Free Hiding Tom Hawk by Robert Neil Baker Page A

casino.”
    “You didn’t!”
    “You know how nervous those guys always make me. You’ve been telling me all the time how great they will make out on your casino if they let you put it up out there. I forgot they don’t know anything about it yet. They got real mad about you not telling them what you were doing. When they went to get the Chief, I bugged out.” Robert mopped his brow with a frayed handkerchief.
    “Geez, Robert; that only made things worse.”
    Gary told Tom, “They’ll thank me later. I’m planning a nice upscale casino with a restaurant, maybe a motel in a couple years.”
    “Aren’t gambling casinos against the law in Michigan?” Tom questioned.
    “They have been, but now they’re going to be legal on tribal lands. Isn’t it cool? This is the biggest money deal since the Beatles. We can…”
    Gary was interrupted by a thunderous pounding on the front door. Robert whispered, “I think the tribal elders are here.”
    Tom stepped out to the store aisle and Gary followed. Three large and fit-looking brown-skinned men had their faces pressed near the front window glass of the store. They didn’t look very elderly to Tom. The one in the Purdue t-shirt looked more like a vicious drill inspector he would go to his grave hating.
    “Those guys?” he asked Gary.
    “Yup, it’s the elders.”
    Robert called from the back, “For Pete’s sake, hide me, Gary.”
    “Hide yourself. Let me think.”
    “You want me to go with you and talk to them, see what they want?” suggested Tom.
    Gary shook his head. “I don’t think so. We can’t out-muscle them. Any fool can see you’re all but crippled by that hurt back, so that glorious Marine physique of yours won’t slow them down. Plus I don’t want them to meet you yet, Tomahawk, and certainly not while they’re in a snit. I’ll go and reason with them.”
    Robert cried, “No, Gary, they’re pissed. Let’s go out the back. I didn’t sign up to hold off Indian attacks.”
    There was a sound of shattering glass and, shortly after, a door opening. Gary admitted, “They are a bit testy. You two stay here out of sight and I’ll go straighten this out.” He headed to the front of the building, saying loudly, “Hi there, guys, what’s wrong? Is my door sticking shut again?”
    A voice barked, “Gary, how long have you known about this special gambling casino deal? How long have you been holding out on us?”
    “Oh come on, boys, I’d never hold out. I’ve got a presentation all but ready to bring to the council. You know how confused Robert gets. I can explain everything.”
    “You damn bet you will. You’re coming with us to make a real good explanation this time. Get in the car. The Chief is waiting.”
    “Hey, guys, let’s not go off half-cocked. We can talk here. I’ve got some single malt stashed in the back.”
    “No firewater today, white man. Get in our car and watch your head on the roof.”
    Tom and Robert heard the opening and slamming of four car doors. Tom got to the front of the store in time to see an old cream-colored Lincoln sedan speeding away from the curb.
    Tom took Robert by the shoulders. “Those fellows were really worked up. We’d better follow them. You know where to go, right?”
    “No, leave it be. We’d just make it worse.”
    “What if they hurt him?”
    “Probably they won’t—much.”
    “You thought they were going to hurt you.”
    “They’ve got something special against me, the jerks. Gary is much better at these situations.”
    “Robert, we work for the man and he was just dragged off by three royally ticked-off guys. You’re sure he’ll be safe?”
    “Absolutely, this sort of thing happens to him a lot. If they planned anything violent, they would have done it here in the store. At worst, they’ll bust a finger or two.”
    “And you’re good with that?”
    An uncharacteristic slyness twinkled in Robert’s eyes and just as quickly disappeared. “Okay, look, Tom, I’ll go out there