"It occurs to me, I should have asked to see your ID. But I'm pretty good at figuring out who's trying to con me and who isn't. It's way too late to question your story now." I continued to enjoy the top notch quality of the pasta as I waited for him to answer.

"I set myself up with the biggest mistake of my life if you weren't an investigator of some sort. We have a date with justice, and steps to take to get it done." Chayton's mouth drew a firm line above his strong chin.

"This little hooghan was my grandmother's. You're right about it being on the original Navajo land. It faces east to great the rising sun. I had a few things added to it though. I'm sure you noticed." I continued stuffing food into my mouth as we talked.

"Hmmm, yes you did a clever job disguising your cell booster, antenna, and adding the mini wind turbine for power distracted from the rest. Rooting the orientation of your door to the sun and the construction in tribal tradition is respect to our ancestors. Was she a healer?" His appetite was equal to mine, and he helped himself to another plate full.

"She knew all the legends, the history of our people. She taught me the herbal lore. Her father was a medicine man and broke all the rules by teaching her his craft. Good thing too, much of it died with him as we adopted the medicine of the white man. Did you know of her?" I twisted a tendril of hair around my finger. A habit my mother never broke me of, it gave away my daydreams. The nuns at school scared me more than once, slamming a ruler down on my desk to get my attention.

"I heard many a tale growing up. I need to use your tech to get hold of my boss. My cover almost went up in smoke the other day. I slipped up and got caught in the office. I did manage to transfer key files out to DHS. Proof of who the girls are. They're syphoning money out of social services. Don't get me going on the levels of corruption on that ranch. But it was a close thing. Deringer Whitcomb isn't as predictable or lazy as I thought."

"What the effing hell? Social services knows where they are, and hasn't done thing one about it? This goes deeper than anyone guessed. Do you remember any names?"

"I have them memorized. What is your sister's name? I assume that's what you want to know." He reached across the table to stop my drumming fingers.

"Malia Klah. She was the eye of the storm in our home. Calm, the great granddaughter of a medicine man. She had other names as well, but those were on her official birth certificate."

"She's on the list. I'm sorry." He squeezed my hand as he spoke. "She's alive too. I found their prison. Only eight of your twenty are alive."

I bit my cheek. Anything, not to let myself break down and show any weakness. The red tapes were explicit allowing no confusion as to the method of death for many of them. Snuff films went down with the same precise formula as the other illegal content.

"How are we going to rescue them, and get Deringer for this?""I need to get the GPS coordinates out to my office. Let them and Land Services coordinate the take down. This pocket of filth has to end now. I can't live with this double life anymore. I feel like I'm helping to extend their hold on the reserve with every milestone they achieve."

I brought my other hand over the top of his. Sympathy is easy to share when you find yourself in complete agreement. Hard experiences leave deep scars. I wanted to run more than once too.

"I want to donate most of my salary from this job to the healing center."

I nodded. "I'm in the same boat. I'm pretty much expense free out here, and I feel like I have to do something to help the survivors." I shook my head trying to clear my thoughts. "So, how soon can they get the raid organized?" "

"We have a narrow window of opportunity. They are filming again this weekend. The men of the Whitcomb family take parts in every one of the tapes they make. It's a perverted celebration. The last one they will ever have." Chayton stood as he spoke. "Great meal, by the way. But now we need to get to work."

"Is Whitcomb going to miss you?"

"I don't know. I have to head back in a couple of hours. I usually ride patrol on the fence lines this time every week. My horse is in one of the caves only natives know how to find."

I nodded. "Good thing. Let's get to it."