by Linda Mackay
I looked up to see Mac starring at me. I didn’t realize I had been drawing little swirls in the dirt near the fire. They looked like dozens of tiny tornados, which is exactly what my stomach felt like inside.
“Whatever science is happening around us, forget it. I need everyone to focus on our task,” Mac said. “Sometimes, you block out reality to deal with the job in front of you.”
So much for showing my brains were of value. The truth was my reality hadn’t changed much. All I wanted was to find Dad, go home, and sit in the hot tub sipping a glass of wine while picking the dog hairs out of the water. I knew Grampa was letting the dogs in the hot tub no matter what he said.
Once the dust settled from the quake and explosion the USGS would send me in to finish my research grant. For now, I was happy where I was, and even happier not to be needed helping first responders. Blood makes me want to toss my cookies. Last time I cut my finger I passed out. In my defense there was a lot of blood and my dog Nukpana ran over and started licking the blood. Still, it was not one of my finer moments.
Mac spread the topo map on the ground. “Help me out. We’re here, and need to get exactly where?”
Frank pointed to the Columbine Creek beach area.
“Can we travel off-trail to there?”
The rest of us laughed. “You are truly a novice Special Forces…I mean, sir.”
“I’ll take that as a no.”
Frank was the first to regain his composure. “Son, off-trail travel in Yellowstone is extremely dangerous. It may look easy on paper, but I guarantee there will be blow-downs and dangerous snags and the horses can’t enter those areas. There will be bogs that can swallow us, and crust we could break through and be scalded. It may be possible to use game trails, but the only way to consider going off-trail is to leave the horses. I’ll leave you before I abandon them.”
“Then we’ll continue on the trail. But, we will need to agree on the story for being here.” Mac looked straight at me. “And it does not include we’re here to find Joe.”
I flashed a snotty smirk at him. “Let’s stick with we’re on a pack trip. Simple.”
“That would be great, except we’re pretending to be tourists and don’t have a backcountry camping permit,” Todd said.
“We’ll say it blew out of my pack while I was pulling out my makeup,” Amanda smiled.
Mac folded up the map. “Frank, will we make Columbine today?”
“Hopefully.”
“It’s possible we’ll run into federal agents so let me do the talking.” Again Mac looked right at me.
“I got it.” Man, what a butt head. I wasn’t going to interrupt his show. Even a dumb geologist could figure out at this point any official-type was going to turn us around.
“Okay then, if Amanda’s ready let’s head out.”
It wasn’t long before the sky was no longer filled with light fluffy clouds. Huge black thunderheads were moving in fast from the southwest. We rode the western trail around Bridger Lake to hopefully avoid meeting rangers in the Hawk’s Rest or Thorofare patrol cabins area. At the western tip of Bridger Lake we stopped to put on rain gear and water the horses. We hadn’t ridden far when flashes lit the sky and thunder rattled our chests. It was time to find a relatively safe place to plant our butts other than sitting like lightning rods on the horses. Frank moved Junior off-trail into the trees just as a bolt splintered a tree ahead of us.
Todd jumped off his still moving horse and ran into the trees yelling, “I’m too young to die.”
Without a rider his horse took off running. Lightning continued to pop around us. Everyone made it into the trees and tried to calm the horses. We crouched low to the ground and prayed there was something more appealing to the storm Gods than our sphincters. The thunder was deafening loud, and rain dumped with a force that even through the tree canopy felt like marbles dropping on your head. The only plus to the noise was the rest of us could no longer hear Todd moaning about his looming death.
Thankfully, the storm was fast moving. I stood to comfort Arikira, took one step, slipped in the mud and landed on my ass.
“Nice form, but ugly dismount,” Amanda said. “I give it a six.”
Mac stuck his hand out to help me up. “Got any more pants, Grace?”
“Fresh out.” I took his hand, which managed to be warm and comforting even though the storm had left behind uncomfortably cold air.
“I can’t believe I’m alive.” Todd said joining us from deeper in the woods. “I felt the electricity running up my legs.”
Frank smacked him on the back of the head. “Those legs are going to be running since you let your horse escape. Now start moving and find her before I shoot you for deserting your horse. Rest of you, mount up and ride.”
“I’ll stay behind and help him find his horse,” Amanda said.
“No.” Frank’s order kicked in Amanda’s self-preservation. She stayed with the group while Todd stomped off calling his horse.
I put on my heavy coat and pulled my bandana across my mouth. What started as a warm morning for the high mountains had deteriorated to winter in July. With more dark clouds on the horizon it wouldn’t surprise me if it snowed. It also meant the odds of making Columbine Creek tonight were dropping.
“Are you worried about leaving Todd behind?” Mac asked.
“Not really. This is Frank’s way of making him pay for endangering us by losing his transportation.” I patted Arikira who was starting to twitch.
“What if he doesn’t find the horse?”
“Then he can walk back to the Hawk’s Rest cabin, plead stupidity, and wait for us there.”
“A show-no-mercy group.”
“Are you telling me at the DUI you tolerate others endangering you or your mission?”
“It’s DIA and never,” Mac smiled. “But this hardly qualifies as a highly trained organization.”
“Maybe not to your way of judging. But right now we’re in the remotest place in the lower forty-eight. This isn’t an afternoon picnic. Any dumbass move on one person’s part could get us killed. I don’t see the difference.”
“If you say so.”
“Since you’re so worried about Todd, I’ll let you in on a secret. Frank and I saw the horse standing in the trees. Not our fault he started his search in the opposite direction.”
“I hate to interrupt you two, but something’s in the sky and I don’t think it’s Superman,” Amanda pointed.
Arikira’s stomach twitched under my legs. “Back into the trees everyone.”
We found cover as the sound of rotor blades grew louder. The odd looking black helicopter flew over our hiding place and as the sound dimmed it took a dramatic turn to the east.
“Hold your positions,” Mac said.
Up the trail came a fast moving horse with Todd screaming. “Hey guys wait for me. Wow, did you see that cool helicopter?”
Frank shook his head. “You know, if that boy wasn’t such a good cook I’d leave him behind.”
“I’m all for putting a rope and muzzle on him,” Mac said.
We rode back onto the trail as Todd reached us. “What you doing riding into the trees? Thought you were trying to lose me.”
“Son, we’re trying not to give our position away to that government helicopter.” Frank turned his horse up the trail toward Mountain Creek. He was done with jacklegs.
“Yeah thanks Dr. Dork,” Amanda said.
“What’d I do?”
“What haven’t you done?” Mac had obviously reached his tipping point.
I felt a little sorry for him. “Todd, hush and ride.”
“So sorry I lost my horse, almost died, and it pissed you all off.”
“Shut-up before someone shuts you up. And don’t do anything, not even sneeze unless you have permission.” I was over it too.
I took the lead after lunch with Mac behind me. Frank chose to bring up the rear. Todd was still mad at everyone, and no one cared. The dark clouds continued to oblit
erate the sun as we neared Trappers Creek. A cold biting drizzle started and I shivered as we rounded a corner right into the path of a black wolf. I stopped and nodded my head at the wolf, hoping everyone behind me would stop and not make a sound, not even a tiny fart.
The wolf nodded, but didn’t move. I tried to communicate we were on a rescue mission and could we pass. Nothing. Not a flicker of movement and no thought of his traveled back to me. Out of the corner of my eye I saw another wolf in the trees. This one was gray with brown streaks and much smaller than the black. Behind it I saw another gray. This one took two steps towards me. I heard Stud blow his lips. That made Alfalfa, the packhorse, stomp her front hoof. I motioned with my right hand for the riders to try and still their horses.
The gray walked closer and nodded. I nodded back, tipped my head down, and dropped my left shoulder in a sign of submission. It began pacing back and forth across the trail. I heard the black in my head. Turn around many ahead.
I asked why we couldn’t travel forward. The black signaled for the other wolves to leave. He took three steps closer to me. Danger. With that thought he turned and ran into the trees.
I turned Arikira around realizing that while I was concentrating on the wolves she had been terrified and was breathing heavy and sweating. “We need to stop.”
Frank rode to the front. “What’s up Jorie?”
“I don’t really know. He said there’s many ahead and danger.”
“Any ideas Mac?” Frank asked.
“Other than that I’ve lost my mind because I’m taking advice from a woman who talks to wolves and cougars, not really.”
“It is hard for some people to accept,” Amanda said.
“I can’t believe I’m about to ask this question.” Mac rubbed his temples. “Are we sure the wolf knew exactly where we were going?”
I wanted to make him sweat, as this thought had crossed my mind. Just because I can understand some of what animals are telepathically communicating doesn’t mean we are always on the same wavelength. It’s like speaking Castilian Spanish to a person from Mexico. Not all the words are the same. My mom told me about a trip she took to Spain where she ordered “the pope” to go with her sandwich instead of fries. To her the word for fries was correct, but in Castilian Spanish it meant the Pope. The waiter was not impressed with the American or her Spanish.
Mac wasn’t wrong to question if the wolf had any idea we were following the trail versus the path he took into the trees. However, the way the black wolf was blocking the trail, and the gray was moving back and forth across it, made me think whatever was ahead was indeed in our path.
“He knew,” I said.
“Okay, let’s assume he knew. Why would he think we were in danger?”
“Obviously, they felt threatened and assumed we would be too. Believe it or not, animals warn each other of impending danger on a regular basis.”
“We aren’t exactly other animals,” Mac said. “Was the wolf warning us of others like us?”
“No!” I squeezed my legs too tight against Arikira and she snorted at me. “Just because the ‘many’ are probably people, it doesn’t make them like us. Apparently the wolves are smarter than you, because they can tell the difference between good and bad humans.”
“Chill, Jorie.” Mac looked at me like I was a little kid he was trying to calm. “You misunderstood me.”
“Don’t look at me like I’m an irrational child.” I got off Arikira before she was so upset by my adrenalin rush that she’d pitch me off.
“Oh boy, now you’ve done it,” Todd chimed in.
“Yeah, I’m outta here.” Amanda agreed as she and Todd rode toward the river, with Frank close behind.
I knew I’d hit my lunatic button, and I also knew I couldn’t stop. “I may have to yield to the USGS and Park Service but understand I have no interest in your grab for authority. I’m not some subordinate in the D.I. whatever you call it, that you boss around. I have a BS in geology, and an MS and PhD in Geophysics. I know more about this area than you could learn in three lifetimes. Before you get another wild hair to talk down to me, I suggest you find a grizzly to wrestle as you’ll definitely have more of a fighting chance with him than you do…”
He kissed me. I was so busy stomping and yelling it never registered he’d gotten off Chimayo. His right hand wrapped my arms snug against my body while his left held my head tightly to his lips. I couldn’t move if I wanted too, and I definitely didn’t want to. While his body pinned me in a fierce grip, his lips trailed soft and light over mine, sending chills to a part of my body that been dormant for too long. The fire simmering inside me was fast rising to an explosion of volcanic proportions. My arms fought to be released so I could touch him. When he lessened his hold the fire erupted and I returned his kiss with intense heat.
“It’s a little out of control, so I give it an eight,” Amanda said.
“Oh sister, I love out of control. Perfect ten,” Todd countered.
“At least get a tent.” Frank rode by us.
“Jorie, I think we need to stop.” Mac said into my mouth.
“What?” I’d heard everyone talking but couldn’t make myself stop hanging onto Mac like lint on a sweater.
“You go girlfriend!” Amanda cheered.
“Amanda you bunk with me tonight, so he can slip her the big one.” Todd continued the taunts.
I froze. Yes, I’m pretty sure I literally froze, like I’d been cryogenically preserved. Nothing was working. I couldn’t move my arms or legs, and I didn’t want to open my eyes.
“Okay Tata, show’s over. Leave them alone,” Frank said.
“Are they gone?” I asked Mac, still afraid to move.
“Don’t know, don’t care. Did you know you smell wonderful?”
“I smell like two days without a shower.” I finally opened my eyes.
“To me you smell like saddle leather and some kind of flower.”
I looked down to discover we were standing in a mass of wild lupine. “I think it’s the lupine you smell.”
Mac bent over and stuck his nose close to my armpit. “Holy crap, that’s awful.”
“Told you.” He released his hold on me and I almost fell over backwards.
“Shall we join the others?”
“Sure.” I hoped my feet would move when I told them too.
The others were standing next to a lone pine surrounded by dead snags. Frank was listening to the radio. “Looks like our four-legged informer was correct.”
“Let’s hear it,” Mac said.
“We’re close enough that I’m picking up talk from lots of radios in the immediate area, and they’re on a secure channel.”
Mac looked at Frank. “And why would you think they’re on a secure channel?”
“Let’s just say, I wasn’t on KP when I was in ‘Nam.”
“Holy hacker, Batman.” Todd chimed in. “Frank you are one bad dude.”
“It’s not exactly hacking,” Mac offered. “Sounds more like a felony.”
I took the radio from Frank and held it in front of the chatter duo.
“Oh crap!” Amanda said.
“So not funny.” Todd flipped Frank his favorite finger.
“What am I missing?” Mac asked.
I tossed him the radio.
“I still don’t get it.”
“Frank is listening to my USGS radio. It’s hooked into the park’s frequencies.”
“Why haven’t we been using this all along?” Mac was giving me the evil eye.
“I forgot I packed it,” Todd said. “Frank must’ve found it in our gear.”
Mac wrapped Todd in a bear hug. “You rock.”
“Oh my, you feel like a rock.” Todd held on and enjoyed it way too much.
Mac let him go and slapped him on the back. “You can be on my team anytime buddy.”
What’s with that? Mac wants to put a curse on me because I hadn’t ponied up the radio, but Todd gets hugs. Men are assholes. I couldn’t wo
rry about that now since I was shivering. My muddy, wet jeans made it feel like I was wearing ice bags from the waist down. If I didn’t get out of these jeans I was going to be sick by morning. “I’ve got to change my pants.”
“You want to borrow my sweatpants?” Amanda asked.
Considering we’re no more the same size than a monkey and a giraffe, I passed. I unhooked my smelly jeans from the packhorse and found the closest bush that would give me some privacy. I wrinkled my nose at the urine smell, but at least these were dry and I wouldn’t have pneumonia tomorrow. As I zipped up the jeans I looked around at the wild country I loved. The Yellowstone River flowed by on its meandering journey to the ocean, mosquitos swarmed creating a flying wall of black, and the lupine, golden asters and blue flax were coloring the ground in bold colors. The blackened forest left from fires seemed to foretell of impending doom, instead of nature regenerating. I watched a small herd of elk grazing and instead of feeling comforted by the wildness; I was bothered that these creatures’ lives moved on untouched by the devastating earthquake and death around them.
Animals were much better than most humans at compartmentalizing danger. They react when threatened, but have an amazing ability to turn the other cheek and nibble on grass. Mac said we had to stop thinking about the reality to complete our task successfully. I was beginning to understand that instead of him being heartless, he was simply facing the danger as most animals do.
We had managed to become a bad cliché. Wrong place, wrong time. Somehow the Universe decided in the middle of a mega-crisis its best hope was; a petite woman with a pink fetish and love of lipstick, a gay self-proclaimed rootin’ tootin’ cowboy volcanologist, a true bad ass old cowboy, and a screwed up geophysicist with more emotional baggage than half the heroin addicts in L.A. Just for shits and giggles the Universe throws in a government agent to really muck it up.
I want a beer and a nap. I don’t want to be part of the President dying in a disaster most experts said couldn’t happen in our lifetime. Shove this one up your ass USGS, it happened.
