Chapter 44

When their ‘true confessions’ meeting was over Ken opened the door to the Suburban, and Hawk and Maria followed him out of the vehicle. The three walked under the covered entrance-way into the lobby of the Inn where Uncle Tony and three young men greeted them warmly.

“Maria! Hawk! Thanks again for choosing our humble establishment. Your guests all arrived safely last night, and we’ve encouraged everyone to sleep late this morning. The meeting room has been prepared as we discussed, and the motel is ready for the rest of your guests.”

“Good,” Maria replied, “and thanks for telling everyone to sleep late. After our sudden exit from the Del this morning I’m certainly not ready for early morning interviews.” Noting the clock above the receptionist desk, Maria added, “At least it’s not yet seven. Brenda should be here shortly, so maybe we can actually get started by nine or nine-thirty.”

Tony nodded in acknowledgment of Maria’s feelings as he motioned forward the three young men standing slightly behind him. “Maria, I can sympathize with being awakened by such a security alert. In the old days we had them far more often than you would expect. Anyway, I’d like to introduce you to my sons. This is Sol, and this is Tony Junior, though most everyone calls him ‘Dancer.’ Finally, this is my nephew, Michael. Their primary responsibility will be to take care of any problem or need you might have, and one or more of them will be available around the clock. Also, because they’re family, you can have complete confidence in them. They’ll be looking out only for your interests and security.”

As Hawk and Maria shook hands with the three young men, Maria asked, “Dancer?”

Thinking Maria might think of it as a Mafia nickname he replied, “Yes, Ma’am, but it’s a football nickname and has nothing to do with our family’s past history.”

“Football?” asked Hawk.

Sol answered, “In high school he was a very good wide receiver. He moved with such an easy motion some writer compared him to Lynn Swan of the Steelers. This was just after Swan had performed in a ballet. From that article someone hung him with the name ‘Dancer, ‘ and it stuck.”

“If you were that good, did you play college ball?”

“I ended up at Cal, but I was injured in an early practice and afterward things were never the same. I ended up transferring back here to San Diego State, where I majored in Hotel Management.”

As they talked briefly Maria studied Michael, noting he and Hawk had a strong structural resemblance. They didn’t look much alike facially, but their bodies sure did. Finally, during a break in the conversation she was able to get Hawk and Ken into an open area away from the others. Softly, Maria said, “Hawk, I may have a solution to the problem you discussed with Ken in the Limo.”

“The hypothetical identity problem?” Ken ambiguously asked.

“Exactly,” she answered.

“OK,” Hawk responded. “Lay it on us.”

Ken grinned, and asked, “Is he about to start ‘high fives’ and bumping elbows and hips?”

“Just ignore him when he says things like that. He’s been out of touch with the real world for a few years. Anyway, I picked up on the physical similarity between Hawk and Michael. With some makeup Michael could easily pass for Hawk in the meetings, especially since no one among these candidates has ever met him.”

“Not quite accurate, Little Chipmunk,” Hawk replied. “The ex-deputy from Alamogordo is the exception, though I suspect he would go along with the ruse if we clued him in ahead of time. He needs this opportunity too much to say anything, and he already knows I’m not the real Robert Gray Hawk. The only other problem might be family, but again, they’d just need advance notice as to what’s happening.”

“What about Hawk’s involvement with the interviews?” Ken asked.

“Maria will be doing most of that, anyway, as I’d just be interjecting a question here or there. Ken, with your training in Human Resource Management you’d do a far better job on the interviews than I would.”

Considering the implications of what Hawk said Ken asked, “Won’t the men have problems dealing primarily with a woman?”

“Some might have a problem, but a few of the tribes, especially the Apache, are fundamentally matriarchal at the family level. If any do go all ‘macho, ‘ they’re likely to find themselves out of contention for any of the job openings we might have now, or in the future.”

“Not that I disagree with you, Hawk, but this isn’t the attitude I would have expected from an Apache.”

“Ken, you’ve been watching too many western movies. Though it’s somewhat different today, in the old days a young brave was under such control by his mother-in-law he couldn’t look her in the eye or speak directly to her unless to answer a question. In addition, if a woman wanted a divorce she just threw his things out of their dwelling, but if the man wanted a divorce he’d have to leave the local tribal unit.”

“You’re kidding.”

“Nope,” Hawk responded. “The women ran everything except war parties and inter-tribal conferences.”

“Wow! I’d never have expected that. I guess it really shows how our perception can be twisted by television and movies.”

“Ken,” said Maria, “before you get your views too twisted, just understand we’re only talking about the Apache here. The attitudes and customs of a lot of the other tribes would be far closer to your mental image, though many would be worse than you can imagine. I think the important point here is most Native Americans are aware of the Apache’s matriarchal attitudes, which should deflect a good portion of these problems.”

“OK, you’ve convinced me. I’ll need to talk to Uncle Tony and Joel. How much can I say?”

“Just say I need to undergo a minor medical procedure without being noticed. If Michael could cover for a few days then we could probably accomplish this with minimal risk. Oh,” Hawk paused for impact, “let Michael know the substitution stops at the door to Maria’s room.”

Ken laughed at Hawk’s remark, and responded by saying, “I’m sure he’ll be disappointed, but I’ll make sure he understands she’s not one of the ‘perks’ of the job.” Still chuckling, Ken moved away. He grabbed the attention of Tony and Joel by saying, “Guys, we need to talk.”

Tony’s face showed his concern regarding Ken’s statement as he led the three to his office. When everyone was inside, Tony closed the office door and asked, “OK, what’s this about?”

Ken pointed to Joel, and said, “Security.”

Then, while Joel talked on a mike hidden below his collar Ken looked at his uncle and pointed to his right ear. Tony, puzzled by the extra steps Ken was requesting, removed a small electrical device from a locked cabinet and began to move it around the room. He concentrated on the device’s display, looking for any changes that might appear. About the time he completed his check, there was a soft drumming of fingertips on the office door. After the third sequence of drumming the noise stopped. “The door is secure,” informed Joel.

“And the room is clean,” added Tony. He then continued, “Now, what is this all about?”

Ken answered, “I just learned of a new wrinkle in our plan.”

“In what way?” asked Joel.

“It seems part of this trip was for Hawk to undergo some minor surgery, surgery which needs to go unnoticed and anonymous.”

“Shit!” cried a frustrated Joel.

A far calmer Tony queried, “Since you brought it up the way you did, I assume you have a solution?”

“Actually, Maria is the one who made a simple observation and hit on the idea. She thinks, with makeup, Michael could easily cover for Hawk during his absence.”

A surprised Tony exclaimed, “But, Michael doesn’t look anything like Hawk!”

“Actually, as she pointed out, their builds are almost identical. A good makeup artist could easily make the switch. Also, outside of their family only one of those coming here for an interview has ever seen Robert Gray Hawk.”

Tony asked, “What does Michael think about this?”

“I haven’t mentioned it to him. I wanted to get with you two first, both from a security point of view, and because, Uncle Tony, you’re the de facto head of the family.”

Tony smiled as he said, “That may be, but I wouldn’t want it broadcast. My grandfather may be in his nineties, but he still has his pride, as well as his teeth. Plus, he’s still frustrated at all the changes that have occurred over the past twenty years. He still sees himself as the classic ‘New York Don, ‘ who answers to nobody in his territory, not even the government.”

A mildly rebuked Ken responded, “Your point is duly noted, Uncle Tony. Now, what do we do about Maria’s idea for using Michael as a decoy?”

“Before I answer, Ken, I need to know Joel’s opinion. Joel, what are your thoughts?”

“With some ‘sleight of hand’ and some extra security measures I think it’s doable. I just wish I had more details, as well as more time to plan. Do we even know where the surgery is to take place? How long will Hawk need to recover? Will he come back here after the surgery? Will he need any specialized care? These are all factors that need to be considered.”

Tony slowly nodded in thought while he replied, “I agree, though I guess we should first determine if my nephew is even willing to double for Mister Gray Hawk.” He picked up his telephone, pressed a couple of buttons, and said, “Sol, could you please ask Michael to come to my office? Thanks.”

Moments later, there was a knock at the office door. When Tony acknowledged it, one of the two security men stationed outside the office opened the door and allowed Michael to enter. “You asked to see me, Tony?”

“Yes, Michael, how would you feel about doing some decoy work?”

“Such as?”

“By pretending to be Robert Gray Hawk for a few days.”

“How could I do that, Tony? I don’t look anything like him, and though he seems like a pleasant chap, I don’t really know anything about him.”

Tony answered, “That was pretty much my initial response, too, but according to Gray Hawk’s wife, you two have the same physical build. Beyond that it’s just makeup and being basically ‘seen but not heard.’“

Michael grinned when he asked, “Do I get any benefits for playing her husband?”

Ken laughed while he replied, “Michael, Hawk anticipated that question from the beginning. Unfortunately, the answer is ‘Nada.’“

“Well, it was worth asking. She’s definitely a good looking woman, and her Indian features just make her look even more attractive.”

Joel chuckled, “Michael, I think the term you’re looking for is ‘exotic.’“

“Yeah, and that too.”

“So, Michael, back to the initial question,” asked Tony. “What do you think?”

Suddenly becoming more serious Michael replied, “I’m willing to try, though I haven’t a clue as to what I’m to do.”

“Then,” said Joel, “let’s get the couple in question back to their suite and see what we can work out.”

As they began to exit Tony’s office Ken reminded everyone, “Don’t forget we’ve got to pick up some people at the airport shortly.”

“Good point,” acknowledged Joel. “It’s a shame we couldn’t use that for cover in making our switch.”

“Maybe we can. Let’s go talk it over with them as part of our planning. Ken, come with me to help escort them to their suite. Joel and Michael can join us there.”

Ken asked, “Should I get their stuff from the Suburban and join you, or should I leave that for later?”

“Go ahead and bring it to their suite. Our meeting will probably look less staged that way.”

At the same time as this conversation was taking place two very different aircraft were both traveling from Phoenix to San Diego, though neither knew of the others’ existence. The Piper Navajo left Phoenix over an hour earlier than the Navy C-20, the military’s VIP version of the Gulfstream III. Because of the difference in aircraft the C-20 was rapidly overtaking the Navajo, and while they were flying similar paths, they were several miles apart, both laterally and vertically. In addition to the differentiation in speed and altitude there were also significant differences in the mood of the passengers. Though Brenda was a little concerned about Maria’s tone and the need for an early departure, Bill Brice and the Bright Feather family were enjoying the trip and the potential changes in their lives that could come from it.

On the C-20, the mood was anything but festive, as Andy and Jason sat quietly listening to Admiral Burke review everything he had on Vasquez and his organization. It wasn’t a pretty picture. Finally, as the Admiral closed the folder and handed it to Jason he said, “I probably should let you know most of this came directly from Senator McCray, and this meeting, as well as my giving you access to that folder, could be considered a breach of security.”

Puzzled, Jason asked, “Why would Senator McCray get involved in something like this, especially during a presidential election year? If we win he can’t claim any knowledge, and if we lose the political repercussions could be enormous. The other candidates would eat him alive.”

“I really don’t know all his motives. Hell, I don’t know if even he consciously knows all of them. At the same time, I know he was impressed with what you did at Tule River, and in several private conversations he’s called you a great American hero. I’ve even heard several mention you as a potential replacement for him in the Senate.”

Andy began laughing, and said, “Can you imagine the headlines, ‘Senator on fact finding tour to Venezuela brings down socialist dictator!’ The press will call him ‘Dirty Harry’ and the ‘Apache Warrior.’“

“Andy, I suspect you may over estimate the knowledge available to the press concerning Jason. Most of Jason’s records are buried so deeply there’s no link between the information and his name. Personally, I’d love to see Jason as the Senator from Arizona, as he might possibly restore some reason and logic to the hallowed halls of the Capitol Building.”

A very surprised old Indian replied, “Admiral, I appreciate the vote of confidence, but I don’t see it ever happening. McCray’s past views and actions concerning the American Indian don’t give me a lot of confidence in the matter. Remember, just a few years ago he proposed a bill that would end the reservations and give the land to the individuals who lived there. It sounded good, but within a generation whites would own most of the good land while our people would be crowded into shantytowns or government housing projects.”

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The Hawk and the Chipmunk

Mike Lowe aka The Scot

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