Changing Woman (38 page)

“He left word with Mrs. Johnson outside that he was going to be away for the weekend. That was a surprise to me because we still had a lot of work to do on his gaming position. Did he leave a phone number with you where I can reach him?” Blueeyes asked.

“ ’fraid not,” Ella said, keeping the truth to herself for now. She didn’t want anyone
else to know the details of Kevin’s weekend with Dawn, especially Blueeyes, whom she really didn’t trust.

Ella looked at her watch. “We have to hurry.”

Using the two phone lines they had available in Kevin’s office, Jefferson and Ella went down the list Kevin had, but were unable to find anyone who could get to Shiprock in time.

In desperation, Ella tried to reach Kevin on his cell phone, but
it was out of service. She’d figured as much, with cell phones being restricted on the small aircraft he and Dawn were traveling in.

As it became apparent that their attempts to find an available council member in time would fail, Ella quickly came up with an alternate plan.

Moments later, she raced to the mine with Blueeyes riding beside her. When they arrived, Ella half dragged Jefferson to
where Payestewa was and filled them both in. “Jefferson can say he’s Kevin. Their voices are very similar, and they both know the agenda before the council. We can pull it off.”

“I don’t know about this,” Blueeyes said quickly.

Ella looked at Payestewa. “We’re down to five minutes. This is our only option. You can brief Jefferson and monitor everything he says. If he gets into trouble, we’ll
cut off the call.”

“All right,” Payestewa agreed. “If the
Hasih
get what
they asked for, sort of, hopefully they won’t feel the need to take any drastic action.”

Three minutes before the phone call was due, Jefferson sat in the crime-scene van, which served as their temporary command post and communications center. Blalock had reluctantly approved their emergency plan, but Blueeyes looked like
a trapped man.

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.

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.”