The Legend Of Charlie Condor

By Kendall Graham Fox

Legend has it that an Indian Chief named White Cloud died 150 years ago and his spirit was reincarnated in the form of a California Condor. When a twelve-yer-old boy tried to save the life of a newborn baby antilope he came face-to-face with this condor. Agains all odds, the three of them formed a beautiful and lasting relationship.

• Language: English
• Publisher: Kendall Graham Fox
• Release date: May 6, 2021
• ISBN: 9798201053802

Book preview

Other novels by Kendall Graham Fox

THE SECOND COMING...The Final Conflict. Rated R

BETRAYAL. A NOT SO... LOVE STORY... Rated R

FOR THE LOVE OF BOO... Rated PG-13

A PRELUDE TO VIOLENCE... Rated R

SOUND SHADOWS... Rated G

RAVEN’S FLIGHT... Rated G

THE QUEEN B.... Rated R

Cover art by Ken Greene

Copyright Registration Number TXu 1-690-664

© 2018  Rocky Mountain Publications LLC

ACKNOWLEDGMENT

To Janelle Kauffman, John Bagwill and Sue Sikorski: I thank them for sharing their vast knowledge of the English language and for being my friends.

K. G. Fox

In loving memory of John Bagwill

DEDICATION

There’s something magical that happens when a human bonds with an animal.

I dedicate this novel to those of you who’ve had a loving relationship with an animal. Whether the animal was common or uncommon, tame or wild, four-legged or winged, you were blessed to have shared the kind of love that only they can bring.

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K. G Fox

INTRODUCTION

Some of the Native American Indian tribes of the California high desert believed that Charlie Condor was the reincarnated spirit of an Indian Chief who died 150 years ago.

A chance encounter with this animal would forever change the life of a young boy.

Twelve-year-old Johnny Powers and his family had recently moved from an East Los Angeles neighborhood and relocated to a ranching com-munity in the California high desert.

His overzealous grandfather tried teaching him The ways of the desert, but the lessons that Johnny learned when he came face to face with Charlie Condor weren’t a part of Grandpa’s plan.

He took Johnny into the desert wilderness on his twelfth birthday to show him that God has a perfect plan for keeping everything in balance. But when Johnny tried rescuing a newborn baby antelope from a dozen or more hungry vultures he learned that not everything was in perfect balance as he was told.

The legend continues.

PROLOGUE

The Lucerne Valley, located in the eastern portion of California’s high desert region of the Mojave Desert known as the Yucca Valley, is home to multiple cultures and traditions.

More than a half dozen Native American Indian tribes live in an area consisting of rolling hills and deep valleys covered with lush native grasslands, hay and alfalfa.

In less than an hour’s drive in any direction the surrounding topography becomes as diverse as the people who live there. Barstow, Victorville, Apple Valley and Big Bear Lake converge at the hub of the unincorporated village of Lucerne.

The ranch depicted in this story is located at a crossroad between paradise and desolation.

Contents

1      The Birthday     .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .7

2      Vultures    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .    . 15

3  The Long Ride Home  .  .  .  .  .   . 23

4      The Plan    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 32

5   The Way Back  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 38

6    Coyotes  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  41

7    Close Encounter  .  .  .  .  .  .  .    .  45

8     Boo    .  .  .  .  .  .    .  .  .  .  .  .  55

9    The Rescue .  .  .  .   .  .  .  .  .  .  61

10   Charlie Condor  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 66

11  The Promise  .  .  .   .  .  .  .  .  .  74

12   Abandoned   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  78

13  Mysterious Ways  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 87

14  Best Friends  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  . 90

15     A New Home  .    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  100

16  Pay The Piper   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  108

17    Manson   .  .  .    .  .  .  .  .  .  .   114

18   Bewilderment  .  .   .  .  .  .  .    .    119

19   Tracks    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   .  124

* 3 *

20   Hateful Nature    .  .  .  .  .  .   .133

21   The Worst Day    .  .  .  .  .  .   .135

22   The Smell of Death  .  .  .  .  .  .140

23  Big Guns  .  .  .   .  .  .  .  .  .  .149

24  Secret Recipe    .  .  .  .  .  .   .  .154

25  Exposed   .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .166

26  White Cloud      .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .175

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27  The Legend  .  .  .   .  .  .  .  .   188

28    The Last Straw    .  .  .  .  .    .  . 197

29   Abducted    .  .  .  .  .  .  .  .   .206

30   The Heart’s Eye     .  .  .  .  .  .    216

31    The Truth Revealed   .  .  .  .  .   .219

32  Double Standards  .  .  .  .  .   .230

* 4 *

CALIFORNIA CONDOR

The California condor is the largest of North American birds. They can attain weight in excess of 30 pounds and have a wingspan of almost 10 feet and a body length of 5 feet.

Carcasses of animals such as cattle, coyotes, and horses are their primary food source, but they have been known to prey on live animals such a lizards, rabbits and newborn antelopes.

A study done in February of 2016 indicated that only 348 California condors are known to be in existence.

They are the only American birds of prey capable of tearing through the hide of a cow or horse. Their razor-sharp beaks and long talons make them experts in devouring carrion.

They have been clocked at speeds in excess of 55 mph at an altitude of 15,000 feet, but are mostly known for their soaring capability. It’s not uncommon for a condor to fly 150 miles in a single day searching for food.

They are an endangered species.

* 5 *

This novel is rate PG-13 by the author.

THE BIRTHDAY

Chapter 1

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Charlie Condor was a strange old bird... always strutting around, flapping his enormous wings and making a God-awful screeching sound as if he were in charge of everything. It didn’t seem to matter if he had a reason to be mean, he just was.

I first met Charlie Condor when I was 12 years old. My mother, sister, two brothers and I drove to my grandparents’ ranch in the California high desert to celebrate my birthday.

Mom and my sister, Janet, were in the kitchen with Grandma Moore baking my favorite birthday cake and my brothers, Sonny and Charlie, were outside with Grandpa Moore shooting at the tin cans that he set on the horse fence near the barn.

I was too young to shoot a gun and too old to be underfoot in the kitchen. It was my birthday, yet everyone treated me as if I wasn’t even there.

Some birthday, I thought.

My grandparents didn’t own a television or a computer, so there wasn’t any sense in asking if they had any video games. They were old and thought television was a bad thing. It’s a commie plot against morality as Grandpa had once put it.

Mom came into the living room and handed me a stack of boring magazines full of recipes and pictures of flowers and told me to read them, so I

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Kendall Graham Fox

would keep out of trouble.

She patted me on the head and said, Sit on the floor and read these magazines while your sister and I make you a surprise.

She meant well, but she was old too.

I paged through the first half of one of the magazines, then grumbled to myself. Yeah right! Sit on the floor like a good little doggie and read magazines that Janet wouldn’t be caught dead reading. She liked junky movie star magazines with lots of pictures of people she had never met.

It wasn’t long before I was bored to tears. I picked up the magazines and laid them on the coffee table.

The sound of gunfire outside got my attention. I went over to the bay window that faced the barn and looked out. Grandpa was holding his favorite pearl-handled pistol and was waiting for his turn to shoot.

My oldest brother, Sonny, fired his .22 pistol at the tin cans that Grandpa set on the horse fence while my other brother, Charlie, stood there criti-cizing everything he did. When Sonny was out of bullets Grandpa took the pistol away from him.

Sonny stood there with a bewildered look on his face trying to figure out why he did that.

I couldn’t believe what Grandpa did next. He handed his .357 pistol to Sonny and pointed at the six tin cans still remaining on the horse fence.

He wasn’t eager to handle such a powerful gun. It was twice the size of the pistol he was used to.

* 8 *

THE BIRTHDAY

Grandpa smiled and patted him on his back, then said something. All of the windows in the house were closed, so I couldn’t hear what he was saying, but whatever it was it worked.

Sonny raised the pistol and fired his first shot, but didn’t hit any of the tin cans. He fired again and again until all six bullets were used up, but he didn’t even hit one tin can.

My brother, Charlie, started laughing hyster-ically. He thought he was better than everyone, but the truth was he was nothing but a jerk.

Grandpa didn’t say a word. He took the gun from Sonny, reloaded it and handed it to Charlie. No sooner was it in his hand when six shots rang out in quick succession. Five tin cans flew high into the air and landed at least ten feet away.

Wow! I muttered. I had never seen anyone shoot like that. Not even Grandpa could shoot that good.

I watched Charlie as he walked over to the horse fence and looked at the remaining tin can still sitting there. He didn’t seem pleased with the results and with one swift blow of his hand the can flew off the fence and landed on the ground.

Sonny started laughing and said something to him.

Charlie threw Grandpa’s pistol down in the dirt and doubled up his fists.

I got really scared.

Grandpa grabbed Charlie by the back of his neck, but he quickly broke loose.

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Kendall Graham Fox

Charlie turned to Sonny and pushed him so hard that he landed on his butt. I thought for sure that Charlie was dead meat. He was tough, but Grandpa was the toughest man I had ever known.

Much to my surprise Grandpa reached down and picked up his gun, then walked to the house without saying another word.

I didn’t want him to know I saw what happened, so I hurried over to the recliner chair in front of the fireplace and sat down.

Just as the door opened I remembered this was Grandpa’s favorite chair and not even Grandma was allowed to sit in it. I slithered down onto the bearskin rug on the floor, then scooted over to the fireplace and leaned against the hearth.

Hi Grandpa, I said nonchalantly, hoping he hadn’t seen me sitting in his chair.

He didn’t respond to my greeting. He walked over and sat down in his recliner chair and began staring into the fireplace.

After a few minutes I asked, What are you looking at, Grandpa?  There’s no fire in there.

He turned his head slowly toward me, then stood up and said in a gruff voice, Today you are 12 years old. You’re a good kid, but I don’t want to make the same mistake with you that I made with Charlie.

He had never talked to me in that tone of voice and it made me nervous. He stormed out of the room and went into the kitchen. Mom stopped what she was doing when he started grumbling

* 10 *

THE BIRTHDAY

about Charlie. She said something, but it wasn’t loud enough for me to hear.

A few minutes later, he came back into the living room and stopped in front of me.

Let’s go, boy, he said almost in a snarl.

I was afraid to get up. I had never seen him so angry.

My voice broke when I asked, Where are we going, Grandpa?

He bent down beside his recliner, opened a drawer in the end table next to it, then took out two boxes of bullets and put them in the left pocket of the brown leather bomber jacket he was wearing. When he headed to the front door I noticed the pearl handle of his .357 pistol sticking out of his jacket pocket.

I was afraid of guns... especially that gun.

He stopped next to the front door and took a baseball cap off the coat rack that looked like a dog had chewed on it, then put it on his head and asked, You comin,’ boy?

I turned quickly and looked toward the kitchen as if to say Help!

Mom was standing in the doorway wiping her hands on the pink apron that Janet gave her last Christmas.

She smiled and said, It’s okay, Johnny! Go with your grandfather. He has a surprise for you.

She gave me a reassuring smile and without saying anything else she went back into the kit-chen.

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Kendall Graham Fox

Grandpa grumbled, Close the door behind you, as he stepped outside and headed toward the barn.

I waited a moment, then grabbed my jacket and ran after him. When I came running around the corner of the barn Charlie jumped out from behind a pile of lumber and grabbed me by the back of my neck.

"Owww! You’re hurting me! I yelled, hoping Grandpa would hear me.

Shut up, punk! Where do you think you’re going in such a hurry?

Grandpa wants me to go with him.

I tried breaking loose, but he squeezed my neck tighter and asked, Where?

When I told him I didn’t know he smacked the back of my head and said, If you don’t tell me where you’re going I’m going to kick your skinny little butt.

I yelled really loud this time. Mom told me it’s a surprise, but she didn’t say where he wants to take me.

He let go of me, then tripped me when I tried to run away. I got back on my feet, but was afraid to move because he was staring at me with a Cheshire cat grin on his face. I didn’t trust him. I waited to see what he was going to do next.

Johnny! Grandpa’s deep voice called from inside the barn.

Charlie ran toward the open barn doors.

Hey, Grandpa! Where are you going? Charlie

* 12 *

THE BIRTHDAY

asked in a sugary sweet voice.

Grandpa climbed in the Jeep and started the engine without answering.

When I came toward the Jeep Charlie stepped in front of me and made me stop.

Grandpa grumbled, Don’t test me, boy.

Charlie stepped aside and let me pass.

No sooner had I sat down in the passenger seat when he