Polar Yeti And The Beasts Of Prehistory

by Dennion, Matthew

  Rodgers shouted at Henry, “If you think that I am going to let the damn Eskimo lead us to our deaths then you are delusional!”

  Henry shrugged. “Look Rodgers, I could really use your expertise in there but if don’t want to follow Jun-Tuk’s lead then you can stay here but just remember two things. First, Gina and I are the people who sign the checks, so if you want to stay here that’s your call but I will stop paying you as of today. Also, if neither of us returns from that valley then no one will be signing your checks and you won’t get paid at all. So it may be in your best interest to go into the valley with us to make sure that you get paid when you go home. The choice is totally up to you.”

  Henry mounted a snowmobile and Jun-Tuk climbed on behind him. Henry revved the engine and then he started off in the direction of the valley. The rest of the rescue team followed Henry as he drove across the frozen tundra. Rodgers cursed at Henry and then he too climbed onto a snowmobile and drove off in the direction of the valley.

  Gina kept her body as compact as possible in Yukon’s grip. She was well aware that were it not for the Yeti’s body heat, even with her thermal gear she would have frozen to death. As she was trapped within the Yukon’s hand enduring both his strength and the bitter cold, she continued to do her best to study the monster. The stamina of the creature was astounding. After fighting the mammoth, Yukon continued to trek across the valley at a fantastic speed. Based on the position of the sun, Gina was fairly sure that they were still heading further south. What she no idea about though was where exactly Yukon was taking her. This thought had no sooner crossed her mind than Yukon once more veered to the base of the mountain range that made up the edge of the valley. Gina thought the Yukon might have been heading for another cave to rest but then she heard a splashing sound coming from the Yeti’s feet. Gina looked down to see a thin stream of water moving across the snow. The Yeti continued to walk through the thin stream until it began to widen and become deeper.

  Gina could see steam rising out of the water and she guessed that there must have been a hot stream that kept the water from freezing. She surmised that this stream served as a water source for the animals in the valley. Once the water was deep enough that Yukon could place his entire head in the water he put Gina down on the frozen bank of the stream, fell to his knees, and then he began drinking the life-giving fluid from the stream. Gina realized that she had no idea when she would have water available to her again. She could live for two weeks with minimal food but without water she would die from dehydration in a matter of days. Like the monster next to her, Gina also fell to her knees and took several deep mouthfuls of water.

  Gina was drinking her fill when Yukon quickly pulled his head from the stream and began searching the surrounding area. Gina could not see anything but she heard a loud growl that sounded like a cougar. Yukon roared in return and then stepped in front of Gina. Gina’s heart was racing as she peered out from behind the Yeti’s leg. Yukon could see whatever was there but all that Gina could see was the snow. Then she saw a patch of snow suddenly move forward. She focused her eyes to see that it was not the snow itself moving, but rather something that was blending in with the snow. It was at the moment that Gina realized exactly what was moving toward her. She could see a large feline-like body with canine teeth that extend at least two feet from its upper jaws out of its mouth. Gina immediately realized two things. The first was that the saber-toothed cats in the valley had evolved to the point where their coats were white to help them blend into the snow. This camouflage would help them approach their prey just as snow leopard’s white coat did a hare or a deer. As she started at the cat’s long saber-like teeth, the second thing that she knew was exactly what had killed Jun-Tuk’s daughter.

  The saber-toothed cat stalked forward a few more steps then the monster crouched down as if it was going to pounce. The cat stood perfectly still and stared at Yukon. Gina could see the fur on Yukon’s back bristling as anger and adrenaline coursed through the Yeti’s body. Gina was transfixed by the stare down as she waited to see who would make the first move. The saber-toothed cat was by far the largest cat that Gina had ever seen. The beast stood over six feet tall and it was at least twelve-feet long. At a quick glance, Gina surmised that the predator was about half the size and weight of Yukon.

  It was the fact that all of her senses were in a heightened state that helped Gina to hear the snarl behind her. Gina didn’t think; she just reacted on instinct and dove to her left. She had no sooner landed in the snow than a second saber-toothed cat with a furry mane pounced onto Yukon’s left calf and buried its claws into the Yeti’s leg. Yukon howled in pain then he quickly swung his right hand toward the back of his leg and backhanded the saber-toothed cat off his leg before the cat could drive its long fangs into him. Yukon turned back toward the cat in front of him to see the beast pouncing at him. The first cat landed on Yukon’s chest and used its claws to latch itself onto the Yeti. The first cat had no mane and Gina figured that it was a female and that the cat with a mane was a male.

  The female cat lifted her head up as she prepared to drive her long canines into Yukon’s heart but before she could bring her head forward, Yukon swatted the female off his chest. The female landed to the right of Gina. She looked at the female for a moment before the male jumped at her from her right. The male was in mid-air when Yukon’s leg connected with the cat’s ribs and sent the male flying to the right of Gina. Yukon stepped in front of Gina and turned his head to the female. The Yeti threw his arms out in a threating gesture and roared at the female cat. Gina knew that she would only live as long as Yukon could protect her from the saber toothed cats. She looked to her right to see the male regaining its footing.

  The cats seemed to favor the method of leaping at Yukon one at time so that while the first cat took the brunt of Yukon’s counter attack, the second cat had a free shot to injure the Yeti. Yukon was facing the female who was crouched down and ready to pounce. Gina took a quick moment to look to her right to see the male crouching down as well. Yukon was her protector but she also had to be aware that the Yeti might accidently crush her as he was attempting to fight off the two cats. She decided that she needed to time her movement with those of the cats. The female cat sprung at Yukon. The cat was still in the air when Yukon backhanded the female in the ribs and sent her flying away from both himself and Gina. Yukon had no sooner stuck the female than the male went to pounce on the Yeti’s left leg. At the exact moment that the male jumped, Gina turned and ran, putting some distance between herself and the primordial battle taking place in front of her.

  Yukon spun around and dug his own claws into the male cat’s back, but before he could pull the male off his leg, the female landed on the Yeti’s back and drove her claws into Yukon’s shoulder blades. Gina thought the Yeti was about to meet his end when to her astonishment the primate changed tactics. Yukon threw himself to the ground then he started rolling across the snow away from Gina. The soft snow from the storm the night before helped to keep the saber-toothed cats from being crushed under Yukon’s weight but it did force them to release their claws from the Yeti’s flesh.

  Yukon stood and turned to find the two cats standing next to each other and staring at him. The Yeti roared and once more threw his arms out to his sides. It seemed to Gina that the Yeti had the upper hand now that he would not have to deal with simultaneous attacks from the front and from behind. The Yeti roared again at the cats but they simply turned away from Yukon and looked at Gina. She cursed herself for being too caught up in the battle to realize that the cats were now between her and Yukon. Gina didn’t think about her next move. She simply turned and did her best to run away from the cats through the ice and snow.

  The saber-toothed cats took off after Gina and they were quickly gaining ground. Yukon did not try to pursue the cats. Instead, the Yeti bent down and began digging in the snow. Gina’s lungs burned from the cold air that she was breathing in and she felt her right hamstring tighten up on her. The
pulled muscle caused her to fall to the ground. She turned around to see the saber-toothed cats coming toward her, but behind the cats she could see Yukon standing up from the snow with a large chunk of ice in hands. The Yeti lifted the block of ice above his head then he threw it at the cats. The cats were less than ten feet away from Gina when the block of ice came crashing down on top of them.

  The ice shattered on top of the cats as it forced both predators to the ground. Gina crawled backward as she watched the two stunned cats trying to stand up while Yukon sprinted toward them. The female cat had regained her feet when Yukon ran up next to her. The Yeti lifted his fist over his head then he quickly brought it straight down into the female’s back. Gina heard a loud snap that she was sure was the female’s spine. The female’s limp body fell into the snow. Yukon lifted his massive foot up and then brought it down onto the female’s head crushing her skull.

  The male reared up and latched his claws onto the Yeti’s hip. The male was tearing into the Yeti until Yukon wrapped his arms around the male’s midsection. Yukon lifted the male over his head and then he tossed the male in the opposite direction of Gina. The male slid across the ice and snow for several feet before he was able to stop his momentum and regain his footing. Gina was still sitting in the snow, and despite the fact that her body was freezing, she could not take her eyes off the sight before her. The two prehistoric monsters were staring at each other preparing to engage in battle once again. The pure white fur of both monsters was streaked and matted with the bright red blood of both themselves and their opponent.

  Yukon roared at the saber-toothed cat and the feline growled in response then sprang at the Yeti. The quicker cat once more managed to dig its claws into the Yeti’s hip. The cat pulled his head back to plunge it into the primate’s leg. Before the cat could bring its head forward Yukon’s left hand wrapped around the cat’s neck and held it still. Yukon reached down with his right hand, grabbed one of the cat’s long canines, and with a turn of his wrist, the Yeti snapped the long weapon out of the cat’s mouth. Yukon continued to hold the cat in his grip as he lifted the broken tooth over his head then plunged the cat’s own tooth into his back. Yukon then forced the cat to the ground with his left hand while repeatedly striking the predator with his right fist. Gina watched in horror as Yukon continued to pound on the saber-toothed cat long after it had perished. Yukon did not cease his brutal attack until the remains of the male cat were little more than a pool of slush and blood. With his opponents defeated, the Yeti stood and looked at Gina. The Yeti’s normally white fur was now almost entirely red and blood soaked. The Yeti threw his arms out and roared at the valley proclaiming his victory.

  Once Yukon had finished roaring, Gina could feel the adrenaline in her body wearing off. Without the rush of adrenaline, she could now feel the cold that gripped her body. The only source of warmth available to her was Yukon himself. Like a toddler approaching her father, Gina walked over to Yukon with her arms open in a gesture for the monster to pick her up. Yukon looked down at Gina for a moment then he scooped her up in his warm and bloody hand. As soon as Yukon’s fingers wrapped around Gina, she immediately felt her body warm up. Despite the blood that was soaking into her outer layer of clothing, Gina pulled her legs up toward her chest and slouched down as low as she could. She was trying to get as much of her body and in particular her fingers and toes into the warm palm of Yukon’s hand.

  With Gina safely in his grip, the Yeti took one last look at the vanquished cats and then he continued his journey farther south.

  Chapter 8

  Henry gripped the controls to his snowmobile with such force that his hands were shaking. He had the vehicle moving at full speed but he kept pushing the accelerator as hard as he could, as if by doing so he could will the machine to move faster. All that he could think about was how the monster had a several hour head start over them into a valley that they had never seen before. Those thoughts coupled with the fact that the monster took Gina out into subzero temperatures during a blizzard all added to Henry’s concern for his wife.

  When the valley came into view, Henry leaned forward and pushed down on the accelerator even harder. He maneuvered the snowmobile at full speed through several of the large boulders that dotted the entrance to the valley. The snowmobile went up the incline into the valley and launched itself into the air when it reached the apex of the valley pass.

  The snowmobile hit the snow of the valley and Henry was about to take off in an eastern direction when Jun-Tuk tapped him on the shoulder. “We must wait for the others. We have greater safety in numbers and we must also determine which direction the Yeti took your wife in. This valley is large. If we simply move around it without a definite direction, we will move to far away from the valley pass to make our way back out. If we become lost in the valley, it will be only a few days before the animals or the elements end our lives.”

  Henry nodded in reply. Jun-Tuk was right. As anxious as Henry was to rescue Gina, he knew that keeping a level head and following a plan would be the most effective way to locate his wife.

  A moment later, Rodgers and the rest of the rescue team pulled up next to Henry and Jun-Tuk. “Henry, you have to wait for everyone else before you just take off. We need to move as a group if we are going to be successful.” Henry nodded silently in reply to the hunter. Rodgers returned the nod and then looked at Gordon. “Do we have anything from either the radio or the transmitter that Professor Murella took with her?”

  Gordon looked at the transmitter to see that it was still not receiving any information. He then put the radio up to his mouth and turned it on. “Professor Murella, this is Tony Gordon, do you copy?” There was no answer, and after waiting ten seconds, he spoke into the radio again, “Professor Murella, this is Tony Gordon, do you copy?” Once again, there was no reply. Gordon looked toward Rodgers. “Nothing. It seems as if Professor Murella still has her communication equipment turned off.”

  Rodgers shrugged then he directed his attention to Jun-Tuk. “Well, what direction do we head from here?”

  Jun-Tuk didn’t wait for Henry to translate. He knew what the hunter was asking him to do. Jun-Tuk climbed off the snowmobile and walked roughly thirty feet to the right side of the valley pass. Once he reached the steepest section of the mountain on which he could still stand upright, he bent down and took a long look at the snow around him. After staring at the snow, he stood and he began walking back down the slope of the mountain and into the valley. He walked in a wide arch from one side of the valley pass to the other. As he walked, he kept his head down, constantly staring at the snow. When he reached the right side of the valley pass, he climbed that as well. He had walked up about halfway up the base of the mountain when he suddenly stopped and bent down. The old man stood and then he began taking large steps in a southern direction. He took five steps that covered the maximum length of his stride. He took five more steps and then bent down again and looked at the snow. He nodded and then looked toward Henry. “The Yeti took your wife in a southern direction.” He pointed to the snow. “There are indents in the snow that take five large steps for me to cover. They are the steps of a beast that walks on two legs. The snow filled in most of the tracks but the Yeti is heavy and his feet are large. As long as we keep the dog-less sleds from moving over the tracks, I believe that I can track him.”

  Henry translated for the rest of the group, and after hearing what Jun-Tuk had to say, both Gordon and Rodgers walked over to where the old man was to inspect his findings. Gordon bent down to examine the snow, and when Jun-Tuk pointed to the indentations, Gordon nodded affirmatively then returned to his snowmobile. Rodgers was skeptical of the native’s ability to track an animal, but when Jun-Tuk showed him the evidence, he begrudgingly had to admit that he concurred with the old man’s findings. Rodgers looked at the rest of the rescue team and shouted, “We have tracks that are heading in a southern direction. We will reform our circle with Jun-Tuk taking point on the right side of the circle nearest t
o the tracks. It is important that we don’t run over the tracks themselves.” Rodgers looked specifically at Henry. “We also need to maintain a moderate speed. Moving faster won’t help us or Professor Murella if we lose the tracks and get lost in the valley.”

  Henry nodded as Jun-Tuk was climbing back onto his snowmobile. Satisfied that everyone understood his orders, Rodgers climbed back onto his snowmobile and the group started following the tracks in pursuit of the Yeti. The group followed the tracks for over twenty minutes when Rodgers signaled for them to stop. The hunter stared out across the ice at a large brown creature that was staring back at him. Rodgers slowly stood up to get a better look at the creature. It was standing roughly two hundred yards away from the group. The creature stood on four feet and it was covered in brown fur. The creature was not as large as the mammoths that Rodgers had seen the day before. This creature was slightly smaller than the mammoths. The beast was about fifteen feet long and roughly stood ten feet at the top of its shoulders. The creature’s face was long and it ended in a huge brown horn.

  Henry pulled up next to Rodgers. “What are we stopping for?”

  Rodgers pointed out at the brown mass. “If I didn’t know any better, I would say that’s a rhinoceros.”

  Gordon and Dana pulled up on the other side of Rodgers as Henry took a look through his binoculars. “It’s a woolly rhino. It’s the Ice Age equivalent of our modern rhino just as the wooly mammoth is the Ice Age equivalent to our modern elephant. Just like the mammoth and the elephant, the wooly rhino is larger and stronger than the modern version.”

  Dana was sitting behind Gordon on one of the snowmobiles. She slid off the vehicle and walked over toward Henry. “I’ve only ever seen rhino’s on TV and at the zoo, but I am sure that I have heard they are extremely aggressive. Maybe we should just move on before that thing thinks that we are a threat to it.”