Chapter 10

Autumn 1993

When we got back to Burnside North, we set up a little war council with Me, Linc, Washburn, and Chas. And of course, the S2D2 computer. Chas wouldn’t do anything without his kilobit powered Worth laptop. We filled Chas in on the threat. 2,000 mercenaries coming at us some time in the Spring. The targets were said to be NavEl, me, and Chas.

He took it well. Ho hum. Just another thing to do. “What can I do to help?” he said.

“You can hide. Get out of Dodge,” said Washburn. “Get your Nanta and Feather in the Hat into the caves. You’ll have company. Some of the armed Navajo, and Alex and James, of course.”

“Nanta’s sick, but she’ll probably be better by then. I’ll be wherever you think I should be,” Chas said.

“Well, before you leave,” I said, introducing a new topic I hadn’t discussed with anyone. “there is one more, little, thing you can do.” I paused. “You can build us a super-weapon.”

That brought all discussion to a halt while they waited for me to go on. “I got a vision of something that doesn’t work now.”

Chas laughed. “Like nuclear fusion?”

“Yeah, like that. It’s a laser pointer attached to a plasma gun. It uses electromagnetic impulses to shoot a jolt of plasma at some thing. Like it could shoot down a chopper or a plane,” I said. I didn’t want to call it a rail gun. That wouldn’t be something I could get in a ‘vision.’

“Lexi, that sounds like a rail gun. The DOD has been working on it since Ronnie RayGun was going to use it to shoot down incoming missiles,” Linc said. “They couldn’t make it work. But you said a plasma burst, not a kinetic projectile.”

“Well,” I said, sounding a bit uncertain. “I threw in ‘plasma’ since I couldn’t think of anything else. It’s NOT a projectile. It’s a burst of energy, so I called it plasma. I just have this image in my mind of a gun.”

“Son of a bitch,” Linc mumbled. “She’s got a plasma rail gun in her head.”

Chas was fiddling on his computer. S2D2 just reported the rail gun reference just as Linc had said. He paused. “Well, if you can draw it, Lexi, I can probably build it. It’s just something that hasn’t been done before.” He grinned. “Sound familiar?”

“Have you gotten any of the SAM’s yet?” I asked Linc. SAM meant Shoulder Aimed Missile that Red was trying to ‘acquire’ for Linc.

“Not yet. You ‘alternate sourcing’ hasn’t come through yet ... Well, if he can make ‘em. I’d like two rail guns for McKesson, and five for Burnside. Two at the town and three for NavEl ... If he can make ‘em,” Linc answered.

Clickety-clack. Chas was typing on the S2D2 computer. “Okay. I’ve found the parts list for the non-functional Reagan rail gun. So that’s on order ... Now we just need drawings.”

“Sounds like a job for me,” I said.

...

The next day the War Council descended on Wild Mustang’s home. The old Medicine Man wasn’t moving so well. There was Me, Rock, Bear, Linc, Soaring Eagle, Tall Feather, Wild Mustang, of course, and Bright Sunrise, another of Wild Mustang’s granddaughters. He introduced her as the next Navajo Medicine Woman after he was gone. I was shocked at her name. It was so close to my twins’ names: Jim and Alex Bright Moon. There must be some connection that I couldn’t fathom.

I immediately inquired about his health. “Do not worry about me, little Owl. I am still strong.” He thumped on his chest with a fist. “But a wise old man, plans for the future.”

I scanned his mind briefly. He was lying. He had a persistent cough and was bringing up blood.

Linc looked at Bright Sunrise. He saw a woman of about 30. She had a long braid over one shoulder, in a Navajo t-shirt and jeans. She looked back at him without a flinch.

“This is a war council, Wild Mustang. Anyone you invite to this team is welcome,” Linc went on.

Mustang looked at Sunrise. She gave him a brief nod. He returned it. She sat next to the old man, and we all took our seats.

Linc took the initiative. “Chief Soaring Eagle, if I may speak and outline what we know that has caused us to call this council.

“I have intentionally NOT called the elected officials of the Nation. They must abide by the laws of the nation and the laws of the U.S.Government.

“Lexi has had a vision. She sees 2,000 invaders coming at the Navajo Electric site and likely at Burnside North. She also sees 1,000 invaders coming at the Shoshone sites, but that will be dealt with in a separate meeting up there. We have enough to do here. Two Thousand is a lot.

“These invaders are likely professional soldiers. But she is sure they are NOT from the U.S. Government forces.”

There was silence around the table.

Tall Feather spoke first. “Is there any threat to the Navajo people in general, or are they after the activity in the Burnside North.” His voice was quiet and deep, as if it came from the bottom of the many canyons that surround the Naabeehó Bináhásdzo.

My turn to answer. “No. I only saw the attacks in and around the electric plant, and Burnside North.”

“At least we have that blessing.” He turned to Linc. “What do you ask of us?”

“When we kill them,” Linc replied, “what can we do with the bodies? Do you think the Navajo laws will protect us?”

Tall Feather was the one of the three who answered. “We must kill every one of them. The white man’s law will show mercy toward the ‘victims’ – the attackers. While we only protect ourselves, the burden of protecting ourselves will fall on us. Maybe in a decade, we will be exonerated. – No. We have dealt with this when I was a young man. – and that was a long, long time ago.” He smiled. “Soaring Eagle was a young man, like me. And Wild Mustang was merely ‘old’ at the time.” He laughed and threw a blueberry muffin at the old man. The old, old man caught it with one hand and took a bite.