Chapter 22

Owyhee, Nevada

There were eight people in the Owyhee School auditorium/basketball court. For the next week or so, the school had a ‘gas leak’ and classes were cancelled.

Eastman and Haugen had met before and they were the only people they knew – other than Armis, of course.

Armis: “Let me introduce some people. This is Mr. Eastman. He is Chief Justice of the U.S. Supreme Court. This is Ms Haugen, Secretary General of the U.N. These four people are senior members of SEAL Team 9. This is Chief Redstone, President of the Cree Nation. And this is Chief Hardstick Sam, President of the Shoshone-Paiute Nation.

“None of you are here in your official capacity. You are here because you have personal knowledge of certain things or because of your impartiality.

“We are here to consider the Constitutional high crimes of and the global offenses of President Ellis.”

Eastman took a step back. “No. I will not be party to a rump court. There are means to deal with this – if there is something to see. Armis, you asked me to accept coming here – wherever ‘here’ is – as a matter of personal trust. I now withdraw my approval.”

Armis: “Stay one day and read what I have, and listen to the SEALs. Then if you want to leave, okay.”

Eastman: “I dislike this procedure. I warn you that I am prejudiced against anything you may present because of it.”

Armis: “That is fair. I say only that this is not a court or a legal hearing of any kind. It is a group of people -- fair people, I hope -- who can help me decide what to do next.”

She handed him and Haugen a packet of all the papers she had sent to Commander Redstone. “But first, you need to see these. They are the statements of Government agents. And this is the statement of Senator MacDowell. You can talk to her directly. The SEALs were present at the time her daughter was freed.”

Six hours later, Eastman put down the pile of papers. The U.N. Secretary General was a faster reader and she had finished reading some 40 minutes earlier. Eastman got up from the table on the auditorium’s stage and stretched. “I need a more comfortable chair. My ass is sore.”

He looked at Haugen and silently asked her for her thoughts. “He is not my President. But there is credible evidence of severe wrongdoing. If it is all true.”

The others had sacked out on the cots that had been brought in to the room by the two AmerInd Chiefs and the SEAL non-coms. The SEALs were awake and so was Bright Feather Redstone, leaving only Hardstick Sam quietly snoring.

Eastman addressed Armis. “I’d like to ruminate on this overnight. But assuming all this is true, what do you propose?”

Commander Redstone replied. “We all agreed to a couple of things prior to both of your arrivals. First, any decision has to be unanimous among the eight of us. Second, we want to hear what President Ellis has to say about this.”

Eastman: “Are you the President of this Court?”

Cmdr. Redstone: “No. I gladly cede that role to you. I’ve presided at three Courts Martial, but that’s the limit of my experience.”

Eastman considered. “You’re one of the primary witnesses to some of these offenses. The other SEALs, too. I’m a witness, too, to the assassination of President Maguire. His hand was on the bible I held when they killed him. I saw the look on Ellis’ face, and he had a smile of satisfaction, not a look of shock. And I’ve never presided on a case.” He was appointed to be one of the Justices from his role as a Senator... 18 years ago.

Haugen: “Don’t look at me. I’m a diplomat, not a jurist.”

Chief Redstone kicked the cot of Hardstick Sam. “Wake up, Sam! We’re deciding who’s going to run this show. So far, it’s nobody.”

Without moving, Sam said: “I heard it all. I was just checking my eyelids for leaks ... Looks like it’s either you or me, Bright Feather. I dare say we’ve both seen more trials in our time than anybody else here. We were not involved in any of this. And besides ... we’re both Presidents, just like Ellis is.”

The Cree Chief took a moment. “Looks like me and this young’un will be co-presiding this. If we return a ‘not guilty’ after hearing what Ellis has to say, we’re going to need a place to hide. An Injun reservation is as good a place as any.” Bright Feather Redstone was 82, while the ‘young’un’ Hardstick Sam was only 74.

Art Thornton spoke for the first time. “I don’t think I can take spending a night on this cot when there’s a perfectly good motel not 300 yards from here. And I don’t want another ‘meal’ from the vending machines.”

Hardstick: “Hey! This is my school. I resemble that remark ... But I don’t wanna eat here either. My shack is just down the road a piece. And Cootchie Coo is a great cook.”

Dubois: “Cootchie Coo?”

Hardstick: “My wife. She’s a half breed. Half Pueblo, half trouble maker. I never could pronounce her name. We prob’ly got a bunch at our table tonight, but there’s always room for a few more.”

Dubois under her breath to Thornton: “Well, there goes security.”

But Hardstick’s hearing got it anyway. “Listen, Missy. Ain’t no Sho-Pai gonna say nothin’ ‘bout nothin’. Our security is better than Ben Franklin would’a wanted. You know what he said: You can keep a secret between two people only if one’s dead.”

Chief Redstone: “Or something like that anyway.”

Eastman: “Fine. Let’s go ... Who’s in charge of the documents?”

Commander Redstone: “I’ll take them.” And he scooped all the papers and DVD’s into his briefcase.

They followed Hardstick out to the parking lot where two of the new Tesla SUV’s were waiting. All nine people got in and they were off.

‘Down the road a piece’ to Hardstick’s shack turned out to be 15 miles of single lane road to a really nice ranch, with two pickups visible, another SUV and corrals for about a dozen head of horses.

The troop marched up to the door, and it was already opened by an elderly, slender woman. She took one look at the people on her doorstep and called over her shoulder, “Eight more for supper, Star ... Hello, welcome to my home. I’m called Petal by everybody but Sam. Won’t’cha come in?”

The antelope stew was good. The wine not so good. And no one asked for anybody else’s name. The crew retired to the Feather Lodge, on Highway 225 close to the school building and took about 3/4 of the available rooms.

At 0830 the next morning, the group reconvened in the auditorium.

Eastman spoke: “All right. We’re all here. This is my feeling on this most extraordinary meeting. I think William Ellis is guilty of the murder of the former President. The trail of payments is clear. The transcript of the meeting with Patton and the Secret Service agent who pulled the trigger is questionable. How was that obtained?”