The Valley of Dry Bones (35 page)

About half an hour later a dot appeared on the horizon to the southwest, so Zeke moved quickly to the decline and descended till only his eyes cleared the ground. The high-pitched whine of the dirt bike soon reached him and the wide-arcing swerves told him it was Willard. He slipped inside the utility door to see Alexis waiting by the garage door button. He gave her a nod and she pushed it. Willard flew in and skidded to stop.

As he leapt off the bike, he pulled from his belt a phone and held it aloft. They followed Alexis down the corridor to the Thorppes' quarters. “Bob, Doc, and Katashi are waiting,” she said. “Everybody else is in the Commons, praying. They're expecting dinner with you all before you leave. Jennie wants to meet Willard.”

“Sounds good,” Zeke said, noticing she looked near tears. He stopped outside their door and pulled her close. “You all right?”

She pressed her lips together and nodded. “This is what we signed up for, isn't it?” she said.

When the three of them entered and sat and the others saw the satellite phone, Doc clapped. “Let's hear it from the top. What happened?”

Willard set the phone in the middle of the table. It was encased in black leather with a solid rubberized antenna about six inches long. “This here's the power,” he said, pointing to a button. “And this here's a speed dial that goes to—”

“Can't he start at the beginning, Zeke?” Doc said. “I'm not trying to be diffic—”

“Right,” Zeke said. “Walk us through it.”

“Well, I git there, and it's like they think I'm stupid er somethin', like I can't see the soldiers in the trees 'cause they're wearing camo. They got binocs pointed at me an' stuff, and I figger they got their sights on me too, ya know, so I don't worry much about field glasses. The Injun kids are
playin' like nothin's goin' on, and the only car there is the agents'. They're hangin' around in their suits like it's gonna be a picnic and like I'm s'posed to think there's nothin' goin' on 'cause no other cars, right?

“So the little girl, that real friendly, smilin' one—”

“Zaltana,” Alexis said.

“That's the one. She comes runnin', hollerin' somethin' about am I there for the Cryin' Service what ain't gonna start till after dark and whatnot an' her ma comes out and yells at her tellin' her ‘No, he is not.' So I go up to Fritz and Cianci and I say, ‘So I'm not welcome, but are all the GIs invited?' and they're like, ‘What? What're you talkin' about, dude?' and I'm like, ‘Oh, yeah, sorry, I fergot I was blind and stupid. I don't listen to the news!'”

“Good one, Willard,” Katashi said.

“So then the best thing that coulda happened happens,” Willard said. “Clarence, my guy, tells Fritz, he says, ‘Let me handle this,' and he pulls me aside and we start walkin' between the huts! How cool is this? He tells me, he says, ‘WatDoc, you better make yourself scarce when this thing goes down tonight if you know what's good for you.'

“So I tell him I happen to know that unless he plays his cards right and does somethin' smart, the whole thing's gonna blow up in his face and he's gonna look stupid. 'Course he says what do I mean so I tell him, ‘What I mean is I finally found Ezekiel Thorppe after losin' you the other night and you guys listen to the news too and unless either the coast is clear or certain promises are made, Thorppe's not comin'.'

“I thought,
He's gonna blow a gasket
. He turns white an' tells me that can't be, that Kaga invited you and you gotta come an' his repatation's on the line, the whole bit. I say too bad, there's still a way he kin be a hero but the way it stands it ain't gon' happen, and I start walkin' away.”

“You're good,” Katashi said.

“I know I am. I mean, I'm not braggin', I'm jes' havin' fun. But he says, ‘How do we fix this, how do we make it work?' an' I say, ‘My man's gotta talk to whoever's in charge.' Well, he says that's impossible so I say, ‘Fine, he ain't comin',' an' we go back and forth like that and finally I say, ‘If you
don't send me back with a phone and don't follow me, you kin just keep lookin' for these people.' He asks me, he says, ‘Hey, how many of 'em are there?' an' I say, real slow like, ‘Nobody has any idea.' I wasn't lyin', 'cause I didn't count, and far as I know, nobody else knows, do they?”

“They don't,” Zeke said. “Good answer.”

“So anyways, he says he'll talk to somebody, and I go find Kaga. His daughter-in-law is on my tail, waggin' her finger at me and tellin' me to remember she said I wasn't welcome tonight and all that, and I told her ‘I know, I won't ferget, but I need to talk to the chief.' 'Course I know that bugs her and she tells me, ‘He's not the chief, he's tribal leader and he's in mournin',' but still she shows me where he is.

“I get there and he waves her off and I tell him everything you tol' me to.”

“Do you know if he told anyone?”

“He did! He followed me out and when Clarence got back with that phone, Kaga told him. He said, ‘Nothing stops the ceremony. Mr. Zeke and his friends are my guests, and whoever I choose to speak will speak. No one is to dishonor my mother by interrupting.'

“But then the best thing ever happened! Kineks comes marchin' over and tells him, ‘Remember, you said this man was not to come tonight.' And he says, ‘I remember. But I have changed my mind. He may come.' And she says, ‘No!' And he says, ‘As long as I am tribal leader, you do not tell me “no”!' Oh, she was mad! And I was happy!”

“Good job, Willard!”

“I thought so. I tol' you I could remember.”

“You remembered everything, man,” Zeke said. “So this phone direct-dials to—”

“The army guy, I guess. They said you can't even try to call anybody else.”

“Did you see this man, know who he is?”

“Nope. Clarence give me the phone. Said it'll connect right to the guy. He'll be waitin'.”

“Any idea whether this thing will work underground?”

“I'm guessin' it will. Clarence said somethin' about usin' them things to call Washington from overseas, so . . .”

Zeke mashed the power button, a green light came on, and the unit whined as it came to life. “I'm going to ask you all to pray for me as I talk to this man, because I sense this call is going to be just as important as whatever I say tonight.”

“Let's pray,” Bob said, and they all knelt as Zeke pressed the speed-dial button.

After several loud chirps, a crisp, male voice said, “I'm listening.”

Zeke said, “To whom am I speaking?”

“This is United States Special Forces Alpha Team Detachment Commander Brent Kendall. Is this Ezekiel Thorppe?”

“Yes, it is.”

“The phone you have been issued accommodates your request to speak with me, sir.”

“Commander Kendall, I understand you intend to arrest me and certain associates of mine for reasons unclear to me. As we are innocent of any actions requiring this, we would like to avoid any confrontation.”

“Avoiding confrontation is advisable, Mr. Thorppe. As I said, I'm listening.”

“We have not met, have we, Commander Kendall?”

“Affirmative, although I have been issued a complete dossier on you, sir.”

“Meaning you know where I was born and raised and educated, where I worked, and you have a record of my moving violations.”

“Up to and including your eluding arrest as recently as the early morning hours of Tuesday.”

“Is it fair to say you have no idea the size of my organization or what ties I might have with any others?”

“I prefer not to reveal the extent of our intelligence, Mr. Thorppe.”

“I'll take that as another affirmative.”

“May I know your intentions at 1930 hours this evening, sir?”

“Four associates and I plan to attend a burial service at the Nuwuwu
settlement, where you are encamped. I have been asked to bring remarks on behalf of the tribal leader.”

“Will you or your associates be armed, Mr. Thorppe?”

“Will you or yours, Commander Kendall?”

“Not only will we be armed, Mr. Thorppe, but we will have metal-detecting equipment operable from nearly half a mile away, and our weapons have a kill range of twice that distance. You do not want to engage our personnel.”

“If I can be guaranteed that we will not in any way be—”

“Before you proceed, Mr. Thorppe, I must inform you that you are considered by the United States government an armed and dangerous enemy combatant, and thus a party with whom I am forbidden to negotiate.”

“Allow me then to stipulate that if I can be assured that neither I nor my associates will be in any way confronted, harassed, or detained in advance of or during the service, we will arrive unarmed and will accede to publicly and peaceably surrendering to you and returning the phone you provided.”

“That sounds reasonable.”

“That sounds like a negotiation, Commander.”

“I submit that is merely an agreement.”

“I will, however, need a commitment from the White House,” Zeke said.

“I'm sorry?”

“Do you really need that repeated?”

“No, but I assume you know that it is out of the question.”

“Ask him if he belongs to Me.”

If he belongs to You, Lord?

“You know the answer.”

“Excuse me, Commander, but are you a man of faith?”

Pause.

“Mr. Thorppe, we may have a difference of opinion on what constitutes faith. I understand that you lead a group—”

“I apologize for interrupting, Commander, but you may be surprised
at my definition of faith. It's not a trick question. Are you a follower of Christ?”

“It happens that I am, but I do not discuss my personal life in the course of military busi—”

“I understand. I just wanted to assure myself that we have something in common. I'm aware that I would not have access to President Scott. Despite whatever intelligence you have access to, I'm not a lunatic. But surely someone at a national security level can be given access to this line and assure me that if my associates and I show up at this sacred ceremony unarmed and in peace, willing to surrender at the end of it, we will be treated fairly and with respect and assured due process. When I receive a call from the White House with that assurance, we will arrive on that basis. Otherwise, your search for us will incur much more time and personnel and expense, and surely no one wants that. Until then, my brother in Christ, good-bye.”

Z
EKE, AND LIKELY
everyone else in the room, thought the commander had called his bluff when twenty-five minutes passed and the phone sat silent. One by one they rose and sat with him at the table.

“Y'all really not goin' if ya don't hear from nobody?” Willard said.

“I'm going,” Zeke said. “I can't ask anyone else to go.”

“I'll take ya.”

“Thanks. You guys wait for me in the Commons. Alexis and I will see you at dinner.”

When they were gone, Alexis said, “Are you sure you should go?”

He nodded. “I won't take anyone else. They'll find they've got nothing on me, and when they come here they're going to be very disappointed at the extent of our massive terrorist organization.”

“But are Bob and Doc right? Won't they have to invent a story to make you—and us—look horrible so the president looks heroic?”

“If that's the price of my getting a chance to say whatever it is God wants me to say—”

The sat phone chirped and they stared at each other.

“This is Ezekiel Thorppe.”

“Will you hold for a call from the White House?”

“Yes, ma'am.”

“One moment please.”

“Mr. Thorppe?”

“Yes.”

“My name is Lauren Pugh. I'm assistant to the president for National Security Affairs. It's my understanding that you and four associates are willing to attend the ceremonial burial service at the Nuwuwu settlement tonight unarmed and then you will surrender to Special Forces Detachment Commander Brent Kendall immediately following, provided you are allowed to speak unimpeded at the ceremony per the request of tribal leader Kaga.”

“That is exactly right.”

“I have been authorized by President Scott to approve that.”

“Really?”

“Yes, sir. Will there be anything else?”

“Is he there, in the room?”

She chuckled. “You know I would not be at liberty to confirm that even if he were, sir. But no, he is not.”

“There is one more thing I could use help with.”

“There is?”

“Since you asked.”

“I was just being polite, sir.”

“I know, but I'll pay for it, and it might reflect well on the president.”

She sighed. “I can't promise, but I'm curious now.”

He told her of hoping to reunite Willard with his long-lost aunt, and he gave her Myrtle Geer's address. There was a long pause.

“Our travel office is the best in the world, but you know there are no commercial airports still operating in California.”

“You flew a lot of military personnel in here today.”

“You wouldn't want to pay for a flight like that.”

“I'm willing.”

“But you're not even sure she's still living or if she has an operable phone?”

“I'm not. But Ms. Pugh, if you find her and she wants to know what it's all about, just say Willard and John 3:16.”

Another pause. “No promises, and our previous arrangement holds regardless.”

“Agreed.”

Alexis went to tell the others the visit was on while Zeke spent the rest of the time before dinner praying that God would give him just the right words.