Chapter V

 

Old Eddie Two Shoes smiled when he heard the story. His smile was so big Janice could easily count his three remaining teeth. Delores tried to smile but it hurt too much. Her eyes showed gratitude and asked them to come back tomorrow if they could.

Back at the motel, they had yet to take a shower or eat. After they had checked in, they lay on the bed fully clothed. They slept for three hours. Both felt obligated to tell Eddie about his perps. However, now it was time to talk to Dr. Jones.

David did a lot of listening and very little talking. After a few minutes, David told AJ that he would talk to Janice about it and call him back in a few hours.

"How about we check out the hot water here my Pine Queen. I'll tell you what was said while you scrub the body clean of bad guys. I'll continue the story while doing the same for you. After that I could eat a herd of buffalo. I hope you wouldn't mind my queen if I had a little before dinner snack?"

They went to the same restaurant where Delores had taken them. The difference this time was they truly enjoyed the dinner, not to mention each other's company.

Janice said, "This Allied Power sounds like a big scam to me. I didn't know but major power companies that provide service to business and homes are obligated to buy power from suppliers. Allied has a win, win program. First they bait the fishing hole with a bit of cash, go balls to the wall with erection using cheap material from China, then selling the power to power starved electrical companies. So what if a few lease payments are missed? From what you're saying, Allied Power is now negotiating with the Navaho tribe?"

"This is over our heads I think. I have no idea what to do, or how to do it, even if I knew where to start. The strange thing is we don't have any choice now that we kicked some butt. Dr. Jones suggested we lay low here in Kalispell for a day or two.

And that's exactly what they did for the next few days. Janice loved it as David doted on her and all the while made tender love. It almost seemed that things had returned to normal when a message was left for David to call a Mr. Charles Warner. Mr. Warner was a guest of the motel. Before David called him, he rang up AJ. AJ told him Charles Warner was a US Marshall sent to talk to him and Janice from Virginia.

Janice saw the game face return to David. He paced the floor then looked at her smiled, then returned to his thoughts. She was used to him after four years of working with him day in and day out. However, it was only when they became lovers that she saw a side to him never seen before. Janice saw a complex and very sensitive man who cared about the common folks. It was obvious that he resented the phoney side of the social order.

A knock on the door brought her back to the present and the visit by a Marshall was about to take place. Janice fluffed her curly black hair and put on a smile.

Mr. Charles Warner was a pleasant looking man on the downside of fifty, Janice guessed. He moved slowly and had a warm, firm handshake making direct eye contact.

The problem with motel rooms is the lack of seating. Most offer the small table with two chairs. Another uncomfortable chair sits in front of a mirror. For the upcoming meeting, Janice sat Indian style on the king-size bed while the two men took the table chairs. The only rewarding part of the room was its privacy. And in this meeting privacy was tantamount to both David and Janice future lives.

Mr. Warner told them to please call him Charles. Even though this was a formal meeting, first names were used for personal reasons. David and Janice were about to become US Marshalls. They were duly swore in and ID's passed on. In addition, a large, fat manila envelope had both their names on it marked personal.

Charles said, "I'm to give you all the back ground we have on Allied Power. Also," reaching into his large black bag, "here are some reports on them. The FBI and the CIA have been watching Allied carefully, but this event that happened to you is their first mistake. They've done some behind the scenes arm twisting for leases, but violence has yet to surface. There's an Allied man here in town by the name of Clyde Hyster. He is one silver tongue man who leads the team. He's due to move down to set up an office in Flagstaff to break ground with the Navaho."

"No one knows but a handful of people that you are now US Marshalls. We'd like to use you for bait. We have a feeling that Allied will hire a hit man to try and take the two of you out. This has been discussed with your friends in Chicago. I think you will find most of the answers to your questions in that brown envelope. Now, no one here knows me from Adam. I'd like to have breakfast with you two in the morning. I'm fairly sure that the motels restaurant is safe to have a little conversation before I fly back to Virginia."

"We thank you Charles, but you haven't heard the latest we did to the perps who broke the leg of the old Indian Eddie." David went on, in some details the story from the tavern to the mountain event. Charles never showed an ounce of expression. When David completed his story Charles said:

"I'm basically a desk man, but fair is fair. I'm happy you didn't waste them, although they would probably be better off. I'll see you at eight, if that time is fine with you."

After Charles left, Janice opened the sealed envelope and poured out the contents onto the bed. A letter in long hand from AJ explained what would be happening in a few days time. Also, two new passports with new identity with credit cards to match; a bank account number was stapled to the back of each passport. In their own names credit cards were in a separate Ziploc bag. In another Ziploc a stack of $100 dollar bills looked fresh off the press. She said, "Can you believe all this stuff Kemosabe?"

"And check this out. In the letter from AJ it states that D. Bloom will arrive in Kalispell in two days time." Then she read on to herself. He was to be used as they saw fit. AJ went on to say that the computer tech Carol _____ was setting up a communication center in AJs unused family room. Bloom would set up the Montana end of things.

"I think we are rich my husband. Let's take the money and run," she said playfully. "Seriously, are we in over our heads?

"I don't think so Pine Queen. They're only men or women just like us. We are just as smart, if not smarter than they are. We are a big threat as we saved an elder and medicine man from the white, fork tongued wind company. We are heroes my Pine Queen. The moccasin telegraph will spread the news like wildfire."

"Let's assume they will send a hit man in the form of a sniper. It could very well be a woman, but odds are it's a male. There are lots of former military for hire as mercenaries. However, they must be careful not to choose a dunderhead. No, they will pick a smart one and pay big bucks. You don't know this my Pine Queen, but I was a sniper in Afghanistan."

Janice, still sitting on the bed, playing with the documents, sucked in her breath, snapping her head up looking at him in fear. She said, "Its one thing to stalk, but quite another to be stalked. I'm not sure I can live one day knowing a bullet, at anytime, may take me out."

David smiled trying to reassure her that it wasn't so bad. He said, without thinking, "The old soldier would say, 'If you can hear the shot, you're still alive' to a young soldier about to go into battle."

Janice rolled over on her stomach saying, "I don't think that is very funny David Cockrun."

David had been sitting at the small table after Charles left. He jumped up knowing he'd stuck his foot in his mouth, and lay down beside Janice. He rubbed her back telling her he was sorry. Then he slid his hand under her shirt to massage her smooth skin. Janice gave off a small sound of delight so he went a little further placing his warm lips and tongue on the small of her back. In a short time, they were in the sweet throes of love making.