CHAPTER NINETEEN LINE IN THE SAND #3
Greyeagle grabbed a ten-foot section of thick steel pipe and swung it like a baseball bat.
It reverberated like the bells of Notre Dame and shattered one of the creature’s arms. Before Greyeagle could swing again, the arm regenerated in a crackle of rock.
It expanded quickly as rock from its body, and the ground flew to the wound and merged.
While it was distracted watching its arm regenerate, Greyeagle leaped into the air and slammed the pipe down on top of the creature’s head.
This time, he split it in two, shattering the rock with incredible force.
Greyeagle had to leap back to avoid being caught as the pieces merged with more rock from the ground to turn into three more of the Ma’êstse-hóhkeso.
“Stop breaking them, dumbass!” shouted Kade. “It just makes more!”
“What the hell am I supposed to do?” asked Greyeagle. “Ask it to dance?”
“Dance!” Kade called. “That’s it!”
“Have you lost what little mind you have left?” asked Greyeagle.
“No, dipshit,” said Kade, “but if we dance, they’ll know we’re Lakota.”
“Then they’ll go after the others and ignore us,” Greyeagle replied.
“I don’t think so,” Kade said. “Let’s try it.”
“Well, it couldn’t be any less effective than we’ve been so far,” Greyeagle replied. “It’s your idea, Starlord. You want to have a dance-off with the enemy? So, tell us what to do.”
“Gather everyone together,” Kade said.
Greyeagle began signaling the others to rally around them. Everyone except Mason, Kodiak, and Tashunka came racing over. They were still trying to cap the well.
“Alright, everyone, listen to Kade,” Greyeagle shouted. “He’s got an idea. It’s crazy, but it just might work.”
“What do you want us to do?” asked Sarah, nodding at Kade.
“We dance,” Kade said, grinning.
“You’re right,” Sarah said. “He’s crazy.”
“Sorry, but she’s right,” added Raven. “That does sound crazy.”
“Crazy like a fox,” Kade said. “Everyone form a line between the Ma’êstse-hóhkeso and the rig. Then, we start singing and dancing.”
“In this form?” asked Raven.
“I think it’ll be more effective than fifteen naked Indians,” Kade countered.
Greyeagle shrugged and nodded in agreement.
“Alright,” said Raven. “What are we singing?”
“I’ll start,” Kade suggested. “Just get in place as fast as you can.”
They raced off and cut the Ma’êstse-hóhkeso off before they could shred their way through the chain-link fence. Once they were in a line, Kade started smashing his fist into his chest like a drum. Greyeagle took up the rhythm, quickly followed by Mika, the Mohawk Twins, and several others.
Then, Kade began singing in Lakota. It was the warrior’s song.
The pure form, not the darkened version he’d tried at the fire.
This was the real song of the hunters, and as he began the steps, he felt more like himself than he had since he was sixteen years old.
The old feelings washed over him, and his voice grew stronger.
Soon, they were all singing and dancing together. The Ma’êstse-hóhkeso stopped and didn’t advance another step. They were either confused or intrigued by the dance. However, the longer they sang, the longer the security team had to evacuate.
Greyeagle felt the old familiar song running through him, filling him with memories from his childhood.
He remembered learning this dance from his father and mother when he was six.
When he closed his eyes, he caught the barest hint of her scent on the breeze.
He was transfixed, caught up in the song.
“We are clear!” shouted Kodiak. “The well is capped, and everyone is out of the facility!”
“You heard the man,” Kade shouted. “Time to move out of the way and let nature take its course.”
“Why can’t we just keep dancing?” asked Raven. “It seems to be working.”
“They aren’t leaving,” Kade replied. “They’re waiting. We can stall, but we can’t stop them forever.”
“But we did learn something very valuable,” Greyeagle added. “They respect our songs and people.”
“Time to go,” Kade said.
They all raced off back toward the motorcycles.
As soon as they were out of the way, the Ma’êstse-hóhkeso went to work destroying the rig and the buildings.
Only this time, no explosion and no fireball was rolling into the sky.
And more importantly, they got everyone out before the facility was destroyed.
They gathered by the bikes and shifted back, then quickly dressed in the extra clothes in their saddlebags.
“Starlord, my ass,” Kade said, fist-bumping Greyeagle.
“Well done, brother,” Greyeagle said.
“Hey, we still lost,” Kade said, frowning. “We didn’t save the rig.”
Greyeagle put his hand on Kade’s shoulder and gently turned him around to face the people who had been inside, gathered outside the perimeter.
“But you did save them,” Greyeagle said.
Greyeagle saw something change in Kade, in that moment. Tears flowed down Kade's cheeks. If anyone else noticed, they didn’t say anything. Raven just slipped her hand into his and held it quietly. Sarah slipped her arm around Greyeagle’s waist and leaned into him.
No words needed to be said. This was a win, and they all desperately needed one. Oil rigs could be replaced. People couldn’t.