Justin watched and listened carefully and concluded there was no way these men would follow rules and regulations when money and the pride of the hunt were at stake. The faces of Bilboa and Barnes, the guides, were lean and hungry; and the faces of the three hunters were determined and eager. All five men were likely to do whatever was necessary to see that their goals were met. They didn't look like criminals, but neither did they look trustworthy.
Justin gazed toward the southeast. He wished that Big Bertha at least would soon cross the river and make her way back to the preserve. The thought of one of these men ending her life with a bullet was more than he could tolerate.
The three sows were up and foraging in the same valley where they'd been tranquilized. The residual effects of the drug were still present, and the teenagers found it amusing to watch the bears waddling on unsteady legs, chasing ground squirrels and gophers.
"They're not heading back to the Glacier Lake area," said Janie. "What does it mean?"
"Maybe nothing," said Martha. "They're still full of Immobilon. The idea of a long trek home isn't very appealing to them yet. Might start moving later."
"Or might not," said Rex, "but we can't wait around to see. Need to take you kids back to the cabin, gas up the 407, and take off for Denali. Headquarters has been on the radio and they want our input—earthquake and Mount Yuktapah. All the outlying rangers are coming in. The superintendent will stuff everything into his computer to see if he can figure out what the tectonic plates are up to. USGS is coming, too."
Janie made a face. "What about our cubs? What if the sows don't come home while you're gone? What about Little Bertha and Umbriago?"
"And the four other cubs," said Rachel. "They can't make it without their mothers."
Rex and Martha talked to one another in low voices the teenagers couldn't hear without straining. Finally Rex turned around in his seat. "You guys are right, so there's only one answer. We'll set up the screens back there and take the cubs with us to Denali. That is if we can find them. A few extra hours won't matter."
8
Spring Cubs
Late in the afternoon, as the sun was declining in the western sky, the screens were up in the cargo section of the Bell 407 and five nervous grizzly cubs were staring forlornly through the wire. Their mothers were gone, they hadn't eaten since the previous day, and though the teenagers tried to bottle feed them, the cubs demurred, hoping perhaps for rich, sweet sow's milk.
"Denali will have something," said Martha. "New mixtures—cubs will think they're at their mothers' teats."
"Hope so," said Rachel, withdrawing a still-full milk bottle through the small door in the screens.
"Sorry about Umbriago," said Martha. "Wish we could've found him, too."
Justin said, "He was always the most adventurous. Wouldn't be surprised if he went looking for Big Bertha."
"He'll die out there by himself," said Janie. "Can't you wait until tomorrow to go to Denali? Give us more time to find him."
"No," said Rex. "We've got to take off now. Orders."
Martha hugged Janie. "You'll find him around here somewhere. And when you do, keep trying to feed him. He gets hungry enough, he'll start eating."
At that moment Mount Yuktapah belched loudly and sent a plume of rusty smoke high into the sky.
"Different color," said Rachel.
"Hiccup," said Rex.
Janie clutched Rachel's hand. "Should we go to Denali?"
"You'll be fine," said Rex, "just an old volcano getting irritated."
"That's what they said about Mount Saint Helens," said Janie.
After saying their goodbyes to the two senior rangers, Justin, Rachel, and Janie hurried down the path from the plateau to the cabin. They wanted to get a quick bite to eat and then utilize the remaining daylight to search for Umbriago. Every moment he was out there alone increased the chances they would find him dead in a ravine with his bones picked clean by predators.
"Let's split up," said Rachel. "I'll search to the north, Janie to the south, and Justin, you head west. We'll meet back here before dark."
The hours of available daylight had extended appreciably since the onset of spring, and almost two hours passed by the time the three friends regathered at the cabin. But the extra light made little difference. No one had caught sight of Umbriago.
When they went inside Rachel and Justin were shocked to see that Janie's face was drained of color and her eyes were red and moist. "What's wrong?" Rachel asked quickly.
In an unsteady voice Janie replied, "I don't want to go out alone like that again. I want to stay close to you two. Every sound, every shadow made me jump." She stumbled to the sofa and drew her legs to her chest, grasping them with both arms.
Justin and Rachel sat down on either side of her. "I don't understand," said Justin. "You've been out there alone a hundred times since we got here."
Janie closed her eyes. "I know…I think I'm losing my confidence. Too much…all pressed together. Montana, Father, Mother, corrupt men, guns, bears, the earthquake, the mountain. I just don't want to be alone for a while."
Rachel took her sister's hand. "Then you won't be, dear. Whenever you turn around, one of us will be beside you. I promise."
Rex and Martha called late that evening from Denali to check on them and to tell them about the progress of Little Bertha and the four other cubs. "They've got a sweet milk mixture here the little ones can't get enough of," said Martha. "They're wrestling and tumbling like they were back in Yuktapah."
"What's going to happen to them?" asked Janie.
Rex answered, "Depends on the sows. Keep your eyes open, see if you can spot them. Best scenario for the cubs would be to load them up again and bring them home. But their mothers have to be nearby. They can't survive on their own in the preserve. Maybe they can here in Denali. What's the story on Umbriago?"
"Still can't find him," said Justin. "We'll start looking again in the morning. I know a valley to the east where he might be hanging out."
In the middle of the night, the cabin began to shake and rattle once again, and Justin and the girls ran out the front door to wait for the ground to undulate and the waves of Glacier Lake to roll. But this time there was no follow up; and after waiting a half hour, they went back inside to get more sleep.
This time, however, Janie crawled in bed with her sister, and though room in the small bed was limited, Rachel didn't object.
The twins fixed a large breakfast of bacon, eggs, and potatoes while Justin went out for an early morning reconnoiter to see if Umbriago might have wandered back toward the south end of Glacier Lake. No such luck. So, after gathering supplies for the trail from the bear-proof storage bin on a platform atop a twenty-five foot retractable ladder, he returned inside.
"We'll pack a lunch and a late meal, too. No telling how long it'll take to find him."
"We shouldn't give up too easily," said Janie.
"We won't," said Rachel.
After breakfast, Janie and Justin cleaned up and Rachel went to the tracking receiver to check on the progress of Big Bertha and the other two sows. "Bad news," she called out, "they haven't started toward home. Looks like they're pretty close to where we left them."
"Nuts," said Justin. "Guess they've forgotten about their cubs."
"How's that possible?" asked Janie.
"They're bears," said Rachel. "I'm afraid their maternal feelings are only instincts."
"Sows love their cubs," Janie protested.
Rachel nodded. "Yes, but they have short memories."
"At least they don't eat their offspring like some of the boars do," said Justin.
Rachel said, "Yeah, like Bruno. Remember how he used to threaten his own cubs?"
"I remember," said Justin.
9
Umbriago's Valley
Justin shuddered as he stood with the twins looking down on the valley where, with a can of bear repellant and an air horn, he'd confronted Bruno the boar and to a lesser extent
Big Bertha herself over the safety of Umbriago and Little Bertha. What an idiot he'd been. There was no logical reason why his bones shouldn't now be drying in the sun, waiting for the buzzards to finish their work. But here he stood, alive and well, pondering whether he should share what he'd done. He decided against it, primarily because he suspected that Rachel's disapproval would be almost as dangerous as Bruno's teeth and claws. He'd keep the adventure to himself—at least for now.
"Don't see anything," said Janie. "Even the black bears are hiding somewhere."
"Umbriago's smaller than Little Bertha," said Justin, "about twelve to fifteen pounds. Could be behind a rock or in a cleft or in the tall grass." He started to suggest that to cover more ground they separate as they descended the hill, but a glance from Rachel reminded him of her promise to Janie not to leave her alone under any circumstance. "Well, let's fan out a bit—that'll help," he said.
When they had climbed halfway down the slope, two rifle shots rang out from the next valley; and before the shots had stopped echoing, a third followed.
"Oh no!" cried Janie, "…Umbriago—"
"No one's going to shoot a cub," said Rachel. "There's no glory in that." She spoke with confidence, though inside she wondered about foolish macho men who might take delight in shooting at anything that moves…even a helpless little spring cub who might raise his head at any sound or smell to see what was going on. But there was no way she was going to share her fears with Janie. If such a horrible thing occurred, they would find out about it soon enough.
Justin said, "I'm worried about Big Bertha. If those clowns have killed her, I'll—"
Rachel raised her palm. "We're worrying too much. Three rifle shots, that's all. We'll finish our search here, then climb the next ridge to see what's happening."
Janie and Justin nodded.
The outfitter Marco Bilboa lowered his binoculars and looked down at the two kneeling young hunters who had accompanied him on the excursion. He masked his irritation at their decision to fire without waiting for his go ahead. It was clear they had downed a sow—and one who was wearing a GPS collar. That could mean trouble in this bear-management region if they didn't hurry to the kill to remove and bury the collar. Also, it would probably be best to skin and clean the carcass as soon as possible, just in case the sow was nursing cubs—which would lead to double trouble. But the dead bear would also bring a significant bonus, so he didn't wish to raise any unnecessary alarms or concerns for his two hunters. Now if his partner Jacob Barnes and his young hunter, wherever they were, could bring down a grizzly, this could be a profitable day indeed. He only hoped Barnes and his boy would find a boar.
The two hunters jumped to their feet, their faces flushed with excitement and victory. "Got him," said the youngest, tucking his rifle under his arm. "I put two slugs in him."
"I got him, too," said his partner. "One in the neck, I think. We both hit him."
"Her," said Bilboa.
The gunfire produced an unexpected dividend for the interns, for soon after the third rifle crack stopped reverberating, a small head rose from inside a crevice in a clump of rocks.
"Umbriago!" shouted Janie, as they all raced down the hill toward the curious little bear.
"Careful," Justin yelled, "watch where you're running. Don't turn an ankle." He recalled the descent when he was on his way to protect the cubs from Bruno. "There's a lot of pockmarks in this area."
Rachel looked at him with a puzzled expression. "And how do you know that? You been out here before?"
"Just be careful," he repeated.
Umbriago's first response to the charging trio was panic. He scurried out of his hiding place and began to retreat across the valley floor. And why not? His mother was A.W.O.L.…and so was his scary father. His sister had disappeared and he was alone and frightened. There wasn't even a sympathetic sow in the vicinity who might take his mother's place. But after running for twenty or thirty yards, he halted and turned to stand on his little hind legs. He seemed to sense he had nowhere to go and maybe his best bet was to wait for the humans.
Janie reached him first and scooped him up into her arms as if he were a small stuffed teddy bear. "He's terrified," she said, "shaking like a leaf. And he must be starving by now."
Rachel said, "Let's find a spot to sit down and see if we can get him to take some of the milk we brought. I put a lot of sugar in it. Also, he might be ready to eat some other food. We can try different things."
They spread their blankets in a smooth, grassy patch, and Umbriago proved just how desperate he was for food and drink. Before he was sated, he downed a full bottle of sugar milk, half of Janie's tuna sandwich, and the largest portion of a bag of cashews.
Justin then tucked the little cub inside his flannel shirt next to his tee shirt. "There, my body heat will settle him down."
"I've got body heat, too," said Janie.
"Thought he might scratch you."
"He only scratches girls—is that it?"
Rachel gazed at the crest of the hill above the next valley. "After we see to Umbriago's needs, we'd better find out what those shots were all about."
Justin scowled. "Big Bertha better be okay."
Rachel said, "Odds are in her favor, but who knows? In any case, what can we do without Rex and Martha?"
"She'd better be okay," Justin said.
10
Bearskin
Marco Bilboa had expertly gutted and skinned the sow and had removed and buried her collar by the time the interns arrived at the summit above the location of the kill. Bilboa looked up and then turned to his two clients. "Finished just in time. Those are the kids that were in the helicopter yesterday."
"What's the problem?" asked the younger of the two, a black-bearded young man with a pony tail. "We're allowed to take a sow—especially a big one like this. And no one mentioned anything about GPS collars in our orientation sessions."
"In special bear-management regions, they're keeping close track of sows for research purposes," said Bilboa. "Frankly, we should have covered that better—our fault. But we'll be all right. The collar's been shut off and buried three feet deep."
The two hunters watched their guide as he finished his work, both of them recoiled in horror at what they were witnessing.
Pony tail said, "Marco, what—"
"Have to do this," the guide said. "Either the vulva or the penis sheath has to be attached to the bearskin until the hide is sealed…Regs." He completed his work and then sewed the bloody flesh to the bear's right ear with a needle-like hook.
"Makes me feel like a savage," said pony tail.
The second hunter shook his head with an expression of disgust. "Savages may have done this to humans—but never to bears."
When the young people arrived at the site, Justin went straight to the bearskin and exhaled with relief. "It's not Big Bertha…but it's one of ours." As Justin pronounced judgment, Umbriago stuck his head out of Justin's flannel shirt and appeared ready to nod in agreement.
Rachel went to examine the hide. "You're right. Come over here, Janie."
At that point all three interns took note of what was pinned to the bear's right ear, but only Justin mentioned it, more to the twins than to the hunters. "Required," he said softly. "That or the penis sheath. Don't worry about it."
Bilboa tried to lighten the mood. "Cute little fella you've got there."
Rachel came right to the point. "Where'd you bury the GPS unit?"
"Don't know what you mean, dear," Bilboa said. "This sow had no collar. It's a clean kill."
"Sure," said Justin. "You can still see the indentation around her neck where you ripped off the collar—even though you tried to fluff up the fur."
"Your imagination, young man."
The older of the two hunters said, "We would've preferred a boar, but this was a pretty big sow. Thought she was a boar to tell the truth."
"She was caring for cubs," said Janie.
Pony tail motioned toward Umbriago. "Y
ou mean—"
"No," said Janie. "He's not hers."
The three hunters looked perplexed. Bilboa asked, "Then where are her cubs? There's none around here. We wouldn't have brought her down if we'd seen any."
"They're in Denali," said Rachel.
"I don't get it," said Bilboa. "You tell us she's caring for cubs and then tell us her cubs are in Denali. What's she using—email?"
"Long story," said Justin. "But Rex and Martha Carlson won't like what you've done here."
"And where are they?"
"Denali," said Justin.
Bilboa smiled.
While the teenagers were retracing their steps up the slope, they were stopped in their tracks by the distant sound of two more rifle shots. They waited without speaking to see if any additional shots would be fired, but there was nothing but silence.
Umbriago stuck his head out of Justin's shirt to see why the procession had slowed, and finding nothing interesting burrowed back into his new home.
"Weren't there three hunters and two guides?" asked Rachel.
Janie said, "Yes, that means the second guide and the third hunter are out there shooting at our other sows."
Justin flinched. "No, not necessarily. There are other sows and even boars outside the preserve. Maybe they've found Bruno or some strange sow…doesn't have to be another one of ours."
"Might be wishful thinking, Justin," said Rachel.
"I know."
11
Deer Lodge Schemes
At the Montana State Prison in Deer Lodge a group of elders from the now defunct Sheba Hill Temple huddled around the Prophet J.J. Flack in an isolated area of the prison yard.
"Astonishing," said Elder Biggars. "Your plan is intricate…flawless."
"Not my plan," said the Prophet, "God's plan—His plan to transport my young twin wives to our new God's Way Temple in Whitehorse. He wants them there waiting for me when I get out of here. A vision. He showed the entire operation to me in a vision." He raised his hatchet-shaped face to the heavens to express his thankfulness.
RUNAWAY TWINS and RUNAWAY TWINS IN ALASKA: BOXED SET Page 15
