Chapter 2

COUGH... “Ouch where am I” I whispered. When I opened my eyes, I could see I was in a hospital bed and medical equipment and tubes all over me. I could see a police officer and Soldier outside my door. A cute nurse walked in and smiled as we made eye contact. Her name tag said Tammy; she said, “Welcome back to the land of the living.”

A Black man in a suit; an Oriental man in a suit; and an Indian I had seen around Grandpa’s ranch a couple of times came in when they heard Tammy announce I was awake.

I asked, “What happened?”

MR Black {I wonder how much flack he gets about that?}was first to speak; “What do you remember son?”

I replied, “We were on the porch and there was banging, NO gunfire and I got punched in the chest!” I reached for the left side of my chest with both hands. Only my right hand was able to touch the bulky bandage in the middle of my right rib cage. My left hand caught on the IV line and would not allow my arm to reach.

Tammy quickly moved to my left side saying, “Watch out for your IV or I will have to stick you to start another one.” Then she smiled.

“Tell me what happened! WHERE IS MY FAMILY!” I shouted. COUGH ... COUGH...

Tammy said, “Don’t make him shout or I will throw you all out of here! AND YOU stop shouting or I will stuff a bandage in your mouth!” she tried to look mad and mean but being about 5’7” Blonde hair and Blue eyes looking like Jessica Simpson with shorter hair she just couldn’t pull it off.

We both giggled. I looked at MR Black and waited for him to continue.

“I am Thomas Black with the FBI.” He spoke. The oriental man interrupted, “Sorry to be rude and interrupt but I am Nakamoru Takidi. I am the family lawyer and your Grandfather’s best friend. Nobody wants to tell you but as your Grandfather and I were so close I feel it should be me to tell you your family is dead. You were the only one to survive the attack.”

MR Black began again, “Well we still don’t know how you survived. In fact, the first police on the scene reported you were not breathing when they arrived, as they checked for survivors and secured the scene almost 8 minutes after being called by neighbors that witnessed the whole thing. EMS arrived shortly after the police and were checking everyone again when they found you to barely have a pulse and almost no respirations. They intubated and put you on a respirator. You were in surgery for several hours and have been unconscious for 29 hours. It has been almost two days since you were attacked.”

He went on saying, “You were only hit with one bullet an armor piercing since it went clean through leaving a nice little hole both going in and coming out. It missed your scapula by millimeters, or you might not have been so lucky. It looked like the men were trying to protect the women putting themselves between the women and the gunmen. Since armor piercing bullets were used it did little good.”

I steeled myself and said, “Tell me every detail I want to know exactly what happened to my family.”

MR Black nodded and began, “Golden Eagle was shot nine times, two in the head, three in the chest, and one in the back, gut, right bicep, and right thigh. Jinshen had bullet holes in each palm like he tried to catch or slap bullets; he also had four rounds in the chest. Grey Eagle was shot three times in the chest, twice in the gut, and once in the head, left hip and left thigh. Jentei was shot in the head twice, chest once and belly once. Teipan was shot twice in the left side of her chest, left shoulder and left thigh. Snow Owl was shot in the neck which shattered C2, C3, and C4 and destroyed her spinal cord killing her instantly. In fact, all of them were killed almost instantly. The scene tells us there had to be at least four shooters.”

Everyone was quiet and I was starting to have difficulty breathing when a squeaky voice that sounded like someone scratching a chalkboard broke the silence.

“I’m MRS Hathaway from Social Services can someone tell me who Snow Eagle Noble is.”

MR Black and MR Takidi both said, “WHY?”

“It was reported that a 16-year-old Snow Eagle Noble was admitted to the hospital and both parents and all Grandparents were killed. So, until a blood relative can be found he is under the care of Social Services”

That is when the Indian spoke for the first time. “I am Running Elk Chief of the Black Valley Tribe Snow Eagle is under my protection and he is 17.”

MRS Hathaway laughed which sounded like a seal barking. “What blood relationship do you have, and can you provide documentation to prove it? I think not; so, everyone out now. He is now under Social Service protection, and I will be acting as his guardian until the court can appoint one. As a minor he is not allowed to be questioned without a guardian present and you know this, so if you don’t want to have to answer for that; leave now.” MRS Hathaway squawked. Running Elk calmly turned to MR Takidi and asked, “Do you know Native American Law.” “I understand most of it why?” answered MR Takidi.