Heart of Ice

by Barbara Pietron

  ***

  As Ice suspected, Nik wanted to pay a visit to Nesbitt's property himself.

  "I'm fairly confident I can distinguish between human and animal bones," he told Ice on their way out of town the next day.

  "So what're you going to do?" Ice asked, arms folded across his chest with his fingers curled in to keep them warm. He was less than happy to make this return visit. "Just walk out there and look behind his shed?"

  Nik gave his apprentice a sideways glance. "Basically, yes. That's what you did yesterday, right?"

  "Yeah," Ice mumbled. "But we were sneaky about it. And that side of the yard was all shaded. It's going to be pretty hard to get back there without being seen this early." It wasn't as if they'd set out at the crack of dawn, it was ten a.m.; still, the sun would be on the wrong side of the trees.

  "We're going now because you have hockey practice this afternoon," Nik reminded him. "I'm sure we'll figure something out."

  When Ice spoke to Nik the night before, he'd suggested they contact the police and report the pile of remains anonymously. If there was anything human there, it'd be on the nightly news. But Nik said that even if human remains were found, it still didn't mean Nesbitt was necessarily a Windigo. He wanted to evaluate the man himself. "It's important that we find the reason the North Wind was here," he'd told Ice. "If we can confirm this teacher is a Windigo, it will at least give us a clue to who invoked the North Wind and cursed the man." As usual, Nik's reasoning made sense, but it didn't stop Ice from waking up grumpy this morning.

  The medicine man clicked his turn signal, slowed and made an unexpected turn. Ice's eyebrows twitched upward as they pulled into the drive-through line at a coffee place. "Whatever you need to improve your mood," Nik explained.

  Ice ordered a doughnut and a large coffee, which he found did, somehow, make him feel a little more positive about their venture. That was, until they turned on the dirt road leading to Nesbitt's place, and every jolt and bump jarred his bladder.

  The cabin appeared identical to the previous day, Nesbitt's SUV parked out front, smoke drifting from the chimney. Nik rolled slowly past, getting a good look at the property. "Okay, I see the shed in the back," he commented.

  "The next place up here is where we parked."

  When Nik spied the opening, he pulled in, examined the area for signs of occupants and then turned off the truck, apparently satisfied. "I'd hoped we could cross through the woods to the back of Nesbitt's shed, but I didn't expect the houses to be so far apart. We'll have to take the road and then cut into the trees."

  "First I'm gonna visit those trees over there," Ice announced, pointing out his window.

  "Fine. I'll meet you at the road," Nik said.

  As soon as they caught sight of Nesbitt's property, Nik and Ice entered the woods. Although the sun had melted most of the roadways, snow still remained on the forest floor and they crunched their way forward, lifting their feet high to clear the small brush and pushing aside the whip-like branches of small trees.

  Occasionally they'd peer through the forest to make sure they could still glimpse the cabin off to their right. As they slogged forward, Ice was glad Nesbitt hadn't cleared his entire property and placed his shed near the waterfront, or they'd have another hundred feet or so to go. Once they'd passed the cabin, Nik veered toward the property and the shed, which became more visible as they progressed.

  Ice hung back, in no way eager to see the pile of innards and bones again. In fact, he had no intention of seeing it at all. He'd just wait while Nik inspected to his heart's content.

  Nik continued past the shed and then cut over to the back of the small structure. Ice breathed shallowly, expecting the offensive smell to waft under their noses at any minute, but so far, he detected only snow, wet dirt, and leaves. Then the medicine man turned away from the back of the shed, a perplexed look lining his face. He motioned Ice forward.

  Ice reluctantly trudged a few steps closer to his mentor.

  "This is where you saw the ribs and the hand?" Nik asked.

  Rising up on his toes, Ice peered over the medicine man's shoulder.

  And saw nothing.

  Nothing but a slight mound of fresh dirt covered in footprints.

  "He must've buried it," Ice murmured. "Crap. Now what?"

  Nik thought for a moment and then shrugged. "I'm going to go talk to him."

  Ice pictured the glimpse he'd caught of Nesbitt, brandishing the bloody knife. "I'm not sure that's a good idea, Nik."

  Nik reached into his pocket and pulled out a red plastic cylinder about four inches long. Ice recognized it before the medicine man held it up. "I've got my bear spray," Nik said.

  "How do you know it works on Windigos?" Ice challenged.

  "How do you know it doesn't?" Nik chuckled. "Look, it'll be fine. You're going to be my back up. Stay out here. Take advantage of my distracting Nesbitt and snoop around. After I leave, I'll meet you just around the bend there." He pointed to the road.

  "Okay," Ice agreed, relieved he didn't have to come in contact with the man. He knew he had no concrete reason for his feelings, but his gut told him Nesbitt was not right. "Just be careful," he said.

  "Always," Nik replied with a nod and then backtracked the way they'd come.

  Ice waited in the trees behind the shed, shifting from foot to foot as inactivity allowed his body to cool down. At least he had on boots this time. He leaned to the side periodically to examine the cabin for signs of Nesbitt or Nik. Finally he heard the rumble of the medicine man's pick-up and the crunch of snow as he pulled into the driveway behind Nesbitt's SUV.

  Ice crept to the side of the shed and listened as Nik got out of his truck and knocked on the door. The sound echoed loudly in the remote stillness. After a span of time, a second round of thumps resonated from the front of the cabin. A moment later, Ice heard Nik speaking and wondered how the medicine man would justify the visit.

  Quickly rounding to the front of the shed, Ice grasped one of the door handles and twisted, releasing the latch so the other door swung outward. Freezing for a moment to listen for voices, he confirmed the men still stood at the front door. Ice had worked the plan out as Nik worked his way back to the truck, knowing this was the only safe time to examine the inside of the shed—when he knew exactly where Nesbitt was.

  A putrid smell escaped as Ice pulled both doors open farther. He held his breath, his brain conjuring horrific images while his eyes adjusted to the dim interior. He exhaled when he made out the forms inside—hides stretched on drying racks. All of them were animals.

  Quickly, Ice closed and secured the doors. Seconds later, he made his way through the woods until he could emerge at the side of the house. Voices no longer sounded from the front door and Ice hadn't heard Nik's truck, so he assumed the medicine man was inside. He dashed to the cabin, flattened himself against the log wall, then sidestepped to the window and peeped inside to confirm Nik was there (and still alive).

  He could see the main part of the cabin, which included the dining room and kitchen. In the back, an open doorway led to another room, presumably where Ice had witnessed the butchering scene. Hunting gear was strewn about; camouflage clothes hung on chairs, loose shotgun shells and ammunition boxes sat on the coffee table, and a rifle case leaned against the open door frame.

  The medicine man stood near the kitchen table where Nesbitt approached, a pile of fur pelts over his arm. The teacher was dressed in the same sweats and flannel shirt that he'd worn the day before—the shirt still buttoned incorrectly. He moved slowly, almost as if underwater, lowering the stack of fur to the table.

  Ice heard Nik say something, but the other man had gone still, his gaze fixed on the pelts. The medicine man spoke again, although Ice noticed he made no attempt to touch the unresponsive man.

  Then Nesbitt started to shake.

  Ice stared wide-eyed and moved so he could see better, no longer worried about being spotted himself. Nesbitt began speaking. Except instead of
words, the man spouted a stream of non-stop gibberish.

  Torn between maintaining Nik's plan and rushing to his aid, Ice's knuckles turned white as he gripped the window sill. Suddenly the babble stopped. Nesbitt shook his head like a dog extracting water from its fur and then picked up the top pelt to show to Nik—as if nothing had happened.

  Ice was reluctant to leave the window, but it looked as though the man was all right for the time being—well, as all right as a crazy man could be—so he proceeded to the back of the cabin. Peering in the same window he'd only been able to glance into the day before, Ice surveyed the room.

  As he suspected, it was a utility area. Across from the table under the window, and just inside the doorway to the main room, was a rack half-full of firewood. Next to it was a tower of heavy-duty metal shelving packed with everything from dish soap to motor oil. On the far wall, coats and life jackets hung on hooks. Ice thought he spotted a rifle in the corner, behind a mass of metal frames jumbled on the floor next to boots and shoes.

  He cupped his hands around his face to block the glare and get a better look at the metal objects. Now he could see that the curved frames had jagged edges, like teeth on a jack o'lantern, as well as an attached length of chain. It was a pile of steel jaw traps. He could even make out the rust-colored stains on them that he knew were not rust, but dried blood. Ice stepped away from the window, the doughnut sitting heavy in his stomach.

  Returning to the side window, he saw that Nik stood at the front door. As Nesbitt reached to open it, Ice dashed around the back of the house and into the stand of trees opposite from the side where they'd come in. Hunkering down in the thick brush, he waited until the medicine man was safely inside his truck before starting through the woods to their rendezvous point.

  With one eye on the cabin to his right and the other searching through the trees for the road ahead, Ice paid little attention to where his feet landed. The corner of Nesbitt's cabin was still visible when his left foot sunk through the crusty snow and he heard a metallic rattle nearly simultaneous with a loud snap. Immediately his ankle was engulfed in excruciating pain.

  "Ahhhrgh," he yelled, grasping the nearest tree to keep himself upright. His first thought was that he'd been bitten by an animal, but when he looked down he wondered why he hadn't realized what happened instantly—why he hadn't been on the lookout in the first place.

  His ankle was held fast in a large leg-hold trap. He groaned as the metal teeth seemed to press deeper into his skin and grate on his bones. Ice stooped and attempted to pull the jaws of the trap open and release his foot, but was unable to get the right leverage. Teeth gritted against the pain radiating up his leg, he dug his phone from his pocket then heard the crunching sound of footsteps. "I'm here," he shouted, relieved that Nik had heard his cry.

  He waited as the footsteps drew near, calling out again.

  But the figure that emerged from the forest wasn't Nik.

  It was Nesbitt.

  And he carried an axe.

  Horror engulfed Ice and he froze momentarily, his thoughts scrambling for a means of defense. He had no weapon. No bear spray. Nothing. Then he realized he still held his phone in his hand and fumbled it in his numbed, shaking fingers.

  Nesbitt was making his way through the trees quickly. Humming.

  Ice thumbed to the contacts in his phone and found his favorites. He glanced up and realized Nesbitt's eyes glowed with an odd, yellowish hue from out of his emaciated skull. He managed to get his thumb on Nik's name before the demented man smashed into him.

  Dropping the phone to free his hands, Ice grabbed Nesbitt's arm that held the axe and shoved it away from him as he fell. Before the man could topple onto him, Ice scurried backward, yowling in pain as the trap bit harder into his ankle bone. He'd reached the end of the chain fastened to a tree and the more he jerked against it, the tighter the jaws clamped down on his leg.

  Nesbitt rose first to his knees and then to his feet, in no hurry since he knew his prey was tethered.

  Ice crawled sideways using his elbows and feet, although he realized if he wrapped the chain around the tree, it would only grow shorter. His hands clawed the ground around him, searching for a branch or stick, anything he might be able to swing at Nesbitt.

  The madman moved forward, breathing heavily and drooling. Ice found a stick and wrapped his fingers around it, yanking it from the dead foliage. He jabbed at the man as he came forward and yelled in despair as the stick snapped easily.

  A foot rammed into Ice's chest and he hit the ground hard, gasping for breath. Before he could rise to his elbows, the foot pressed down with force, pinning him. "Don't do this," Ice begged, his voice ragged. "Mr. Nesbitt!" he shouted."Please don't do this!" He hoped somewhere inside the crazed man a person still resided: a teacher, a human who wouldn't kill another human.

  Nesbitt paused for a second, his face blank, eyes distant. Then he rasped, "Hungry," and swung the axe.

  Terrified, Ice threw his arms over his head to ward off the deadly blow. He heard Nesbitt grunt, and the pressure left his chest. Ice pushed up on his hands and scrambled away instantly, wary of the next attack.

  "It's okay Ice, I knocked him out."

  Ice went limp with relief, his chest heaving to keep up with his hammering heart. "Nik," he breathed. "Oh God, thank you."

  "Thank goodness I heard you yell," the medicine man said. "What the heck happened?" As his gaze took in the scene, Ice saw understanding appear in the medicine man's eyes. "Aww no," he murmured, immediately squatting down to examine Ice's foot.

  Now that Ice was no longer fighting for his life, the throb from his ankle became forefront. He moaned. "Ugh. Can you get this thing off me?"

  "It'll be easiest if you stand up," Nik said.

  With the medicine man's help, Ice was able to get his good leg under him, brace a hand on a tree, and stand with the trap resting on the ground. Nik kneeled next to him and placed the heel of both hands on the levers on either side of the trap. Then he leaned forward and applied his body weight to compress the levers and open the steel jaws.

  Ice gasped as the pressure released and pain flooded to areas that had started to go numb. "Son of a…" He drew in a sharp breath and squeezed his eyes shut for a moment. When he opened them, the trap was no longer under his foot.

  Nik allowed the jaws of the trap to close and tossed it aside. "Can you move your foot?"

  Ice winced as his wounds protested against the movement, but his ankle seemed capable of full motion.

  "Not broken then," Nik said, standing. "Let's get you to the truck. It's not far." He got a shoulder under Ice's arm. "I'll call the police on the way to the clinic."

  Don't let yesterday use up too much of today.

  Cherokee