Chapter 14

The next morning I had an idea about Margarite Thorn. I wondered if I heard her voice could I then track her? If not, I’d have to postpone her reckoning until I could get to meet her. Frankly, I didn’t think that would work, unless she met up with someone I could track. Then I’d be able to track her by going from one mind to a nearby one, one that she was conversing with. I’d done that before. I guessed that I’d just have to wait until she returned from Australia before I dealt with Robert Eisenstat. Who knows, it might be a good idea to not have the entire senior partnership die in one week, someone might decide to look a little too closely for my comfort.

That meant I didn’t have to stay around D.C. any longer. This place was giving me the heebie-jeebies, and I wasn’t going to hang out just to kill two more killers.

We wandered around and found an IHOP. The boyz each had a big plate of pancakes, which made sense considering it was an International House of Pancakes. I didn’t think they were very International, however. I got an omelet with a side of fruit. Healthy, yet filling. What could be more virtuous than that? Big Tex, that paragon of sophistication, ordered crepes drenched with strawberries.

Between bites, Tex asked me what was wrong. “Nothing much,” I said, also between bites.

“Lemme ask you somethin’, Lexi,” he said. “That Sum’ Bitch yesterday, laid plans to have you killed, right?”

“Yup,” I acknowledged.

“So, if I had to pick one – you or him – I’d pick you, every time. What about you boys?”

Rock said, “Her. I’d pick her. She’s easier on the eyes.” He had a big smile on his face.

Bear said, “Oh, yeah. Plus she’s got a bunch of wolves on her side. Everybody knows that wolves are a good judge of character. Easy choice.” He stuck his fork in a big bite of pancakes and shoveled them into his mouth.

“See?” said the cowboy. “Nobody is on his side. Why are you so glum? You did the human race a favor getting rid of him.”

I started to deny it. “I didn’t...”

“Please, Lexi. I don’t know what you did, and I don’t want to know how you did it. But I saw him keel over before we crossed the street,” said Tex. “Why’d’ja think I hustled us up to see the Eisenstat brothers when the police roared up?” His mind was replaying the incident in the Denny’s. He saw me sitting there quietly – then the lawyer keeled over soon after I left. He mulled over the ‘powers’ that I might have.

“Oh,” said I, cleverly, “I just thought...”

“Right. It was just a co-inky-dink,” said my senior bodyguard, with a smile. He took a sip of his coffee.

I concentrated on breaking my fast for a few minutes, as did the others. “So, do ya want to see some monuments and museums and such? Or should we go home?” I asked.

“Don’t ya want to see about the Eisenstat brothers before we go?” Tex asked. Obviously he hadn’t heard about Jerry’s accident at the restaurant.

I shrugged. Bear said he’d like to stop and see the Powwow again. “Good idea,” I said. “We haven’t seen Dark Wolf or Mr. Maritsuki in a long time. It would be good to stop in and see if the Piaqogwaiq has survived without us.”

We called Cap and arranged to fly out to Wyoming that afternoon.

...

Jed Somerville met us at the Whirlwind North International Aerodrome, which was what I called the airport in Shoshone land. I mean, we’d flown to two places in Canada, recently, right? Okay, not real recently, but that meant we COULD fly to an ‘International’ destination.

He drove us all out to the hacienda in McKesson Creek, where we handed the keys to an empty home to our pilots. The boyz and I settled into Whirlwind House while Jed called Mamma’s to get a big pot of deer stew delivered. WAIT! We could call out and get food delivered? This was real progress!

We got an update on all the new security measures. We hadn’t seen any security, but that was because the aerodrome was inside the town. Jed explained that there was now a gated and guarded entrance, with a fence that led off into the hills. Yeah, you could go around it – eventually – by hiking off into the woods for several miles. There were cc cameras on the fence, monitored at the guard house. I learned that ‘cc cameras’ meant ‘closed circuit cameras.’ There was more serious security out at McKesson Hollow and McKesson North, that should be adequate, except against grizzly bears. ‘More serious security’ meant electrified fencing with camera and 24/7 armed guards. We were now a substation of the Shoshone-Arapaho Police.

The next morning I got the grand tour. #24 was now a Community Center, with a sign and everything. It was a circular building with a big storage area in the back. In front, there was a big open area where several tables were set up for eating. But nobody was eating there now. Only a few women were tidying up some breakfast dishes into some motorized handcarts. Somehow, I’d missed breakfast. Rats! The cooking area was off to the side with an industrial-sized fridge and freezer nearby. Surrounding the building were a bunch of stores – real stores with goods for sale, not the storage for supplies like Jed meant.

Then we went around to the Adult Learning Center that was attached to the high school. There were lots of women there – some men – they were learning about how to install the solar power panels. My appearance caused a commotion in the classroom. So I said a few words of encouragement. I hope that the young adult women would go out and get real jobs, as opposed to me. I was a young adult woman who had a bull-shit job running around making changes all over the place.

[Lexi, I’m not going to put up with you saying that you’re not accomplishing anything. This ‘running around making changes’ IS making jobs for other people. And that’s not nothing.]

Red, most of these women had a chance to have a job as a wife. Period. There are women in that room who are stronger and bigger than me who are going to climb onto roofs and install solar panels. And they’re going to earn a living wage. That is progress for the Shoshone.

[And you, among others, should be proud of that.]

Yeah, okay. I guess so.

Speaking of being proud of something ... It was almost time for elevenses! I’d be proud to have a nice big brunch at Mamma’s. It was strange that both of the restaurants in the two towns I’d created were called ‘Mamma’s’. I don’t remember suggesting anything like that. Oh, well.

I reached out a hand for Rock, and leaned heavily on him.

“I feel faint. No breakfast! I’m getting weaker. Help!” I tried to put my best Victorian maiden into the role.

Rock got the idea. “Oh, you poor dear. We have to get her to Mamma’s. Let’s hurry.”

Bear laughed, but he headed for the SUV.

We got to the restaurant in time, thank the Gods! I got an emergency transfusion of elk sausage, fried peppers and onions, breakfast potatoes and two freshly made biscuits. I was sure I could make it to lunch, now. The men got some, too.