Seasons of Wither (The Great North Woods Pack Book 3)

by Shawn Underhill

  “Well,” Joseph said, leaning back in his chair. “There is an inbuilt level of resistance in our natures to such an idea. Some would call it an act of cowardice.”

  “Lester.”

  “Foremost, yes.”

  “You’ve never fought a battle like this,” Lars said. “Picking off men one at a time is not the same. If dozens come in by choppers, heavily armed, I can’t help but think it would be wise to adjust your defenses.”

  Joseph opened his mouth to respond, but then halted at the sound of his phone ringing.

  “Father,” Lester said loud enough for Lars to hear. “There is a chopper hovering over the airfield.”

  “I’ll be right there,” Joseph said, standing quickly. He looked at Lars as he stood up with him. “Are you armed beyond that pistol?”

  “The M4 is in the truck, but my big gun is—”

  “Wait here,” Joseph cut him off. “Draw up your various plans while you wait. In the off chance that I don’t return …”

  “You will,” Lars said. He was rushing with adrenaline, riding a surge of confidence. “This is a game. A meeting. Like a press conference before a title fight. Mr. Merrill is sizing you up, sir. This isn’t the real fight. Not yet.”

  “You’re absolutely right,” Joseph said and started for the door. “It’s just that old habits die very hard.”

  ~13~

  “We’re terrible people,” Evie said.

  “No. We are not,” Jessie insisted. “We’re sane people.”

  Amy added nothing to the conversation. She was slouched over in her seat after succumbing to a dose of sleeping pills. At breakfast she’d been peer pressured into taking them, along with some Dramamine, and by the time the jet lifted off the ground she was out cold.

  “I guess she needs the extra rest anyway,” Evie said, trying to talk herself out of feeling guilty.

  “I need rest,” Jessie said. “All she did is kick me all night.”

  Evie watched her friend adjusting the seat and getting comfortable under a blanket. Oblivious to what was going on at home, all of her attention was on the situation at hand.

  When she’d left her friends behind the first time, she hadn’t been given a say in the matter. Circumstances arose and she’d forced herself to adjust out of necessity. And then, of course, there had been a lot of distractions. But now, watching the two girls, it was hard to imagine saying goodbye to them, not knowing when, or if, she’d see them again. The moment would come soon enough, though, and she began right then telling herself that she would handle it as coolly as possible.

  ***

  “Can’t sleep?” her Uncle Paul asked.

  “Not a wink,” Evie answered as she stepped into the tiny cockpit and sat in the copilot’s seat.

  He looked over and smiled thinly. In his gravelly voice he said, “That’s all right, you’re a Snow. Sleep is for wimps.”

  “You’ve got to hand it to them,” Evie retorted through a smile. “It was pretty brave of them to come looking for me.”

  “Brave. And a good excuse to miss school.”

  “The little one never misses school,” Evie said. As she spoke her mind began to wander over all the strange turns her life was taking. The unsteady feeling of living two such separate and conflicting lives—being pulled from two sides—was rearing its ugly head again.

  “What’s the matter?” Paul asked. “I thought you’d be excited to see your mom.”

  “I am,” Evie said. “I’ve missed her. I’m just … thinking about things.”

  “You know, it’s not always like this.”

  “So I’ve heard.”

  “Typically our everyday lives are very routine. The disruptions of late are the exception, not the rule. You sure picked a bad time to make the change, kiddo.”

  “I didn’t pick anything.”

  “I was trying to lighten the mood. You’re right. You were picked. Like an apple not quite ripe. That’s how it goes.”

  “I don’t suppose you’ll spill the beans,” Evie said, staring at her uncle’s profile.

  “That look you’re giving me won’t work,” he said, staring straight ahead into the sky. “I’ve raised daughters. And no, I won’t spill anything. It’s not my place to.”

  “Can you at least tell me what’s wrong with Papa?”

  “That should be obvious enough.”

  Evie stared at him. Not childishly trying to get her way. She was as serious as someone her age could be with her deep concern.

  “Remember this,” Paul finally said. “My father has seen his fair share of changes in his lifetime. He’s always adapted to them well. But these days, things are changing rather fast. As much as he’ll tell you that we are not one or the other, the fact is, when push comes to shove, our animal instincts surpass our human nature.”

  “But look how many regular people benefit from him,” Evie pointed out. “He doesn’t see us as superior.”

  “Not in an unkindly way, no. But you’ve just hit the nail with the hammer. Your grandfather is trying to shoulder a load that most would never consider attempting: to have the best of both worlds; to provide security and harmony for us as well as our neighbors. It’s a very tricky balancing act. He’s pulled it off for a very long time. But now … lately …”

  “He’s tired,” Evie sighed.

  “He is. But more so he’s pressed with the concern for many lives other than his own. There are only so many options available, even to someone as great as my father.”

  Evie remained silent in her thoughts.

  “Answer me this,” Paul said, breaking the silence. “Doesn’t it strike you strange that your grandfather is employing a man that was sent to spy on and possibly hunt us?”

  “Duh,” was Evie’s automatic reaction. She’d been spending too much time with Jessie. “Sorry,” she said in the next breath in response to her uncle’s sharp look. “Yes, I find it very strange that he’d allow a man to know our secrets.”

  “Why might he do something like that?”

  “It seems crazy to me,” Evie said. “Gram sure isn’t happy about it either.”

  “Pretend you’re in his shoes. Ask yourself what any intelligent man might do when faced with a situation he did not fully understand.”

  “Get an expert’s opinion,” Evie mumbled, and from then on her mind began working faster and clearer, moving beyond the emotional strains to the bare facts. The pieces of the puzzle began falling into place. Her own private struggles were, at the very core, a struggle of opposing lives. Live as a wolf or live as a human; those were the choices. On a larger scale, she realized, the very same struggle was hanging over every member of the pack.

  “Now think about what has gone on in this country in regards to men and animals,” Paul said next. “No action movie could begin to portray the level of violence that has taken place between men and animals. And look what’s going on again out west. Wolves are being hunted and driven out with extreme prejudice, just as they were in the old days.”

  “Papa hired Lars because he knows what’s coming,” Evie said with certainty. It was obvious, and she’d understood it to an extent since the man first appeared on the scene. But now, after weeks, she finally understood the depths of Ludlow’s impending struggle. The man was not hired as a casual consultant. He was enlisted as a desperate act.

  “That’s the answer to at least some of your questions.”

  “Human versus animals,” Evie said. “That’s what we’re heading for.”

  “See … you knew it, as we all know it. I won’t repeat what we discuss at the meetings, but suffice to say that you’re not the only one feeling the pull of two worlds.”

  “I should learn not to ask so many questions,” Evie remarked.

  “It’s nothing new, Red. The conflict between men and animals has been tempered in recent decades, but it is still very much an ongoing battle. As long as anyone and anything lives in this world, there is bound to be competition. Apart from sports, competition te
nds to get very ugly when it boils down to survival. When the times demand it, your grandfather is capable of being very ugly.”

  “Even though he doesn’t want to be.”

  “He’s avoided it for many years. But now … it’s beginning to look unavoidable.”

  Evie leaned in her seat and turned her head to look back into the cabin. The two girls were sound asleep. Welling up inside of her as she stared at them, a fresh batch of nerves were sending her stomach into a queasy spin. She actually felt jealous of the two girls. They were heading home to stable, predictable lives.

  ***

  Somehow Evie managed to sleep through the second half of the flight. Just before landing, her uncle woke her and set her to preparing the girls for touchdown. Through the windows she spotted her mother and aunt waiting by a hanger. They were both tanned from spending days on the Gulf coast.

  There was time to kill while the jet was refueled and checked over. Amy’s parents arrived first, then Jessie’s father. For an hour or more Evie squirmed her way through casual-seeming conversations, assisted by her mother and Aunt Ruth. She felt terrible being so purposefully deceptive with people she’d known since her earliest days. If not for the absolutely necessary end to her means, she could never have forced herself through such a charade.

  When it came time for the goodbyes, Evie put on the performance of her lifetime. Leaving her friends assured—though still not thrilled—she climbed into the jet, waving and smiling, then let the tears flow freely as she flopped into the nearest seat.

  “It’s going to be okay,” her mother reassured her. “I know it feels terrible, but you’re doing the best thing for everyone.”

  “I promised to be there for their graduation, Mom.”

  “Hopefully you will.”

  “Hopefully. I’m getting sick of thinking hopefully, let me tell you.”

  ***

  “I wish I had better news,” Paul said. “But there’s only so much we can say over the phones.”

  Evie opened her eyes only partway as she began to follow her uncle’s voice. She held perfectly still.

  “There’s also been more activity up in Maine. Almost every member, young and old, have observed a definite increase in helicopter activity during the nights.”

  “Leaf peepers sure aren’t out at night,” Ruth said.

  “Maybe a few go over during the day, but there’s something more going on.”

  “Why would they test both fronts at the same time?” Janie asked her big brother.

  “To determine the best option.”

  “I find it hard to accept,” Ruth said. “Where can they land or refuel a helicopter anywhere near to the old lands?”

  “It’s a guessing game,” Paul said. “As you’ll soon see, the stress level at home is thicker than fog. Father is seriously considering relocating the entire pack.”

  “So they can follow us east into Maine?” Ruth said.

  “You misunderstand me,” Paul said. “I’m not talking of establishing a new town.”

  There it is again, Evie thought. She was remembering Matthew’s comment of leaving Ludlow. Papa’s considering giving up on the whole endeavor of living as humans. His entire life’s work is at risk. No wonder he’s not himself.

  “I don’t want to think about it,” Janie said. “I’ve played soccer mom for so long, I—”

  “You’ll do just fine,” Paul interrupted. “When the time comes—”

  “If it comes,” Ruth put in. “We’re talking as if all is already lost.”

  “On a lighter note,” Paul said, switching subjects. “You might want to wake her up soon. We’re almost home.”

  Evie held perfectly still until she felt her mother’s hand on her shoulder.

  ~14~

  Joseph Snow stepped from his truck parked by the hanger. He looked to his son, Lester, who was standing by his own truck, watching the Sikorsky luxury chopper moving over the tree line.

  “They came straight over and then circled around wide,” he said.

  “Perhaps to have an idea of the distance to the hotel.”

  Now the landing gear deployed as the chopper made its final approach. The sound of the rotors thundered throughout the open airstrip, blowing dust squalls as the large aircraft slowly approached the ground. The two Snows stood close together between their trucks, each leaning against the front fenders with arms resting on the hoods.

  “Be as polite as possible for as long as possible,” the elder said.

  “Yes, Father,” Lester said. “Truth be told, I’d prefer to speak as little as possible.”

  At last a man emerged from the chopper as the rotors slowed. He was dressed in business attire, and as his feet touched the ground, he turned and began attending to someone else within the aircraft.

  “Security,” Lester said.

  “Looks it,” his father agreed.

  After nearly a minute—a long minute to the watching Snows—a woman stepped from the chopper. She looked small beside the man, dressed in a pantsuit and wearing a long overcoat. Her shoulder length hair was gray, and her face appeared to be that of a woman in her early sixties—not old, but neither did she appear young. At once she began walking toward the watching Snows, escorted by the first man, as several more men emerged from the chopper in the background and began milling about.

  “Mr. Snow,” she said from a distance of some fifty feet. She was looking straight at Joseph. “How kind of you to greet me personally.”

  Scanning her face intensely as she neared, Joseph extended his right hand and forced a smile. It had been many decades since he’d looked into the face of Merrill’s young wife, but the nearer this woman came, the more he saw evidence of similar features—like an older version of that young woman.

  “Rowan Merrill,” she said, shaking his hand lightly, then his son’s. “My deepest thanks for your accommodations.” She took a deep breath. “What a day. This mountain air truly is exhilarating.”

  “That it is,” Joseph said, still scanning her face, noticing every little detail.

  “I hope my intrusion hasn’t inconvenienced you,” she said with seemingly sincere intent.

  “That’s not the first word that comes to mind,” Joseph said. “Of course, I am more than a little curious.”

  “Understandably so,” she said. “What a strange and sordid history our families share. I assure you, Mr. Snow, I have no intention of reviving that old feud. I intend this is to be a visit of good will. And again, I appreciate your taking the time to meet me personally. I do hope you will agree to speak with me over dinner, if I’m not asking too much of you.”

  Over the woman’s shoulder Joseph kept track of the men removing luggage from the chopper. There were four in total, including the escort standing at her side. On the man standing close to him he could smell the distinct presence of a firearm and he assumed the others to likewise be armed. “Good will,” he said. “To be perfectly blunt, Mrs.—”

  “Miss.”

  Joseph nodded. “Forgive me, Miss Merrill, if my doubts don’t leave me with great ease or swiftness. But yes, I would be interested to meet with you and discuss our strange mutual history.” He moved his eyes momentarily to her escort. “Discretely,” he added.

  “Of course,” she said through a toothy smile.

  She was nervous. Joseph could sense it. But much more so she was radiating with eager anticipation. If she held any hostile intents, she was masking them with a marvelous knack. Before Joseph could speak again, from the access road entered two cars baring the resort logo on the doors.

  “Ah,” she said, her smile fading, “they’ve wasted no time and cut us short. I will excuse myself and get settled into my suite. Thank you again. I look forward to our meeting. And please, bring your wife.” To Lester she said, “And you as well, sir.”

  Joseph and Lester nodded respectfully as Miss Merrill stepped quickly away and into the car. In a flurry of activity, the armed guards loaded the luggage into the trunks of the two c
ars. Promptly they pulled away, leaving the airstrip as quickly as they had come. Silence took over.

  “What do you make of it?” the younger snow asked.

  “I don’t know,” his father sighed. “Either it’s wonderfully efficient passive aggression, or the woman is genuine.”

  “I guess there’s only one way to find out.”

  “Unfortunately.”

  “Should we proceed with the plans?”

  “Not yet,” Joseph said. “My gut instinct is that even if this turns hostile, I can’t imagine it will degenerate while she is personally in our midst. I believe we have more time than we anticipated.”

  “Should I anchor the chopper?”

  “Yes,” his father said as he moved toward his truck. “Use two chains and two new locks. Keep the keys on you until we’ve agreed to let them leave. And check the fuel.”

  ***

  “I don’t say much,” Evelyn announced as she descended the stairs. “I’ve always preferred to attend to my own business and let my husband attend to his. But on this matter I will make myself perfectly clear.”

  Lars, seated in the great room as he sketched out his notes, looked up at her. “Yes?”

  “Just how good of a marksmen are you, Mr. Olsen?”

  “I don’t miss often,” he answered. Truthfully, not arrogantly. “And if I do, it’s not by much.”

  Evelyn sat on the arm of the couch. “My husband is on his way home, so I’ll say this quickly. None of us take lightly the killing of anyone or anything. But if it comes down to it, and you can get this Merrill in your sights, are you confident that you can end this with a bullet?”

  “I am,” Lars answered.

  “I’m not asking you to defy Joseph’s will. If anyone can find a way around killing these people, it’s him. But if things go badly, I’m asking you to respond with the good judgment that’s obviously kept you alive in your odd profession.”

  “I hope for the chance,” Lars said. “Not just to prove myself, but because I would honestly like to see you all left in peace. If a bullet can keep your secret and preserve this town, I will gladly pull the trigger.”