Shaman - the Awakening (24 page)

Nina continued to fix her sight on me. She had calmed down and now fixated on what she was witnessing. She was enamored by the speed and graceful show I was putting on. When it was over I looked around the room and surprised myself. I couldn't believe I had killed so many in so little time.

“Are you OK?” I asked Nina. She nodded, and then asked, “Did any bite you?” She was coming back around now as she took the pillows off my arms and began assessing me from head to toe. I hadn't been bitten. The snakes were fast, but I was faster. Then it hit me.

“We'd better check on Burkhart. We made a lot of noise for him not to hear it and come immediately over,” I stated. Nina looked at me and without saying a word we rushed to the door together. She was back, and fearless as ever.

We knocked on the door several times, taking turns calling out Burkhart's name. There was no answer at the door, so we displayed our credentials to the hotel management and had them open it. When the door was opened we discovered Agent Burkhart lying on the bed, dead. Nina checked his pulse and vitals, but there was nothing. After a careful inspection of the body we didn't find any offensive or defensive wounds. It was as if he had died of a heart attack in his sleep! There was no sign of struggle of any kind in the room. Nothing was out of order or disturbed, not even the bed. Burkhart had lain down on the bed fully clothed and died that way.

We informed the hotel's management staff that we would take care of everything and that this was an FBI matter. I telephoned Steve immediately and briefed him on the situation.

“Will you notify Ortega about Burkhart?” I urged. “Nina and I are going to go off the radar for a while. I think it's best that way.”

“Sure, I'll call him after we hang up,” Steve said.

“We've scrutinized the body, Steve, and as far as we could tell he died in his sleep from heart failure, but the forensic team you send can give us a better evaluation.”

“So, off the record now, what do you think happened? Because you and I know Burkhart was in excellent health,” Steve replied.

“It was the Coyote, Steve. He got to him in his sleep. Burkhart had the dying look of fear on his face. The Coyote is like me, but more powerful. He is a Shaman with the ability to manipulate dreams. That's why it's been so hard to track him!”

“But how was he able to establish a connection with Burkhart without some sort of previous physical contact or some items of his?” Steve inquired. Steve was on point as usual, and his question was rational and sound.

“I have a theory, but I'd rather not share it until I'm completely certain about the assumption. We're getting closer, Steve. That's why he tried to kill us. He knows who I am and that I'm on his trail,” I replied.

“Will this provoke him into killing her sooner, though?” Steve asked.

This is the reason why investigators are dismissed from cases they are emotionally invested in. Steve was no longer thinking like an investigator or profiler. He was thinking with his emotions. Under different circumstances he would have never posed such a question.

“No, Steve; he won't deviate from his regimen. It is a part of his signature; his MO. Following the lunar calendar is essential to his ritual and sacrifice. We still have until the 16th. Besides, it is his belief that we are inferior to him, physically and mentally. He doesn't fear us in the least, so there's no need to deviate in his plans.”

“OK, you guys need to get out of there. Make sure management leaves the door locked until we get there. Chris, I have faith in you; now go get that son of a bitch by any means necessary!”

We gathered our belongings and briefed the hotel management on the necessary details for both rooms before departing. There was no time to lament our fallen brother. We had to worry about the living right now, and her time was running out.

“He knows we're here, like Kayah prophesied. He can feel our combined spirits. You know what this means, Nina? We are there. We will find her,” I stated. Nina was rendered speechless by the carnage that had taken place. I was used to killings, but had forgotten that she doesn't witness this amount of homicides in her duties at the BIA.

We drove to another cheap hotel off the main road, just to gather our thoughts and clean up. Neither of us would be able to go back to sleep after a morning like that. Once we were resettled, I engaged the spirit world while Nina kept a watchful Eagle Eye over me. She was a fearless Federal Agent with outstanding fighting skills I'd witnessed on several occasions, but the snakes had gotten to her. I know she was used to snakes from her background, as I was, growing up in the mountains and hills of North Carolina. I think it was being taken by surprise while asleep is what had her shaken. The Coyote was very clever.

After several hours in dreamscape, I felt the coyote's spirit as he has felt ours. He couldn't hide for long, we were too close! Though I still couldn't breach his shroud it was comforting to know we were getting close. Gracie was still alive, but despair surrounded her. She had given up hope. There was nothing I could do to comfort her.

We finally took turns sleeping for about four hours. We slept together as couples do – in each other's arms. We couldn't afford to be caught off guard again because it would probably be the end of us. It was easy for Tsosie to pick up on our spirit energy. Yes, Roanhorse gave us his name. They do get sloppy when they run in packs. Now it was time to trick the trickster.

“So he can find us whenever he needs to by the brilliance of our spirits. I think it's time we set a trap for him. Let him get overconfident and we flank him, like castling in chess. We allow him to invite himself into your dreams and while he is there, I'll enter into Roanhorse's dreams. I've got enough of a connection with that snake now,” I stated.

“How do you know he'll take the bait,” Nina inquired.

“He will. Like Kayah stated, it's almost impossible not to feel us together and be drawn into it. The Great Mother showed me a thing or two during vision quest which will allow me to leave my dream shadow behind with you and astrally project into another dream. It is what she did with us when we first dreamed of her. We were together, but shared different dreams with her instead of one.”

“How will Tsosie be able to reach me in dreamscape without any physical contact?” Nina inquired.

“It's my assumption that he will make contact with you the same way he was able to reach Burkhart. If he's able to reach you, it proves my theory as well,” I stated.

“Which is?” she asked.

“It will all illuminate itself, Nina. I don't want to speculate. Let's just let it play out for now. We have a sound plan and, with a little luck, we can pull it off.”

We grabbed something quick to eat and then settled in, as if to go to sleep, but this time we would be dreamscaping. If we sat down on the prayer rugs, Coyote would discover the ruse as soon as he entered her dreams. It didn't take long before our adversary took the bait. I wanted him to see me asleep and lying next to her, as I dreamed about her. Then I stepped into another door, like Kayah taught me, and visited Roanhorse. Roanhorse and Wauneka were Tsosie's apprentices. They weren't shamans, as they didn't have the gift, but he was teaching them the journeyman's way of the craft.

I proceeded through the shadows of Roanhorse's dreams. I didn't force any issues just in case Tsosie had a greater bond or connection with his apprentices as I had with Nina. I saw them at the Jemez Order being tortured by Monsignor Davis and the priests. They were brutalized by the Order, then they became administers of the torturing. They found delight and joy in it. Davis used their sadistic illness to his advantage, just as he used everyone else around him. When their appetites became too excessive, Davis expelled them from the Order! Davis also felt Tsosie was a threat to his power. Then I sensed Nina was in distress and had to cut my dreamscape visit short.

Tsosie was a treacherous trickster and caused Nina to have nightmares when he entered her dreams. He had her dreaming of snakes. He touched on the one thing that scared her recently and exploited it. I returned and broke the bond. It wasn't Nina who couldn't hang, it was me. I didn't want to see him hurt her in any way. I loathed him with every fiber in my body.

“Did you get the location?” Nina asked wearily as I woke her from the nightmare.

“No,” I replied.

“So why did you break the connection?” she retorted.

“I felt you in distress,” I replied.

“I was alright. You forgot I can prevent anyone from entering my dreams if I don't want them there,” she said in an upset and irritated voice.

“No, I didn't forget, Nina, I just couldn't take him being anywhere near you any longer.”

“That's sweet, but it's not going to help us save Gracie or catch Tsosie,” she said, and then kissed me.

“There has to be another way to get him; just like we just fooled him that time. We can do it again,” I stated.

“You do realize tomorrow is the full moon,” Nina stated.

“Yes. Ortega reminded me of it,” I said, then went over to Nina and held her in my arms. I thought of Gracie's plight, but refused to give up on her. I gave my word and I was going to save her, one way or another.

“You know I've always found that if I table a problem for a while and revisit it with a fresh mind, I have a better perspective on the matter at hand. Perhaps we're overthinking this,” I told Nina.

“What do you have in mind?”

“Nothing spectacular; let's just go for a drive and listen to some jazz to clear our heads,” I replied.

It was a gorgeous day in New Mexico. The sky was clear and the sun was shining. There wasn't a hint in this beautiful day of the horrors that tomorrow could bring. We drove down to the Bandera Volcanic Ice Caves. We listened to classic jazz on the MP3 player in the car. Coltrane was playing as we drove down the highway. We went through some Thelonious Monk, Dave Brubeck and Miles before turning our listening attention towards progressive jazz; Acoustic Alchemy and Return to Forever Band.

We attempted to enjoy the sights of Bandera as the rest of the visitors and sightseers. It would have been a pleasant excursion under different circumstances, but we couldn't escape the accumulating stress that loomed over us. Therefore we grabbed a bite to eat while there and then headed back up to Gallup. It was a quick respite from the chaos of our life, but the desperation was still present. We were no closer to finding Gracie than we were with the rest of the abducted women.

On the way back we listened to Chemical Composition's jazz CD `
Excitement Within the Trojan Horse
' which gave me an idea. It could prove be a fatal risk, but we were running out of time and options. It was a chance I had to take.

“I have an idea on how to finally put an end to this nightmare,” I said to Nina while driving.

“Excellent. Let's hear it.”

“Kayah has been correct in every way about the Coyote. He and his minions are careless together and we have to beat him at his own game. We have to trick him in order to beat him. Let's use the old Trojan Horse scheme to get into their camp,” I stated.

“And how will we go about doing that?” Nina inquired.

“We have to let them abduct me,” I replied.

“Chris, you have been brilliant in your strategy up to this point, including all of the calculated risks, but this one is way too risky! What if they just kill you on the spot? What if we don't get there on time or you can't inform us of where you are? There are just too many what ifs,” Nina exclaimed. Her jaw was set in a posture of extreme stubbornness.

“I know it's risky, but we don't have a choice. Besides, they are abductors. That's their profile. They don't kill on the spot. They are like most coyotes; they always take their prey back to the den. Once I'm inside I will dreamscape through Roanhorse and alert you of where they are located,” I told Nina.

“This is excessively risky and assumes too much, Chris.”

“I know, Nina, but it's Gracie's only hope. I saw her again last night and it wasn't looking good. They've began making preparations. They've covered her body in these Aramaic symbols. If you come up with something better, let me know, because we've run out of time.”

What began as a pleasant drive on a nice sunny day quickly turned gloomy and silent. I had known Nina would be opposed to me sacrificing myself. I knew how deeply she felt about me. She was better at expressing her feelings than I was. I was more of a touchy feely person who expressed himself through actions and physical contact. The rest of the ride back to Gallup we quietly listened to jazz without conversation. She was upset with me, but she knew what I was doing made sense and that there was no other way at this point.

When we got back to the hotel, Nina broke down and began to cry. This was only the second time I'd seen her cry. The first was in the swimming pool when she professed her feelings for me. She was strong and optimistic about everything except for this.

“Nina,” I said aloud as I went over to her and placed my arms around her.

“I don't want you to go. What if something goes wrong,” she said, interrupting me.

“Nothing will. You will fulfill the prophecy and rescue me as foreseen.” Then I wiped the tears from her eyes and kissed her. “I believe in you, Nina. I wouldn't be doing this if I didn't have complete faith in you. I know it's asking a lot. I'll be placing my life and Gracie's life in your hands. You're the strongest person I know and I know you can do it.”

Then she placed her head on my shoulders and continued to hug me. We lay on the bed together, hugging each other for about a half an hour. Eventually Nina regained her strength and wanted to go over the plan, so she could be precise in her rescue.

“I need to break into the church and get caught by the priests. Then they'll surely take me back to their lair. They won't have much time for anything else. They'll consider me a trophy.” I didn't tell Nina about their sadistic history with the Jemez Order. If I told her she would insist against this course of action.

“I'll arrange to get myself caught tomorrow after the church service. After I'm caught I will notify you through dreamscape of the location where they are holding us. I'll retrieve it from Roanhorse. I need you to be ready to accept the information, so just relax on the bed and meditate like I've shown you. I'll come to you in dreamscape,” I said.