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Chapter Fifty Two
 
 
 

By the time the women finally made it to Devil’s Mesa it was late afternoon.  They still had time to make sure their escape routes were ready as well as double check the firepower they hoped to release.  Standing on this sacred ground, knowing so many had lived and sacrificed their lives made each woman feel they were doing the right thing.

Skylar looked up toward the sky and remarked,  "Looks so close, a person can almost think they could reach out and touch it.  Those that lived here shared a marvelous way.  Belle?"

Belle was standing beside Jeanne, she turned to look at Sky and asked,  "Yes?"

"We need someone to watch our backs."

"Oh no.  You are not getting rid of me this easy.  I will stay and help."

"This is important.  You know how to make all the nature sounds.  If you lay back, keep your eyes and ears open, let us know if anyone is approaching.  The call of a wolf, can you do this?"

She nodded, replied,  "Yes I can.  But  . . . "

Jeanne reached out and gently touched the woman’s right hand.  "Belle, please.  One of us needs to do this."

Giving in to Jeanne’s look, she mumbled,  "Oh all right.  Just you all be careful."

"We will,"  Bobie replied then turned to look at Sky.

Jeanne walked Belle to an area where she felt the woman would be able to see what was going on from all sides.  Before leaving she whispered,  "It is going to be a beautiful night.  When this is over, I want to show you just how beautiful it can
be."  With those words she kissed Belle and hurried off to meet the others.

Bobie was standing on the ladder, she had been making her way out of a Kiva when she heard noises coming from up top.   Quickly making her way out and onto the volcanic rock surface, she could see four men heading toward them.

The moon was riding low, it was the fullest she had ever seen.  There were so many stars out this night they lit up the dark sky.  Quickly making her way to Sky and Jeanne, Bobie whispered,  "Guess this is them?"

"Yes.  I only see four men.  I know Trenton will have more than this.  Get ready for anything.  Is the Kiva prepared?"

"Yes, I’ve set the nets in strategic places."

"Good.  How are you doing Jeanne?"

Jeanne Randolph feigned a smile answering,  "Bout as good as can be.  I will be one happy person when this is all over."

"Goes for all of us.  They are getting closer."

The men stopped not too far from the chasm.  A large man stepped forward, he held a rifle in one hand.  "Throw down your weapons and we just might let you live."

Sky made an unusual noise as if stifling something she wanted to say, instead calling back,  "In your dreams boys.  It is you all that needs to toss down your guns and give up.  We have you surrounded."

The men broke out in riotous laugher only to stop when another person stepped into view.  It was Mary Trenton, the woman looked meaner than the last time they had met.  Mary was holding a rifle as she walked closer to the chasm.  "Best listen to my boys.  It won’t take much for me to give the order, ‘no prisoners’."

Jeanne stepped forward and shouted,  "Person is better off dead than to be your prisoner!"

The woman squinted her eyes and called out,  "Are you that snoopy FBI agent?  If so, thought we killed you and your partner!"

"You got that right.  You thought.  Well here I am and ready to take you on woman.  So give it your best shot, you are going down this night!"

Mary Trenton threw her head back and cackled,   "Three women, against all of us, seems such a shame, this will be over too soon."
 

Bobie stepped between Sky and Jeanne, she took a deep breath and shouted,  "This is Bobie Parker, you will not get away with things any longer.  Your time is over.  The State Police have been called in and I am giving you one last chance to end this peacefully."

The gunfire that ripped through the area was the woman’s answer as Bobie stepped to the side, leaned down lit a match, and touched it to the powder trail.  This traveled rapidly and within seconds the explosives went off, it was like watching the fourth of July fireworks in a small scaled area.

The three women waited for the right time and jumped the chasm, landing solidly in front of the four men.  With high-flying kicks, and a few somersaults the men went down like a boxer in a ring who had the wind knocked from him.  Bobie was the first to stand over Mary Trenton.  The woman had fallen and was attempting to get up when Bobie reached out and pushed her back down.  "Mary Trenton, you have the right . . ."

"Yeah I know all about my rights.  Damn you Parker and your friends!"

They quickly tied them up and when finished, looked around the area.  Jeanne remarked,  "Don’t like this.  We did good but I think it was a bit too easy."

"Maybe but my foot doesn’t think so,"  Remarked Bobie who was hobbling around.

"Well, well look what we have here."   Jim Trenton’s voice echoed behind them at the same time the sound of a wolf could be heard in the distance.

The three women turned to stare at Jim Trenton, and Sheriff Burgess.  "I knew it.  Sheriff Ben Burgess a man of the law, a corrupt person."  Skylar mouthed, as a look of disgust crossed her face.

The man started to step forward but was stoped by the rifle that Trenton had at his neck.  "I never wanted to see it come to this.  I wanted you out of the way Bobie.  I wanted you safe."

Bobie stepped forward, she wanted to get a good look at the man she trusted for so long.  "Sheriff . . .  Ben . . .  I, I . . ."

Trenton scowled and said,  "AHH did the big bad Sheriff hurt the itty bitty girl’s feelings?   I think that the first one to pay for snooping into my affairs is you Miss Parker."

The man fired his weapon, the intent was to kill Bobie Parker, but Sheriff Burgess made a mad dash and landed in front of her.  He was the one that felt the impact of the bullet as it took him to the ground.  Bobie dropped to her knees, she was shocked at what had transpired before her eyes but tried to put pressure on the bleeding wound.  "Ben  . . .  why?"

He coughed up blood and gasped for air, his last words were,  "Wanted nothing bad to happen to you.  Forgive me."

Skylar walked up to the woman, reached down and touched her shoulder.  "Can’t help him, we have to help ourselves.  Get up.  Where did Trenton go?"

Bobie looked at the blood on her hands as she rattled off,  "Don’t know.  Sky!  Ben is gone!  How did this happen?  He was supposed to be the bad guy."

"Not sure Love.  I am sorry this happened but thankful Trenton’s bullet did not hit its intended mark, you."

Meanwhile Mary Trenton was basking in her son’s victory.  "Good for you son!  Keep those bullets coming!"

Bobie walked toward the woman and said,  "I know you are older than me but . . ."  The woman never even saw the fist that flew out sending her to dreamland.  As she crumpled over, Jeanne and Skylar looked at one another as Jeanne whispered to Sky,  "Best not ever make her mad."

This time Trenton’s voice came down to them from a rock ledge,  "Didn’t mean to kill Ben but it was his choice to get in the way.  Now, you three women, lay down your weapons or I will kill this pretty thing!"

All three looked up to see the man holding his rifle to the back of a woman’s head.  Sky uttered in disbelief,  "Tara!"

Jeanne looked at Sky then up at the woman and said,  "So that is Tara Coltrane."

Sky glanced at her for a second, then looked up again.  "Thought you didn’t know her."

"This is the woman that saved my life."

"She can be amazing.  Question is, how did she end up in Trenton’s hands?"

Jeanne shrugged her shoulders at the same time, Bobbie tossed a smoke bomb.  In the confusion she had disappeared.  When the air cleared, Trenton was no longer on the ledge and neither was Tara Coltrane.  Sky looked around then asked,  "Where is Bobie?"

"She must have gone after him."

"I think he has gone down into the Kiva, you can stay here, I’ll go after her."

"Nope, until this is over think of me as ‘white on rice’,"  Jeanne pointed the way for their descent into the Kiva.
 
 

Bobie found the man’s footprints and the footprints of the woman, Tara Coltrane.  She followed like a cat stalking a mouse.  Living in the area most of her life, she had learned many of her reservation friend’s ways.  And this man was so close she could almost taste him.  The sudden sound of someone heading her direction had the woman looking for a place to hide.

It was Trenton, his prisoner and another man that walked past.  Trenton went on ahead followed by the prisoner and the other man.  This man had his hands on the woman and from the look on his face, the look of a hungry wolf, Tara Coltane was in for some serious hurt.

Bobie was holding on for dear life, she looked like a bat the way she was attached to the roof of the passageway.  As the man walked into her view she dropped on him like a brick.  When he hit the ground, he was out.  Tara turned and started to kick when she realized what was going on.  "Who are you?"

Bobie untied the woman then replied,  "Bobie Parker, not that you would know who that is.  Now help me tie this guy up."

Once this was done and the man was carried behind a large boulder, Tara looked at Bobie and said,  "Contraire, I know who you are.  Skylar Richmond’s one true love."

"Not sure what you are getting at, but we have to get out of here, there are forces here you don’t want to know.  Someone else is coming, hide."

The someone else was Skylar and Jeanne who walked into view.  Bobie stepped out and smiled.  "What are you two doing in here?"

"You disappeared, we came looking for you.  Did you see Trenton?  Where did he take the prisoner?"

Tara stepped into view, she dusted off her jeans and said,  "Talking about me?  Your friend, rescued me.  Woman is like a bat, flew right off the ceiling."

Jeanne smiled and Skylar chuckled but when they realized Tara was on the level they both exclaimed,  "Must have been something to see."

"Oh it was.  Skylar, you never told me you had such a dexterous friend."

"As I recall, I never told you much.  This is not the place to start something Tara, I believe you know my other friend, Jeanne Randolph."

Jeanne reached out to shake the woman’s hand.  "Thank you.  I owe you my life."

Tara smiled then replied,  "I was lucky to be in the area that day.  I’m glad I could help.  Does someone want to tell me what is going on?  I feel as if I’m right in the middle of  ‘The Gunfight at the OK Corral’."
 

It seemed Tara Coltrane had been doing her own sleuthing of the area.  The land purchases that Bockenheimer had made and the information she had gathered just didn’t fit.  So she set about finding out just what was going on.  Little did she realize this would lead her to a man like Jim Trenton.

When she had finished telling them what happened, Sky motioned for her to follow.  "Be right back, something I need to say to Miss. Coltrane."

Jeanne and Bobie looked at one another then took the time to sit and get their bearing.

Tara gazed at Sky, she looked like the pupil in school that had been caught cheating.  "All right, lay it on me Richmond.  I deserve it."

Sky was amazed how quickly Tara had turned her attempt to chastise into a different direction.  "You are right.  But somehow I think we both were to blame for what happened in Africa.  I thought you could be trusted and you thought I was a push over."

"Hardly that.  I don’t know why I did it.  Stupid thing to do."

"Yeah, especially since what you got was a fake."

"You set me up Skylar, and I fell for it.  Tell me, had I not, would you have been nicer to me?"

Sky looked around then replied,  "This is hardly the place to discuss this.  The man Trenton is a real threat.  He is the real evil here.  How did you end up in his hands?"

"Stopped at his place to use the phone to call for a ride out of the area.  My cell-phone quit working.  It was my unlucky day to be drugged."

Feeling a smile begin, Sky turned away and muttered,  "Seems they use that trick a lot on unsuspecting people.  Let’s get back, apprehend Trenton and get this thing over."

"Sounds good to me.  Do you have a gun I can use?"

"Sure, you can use the gun retrieved from the man that Bobie took down."
 
 

When the two women approached the spot they had left Jeanne and Bobie the two women were no longer there.  "Where are they?"

"Maybe they went off to find Trenton."

"No, neither one would do that.  Something has happened to them."

It was a muffled voice that rang through the passageway,  "Your two friends are my prisoners now.  I will give you a few minutes to think about this.  Then I want you to meet me on top.  If you do not do this, I will kill them but first I will make each one wish they were dead."

Never taking her eyes from the direction that the voice came from, Tara leaned in and cautiously whispered to Sky,  "Whoever that is, sounds serious.  What are you going to do?"

"Not just me.  You too.  Whoever that is, and I suspect Trenton, knows you are with me.  How I don’t know.  These passageways must have eyes."

"Brrrr . . . I hope not,"  Tara remarked as chills overtook her body.

"Sorry you have found yourself in the middle of this.  It is not your battle."

Tara ran her tongue lightly over her lips then said,  "Maybe not but here I am.  Just like in Africa, and we got out of that."

"We did but things were different."  Sky thought about what she had just said then added,  "You’re right we did and we will again.  I’m going up top, are you following?"

"Right behind you.  I do like being the last one up the ladder."

Sky shook her head at the woman’s words.  Tara would never stop with the innuendos.  She was becoming used to this.

The second they were back on the mesa, Sky stopped and turned all the way around, she was looking for Trenton.  Tara reached out and grasped her arm, whispering,  "There he is."

Sky looked in the direction and could see that two wooden crosses had been set up and tied to these, were Bobie and Jeanne.  "Trenton, don’t you harm them!"

The man stepped into the open, he looked at the two women who were cursing him.  "Tell you what Richmond.  I loved it the last time I had you on a wheel.  You turn yourself over to me and I will release them, even the woman you seem so close to, Tara Coltrane.  Do I have a deal?"

Bobie and Jeanne called out,  "No!  Don’t do it!"

Tara had listened to his words and those of Sky’s friends.  "They fear for your life.  You could just turn and walk away."

"Not likely and I will never put myself in that man’s hands again."

"Then what are you going to do,"  Tara asked.

"Not sure I need time to think."   Sky had a feeling of impending doom and needed to do all she could to save Jeanne and Bobie.

It was at this moment, Bobie yelled,  "The Trojan War!"

Trenton gagged the woman then said,  "Your friend has had too much of this moon tonight.  I am in the dealing mood.  But, you’d better think quickly."  The man caressed Bobie’s cheek with a dirty, calloused hand.  "If I get bored, I will have to take out my frustrations on your pretty girlfriend!"
 
 

Sky and Tara hurried away from the area.  Stopping, they both sat to get their bearings.  Tara was the first to speak,  "Is Bobie all right?"

"Why do you ask that?"

"The remark about the ‘Trojan War’"

"Not sure what she was getting at.  I know it had to do with a wooden horse and soldiers hidden inside.   But there is no wooden horse here, no soldiers."

Tara had been tracing a finger in the dirt.  "How about the saying, ‘beware of Greeks bearing gifts’ this might be a clue.  She is not only beautiful but seems smart."

"Watch it Coltrane."  Sky advised before adding,  "You just might have something there.  Not sure what she was getting at but from here on, beware of anything that seems friendly."

"Like?"

"Not sure like what, just be on the ready.  Oh, oh."

Tara asked,  "What now?"

Belle had seen what happened and was on her way toward Trenton, her shotgun ready to fire.  Sky leaped to her feet and in a mad dash tackled the woman sending her sprawling to the ground.  "Are you insane,"  Sky asked.

"Belle looked up at her with fire in her eyes.  "Jeanne needs me."

"Jeanne needs you to be alive.  You go barreling up to that man, he will kill you.  Now stop and think."   When she led Belle back to the place she and Tara had been sitting, the woman had disappeared.  "What now?  Tara!  Where are you?"

Tara did not answer but Trenton did,   "Skylar, Skylar come on over, I am waiting."

His words were like what a child might hear when playing the game, ‘Red Rover, red rover,’ he had a sick way of doing things.

"Listen to me Belle, if I can I will free them, if I can’t I will take that bastard with me.  I need you to be ready to get out of here.  Call the police, make sure they are on the way."

Belle nodded then said,  "I will.  Be careful."

Sky stretched, put her hands together and said,  "From your mouth to God’s ears.  Be back,  you can count on it."
 

The closer Sky got to Trenton the more she began to look around, it was then she saw, Tara creeping up to the crosses, her trusty knife in hand.  She quickly thought, she had to distract Trenton.  "Powers that be, please do not let Trenton see what Tara is up to,"  she whispered.  Trenton looked even bigger as she got closer.  Maybe it was the moon, or maybe it was just this place.  "You win, Trenton.  But I have a problem."

"What is your problem?"

"I sort of twisted my ankle back away."

He stepped forward and exclaimed,   "I will be right here, take your time.  It will be the last time you have."

"You know Trenton, I always wondered why you are so evil?  Why you take such glee out of causing pain to others?  Now I think I know."

She had sparked an interest in the man.  "Oh really.  Tell me?"

To the side she could see Tara, and Jeanne helping Bobie leave the area.  Once they were out of sight, Tara walked back into view.   "Oh no," Sky muttered under her breath.   It was obvious that Tara was going to try to creep up on the man.  Sky shouted,  "Stop!"

At this time, Trenton looked confused but only for a second that is when he looked around and saw the woman heading toward him.  He raised an arm to block her swing.  "Where did you come from?"  he growled.

Tara’s fist caught the man on the chin, knocking his head backwards as he reached out and grasped the woman’s arm.  "Got you now,"  he chimed in celebration.

"Not for long,"  Tara exclaimed at the same time she used the man’s grip to propel her right foot into his stomach, the swift action caused him to release her and stumble backwards.  Sky ran toward them, grabbed Tara and pulled her out of the way.  Then launched a roundhouse kick to Trenton’s head, knocking him to the ground.  He lay motionless.  She glowered at Tara and asked,  "What do you think you are doing?"

"Taking down the bad guy!"  Tara fumed at the woman.

Sky grasped Tara’s shoulders and held them, before she said,  "This bad guy is not like any you have ever encountered.  Now go back with the others."

"Don’t take orders from yo . . . what the  . . . ?"

Before their eyes, the man known as Jim Trenton, rose from the ground and turned into a hairy monstrous seven foot creature.  It beat at its chest then headed for the two of them.

"Get out of here!"  Sky yelled at the woman and turned to face The Windego.

Tara fell, stood, fell and crawled to where the other two were watching, she couldn’t get away fast enough.

It was a sight to behold, this amazing woman with flowing red hair, standing her ground, as the monster, made sounds that would send chills through devils enduring the scorching flames of hell.  The creature had lifted several boulders, smashing them together like they were pretzels.  It beat at the ground, then tipped its head to the left and stared at the woman.

Sky said a silent prayer as it reached for her.   It was then she drew the gun with lightning speed and pulled the trigger.