Changing Woman

by Thurlo, David

  Payestewa handed Blueeyes some notes and he began to study them. “What if it goes sour?”

  “It won’t. You know Kevin’s political positions better than the rest of us,” Ella said.

  “It’s time,” Payestewa said a moment later, and Ella nodded to Blueeyes.

  The call was made, and the phone inside the maintenance building was answered after the first ring.

  “You’re cutting it close.” The voice came over the speaker, turned on so those in the van could hear both sides of the conversation. “Who is this?”

  “Councilman Tolino, from Shiprock,” Blueeyes answered in a steady voice, then looked down at his notes. “I’m willing to listen to what you have to say, so don’t do anything that will harm the Dineh or yourselves. We all want this to end peacefully.”

  Ella watched Blueeyes closely, but now that it was show time, he was coming through like a pro.

  “You already know what we want, Councilman Tolino. It’s time to get the rest of the council together and do whatever’s necessary to bring the People out of this hole you and the other so-called leaders have dug for the tribe.”

  “I hear you, and now I want you to listen to me and understand what I have to say.” Blueeyes looked briefly at the notes, then continued. “No vote will be taken while you hold hostages or occupy any portion of the plant. We’ve gone as far as we can. Threats will not get you what you want. The next move is yours.”

  Payestewa made a cutting motion across his throat, and Blueeyes hung up the phone.

  Ella and Blalock climbed out of the van, looking anxiously toward the coal storage area. Someone wearing a hood came out of the maintenance building and waved his arm from side to side at waist level. Then two disguised individuals crouched beside an athletic bag in the road stood, and walked over to talk to him.

  “It must have worked, Ella.” Blalock smiled grimly.

  “I’m just glad whoever it was didn’t know Kevin. I was afraid they’d ask him something Blueeyes couldn’t answer,” Ella said softly. “We got lucky.”

  Ella heard footsteps, and half turned. Jimmy Frank was coming up, having arrived along with twenty or more country deputies and law enforcement officers enlisted to help maintain the perimeter. “Excuse me, Dwayne. I need a few moments with Officer Frank.”

  Jimmy waited until Blalock had walked away, then spoke in a soft voice. “My cousin works at the tribal center, and told me what’s going on. She heard that you left with Blueeyes and was afraid you’d end up trusting him too much, so she called to warn me. She’s been helping me keep close tabs on Blueeyes at work—who comes to see him, and so on. I was planning to make out a full report that included information I got from her but there hasn’t been time. When I heard you were here, I figured I’d better come over and talk to you personally.”

  “What have you got?” She turned to look at the command post van. Jefferson was outside now, walking with one of the plant managers to a white pickup.

  “For starters, Blueeyes has been connected to some borderline shady business ventures these past few years since he moved back from California. First he tried to set up a security alarm business in Farmington, but it failed miserably and he barely avoided an investigation for fraud. After that, he got into real estate, but the land he’d tried to sell proved to have a problem with water rights and access roads. Eventually, he shut down that company, too, filing for bankruptcy and avoiding creditors. That was almost a year ago, and I’m not sure how he made his money until he resurfaced as Tolino’s aide. What I do know is that he paid cash for that fancy car of his and the big trailer he lives in.”

  “I wish we’d have known about this sooner,” Ella said, then, with a quick thanks, left to look for Paycheck.

  Ella found him by the crime-scene van, and learned that Blueeyes had managed to find a ride back into Shiprock. Jefferson had volunteered to continue calling Tribal Council members in hopes of getting one to come to the site.

  Glad that he was no longer around where he could observe their strategy, Ella filled in the young Hopi agent quickly on what she’d learned about Kevin’s aide.

  “That explains something that was bothering me about the phone call. I couldn’t figure out why the man Blueeyes spoke to was so passive. I was expecting a protest from the moment Jefferson started laying down the rules, and when it didn’t come, it threw me a bit. Now I figure he must have recognized Jefferson’s voice, and couldn’t let on without putting him on the spot.”

  “I wish we knew what was really going on inside there,” Ella said, indicating the maintenance building.

  “We’ve been listening in as best we can with a parabolic microphone, and it sounds like there’s some dissension, at least between the ones who are outside the building. I don’t like this, Ella, because it makes them—and the situation—even more unpredictable.”

  “I think we need to infiltrate the area they’re controlling. We know that there’s at least one woman among the Hasih, so all I’d have to do is study how they’re dressed and get a good look at their hoods. Then I could disguise myself and move in after dark. Their sentries can’t be everywhere at once, so with the right timing, I see no reason why I can’t slip inside.”

  Before Payestewa could answer, Blalock approached. “I heard what you just said, and I’ve got photos that’ll help you. I’ve been taking shots with a telephoto lens, trying to verify how many are inside. I can now tell you that there are more than five armed people in there, but probably less than ten. I think the actual number is more like eight, and at least two appear to be women.”

  “From what I saw earlier through the spotting scopes it looks like their hoods are all made the same way,” Ella said. “I’ll get all the details I can from your photos, then ask my brother how the Fierce Ones recognize each other when they’re masked. I have a feeling that some of the ones inside belong to the Fierce Ones and are using the same strategy.”

  “I still think the idea of going in is risky,” Blalock argued. “We want them to call it off and walk away, not give them another hostage, especially a high-profile one like you.”

  Ella looked at Payestewa. “You’re the one who’s been in closest contact with them. Do you think we can count on them surrendering before they do something stupid?”

  “The fact that there’s dissension going on makes the situation volatile. I can’t be sure of anything except that I have a strong feeling I haven’t been talking with the real leader. So far whenever I’ve asked the guy I’m in communication with to agree to something, he puts me off, then calls me back a short time later with an answer. Twice now, I’ve had him about to listen to reason, but then he cuts off our conversation. By the time I get him on the line again, we’re back to square one. My gut tells me that the person I’ve been speaking to wants to end this now that they’ve made their point, but he can’t convince whoever’s really calling the shots in there.”

  “Maybe they’re just playing for time. Do you think it’s possible that this is nothing more than a diversion?”

  “What makes you think that?” Payestewa asked.

  “Look at the facts,” Ella said. “They must know that interfering with the flow of electricity all across the Southwest isn’t going to make them any friends. Even those with gas furnaces need the electricity to run the blowers. And any pollution or long-term disruption in power will hurt everyone on the Rez. If nothing else, they’ll be breathing polluted air like the rest of us. So what they’re doing just doesn’t quite mesh. We don’t even know for sure that they can set fire to the coal or blow up the conveyer belt system.”

  “The biggest problem we’re facing is that we just don’t have enough information to go on. We’ve got to tread carefully,” Payestewa said.

  “That’s why one of us has go in and see what we’re really up against,” Ella said flatly. “Since I’m Navajo, I think it should be me. Hopefully, if I get caught, they’ll be less likely to shoot one of their own.”

  “It’s still a
bad idea,” Blalock said, “but I haven’t got a better one, except to wait them out and negotiate.”

  “All right, then. I’ll make my move after two in the morning, when they’re all going to be half-asleep and freezing from the cold. But we’ve got to keep this from the rest of the officers and the security staff around here too. For all we know one of these people could be working with them, reporting our every move.”

  “Agreed,” Blalock said. “Just remember that you’ll probably have to neutralize one of the female members of the group so you’ll be safe if anyone takes a head count.”

  “I’ll handle it,” Ella answered, plans already forming in her mind. “Get me photos of those hoods, and a shot of whichever woman is closest to my size and shape. Then I’ll drive over to my brother’s place and make a quick stop at the station. After that, I’m going home to try and get some sleep. I’ll be back at one-thirty A.M. or sooner.”

  “I’ll E-mail your home computer color close-ups of their hoods and some photos of the women involved,” Blalock said. “The photos won’t take long to develop and upload. But, for the record, I still think you’re taking one helluva chance.”

  “We need to know what we’re up against. What we don’t know, in this case, might end up hurting a lot of people,” Ella said. Although she didn’t like the odds against her any more than he did, she knew what had to be done.

  TWENTY-TWO

  Because of the time of year, it was already dark outside when Ella arrived at Clifford’s home. Despite the low temperature she found him standing outside watching the stars.

  Ella left the unit and went to join him. “Hey, big brother, isn’t it a little cold tonight for Navajo astronomy?”

  “It helps me think,” Clifford said, giving her a smile. Gazing up at the sky, he added, “When I stand out here, the stars always remind me that everything has a purpose. Some of the stars form patterns and that’s the work of the Holy People. Others are in a state of disorder, which is the work of Coyote, the trickster. Yet they all provide light when the moon is waning or not out at all, guidance for the hunters, and are seasonal markers as well.”

  Ella looked back at the house and saw there were no lights on. He was apparently alone again tonight. “Is everything okay?”

  Clifford nodded. “My wife and son are still visiting my mother-in-law,” he said sadly. “When they’re gone, the house seems too big and empty, particularly at night.”

  She nodded slowly, aware that it would be the same for her when she went home tonight. Neither her mother nor her daughter would be there to greet her.

  Clifford turned around and regarded her face thoughtfully in the illumination of thousands of stars. “I heard people talking when I went to the trading post earlier for supplies. I gather that there’s trouble at the power plant.”

  She told him quickly what had happened, then asked for his advice about infiltrating the Hasih group. “I need to pass as one of them without arousing any suspicion, so I was hoping you could give me some information. For starters, how did the Fierce Ones recognize each other when they were wearing their hoods to conceal their identities?”

  “I’m glad you came to me about this,” Clifford said. “Your instincts served you well.” He took a deep breath, then let it out slowly. ’The Hasih members are caught between wanting to keep the Rez separate from the Anglo world, and thinking that it could be a slow death for their families and the tribe unless gaming is brought in. They’re trying to do what’s right, but they feel trapped.”

  “We need a way to bring this situation to a conclusion peacefully, if possible, but the longer it draws out, the more unstable it becomes,” Ella explained.

  “Is it true they plan to set fire to the coal reserves?”

  Ella nodded. “We’ll do whatever is necessary to prevent that from happening.”

  “For the first time in my life I’m glad my son and wife are with my mother-in-law.”

  Ella smiled. “Yeah. My daughter is with her father, away for the weekend. I’m glad she’s not at home. A big coal fire will pollute the air with the worst kind of contaminants.”

  Clifford took her into the medicine hogan where he had a small piñon wood fire burning. He reached into a pine trunk and pulled out a cloth hood, “This is the one I used last year. There are certain things that we incorporated into it, like the shape of the eyeholes, that were meant to help us identify any infiltrators. I have a friend who knows the Hasih and how they think. He’ll tell me what I need to know. I’d like an hour or two. Can you give me that long, or will you need the information sooner?”

  “I plan to make my move at two in the morning.”

  “Then be here by ten. I’ll help you get prepared for what you have to do.”

  “Thanks, brother. I appreciate this.”

  “Take your jish, your medicine pouch, tonight too.” He paused, then added, “How long has it been since you’ve worn it?”

  Ella understood his question well. The medicine bag was seen as a repository of power. But belief said that the jish had to be kept fresh and vital through use. To lock it up in a drawer would weaken it. “The truth is I’m not even sure where it is. I’ll have to search.”

  “I’ll make one up for you,” he said. “At least you have your badger fetish—correct?”

  “I wear it all the time.”

  As Ella drove away, she thought of how different she and her brother were. She placed her faith in her police skills and in the system that balanced crime with law. He believed in the gods and powers that brought order in the midst of chaos. Yet, in the final analysis, they both sought harmony and hózhq, a state of blessedness that became a tangible reality when the heart was receptive to the beautiful and the good.

  Ella arrived at the police station a half hour later. It occurred to her that the rifle used to shoot at her again, at the mine, could be the same one that the Benjamins had refused to bring in for ballistics testing. Were the Benjamins playing her in some way she hadn’t determined yet, or were they just hoping to make her squirm? Either way, until a bullet was recovered that could serve as a basis for comparison, and she had more on the Benjamins than just a lack of trust, there weren’t any more reasons to confront them.

  Ella stopped by her office to type a quick report for Big Ed, then returned to her vehicle. As she switched on the engine, her cell phone rang. Ella recognized Blalock’s voice immediately.

  “We have a problem with Branch, the radio talk show moron,” he said. “He got wind of what’s happening at the mine, and he just made things worse on his program, adding wild speculation to the few facts he had.”

  “Just what we needed,” Ella answered.

  “We’re thinking of going to the station owners, asking that they have him exercise some discretion until the crisis has ended.”

  “What exactly did he say?”

  “He listed ways those occupying the coal piles and preparation area could wreak havoc with even a small amount of the right explosives. He even read a paragraph from the Anarchist’s Cookbook on how to place the charges. From the information he gave we figure they could cripple the facility for weeks, maybe months. Hopefully nobody holding those hostages was listening.”

  Ella knew that Blalock was no more a fan of Branch’s than she was. The man was an extreme right-wing ratingshungry jerk who took every opportunity to undermine the tribal government and local law enforcement. “So now what?” she asked.

  “Meet me at his home. He’s off the air now and I was told by his producer that he’d talk to me. If he refuses to listen to reason and cooperate, we can lean on his bosses.”

  “I’m on my way. And, while we’re there, will you ask if he has a fifty-caliber weapon in his gun collection? If he does, ask him if he’ll volunteer to bring it in for a ballistics test.”

  “I’ll give it a try,” Blalock said. “Do you think the sniper weapon could be his?”

  “Who knows? All I remember is that he has an extensive gun collection. Unfortu
nately for us, he could lie about it and we would never know unless we stumbled across the person who sold it to him.”

  “I’ll do the asking. Remember that we have to go by the book with this creep, and it’s my jurisdiction. Branch is slimy and he keeps score.”

  As she drove east across the Rez, Ella got an update on the negotiations. For the moment, things were quiet.

  Ella checked her watch. Blalock would arrive at Branch’s home first, but that was a good thing. Had it been the other way around she would have been tempted to press Branch for answers, and that could have just created more trouble.

  Blalock was waiting with George Branch on his farmhouse porch by the time she pulled up beside Branch’s monstrous SUV.

  “I see you’re finally learning to play by the rules, Special Investigator Clah.” Branch used his radio voice when stating her job title, emphasizing each syllable. “Jurisdiction is something the courts take very seriously.”

  She would have given anything to bury her fist into his ever-growing gut but, instead, she simply nodded.

  “I understand that you have a question about my gun collection?” Branch asked her as they stepped inside to his living room. He sat down immediately, but Ella and the FBI agent remained standing.

  Ella shook her head. “You can address your concerns to Agent Blalock. As you said, it’s his jurisdiction.”

  Blalock’s expression was one of pure relief. “We need to know if you own a fifty-caliber rifle, sir, and if you do, may we examine it?”

  Branch hesitated. “I did own one, but it was stolen.”

  “Did you report the crime?” Blalock asked.

  “It was over a year ago, and, yes, I did. The county sheriff should have a record of that report. And my insurance company probably has a copy on record as well.”

  “If you don’t mind my asking, I seem to remember that you have an elaborate antitheft system. What happened?” Ella asked.

  “There was an accident about a mile from here involving a gasoline truck, and apparently the electricity was down for several hours. I wasn’t home at the time. Unfortunately, by the time I got back, my house had been broken into and several of my weapons were gone.”