Chapter 24: Snoqualmie

The next morning, Ed awoke. He rose, showered, and headed for the family room. He was getting too comfortable here.

Ed arrived in the family room.

“Good morning, Ed,” said Ellen.

Ed fetched himself a coffee and sat down next to Ellen.

“I heard from my attorney. They should release Billy from prison today.”

“That’s good news. I’ll tell Conner when I see him next.”

Ed sipped his coffee.

“Billy can also expect some compensation for the wrongful conviction.”

“That should help him get his life started again.”

“Agreed. What are your plans for today?”

“I thought I should return to work.”

“Oh. And you’ll be moving back to your apartment?”

“I was thinking so. The Russians are no longer a threat,” said Ed.

“Of course.”

Ellen picked up her phone. Shortly after, she put it down again.

“Your car will be out front. Do you need help to move your belongings?”

“Oh, no. I can manage,”

Ed wasn’t sure what happened, but his time at the mansion had ended. He picked up his laptop and returned to his room. He packed his belongings and took them down to the entrance hall.

Just then, his phone rang. He put his bag down and answered the phone.

“Hello?”

“Ed, this is officer Ouray. I need your help.”

“How can I help you?”

“We’ve got a missing two-year-old child, in the wild, near Snoqualmie. I thought you could help find her.”

“Sure. I need to gather some friends. Where can I meet you?”

“I’m going to be at the Snoqualmie reservation off of I90. It’ll take you a couple of hours to get here. See you later, but understand this is urgent.”

“I’m on my way.”

Ed closed the call and hurried to the family room.

Ellen sat on the sofa, clutching a box of tissues.

“Hey, are you okay?” he asked.

She sniffed and put down the tissues. “Sure. Just allergies. What’s up?”

“I just got a call. Someone needs our help, so work will have to wait. I can share the details with you as we drive.”

“We’re on the case! Woohoo! Let me make a call.”

Ellen picked up her phone. “Ed and I are going out.”

She ended the call.

“Okay, let’s go.”

They walked out the front entrance as the SUV pulled up behind Ed’s car.

As they drove out of the mansion, Ed filled Ellen in on the mission.

“So it’s a lost girl?”

“Yes. Here, please take my phone and call Washta.”

Ellen did so. She put it on speaker.

“Hello?”

“Washta, this is Ed. Is Absaroke around? I need his help urgently.”

“Hold on.”

Ed glanced at Ellen. She shrugged.

A moment later, she heard a squawking noise. Ed could understand it, though.

“Ed, what can I do for you?”

“Absaroke, we got a lost girl, near Snoqualmie. I need you to join the search party,” said Ed. Ellen couldn’t understand his crow language.

“Sure. I can search from the air. Can I get a ride out there?”

“I’m driving to your place now. See you soon.”

“Ellen, please hang up the phone,” said Ed. She did so.

“We’re on our way to Washta’s to pick up Absaroke,” said Ed.

“Oh, okay. And he’s going to help search?”

“You got it. He can search from the air.”

Shortly, they pulled up outside Washta’s home. The SUV parked behind them. Ed got out and opened Ellen’s door for her.

“Please, inform your security detail. Our next stop is Snoqualmie. I’ll go fetch Absaroke.”

“Sure.”

Ellen walked over to the SUV while Ed approached the house. Ed stopped when Absaroke flew down from the roof and perched on his shoulder.

“Ed, please open the rear passenger door and step back,” he said.

No sooner had he done this than a bald eagle dive bombed the car, leveled out and landed perfectly on the back seat.

“A friend of yours?” asked Ed.

“Yes. You should be able to communicate with him. His name is Waŋblí.”

“Okay. Please get in. We must hurry.”

Absaroke flew into the back seat. Ellen returned, amused to see two birds in the back seat.

Ed and Ellen got in the car. Ed drove off, careful not to upset the bird of prey in the seat behind him. The SUV followed.

Ed tried to speak eagle, “Waŋblí, thank you for helping us.”

“You’re welcome. Absaroke said it was important. There’s a lost hatchling.”

“Yes. I’m unsure how long she’s been in the wild, so I’m in a hurry.”

“I know the area around Snoqualmie well. Lots of places to get lost.”

The screeching amazed Ellen, and Ed was talking with an eagle while driving!

“Ellen, welcome to our search party!” said Ed.

“I’m impressed.”

“We’ve a long drive to the Snoqualmie reservation.”

“Okay.”

About two hours later, they pulled into the Snoqualmie reservation.

Ed stopped his car and a native American person approached him. He looked at the two birds on the back seat.

“Hello, I’m looking for officer Ouray,” said Ed.

“Are you the medicine man?” he asked.

“Yes.”

“I’m sorry, I didn’t expect a white medicine man. He’s over there in the main building. You can park out front.”

“Thanks.”

Ed drove on and parked outside the main building. He got out and opened the doors for both Ellen and the birds. Waŋblí and Absaroke flew out and perched on the roof of a nearby building.

Officer Ouray stepped out. “Hello, Ed. Glad you could make it.”

“I need to know where to search. I brought a crow and an eagle. We must explain it to them, so it would be good if you can bring a map outside and show me on the map where to look.”

“Of course.” He went back inside and returned with a map. They spread it on the front of his car.

Ed gestured to the two birds, who flew back and landed on the car roof.

“Go ahead, Ed,” said Absaroke.

“This is our location. The child was last seen just North of here. There’s a search party looking in this area.” Officer Ouray pointed out on the map.

“Did you get that?” Ed asked the crow.

“Yes. We’ll fly from here. Meet us at the last reported position.”

The two birds took off and flew North.

“They said to meet them at the last reported position,” said Ed.

“You can follow my vehicle,” said Ouray.

“Will do.”

Soon, three vehicles left the reserve and headed North.

Absaroke and Waŋblí flew North. It didn’t take long to reach the last known location. Waŋblí the eagle flew higher, but he kept Absaroke within sight.

They flew past the search party, who were on foot.

Later, they flew through a valley a distance further on. Absaroke saw a bear peering out of a cave mouth.

“That bear looks familiar,” said Absaroke. He descended to inspect closer.

The bear gestured with its front paws in a very un-bear like fashion.

Absaroke squawked at Waŋblí and descended further. He landed and perched on a bush near the cave entrance. The eagle circled around high in the air.

“Did you lose a baby girl?” asked Mohe, the bear.

“Yes.”

“She’s lucky I found her. I have her inside the cave.”

“Hold on and I’ll send word to Ed. He can come fetch her. Thank you for taking care of her.”

“I couldn’t let the other animals eat her. I’m already reborn as a bear, so I don’t need any bad karma.”

Absaroke took off and flew up towards Waŋblí, squawking.

When the eagle descended and approached Absaroke, he explained things.

“I need you to fetch Ed. The child is inside that cave. The bear is a friendly.”

Waŋblí didn’t reply, but took off South. It was impossible for a crow to fly that fast.

Absaroke descended and returned to perch on the bush near the cave entrance.

“Waŋblí has gone to fetch Ed.”

“Good. She needs a diaper change,” said Mohe with disgust.

About an hour later, Ed, Ellen, and officer Ouray stood waiting near their vehicles.

“I bet her mother is distraught,” said Ellen.

“No doubt,” said Ouray.

Ed saw a speck in the sky.

“Excuse me, officer. Is that coming this way?” Ed pointed at the speck.

Ouray fetched his binoculars and looked up at the speck. “It’s an eagle flying towards us.”

“That’s Waŋblí.”

They waited. Eventually, the eagle landed near Ed.