“Go lett now boys and girls,” Hamish cooed, “Forsiktig. Careful.”
T’raf closed his eyes at one point in the middle and followed his sister’s feet slaps in front of him to stay in line. The sled slid a little when the runners hit the logs but the team pulled it true and they shot onto the bridge.
Smudge looked over the side of the sled as they passed the center of the span. The sled’s runners slid quickly along, inches from the curve of the big log that fell away into nothing. The snow they disturbed floated down and was quickly blown into the darkness. Smudge turned her excited face to her brother who had his eyes closed.
She picked up his paw and signed so he could feel it, You have got to see this.
I’m all set, thanks, he signed back.
The sled banged off the end of the logs at the far side of bridge and Spot yelped.
Hamish let out his breath and turned the team south. They sped along the bank of the river, dropping down the mountain towards Willie’s last beacon ping.
Chapter 61
Lucy drove the Suburban down the access road and followed the rutted tire tracks through the snow to the back of the mine’s maintenance garage. Its headlight beams shrank to little circles of light as he pulled up to the big sliding metal door.
Jia and the asset got out. She flipped up the hood of her long coat as she took a few steps away from the van. She stood in the blowing snow and looked around the lot before walking up to the driver’s window as Lucy lowered it.
“Park it back there,” she said as she pointed to a small building at the edge of the parking area. It was connected to the garage by an overhead catwalk with large pipes running through it. “Behind that shed,” she said.
Lucy nodded and threw his big arm over the back of the passenger seat as he put the black van into reverse.
The garage door slid open and Jero appeared with the Rotty-wolf on a leash. Jero wore his typical snug, pristine white thermal top with an ill-fitting snow jacket over it. His camouflage pants were rolled up above his white socks and snow boots. As the van backed away he waved to Lucy and the Rotty-wolf let a stream of loud woofing barks fly. The wolves in the cages joined in with yaps and growls.
Jero pulled the dog aside and waved Jia and the asset into the garage. He shouted, “Shut the fuck up,” to the wolves and kicked the big Rotty-wolf hard in the side. The half-breed dog barked at nothing for another ten seconds before he shut up.
As Jia and the asset rounded the corner and walked up the office stairs they noticed ten big men standing together near a rolling metal work table in the center of the garage. They were laughing, drinking beer, and fawning over their shiny new assault rifles.
Jero clipped the leash back onto the stair handrail and threw his arms up. “What the fuck is wrong with you?” he said as he back handed the big dog. Rotty-wolf looked up at him with his simple wolfish face and raised brown eyebrows, and then sulked off to curl up on his cardboard bed.
Once in the upstairs office Vic offered them a drink and grumbled, “Bravo mes amis. Sounds like your plan has worked.”
“What have you heard?” Jia asked. She stepped out of her coat and nodded to the asset as he held its shoulders.
Ty said, “That little faggot with his prancing yuppies are in trouble in the woods close to where the pack was last detected.”
“That is good news, but hardly conclusive,” Jia said.
“Coincidence enough for me,” Vic said, filling his glass, “C’est bon, I can sell it. The rest we can take care of. Wanna belt?”
Jia nodded at the empty glasses Vic put down on his desk.
As he poured she said, “Are you sure about your hillbilly militia down there, Vic? This is supposed to be a subtle, smooth operation. It kind of looks like we just gave a brick of fire crackers and a lighter to a bunch of fourth graders.”
Vic said, “The boys will be fine. They’re smart enough to not ask any questions and dumb enough to follow orders. We doing this or what?”
Jia looked at the asset and raised a questioning eyebrow.
He said, “This weather is a good omen, ma’am. Communication will be chancy…we have enough firepower…take out the cell tower…” He trailed off as he thought for a moment, and then he nodded to her.
“Okay,” Jia said, taking a sip of the strong whisky, “We go.”
Turning to Ty she said, “Do I to have to remind you or the tractor-pull convention delegates down there that I require the old guy and the kid alive and unmarked? No exceptions. I don’t want your boys getting out there with little miner and logger hard-ons over my toy guns, and later I hear a bunch of bullshit about ‘we had to shoot him full of holes ‘cause he told us to bugger off, eh’ or some such nonsense.” She had done a pretty good rendition of Ty’s accent.
Ty looked down at the small woman and said, “I expect we’ll do just fine against a fucking cripple, a geriatric, and a kid…ma’am.”
The asset was looking at the snow falling on the mine from the office windows. He silently crossed the room to stand in front of Ty. His stare made the miner take a half step back.
“And I suppose that cock-up at the bar was an example of you doing ‘just fine’?” the asset said as his cold stare turned into an even colder smile. He said, “The only thing I expect, Thibault, is for you to be professional, keep those dozy prats in line, and do your bloody job…which is whatever Jia or I say it is.”
Ty looked at Vic but his boss just looked down into his glass, and grinned.
Ty turned back to the asset and tried his tough-guy posture. It didn’t work so he smiled nervously and said, “Don’t worry, we’ll be all fucking over it.” He tore himself away from the man’s stare and almost fell over a stool as he walked to the office door. He yelled down the stairs, “Jero, stop humping that dog. You fuck sticks put the beer away and get the trucks.”
Chapter 62
As the snowfall increased and the clouds dropped to the ground visibility fell to a few meters. Thunder clapped high up on the mountain, rolled around them, and pounded down through the valley below. Hamish told Ben it was thundersnow, and not uncommon during storms in the mountains. It continued to boom and strobe the clouds above them as they huddled around the dogs’ rigging in the dark woods.
Smudge held up the broken ends of S’ufud’s harness as the winds whipped its frayed tendrils. It had snapped where it connected to the gangline. Ben held the light as Hamish inspected the damage.
Spot signed and Ben translated, “I’m sorry, that connection shouldn’t have failed like that.”
“Not your fault, pup,” Hamish said giving the black dog’s head a scratch, “The way we’ve been pounding through this thick shite the old rigging would have shredded long ago. This wrapped Kevlar was pure genius, wee boy.” He patted S’ufud and said, “I saw the branch it snagged on and we’re lucky it only shredded the line.” He stood and looked at his panting team as he said, “We’ll have this swapped in a tick.”
The only direct route to Willie was through the deep forest. If they went around and took the valley paths they wouldn’t reach the skiers’ last known location until well past sun up. Hamish was also worried about the patrol sent out from the station. They would be on snow machines and should reach Willie first but it was dangerous driving in this weather at night, even for experienced rangers. They would have to come down from the north camp which was a steep and treacherous trek in the dark. Rangers could be as pig headed as these Elkies when someone was in danger, often at their own peril.
A few hours ago they had gotten in a short call with Christa before losing signal again. There had been no word from Willie yet. The rangers had also missed their last check in. By itself that wasn’t too odd in these conditions, but the combination was troubling.
Glasgow’s radio collar was all over the place. She was probably still generally in the direction of Willie’s beacon near the river basin but the heavy snow was bouncing the radio signal all over the valley.
The dogs had gotten beat up in the thick woods. The deep snow hid snapped branches and jagged rocks, and they were thumped and jostled as they bounced over logs and through narrow openings in the trees. Even so, the dogs had collectively insisted on skipping the last break. Hamish would have forced a stop on them soon anyway if the harness’s strap hadn’t broken.
As Ben swapped out the strap Smudge rummaged for a spare boot for K’naks who had lost one somewhere. While they worked Spot and Hamish wadded through the deep snow to the front of the sled.
Hamish knelt and grabbed T’nuc by her chest harness, and she met his stare with her intelligent, intense brown eyes.
“I appreciate what you’re doing, lass,” he said over the howl of the wind, “Truly I do but we can’t save anyone if a few of you have to ride home in the sled instead of in front of it. I can’t see all of the obstacles, so don’t let that stubborn Weegie pride overrule your lead-dog common sense.”
Spot didn’t need to translate. T’nuc checked with the team and then had an exchange with Spot.
Spot barked to Ben and he swung his flashlight around. He watched Spot signing, and then translated what the Elkies had said, raising his voice as his hood flapped against his face, “You’re the one who taught us our job was to run this hard when someone needed help. We’re fine. Let’s go.”
Hamish walked to the back to the sled muttering, “Willie, when I find you stoned out of your mind with your hand in that lass’s honey I’m gonna let these good boys and girls eat your damn liver.”
Ben smiled at the pups as they crawled back into the sled and settled under the fur blankets.
Hamish stepped onto the foot boards, pulled up the brake, and yelled, “Ga hike! Hike like the bloody wind, you fuckin’ stubborn bastards!”
Chapter 63
“It was sweet of you to come all the way out here,” Christa said as she poured hot water into the cup and dropped in a tea bag. Before she could stop herself she checked her hair in the kitchen window. The snow was still coming down heavily and dancing around on the dark back deck. “How do you like yours?” she asked. She realized that had come out with a hint of suggestiveness, and she caught his little smile.
“Just a wee spot of milk please, dear,” Tavish said as he unzipped his jacket and sat down, “I was out and about anyways. With the pissin’ storm and all I promised Sally I’d check in on her mum.”
Sally owned the small combo grocery hardware across from The Grub. Christa knew Sally’s mum was pushing ninety but that ornery old bat certainly didn’t need or want any checking in on, and she wasn’t exactly just down the street.
“Where’s Hamish and the boy?” Tavish asked, warming his hands by the fire as he patted Sholto.
Christa said, “Oh, they’ve headed off with the Elkhounds for a final…”
Her cell phone rang and she held up a finger to Tavish.
“Hello?” Christa said, “Jean?...Hello, how are you love? …No…No, it’s not you. I’ve been having trouble reaching them as well. One second Hun.”
She put her hand over the phone and said to Tavish, “Hamish’s sister-in-law from Mass, sorry, give me a minute.”
“Of course,” Tavish said as he sat up straight, “would you prefer I give you some privacy?”
Christa shook her head and said into the phone, “It’s the storm. The sat phone’s signal is just having trouble…No, they’re fine. I talked to them a few hours ago…Yes…Jean, I assure you, they’re absolutely fine. What’s that?...Yes, I’m listening.”
Tavish watched Christa as he slid back in the chair and put his feet up on the hearth. She brought him his tea and sat down on the edge of the opposite couch next to Vuur.
Tavish sat back and folded his arms across his chest and checked his watch. He watched Christa closely and was getting concerned. He was pretty sure she had been glad to see him but her smiling face had turned dark and she was staring into the fire as she listened to the phone. He couldn’t hear what was being said but he heard enough of the tone of the other voice to get the sense it wasn’t good news.
Even Sholto had sat up and was watching Christa.
Tavish checked his own cell phone while he waited, and fired off a quick text.
A moment later Christa held the phone away from her cheek before she spoke into it again, “Jean?...Jean?...you still there?” She looked at the phone’s display again and said, “Hmm, no signal. Looks like our tower’s down again. You have anything?”
Tavish looked at his phone and held it up, “Nothing, just died.”
She went to the wall phone by the kitchen island and picked it up. “Hard line’s out too,” she said, looking at the phone with a furrowed brow.
“Is there a problem?” Tavish said, “I don’t want to pry, it’s just you seemed in a bit of a state on your call. Phone’s go out around here all the time.”
“Oh, I know, it’s not that,” Christa said as she thought for a moment. All of the dogs were now sitting up and looking at her. Sholto got down from her spot next to Tavish and walked to Christa’s side. She head butted her hip and Christa absentmindedly patted her dog’s head.
Christa walked around the kitchen island and fished through some of the drawers. She said, “Better get some candles and lanterns ready, we’re probably going to lose power at some point tonight.”
She walked to the hall pantry door as Tavish took his black custom Mammut alpine boots off the hearth.
Sholto moved herself between Christa and Tavish. She backed up until she was pushing her rump slightly on Christa’s thigh.
Christa ignored the dog and opened the double pantry doors.
Tavish said, “Don’t step through those doors please, love.” He was standing with his silenced automatic pistol pointed at her face. He said, “I must also ask you to give whatever commands are needed to keep me from shooting all of these very impressive dogs.”
Vuur and Rook were still seated on their couches but were at full attention and ready to leap.
“Vuur, Rook, als heir,” Christa said and both dogs slipped off their seats and walked over to stand next to her. Sholto looked at her and she gave him the sign to just stand ready.
“Smart dogs, let’s hope the rest of the family is as obedient,” Tavish said.
Christa noticed his accent had gone from urban Glaswegian to snobbish Surrey.
“They have leashes?” Tavish asked.
“Yes, rack by the front hall closet,” Christa said.
“Get them, and have the dogs sit where they are. Don’t open the hall closet.” As Christa went to the row of hooks by the front door Tavish removed a small two way radio from his coat pocket.
He held it up to his cheek and clicked the button on the side. He said, “Come down now.”
Chapter 64
“Ben, hand me that,” Hamish said as he stepped off the back of the sled and pointed to the rifle.
He patted the team of dogs as he high-stepped past them through the deep snow. He walked onto the packed grid pattern left by the rangers’ snow machine tracks. Their trails were headed in the direction of the emergency beacon coordinates from Willie’s transponder. They were basically following the river, going south and down slope but taking a straighter path than the river as it snaked back and forth down the valley.
Hamish pulled up his goggles and lifted the rifle to his shoulder. He flipped up the scope covers and followed the snow machine’s tracks down the ridge to just above the valley floor. It was hard to see in the dark with the blowing snow but what he thought he had seen from behind the sled turned out to be correct. Two of the park patrol’s snow machines were down there but there was no sign of the rangers.
He turned back to Ben and said quietly, “How far to Willie’s signal?”
Ben tapped a few buttons on the GPS unit’s display and said softly, “About a kilometer, that way.” He pointed past the ranger’s machines and said, “I think. It’s having trouble getting sync.” He pulled out Glasgow’s tracker and said, “Still
getting funky readings with this thing, too. She’s close, probably.”
Hamish nodded. He didn’t like the looks of what he saw. Both of the snow machine’s headlamps were on, but there was no sign of the rangers. If they had trekked into the woods after something they may have left on one of the headlamps to help find their way back in the dark, but they wouldn’t leave both on in case they were gone a long time and one battery died.
He scanned the trail ahead and the woods with the rifle scope. The river flowed in a curve as it dropped into the valley, swooping away and then back towards the trail near the snow machines.
Spot and Smudge joined Hamish on the packed grid shaped tracks. They sniffed at the two inches of new snow that covered the tracks and softened their outlines.
Hamish looked down at Spot when the dog tugged on his snow pants. He said, “Aye, we’re going down there, but I can’t say I really want to.”
Spot motioned for Ben to join them and he shared his thoughts.
After Ben translated, Hamish nodded and said, “It’s as good a plan as any I can come up with.”
A few minutes later Ben was behind the handlebars of the sled. He had brought the team down the ridge and pulled up just behind the ranger’s snow machines. He halted the team and set the brake. Hamish was kneeling in the sled with the rifle socked to his shoulder. He stood, scanning the woods and the trail ahead.
“Okay, it’s all clear…maybe,” Hamish said quietly to Ben as he stepped out of the sled. He continued sweeping the rifle as he walked towards the snow machines.
Ben removed his glove and raised his hand. He flashed a hand sign and a moment later Spot and T’nuc appeared from the woods. They were down in the gulley on the left side of the trail. A few seconds later Smudge and E’sra came out of the woods below the rise on the right side.
The Glasgow Gray: Spot and Smudge - Book 2 Page 30
