Part 36 (1/2)
”What, until they get here?”
”Presumably.”
”I thought Awan was going to call people on the reservation. In Arizona.”
”Apparently they sent three people up to take care of it, and they've been in Kanab, waiting for the call.”
”Did Awan know about this?”
”It sounded like he didn't. He seemed surprised, too.”
”Well, I guess they want us to show them the spot, exactly?”
”Your guess is as good as mine,” Winn said, sliding down in his seat. ”Kanab is only five minutes away, so I don't think we'll have long to find out.”
Deem took another sip of her Big Gulp. ”You know, it was Awan's idea that we do this. If the elders are powerful enough to take him down, why aren't they powerful enough to find him, too? Why did we have to do it?”
”I don't know. But I am beginning to feel a little shanghaied at the moment.”
They waited until an old brown Chevy Impala pulled up next to the Jeep. Winn watched as two large Navajos got out of the front seat. One of them opened the back door for an old woman, who slowly got out and stood up.
”I'm guessing the old woman is the one with the power,” Winn said.
”I thought it was an old man,” Deem said.
Winn looked again; now he wasn't sure it was a woman. One of the large Navajo men walked up to the Jeep.
”You Winn?” he asked.
”That's me,” Winn replied.
”This is Sani,” the man said, introducing the old woman, who walked up to Winn's window.
”Will you come with me?” Sani said in a frail voice.
Winn turned to look at Deem. She shrugged her shoulders. Winn opened the car door and stepped out. Sani took his hand and they walked about thirty feet away, on the other side of the Impala.
Deem sat in the Jeep, wondering what was going on. When she looked out at the Navajo men, she saw them staring back at her, expressionless.
”Hi!” she said, raising her hand halfway to wave.
”h.e.l.lo,” one of them said back, his face quickly returning to its neutral state.
Deem turned to look at Winn, who was talking with Sani. Sani was pointing at his chest, as though she was accusing him of something. Winn was talking back to Sani, but Deem couldn't hear any of the conversation. They went just far enough away that I couldn't hear them, Deem thought. Irritating, and a little insulting.
After five minutes, Winn walked back with Sani. He talked to Deem through the open window of the driver's side.
”We're going back in, with them,” Winn said.
”Why?” Deem asked.
”They need our help,” Winn answered. ”Strength in numbers, that kind of thing.”
Deem was skeptical. ”What did he tell you?”
”He? Oh, Sani? He just told me the game plan. We lead them until we reach the spot, then they take over.”
”Why couldn't he tell me that?” Deem asked. ”Particularly since I'm the one who knows where it is. You couldn't even see it.”
Winn could see she was a little peeved; she'd been sitting in the car the whole time he was talking with Sani, stewing that she wasn't part of the conversation.
”I think she...he thought I was in charge,” Winn said. ”Probably a native protocol thing. Don't be p.i.s.sed, Deem. We need you along. You are the one who knows where it's at.”
”G.o.dd.a.m.n it, Winn, I don't like being left in the dark,” she whispered to him.
”I know!” he whispered back.
Deem hopped out of the car and walked around to the other side, where the others all stood. ”Fine,” she said.
Sani walked up to Deem and put his hand on her arm.
”Help us, child,” Sani said, ”and we will remove this curse from you. Show us.”
Deem felt a good amount of her irritation melt away at Sani's words. ”Alright,” she said. ”Follow me.”
Deem led the group back through the chain link fence, around the corner building, and back to the central area.
”It's that one, there,” Deem said, pointing to the Administration building.
”Show us,” Sani said, following Deem by holding the arm of one of the Navajo men.
Winn boosted Deem into the broken window of the building, and then followed her. Deem wondered if Sani would have trouble getting through, but one of the Navajo men jumped into the window and between the two of them, lifted Sani inside.
Once inside, Sani began chanting. Deem stopped to watch him. He seemed to shuffle as he chanted, stepping lightly to his side and back again. Deem found the sounds he was making to be soothing.
”Lead,” one of the Navajo men said. ”We will follow.”
Deem and Winn walked back through the building, taking a right turn at the reception area to avoid crossing through the auditorium. They led them down the stairwell and into the area where the tunnels connected. Sani's chanting continued the entire way, and as they approached the tunnels, it became louder.
”There was something that s.h.i.+fted when we were here, earlier,” Deem said. ”I could see an opening in the floor down this tunnel. There was a blue light coming from it. I a.s.sumed that was it.” She pointed down the dark tunnel, a little embarra.s.sed that the light and the hole couldn't be seen.
Sani's chanting grew in volume until Deem began to feel pressure building, the same pressure she'd felt when they were there earlier. It quickly rose in intensity, much faster than before.
She felt something rip all around her, and blue light washed into the room from the tunnel. Sani stopped chanting.
The two Navajo men began walking down the tunnel, toward the hole. Sani continued to hold the arm of one of the men, keeping himself steady. Winn walked with them.
”Winn?” Deem said. ”Winn? What are you doing?”
”I'm going with them,” Winn said. ”I have to.”