by R. Gualtieri
“No good,” came the answer. “Still too far away, and the goddamned wind is picking up.”
“They don’t call them Thunderbirds for nothing,” Danni said under her breath. She pushed an errant strand of blonde hair from her face, then lifted her rifle and scanned the sky through the scope.
“Danni...” Derek’s voice warned.
“Where is it?” She lowered the rifle just as the oncoming clouds blotted out the sun. The dazzling brightness was immediately replaced by a shape much darker than the clouds above it.
The creature had been using the glare of the sun to mask its approach. With its cover gone, Danni could see the monstrous bird in all its glory. It was huge, with an eighteen-foot wingspan and a curved beak that looked like it could shatter bone. Worse, it was coming at her fast ... too fast.
Shit!
There wasn’t time to line up a shot. Her training taking over, Danni threw herself into a hard dive, losing her grip on the gun in the process. Fortunately, big as the creature was, it was incapable of making a quick turn to compensate for her movement.
She had just enough time to think, Where the hell are the others? when the reports from multiple rifle shots reached her ears.
Danni hit the ground and rolled onto her back, hoping for the best. A splay of feathers fell from one of the creature’s massive wings, but the monstrous bird remained airborne. Damn it!
It had been Derek’s idea to split the team up at multiple bait sites so as to cover more ground, but still remain close enough to provide cover for each other. Not a bad plan, really. Unfortunately, the storm was moving in faster than expected and the erratic wind gusts were playing havoc with their ability to hit a moving target. Even one as big as a Cessna, Danni mused, getting back to her feet in time to see the creature bank for another pass at her.
Not afraid of people. That’s gonna cost you, you ugly son of a bitch. Despite the danger, a small smile played out across her lips. She must have been hanging out with Francis too much. His attitude was obviously starting to rub off on her. It probably wasn’t the healthiest mindset for living a long life, but it was better than running scared.
Speaking of running... “Danni, lead it toward me so I can get a head-on shot.”
She didn’t need to be told twice. Despite its size, the bird was more maneuverable than she would have given it credit for. It was already positioned and building up speed for another run. Danni spotted her discarded rifle, determined there wasn’t time to retrieve it, then turned and dashed toward Derek’s position.
Thunder crashed overhead and suddenly the storm was upon them. The wind picked up and pinpricks of frozen rain began to pelt her.
“Just a little more,” Derek said from over the headset.
A shriek from behind told her she didn’t have a little more.
Screw this! She reached into her jacket and drew the semi-automatic pistol from the holster inside. Throwing herself into a dive, she spun, landed hard on her back, and took aim. There was almost no chance of missing at this range. The bird took up nearly her entire field of vision.
She squeezed the trigger over and over, unleashing a small volley of hellfire upon the beast. But then Danni realized she had a new problem. Regardless of whether she killed it, the small caliber bullets weren’t going to stop the monster bird’s momentum. Alive or dead, it was going to slam into her. Between its massive beak and outstretched talons, she was about to be impaled...
The creature’s side exploded in a spray of blood just before the roar of a powerful rifle reached Danni’s ears. The impact pinwheeled the bird off course just enough. It slammed into the ground a few feet to the right of where she lay, just as her gun clicked dry. As the mighty teratorn, king of the skies, came to rest, one of its massive wings fell upon her as one might put a blanket over a sleeping child.
“Danni!” came Derek’s worried voice over the headset. “Are you okay?”
“Roger that, chief.” She turned her head and coughed. “Damn, this thing stinks,” she added, more to herself than to anyone listening.
♦ ♦ ♦
As Danni waited for Derek and Francis to join her, she studied the creature. It took her mind off the fact that she was probably going to get chewed out when they arrived. Deservedly, too, a small voice in the back of her head added.
Looking at the bird was like staring through some portal into the past. The creature rivaled some pterodactyls in size, dwarfing even the largest of modern raptors. At one point in history they’d been fairly common. It was a scary concept, but a little sad, too. This creature, like many others her team worked to keep off the general populace’s radar, was highly endangered. To kill it was almost a crime in itself, but it was a necessary evil. This one had developed a taste for human flesh. Culling it saved lives. It probably also saved the few remaining members of its species. If this beast’s existence was made public knowledge, every moron with a gun would want to bag one for their trophy room ... all in the guise of keeping people safe from monsters.
She tried to not let its death get her down. This thing had been plaguing a local Inuit village for months. The women, children, and elders were afraid to go outside, and their hunters weren’t numerous enough to protect everyone at all times and still keep the village fed. Now they could get back to their lives and let the Thunderbird return to the legends where it belonged.
“You’re going to give me a heart attack before my time. You know that, right?” Dr. Derek Jenner, her team’s leader, asked from behind her, dragging her out of her reverie.
“I know. That was stupid.”
“Very stupid. And unnecessarily risky.”
We hunt monsters, Danni thought. Technically, everything we do is unnecessarily risky. She turned to face him. Despite an initial reaction to look at the ground, like some chastised child, she forced herself to meet his gaze. “Are you mad?”
Derek glanced down at the dead bird. “More worried than angry.”
“Good because...”
“That doesn’t mean I’m happy about it. We’re going to have a little talk about teamwork later on...”
Before he could say more, the team’s cameraman, Francis “Frank” LaCroix, joined them. “Holy shit! I should send this sucker home to my wife, tell her to stuff it in the freezer for Thanksgiving dinner.” His gruffly jovial manner immediately cut through the tension.
No doubt realizing the moment was over, Derek’s tone lightened up. “That’s right, Frank. Give the poor woman one more reason to divorce your ugly ass.”
“Aw, Shakti’s a sweetheart,” Danni playfully chided, sensing it was safe to join in the banter. “She’d never leave him.”
“Don’t be too sure,” Francis replied. “Hell, if this thing showed up in a box at my doorstep, even I’d leave me.”
♦ ♦ ♦
“What are you doing?” Danni asked. She and Francis had been preparing to burn the body so as to destroy any lingering evidence of the giant bird’s existence.
“Threat or not, these creatures are sacred to the village,” Derek replied from where he knelt over the corpse, hacksaw and pliers in hand. He rose a few moments later, holding a severed talon.
Francis raised an eyebrow. “Gift for the elders?”
“Something like that. It’ll also prove to them the threat is over.”
Danni glanced at it sidelong, then echoed Derek’s earlier concern. “Isn’t that unnecessarily risky?”
“Shouldn’t be.” He grinned back at her. “This will hold some pretty heavy spiritual significance for them. They won’t let anyone else near it. Besides,” he added with a wink, “it’s a fake. We sent it to a lab in New York and they declared it to be made of whale bone.”
Francis chuckled. “Did they now?”
“Our audience will be so disappointed,” she said with mock concern.
Derek shrugged. “Fortunately for them, we’ll leave just enough room for them to wonder ... like always.�
�
♦ ♦ ♦
“...and thus for now, the Thunderbird will remain in the realm of myth and legend. But I remain ever vigilant. Should this creature decide to step from the shadows and once more claim dominion over the skies, my team will be there. The truth cannot hide from ... the Crypto Hunter.”
“Cut!” Francis lowered the camera. “I believe that’s a wrap for the field footage.”
“Great,” Derek replied. “Let’s get packed up and head back to the village. Mitch will be waiting. Wouldn’t want him thinking we ended up as bird food.” He turned to Danni. “Speaking of which, we have a long walk back. Let’s have a little chat about trying a bit harder to not end up on the menu of the things we hunt.”
CHAPTER 2
Mitchell Harkness, the team medic, was waiting when they arrived back at the small village some fifty miles northwest of Nome. Though not usually pleased with the concept of splitting up the team during a hunt, he’d found upon their arrival that many of the villagers were in need of medical assistance – some because of the creature they’d come to kill. Being that the nearest doctor only flew in once every few weeks, Mitchell had volunteered to stay behind to tend to the patients. However, that didn’t mean he hadn’t been getting increasingly antsy as the hours passed.
Despite the cold, he had kept one window cracked open so as to listen for gunfire. With the impending storm, he knew it was foolish but couldn’t help it. The incident in Colorado a year earlier had left its mark on all of them, so he indulged himself the best he could while patching up those who needed it.
Once finished, he was tempted to head out to join his teammates, but that was an even worse idea than letting the three of them trek off without him. Knowing his luck, he’d find them at the exact wrong moment and end up getting his head blown off. Besides, it was only their second day in the village. If nothing was found, he could join them for tomorrow’s hunt.
To keep his mind occupied, he’d grabbed one of Francis’s spare cameras from the Snowcat and proceeded to question the elders about the legend of the Thunderbird, figuring a little extra footage wouldn’t go unappreciated.
He was just finishing his second interview when there came a commotion from the far side of the lodge. People were gathering and talking excitedly. He excused himself from the elder and turned toward the door just as his friends entered, Francis in the lead.
The burly, bearded man took one look at him and crossed his arms reproachfully. “Stealing my job, eh? The union’s gonna hear about this one.”
♦ ♦ ♦
“You should’ve seen that thing chasing Danni. It was like something out of One Million Years BC, minus the fur bikini.”
“Thank God for small favors,” Danni muttered, causing Francis to laugh.
“Let’s keep that one on the down-low,” Derek said. “If our producer hears about it, he’s liable to ship one up here.”
Danni made an exaggerated gagging sound, eliciting more chuckles from the group. She hadn’t been shy about sharing her misgivings regarding the wardrobe choices offered to her.
Her motives for joining the team had been to help people. For the most part, it had been a rewarding experience. Being on the team, though, had meant joining the TV show that was their cover – The Crypto Hunter. Danni didn’t mind being in front of the camera. Unfortunately for her, their core demographic appreciated her presence a bit more than she’d expected.
As a result, the executives at the Adventure Channel had tried at every turn to find excuses to stuff her into the skimpiest outfits possible. At twenty years old and in excellent shape, she wasn’t above admitting she pulled it off well. Still, sometimes she felt her billing in the credits amounted to little more than the letters T and A.
“Get used to it,” warned Francis. “AdventureCon is next month and rumor has it they’re printing up extra posters. I have a feeling your autograph line is going to be a wee bit longer than the rest of ours.”
Danni sighed, wondering for perhaps the thousandth time what she’d been thinking. A few months back, as part of a promo for the new season, she had agreed to a photoshoot. One shot in particular, her in a green bikini posed somewhat salaciously across a statue of Chessie – the monster said to inhabit the Chesapeake Bay estuary – had proven exceptionally popular. Much to her chagrin, it had quickly become the top seller at the Adventure Channel’s online store.
As part of their cover, the team made appearances at various conventions throughout the year. Danni had little doubt she’d be spending hours signing half-naked pictures of herself for lonely guys, all while feeling like a piece of meat.
“I can see why Chuck hated those things,” she said.
“Yes he did,” Mitchell replied, his voice taking on a respectful tone for their deceased comrade.
“Why don’t we focus on something he didn’t hate, then?” Derek waved over the waitress of the small tavern, little more than a converted supply shed. She brought over shot glasses and a mason jar full of a clear liquid. “I’m told the local hooch has quite the kick.”
♦ ♦ ♦
Derek poured out three shots then hesitated. Danni was technically underage, but he sometimes made an exception for their customary post-mission toast. He was still annoyed by her earlier actions but, after a moment, decided to focus on the fact that it had all worked out in their favor ... this time anyway.
He poured a fourth and passed it over.
The glasses distributed, all took theirs and held them up.
“To Chuck,” Derek said.
“To Harrison,” Danni added next.
“To all of those who fell at Bonanza Creek,” Mitchell said.
“May they rest in peace,” Francis finished.
There was a momentary beat while all of them let this sink in, then they simultaneously downed the contents of their shot glasses.
The solemn moment was cut short as both Mitchell and Danni started coughing. “Holy crap!” she gagged. “What is that, whale piss?”
“Smooth, just how I like it,” Francis replied, reaching to refill his glass.
“I’ve degreased engines with less potent stuff,” Mitchell said, right before holding his glass out for more.
Derek turned to Danni. “That’s enough brain cells killed for one night. I believe you have work to do anyway.” He was curious to see if she was going to raise a protest, especially after dressing her down during the hike back about the difference between taking initiative and being reckless. However, she appeared to understand that what she’d done was wrong. Besides, the look on her face echoed what his taste buds were already screaming. Whatever was in that jar was nigh undrinkable.
“You’re right.” She stood up. “I’m going to see if I can grab a signal and sign on.”
“No cheating,” Derek admonished as she walked away.
“Yes, Dad,” came the reply back.
♦ ♦ ♦
Though she rankled a little at Derek’s parental tone, deep down, Danni had to admit it wasn’t bad to have a surrogate father figure around. Under different circumstances, being the lone female in a group of guys – more often than not far from civilization – could have been a daunting prospect. Fortunately, she had lucked out. Francis was happily married to his high school sweetheart. Mitchell was single but also a stringent workaholic – far more interested in their case files than his social life.
That left Derek. Though sixteen years her senior, he was smart, brave, and good-looking. Had he acted any differently toward her, she wasn’t entirely certain she would have been turned off by the prospect. Certainly many of the female fans of their show thought the same way, based on the opinions left in online forums.
However, he had quickly nipped any such thoughts in the bud, taking on a decisively parental attitude with her from the very start.
Danni understood. Though Derek didn’t talk about it much, and usually tried his best to keep an upbeat tone, he still felt guilty o
ver the events that had led to her joining the team. It was a feeling she shared. After all, her beloved brother Harrison had saved both their lives from the rabid beasts which had threatened them all, only to then be taken away from her forever.
Though Derek had offered her a spot on the team afterward, he had never quite gotten used to exposing her to the dangers the job entailed ... something her actions today didn’t help. Still, there was no way around it. They all answered to a higher power, the U.S. government, and in doing so had signed on to put themselves at risk for the good of others.
She pushed those thoughts from her head once she reached her quarters and unpacked her laptop. Though stable internet access wasn’t exactly common this far north, the risks of her job also came with some perks – such as the portable high-gain satellite dish currently mounted on top of the building.
As the computer booted up and established a connection, Danni turned to the framed photograph of her brother that she brought along on every mission. “We got another one, Harrison. Wherever you are, I hope I’m making you proud.” She said a quick prayer, then turned to her work. Though she would eternally love her brother, she also realized he’d be pissed if she spent her days moping around because of him. She had a life to live and planned on doing so ... even while facing creatures that mostly wanted to end it.
Living that life, however, meant dealing with the more mundane aspects of it. In joining Derek’s crew, Danni had accepted that she’d be leaving her college career behind. A life on the road wouldn’t leave a lot of time for pursuing her degree ... or so she had thought.
Not so. Danni’s parents, still grieving over her brother, had absolutely flipped out at the thought. Unbeknownst to her at the time, they had approached Derek about it. The end result: in addition to all the work she put in for the show and their missions, she also had to take online classes to keep up with her courses. Derek had made that a non-negotiable condition of staying on the team.
Oh, well. As much as the extra work could suck at times, at least Uncle Sam was now footing the bill. All in all, things could have been far worse.
