As the sun waned, he realized that he would transform into the werewolf no matter what he did. There was only one thing for him to do, and that was to lock up the beast so that he could do no harm. In the morning, he would run.
Jeremiah stood on the platform and removed the rest of his clothes, oblivious to the cold. The transformation was coming, and soon. He no longer felt the ice and snow and instead felt the nearly unbearable heat as his body tried to resist the coming change. He shackled his legs, closing the locking pins, and then looped his arms through two large, permanently sealed metal rings, then slipped each wrist into the specially-made shackles. He looped the heavy chain down through large eyelets on the bottom of the shackles, evened the chains out, the same way a child might ensure their shoe strings were both of equal length before tying the knot. He brought his shackled and chained hands together and steadied himself long enough to slip the six-inch wide combination chain lock over the excess lengths of chain, maneuvering the heavy box upward until it was pressed against the shackles, where he snapped the box into the locked position. The lock was military-grade, a heavy push-button combination lock that simply locked into place over the chains when closed…only coming free when the correct combination was entered. Although he could still move his legs slightly, and his hands were together in front of him, the upper arm rings combined with the wrist shackles rendered him almost useless.
Minutes later, the snowfall resumed near whiteout conditions, the short respite was over. The winds blew strong again, ushering the wall of white across the mountains. Jeremiah did not notice, however…because Jeremiah was no longer there.
* * * * *
Thomas took the first watch about an hour after dark. He sat just outside the cavern entrance wrapped in a poncho and liner to help him stay warm against the icy wind and snow. With him were his rifle with its starlight scope and around his neck hung the ANPVS-7 night vision goggles. Jack lay down at Thomas’s feet, curled his snout under his tail, eyes heavy, oblivious to the elements. Thomas had let the dog come outside with him, believing he would soon want to go back into the cavern and cozy up to Jenny after a short time, but it appeared that Jack was settling in.
Thomas sat on a small, portable hunting stool that he had carried along in his backpack. It was an ingenious device, two sets of u-shaped, telescopic poles connected at their centers, with small straps of nylon webbing attached that, once unfolded, became a small but comfortable seat. He pulled his military-style K-Bar knife from its sheath and slammed it sideways into the tree in front of him. The knife would make the perfect rifle rest, holding the weight of the rifle and its heavy starlight scope. He took turns observing the forest through the starlight scope, occasionally switching to the night vision goggles. Visibility was murky at best and often the snowfall became so heavy that the night vision devices were rendered useless.
Inside the cavern, Daniel was snug and asleep after being given the third serret…only three remained and the meaning was not lost on them. When the serrets were gone, Daniel’s pain would be excruciating. Just before the drugs took hold, Daniel began a stream of apologies for slowing them all down. Jenny and Delmar both tried to quiet him and free him of any guilt, but Daniel became emotional and muttered again that he hated they were hampered by having to drag him around the wilderness when they could have already made it to safety by now. Delmar had affectionately told him to shut his cakehole. A few minutes later the medicine took effect and Daniel slipped back into a deep sleep.
Delmar and Thomas did get a fire lit just after dark and they rearranged the sleeping bags around it. The smoke drifted slowly to the makeshift hole in the cavern’s ceiling and they quickly learned how much wood was enough, and how too much would leave smoke lingering in their midst. The flames were welcomed by them all, especially Jenny. Delmar designated himself cook, and promptly doled out a can of tuna to each, along with a power bar. Jenny took the extra step of setting up the flashlight that had been salvaged from aircraft safety kit on the floor between her sleeping bag and the entrance. The bright light pointed skyward and the effect was to give the room a much brighter glow than the snap-lights had managed. Delmar raised an eyebrow and Jenny explained that she wanted to ensure that the only path in or out of the cavern was well lit. Delmar wanted to talk more with Jenny, but the only conversation that he had managed was about his rifle. She insisted that she be allowed to keep it. Delmar thought that he should keep it on him at all times, as he was the obvious choice should its use be necessary, but Jenny had given a look, and he had quickly relented, trading it for the handgun that Jenny had in her cargo pocket. She settled in, zipping her sleeping bag up and closing her eyes. Delmar admired that she could even make the attempt to sleep, as he stared at the fire, his thoughts drifting. He finally leaned over on top of his sleeping bag and drifted into a restless sleep.
An hour later it was Delmar’s turn to take watch. Thomas had thought of staying outside for a double shift, letting his friend get more rest, but his eyes grew heavy and he did not trust himself to remain alert.
“Sorry to wake you bud…but it’s your turn,” Thomas whispered, leaning over Delmar.
Delmar groaned softly, then quickly rolled off of the comfortable bag and stood up. He groaned and arched his back and rubbed his eyes. Thomas grinned. “We sure aren’t the young kids we used to be, are we?” He asked, keeping his voice low as not to wake up Jenny or Daniel.
“I am reminded of that every single day. See anything unusual?”
“Just snow,” Thomas shook his head, replying softly as he placed a few small pieces of wood on the fire. “How is Daniel?”
“He’s been out since the last serret. I sure hope he can stay out through the night. So, no weird sites…or sounds?”
“Snow, wind, and let me see,” Thomas rubbed his chin. “More snow.” He paused. “The storm seems to be dissipating, though. The clouds look like they are breaking up and the snow is nothing like it was two hours ago.”
“Praise God, almighty,” Delmar said flatly. “Now, let’s see if the man upstairs keeps it that way, so that we can get to that cabin early and get an air evac for Daniel.”
“He needs it. If we can’t get him to a hospital in the next twenty-four hours, he could be in real trouble. I can’t stand the thought of his losing that leg, but I can’t get the possibility out of my mind.”
“Let’s not talk about it,” Delmar said, thought the very thing had been on his mind as well. “Let’s keep focused on what we need to do and not the things we can’t control.”
“Agreed,” Thomas nodded, appreciative that Delmar might be asserting his role as leader. Leadership was Delmar’s strength, and Thomas welcomed it.
He handed the rifle and the goggles over, then slipped inside the sleeping bag, zipping it up to his chest. Delmar added some wood to the small blaze.
“Come get me if you need anything,” Thomas whispered. “And no double shifts…I didn’t pull that on you, so don’t do it to me.”
“Roger that, Sergeant.”
“There is a tree just to the right of the entrance with my K-Bar sticking out of it. I left the stool there next to it. Makes a nice rifle perch...if you can keep from falling asleep, anyway.”
“Humph,” Delmar grunted. “I’ve never slept on fire watch or guard duty in my entire life.”
“No doubt, Hero. No doubt at all.”
At 12:15a.m. about an hour into his shift, Delmar heard a howl, barely audible, far in the distance. The snowstorm had all but ended and only occasional gusts of wind, scooping up fresh powder and sending it flying, remained. The howl was the same as the night before and it turned Delmar’s stomach. He was not afraid of whatever was out there, some rabid, huge wolf or strangely built grizzly. In fact, if anything, he was curious. Come and take a crack at me, asshole…while I am ready and waiting. See how well you do, then. It did worry him, though, that Daniel had shot the thing, supposedly at point blank range. Delmar and Thomas had seen the blood and knew Danie
l had shot the creature, driving it away. So, why, if it was wounded, would it return? It was not the act of a normal predator. Unless it’s rabid, he thought. Then he chuckled. The far away howl didn’t mean that it was coming here, and in fact, it might have even been a different animal, no matter how familiar it sounded. A few minutes later the howl erupted from the forest again, this time closer. Still distant, but closer than before.
Deciding not to take any chances, Delmar quietly went into the cavern and over to Thomas’s sleeping form. Delmar was no fool and he was no lone cowboy, intent on reaping glory whenever the opportunity arose. If this was the thing that attacked at the helicopter, he wanted Thomas with him to double their chances at stopping it.
He shook Thomas lightly. “Come with me now,” he whispered.
Thomas quickly hopped out of the sleeping bag, realizing his right foot was asleep as it folded under his weight. He groaned but tried to keep quiet. Jack jumped up and eagerly awaited Thomas’s commands but he leashed Jack to Daniel’s litter and quietly ordered the dog to stay. Jack whined and shuffled his front paws anxiously, but he did not follow.
“Sorry, boy,” Thomas whispered. “Can’t have you out there until I know what that thing is.”
Thomas retrieved his rifle from Delmar. Delmar eased his own away from Jenny’s sleeping form and then motioned for Thomas to come quickly. The two men hurried outside, Thomas carefully placed the spruce cover back in place.
“It was pretty far out there,” Delmar whispered. “But, it was moving closer.”
Thomas let his eyes adjust to the dark. The moon was low on the horizon and provided some natural light, which would enhance the capabilities of the night vision goggles that now hung around his balaclava.
“What was it?” Thomas asked.
“It sounded the same as before.”
Thomas leaned against the tree that held his K-Bar while Delmar took a place against a tree opposite him about five feet away.
“At least the storm has quit,” Thomas whispered.
Delmar shook his head. “The storm worked in our favor, before, helping to keep the thing away and maybe discouraged.”
Thomas shrugged.
They were silent for several minutes, staring through their night vision. Thomas looked through his rifle’s starlight scope, while Delmar used his goggles. It wasn’t long before Delmar saw a shadowy form in the distance, moving quickly.
“Sonofabitch,” he whispered. “It’s here. To my one-o-clock, maybe a hundred meters or so.”
Thomas looked, but saw nothing.
“Might have been a bear. Judging from the size of it, but it moved fast.” Delmar whispered. “But then…bears don’t howl, do they?”
“Wait,” Thomas whispered, frowning. “Are you saying that it was moving upright?”
Delmar hesitated as he scanned the horizon through the goggles. “I think so…yes.”
“Well, that’s…crazy,” Thomas said, a chill running through him as the cold made its way down the loosely fastened neck of the Gore-Tex jacket.
Behind the two men was a cliff facing that rose high, hiding their cavern underneath it. They had failed to consider the top of the cliff as a potential threat, as it was so high behind them. However, Jeremiah, now in werewolf form, saw it as the perfect point of attack. The creature had cleared the two hundred meter distance in a flash and then circled around the cliff to find a gently rising slope leading to the top while Delmar and Thomas focused their efforts forward where it had been sited.
The werewolf stared down at the two humans, its heart pounding with a need it had never experienced before. Neither of them was the one that he needed…that he longed for, and he did not see the others. Their scent was not as strong as before and he could not see them. He raised his snout high and huffed in the cold night air, and found the one. The intriguing human was there, mixed with the smell of smoke. The werewolf understood now. The two men who stood waiting were very near the one that he sought out. He merely needed to get these out of the way and all would be his.
Thomas heard the horrible grunt long before he turned to look at his friend. The glow of the starlight scope had momentarily ruined his night vision and he inwardly cursed as he strained to see what was happening with his friend. His vision came though enough so that he saw his friend’s body lifted in the air and thrown with unbelievable force. Delmar grunted once more as his body hit a tree and fell into the deep snow below it.
Thomas felt a terror unlike any he had ever known as he saw the beast in front of him…turning to face him. It was just as Jenny had said. She had been right. He now saw the awful creature and the only word that would come to his mind at that moment was demon. The thing looked like a creature whose body was that of a bear and a wolf, permanently fused together. Or could it be a MAN and a wolf? Thomas drew the rifle to his shoulder; ready to fire at the thing. At point blank range, he simply could not miss.
His finger curled tightly around the trigger to fire the weapon but it did not happen. the rifle was gone. Just…gone. At that same moment, a massive, clawed hand reached through his Gore-Tex to grab him by his throat, claws painfully puncturing his skin as the thing lifted him up high off the ground. Thomas stared…and saw the black and yellow eyes of a beast that he decided could only have come straight from the fires of hell. The black, furred, grotesque hand was steaming against the cold night air as it held Thomas upright for a fraction of a second…and Thomas saw something…something metal and of a familiar shape…and then he was sailing through the air, just as Delmar had a few seconds before.
Jenny woke with a start. Jack was growling and snapping at the air as he tugged against his leash, jerking Daniel’s litter and stirring him from his sleep. Jenny’s first instinct was to try to calm the angry dog but she was too scared. Surely, Thomas or Delmar would come in and settle Jack down. Suddenly, he pulled free from Daniel’s litter and launched himself toward the entrance…toward something. There was a loud thud. She heard Jack yelp in pain and then there was silence. She could not look. She would not. Thomas and Delmar were coming inside…that was all. Jack had been scared of something and Thomas had quieted him…that was all.
Daniel moaned, still groggy from the morphine, and then Jenny heard a low but sharp tapping sound, clicks on the floor of the cavern. The clicking sounds softly echoed off the silent cavern walls. At first, she did not know what the sounds were. Instincts told her they were footfalls, but she would not believe that something was coming. She instinctively reached for the rifle…it was gone. She dared not spew the curses on her tongue as she slowly unzipped her sleeping bag so that she could slide out of it. It was then that she noticed the cold floe of air from outside and she knew the doorway lay wide open. She thought again that perhaps it was just one of the men coming inside. After all, the other sleeping bag lay empty. She was about to turn and look toward the entrance when she saw the shadow, and she froze.
Like a scene from an old horror movie, the distorted, bloated shadow of two massive clawed hands reached out and across the floor. The lantern that she had strategically placed between her sleeping bag and the door now exposed the horrific nightmare that moved toward her…and she knew it was death. She did not need to actually see the creature…she did not need to satisfy any curiosity about exactly what it was that had come to take her life. She knew what it was. It was a monster, the monster from the helicopter, the thing that had killed her husband. She felt relieved now that this ordeal was going to be over. It was a sad, horrible relief mixed with a hope that she would soon be with her husband once again.
She simply relaxed and lay her head back down. She slowly, ever so slowly, pulled the sleeping bag over her head and face—as she did as a child, an imagined monster waiting under her bed. She held her breath for as long as she could and waited in the dark for the thing to rip her to pieces.
Instead, there was a loud noise that she did not understand, followed by a grunt that must have come from Daniel. She didn’t dare open her
eyes but she imagined the creature lifting Daniel up and into its horrid jaws. She heard the clatter of the makeshift litter as it fell to the ground, the monster inadvertently lifting it with Daniel’s body.
She began whispering, “No, no, no, no,” softly under her breath. “No, no, no, no.”
The thing roared and Jenny’s entire body spasmed, completely locked with fear. The sleeping bag began to shake as she twisted uncontrollably inside with the spasms. “No, no, no, no.” Her voice was louder now, and the creature roared again, causing her body to lurch in fear once more. “Okay, okay, okay,” she whispered, so softly that only she would have been able to discern the words. “Okay, okay, okay.”
She heard the thing’s footfalls again, its claws clattering on the stone floor with each step. It was leaving, she understood. It had not wanted her, after all. Jenny managed a modicum of control as she convinced herself that she must see the monster. It was leaving…and she had to know. No, she must know what it was. She gently turned her head toward the entrance and eased the padded corner of the bag away from one eye. She held her breath again. The thing had Daniel in its massive arms, almost just as she had imagined, and it held its jaws around Daniel’s throat. A horrible crunching and sucking sound came from the creature as it crossed the final few feet toward the entrance. She saw something on one of its massive legs…something that should not be on an animal. In her state of mind, it was difficult for her to find the word for what she saw, so she tucked the thought away for some other time. The creature walked through the opening, stooping wildly as it exited with Daniel’s body still in its arms. She still heard the grinding and sucking as the monster fed. A thick trail of blood lay behind the creature as it walked out into the snow. Jenny pulled the sleeping bag over her face once more, and curled herself into a ball. “Okay, okay, okay.” she whispered. “Okay.”
Beneath a Winter Moon Page 23
