Phil knew to trust him as he had probably been all over this mountain and knew it better than anyone except for his dad and brother.
“Did you hit it?” Mathew asked.
“Not sure really, but if I didn’t, he sure knew he was being shot at!” Phil shouted over the whine of the engine.
Snow flew like a rooster tail behind the two as Phil navigated around a clump of trees and raced the engine hard. They easily picked up the trail of the others and in the fresh powder. When they reached another outcropping of large boulders in the trail, he had to slow in order to maneuver through. Mathew kept his rifle ready in case the creature attacked again. They both could see the trail ahead for quite a ways and finally, they saw the other two snowmobiles. Clance had heard the shot and circled back around to check on his youngest son and their new friend. Phil gunned his machine and caught up with them in a matter of seconds.
“What happened?” Clance asked.
“Broke a rudder. Had to leave it behind.” Mathew said.
“We heard the shot. Saw you through the trees though and seen that you were moving again. There’s some rough going ahead of us, but we need to hurry. Not sure if that was the only one or not.” Clance told them.
Clance led the way once again down along a ridge line near the top of the mountain before finding a small pass that led straight down. He turned his machine with Jolene holding tight and the snowmobile leaped down the embankment catching several feet of air. They dropped down with a hard thud and the two fell forward against the tank of the sled. Clance straightened up and glanced back to watch the others come off the steep slope. The other riders were younger and nimbler and they made the leap down more easily, even riding double.
The mountain was relentless in its difficulty and it was a struggle for the group to keep up a fast pace. At times, Phil noticed that the elder Denizen would slow down for a period of time and then speed back up as if he had become suddenly aware of their predicament. He knew it must be tough on the older couple. This was their home and they obviously loved it here in the mountains, but this place was no longer safe. Even under normal circumstances the mountains weren’t safe. A person could die from exposure alone, but there were many other dangers always lurking. A person had to respect nature.
The three snowmobiles made their way down the mountain zig zagging between trees and boulders in formation. Phil noticed that there was a massive ledge coming up and instinctively slowed his machine as he looked ahead.
“That’s what we call Niagara’s big brother!” Mathew said to Phil. “Devil’s Backbone. A cliff with a thousand-foot drop straight down. During the snow melt, it’s something to see.”
“Great!” Phil exclaimed. “I’m assuming that we’re not going to jump?”
“No, but we’re going to get very close to it!” Mathew explained.
Clance pulled his snowmobile a good hundred yards short of the cliff’s edge and waited on the others to pull up. The area was completely clear of any trees, but Phil could see large boulder outcroppings scattered throughout.
“We have to go slow and careful until we get down off this next line of ridges. Avalanches happen here all the time. Ice builds up underneath this snowcap so we need to tread lightly. We’re gonna follow this ridge line south for quite a ways before we come to a trail that leads down off the mountain. It comes out near the lake,” Clance said.
“You mean the one by my friend’s cabin?” Phil asked.
“That’s the one. Once we turn down off this ridge, though, you should be in familiar territory. The pass will go on down to another ridge line that runs behind his cabin. There’s a lot of switchbacks in this mountain and damn easy to get lost.” Clance explained.
Clance and Jolene led the way sledding cautiously along the trail with the others following close behind. Phil could see for hundreds of yards all around as the area was barren of all trees. He could also see the giant pines and hawthorn trees down beneath the cliff that flocked the side of the mountain. He could make out the Lake in the distance below and knew that refuge of the cabin was nearby. He looked for the familiar stream of wood smoke from the chimney, but saw none. He prayed it was only because they were so far away, but just as quickly put it out of his mind. He knew he had to stay positive and concentrate on the situation at hand.
Finally, more trees reluctantly began to show up and Phil knew they were getting closer to the place where they would be turning down off the mountain top. They had been riding for most of the day now only stopping to refill the tanks once and that was all the fuel they had remaining. If they ran out, they couldn’t get any further on the snowmobiles. The mountain was unbelievably treacherous and even more dangerous when being chased across it. The weather was cooperating nicely, however, and the sun was shining well enough through the clouds that visibility was good though the freezing temperatures were brutal.
Phil felt somewhat relieved when the trail started winding down through the trees. Being out in the open wasn’t a comfortable feeling. The cliff was swiftly falling further behind and he concentrated on keeping up with the others. He was tired and breathing hard, but knew they couldn’t stop to rest. Mathew hung on, pressed firmly against his back, keeping a look out for the beasts.
Clance suddenly hit the brakes on his sled and grabbed his rifle. Motioning for the others to stay where they were and remain quiet, he dismounted and slowly crept down the path to an overhang where he could see the valley below. Clance trained his weapon on the tree line down and away about five hundred yards, and scanned the entire slope. After a few minutes he had seen everything he needed to and quietly returned to the others who waited tensely.
“We’re trapped!” Clance stated flatly.
“What is it?” Jolene asked.
“There’s one down there at the bottom of the trail that leads out to the road,” Clance pointed out.
“Can we go around it?” Gavin asked, already knowing the answer.
“No. That’s the only way out to the road that takes us to town. It’s a fifty foot drop off everywhere else. Can’t turn around ‘cause they already know where we are and by now have us blocked and on our tail - maybe only minutes behind us! We’re either going to have to lay low ‘til we get an opening, or try to get past him!” Clance proposed. “That one is a smaller, more reddish one. I’ve seen it before. I think he’s a sentry and not the brightest of the clan.”
Phil walked over to the older man. “So, what’s the plan?”
The big man looked at him tensely before speaking, “We gotta go through it! Kill it if we have to.”
Chapter 24
Troy sat patiently and quiet while the sheriff finished up some paperwork concerning his release on bond. His attorney had already been by to see him with instructions not to talk about the case with anyone except him. Troy understood, though secretly didn’t care one way or another. He was confident that he would be exonerated. He was completely innocent. He would never hurt anyone, especially one of his best friends. Phil had to be out there somewhere and he would be able to tell the sheriff what really happened and corroborate his story.
Once the sheriff had finished up, he walked Troy down to the booking desk and allowed him to retrieve the personal belongings they collected when he was brought in; his wallet with his driver’s license, credit cards and forty-three dollars. The desk sergeant also gave him his cell phone. The battery was dead of course, but at least it still had all of his contacts stored in it.
Sheriff Blaine had agreed to give Troy a ride home because his Jeep’s battery was dead and the radiator needed repaired. A local dealership sent a truck over to pick it up, but it would be a week or so before they could get to the repairs, which left Troy on foot. During the middle of ski season, there were no rental cars available. Deputy Larson accompanied them when they left the county jail.
“Sheriff, would you mind terribly if we stop by the market on the way so I can pick up a few things. It’s been awhile since I’ve been out to th
e cabin, ya know.”
“Sure thing,” Nick replied.
The three men pulled out of the parking lot and drove through town and stopped at the local supermarket. Troy went inside alone and after fifteen minutes he returned with several plastic bags of groceries that he stowed in the back seat then climbed in.
“I appreciate the ride, Sheriff. This whole thing has got me so unnerved. First, my best friend is killed by something that no one believes in and then I find out my other friend is missing, and now I’m on trial for a murder I didn’t commit.”
“I understand that it can be unsettling, but believe me, we haven’t given up on this investigation. Personally, I’m not sure what to believe, but I do believe that there’s more to this than what it looks like on the surface. For the record, I don’t believe you did it either.”
Troy was glad to hear the sheriff say that. I gave him hope. It was just after 11am when they finally left town. They had to drive through the downtown area of town before turning onto the main highway leading out to the cabin. The weather was clear and sunny though still cold, and the traffic was steady on the highway, mostly busy with skiers making their way to the slopes. Troy wondered what it would be like walking inside the cabin after all this time. He felt a little nauseous thinking about it so he started talking to take his mind off of it.
“Sheriff, have you been back out there since you talked to the real estate developer you mentioned? You said he saw it too.” Troy asked.
Nick replied, “Yes, but I’m still not convinced anything is out there besides what we already know. I just haven’t seen anything to suggest otherwise.”
Deputy Larson perked up listening intently from the front seat. “What do you mean by ‘it’” The deputy asked.
Troy explained the story to the deputy. The frustration was clear in Troy’s voice. “Surely someone else in this town knows what I’m talking about and surely they’ve seen it too! I’m not making it up! I swear!”
“I don’t think you are at all. The problem is all the evidence against you. Even though it’s all circumstantial there’s enough there that convinces the D.A. to take it to trial. Without any cold, hard evidence contrary to that…” The sheriff left the sentence hanging.
The deputy had been listening with curiosity before finally breaking in, “Okay, Sheriff, do you honestly believe that a Sasquatch is out here?”
Troy and the sheriff told the deputy the entire story on the way out to the cabin. Larson listened intently as Nick explained what Zachariah Blanchard had told him and also what he had learned from Pete. By the time the men arrived at the cabin, the deputy had heard everything the sheriff and Troy knew about the case. Troy couldn’t tell if the deputy believed any of it or not. He wouldn’t have believed any of it himself if he hadn’t seen the beast with his own eyes. He was a little leery about having to stay out at the cabin with no vehicle, but the sheriff promised that he would send a deputy out the next day to check on him.
The sheriff pulled up to the front of the big cabin and turned off the ignition. Troy jumped out, gathered his groceries and the three men walked up the steps to the front door together. The sheriff reached for the door knob and found it locked.
“There’s a hideaway key under the seat of that porch chair,” Troy said.
“Got it,” The sheriff replied, as he explained that the place had been locked up since the investigation had concluded some time ago.
The door opened and Troy entered first. He tried the light switch, but the electric had been shut off. He put the groceries down and asked to borrow a flashlight. Deputy Larson had one on his web belt and together they made their way through the kitchen to the breaker box in the utility room. He flipped the switch that shut off the electric pole and opened up the backup generator. They heard a quiet murmur start up outside and then all of the lights in the cabin slowly came on.
“It runs on propane and it’s enough to get through the entire winter as long as I don’t run everything all at the same time.”
“Nice,” the deputy nodded appreciatively. “Guess you need something like that out here.”
“I’ve only turned it on to test it so I’m hoping I don’t have to rely on it for much longer. Guess I’ll call the utility company tomorrow and see if I can get it turned back on,” Troy said.
The two men made their way back into the kitchen where the sheriff was waiting.
“Well, now that you’re settled, we’re going to head back to town. Like I said, I’ll try to send someone out to check on you in the next day or two.”
“Thanks, Sheriff, for everything. I appreciate you and Deputy Larson for all your help.”
Troy walked the two officers to the door and watched them get in the truck and pull away. He closed the front door and collapsed on the sofa with his head in his hands. He sat there for several minutes thinking about everything that had transpired over the course of the last several weeks when it suddenly occurred to him why it was that the old man that he bought the place from took his first offer and moved out as quickly as he did. Son of a bitch could have warned me, he thought. What kind of person does that knowing what he knew?
Troy felt his stomach growl and remembered that he hadn’t yet put his groceries away. When he walked into the kitchen, he spotted the blood on the sink and remembered that Craig had cut his hand badly the night they had wrecked the ATV. He didn’t realize just how much he had bled on the floor and counter tops. He quickly put the groceries away, walked into the laundry room and found the bottle of bleach. He made up a bucket of bleach water, opened the kitchen window above the sink, and set about cleaning up the blood stains.
+++
Phil thought about Clance’s plan while they waited. The creature below had the only trail to the road blocked effectively. There was just no way around it and too much distance to cross. He knew firsthand how huge these things were, how fast they could move, and how ferocious they were when angered. It was much too far away for any of their rifles to be effective enough to put the beast down. The plan was to draw the Sasquatch away from the trail. Clance would ride down alone and get the beast’s attention. Once he was certain that it was chasing him, he would signal the others to make a run for the pass with three gunshots. With any luck, they would have enough time to reach the safety of Troy’s cabin before the creature figured out where they were. In the meantime, he would try to lose it in the woods and meet them there. If he couldn’t lose it, he hoped he could kill it.
It sounded like a realistic plan, but Phil worried that the old man wasn’t as skilled and athletic enough to pull it off. Even Gavin tried to reason with Clance, but the big man wouldn’t have it. He said that it was his duty to protect the family and the look on his face quieted any further argument. They waited nervously as the big mountain man settled his rifle on his shoulder and prepared for the run. He was resolute and his confident demeanor was calming to their fears. They worried that if they didn’t hurry, the rest of the creatures would be on top of them any moment.
As Clance talked quietly with his wife, Phil suddenly knew what he needed to do. He took a deep breath, turned to look at Mathew behind him and said, “I’m sorry about this, Matt., but this is my fault.”
Mathew was suddenly caught off guard when he felt Phil’s hand on his chest shoving him off of the snowmobile and safely into the soft snow. When he realized what was happening, Phil was hurtling straight ahead at the beast several hundred yards below.
The wind was brutally cold against his face burning Phil’s skin even through the protective gear he wore. Snow flew behind the sled like a rooster tail as he gunned the throttle toward the tree line. He couldn’t see where the giant beast was exactly, but he knew it had to be hiding somewhere near the trail in order for Clance to have spotted it in his rifle scope. When he was within a hundred yards, he stopped the snow mobile and pretended to be in distress in order to get the creature’s attention just as Clance had planned on doing. He left the engine running on the sled, bu
t dismounted and took a few steps away toward the trees.
“I know you’re out there, big ugly!” he yelled. “Want to come out and play now?”
Phil had his rifle on a sling across his back, but now pulled it into his hands in front of him and held it aloft.
“Come on out, big ugly, here I am so come get me!” He shouted again.
Suddenly he caught a glimpse of movement in the darkness of the trees. He knew it had to be the creature. It stayed hidden in the woods, watching and waiting for Phil’s next move. Phil scanned the area and made a quick plan and thought to himself, these things seem to hunt in pairs so I bet that the other one on top of the ridge is his partner. Jeez, I pray it is!
“I hope you’re all alone you big, ugly bastard!” he shouted as he slung the rifle back around his back, climbed on the snowmobile, and raced toward the tree line. When he was fifty yards away he saw a slight movement in the same area. He brought the snowmobile to a sliding stop, swung his rifle around from his back to bring it to bear in front of him, and fired off three rapid shots straight at the Sasquatch. The shots were meant to get the attention of the monster, but also to signal the Denizens that it was now time to make their escape, just as Clance’s plan called for.
Phil gunned the engine straight ahead for twenty more yards. Suddenly the creature stepped out onto the trail and with a menacing scream threw a huge rock barely missing Phil’s machine. Phil cut hard to the right and veered off the trail. He hit the throttle hard and followed the edge of the tree line through a large open field. The beast with long, reddish black fur gave chase, but used the safety of the trees to stay hidden when possible. Phil’s heart was in his throat and his adrenaline kicked in as he raced the sled away from the trail in order to give the others an opening to escape. He planned on looping back around once the Denizens had a chance to get past and then he would rejoin them at the cabin. As long as he could stay in the open field he had a speed on his side, but if he had to go in the woods, that advantage was gone. He prayed that he had a smooth track for a very long way.
Siege at Hawthorn Lake: Murder on the Mountain Page 20
