The saw in his hand quit moving as Tom continued going over and over the scene he had just witnessed, his mind whirling. I could use a nice ruby like that, he thought. Take some guitar lessons. Join a band. Buy a nice house. Get a fancy car. Quit this lousy job.… I just need a plan.
Tired of straddling the tree branch, Tom was ready to climb down when he had another, sudden thought. Howcould I ever fence that ruby? Uncle Charles? Tom grimaced. Too many questions. The ruby was probably insured and more than likely it would be well-known by those in the know. Bad idea, he thought. Cash is better. Cash is always better.
I’ll bet Walt would give a lot of money to get the ruby back. That sudden thought stopped Tom in his tracks. If he stole the ruby, he could hold it for ransom! Brilliant!
Tom had seen the two men who left first head through the walkway behind Main Street toward Adventureland. It had to be Adventureland, or else they would have used Main Street itself. Or they could be going to Frontierland. Or maybe they had headed to that new land they were still working on, New Orleans Square. He shook his head. It didn’t matter. They were gone now and that’s all that mattered. Walt had gone across Town Square to the Opera House. That meant the apartment was empty. A slow smile crossed his lips.
A few days later, a stunned Walt was pacing in front of the sitting area of his apartment, a piece of paper held tightly in his hand. The Blond-Haired Man and Walt’s favorite security guard, Mani Wolford, more commonly known as Wolf, were there with him.
“Tell me again the last time you saw the pendant, Walt,” Wolf repeated. “I want to make sure you didn’t leave out anything.”
Walt knew not to get angry with the request. He hadn’t left anything out, but Wolf was, well, Wolf. He was thorough, among other more mysterious things. Walt pointed at the Blond-Haired Man and said to him, “You and Dr. Houser were here, going over the final plans for the chamber. I told you to go ahead to New Orleans Square and then, as soon as you had left, I got the pendant down from my hiding place. I was looking at it out on the patio when I was interrupted. I quickly put the box back on the shelf in that cabinet and I left. It took just a few minutes to sort out the Lincoln problem, and as soon as I was finished, I met with you and Dr. Houser under the Pirates of the Caribbean construction.”
“You didn’t come back here at all that night?”
“No, I got too busy, and then I went home. You know how it is. I was at the Studio for the next few days.” He shook his head, thinking back. “This is the first time I’ve been back since then. And I found this note where the pendant should have been. That’s when I called both of you.”
“You notice anyone suspicious recently?”
His boss shrugged, bothered. “I don’t know everyone any more. It’s all too big now. I can’t say I have seen anyone suspicious and I can’t say I haven’t.”
Wolf looked at the Blond-Haired Man. “I assume it’s safe to say that you, Walt and I are the only three people who know about the pendant? Well,” he amended, sourly, “four people, including the culprit, I guess. Dr. Houser never saw it, right?”
The other two men nodded. “No sign of forced entry,” Wolf observed, looking around. “Nothing else out of place. The person who left the note apparently knew where your hiding place for the diamond was. You must have been watched, Walt.” He walked over to his boss to read the note again, catching a faint hint of eucalyptus as he walked over the plush floral carpet.
“I have your ruby. It means nothing to me, but I know it means a great deal to you, Walt. I suggest a trade—your ruby for $100,000 cash. No tricks, no trying to follow me. Have your doctor make the drop. I’ll be watching to make sure he isn’t followed and he goes exactly where I tell him. Here is the first place I want him to go. It’s a clue, so pay attention. I found the bubbling pots of mud refreshing. When he figures this out, I will give him more instructions once he arrives there. You have one week to get the money or the ruby will be cut into much more manageable sizes. And if you try any tricks, the doctor will pay with his life.”
“Do you think he touched the stone?” the Blond-Haired Man wondered, looking at Wolf.
Frowning as he thought, Wolf gave a one-shouldered shrug. “Personally, I don’t think so. The note would have been worded much differently or else there wouldn’t be a note at all. He would just keep it.”
“We can’t risk Dr. Houser.” Walt’s words were low, almost unheard.
“What did you say, Walt?”
He turned to face his companions, pale. “I said the doctor cannot be risked. Not to mention his own personal safety, I have too much riding on all this for him to possibly be hurt. My whole future is at stake.” It wasn’t a lack of compassion. It was an honest appraisal of the truth.
“We know, Walt,” his right-hand man said softly. “We don’t want to endanger either one of you. Claude doesn’t even know about all this yet. Are you going to tell him, or do you want me to?”
“This Dr. Houser...does he have any family? Wife? Kids?” Wolf wanted to know.
The Blond-Haired Man shook his head. “Nope, it’s always been just him. I don’t know what happened to his parents, but they have been gone a long time.”
“Why? What does that matter? What are you thinking, Wolf?”
Wolf went to the patio door, looking over toward Frontierland, unseen through the trees of the Jungle Cruise. He took his time to answer. “I agree with Walt. We can’t risk the doctor. There’s nobody else with his expertise in cryogenics. Even though he doesn’t have all the answers now, he will. This situation puts him in real danger, and, if he is in danger, as I think he is, he needs to be protected. Do you agree?”
Slowly, both men nodded, even though they weren’t sure which one of them Wolf was asking. “Do you have an idea? This embezzler will be expecting the doctor to follow his plan.”
“Yes, I have an idea. I will follow the trail. I don’t look much like him, but I think I can pull it off by wearing his hat and coat.”
“If I have been watched, it stands to reason that Dr. Houser has been watched, as well,” Walt reasoned with the scowling security guard.
“I seriously doubt this thief has ever seen the doctor face to face, Walt, and I think this will work.”
“But…but…if he did see the doctor, and then he sees you instead at the bubbling pots…this still puts the doctor in real danger. This lunatic said he would kill him.” Walt paused and let that sink in. Frowning, unable to come up with any solution of his own, he then continued, “So, what do you propose to do to protect him?”
Wolf paused. He didn’t like having to resort to this. There were too many variables. But...it would have to do for the time being. “I can move him,” he explained quietly.
The other two men remained silent, their lips compressed. It was what they were afraid Wolf would say. The thought made their blood run cold. “You sure that’s the only way, Wolf?”
“Well, according to the note, we’re running out of time. I can deliver the doctor to a safe place and he can stay there until such time as the pendant is returned and this man is caught. As long as he is at large, I agree that the doctor is at risk.”
“No other options, Wolf?” Walt asked.
“I can’t think of any.” Wolf looked at the Blond-Haired Man. “You?”
“He won’t be injured? You’ll be able to bring him back?”
Wolf looked out of one of the windows at the lowering sun. “It has to be tonight. No, he will be fine…startled, but fine.” Coming back is the tricky part, he mumbled under his breath. Turning back to his two bosses, Wolf asked, “Can you get the money by tomorrow? I already know where to go for the first clue.”
In spite of his nervousness, Walt managed a smile. “Yeah, that part was pretty obvious. Where else but Nature’s Wonderland in Frontierland? Maybe this guy isn’t as dangerous as we think he is. That wasn’t very well thought out.”
“Sometimes the less intelligent ones are the most dangerous. They take risks that aren
’t thought through. The money?” he repeated.
“Tomorrow morning.” Walt sighed as he looked at his companions. “Well, we’d better call Dr. Houser. I have a feeling he won’t like this very well.”
Wolf looked at the Blond-Haired Man. “Could you have the River shut down for the night? I’m going to need it.”
Repressing a shudder, he nodded as he picked up Walt’s phone. He had a couple of calls to make.
The Island – 1786
Smoke from the cooking fire curled slowly upwards. The gray-headed Cooking Woman stirred the massive black pot suspended over the low flames. A stack of broken firewood sat nearby, a small child waited patiently to feed the fire. A tall woman, dressed in fringed deerskin pounded white and beaded at the neckline, approached, her hand resting easily on her protruding stomach. Out of respect due the wife of the Shaman, the Cooking Woman bowed her head and waited for the other to speak.
This amused Tacha. “You helped raise me, Cooking Woman. You needn’t stand on ceremony like that.”
A smile flitted across the otherwise serious face and quickly faded. “Oh, I know. It is to teach the young ones respect. How are you feeling today? Any kicking?”
As the hand on her stomach moved in a circle, a pleased, maternal smile transformed her already lovely face into a radiantly beautiful face. “He’s quiet today. His brother Mato gave me no peace when I carried him. It’s a pleasant change.”
“Perhaps this one will be a great thinker.” The Cooking Woman motioned for the child to add another couple of sticks to the fire. “The Shaman and the men will be back from their hunt soon. Do you think they’ll find your wolf?”
The reference made Tacha shudder. Her peaceful life had been disrupted by the appearance of a huge, dark wolf lurking on the outskirts of their village. It had never ventured into the camp, but seemed to be watching only her. When she went out with the women to gather, its presence could be felt by her alone, watching, waiting. She would turn suddenly and see the huge head slowly withdraw behind a tree or a boulder. After she told her husband, the braves had been unable to track the wolf. It seemed to sense their thoughts and intentions and they could never find even a trail of him. Its cunning was…unnatural.
Tacha could almost pinpoint the date when the wolf first appeared. It was right when she discovered she was expecting another child. Since then, the joy had been overshadowed by this unwelcome presence lurking outside the encampment.
“I hope they find it,” Tacha hissed with an angry flash in her eyes. “I can always use another fur to warm our bed.”
Five-year old Mato was standing out on the log protruding over the River, his white shaggy dog Suka next to him. Both of them were peering into the dark green water to watch the fishing line Mato had tied to a branch and jammed into the log to hold it upright. A flicker of movement in the dense trees caught Mato’s eye. Peering into the darkness he thought he saw another dog crouching down, his bushy tail up and waving. Ignoring the warning bark of his smaller dog, the huge one playfully jumped up and nodded his head at the little boy. Turning, the dog ran a little deeper into the trees. Looking back over its shoulder as it ran, the dog seemed to be waiting for the boy. Delighted with the idea of another pet, Mato commanded his upset dog to stay and watch for a fish. Without a backward glance, he took off running in the direction of this new dog.
Tacha was approaching the fishing log when she saw her son signal for Suka to stay and then run into the forest. Used to the energetic youth, she smiled and held back from calling him in to his lessons. Her smile faded when she peered through the trees and spotted the object of her son’s interest. Without another thought, she broke into a run and plunged into the darkness after the boy.
Hearing the pursuit of two humans now, the wolf slowed and circled back toward the sounds of the woman. He smiled to himself as the boy stopped in confusion, not knowing where the animal had gone. He didn’t want the boy. He wanted the woman. He had been impatiently waiting for her for months now.
Tacha refrained from screaming for Mato. She hoped he would become wary as he had been trained to do and return to their home. Screaming wouldn’t help anyone. Her blood turned cold when she heard a branch snap behind her. How did that happen? she frantically thought to herself. She slowly drew the knife out of her boot and turned.
It was too late. The crash of a body colliding with hers knocked her sideways. She cradled her stomach and curled to protect the baby. The feeling of fangs puncturing her arm was her last remembrance before the world turned black and she fainted.
The softness of rabbit skins. The smell of fish broth. Cool hands touching. Fire raging over her skin. Moist cloth washing over her face. Soft words murmured in the distance. A kicking sensation deep within her body. Darkness, always darkness. Mato crying over her.
Those were the only sensations that Tacha could grasp as reality. The wolf’s bite had infected her and she had not regained consciousness in weeks. The women came in and cared for her and tried to comfort both the dismayed Mato and the distraught Shaman. He wouldn’t leave her side. The oldest brave took over the needs of the encampment.
“The wolf still lurks outside the village,” the brave told the Shaman one day. “He is getting bolder. He’s letting himself be seen.”
“Is he getting reckless?” the Shaman wanted to know.
The older brave thought before answering. “No. He seems to be waiting, watching. We want to know if you want us to go after him.”
“You will not go without me,” he commanded. “And I cannot leave.”
The brave didn’t like being ordered into inaction. He wanted to revenge the woman and protect the camp. But, respect for their leader made him acquiesce. With a silent nod, he backed out of the tipi.
A painful groan came from his wife, her back arching against the pain. “Call the women!” he ordered. “I think it is her time.”
The women quickly arrived and, against custom, physically pushed him out of the tent. The hide flap was lowered in his face when he tried to protest. The watching braves surrounding him knew to keep their faces straight.
The sounds of a painful childbirth came from the Shaman’s tent. When it seemed he couldn’t take it any longer and made an attempt to rush in, the sounds within were replaced by the high-pitch cry of a newborn. The strain of worry was eased by a self-satisfied, silly grin on his lined face.
“She calls for you,” the Medicine Woman told him as she stuck her head out of the flap, motioning for him to hurry. “She’s very weak. I don’t think she….” She broke off, unable to complete the sentence as her eyes filled with tears.
Alarmed, the Shaman pushed past her to kneel at his wife’s side. A small dark-headed bundle, wrapped in rabbit skins, was at her side. He touched the baby’s soft red face just as the baby opened his eyes. His filmy eyes were a beautiful bright sapphire blue. He lifted his gaze from his child. “Tacha,” he whispered gently, caressing his wife’s ashen face.
Her eyes briefly opened and she managed a small smile. “You have another son.” The words exhausted her.
The Shaman tried to hold down his terror. She was so pale, her breathing almost non-existent. “You rest, O Lyokipi.”
She didn’t seem to hear him or the use of his pet name for her. “Our son.” The words seem to float from her rather than being spoken. There wasn’t much time left.
“He’ll be a strong warrior. You must get better so we can name him when the time comes.” Please let that time come.
“His name is Sumanitu Taka.”
The Shaman’s mouth fell open in surprise. “Wolf?”
“Yes.” The sound was faint as the last breath left her body. The hand he was holding went limp.
The rogue wolf was pacing at the edge of the forest, and at just that moment the entire encampment heard him let out a loud, triumphant howl as he disappeared into the darkness. It was done.
At the sudden, abrupt noise—the reminder of what had caused this tragedy—the Shaman quickl
y rose from his wife’s side. The women, surprised by his movement, jumped back. Grabbing up his bow and arrows that were leaning against the side of the tent, he rushed out into the center of the village.
“Come with me!” he commanded to his men, raising the bow high above his head.
There was a flurry of activity as the men rushed to their dwellings for their arms and they quickly followed the Shaman. “Where?” he demanded.
The oldest brave pointed to the north.
Without another word, he plunged into the forest, following a faint trail of bent leaves and displaced pine needles. The wolf would not make this easy. He tried to lose them by taking to the water where the River bent so he wouldn’t be seen. His ability to leap over boulders showed an agility not normally seen in wolves. He doubled back on his own nearly-invisible tracks and hid in a cave until the war party had passed. Emerging, he followed their footsteps back toward the direction of the encampment. When the sound of their pursuit again reached his sharp ears, his tongue lolled out of his head as if he was laughing at them. They would be getting tired by now.
He plunged into the River again and easily swam across the green waters. Once on the other side, he sat and waited until the braves emerged from the forest. He wanted to make sure he was seen, and when the men took to the water, he loped slowly past the waterfall. Cocky, he sat to let the men imagine they were catching up to him. Not paying attention to the sounds that were being muffled by the thundering water cascading behind him, the wolf had misjudged and didn’t hear the men until they were almost upon him. An arrow flew past his head, missing by mere inches.
Jumping to his feet, the huge animal took off in a run, his head thrown back, a loud, lingering howl coming from his throat.
Wolf! The Legend of Tom Sawyer's Island Page 2