Sarah - it's for you

From last time ...

Just as they walked into the store the phone rang and Billy walked over and picked it up.

"Hello, Bertrett's. Sure. Sarah? It's for you."

And now ...

"This is Sarah ... Oh, hi Jake ... Yeah, sure, I'll tell him about the stuff downstairs ... Okay, I'll meet you at Ma's - I'll be leaving here in about 5 minutes. See you later."

Sarah hung up the phone and pulled the rug back from the trapdoor in the floor.

"Jake has some more stuff downstairs that needs to get packed up with the rest of the stuff."

"So there IS a cellar down there. I knew it!! Every time I stepped on that rug I could tell there was something under it, but Jake never said anything and I figured it wasn't any of my business."

"Well, help me with this door, please? It's heavy."

"Yeah, sure ... okay .. you go first."

They went down into the cellar.

"Jake wants his workbench and the supplies over on that side packed up in the truck. All these crates of stuff over here, under this tarp, he wants you to take out in the desert and blow up. He said to make sure you wrap each crate with detonating cord so each crate is individually destroyed - he wants everything cut in half and all the ammo blown. Clear?"

"Yes, ma'am. Wow. He's got a LOT of shit down here. I'm gonna need a big truck."

"It's gotta be done today, Billy. Those guys are probably going to destroy this place when they see all their stuff is gone, so you gotta make sure you guys get this done before sundown. Okay?"

"Yeah. I'd better get on this right away. Let's go up - I gotta start callin' some guys."

Just as they got to the top of the stairs the phone rang again. Billy answered it.

"Hello, Bertrett's."

He listened for a 15 or 20 seconds and then said "Aishenda'ga."

"That was my cousin, Alfred Black Bear. He works in the Sheriff's station about 4 miles Southwest of here. He says they just arrested four white men on the road down there where Jake's mailbox is - exlposives charge. Thought I'd like to know."

"Jake will be glad to know that, I think. Listen, I gotta get going - but i have two questions I have to ask you before I leave."

"Sure. Go ahead."

"Where the hell did you come from when I had the Jeep stuck, and how did your cousin know you were here?"

"Hah! The whole tribe knows I'm here ... and as far as where I came from? I'm an Indian, lady - you NEVER see me comin'! But, to tell the truth, I saw you comin' a couple of miles out, so I hid. You got stuck, you were distracted - it was easy to sneak up on you."

"Do me a favor - don't tell Jake? I have my reasons."

"Sure, Sarah. No problem. And I won't even make you do that whole 'Blood Brother' thing, either."

"Thanks. I'll see you later."

Sarah left the shop and went around back and got into her Jeep. She thought about driving cross-coutry, just to get the feel of the 4 wheel drive, but disengaged the four wheel and took it out on the highway headed northeast, toward Ma's.

Billy Two Feathers stood in the doorway and watched her drive away. Not bad lookin' for a white woman. I bet she'd make a good Squaw. He went back into the shop and started making telephone calls.

Ndinombethe.