Chapter 55

Peering out of my grandmother’s window, I saw almost a dozen men in black approaching the bonfire. With nearly my entire tribe standing in a semi-circle around the fire, I was genuinely frightened for the fate of my people. Plain and spiritual people, they were unaccustomed to violence and manipulations.

Keanu and Tanaka scoured my grandmother’s house for supplies and weapons, supplies they found plenty of, weapons, however, were scarce.

I noticed my grandmother eyeing Tanaka suspiciously as he searched her home. Thinking nothing of it, I turned back to the window to watch the unfolding drama outside.

The men in black appeared to be chatting pleasantly with the Chief of our village and a few of the elders. I shuddered as I imagined what the Majestic 12 were telling them. What if they convinced my people that I was guilty of Amy’s murder and my village turned against me? If they handed me over to the men in black, I would be shipped straight back to the facility…if I was lucky. After all of this, I’m sure the Majestic 12 simply wanted my baby and my head on a platter.

Swallowing hard, I was pleasantly relieved when Keanu came up from behind me, slid his arms around my waist and whispered in my ear. “Time to go.”

Turning around, I stared up at his face as I realized he wasn’t upset with me about Meyers or the fact that the baby might not be his.

Inhaling a calming breath, I looked out the window once more to witness a malleable tension form between the men in black and my village.

The Chief was waving his hands and pointing as though ordering the outsiders to leave. A spark of hope fired in my chest as I watched the villagers move into an aggressive stance as though readying themselves to protect their home.

“Let’s go.” Keanu stated, leading us out the back door of grandmother’s house.

A streak of lightning ripped through the black fabric of the night sky as we ran through the dark. Thunder growled overhead with a vengeance as though the gods were shouting obscenities at the Majestic 12. They were intruders on sacred land, our land.

Escaping down a shadowy path behind grandmother’s house, we scrambled up a steep embankment. Grandmother led the way with Keanu helping her over the unpredictable terrain. Tanaka stayed close to me, holding me up when my cumbersome body threatened to topple me over.

With my grandmother nearly blind, I hoped that she could navigate her way to the cave without getting us lost in the desert.

Topping the first hill, we then slowly made our descent. Angry shouts and screams could be heard from the village below us. The Majestic 12 had ambushed my people and I feared for them. I knew the Hopi natives, though, and they were fiercely intelligent and resourceful people. I just hoped it would be enough to keep them alive.

Tanaka held my hand tight as we shuffled down the side of the hill. Low growing brush slashed at my ankles and sand worked its way between my toes.

The mournful cries of coyotes in the distance and the whistle of roving winds suddenly captivated me.

The dream.

If it weren’t for being surrounded by people who cared for me, this scenario would have mimicked my reoccurring dream exactly, wandering the desert in the pitch of night, searching for the bane of my existence…the cave.

Grandmother had stated earlier that she’d discovered my mother in labor within Doe Mountain. Irony mocked me as the realization sank in. All this time, all these years, I’d searched for a cave that I thought was miles and miles from the village, and here, I discover, it was less than a mile from home.

“Stay low.” Keanu whispered, now in the lead.

Edging our way down the mountainside, a helicopter emerged in the distance, searching the ground below with a powerful spotlight. Its’ great blades sliced through the air, chopping their way toward my village like an army of battleaxes.

Even though my body was flooded with adrenaline, I found it nearly impossible to push myself further. Exhaustion and the sense of failure overwhelmed me. I had led those maniacs to my village and now my people had to fight them off.

My heart was heavy, but my abdomen felt even heavier as I forced myself to move forward. In the moment that I was going to fall upon my knees and surrender, my grandmother spoke the words I’d waited my whole life to hear.

“There it is.” Pointing a crooked finger to the east, a bolt of sheet lightning tore across the sky as though illuminating my way home. Following the direction she was indicating, I could distinguish Doe Mountain.

With the intermittent flashes of light ripping through the sky, I could just barely make out an opening high on the mountainside.

The cave.

Picking up the pace, Keanu led the small group toward the base of the mountain. It was much steeper than the last hill we’d climbed, but I was more determined than ever to scale it.

It occurred to me while standing before my nemesis that this was a crazy plan. How was getting us into an old, musty cave going to protect us from the Majestic 12? They would eventually locate us, wouldn’t they? Cowering inside a rocky cavern, did we really think they would just give up and stop searching for us?

A gentle hand upon the small of my back gave me the motivation to continue. “Come on Cassia, you can do it.” Tanaka’s tender voice urged me, giving me that inspiration to keep going.

Sweat ran down my forehead and strands of my long black hair stuck to the side of my face as I clawed at the ground, forcing my body to ascend. Pulling myself up over the rocks and grasping at branches within my reach, I thought I may never see the top of this mountain.

Reaching a narrow ledge only a few feet from the mouth of the cave, my back against the wall of the cliff, I did what a person was never supposed to do in my situation—I looked down.

Even though it was pitch dark all the way down the side of the mountain, I could tell that we were fairly high up. My knees quaked a little as my hands groped along the surface behind me.

The path beneath my feet grew narrower as we moved along. Tanaka moved slowly behind me while I followed my grandmother and Keanu to the entrance of the cave.

My left foot searched for a grip in the darkness, my right foot following only after a secure foothold was found.

Only a few more steps baby.

I wanted to rub my stomach to soothe her though I knew the comfort I sought was for myself.

With only a foot or two left before we reached safety, I suddenly lost my footing and slipped forward. Sliding into the abyss of darkness, my pregnant belly slammed into the side of the mountain as I plunged forward.

Somehow, in the midst of my fall, Tanaka had grabbed hold of my arm and literally held onto me while I dangled precariously at the edge of the cliff.

Involuntarily screaming, I prayed for two things—that I’d be pulled to safety and that the Majestic 12 didn’t hear me scream.

Only one prayer was to be answered.