The Unknown - Chapter 2d - by nova

Chapter 2d

We began negotiating the price for my ride. After he realized I didn't want to buy his truck and I listened to them bitch about how much gas was we negotiated a price in silver. They wanted it upfront and were surprised when I agreed to that. So I told them, "You look like decent law abiding young men." Then I lowered my voice and added, "I'll make sure I mention this when I report to Salt Lake."

Those two words changed everything. It was a guess on my part but not a wild one. Even if they weren't Saints they would be well aware of their presence and influence this close to the end of the Navaho Nation border. Inside of those two words was another possibility; I had just popped out of nowhere. I had admitted to coming from Kanab. I was heavily armed. Could I be a Danite hit man? Sleepyhead processed both of those first and he seemed to like it, a lot.

He called an impromptu family conference. They walked away far enough that they thought I couldn't hear them. They were almost right. My hearing, once on pare with a wild animal, had declined a lot over the years. Too many loud blasts in tight spaces will do that. I heard enough to confirm that I had guessed correctly My body armor hadn't gone unnoticed. Sleepyhead Dad told them, "That's ceramic body armor! Nobody has that anymore but the rich..." here he lowered his voice, "and the Danites."

The Danites were part of the Saints equivalent of the Mossad. They were a strange bunch, a mix of fanaticism, with the usual total commitment to killing enemies of the church, good manners, and a shit load of kids. I liked them and had worked with them before. They totally hated the federal government and that was before everything fell apart.

The broke from the huddle and everything was now sunshine and love. Well, almost. Jacob still wasn't a hundred percent in love with me yet. I figured there was a back story there and I hoped I would not have to listen to it. Hell, if he gave me a few hints I could probably write it for him. He probably felt like it was a big deal. It was for him but it wasn't unique. No way it could be. Not for someone like me.

Of course we couldn't leave right away. He had to go back up the hill to get the truck and Dad told him to check with Rebeckah and see what she needed from town and if any errands needed to be run. I was paying for an off schedule town run for them it sounded like.

I killed time talking to Sleepyhead Dad. "You got anyplace you'd recommend for me to stay at?"

He ran down the list, all two of them, one of them being a flophouse, the other were visiting VIP's stayed, and the slyly, for him I'm sure, suggested I go see the local Bishop and see if a good family could put me up.

I pretended to think about that for a couple beats and then told him, "Naw. I want to keep a low profile."

"You hear on business?"

Yes, he was a sly dog. I winked at him, "Nope. Just passing through."

He seemed disappointed. "Oh. Thought you might be here because of them fed boys that just got in town."

That was news to me but it wouldn't do to let him know that. "Naw. I figure you can throw them off the bridge just as well as I can." We all found that pretty damn funny including the tow headed kid who had been hanging on every word.