Holdin' On for a Hero (19 page)

Chance looked at him for a long time. “How do I start?”

Tsa’li nodded and moved his hand in a sweeping gesture around them. “This is Wa`ya’hi—place of the Wolf clan. Here you will become one with the spirit of the wa’ya.”

Chance gasped as her eyes followed the sweep of his hand. From the darkness sets of glowing eyes began to appear. Icy fingers of fear crawled down her back as the wolves started to moved from the darkness, circling the fire.

“Tsa’li!” she exclaimed, grabbing his arm. “God, what do we do?”

Tsa’li patted her hand and spoke to the wolves in a low singsong chant she didn’t understand. One by one they lay down, their legs stretched out in front of them like lupine sphinxes around the fire.

Chance could not believe her eyes. She looked at the creatures and then at Tsa’li. He finished his song and turned to her. “Close your eyes, Woman with the Eyes of a Wolf. Close your eyes and see the man you love in your mind. Set your spirit free to search for his. Let your strength be his.”

Chance looked at him for a moment then at the enormous wolf that lay just feet away from her. The animal turned its head to look into her eyes and she felt a jolt run through her as a silent command to obey Tsa’li’s words came from its mind. Giving in, she closed her eyes.

* * * * *

Jimmy Martin and Billy Hawkes parked across the street from the bar. Billy threw his arm over Jimmy’s shoulders as they started across the street. “You sure you’re up for a night out?”

Jimmy nodded. “Man, I’ve had enough of hospitals to last me a lifetime. Besides, this is Jenny’s first night at her new job and I promised her I’d come.”

Billy smiled and let his arm drop as they walked up to the door. Jimmy stopped him as he started in. “Remember, don’t say nothing about her face. She’s real sensitive about it.”

“Don’t worry,” Billy assured him. “Say, the doctor did say it wouldn’t leave a scar, didn’t he?”

Jimmy shrugged. “She might need some plastic surgery. Hey, get this! John Wolfe called and told her that if she needed it, someone had donated the money for her to have it done. Ain’t that some shit? You think it’s John and he just don’t want nobody to know?”

Billy shook his head. “Just between you and me I’d bet my last dime it’s that blonde Wyatt’s with. She’s got bucks, Jim—lots of ‘em. And she ain’t stingy with it either. Fact is, she’s putting up the money to hire that high-fangled lawyer that’s supposed to help us get construction going again and get Holling off our asses.”

“No shit?” Jimmy pulled open the door. “Well, I just hope it works.”

They walked inside and found a seat at the bar. Jenny walked over to them and gave Jimmy a quick kiss. “Hey, sweetie.” He smiled. “You’re looking real fine tonight. Think you might want to do something when you get off work?”

Jenny smiled at him. “Sure thing. You gonna wait around ‘til we close?”

“I’ll be right here. How ‘bout a couple of beers?”

She nodded and walked around the bar, speaking to the bartender. Jimmy pulled some money from his pocket as the bartender sat two beers down in front of him and Billy.

For a little while they sat and talked, watching the people dance and occasionally speaking with Jenny when she had a second. Everything was relaxed and the people were all having fun.

Until Greg Holling and six of his men showed up.

The minute they walked in, everyone in the place fell silent. Greg walked over to the bar and grabbed a bottle from behind it as his men pulled guns.

Billy and Jimmy looked at one another. “What the fuck?” Jimmy whispered.

Billy shook his head and said nothing. Greg took a big drink from the bottle then looked around. “Hey!” he yelled at Jenny who was across the room. “You, bitch! Get your red ass over here!”

Jenny froze in place, her eyes wide with fear. Jimmy jumped up and faced Greg. “Leave her alone, Holling.”

“Who’s gonna make me?” Greg taunted him.

“Me, that’s who.”

“No, Jimmy!” Jenny shouted and started across the room.

“Stay back!” Jimmy yelled at her. “Don’t let him near you.”

Greg slammed the bottle down on the edge of the bar with a roar. “You fuckin’ little red piece of shit!” he yelled at Jimmy. “How fuckin’ dare you! Jack! Matt! Get that fucking bitch and put her in my truck!”

Two of Greg’s men started for Jenny. Jimmy dove at one of them and a gun went off. His body slammed into another of the men as blood spurted from the gunshot wound in his chest. The man fell under his weight and screamed for someone to help him. Two more of Holling’s friends rolled Jimmy off the man.

Billy looked down at Jimmy. His sightless eyes stared up at the ceiling and his face was set in an expression of shock and pain. Jenny screamed and ran toward Jimmy but Greg’s friend, Matt, grabbed her and slung her toward the other men who waited by the door.

“Nobody fucking move!” Greg waved his gun around. “You hear me? The first one that twitches is dead. Matt! You and Brad get her the fuck outta here!”

While two men dragged Jenny kicking and screaming from the bar, Greg walked over to Billy. “You find Wolfe and give him a message for me, Billy Boy. Tell him we’re gonna fuck that red bitch ‘til she bleeds then we’re gonna skin her alive. Tell him I’ll be waiting for him at the Gap. He’ll know where to find me.

Giving Billy a push hard enough overturn the barstool, Greg backed up to the door. “Anyone but Billy Boy tries to leave and they die.”

Everyone started shouting and talking at the same time as soon as Greg left. Billy got up from the floor and looked around. Joe Nash came over to him. “What you gonna do, Billy? You gonna tell Wyatt?”

“What else can I do?” Billy looked from Joe to Jimmy lying dead on the floor. “Call the sheriff and tell him what happened. But don’t let anyone tell him what Greg said until I talk to Wyatt.”

“He won’t go after Holling,” Joe said. “You know how he feels, Billy. He’s had it with fighting.”

“Maybe,” Billy said. “But if he doesn’t go after them, Jenny’s good as dead. I have to try to talk to him.”

Joe nodded. “Go on then.”

Billy ran out of the bar and jumped in his truck. He had to get to Wyatt and fast.

* * * * *

Wyatt looked out the back door for the tenth time. “Where’d he say they were going?”

“I told you he didn’t say. Now will you sit down? Tsa’li will take care of her.”

“Well, I must say that I’m certainly curious,” Iris said somewhat insolently, looking up at Wyatt from where she sat at the kitchen table. “Any woman who inspires this kind of worry must be very special.”

Wyatt turned and looked at her with an irritated expression. But before he could speak the back door flew open, almost knocking him down. “Wyatt!” Billy bounded in shouting.

Wyatt caught his balance and turned to Billy. “Holling shot Jimmy. He killed him, Wyatt!” Billy’s voice was filled with panic. “And he took Jenny. Told me to tell you that—” Billy stopped as his eyes fell on Iris.

Wyatt took him by the shoulders and turned him around, pushing him back outside. “Dad?” he called over his shoulder.

John stood up and followed Wyatt. “Excuse us,” he said to Iris as he walked outside.

“Okay, slow down and tell me what happened,” Wyatt said to Billy.

“I told you!” Billy exclaimed. “Holling and his men showed up at the Drinking Hole. He said he was going to take Jenny and Jimmy tried to stop him and he shot him! Dead! Then his men took Jenny and Holling said for me to bring you a message so I jumped in my truck—”

“What message?” Wyatt interrupted him.

“He said to tell you that they were going to fuck that red bitch ‘til she bled then they were going to skin her alive and that if you wanted him he’d be at the Gap. Said you’d know where.”

Wyatt looked from Billy to his father. Neither man spoke and Billy looked from one to the other. “Wyatt, you’ve got to do something. You can’t let them do that to her.”

Wyatt turned and walked away, standing at the back of the yard and staring up at the sky. John nodded toward the house. “Come on, Billy. Let’s go in. He needs to be alone.”

Billy started to protest but John shook his head and he closed his mouth. They went inside. Iris was standing by the door. “Don’t you think you should call the police?” she asked as they walked in.

Billy turned to her and shouted. “Don’t you think we have? We call and call and call! And every time they walk. The law can’t help us.”

Iris looked at John for a second then opened the door and went outside. Wyatt didn’t look at her as she walked up beside him.

“What are you going to do?”

He didn’t answer and she moved in front of him. “When I was in college I took a course on Native American mythology. I remember talking about it with a girl in my class. She was from the Oklahoma Cherokees. She told me this story about these spirits or immortals or something that were supposed to live in the mountains around here and how they would appear and fight to save the Cherokees when they were in danger. Another story she told me was about two twins, something about one being Light and the other Dark and how one was good and the other evil. But she said these twins loved the Cherokee and would help them when they were called on.” Wyatt looked down at her without speaking. “Looks like you people could use some of that help now,” she said softly.

“That’s just a story,” Wyatt said in a constricted voice.

Iris put her hand on his arm. “True. If we were back in time a hundred years or so, we wouldn’t be standing here like this. You’d be on your way to wherever those men are and you’d kill them. You’d avenge the death of your friend and keep them from killing the girl. Imagine it, Wyatt, tracking them through the dark forest, the adrenaline pumping through your body as you anticipated the oncoming fight, feeling your muscles quiver with excitement and almost smelling the warm scent of their blood.”

“Stop!” Wyatt barked. “Shut up!”

Iris eyed him for a moment. “But it’s true. That’s what you’d do. You’d find them and kill them, make them pay for the death of your friend. That’s the way justice was dealt at one time. There was no criminal justice system, no courts, no—”

“Stop it!” he whispered. “Don’t—”

“Don’t what? I’m only saying that in the past—”

He howled at her and backed away, feeling as if a storm was brewing in his mind. His head felt like it was about to explode. An agonizing pain tore through him and he felt as if he was being consumed from within.

Suddenly the pain vanished. In its place was a cold, silent rage. He looked around and saw Iris staring up at him with wide eyes. She looked so small. He could break her in half with his bare hands. But it was not her he wanted to hurt. It was someone else. But who? He couldn’t remember. Then a voice whispered in his mind.
Holling
,
Greg Holling
.
That
’
s the enemy
.
That
’
s who we kill tonight
.

Visions of blood filled his mind and he lost himself in them. Turning away from the woman who watched him, he ran into the forest.

John ran out into the backyard and found Iris alone. “What happened?”

“I have no idea. I was standing here telling him how we could have those men arrested and suddenly he just starting howling like an animal and ran off. Is there something wrong with him, Mr. Wolfe?”

John looked at her then looked toward the darkness of the forest.

* * * * *

Deep in the forest, Chance was lost in a world without substance. She felt her spirit soaring and exhilarated in the freedom. Reaching out with her essence, she called to Wyatt. At first she couldn’t sense him, then his presence was felt. She felt his spirit and sensed his concern for her.

Then something intruded, something that felt cold and evil. The evil moved closer to him. Chance tried to wrap her own essence around his to protect him. But he was caught in the web the evil spun around him.

Suddenly she felt his spirit change. Another was with him, one who was powerful and filled with bloodlust. Chance tried to combat it, willing her own spirit to push it aside.

Abruptly she was back in her physical body. Her eyes flew open as a scream erupted from her throat. “Tsa’li!” She whirled to look at him.

Tsa’li nodded. “Yes, the other is with him.”

“I have to get to him! You have to help me.”

“I cannot. It is not for me to do, Woman with the Eyes of a Wolf. You must do this.”

“But how?” she asked, filled with fear for what would happen to Wyatt. “How do I find him?”

Tsa’li nodded toward the wolf that lay beside her. “Perhaps it is time to ask for help from those who are best suited to give it.”

Chance looked from him to the wolf. For a few moments she hesitated then she turned to face the wolf. “Will you please help me?”

The wolf stood and walked to her. Chance froze, sure that it would attack her. It made no aggressive moves. Instead it looked into her eyes for a brief moment then lowered its head.

She reached out hesitantly and touched the thick fur between its ears, stroking it gently, then ran her hand down its snout. The wolf lifted its head and licked her hand then turned to the others.