Dreams of their Ancestors

The elders of the Native American tribe gathered around the newly constructed casino, marveling at its grandeur.

"It's been a long time coming," said Chief Running Elk. "But it was worth it."

"Aye, that it was," agreed Medicine Woman White Feather.

The younger members of the tribe were excited to see their dreams come to fruition, but the elders remembered the struggles of the past.

"Remember when we started this venture thirty years ago?" asked Running Elk. "There were so many obstacles in our way, but we never gave up."

"Aye, we may not have built Rome in a day, but we built this casino through hard work and determination," said White Feather.

The casino represented more than just a means of income for the tribe. It was a symbol of their resilience in the face of adversity.

"We did this for our ancestors," said Running Elk. "They dreamed of a better future for us, and we've made it happen."

"I hope that the members of this tribe never find out how we made this happen," said White Feather. She continued, "If they find out that we bribed local government officials, we could go to jail."

Running Elk's face fell at White Feather's confession. "We couldn't have built this casino without the bribes," he said. "But it goes against the very principles of our people."

"We did it for the greater good," argued White Feather. "And besides, it's too late to turn back now."

Running Elk shook his head. "We must tell the tribe the truth," he said firmly. "We cannot continue to live with this secret."

White Feather looked at him with a mix of fear and respect. "You're right," she said. "But we must find the right way to do it. We cannot risk losing everything we've worked for."

Together, they made a plan to reveal the truth to the tribe, but only after they had secured their future. It was a difficult decision to make, but they knew it was the right thing to do. The casino would remain a symbol of their hard work and determination, but it would also be a reminder of the consequences of compromising their values.

As they walked away from the casino, they both felt a weight lift off their shoulders. They were ready to face whatever came their way, knowing that they had each other's support.

Little did they know, their secret was already in danger of being exposed. A group of investigative journalists had been digging into the construction of the casino and were on the verge of publishing their findings.

With time running out, Running Elk and White Feather knew they had to act fast. They called an emergency meeting of the tribal council and prepared to tell the truth to their people.

As they approached the tribal offices for the meeting, they saw a figure on the ground outside of the entrance doors. The figure was not standing up but slouched over against the doors. It was Chief Running Elk and he was dead. White Feather gasped in shock as she approached Running Elk's lifeless body. Tears streamed down her face as she realized that their plan to reveal the truth had been cut short.

The tribal council members gathered around, their faces etched with grief and confusion. They looked to White Feather for answers, but she had none.

"I don't understand," said one of the council members. "Who could have done this?"

White Feather shook her head. "I don't know," she said. "But we can't let Running Elk's death be in vain. We must still tell the truth about the casino."

The council members nodded in agreement, but they knew it would be a difficult task without Running Elk's leadership.

As they prepared for the funeral, White Feather couldn't help but feel a sense of dread. She knew that they were running out of time to reveal the truth, and that whoever had killed Running Elk was still out there.

As she stood by Running Elk's grave, White Feather made a vow to her fallen comrade. She promised that she would bring justice to his killer and reveal the truth about the casino, no matter what the consequences.

With a heavy heart, White Feather returned to the council chamber to face the tribe. She knew that this would be the most difficult task of her life, but she was determined to see it through. A glass pitcher of water was on the podium with two dark glasses. White Feather poured a drink and drank the entire cup. She was extremely anxious and was sweating. All of a sudden, she fell down on the ground and gasped for air. The council stood in shook and horror as they could tell that White Feather was not breathing. A member of the council ran up to the podium and pronounced her dead. How could this be they all thought. Chief Running Elk and White Feather dead.

The tribe was thrown into chaos as they tried to make sense of what had happened. The atmosphere was tense, and accusations were being thrown around as they struggled to come to terms with the sudden loss of their leaders.

It wasn't long before rumors started to spread about foul play. Some whispered that the construction of the casino was to blame, while others pointed fingers at rival tribes who might have wanted to prevent the casino from succeeding.

The tribal council knew they had to act quickly to quell the unrest before it turned into violence. They met in emergency session to discuss the situation and came to the decision to hire a private investigator to look into the deaths of Running Elk and White Feather.

The investigator, Lucinda Geddis, was a seasoned professional, and she wasted no time in getting to work. She interviewed everyone who had been present at the meetings and at the casino, and she scoured the scene for any clues that might lead her to the killer.

It wasn't long before she found her first lead. A security guard at the casino had seen a suspicious figure lurking around the building on the night of Chief Running Elk's death. The guard described the figure as tall and wearing dark clothing.

Lucinda knew that this could be a crucial piece of information, and she set out to find the suspect. She combed through security footage from the casino and surrounding areas, looking for any sign of the tall figure.

Days turned into weeks, and Lucinda was beginning to lose hope. But then, she caught a break. A blurry figure matching the description of the suspect had been captured on a nearby store's security camera.

Lucinda traced the footage back to the suspect's car and was able to track them down. The suspect was a local man named Harry Bright. Harry was a small time criminal that had no connections to the tribe or the casino. From what Lucinda could tell, he had never stepped foot in the casino. This was even more confusing as she could not figure out the motive that Harry had to kill Running Elk and White Feather. Lucinda dug deeper into Harry's past and found that he had a history of violence and had been in and out of prison for most of his adult life. She suspected that he might have been hired by someone to carry out the murders.

As Lucinda tried to connect the dots, she received an anonymous phone call from a man claiming to have information about the casino and the deaths of Running Elk and White Feather. The man refused to identify himself but promised to meet Lucinda in person and reveal everything he knew.

Lucinda was cautious but also desperate for answers. She arranged to meet the man in a deserted parking lot on the outskirts of town.

When she arrived, she saw a figure standing in the shadows. It was impossible to make out his face, but she could tell that he was holding something in his hand.

"Who are you?" she asked, her hand hovering over her gun.

"I'm the one who can give you the truth," said the man, stepping forward into the light. .

As he approached, Lucinda noticed a small piece of paper in his hand. It looked like a note.

"The truth about what?" asked Lucinda, her heart pounding in her chest.

"The truth about the casino, and what really happened to Running Elk and White Feather," said the man, handing her the note. "Read this."

Lucinda took the note and read it quickly. It was a confession from someone who had been involved in the construction of the casino. They admitted to cutting corners on safety measures and using subpar building materials in order to save money. They also admitted to sending bribes to a particular government official to help approve the construction of the casino.

But the most shocking revelation was that they had hired Harry Bright to kill Running Elk and White Feather in order to prevent them from revealing the truth.

Lucinda's hands shook as she read the note. This was the evidence she had been searching for. She looked up at the man, but he had already vanished into the night. There was one name on the confession, Mike Turnoil. Mike Turnoil was a local council man who was struggling financially. He knew that if the casino was approved and he could get a piece of the revenues, he would be set for the rest of his life. All he wanted was 2% of the revenue, which doesn't seem like a lot but in the long run would have made him a millionaire over night. Lucinda knew what she had to do. She gathered all the evidence she had and presented it to the tribal council.

The council was stunned by the revelations, and they knew that they had to take action. They immediately issued a statement denouncing the casino and calling for an investigation into its construction. They also called for a special election to replace the corrupt council members and ensure that nothing like this would ever happen again.

Mike Turnoil was arrested and charged with multiple crimes, and the other corrupt council members were forced to resign. The casino was shut down, and the land was returned to the tribe.

The deaths of Running Elk and White Feather had been tragic, but their sacrifice had brought about change. The tribe was united once again, and they were determined to build a future that was based on transparency and honesty.

Lucinda felt a sense of satisfaction as she watched the new council take their seats. She knew that justice had been served, and that Running Elk and White Feather's legacy would live on. She couldn't help but feel a sense of admiration for the two fallen leaders, who had given their lives to protect their tribe and their beliefs.

As she left the council chamber, Lucinda noticed a small group of people gathered around Running Elk's grave. They were singing a traditional song, and their voices carried on the wind.

Lucinda knew that the tribe had a long road ahead of them, but she also knew that they were strong enough to overcome any obstacle. She felt honored to have been a part of their journey, and she knew that she would always carry their story with her.

As she walked away, she couldn't help but smile. She knew that Running Elk and White Feather were watching over their tribe, proud of what they had accomplished. And she knew that their legacy would live on, for generations to come.