David Robbins - The Kalispell Run

“Mommy, I think Geronimo is waking up.”

“Good.”

“Not good! You should have let me finish the creep off!”

Geronimo kept his eyes closed, listening to the conversation. A throbbing headache racked his forehead, and his left side was a pool of agony. He experienced the sensation of moving.

“All in good time.” The voice was Rainbow’s.

“Why not now?” an angry male demanded.

“I told you before,” Rainbow responded impatiently, “we need him for now. He knows this vehicle better than we do. We might need some of his knowledge.”

“But the bastard wasted Spotted Elk and Buffalo Grazing! We should kill him now! He deserves it!” the irate man urged.

“Are you disputing me?” Rainbow asked icily.

“No,” the man hedged. “Of course not. It’s just…” he said, and let the thought trail off.

Geronimo opened his brown eyes and slowly gazed around. He was inside the SEAL, propped in a corner of the back seat, behind the driver.

His shirt was gone. It had been used to construct a crude bandage for his left shoulder. Star was seated beside him, and a tall Flathead sat on the other side of her. Another Indian, the angry speaker, was in the passenger-side bucket seat. Rainbow was behind the wheel.

“He’s awake,” Star announced, smiling at Geronimo. Her features became downcast when he refused to reciprocate.

“Welcome back to the land of the living,” Rainbow said, greeting him cheerily, glancing into the mirror.

Geronimo heard a scratching sound and twisted his head.

Another Flathead was in the rear section of the transport, lying amidst the equipment salvaged from the Kalispell Regional Hospital. At least they hadn’t tossed it out. Yet.

“How are you feeling?” Rainbow inquired.

Geronimo watched the scenery pass by. From the position of the sun, he knew they were bearing in a southeasterly direction.

“I asked you how you’re feeling?” Rainbow reiterated.

“Do you make it a practice of specializing in stupidity, or is a natural knack you have?” Geronimo said, goading her.

“Let me smash him!” the one in the passenger seat heatedly requested.

He was short in stature and had a ragged scar on his chin.

“Do you see what you’ve done?” Rainbow said to Geronimo. “Now you’ve got Lone Cougar all upset.”

“Pardon me all to hell,” Geronimo retorted.

“Be nice,” Rainbow warned, “or I’ll let Lone Cougar have you.” She paused and tapped the steering wheel. “What do you think of my driving?”

“I’m impressed,” Geronimo admitted. “I had no idea you could drive.”

“I couldn’t,” Rainbow stated. “But I’m a fast learner, and I had plenty of time to watch Blade on the trip to Kalispell. It’s a lot easier than I expected.”

“Mind if I ask where we’re heading?” Geronimo queried.

“Not at all,” Rainbow answered. “The Citadel.”

Geronimo sat erect, forgetting his wound, the motion aggravating the discomfort. “You can’t be serious!”

Rainbow laughed. “But I am.”

“Why are you going there?” Geronimo demanded. “It’s suicide.”

“Oh, we’ll take good care of your vehicle, if that’s what you’re worried about,” Rainbow said. “I need to find out what happened to my people, and this is the fastest way to get us there.”

“Is that the reason you shot me?” Geronimo needed to know.

“Of course.” Rainbow slowly negotiated a curve. The road was sandwiched between rolling hills of pine forest. “Nothing personal, you understand.” She grinned.

“I’m really sorry my mother shot you,” Star chimed in sorrowfully. “I didn’t want her to do it. I like you a lot, Geronimo.”

“Don’t get to liking him too much, little one,” Lone Cougar told her. “He won’t be with us much longer.”

“That’s enough!” Rainbow snapped. “I don’t want you upsetting my daughter!”

“Your wish is my command,” Lone Cougar stated, somewhat sarcastically.

“Be respectful when you talk to her!” the Flathead on the other side of Star barked.

Lone Cougar glanced at the speaker, amused. “Why, Tall Oak, you know I mean no disrespect. It is bad form to treat the wife of a chief with anything less than total sincerity.”

“The wife of a chief?” Geronimo repeated, surprised.

“She didn’t tell you?” Lone Cougar asked, feigning amazement. “She’s so proud of the fact, I thought she told everyone.”

Geronimo saw Rainbow glare at Lone Cougar. If looks could kill, Lone Cougar would be Skewered Pussycat.

“Rainbow is the wife of Golden Bull, the chief of all the Flatheads,” Lone Cougar was saying.

Golden Bull. Lone Cougar. Tall Oak. “I take it the Flatheads don’t use names like George and Fred anymore?” Geronimo asked.

“We have reverted to the practice of our illustrious ancestors,” Rainbow stated proudly. “Our parents name their children after natural things, or something they might see in a vision, or a special omen.”

“I understand,” Geronimo acknowledged. “So where is your husband now?”

Rainbow’s shoulders slumped. “I don’t know.”

“He was with the others,” Lone Cougar detailed, “in Kalispell, surrounded by the Citadel army. We slipped through their lines in search of game, but we had to go far afield to find anything. When we returned to Kalispell, our entire tribe had vanished.”

“How many of you are left?” Geronimo inquired.

“There were five in our hunting party,” Lone Cougar replied, “but you killed two of us, you son of a bitch!”

“Did any others escape?” Geronimo asked, refusing to become riled by the insult.

“Not that we know of,” Tall Oak said, joining the discussion. “We saw your vehicle coming and thought you were some of the soldiers, so we hid in the hospital. When we saw you with Rainbow, we didn’t know what to think. Spotted Elk went down to investigate…”

“And you blew him away!” Lone Cougar snarled.

“It wasn’t me,” Geronimo corrected him. “Spotted Elk was still alive after I shot him. He sat up, and one of you got him with a shotgun.”

“And we know who it was, don’t we?” Tall Oak commented, deliberately looking at Lone Cougar.

Lone Cougar appeared embarrassed. “How the hell was I to know?” he countered defensively. “It was dark in that stairwell.”

“If some people knew how to use their mind as much as they do their mouth,” the Flathead in the rear section interjected, “Spotted Elk would still be with us now.”

“Get off my case, Running Hare,” Lone Cougar warned.

“You don’t scare me,” Running Hare rejoined, “as long as I don’t turn my back on you.”

Geronimo thought Lone Cougar was about to leap over the seats and assault Running Hare, but Rainbow intervened.

“That’s enough!” she ordered. “This is no time for fighting amongst ourselves! Our people have been taken, and you spend your time engaged in petty squabbles.”

Geronimo was pleased by the dissension in their ranks. Maybe he could use it to his advantage when he made his eventual bid for freedom. He studied the Flatheads, noting their buckskin clothing, long black hair, and in particular their lack of weapons. Where were their guns? In the rear section with Running Hare? Or was Lone Cougar’s shotgun on the floor in the front, out of sight. Tall Oak carried a large knife in a leather sheath high on his left hip.

For that matter, Geronimo wondered, where are my guns?

“Did you know you slept all night?” Star asked Geronimo, still trying to prove her friendliness. “I was the one who bandaged your shoulder.”

“I’m surprised your darling mother didn’t finish the job,” Geronimo remarked scornfully.