Family Land Secrets chapter 21

Family Land Secrets chapter 21

"Good. Look, things are moving fast here. Jordan, I understand why you saved that woman last night, but your arrest couldn't have come at a worse time."

"I'm sorry about that," Jordan said. "It would have been okay to leave me in jail overnight."

"No, it wouldn't have. The organization has invested heavily in you and being charged with an assault would have been worse than being arrested and released." Dr. Stein sounded weary, and his voice was heavy with worry.

"It wasn't his fault!" Kaitlin argued.

"I know that. You are a good man, Jordan, but the board of directors is leaning on me heavily. I am not sure how much longer I can... Listen, you do not need the details. How did the visit with family go?" Dr. Stein asked.

Megan gave a rundown of the highlights, ending with Jordan and the two father's visit to the land.

"So, Abe and Jordan's dad saw Missy? How did you manage that?" Dr. Stein sounded even more stressed.

"I told them the truth," Jordan said.

Dr. Stein exhaled audibly. "You understand that we have to monitor your father's social media and communications now? Listen, the reason that I called is that Jane is ready for transportation from the hospital to home."

"You did the amniocentesis?" Jordan asked. "I thought it was too early."

"Normally, yes." Dr. Stein's voice dropped to a whisper. "It wasn't my choice, Jordan; the board overrode me."

There was silence between the two parties for a long moment. Dr. Stein was the first to speak. "They're questioning every decision I make. I told you before I am under the microscope at the moment.

"I'm authorizing the transfer of Jane and the juvenile male back to your land tomorrow. Can the three of you be there to accept them?"

"Jordan and Kaitlin will be there," Megan promised. "I have rounds with the OB nurses."

"Of course, thank you. And please promise me the three of you will stay out of trouble?" Dr. Stein pleaded.

"We'll have a quiet night in, and then get the horses in the morning and spend the week at the mine," Kaitlin assured him.

"And I have a full week of learning," Megan replied.

"Thank you. Goodnight." Dr. Stein said, and they hung up.

Jordan rose early the next morning to make Megan breakfast before she left for the hospital. Kaitlin was still asleep, so he kissed Megan goodbye and retrieved the horses.

When he got back, Megan was still there, a worried look on her face. "They canceled today's lesson on me." She said sadly.

"Why?" Jordan asked. The conversation with Dr. Stein last night had left him unsettled, as though their support within the BFRO was coming undone.

"No explanation, just a phone call telling me not to come in," Megan said.

Kaitlin heard the conversation and came out of the bedroom to join them, grabbing a plate of pancakes on her way to the couch.

"Do you think the classes will be rescheduled?" Jordan asked.

Megan looked between her two lovers. "I'm really worried. Jim has been overworked lately, but there is something more going on at the BFRO. If they are losing confidence in us, in Jim, canceling my classes would be one of the first signs of that."

"How is the organization set up?" Kaitlin asked.

"I don't know much more than you," Megan answered. "Jim Stein is the director of the organization, but all major decisions have to be approved by a board of directors. I have met them all once. Mostly political appointees, but a few Ph.D. types as well."

Jordan nodded. "I got the horses outside. If you do not have plans, do you want to come with us today?"

Megan nodded. "I need something to take my mind off this. Getting to see Jane awake and meet this new Juvenile would help."

The horses were saddled, and they were on the trail by eleven. The conversation on the drive had been lighter, about family and how well the visit had gone. Even Megan was laughing about how Ms. White had subtly been prodding both women for grandchildren.

Kaitlin seemed a different woman to Jordan now that the visit was over. She was more confident and happier. She challenged him to another race, leaving Megan far behind. Kaitlin breezed down the trail, across streams, between trees and up hills. Brutus was fast, but not as agile as Kaitlin's horse through the dense woods and rough terrain.

The mountain valley was as they had left it, beautiful and peaceful. Kaitlin spotted the Bigfoot first as they passed through the first meadow. They quickly recognized the two riders and came to run alongside Kaitlin and Jordan. Megan appeared shortly through the woods, pushing her own horse at a fast pace. Kaitlin gave a whistle that sounded like a bigfoot call and took off riding along the stream.

Jordan stopped, watching her red hair flying wild in the wind as she raced Ginger and Wilma up the mountainside. Missy stopped when Jordan did and watched him for a long moment as he climbed out of the saddle and led Brutus to the pond to drink.

'Baby.' Missy signed at Jordan.

"Baby?" Jordan asked aloud repeating the sign back to her. "Jane? Baby?" He asked her aloud, remembering Megan's conversation with her. Megan was smiling big, knowing that Jane was coming home.

As though on cue, Jordan heard a helicopter in the distance. 'Baby.' He signed back to her.

Jordan pulled Brutus back from his drink and climbed into the saddle. They rode to the meadow that they had used in the past as a landing zone for the helicopter.

Kaitlin was waiting in the meadow, still mounted, though her Bigfoot shadows were out of sight. Jordan searched and found Ginger behind a pine tree at the edge of the meadow. Missy followed the horses right out into the sun in the middle of the clearing, but as soon as the helicopter appeared, she lost her nerve and ran for the tree line.

Jordan had expected a National Guard helicopter but instead saw a blue civilian helicopter clear the tops of the trees and hover over the clearing. It gently touched down and Jordan could hear the engine shut off as the helicopter pilot stepped out. She removed her headphones and slid the passenger door open. Inside, Jordan could see the bodies of Jane and the little male and the IV drip bags on poles above them. The pilot worked quickly, removing the needles, and unstrapping the furry bodies from the gurneys.

"I wasn't expecting a civilian helicopter pilot," Jordan admitted as he approached to take Jane's body.

"And you didn't get one." The woman responded. "This is my third trip here. I was flying the Lakota medical chopper when you asked to accompany her to Denver..." the woman nodded to Jane. "...and when you gave blood to the pilot... that was me. I'm a pilot with the Colorado National Guard."

Jordan looked at her again. She was petite, and he guessed half-Asian. She was wearing jeans and a t-shirt, and nothing about her suggested military. "Then what's with the blue civilian helicopter?" He asked.

"It's my payment." She said with a smile. "I'm also going to be your self-defense teacher." She held out her hand. "I'm Joy."

To be continued