Page 349 of Chaos has a Name
When in doubt, bust a Marine back.
That was their love language.
Heading into the cabin, Elizabeth had been right. At the counter, Wyler was sitting there having some coffee. He looked downright miserable too.
When they came in, he looked over.
“Couldn’t sleep?” she asked.
He shook his head.
“I can go back up if you both need to work in here,” he offered, going to get up.
She stopped him.
“Sit, Dad. You can help us work it out. We’re just trying to figure out our game plan when the sun is up. I’m not upset with you,” she said, giving him a kiss.
Callen didn’t want to make his father miserable. While he was annoyed with the runaway Wyler routine, the man still was their father.
And he’d forgiven him.
“I’m not angry either, Dad. I get it. When people get scared, they make questionable choices. When I saw the man who assaulted me, I left Elizabeth and drove home to escape. Fight or flight is legit.”
His father closed his eyes.
“Thank you, Callen James.”
The two of them sat at the island and joined Wyler to talk. She needed to start digging into this. That began with the men who could be behind this.
“You’re familiar with the oldest men on this reservation, aren’t you?” she asked.
He nodded, reaching into the cabinet for a tin of cookies. He’d made them two days ago, planning to eat them during his pity party. Much like Callen, he liked to eat his problems away.
Unsuccessfully.
“Yeah, I am. There are not many. Most of the eldest Natives here are women. They just live longer.”
She was curious.
“Who are they?” she asked.
“Lance Running Wolf is older than me. Then, there was Elkie’s husband, Joshua. He was theOLDESTof them all. He passed at Christmas,” he admitted.
Elizabeth still had Ethan’s phone, and she was making notes back in her drive.
“Does she have children?”
He nodded.
“Yeah, she does. They are in their sixties like me. She had them young.”
Well, the woman was eighty, so twenty wasn’t that young.
“What are their names?”
He thought about it.
“Roland and Paditi. They work at the bar. Have for as long as I can remember. Roland now owns it, and Paditi is the bartender.”
