Long Road to Mercy

Chapter 50

Winslow, Arizona.

Not Flagstaff.

Pine and Blum alighted about an hour behind schedule at the station, which was part of a hotel complex. Pine had figured someone might be waiting for them at Flagstaff, someone whom they really did not want to meet.

Contrary to the song lyrics, they were not here to take it easy.

Yet in keeping with the Eagles’ theme, they did spy a woman cruising by in a flat-bed Ford.

Pine waved her hand, and Jennifer Yazzie pulled the truck over to the curb.

Pine and Blum put their bags in the truck bed and climbed in, sitting shoulder to shoulder in the cab.

“Thanks for picking us up, Jen,” said Pine after introducing her to Blum.

“No problem. What’d you do to your face?” she asked, looking at Pine’s swollen chin and cut lip.

“Hit a door.”

“Why do I not believe that?”

“How’s Joe Jr.?”

“Still giving us fits.”

“Sorry to hear that.”

“You want to go to your home, or office?”

“Neither one. And I was hoping that Carol here could stay with you and Joe for a while, if that’s okay.”

Yazzie glanced at Blum quizzically and then back at Pine. “That’s fine. I was surprised to hear you were taking the train here. I didn’t even know you’d left town. Where were you?”

“Back east. And, if it’s all right, I need to borrow some of your hiking and camping gear.”

“Heading out again?”

“Going to hike the Canyon.”

Yazzie said, “What, solo?”

“That’s the plan.”

“Why?”

“Got some time off. Haven’t been down there in a while. Want to stretch my muscles.”

“I could go with you.”

“What, in all your free time?”

“Well, Joe could.”

“He has even less free time than you.”

“It’s not smart to hike by yourself, you know that.”

“I wanted to go with her,” said Blum. “But, well, I’m not sure I’m up to it anymore. My knees and my hip. I’d just hold her back.”

Pine said, “I’ll take it nice and easy. It’s not like I’m going rim-to-rim in one day. I plan to spend a few days down there.”

“This have anything to do with the mule that was found butchered down there? And the missing person?”

“You heard about that?”

“This is not exactly New York City. Now, a missing person around here is not so rare, but a cut-up mule is something different.”

“Like I said, I’m just going down to chill out.”

“When are you planning to leave?” asked Yazzie.

“Tonight.”

“You just got back. It’s been a long trip. We can grab some dinner tonight and you can relax before heading out.”

“I don’t think I have time to relax, Jen.”

Later that day, Pine sat on a couch in the basement in the Yazzies’ home in Tuba City.

She had seen on the news feed that the Southwest Chief had encountered signal problems, which had necessitated the abrupt stop. There had been some electrical problems and a few bumps and bruises with passengers and crew, but no serious injuries. Freight trains used the same set of tracks, and care had to be taken because the signaling system was critical in making sure one train did not slam into another. There had been no mention of the shattered window.

But a body had been discovered near the tracks, the news had reported. No identification had been made.

Pine doubted one ever would be. But at least Sung Nam Chung was certifiably dead.

She had the borrowed gear all together and had gone over her checklist, which was about eighty items long. These included good hiking shoes with support and traction soles, trekking poles, a battery-powered headlamp, a wide-brimmed hat and sunscreen, a first aid kit, salty food, a whistle and signal mirror, something to sleep in, and a lightweight tarp, plus layers of clothing. She would also be taking a refillable hydration bladder with a flow system activated by biting down on the mouthpiece. And all that would weigh less than twenty-five pounds.

And, of course, she had her twin pistols. They were additional weight, but Pine figured they might be the most important items she carried with her.

If she wanted to get back alive.

Blum, who was staying upstairs in the spare bedroom, came down and joined her on the couch. She looked over the equipment. “What route will you take down?”

“Either Bright Angel or South Kaibab — I haven’t decided yet.”

“Have you figured out the location from the latitude and longitude?”

“As close as I could. I can’t pinpoint it exactly from that.”

“Which is even more reason for you not to go alone.”

“I can’t exactly call in a regiment of FBI agents, Carol. In fact, I can’t call anybody in, considering our own government apparently is in this up to their eyeballs somehow.”

“I could—” she began.

“No, Carol, you couldn’t.”

Blum looked away. “What happened on the train,” she began.

“You saved my life. No way I’m beating that guy without you there.”

“It was only fair, since I endangered your life by letting him capture me.”

“I think you can be excused for not taking him out all by yourself.”

“At least we were able to find that little girl’s mom.”

“Yeah, she was really scared. Little kids need their parents.”

“Yes, they do,” said Blum, looking at Pine, but she kept her gaze on the floor. She cleared her throat. “If there is a nuke down there? What are you going to do?”

“Hopefully, I can find David Roth and he can help me disarm it.”

“He’s been missing for a while now. He might be dead.”

“He might be. But I still have to try.”

“You realize that there are others out there besides the late Sung Nam Chung who want to find Roth.”

“I’m aware of that, Carol.”

“And they might have come to the same conclusion as you have. That he might still be in the Canyon.”

“Which means I might have some company down there,” said Pine.