjoy the finished project, you most likely won’t hear a thing. As far as the history, it is on their property. Ownership allows them to do what they want. I see no other reasonable objection that could stand in the way of this project. I hereby rule that the Phillips’s, with High Country Safaris, have clearance for their plan, effective immediately. This matter is settled.”

  Mandy and Jon hugged, and stood up to shake the judge’s hand.

  Mr. Shonee sputtered as he tried to get more objections out.

  Judge Markum held up his hand towards the older man. “No, Mr. Shonee. This is settled. You will just have to deal with the construction for a little while.”

  Jon attempted to soothe the old man. “We’ll make every effort to keep the noise level as minimal as possible.”

  The man struggled to get out of his chair. His face reddened. Muttering, he made his way out the door.

  The judge watched him go. “Do your best by him. He won’t be happy no matter what you do, so keep that in mind. Good luck. I think it will be a great addition to business in this town.”

  Jon thanked the man again and they left the office.

  Mandy thanked the secretary as they passed by her desk and out into the hall. “We got it. We get to go ahead with our plan. Oh Jon, I’m so thrilled. I just didn’t think it would happen. We need to thank Mr. Reynolds for his help in getting this appointment.” She was so giddy with excitement, she almost jumped up and down. “Let’s get back and let the staff know. Everyone is going to be so happy.”

  “We have a lot of work ahead of us, but we’ll have so much fun. Let’s go.”

  Mr. Shonee was cautiously making his way down the marble steps.

  Jon tried one more time to appease their neighbor. “I promise there will be little effect on you, Mr. Shonee.” Jon tried to take the man’s arm and help him down the steps. “We’ll do all we can to make it an easy experience for you. We don’t want to be bad neighbors.”

  The man pulled his arm away. “Yer already bad neighbors. Leave me alone. You’re gonna regret disturbin’ me.” He hobbled down the steps of the old courthouse to his car.

  “I’m worried about him,” Jon said.

  “Do you think he’ll do something to stop our project?”

  “No…I just think he doesn’t look well. He’s so angry. That isn’t healthy.” Jon cared for people, even those who aggravated him, and his deepened concern for Mr. Shonee showed. “We’ll just have to proceed carefully and do right by him.”

  Mandy hugged Jon. “I love your heart.”

  11

  Mandy didn’t mind getting up early on Sunday mornings. Seeing her church family and getting ready for new guests just made the day right. She went out the door and over to the office.

  Sue attended church on Saturday nights, so she was always able to come in for the morning.

  “Anything going on that I need to know about?” Mandy asked as she walked into the office.

  “No, I don’t think so. There’re four more families coming today, but we’ll get them registered and settled if they get here before you come back. All ready for church?”

  “Yeah, but we’ve got an hour before we have to leave. I’m hoping that the Carters are awake. I invited Jenny to join us for church, but she’s a bit hesitant. I’ll go see if anyone is up and about at their cabin.”

  “OK, see you later.”

  The warm, Colorado sun was just coming up over the hilltops. The fresh smell of the air inspired a smile. A stellar jay squawked up above as it glided over to another Ponderosa pine. Deer grazed down by the pond.

  Rick stepped out of the cabin, a cell phone to his ear.

  She waved.

  Rick waved her over, and then slid the phone back into the case on his hip. “Hi, Mandy.”

  “Good morning. How are you today?”

  “Uh…good. Just wish the office would quit calling. I’d like to enjoy this vacation without interruption. It seems they can’t keep our latest project going without my advice.”

  “Well, it’s good to be needed.”

  “I suppose.”

  “Is Jenny up? We’re heading to church this morning. You’re all welcome to join us if you’d like. I had mentioned it to Jenny the other day.”

  “Church? Uh…well, let me go check.” Rick went into the cabin.

  Jenny came out followed by her mom.

  “Hi, Mandy.”

  “Hi, Jenny, Connie. We’re heading to church in about an hour, are you interested in joining us?”

  “Oh, I don’t think so.” Connie looked at Jenny’s attire. “Jenny doesn’t really have any church clothes.”

  “Oh, jeans are fine at our church. We’re more laid back here in the mountains. We get a lot of campers who join us Sunday mornings.”

  “Can I go Mom? We could all go.” Jenny’s gaze was hopeful.

  “Well…you can go, I suppose. I don’t think your dad would be interested. How long will you be?” She looked to Mandy.

  “Only a few hours, counting drive time. You can join us.”

  “Oh, no, thanks, but Jenny can go.”

  “Let me grab my purse. I’ll be right out.” Jenny ran into the cabin.

  “I think she’ll enjoy it. We have a lot of teens in our church. She’ll get to meet some kids her age.”

  “Oh, that would be good. Maybe she’ll get in a better mood.”

  “You’ve got one more week here, so maybe we should help her get to know some of the teens who help us out around here.”

  “That’d be great.”

  “Bye, mom. See you later.” Jenny called as she went down the path. She stopped to pet Barney, who rolled over on his back to expose his stomach.

  “He’s so spoiled,” Jon said, sitting on the porch, sipping coffee and reading the newspaper.

  “I like your dog. He’s great.”

  “Jenny is going to join us at church this morning!” Mandy told her husband.

  Jon’s face brightened. “Oh, good. You’ll like it, Jenny. There’s a lot of kids your age there.”

  “Yeah, that’s what Mandy told me.” Jenny sat on the front step with Barney leaning against her leg as if attached to her.

  “Let’s get going, and maybe we’ll have time to introduce you to a few kids.” Mandy said.

  Mandy took Jenny over to a group of teens by the front door. She knew all of them. Three of them were volunteer workers at the ranch.

  “Hey, everybody.” Mandy greeted them. “This is Jenny. She is one of our guests this week. Can you take her to Sunday school with you?”

  “Hi, Jenny,” several said in unison.

  “Hi. I’m Dean. I think I saw you at the ranch last week.”

  “Yeah, we’re on our second week here. But we leave next Saturday.” Jenny shook his hand.

  “You can hang with us this morning. We have a fun class.”

  “OK. Sure.”

  “You’ll enjoy it.” Mandy assured her. “The teen class has more fun than should be allowed. We’ll catch up with you afterward.”

  “Um…OK.” Jenny went with the group. She turned back to look at Mandy, who just nodded her head and smiled.

  12

  The ranch became a flurry of activity Monday morning.

  Jon and Nate left early to start getting supplies for the building up by the mine.

  The road grader would arrive this morning to start leveling the area f
or the Old West town.

  Barney leaned hard against Mandy’s leg whenever she stopped to talk with guests and the ranch hands.

  The tours were getting underway and various groups were climbing into Jeeps with their guides, piles of fishing paraphernalia, swimming gear, and hiking equipment.

  As the vehicles drove away, Mandy sighed and headed for the office.

  Barney went to his favorite spot under a couple of aspen trees.

  Sue didn’t come in until after noon, so Mandy had the office to herself. She clicked on the radio to her favorite local Christian station. The receiver for the radios mounted in all the vehicles voiced occasional static. Since cell phone reception was difficult, Jon had mounted a repeater on one of the taller hilltops in case of emergency. The repeater allowed the signal to be relayed across a wider area. Someone always monitored a receiver, whether in the office, the barn or the bunkhouse.

  Mandy sat down at her computer after she started the coffee maker. Large windows looked out at the main parking area and the surrounding hills. She loved the view, but it sometimes hindered her work. Especially if deer or elk wandered through.

  Later in the morning, Jon and Nate returned just as the road grader arrived. Jon, with the rolled-up plans in hand, led him up the hill to the site.

  Mandy hoped they would be able to have lunch together today.

  ****

  Jenny picked up the last shirt off the floor in her room. Her mom insisted she clean it again. Vacations shouldn’t require cleaning. She walked out into the open kitchen and slouched down into a chair. “OK, I’m done. Can I go for a walk, or do I have to do something else?”

  Her mom sighed in exasperation. “No, you don’t have to do anything else. You don’t have to be so messy when we’re at someone else’s place. It doesn’t hurt you to pick up after yourself. Go out, but don’t go far and be careful.”

  Jenny grabbed her pink baseball cap and a water bottle and headed out the door. She stepped into the sunshine, relief filling her own sigh.

  Barney spotted her. The dog’s ears perked up and he came running to her.

  She knelt down. “Hey, Barney. What are you doing today?” She scratched behind his ears. He plopped down in the dirt and rolled on his back allowing her to scratch his belly.

  “You want to go for a walk with me, buddy?”

  With a single bark, Barney took off.

  “No, come this way. Let’s go over here today.”

  He spun around and caught up to her.

  She clipped the carabiner on her water bottle to the belt loop on her jeans and decided to walk along the deer trail that Mandy had pointed out. She didn’t want to repeat her fall into a ventilation hole. Maybe she’d see that young deer that had been around camp.

  The birds were chirping in the trees. Occasionally a small chipmunk scurried across the path. Barney would attempt to go after it, but she wouldn’t let him chase the poor little thing. He came back when she yelled. Up on a branch, she saw a black squirrel with tufted ears holding a pine cone. It chewed pieces off and the debris fell to the ground.

  She made her way around the base of a hill and noticed a fence line with a house beyond. She decided to turn a bit more uphill.

  Barney traversed the hillside, sniffed at rocks and darted off to look behind a tree.

  She stopped to take a drink of water. Barney made his way back, leaned against her hip and panted heavily.

  “You thirsty, buddy?” She cupped her hand and poured some water into it.

  He lapped it up, and then took off as another chipmunk scampered over a rock several feet away.

  Jenny looked around, enjoying the quiet of the forest. The sun made it through the trees, but she was glad to sit in shade. She looked up at the deep blue sky. Only a couple of puffy, white clouds drifted by. “Are You really willing to be my friend?” She stared upward, waiting. Nothing came. “Come on, Barney.” She stood and brushed the backside of her jeans. “Let’s walk some more.”

  Barney ran off ahead.

  A four-wheeler was parked near a small aspen grove. Jon, or one of the guys must be up here.

  Barney was digging away at something, so she went on ahead. There were two machines parked, one with a small trailer behind it. Voices rose and fell in the air. One sounded angry.

  Uneasy at the harsh tone, Jenny stepped behind a large ponderosa pine.

  A man walked towards the trailer. He carried a pick ax with a heavy bucket in his other hand. He heaved the bucket up into the trailer and removed another large empty bucket.

  Barney chose that moment to bark.

  Jenny bent to silence him. She squatted behind the tree with an arm around Barney and stole a glance at the man.

  He was running towards her. “What are you doing over there?” he shouted.

  Barney barked frantically as he looked from man to girl.

  Jenny started to run, but just like falling into the hole earlier, she slipped on the old pine needles. She scrambled up but a rock tripped her, and she slammed to the ground.

  The man pounced on her as she attempted to get back on her feet. He grabbed her arms and pulled her up. “What are you doing here?” he demanded. He smelled like sulfur, sweat, and dirt.

  “I…I was just out for a walk.”

  “What did you see? How long have you been out here?”

  “N...nothing. I just got here. I…I didn’t know who was over here. I don’t even know who you are.” Jenny shook with fear and tears blurred her vision.

  As he yanked on her arm, Barney nipped at his heels and barked. The man kicked at the dog and made him yelp, and then dragged Jenny towards the vehicles. Barney lunged and bit him on the ankle. The guy hollered and slapped the dog away with one hand.

  “Stop it. Let me go, you creep!” She tried to pull away and punched his arm with her other fist. “And don’t kick Barney.”

  Another man stepped out of some brush into the small clearing.

  “I know you. You work at the ranch. What are you doing? Tell him to let me go.” Jenny demanded.

  Her captor dragged her towards the hillside. Barney ran right behind them and continued to bark and snarl. “Grab that dog!” he growled to the other man.

  Jenny screamed. Darkness showed through the gaping brush. Dread made her heart pound. She dug her heels in the dirt, pushing against his grip with her other hand.

  The other man tried to grab Barney, who had begun a fierce growl, which turned to excited barking.

  “Leave him alone!” Jenny screamed. “Barney, run. Go home, boy!”

  Barney whined, looked at her, and then ran up the hillside digging in hard with his claws.

  The ranch hand tried to run after the dog, but the slick pine needles and debris made it impossible. His feet slid back, and he landed on his hands and knees.

  A scream escaped her once more.

  “Forget the dog. Help me with her.”

  The ranch hand took hold of her other arm.

  They dragged her towards the opening of the cave. She cried, trying to scream, but fear constricted her throat. Wood beams were set just beyond the entrance. She tried to grab one, but it was futile. The men gripped her too tight.

  “What are we gonna do with her?” Ranch hand asked.

  “I don’t know, but we can’t let her go. She’ll tell someone we’re here.”

  “I won’t tell anyone.” Jenny said through her tears. “I don’t even know what you’re doing. Just let me go.”

  The ranch hand let go of her arm and grabbed a lit lantern that sat just inside the entrance. He turned up the wick. Once beyond the entryway, the light illuminated a rough cut passageway that appeared to have been there a long time.

  Up ahead more lanterns hung every fifteen feet or so. The passageway went deep into the hill. A dark abyss was beyond the lantern light. The man dragged her towards it.

  Jenny struggled to break free of his hold. “You’re hurting me. Let me go!”

  “Knock it off or I’ll really hur
t you.” He yanked her arm and followed the ranch hand.

  They took another passageway, which branched off to the right. It narrowed.

  The ranch hand grasped her arm, and handed the lantern to the tall man. He pulled her into the narrow slot, and Jenny had to use her free hand to protect her head as she stumbled along on the uneven floor. The tall man followed, hunched over, and blocked any escape.

  The cave opened up. Tools and buckets were lying around and within the wall red crystals glimmered in the lantern light. The rock in the buckets was that rodo stuff that Danny had been showing off.

  “Put her over there and tie her up while I think.” The tall man barked out the order as he paced and ran hands through his unruly, dirty hair.

  “Sit,” the ranch hand said. He leaned her forward and tied her hands behind her back, then tied her feet at the ankles. “Just be quiet and do as you’re told,” he whispered.

  Jenny fought back more tears.

  “Come on,” the tall guy roared. “Come outside with me. We’ve gotta get things out of sight in case anyone followed her.” He limped out of the cavern.

  “Don’t leave me in here. Where are you going?”

  The men ignored her and headed back down the passageway.

  Only one lantern remained. The damp cold sank deep into her bones. She struggled against the ropes, but they didn’t give. “Let me go!” Her scream echoed down the tunnel. Thoughts of bats, wild animals and these men sent shivers of terror down her spine. Through the tears, she sobbed words out loud. “God, are You here? I really need You right now.”

  13

  Jon and Mandy sat on the porch of their home enjoying their sandwiches and discussing the town site plan.

  “The excavator should be done this afternoon. The contractor is sending a couple of cement workers tomorrow morning to start the foundations. They’ll have a lot of prep work to do, but things will start happening now.”

  “This is so great, Jon. Our dream is becoming reality. How long do you think it will take?”