Rogue (Book 2) (The Omega Group) (3 page)

Although Supai Village had become a tourist destination for
the many hikers that spent their vacations at the canyon, there were still no
roads leading to it. You either took a less-than-leisurely eight-mile stroll,
or, if you were lucky, you hopped a ride on a helicopter.

The village itself was a weird mixture of the old and new,
neither seeming comfortable with the other’s existence. The simplistic lodge,
café, and convenience store struggled for inclusion while surrounded by pack
mule trains and the rugged terrain of the red rocks.

Carter, Han, and Jackie distinguished themselves as obvious
outsiders as they pulled their roller suitcases across the uneven ground. The original
plan of checking into an area hotel before starting their investigation fell by
the wayside when they were sidetracked by their visit with General Persaud.
This was not how Carter envisioned returning to his reservation.

“Well, if it isn’t Carter Mockta gracing us with his
presence. To what do we owe the pleasure?” The familiar voice grated on
Carter’s nerves as he struggled to control his temper.

“Good to see you, too, Bill. We need to see the chief, then
we’ll be on our way.” Carter never broke eye contact with his former best
friend as Bill sauntered arrogantly toward him. It was a distorted version of
the childhood staring game that Carter had no intention of losing. “The sooner
you tell me where he is, the sooner we’ll be gone.”

“He is where he always is at this time of day. Or have you
already forgotten our ways?” The sneer on Bill’s face was yet another reason
why Carter stayed as far away from his family home as possible. Not that he
needed more reasons.

Without another word, Carter led his companions to the
lodge. “We’ll need to leave our bags here. The chief spends most afternoons at
the falls, so we’re in for a bit of a hike.” The receptionist at the lodge was
much friendlier than he expected and allowed them to use the restrooms to change
into hiking gear, and to store their bags behind her counter. For a small fee
of course.

At that time of day, the long trail from Supai Village to
the falls would be all but deserted. Even the most hardened hikers tended to
keep their travel scheduled to the early morning or late evening—when the sun
was less hostile. The solitude was exactly what the team needed.

When they were far enough away from the village, Jackie
started the conversation. “So, what’s the deal with the Yavapai tribe? You
seemed shocked when the general mentioned them.”

Carter took a moment to gather his thoughts, doing his best
to keep them away from Gina. “There’s a long history there. Really long. There
are a lot of Pai tribes, most of which have peacefully coexisted for over a
thousand years. The Yavapai are a different story. If you believe the legends,
they were driven out of this area by the other
tribes
centuries ago. They lost their homes and became nomads, moving from place to
place, never settling down.”

“That’s awful,” Jackie said.

“Not when you consider what they did to earn their
expulsion. They were always on the warpath, never satisfied with what they had
and always looking to take from others. Their warriors decimated so many
tribes, mine included. In fact, legend has it, that’s how we became
shape-shifters. They say our god felt sorry for us when we were almost wiped
out by the Yavapai and gave the men of our tribe this ability so we could fight
back. I don’t know if that’s true or not, but I do know the Yavapai believe it.
Our two tribes have been bitter enemies for a very, very long time.”

Han chimed in with his usual wit. “So, you’ve got a Hatfield
and McCoy situation. Any chance it has something to do with what’s been going
on here?”

“I’m not sure. But what happened at the airport makes me
think it might. That guy was Native American and he shifted into a bear. The
Yavapai have spent over a thousand years trying to obtain that ability. If they
somehow got it, they would definitely come back here to get their revenge.”

“Well, on the bright side, at least now we have a suspect.
How much further to the falls?” Although Jackie was in peak physical condition,
she was not an outdoorswoman and was clearly hating every second of this hike.

“Not too much further,” Carter lied. They hadn’t even
reached the campground yet and their destination, Beaver Falls, was another
four miles past that.

The longer they walked, the less they spoke. Both Han and
Jackie seemed distracted by the incredible scenery around them. Even Jackie
looked, at times, to be enjoying herself. When they reached Mooney Falls,
however, and she saw the precarious rock wall she was going to have to climb
down, she gave Carter a look that said, “I hate you.”

Carter didn’t take offense. Although he loved the adrenaline
rush that descent always provided him, he understood that most people would
feel the way she did.

“How do you make this climb in your wolf form?” Jackie
asked.

“I don’t. On four legs I can go straight to the bottom by
leaving the trail a ways back. On two legs, that’s not possible.”

When they made it to the pool at the base of the falls
without incident, Jackie regained her happy demeanor. Carter, on the other
hand, didn’t. Mooney Falls brought back far too many memories and, despite his
best efforts, they flooded him now.

He’d been seventeen years old when he met Gina. He’d left
his village shortly after sunset so he could let his wolf out for a run. It was
his favorite thing to do. Contrary to popular literature, Carter’s wolf was a
part of him—not a mindless beast he turned into. His body shifted, yet his
consciousness remained intact. In his animal form the darkness wasn’t an issue,
so he ran full speed along the creek and over the rocks.

As he neared the large pool at Mooney Falls he heard someone
singing. Although hikers were warned against being out there after dark, it
wasn’t unheard of for them to ignore the advice. Carter’s wolf slowed until his
movements were silent. His curiosity about the outside world drew him toward
the voice. But when he got close, he saw that it wasn’t an outsider who was
singing. It was the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. She had long black
hair with a small white flower tucked above her ear. She looked so fragile
against the backdrop of the rock walls.

Ducking behind a tree, he’d changed back to his human form
and put on the clothes he always kept strapped to his back. It was a habit he’d
insisted on since being caught naked by some less-than-discrete classmates when
he was thirteen. When he emerged from behind the tree the girl was gone, her
beautiful voice no longer wafting to the heavens. His level of disappointment
surprised him.

“Hi.”

Carter jumped at the unexpected sound, chastising himself
for not being cooler. When she giggled at his reaction, his embarrassment grew
to epic teenage proportion.

“Were you spying on me?”

“Uh, no. Of course not. I was just out for a walk and you
happened to be in the same place. That’s all. Nothing weird.” Carter could hear
himself sounding like the idiot that he was but couldn’t seem to stop himself.
“What about you? Maybe you were spying on me.”

Her smile grew and lit up her entire face as she reached her
hand out to him. “My name’s Gina. What’s yours?”

“Carter. It’s nice to meet you, Gina.”

Carter’s trip down memory lane was interrupted by Jackie’s
exclamation, “Oh my God! This place is spectacular. I’ve never seen anything
more beautiful.”

Carter looked around and realized they’d already arrived at
Beaver Falls. He’d been on autopilot while thinking about Gina and hadn’t even noticed
the time passing. “It is pretty cool.”

All of the falls were incredible, but this one was something
special. It was like someone had carved an enormous staircase in the narrow
space between the canyon walls. The water cascading over each step was such a
bright blue that it seemed almost unnatural. Carter had been there more times
than he could count, but the beauty and power of the place never failed to
amaze him. “The chief will be down there.” He pointed to a spot about halfway
up the second level, then led the way there.

Hidden behind bushes and rocks, the small cave was difficult
to see. The chief believed its location had been successfully hidden from
everyone. He was wrong. It was considered the worst kept secret of the canyon.
Every local knew where it was, but out of respect for the chief they pretended
they didn’t.

Carter entered first, holding back the branches for Jackie
to follow. When he let them go before Han got through, he was rewarded with a
few carefully chosen curse words. “Love you too, buddy.”

The temperature inside was about twenty degrees cooler and
Carter enjoyed the relief as much as his companions seemed to. But his
enjoyment was short-lived.

“Who’s there?” The voice was soft but still succeeded in
sending a shiver down Carter’s spine.

“It’s Carter. I’m with some friends and we need to talk to
you.”

There was a brief moment of silence. “Come in, then.”

When they rounded the bend, they found the chief sitting
cross-legged with a bowl of fragrant flowers in front of him. He turned his
piercing gaze on Carter. “How did you find this place?”

“Lucky guess. Look, we really need to ask you some
questions.”

“I see living in the outside world hasn’t helped your
manners. Introduce your friends.”

Carter’s jaw clenched at the condescending tone, but he
grudgingly obeyed. “This is Han Li and Jackie Barns,” He gestured to each in
turn before continuing. “And this is Chief Mockta, my father.”

He had to give his friends credit. Although their shock at
his revelation of being the chief’s son was evident, they held their tongues
and simply nodded their greetings.

“We need to know what’s been going on with the Yavapai. Have
you heard anything … unusual?”

A sneer curled the chief’s lips. “Of course that’s the first
thing you want to ask about. I should have known when they returned you would
follow. Have you still not learned your lesson? They cannot be trusted. You
should understand that more than anyone.”

“That’s not why I’m here, Father. There have been—”

“I am not your father! You stopped being my son the day you
left,” the chief growled.

Carter clenched his fists at his side to keep from lashing
out. When he regained enough control to speak, his words were laced with as
much venom as his father’s. “Yes, I did. You made sure of that. I am not here as
your son or a member of your tribe. I’m here as an Omega Group agent. You can
keep playing this game or you can tell me what I need to know so I can do my
job and get out of here.”

The chief stared at him, allowing every bit of his anger and
resentment to show. “Speak to the healer. He has what you need.” Carter nodded
his head and turned to leave, but the chief wasn’t finished. “Do not tell
anyone where you found me. This is my sacred chamber and it must remain a
secret.”

Carter snorted at his father’s arrogance.
You old fool
.
When he turned to leave he saw the looks of pity on his friends’ faces. He
glared at them until they dropped their gazes. They had a long hike back to the
village and he didn’t want them using the time to question him. Better to shut
them out now.

God, I am such an asshole.

By the time they reached the village it was well past
dinnertime and, if the rumblings of their stomachs were to be believed, everyone
was hungry. Their first stop was the lodge. It was far too late to consider
making the hike back to the hilltop, and they needed rooms for the night.

The same woman was working the reception desk and, although
still appearing friendly, she was more than happy to charge them double for the
rooms. “Will there be anything else you need,
Mr. Mockta
?” A smile was
plastered on her face but it didn’t reach her eyes.

“No.” Carter grabbed the keys off the counter and led the
way to their rooms.

“So, I’m getting the sense that you’re not real popular
here. Are you sure you want to spend the night?” Jackie’s concern succeeded in
lightening Carter’s mood.

“It wouldn’t be my first choice, but it’s the only one we
have right now.” A cheeky grin crossed his face. “And you guys will give me
hugs if it gets too rough, right?”

Han laughed out loud. “Ha! Hardly. Especially the way you
smell right now.”

Jackie chimed in her agreement. “Yeah. I think we could all use
a shower. Meet you guys in the lobby in twenty minutes?”

Half an hour later they were seated at a small table in the
closest thing the village had to a restaurant. The café was functional with a
limited menu, but it lacked even the semblance of style or comfort. The lone
waitress took her time getting to their table and showed her utter lack of
interest in serving them once there. Although Carter initially assumed her
attitude was due to his presence, he soon noticed that she offered the same
quality of service to everyone.

“Nice place,” Jackie said.

“Yeah, well, when there’s no competition, you can’t really
expect much.” Carter had almost forgotten how bad the food was at the café, but
they were so hungry from the day’s exertion they eagerly cleaned their plates.

Sipping from a cup of gas-station-quality coffee, Carter
tensed when a hand grabbed his shoulder. Readying himself to accept whatever
verbal abuse was about to be thrown his way, he turned his gaze upward.

“Carter Mockta. Is that you?” The voice of the smiling old
man held no malice, and Carter felt relief wash over him.

“Bidzil,” Carter said with a smile as he stood to shake the
man’s hand. “It’s good to see you.”

The man looked at Carter’s outstretched hand, shook his
head, and pulled him into a friendly embrace. “It has been far too long, my
friend. What brings you home?”

“Actually, that’s something we wanted to talk to you about.”
Carter made the introductions. “These are my friends, Han Li and Jackie Barns.
Guys, this is the tribe’s healer, Bidzil.”

Pulling up a chair from a nearby table, Bidzil signaled to
the waitress to bring more coffee and slowly sat down. “If the Omega Group has
sent the three of you here, things must be worse than I thought. Tell me what I
can do to help.”

“We need information. I know some weird things have been
happening and I know the Yavapai are back, but I need details.”

The healer nodded as the waitress brought fresh coffee, but
waited until she was gone before answering. “These are strange times, indeed.
Our first tribe member went missing almost four months ago. Since then, four
more boys have disappeared. We have found no trace of them.”

Jackie was the first to find her voice. “Why weren’t we told
that there were five missing people in this case?”

“My father,” Carter said. “He doesn’t believe in asking for
outside help. We probably wouldn’t know that anything was going on here at all
if it weren’t for the park ranger reporting it. Bidzil, what do you know about
the Yavapai?”

“Not much, I’m afraid. They arrived during early spring and
have been staying on the southwest tip of the Navajo reservation. At first, we
didn’t see or hear from them, but in the last couple of months there have been
several attacks.”

“Is it possible that they succeeded in obtaining shape-shifter
abilities?” Carter asked.

The confusion on Bidzil’s face gave him his answer before he
voiced it. “What makes you think that?”

“We had a run-in at the airport when we landed. Someone, a
native, took a few shots at us. When we caught up to him, he shifted into a
bear and disappeared into the woods.”

Bidzil was silent. When he finally spoke, his fear was
evident. “I’m sorry, but I must go speak with your father. If what you say is
true, we are all in grave danger.”

“We’re staying at the lodge tonight. If you come across
anything else that might help us, let me know. And please, Bidzil, don’t let my
father try to deal with this on his own.”

“You have my word.” After a quick goodbye, Bidzil was gone.

Carter threw cash on the table to cover their bill and a meager
tip the waitress really didn’t deserve. When they reached their rooms at the
lodge he turned to Jackie. “Can you call Myrine to give her an update? There’s
someone I need to find who might give us some answers.”

“No problem. Take Han with you.”

“No can do. Where I’m going, you need four legs.”