Foreign Threat

by Mitchell Goldstein

  He returned to where he got out of the river. He was trying to determine how he could find his campsite when he came up with a completely different plan. The three remaining CIA agents knew that he was downstream, but they had no idea what or where his plans were. Why not set up a mock camp to make them think that this was his actual campsite? Then they might not spend as much time or energy seeking his real campsite.

  He walked up about fifty yards and started setting up a campsite. He didn’t have a spare tent but arranged a fire pit and lit it. As he was putting together brush for a bed, he thought he heard voices but told himself there was no way those men could have made it through either the water or woods that fast. He stopped to listen to the forest for a few minutes but then continued to work.

  Only a few more minutes went by before he heard another noise. This time it wasn’t voices but rather some brush moving about. It sounded as if it was coming from just beyond the campsite he was creating. He stood paralyzed for a minute with a million thoughts running through his head. What if it’s the men and they’re getting ready for the kill and I’m not even putting up a fight? What if it’s some other weird stalker just hanging out on the island, taking humans as prey??

  Steve shook his head. He couldn’t let his mind create drama when none was really there. He figured he was hearing things and that his mind was playing games with him. Nighttime was fast approaching and twilight was setting in. Steve needed to get back to his real campsite and settle in for the night. He looked all about the site to be sure that everything was in proper position. As he did, he heard another bunch of leaves move about just a short ways a way. He glanced in that direction and found himself looking straight into another pair of eyes.

  Alarmed, he couldn’t make out if they were from the men or not. The creature slowly came forward, and Steve released a quiet shriek. It was an automatic response to the huge black bear standing directly in front of him.

  Never in all of his experiences camping had Steve ever encountered a black bear. He turned toward the river and ran, jumping over tree branches and rocks along the way. He could see his kayak but could also hear the bear chasing him and grunting. He didn’t want to know just how close this monstrous creature was behind him, but before he hopped into the kayak, he turned his head to see.

  The bear was only ten feet away, so Steve grabbed his pad-

  dle, jumped into his kayak, and pushed himself out onto the river. He didn’t even consider taking time to put his skirt on. As soon as he felt the rush of the current, he realized just how important those skirts were. Brisk water splashed against his legs in the kayak immediately. The fast approaching darkness worsened the effect of the cold water. He wanted to take a moment to put the skirt on but had to check for his latest pursuer first.

  The bear wasn’t as brave as Steve, or maybe it was a bit smarter. The creature didn’t dare step into the aggressive rapids. It remained near shore and watched Steve bounce along the rapids, one wave to the next. Steve turned around in disgust. That big bear had scared the pants off him, and now he was in the river without a skirt while the bear comfortably watched from shore.

  He wanted to take a few minutes to put the skirt on, but the water was moving terribly fast. It would be better to wait for a break in the rapids before he could position himself properly to get the skirt on without tipping the kayak over.

  Just like that, he hit a rock in dark water. The kayak leaned upstream as it bounced off the rock. Once Steve leaned upstream, he could feel a rush of cold water start to fill his kayak. He had to use all his energy to bounce the kayak back up and downstream before the boat filled completely with water. Leaving off the skirt was becoming increasingly regrettable: it would have covered the kayak cockpit to keep water out and would have helped roll the kayak back up in case it flipped. Now Steve just needed to get to shore safely so he could empty the water in his kayak.

  Despite a full moon and cloudless night, he was unable

  to see clearly on the river. As soon as he recovered from one near catastrophe, he hit another rock. He leaned back to get himself off this rock, but the massive pressure from upstream took his kayak sideways again. Before he could blink an eye, the kayak was pulled down from the pressure of the current. He tried desperately to flip his kayak back upright, but it was to no avail. The boat already had too much water. It finished filling in a quick second and then flipped over. Steve was dumped into the water with little chance of rolling the capsized kayak, so he bailed.

  The water froze even his soul for a moment. He quickly realized that he was still in a tumble position. He assumed the proper position as he surfaced. He was on his back with his legs bent up so he looked like he was driving a go-cart. His legs would hit rock after rock, but he would be able to bounce off each one as he made his way to the shore.

  He leaned backward and used his arms for a strong backstroke. He was gaining ground toward the shore when he hit a particularly big rock. He bounced off with ease, but right away he could feel the sucking pressure of a hole start to drag him to the downside of the rock. He frantically backstroked with his arms, but the current of the hole was too much for him. He could feel himself being dragged underwater.

  At this point, he knew it was hopeless. Only by mercy of God was he only going to be able to survive this ordeal. He took in a huge breath of air just before the current pulled him into the depths of the river.

  As he was pulled into the hole, he tried desperately to keep his wits about himself. He hoped he could push off the rock down below as the current kept turning around like a drying cycle. Then he could use the force of the hole itself with his own strength to break free from the gravity holding him in the current. He prepared to touch the bottom with his feet, but he got to the bottom without any warning. He felt himself hit bottom and start to ascend back upwards. He had no time to push off, so he was at the mercy of the hole again.

  He gasped for another huge breath of air when he reached

  the surface. He tried frantically to swim free from the grasp of the current but had to go with the pull of the current from the hole. He could feel his body being suctioned like a piece of dirt in a vacuum cleaner, but he tried to stay more focused as he went down this time.

  He bent his legs like a baby in order to offer as much spring and force as possible to break the suction of the current. Boom! He felt himself hit the lower edge of the rock. With every bit of energy and strength could muster, he kicked off the rock with his hands straight above his head. Just like a slingshot, he could feel himself being flung with the upward current to the surface of the water. As his head reached the surfaced, he forced his arms down to his sides to pull himself free from the strong grip of the current.

  He shot up through the air and free from this hole. He knew he was going to land back in the river, so he gasped for more air. Once in the river again, he resumed the position of being on his back and using his arms to direct himself to shore. He hit a few more rocks but gradually felt the peace of an eddy swirling around in circles at the river’s surface.

  Steve sighed with relief. He knew how lucky he was and that most people – like the agents upstream – would never survive encounters such as this one. He pulled his weary body up to the shore and lay on his back as he regained his senses. He stared at the sky and watched the nearly full moon and hundreds of stars in the night sky. That horrific experience had drained his energy. His eyes began to fall shut, but he knew he was still being hunted with no idea where he was on the island. He wanted to get up and get back to his camp, but just as he’d had no option in the river hole, his body fell asleep right there on the rocky shore of the river.

  Chapter 48

  Steve woke abruptly as his body shivered from the cold. He never had a chance last night to change into dry clothes, and now his body was terribly cold. He was glad he was wearing body thermoware that prevented his body from getting too cold from the water and night temperatures. He could still feel his fingers and toes, so he knew
he would be okay. He thought of ways to warm the rest of himself. A fire would be nice, but that would just attract attention. He thought about trying to find his original campsite, but the sky was still dark. He tried to keep his eyes open and to get up, but his body was still exhausted. He tried to lift his head, but it felt as though it weighed a hundred pounds. He gave up trying for a moment and stared at the sky.

  The moon lit the sky like a Hollywood movie opening. The stars added their own cast characters. He decided from their stage position that it must be getting close to dawn. He only had limited time before the agents were on his tail, so he rolled his tired body to one side and slowly picked himself up. He stood on the rocky shore, listening to the river moving down stream, reliving the nightmare from just a few hours ago. The moon shined brightly on the rapids.

  He began walking along the shore. He found what looked like a break in the brush and woods, and he veered off with high hopes for a hiking trail. Despite the tall trees, the moon’s brightness lit the way for Steve. He tried diligently to recall where he was or where his campsite was. He thought he knew the island well, but not so much in the middle of the night and soaking wet. He recognized some trees from setting his bear trap. He suddenly thought how miserable it would be to fall into

  one of his own traps.

  He moved about slowly so as not to set off one of the traps. He saw where his rope trap was set and then knew exactly where he was. Now that he was reoriented, he took a moment to process what had happened just a few hours ago. He had rolled his kayak, hit a few bumps, almost died in a river hole, and lost his kayak. He’d had a fair amount of equipment still stored in the compartments of the kayak, but worse was that the kayak was his transportation back to Ely. He no longer had any means to get back to the mainland. He knew the agents had already dumped one of their canoes, so that left only one possible canoe to get back.

  He needed to concentrate on capturing the agent with the ring and putting a stop to the manhunt. Steve’s stomach grumbled, and he realized just how much he had lost on the kayak. He had his backpack on with a few essentials like water and snacks, but the rest of the food was gone. He stopped for a break and pulled a bag of trail mix out of the backpack. He was devouring the treat but then realized he should eat in moderation in case he was out in the wilderness longer than expected. He drank a little water and then put everything away. Eating would have to be a rare luxury until he was safely out of the Boundary Waters.

  The sun started to make its rise along the eastern sky. Steve needed to get close to his campsite and start the manhunt. He took a step in the direction but froze when a sound in the background startled him. This time he knew they were human voices. He heard males speaking to each other but was unable to pick up what they were saying. They were coming from the direction of Steve’s campsite. They must have gotten an earlier start, just one more thing to backfire for Steve. He climbed a nearby tree to get a better view of the situation. Sure enough, his campsite was about twenty-five yards away, and three men were going through his tent.

  That didn’t matter much. Steve was more concerned as to which way they were going to go. The plan had been for them to be chasing him so he could direct them into each trap. Now they were in position to have Steve chase them instead, which is exactly what he didn’t want. He needed to have the upper hand to stand any chance of surviving this mess.

  He was trying to think of a way out of this dilemma when the three agents started to walk in the opposite direction of the snares. Time was running out quickly for Steve’s strategy. He hurried down from the tree and ran toward the campsite. He had to dodge the pit that he dug and the bear trap. He got close to the camp and started shaking a tree violently to get their attention.

  As soon as Steve started to rattle the trees, he heard one of the men shout, “Hey, over there! I think I heard him that way. Let’s go!”

  The chase was on. Steve was not exactly where he wanted to be, but he was just going to have to do some maneuvering to get himself closer to his intended route along the traps. Steve ran as fast as he could through the brushy forest, reminding himself that he just had to trap each man and then summon the correct authorities.

  As he was running away, Steve almost passed his first trap, the bear trap. It was a large metal ring with huge teeth that would snap shut and lacerate, if not amputate, whatever leg stumbled into it.

  Steve slowed down enough for the agents to catch up and spot him. They needed to follow his exact trail. Steve was almost at a walking pace when he saw the men behind him. He passed the trap, slowly walked over it and beyond.

  “Alright, Dr. Carmichael,” called one of the men. “This is enough! We have chased you long enough, and this is ridiculous. We just want to have a few words with you.”

  “How come you didn’t just call?” Steve remarked quickly. He felt comfortable sassing them because he knew they were after his life.

  “Very funny, Dr. Carmichael. This topic is very important and sensitive to me, and I would rather we discuss it in person. That is why I made the trek out here to find you.”

  Steve recognized the voice of the ringmaster, Agent Thomas. “If that is the case,” he replied, “I am right here in front of you. Let’s talk.”

  Steve stood still and watched the men slowly make their way through the brush. He was glad that at least one thing was going right as they walked directly along the path of the bear trap. He was disappointed to see that Thomas was second in line with some bulky man in front. He wondered where the guns were hidden.

  They were only about ten feet from the trap when Steve said, “Okay, close enough. I can hear everything that you want to say to me.” He didn’t want it to be too obvious that he was prepared for them to walk up to him without any hesitation or concern. He hoped that they would ignore his request.

  They continued to slowly walk toward him. “Dr. Carmichael, we have made a long voyage out here, not to mention that a very dear friend of mine died yesterday, so I’d prefer to see you up close.”

  Steve replied with a somber voice, “I understand. I lost some very good friends as well recently. They were wonderful, innocent people. Funny how we both must be suffering from their losses.” He wanted to continue but realized that they were only inches from the trap. He needed to be ready to bolt once that trap snapped shut because he would be well within gunshot range.

  The ringmaster started to reply, “Yes, Dr. Carmichael. Those losses were very unfortunate, but they lost their lives honoring their country as-”

  A loud snap sounded.

  “Ahh! Oh, my world! Ahhhhh!” screamed the front man.

  Steve didn’t need to continue this conversation any longer. With a quick turn, he was gone. He was well oriented and ready to continue the chase. Although he was only yards in front of them a second ago, he was out of sight in a few seconds. He could tell the other two were attending to their front man because no shots sounded for at least fifteen seconds. By then, he was hidden deep in brush. He took off at a different angle too, so shooting in the direction of his previous position would be useless.

  He ran nearly a hundred yards and found the tree from which he knew he could see them at the trap. He climbed the tree as easily as a ladder. The branches were in perfect position.

  The poor soul, Steve thought when he saw the wounded man. His moment of sympathy passed quickly as he remembered that their sole mission was to kill him. Still, the victim had blood gushing from his leg. The trap had evidently locked onto his lower leg. The power of the jaws of the trap must have nearly amputated his leg, but it was dangling in the air. The other two men were trying frantically to release the jaws of the trap, but it wouldn’t budge.

  Steve was far enough away that the agents wouldn’t be

  able to see him, but he could see them and hear almost everything they said. Agent Thomas looked up every few minutes as though hoping to see Steve. Steve could hear him

  swearing at the trap and at Steve.

  “Damn t
hat Carmichael! When I see him, I will rip every organ out of his body with my bare hands!”

  Steve could feel the anger building up in Thomas. It was obvious that they didn’t come prepared for all of this. Although Steve felt bad, he realized it was him or them. Another thing he realized is that this must be their whole team because they never attempted to call for backup. He was confident it was just the three of them, soon to be just two, left for him to handle.

  Twenty minutes passed before they finally unhooked the trap, and the victim had nearly bled to death. Another few minutes passed before they started a tourniquet to help stop the blood loss. Steve figured they were so focused on getting that trap off they had forgotten about the leg itself. Now the man appeared pretty limp as they tried to stand him up.

  Steve could sense that the man was in hypovolemic shock since he had lost a fair amount of his blood. Unfortunately, there was no way to get any volume back in him, no IVs and no saline. The two others tried to carry him for about twenty-five yards, leaving a trail of blood, but Agent Thomas was growing increasingly frustrated at being slowed. The two healthy men finally stopped for an earnest discussion. It appeared to be more of a disagreement as the other man was throwing his arms up and shouting at Thomas. The man finally kneeled beside his friend and started to wrap his injured leg with an extra shirt. As he was working on the man, a gunshot echoed.

  Steve couldn’t believe it. Thomas had just shot the

  injured man in the head. He heard the kneeling man scream, “What the hell did you do that for, you idiot? You didn’t even let me try to wrap him up or anything!”

  Steve could just barely hear Thomas’ calm reply. “He was a goner. He lost too much blood, and he wasn’t even complaining or hurting anymore. He was only going to slow us down, and we need to move quickly to catch Carmichael. Let’s just dig a shallow grave to protect his body from any animals, and we’ll get him on the way out.”