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Chapter Fifty One
 
 
 

They spent the next several days going over the information that had been gathered.  Each person seemed to have a different slant on why things happened but the one thing they were all in unison about was, Sheriff Ben Burgess was the prime suspect.   The only thing they could not figure out was what the man was hoping to get from this.

Bobie suggested the selling of land to the government.  Or maybe he was taking a kick back in the illegal alien trafficking.   They all agreed this might be the reason.  But Jeanne and Skylar tossed in the fact the man was an upstanding citizen and maybe he was being blackmailed.

Belle laughed at this,  "I can’t see Ben Burgess being blackmailed.  Maybe he might be doing the blackmailing.  Anyone crazy enough to attempt to exert influence on this man would be looking for a pine box on boot hill."

Sky stepped up to the bulletin board, surveying it for what seemed like an eternity, then turned to gaze at the three women sitting on the divan.  "We know for sure that Jim Trenton, Mary Trenton and the men working for them are in the wrong.  The Trenton home is located in an area that has been known to see illegals frequently.  There is the body, Bobie and I came upon in the area, and when we went to check it out, it was gone.  It had been moved.  Someone did not want the police in the area.   Now I ask, who would that be?"

"The Trentons!"  The women chorused.

"Right.  To me apprehending them would be the first step.  I think I have a good idea who has been buying up the property.   Though I’m not sure she is really aware of what she may have gotten herself into."

Bobie’s eyes grew wide, her expression was one of surprise as she stammered,  "Her?  Who is this woman Sky?  I think we deserve to know."

Sky smiled toward Bobie.  "You’re right.  I’m sure Jeanne has heard of Tara Coltrane."

Jeanne nodded in agreement then voiced,  "A lot of people have heard of Tara.  She is not someone to easily forget."

The woman’s remark fueled interest as Sky threw her hands into the air in an ‘I give’ movement and said,  "We don’t have time for me to tell you all I know about Tara Coltrane but I will give you a quick update.  She walked into the bedroom and came out with a black leather briefcase.  "I have some information in here, this will help, take time to read what I give you and then if there are any questions, I will do what I can to answer them."

Bobie and Belle were the first to take a look at the file.  As they became wrapped in the information, Jeanne motioned for Sky to meet her in the kitchen.  Once they were away from the others, she whispered,  "Seems to me you and Tara have a long history.  Not all of it good but a history in any case.  Not sure how Bobie will handle this."

Sky walked to the refrigerator and took out two bottles of Evian water.  Tossing one to Jeanne, she walked to the table, pulled out a chair and sat.  "You’re right, seems she finds me no matter where I am.  But it is not me she is looking for, the woman is always wanting to take the prize.  She has a top team, could do her own scouting for relics, instead she keeps an eye on what I am doing."   She took a drink, almost finishing the bottle before sitting it on the table.

"Thinking about her, bring out that much thirst,"  Jeanne asked with a wily smile on her face.

"Stop it Randolph.  Just need to turn down the thermostat, it is warm in here."

"Not warm.  But you sure are.  Tell me, I promise it will go no further."

"Nothing to tell.  We have some unfinished business that’s all.  Woman tried to make off with a very rare and expensive necklace in Africa when I was there."

"From the look on your face I would say, she did not succeed."

"No, not from lack of trying.  I wanted to trust her but was leery and laid a trap.  If she did not attempt to take the fake necklace from me, then I would know she could be trusted.  However if she took the fake, I would know to be very leery when it comes to her.  Have to admit though, she helped me out of a tight spot."

"I see a spark when you talk about this woman.  I have read about her, know of some dealings she has done but do not know her.  What are you going to tell Bobie?"

"The truth, when this is all over.  No sense in getting her upset over nothing.  Anyway, odds of any of us living the next few days are against us."

Jeanne sat, took a drink of the water then scrunched up her nose.   "You don’t give a person much to look forward to."

"For two of you and perhaps one more if I can convince her, there will be."

Jeanne leaned in, definitely interested in what the woman had to say.   "I’m all ears."

Before I took this job, the Kiva incident, I had plans to take a long cruise.  Just lay back and relax.  The yacht is waiting, all I have to do is call and make sure the crew is available for the three of you."

Jeanne stood and remarked,  "Hold it right there.  You are wanting to send us on a cruise while you face Trenton and the others?"

Skylar nodded then in a whispered voice mumbled,  "Yes.  You have been through so much, Belle got into this without knowing what could happen and Bobie, she needs to live on."

Jeanne began to pace the floor, she looked like a steam engine getting ready to blow.   "After all the time we have known one another, our friendship means so little to you, you want to send me away."

"It’s not that.  This is a deadly place, death comes knocking at every corner.  A person has no idea who is the good guy or the bad.  I have come prepared to take them down.  It would make my job easier if you would talk to them, open the door for my suggestion."

Jeanne set the bottle on the table, reached out and caressed Skylar’s face.  "I love you.  We have been friends since childhood.  You are my family.  I will not walk away and leave you to these, these heathens."

Skylar placed her hand over the woman’s and patted it.  "And you are family to me.  So please think about what I have said, talk to them."

"I will, but I know Bobie and Belle, neither will go away on a cruise leaving you behind."

Sky stood, looked toward the living room and said,  "They should be through the file by now, let’s go ask.  We do not live in the time of ‘The Queen’s Musketeers’ you know."

"Maybe not but I still think the saying will be, ‘All for one and one for all’."

Chuckling as she walked past Jeanne toward the living room, Sky declared,  "You are a hard head, Jeanne Randolph."

"Take after you,"   With those words, Jeanne hurried after Skylar.
 
 

The evening of the next day, Bobie walked into the bedroom.  She stopped when she saw Skylar placing what looked like a gun case on the bed.  "What you doing?"

Sky turned and smiled.  "Hi, did Jeanne and Belle get off?"

Bobie nodded then replied,  "Yes, been gone about twenty minutes.  If this plan of yours works . . ."

Sky could see the loss in Bobie’s eyes, the despair and walked to her, reaching out she gently embraced the woman.  "Bobie, I wanted the three of you to go but you wouldn’t.  So we need to be sure of what we are doing and pray we all live through this."

"I will not lose you again.  I love you with all of me for all time.  I am your partner in all ways.  When we meet up with these people, I want to be by your side,"  Bobie declared with a look of determination on her face.

Sky pressed a tender kiss to the woman’s forehead.  "I would die if anything happened to you."

Bobie pulled away from the closeness and walked to the bed.  Her fingers traced the leather case.  "Is this some sort of secret weapon?"

It didn’t take Skylar long to walk to the bed, reach out to unlock the case.  "Might say that."

Bobie stared at the gun that was laying in the case.  Her facial expression was of amazement.  "WOW!  Is this what I think it is?"

"It’s something similar I think.  This is the newest technology in laser guns.  It works on a single cartridge and when used will amplify and polarize, causing the combustible material it touches to ignite.  There are three frequencies on the handle, these are used for various effects against anything resistant to regular bullets."

"It looks like something out of ‘Star Trek’.  You have the holster the whole thing.  Where did this come from?  I can see the government might have something like this but . . . "

"Don’t worry how I got it.  I have many skills you know.  Looks heavy but is not.  Pick it up, see for yourself."

Bobie reached down and grasped the futuristic handle.  It surprised her to see how light it was as she felt the balance and looked the weapon over.  "Nice.  I guess you must have this in case we run into The Windego again."

"Yes.  That thing seems to eat bullets.  This might stop it."

Gently laying the gun in its case, Bobie asked,  "Might?  I have seen what lasers can do, surely this will finish the creature."

"Maybe.  Would be much better if we could capture it alive."

"Brrrr . . .  I remember my last encounter with the thing.  I don’t think alive is something we can accomplish.  Just hope we do not have to come into contact with it.  Running into Trenton and his group is enough."   She looked deep in thought for a few moments then added,  "This slipped my mind but I think you should know."

Sky raised her right eyebrow and asked,  "What?  Tell me?"

Bobie replied,  "The night I ran into that thing and it was after the woman Consuela, you sent blood off to be analyzed."

Sky nodded then acknowledged,  "Yes that’s right.  Did it come back?"

"Yes, things were really messed up, so much was going on at the time.  This tested to be from a hybrid.  This contained human cells and living cells of something else.  The human was distinguished the other was not.  Sky you weren’t here.  I’m sorry for not getting this information to you sooner."

Sky had listened to Bobie and when the woman was finished she chewed at her lower lip then replied,  "No need to apologize.  You have told me now and this makes a few things a lot clearer."

Bobie’s curiosity was at a peak as she asked,  "What?  Seems pretty mixed up to me."

"Think about it.  The area The Windego has been seen in.  Jim Trenton a large mountain man.  His built, his evil ways.  Gods woman!  He had us both captive, the man almost killed me and all of this from a bite.  Do you know any normal person that will do this with a bite?"

"Sky . . .  Are you saying this monster is Trenton?  If so, how is this possible?"

"Believe me, I have seen things that have made me a believer.   It is something to think about.  How did The Windego’s blood contain human cells?"

Bobie walked toward the window, looked out and felt a chill travel her body.  She turned to look at the woman then gasped, "He is more evil than we thought!  You are right.  This all fits.  My only question would be how did this happen?"

Sky closed the case and set it on the floor then remarked,  "Maybe somewhere along his travels he ran into one of these and was bitten."

"Now you are going into the maccabe, he is no werewolf."

"No, but he is half human and half monster.  The man is a monster and with this added gene, has become a creature that hunts at night and destroys anyone in his path.  This might make our work a little easier.  At least if we get Trenton we will also be getting The Windego."
Bobie nodded then walked toward the woman.  "Do you think the gun will work?  Will you have second thoughts about killing a human?"

"I hope to take the man alive, he needs to know what the justice system is really about.  Time for him, his mother and the lot of them to face their punishments.  Tomorrow night at midnight, the planets will be lined up.  Devil’s Mesa will get the full benefit of a solar flare.  That is why I sent a messenger to Sheriff Burgess.  Someone saw us at the Kiva and overheard we would be there tomorrow at midnight.  If my plan works, the Sheriff will also be there, as will the Trentons."

"Hope it works.  What are Belle and Jeanne shopping for?"

"Protection.  An ‘UZI’ if they can find one, automatic and semiautomatic handguns.  Maybe an ‘SNS’."  We need all the fire power we can get.  Belle said she knew someone that might have these for sale and if they do, then she and Jeanne will buy them."

"We will have the fire power, just hope things go as you think."

"They will.  At least I pray they will.  It is time to end this evil."

"Skylar?  I have been to Los Angeles, I saw where you worked, the people you knew.  Been to many of the places you go and what I came away with was, I don’t really know you.  Your life is so full, so different from mine."

Sky tipped her head to the left, frowned at the woman and said,  "We are from two different worlds.  Your world is different from mine, still I see we can be together.  It all depends on whether you want to give it a try."

"I do.  I just . . . "

Sky stepped up to the woman, placed the palm of her hands on Bobie's cheeks and whispered,  "No just.  There is you and there is me.  Two forces that will take this world by storm."   Lowering her head, her lips met Bobie’s in a gentle yet titillating kiss.
 
 

The women had been in and out of Belle’s home, the living room looked more like an armory than living quarters.  Riffles, handguns, semi and automatic lay ready.  Magazines, shells, loose and some in boxes were within easy reach.  Several smoke bombs, also adorned the pile.  Jeanne with Belle’s help had made earlier trips to Devil’s Mesa, where they placed a long line of powder along the edge of a chasm.  Once this was lit, it would combust smaller explosive devices.  All of this would make a light show and hopefully give them the edge in catching Ben Burgess and the Trentons.

Bobie paced the kitchen floor, Belle kept dashing to the bathroom and Skylar and Jeanne spent the time checking all of the needed weapons.  Sky was dressed in dark leather, where Jeanne was dressed in camouflage clothing.  The laser gun looked right at home on Skylar’s right hip.  She wore another  filled cartridge belt over her left shoulder and carried a holstered knife on her left hip.  "Jeanne, I still hate to see Bobie and Belle anywhere near this.  Belle has been so worried she can’t stay out of the bathroom and if Bobie keeps pacing the floor we will be looking at the ground soon."

Jeanne made sure the shoulder holster and gun fit and when satisfied she too placed a  filled cartridge belt over her left shoulder.  She smiled thinking over what Sky had just said.  "Skylar, haven’t you ever been so excited about something, that the bathroom call just kept happening, even if you didn't need to go?  It is a case of nerves.  I agree, the two should stay here, but they won’t and it is better we know where they are, then to have them pop up because we left them behind."

"I agree.  If you are ready, so am I.  We have enough time to make it to Bobie’s cabin, then on to the Mesa.  We both know ‘time waits for no one.’"
 
 

The four women stood in the living room, their eyes surveying the area.  Bobie wore a gun belt that held a pearl handled revolver.  This looked like something Calamity Jane might have been wearing when she met Bill Hickcock.  She was dressed in blue jeans, levi shirt, and boots.  Belle had chosen camouflage for her outfit.  It was obvious she wanted to blend in with Jeanne.  The woman carried a double-barreled shotgun as she stared at the others.

"What?  I know the shotgun, anyone gets close enough to me and wants to do harm will get a load of this.  Looks like we are ready.  Mind if I say a prayer?"

They nodded their heads as Jeanne acknowledged,  "Good idea."

When the prayer was finished, Skylar held out her right hand and said,  "Let’s do it."

Bobie reached out and placed a hand over the woman’s, followed by Jeanne as Belle placed her hand on top of Jeanne's.   It was what many see in football games when the players get into a huddle.  Though this was not a game and there would be no fans screaming and cheering them on.  When Skylar opened the door followed by the others, they all knew this night might be their last one on earth.