Her Broken Wings by D.K. Hood
Twenty-Two
Stanton Forest, Black Rock Falls
Atohi Blackhawk stared down at the unmistakable top of a skull poking out from beneath a white snowberry bush and swallowed hard. He took a few steps back and then took a roll of yellow tape from his pocket and marked the tall pine growing close by. He turned and walked back to Brad Kelly, stepping over the carefully constructed grid they’d searched tirelessly. “Brad, I’ve found something.” He gripped Brad’s arm. “Don’t go over there, it’s best we don’t disturb the evidence.”
“I need to see.” Brad stared at him, eyes wild with distress, and pulled away.
Atohi held him in a bear hug. “No! There is nothing to see. Act like the son she knew—be strong and brave.” Under his arms, Brad’s muscles relaxed, and Atohi sighed with relief. “It’s out of our hands now. Shane Wolfe is a good man. He will treat her with respect, you have my word.”
“He knows nothing of our ways but I’ll agree. We have no choice, do we?” Brad shook his head. “She’s where I saw her in my dream.” He turned and pointed through the trees. “I remember running toward that rock and hearing the sound of water.”
Atohi nodded. “If it is her, she will rest easy now. We’ll take her home.”
“Is my brother with her?” Brad’s head turned in the direction of the grave.
Atohi gave him a shake. “I don’t know. There is only one bone. It may not even be her or your brother. We’ll have to wait and see.” He waved over one of his friends. “Take Brad back to camp and wait for me. I’ll contact Shane and he’ll be able to give us more information.” He took out his phone and found Wolfe’s number.
“Okay.” Brad turned away, shoulders hunched.
“Shane, it’s Atohi.” Atohi walked back to the gravesite. “I’ve found a skull. I’ll send you the coordinates. When can you get here?”
“Are you sure it’s human?”Wolfe sounded busy, and Atohi could hear other voices in the background.
“Yeah, the top part of the cranium is visible and part of both eye sockets. I’ve marked the area but no one else has disturbed the scene.” Atohi glanced at Brad sitting on a log, drinking something from a cup, and sighed. “Brad is concerned she won’t be respected, but I’ve explained. He seems okay now.”
“He led you right to the spot?”Wolfe sounded skeptical.
Atohi stared at the grave. “No, the general area. He recalled landmarks. We searched an area back from a stream he remembered from the night his father killed her. We did a grid search and split up. I pulled the lucky straw.”
“I’ll come take a look to confirm. Then all I can do is secure the remains. We’ll need a forensic anthropology team to recover the body and any evidence left behind. I have a friend in Helena; I’ll have her come down.”Wolfe cleared his throat. “It’s likely the killer buried both victims together in a shallow grave. It would be better if your friend wasn’t present.”
Atohi stared into the distance. “He won’t agree. I figure, he’ll camp out here until he’s sure she’s safe. He said he’s been having dreams. I’m not sure how stable he is. I’ve known him for a long time and he’s changed. It’s as if remembering what happened has sent him a little crazy.”
“I’m not surprised—it would have been a shock.” Shane’s voice was muffled as he spoke to someone else. “Ah, sorry, I’ve just asked Emily to call Jenna and explain. I’ll leave now and be there as soon as possible. How far are you from the highway?”
“Not far at all. Only a few hundred yards. You’ll see our trucks parked alongside the forest. I’ll send Jenna the coordinates as well.” Atohi turned to see Brad staring at him. He gave him a nod.
“I’m on my way.”Wolfe disconnected.