Mandy gasped. “Who told you to get them? Where is my dad?”
“Uh, no one Ma’am, but we thought the job included all of the stock. I don't know where your father is.”
“Well, it didn’t include all of the stock, and you tell your boss that those two calves are not to be touched.”
“Ma’am, I’m sure we were told to round up all of them.”
“Look. You listen to me. You heard wrong, you were told wrong. Those calves are not included. Do you hear me?” Mandy realized that she had screamed the last sentence, which explained why the young man didn’t answer. He just nodded, tipped his white butcher cap, turned around, and left.
When she couldn't find Ed's truck, Mandy ran back into the house and yelled for Nadia. “Come quick! We have to catch the girls.”
She grabbed a lever-action .30-30 off the wall and explained to Nadia what had happened on their way out the door. When they started to take off, she realized she didn’t know which direction the calves had gone, so she found the young man near the trailers, and he showed her where they’d entered the woods. It was near the path that they always walked toward Kellogg Mountain, just as she would have guessed if she had really been thinking. She was too upset to be rational. They hadn’t gone far down the path before she began calling Pansy as loud as she could every couple of minutes.
The chilled air added to Mandy’s sense of urgency. She already felt sickened that the remainder of their herd was gone. Now, instead of living and breathing creatures, they were dead meat hanging from hooks awaiting transport to lockers and butcher shops.
Proving her instincts correct, she and Nadia caught glimpses of Pansy and Nellie far ahead, once on the trail and once at the edge of the woods. “You know, with the butchering going on, I bet the bear that keeps raiding our place can smell blood in the air,” Mandy said.
“You mean the bear that bite Randy in leg?”
“Yes, it’s the same one, and I can’t figure out why Pansy would head in the direction of Kellogg Mountain. That's where the bear is supposed to stay most of the time, and Pansy knows about bears.”
“Pansy knows about bears?” Nadia asked.
“Yes, she can track them, remember?” Mandy checked her pockets. “Nadia, do you have your cell phone?”
“I give to my uncle, all I have is camera.”
“I left my phone at the house too. We need to let Dad and Randy know where we are.” Trying not to panic, Mandy sighed. "Pansy, Pansy, why won't she come when I call her? She always does."
"Maybe she too scared,” Nadia said. “If she so smart, maybe she know what happened to other cows. Else why she run in first place?" The bad omens were multiplying. Now Mandy's calves were headed toward a marauding bear. Hurrying to keep up, Nadia wondered what could be worse. Mandy had said once that being superstitious is the same as surrendering your ability to reason without putting up a fight. Maybe so, but this was simply another bad sign among too many to count.
The Confrontation
They were on their way back from town, and neither man had spoken for the last few miles. They had been gone less than an hour, but it proved to be a much needed break. Randy was trying to get his mind off his situation. He couldn't solve a problem unless he had some room to think. To break the silence, he asked, “Is there a reason why sisters would name their kids Mandy and Randy?”
Ed kept his eyes on the road. With a heavy sigh, he began, “One year, before you were born, Amy’s family gave a big New Year’s Eve party. I was in the kitchen, and your mother was planting a big kiss on me just as Amy came around the corner into the room. Not long after that, your mom said she was pregnant, and then she and Amy had a big fight. They went several years without speaking to each other. Then, when Mandy was born, Amy called your mother to announce her new daughter. The name she chose sounded so much like yours, it broke the ice. From then on, those two were very close again . . . until your mom died.” Ed shook his head. “The things that make families strong are the same things that make them stupid. Most of us don’t learn very well from experience, and that includes me.”
“Why do you think that’s true?” Randy asked.
“Too much emotion, I guess.”
They pulled into the driveway just as the mobile slaughter caravan was pulling out. A young man stuck his head out the truck window and told them that the girl at the house had gone after two calves that got away and ran into the woods toward the mountain. Ed just nodded and gunned the truck, stopping at the house. Inside, Ed gathered a rifle and pistol, gave Randy a shotgun, and grabbed a partially filled backpack. Then, jumping on the four-wheelers, they took off.
Speeding wide-open throttle toward Kellogg Mountain, Randy sensed the excitement coming back. This time he was scared. He didn't believe in omens, but if he did, this would be one.
* * * * *
It was later in the day than she thought, late enough that it might be dark before they could get back to the house. If they could find the girls, that is. Mandy couldn’t stomach the thought of leaving Pansy and Nellie out here alone with so many bears in the area, especially the blond one. But she was beginning to wish she hadn’t brought Nadia along. Randy would likely be angry. Nadia in these woods this far from the house seemed like a flower in a field of weeds. They were walking up Kellogg Mountain, and the going was getting tough. Then, looking toward the crown a good five hundred yards away, she could see Nellie standing still in the middle of the path.
“There they are,” Mandy said, pointing. “Right up there just before the crest.”
“I see, but only one,” Nadia said.
“Yes, but if Nellie is there, Pansy can’t be far.”
Mandy started to run but then stopped. She wasn’t sure Nadia was dressed for it. This was not exactly a planned outing. She dropped back to a fast walk and was relieved that Nadia was keeping up. The farther they went, the steeper the incline, and the harder it was to walk. By the time they reached the spot where they had seen Nellie, they were breathless and no cows were in sight.
As loud as she could, Mandy began yelling, “Pansy, Pansy, Pansy.”
Nothing. No sounds. And then, bursting from the woods, Nellie headed straight toward them, running hard. When she got near, she gave them wide berth and ran into the woods on the other side of the path. Just as she disappeared, another commotion sprang from the woods where Nellie had been. It was the blond grizzly bear. As soon as he saw Mandy and Nadia, he roared back on his hind legs and stood erect. His ears flattened, and his teeth made an unnatural clicking sound like a machine.
Mandy and Nadia froze, speechless. In an instant, the bear dropped to all fours and bolted toward them. Stepping backward, Mandy raised the rifle and nearly fell down firing a shot. The bear stopped. He stood still for a moment, then wheeled about and headed back into the woods in the direction he’d come.
Watching the woods, transfixed, the girls heard someone calling their names. Randy and Ed were running up the mountain as fast as they could. Out of breath, Ed shouted, “What was that shot about, and what in God’s name are you two doing out here at this time of day?”
“Mandy shoot the bear,” said Nadia before Mandy could speak.
“Where is the bear?” Randy asked, looking in all directions. Both girls pointed to the woods.
Ed stepped closer. “Where was he when you fired?”
Nadia gestured toward a spot closer to the woods.
Ed walked forward, looking at the ground. Then he stopped, knelt down, and studied one patch of dirt for what seemed like a long time before speaking. “Well, you hit him. Do you know where?” he asked, looking at Mandy.
“No. I almost fell down when I fired the rifle.”
“Randy, take Mandy and Nadia back to the house,” said Ed. “I’m going to go find the bear.”
“Not a chance,” said Randy. “Nadia, you and Mandy go down the mountain. Our four-wheelers are parked near the first big ridge. You can go back on one of them, and we’ll follow in a while.
”
“But it’s going to be dark soon. Can’t you go in the morning?” Mandy asked.
“No, we need to get him now,” said Ed. “He's been hit, and we need to find him before he hurts someone.”
“Go on now. We’ll be there soon enough.” Randy kissed Nadia on the cheek. She looked terrified. How he hated this mess, not being able to talk to anyone about her secret. Imagining what could go wrong was getting unbearable. He would rather face the grizzly, armed with only a club.
Valor
Ed had a flashlight and extra batteries in his backpack, but he wanted to find Methuselah before he needed them. Things were happening so fast, he had lost track of time. At least two hours had passed since they had discovered the girls had run into the woods looking for the cows. Darkness came earlier these days; soon only the long twilight would remain. Not much of a blood trail was evident, but he could tell the bear had been in such a hurry to flee that he’d broken through small brush instead of going around it. Enough of the woods stood between them and the drop-off of the mountain that the bear could go anywhere, even back toward the house, and that was indeed worrisome. If they were following the right track, the beast appeared to have doubled back down the mountain, which meant it could be going in the direction the girls were headed.
“We need to pick up the pace,” said Ed. “You see where he’s going?”
Randy nodded, and they both began a slow jog, trying hard to keep their eyes on the brush. There was only an occasional drop of blood, but there were plenty of signs of an animal in a hurry.
Ed figured they were three or four hundred yards down the mountain from where they’d started when they heard a rifle shot. “That was close,” he said, alarmed. They began running faster toward the sound.
* * * * *
The girls were still some distance from where Randy had said the four-wheelers were parked when the bear emerged from woods. This time he didn’t stand up on his back legs. He just moved forward, like a mechanical bear in a carnival shooting gallery, swinging his head side to side and making the same clicking noise with his teeth, only louder.
Mandy and Nadia walked backwards until they stood at a ledge with a shear drop-off to what looked to be several hundred feet to the valley floor. Trying to remember if she’d already put a shell in the chamber, Mandy lifted the rifle and pulled the lever action. She fired too fast without taking time to aim. When she tried to lever another shell into the chamber, the rifle jammed. Nothing she could do seemed to clear it. The bear wasn’t in a hurry this time, and the noise of her shot didn't seem to faze him. Slowly but surely, he was coming after them along the edge of the cliff.
In a single moment, Nadia screamed, “Randy!” and Mandy screamed, “Help us!”
* * * * *
Ed and Randy heard the girls’ screams, but they were still too far away to see what was happening. All they knew for sure was that Nadia and Mandy were in trouble, and it was their fault. They should have known better than to send them down the mountain alone with a wounded bear on the loose. They ran as hard as they could without tripping, dodging trees and stands of thick brush.
When Ed fell to the ground, Randy continued to run. He was back in combat—this was Afghanistan on steroids. His cousin and the love of his life were in danger, and his thoughtless actions had put them there. If they were hurt, he would never forgive himself. Nadia's citizenship was no longer important.
Breaking into the open, Randy stopped cold, stunned. The bear was only a few feet from Nadia. They were both on the ledge of the cliff. Mandy was in between him and the bear, so he couldn’t shoot. Ed came up from behind, and Randy signaled him to halt. One swipe and the bear could kill Nadia. If the blow didn’t kill her, the fall surely would. Randy felt the adrenaline surge, and the scene shifted to slow motion. Time seemed to stand still.
Then a thunderous sound came from the woods a few yards to the right of where they stood. It was the calf, Pansy, running at full gallop. She sped by them in a flash, and Randy and Ed watched in frozen silence as the calf charged into the bear mid-shoulder. The weight of the assault carried both animals over the edge of the cliff.
For what seemed like a full minute, no one spoke and no one moved. The four of them kept looking at one another, sweeping from one face to the next, trying to make sense of what they had witnessed. In the history of animal husbandry, had such a thing ever happened—a beast bred for human consumption purposely saving a human being’s life at the expense of its own?
Ed stepped to the cliff’s edge and looked over the side. The bear was lying on his back, still twitching and jerking convulsively. Pansy, lying still, was next to him, her neck obviously broken. Ed waved at Mandy not to look, but she looked anyway, tears streaming down her face.
Cautiously peeking over the edge, Nadia shook her head and began to cry. “Goodbye, dear Pansy,” she said, taking Mandy in her arms.
Ed leaned forward, flipped the safety off his rifle, took careful aim, and fired. Methuselah stopped moving.
Black and White and Gray
There was a message on Randy’s home phone to call Judge Hopgood's office. When he called and asked to speak to the judge, the secretary said he couldn't come to the phone, but the judge wanted Randy to come to his office as soon as possible. It was urgent, and an appointment wasn't necessary.
Near the entrance to the judge's office, Randy spotted Ben Atwood leaning against the building and smoking a cigarette. He had to fight his instinct to stop and wipe the smirk off the bully’s face. If Atwood was still there when he came out, he might not be able to restrain himself.
The receptionist led Randy to a waiting chair in the judge's office and said his honor would be with him shortly. The judge's workplace appeared to be set up to intimidate anyone who dared enter, and Randy wondered if being brought in like this was a routine procedure to weaken folks a little psychologically. On the back wall behind the judge's high-back leather chair were diplomas, awards, certificates, and photos of Hopgood with too many politicians to count and at least two United States presidents. On the wall to his left was the mounted head of the biggest bull moose he had ever seen, and to his right, a Delta Junction buffalo of equal stature.
Hopgood entered abruptly, as if in a hurry, and greeted Randy with a handshake. “Morning, young man. I'm guessing you know why I asked you to come see me."
"Yes, sir, I think I can guess."
"Well, then, you know that the young lady I saw you with at the steakhouse, pretty though she certainly is, is an illegal immigrant. In my book, that makes her a fugitive from justice."
"Her name is Nadia Ivanov, Judge, and she is the girl I am going to marry."
Hopgood studied Randy for a moment and began to frown. He put his hand to his chin and said, "Is that so?"
"Yes, sir."
"You know, son, this case is open and shut. There is nothing gray about this situation."
"Sir, I'm not as old or as experienced as you are, but if I have learned anything in my few short years, it is that nothing is black and white. It's gray all the way down, Judge."
"You know who you’re talking to, son?"
"Yes, sir. Can I show you something?"
Judgment
It was late September. The moving van was nearly loaded and ready to go. The plans were made. Ed and Mandy would drive the Alaska Highway south to Idaho. Mandy would help Ed set up a new household, and then in January, he would take her to Colorado to begin her long period of study to become a veterinarian. In some ways, her father now seemed like a different person. After Pansy killed the bear to save her and Nadia, Ed was easier to talk to and less apt to get angry when she disagreed with him. He was so much more thoughtful now, she regretted having kept him at such a distance for so long.
Mandy was deliriously happy for Randy and Nadia, but she was perplexed by their plans. She, Ed, and a few close friends had attended their wedding at Randy's ranch house the week before, but she didn't understand why Randy had said it was the
first of two weddings and that it might be a long time before they could come for a visit in Idaho.
Later that evening, when Ed and Mandy were sitting at the table making a list of things to do and not forget, Randy knocked at the door. Letting himself in, he said, "Good. Both of you are here." He took off his cap and cleared his throat. "I need to just say this right out. Nadia is in Alaska illegally."
Exchanging concerned looks with Mandy, Ed said, "But you were just married."
"Yes, that is part of the plan."
"Plan, what plan?” Mandy asked.
"The one our attorney is working on," Randy said.
Ed sat forward. "Who is your attorney?"
"Emmitt Hopgood."
"You mean the judge's son?" Ed smiled as he spoke.
"That's the one. Let me start from the beginning. I always knew there was something Nadia wasn't telling me. At first, I thought she was just embarrassed about her living conditions. She’s had a hard life. Her father, before he passed away, gave his brother all of the money he had saved and asked him to get Nadia to Alaska. Nadia's uncle knew someone here in Delta. He had a contact in Homer, who arranged it all and even got them forged legal papers good enough to pass, or at least that’s what they thought. But, long story short, Ben Atwood found out that Nadia is here illegally and he told the judge."
"If he told the judge, why aren’t she and her uncle in jail?" Mandy wanted to know.
"Because, I guess you might say, I talked him out of it."
"You talked No Hope Hopgood out of following the law?" Ed sounded impressed. "Randy, if you did that, maybe you should be an attorney."
Mandy’s eyes widened. "What did you say to get him to change his mind?"
"I don't remember exactly, but I started a conversation about principle and about things being not as they appear, not black and white but gray. I said it's all gray to me, Judge, and then I told him about Pansy. When I first brought up the subject, he said cows are dumber than rocks or dirt. So I showed him the video that Mandy and Nadia made of Pansy."
Pansy: Bovine Genius in Wild Alaska Page 8
