by Austina Love
Nagi… Howiwacipi… She recognized the call. Shadow…the Ghost Dancer. The spirit world was summoning her.
“I have to go,” Shye said out of the blue.
“What?” Trip’s brows shot up as he looked at her.
“It’s the Ghost Dancer…she’s calling me…I must go.”
“Shye, no. You can’t run off by yourself. Gage and Pike will be on the hunt for you in a matter of hours.” He reached for her hand but she pulled away.
She stared at him with pleading eyes. “I’m sorry, my love. But Nagi calls me. I must become Shadow now.”
“But there is no sun yet. How can you find a shadow to borrow? And you can’t change at night…remember? You’ll be lost in darkness forever. Please…baby…don’t go.”
“This is different. The Rain Riders have arrived. I am to join them.” Even as she spoke the words her voice sounded like someone else’s. She’d heard the legend but had never known anyone who’d actually seen them.
“Rain Riders?” Extreme concern hung on Trip’s voice. “What are they?”
“I-I’m not sure. But I have to go. Something is wrong. I hear the drums of my past calling me.”
He stunned her by quickly wrapping strong arms around her and pulling her tight against his chest. “No. I refuse to let you go. This isn’t like you.” He buried his face in the curve of her neck.
“I’ll be back,” she said while stroking his hair.
“I’m not letting go. We are so close to ending this nightmare.” He cupped her chin with a tender hand and stared into her eyes.
“Gage is coming for me as you said but I won’t be here. I don’t know why Nagi calls me now. Still, I cannot deny her. I cannot deny what I am and neither can you. You knew this before we committed to each other. Please don’t try and change me.”
Sorrow flooded the depths of his beautiful eyes. “I would never want you to change. I just don’t want you to leave. Not tonight…not like this.”
“I must. I am sorry.” Gently she pushed away from his chest. “Promise you will wait for me.”
His expression forced tears to her eyes but she fought them back. He seemed so utterly distraught yet there was nothing she could do to ease his pain. Reaching up, she placed a soft lingering kiss on his lips.
He didn’t voice the words but she felt the promise in his kiss. Without looking at him again for fear she’d not be able to answer their call, she turned and walked away.
“Shye, wait!” Trip blocked her at the door, heartache written all over his face.
Their eyes met and locked in an intense exchange. She felt his anxiety, his pain and moreover—his profound love. Knowing she’d never find another love like his, she silently questioned her decision to leave. Can I deny the ghost dancer without angering the spirit world? This is my gift. I have been chosen to right a wrong. Her pulse raced. On the other hand, can I leave this amazing man like this? Can I run off and leave him here to suffer alone?
Remle approached and laid one hand on Trip’s shoulder. “She has been called by a higher force, my friend. She hears them coming.”
“What?” Trip sounded horrified.
“Once called upon by the Rain Riders she cannot refuse. Doing so would dishonor her tribe.”
“How do you know of them? What are they?”
“Did you forget that I was Chief Blackwater’s son? I grew up listening to the stories told by the elders.” Remle sighed and lowered his eyes. “The riders are a force summoned to avenge the spirits of those who have left this world. Someone must have desecrated sacred ground for the riders to come.”
Shye felt the truth in his words. “My farm. The home of my ancestors. The drug runners must have found our burial ground and dug it up.”
“There’s a burial ground on your farm?”
“Yes. Remember I mentioned how important it is that my mother and father be laid to rest there?”
“Yes…I do recall you telling me that.” He nodded but still seemed distressed. “Then let me go with you.”
“You cannot go where she is going,” Remle spoke up. “Stay with me and fight off the others when they come.”
Trip whipped around to face his friend. “You expect me to simply give her my blessing to ride off with ghosts?”
“If you make her choose, I have no doubt Miss Shye will choose you.” Remle cast her a consoling look. “But if you cage the eagle its spirit will never be the same.”
She stared up at Trip as he turned back toward her. “This is who I am. I was Shadow when we met. I cannot change. But he is right. If you force my hand, I would choose you.”
A host of mixed expressions flitted through his eyes. “I can’t upset the balance of your world. Though I will be lost without you, I won’t force you to choose. We pledged ourselves to marry and when you return, I want to make you my wife.”
“Even if I must disappear now and then?”
“Yeah…I know we had agreed to wait until I take Draven down, but I don’t want to lose you. Since you must go, will you ease my agony by agreeing to marry me after your mission is completed?”
“I’d love to marry you. I’d marry you right now if I could but Nagi waits.”
Strong yet gentle hands framed her face. His lips drew close to hers. “I will wait for you…Shadow. I’ll be riding the roads watching for your return. I love you.”
“I love you too.” She returned his sweet kiss with deep affection. “I’ll find you.”
Shye stepped outside with some hesitation and closed the door behind her. Just when she thought they had a decent plan to take back what Gage had stolen, the tables turned. Almost everyone in her community had heard of the Rain Riders, yet nobody had ever seen them. Just like many legends—rumored to exist, but never seen. Still, in her soul she sensed this was the right thing to do. She’d danced with Nagi on the highway but had never ridden with spirits. This new calling frightened her somewhat.
However, she’d never been one to bow to fear.
The sky looked rather strange tonight. A peculiar red hue hung in the clouds. Trip had been right about her need to avoid the shadows of night. Chief Blackwater’s cautioning words floated through her mind.
You must release the shadow before the sun sets or you will disappear with it and roam in the land of darkness forever. Be careful. Do not succumb to the lust for power and hold onto the shadows longer than necessary. Complete your task and release them.
Somehow she sensed that she wouldn’t be borrowing any shadows for this task. Walking into a clearing, she gazed up at an oddly colored moon. The smell of rain rode the night breeze yet they hadn’t received even a light shower. Unsure of how to proceed she wrapped a hand around each feather dangling from her beaded neckpiece and called upon Nagi.
“I am ready for whatever it is you need me to do.”
A mild breeze merged into strong gusts of wind. Whispering voices in the trees called her name. Shadow…Nagi…Shadow…Nagi… They chanted softly. Drums reminiscent of ages long ago rode the air stream. Before long she saw them coming. She gasped in awe as the riders approached. Humbled by their presence she dropped to her knees.
A herd of black horses with gleaming coats thundered across the Dakota skies carrying warriors of ancient days. Their majestic appearance was breathtaking. She knew by their apparel—the fringed leggings, moccasins, and feathered headdresses that they had all been chiefs of their tribes. Only chiefs wore full bonnets with trains of colorful feathers trailing down their bronze colored backs.
As they drew closer the horses descended from the clouds upon which they galloped and downward to the ground. Hooves ate up the distance with supernatural speed. They tossed their wild manes and snorted their untamed spirits in bursts of fiery breath from flaring nostrils. Enthrallment rushed over her just watching them run.
And to her surprise Nagi—the stunning Indian maiden who’d bestowed upon her the gift of shifting into her shadow—fronted the herd. She sat astride a magnificent black steed dresse
d in her white doeskin beaded dress and moccasins just as Shye had seen her before.
Awe filled her. I can’t believe it. Nagi is a Rain Rider!
She could barely contain her excitement. In one hand the lovely maiden carried her dreamcatcher and in the other a long piece of wood. As they came upon her, Shye recognized the branch as a traditional rain stick. She’d seen many throughout the years but the older types were rarely found these days. The rain stick in Nagi’s hand looked like the real deal—a true cactus branch used in ancient rituals without added fancy décor.
The herd of spirited horses came to a halt before her. Nagi nudged her mount forward then made a sweeping motion with her dreamcatcher before drawing it down in front of her, using swirling vertical movements. A stunning white stallion with no rider pranced from behind the pack. He tossed his head and pawed the earth. Shye looked to the maiden who nodded, so she swung herself onto the horse’s bare back.
Had she not felt the powerful body beneath her, she’d not have believed any of this was happening. Yet here she sat, on a mystical horse brought in by the original ghost dancer herself. Shye gasped for breath as she settled on its bare back. Many years had passed since she’d ridden a horse, but riding was something one never forgot once learned. She sat perfectly at ease on this incredible animal as if time had stood still.
She wondered why they’d come for her and where they would go. Yet none of that seemed to matter. The absolute thrill of riding with spirits of the greatest warriors in history overrode any apprehension she had experienced earlier. Her gaze swept over the gathering and she recognized the faces and feathers of great Lakota chiefs from generations past.
With a soft cluck to the horse she nudged the steed up to Nagi’s side. Her black eyes sparkled yet she said nothing as always—her eyes and hands communicated well. Two ebony braids trailed over her breasts with a black feather tied into one braid and a white feather attached to the other. Shye instinctively placed one hand over her beaded necklace to feel the connection. Her own set of feathers given to her by Nagi felt warm to touch.
The icy cold grip that typically accompanied her when she shifted into her shadow did not come, so she knew her body was still very much in human form. Heat from her fiery steed radiated upward to dispel the early morning chill. She twisted her fingers into his long mane and hung on tight as the herd began to move out. Nagi led the way. Shye fell in behind and the others followed them. She glanced back once and gasped at the sight of dozens of warriors galloping through the dark. Within minutes the horses had picked up enough speed to propel them into the air. Upward they climbed until the entire group was racing through the dark skies. The scent of rain flooded her senses yet not a drop fell.
Weightless and free, she’d never experienced anything so thrilling and surreal as they soared across endless skies.
* * * *
Trip sat unmoving in Remle’s living room. Time dragged on as he waited. For what? He wondered. What am I waiting for? Shye is out there somewhere and Gage will be arriving soon to claim a woman that had disappeared with no credible explanation. He sighed despondently.
“Don’t worry.” Remle handed him some jerky. “Shye will be okay.”
“And what am I supposed to tell Gage when he comes for her?”
“Nothing. If they want a fight then we’ll give them a fight.”
“Maybe the Rain Riders came to remove Shye from the situation until we handle it,” Trip wondered aloud. “I had misgivings about her taking part in a firefight to begin with.”
“Perhaps you have made a good point.” Remle gnawed on his jerky with zeal. “There is much wisdom in what you just said. This may be your chance to face off with Draven at last.”
“Yeah…” Trip felt a glimmer of hope. That must be it. Shye’s spirit world took her out of Gage’s reach and out of danger. His spirit lifted.
They sat in silence for a long while before rays of morning sun began to break through the darkness. Shortly after sunrise the rumble of a vehicle sounded in the drive.
“They’re here.” Trip got up and looked out the window. “I see only one vehicle though…a silver SUV.”
Remle joined him at the window. “Let’s load up just in case this is an ambush.”
In the kitchen they gathered their weapons. Trip tucked Shye’s favorite shotgun under one arm, slung an AK-47 over his shoulder and grabbed his 9MM pistol. Remle loaded a double barrel shotgun and a rocket launcher. They exchanged knowing grins and prepared to fight.
Someone began pounding loudly on the door then Gage called from the other side. “I’ve come for Shye. She never returned to town with her decision.”
Cautiously Remle opened the door just a crack. “She’s not here.”
Gage shoved one booted foot inside the door and forced it open. “Like hell she’s not here. Her Shelby Mustang is still parked at her parents’ home on the rez, and she’s not there either so let me in.”
“Where’s your crew?” asked Trip with the assault rifle aimed straight at Gage.
“My crew?”
“Don’t play dumb. We all know now that you’re the ringleader behind this whole mess.”
“I came alone. Draven is a chicken shit this morning. He’s all freaked out over something that happened last night. Just let me in to see Shye. She’s had a week to make up her mind and I won’t leave until I see her.”
Remle moved around the cabin then returned and nodded. “I don’t see anyone else out there.”
Trip reached out, grabbed Gage by the collar and yanked him through the door. With a hard shove he pushed him into a nearby chair and pointed the shotgun at him with his other hand. “If you try anything or if your cronies are planning a sneak attack…you’re a dead man.”
Gage stared up with wide eyes. “What’s with all the firepower? I only came for Shye not for war.”
“You initiated war when you stole her family’s land.”
“I’ve known Shye all of her life. I did her a favor. That huge farm is too much for her now.”
“That was her call to make.” Trip braced one foot on the edge of the chair with both guns aimed close at Gage’s chest. “Like I said, she’s not here.”
“But since you went so far out of your way to pay us a visit, you may as well stay a while.” Remle quickly tied Gage’s hands behind the chair with nylon twine retrieved from a closet.
“You’re both insane!” He moved to fight the ties.
“Maybe.” Trip laughed sardonically. “But we’re not the bad guys.”
“But we are the ones holding the weapons,” added Remle with a grin. “Now sit still or we’ll be forced to knock you out.”
Gage’s face reddened and his jaw clenched. “You can’t hold someone hostage…it’s against the law.”
“So is running drugs. Have you forgotten that I’m a bounty hunter? Once we flush out your cohorts and they roll over on you, I can collect a hefty bounty for a lawyer on the run. Do you really think anyone is going to come here looking for you?” Trip growled. “I would lay money down that you didn’t tell a single soul where you were going this morning.”
Gage openly seethed and Trip knew he had the man cornered. Now they simply had to keep him under control until they found a way to catch his crew runners in the act. He didn’t trust the local officials. No doubt Gage had them all in his pocket.
This is where his brother had left off. Ty had finally closed in on Draven and was preparing to make the bust the night he got killed. Dirty cops had claimed he’d taken an overdose, but Trip knew that was a lie. Ty died of an overdose as the coroner had stated, but it was no accident. His private investigation backed up his suspicion when he’d discovered that Draven had been the one who murdered his brother.
“You actually did us a favor,” Trip said to Gage. “Saved us the trouble of dragging you up here ourselves.”
“So where have you hidden Shye? Was this your plan? To use her as bait to accomplish your own means? That makes you no better th
an us.”
“Shye is safely away where nobody from your crew can touch her. And I’d never use Shye. I’m nothing like you.”
Remle pulled up a chair, flipped it around and straddled it backward. “So tell us, Gage old boy, when’s the next deal going down?”
“I have no idea what you’re talking about.” Gage tried to cover his fear with a pretentious laugh. “I only came up here to bring Shye home.”
Trip slung the AK-47 over his shoulder, then leaned against the wall with his foot still on the chair and the shotgun resting on a bent knee still pointed at Gage. “That—is not going to happen. But I might forget the bounty if you cooperate.”
Gage didn’t respond but Trip could see his mind working. He’d wait until this man caved no matter how long it took.
Many years had passed without anyone getting this close to Draven’s drug ring since Ty’s investigation, and nobody had ever been able to pin down the ringleaders. Shye had successfully removed Mike Carter from the scene and her unorthodox methods had also inadvertently uncovered Gage’s involvement. With Carter behind bars and the jugular of this murderous group exposed, Trip was no way letting them slip through his fingers or run free on some legal technicality trumped up by Gage.
He realized how critical Shye’s role had been in helping him flush Draven from his hole. Fate had definitely matched him with the right woman. Now for the first time in years he was on the verge of avenging his brother’s death and bringing these criminals to justice.
I’m closing in, Ty. I won’t back down. I’ll get these pricks this time so you can rest in peace.
Chapter Four
Shye scanned the area as the riders descended from the sky and steely hooves pounded the sandy ground. Where are we? The first streaks of dawn painted the horizon and barbed wire fencing that spanned a vast area became visible through the morning mist. A huge gray brick building loomed ahead. A prison? Why have they brought me to a prison in Sioux Falls?