by Linda Mackay
“10-4,” Mac said.
“Let’s get out of here.” I unnecessarily added. We were cold and would have wind burned faces in the morning. For the return journey Todd kept the guide rope taut as he moved forward. I had one hand wrapped around the rope and other guiding myself forward. Mac was doing the same behind me. We reached the tree, dropped the guide rope, and unzipped my tent.
“I got this,” I said. Todd handed me the medicine and the men moved on to their tent. Standing outside the tent I shook as much snow as possible off my coat before climbing in. I shoved the coat in the corner of the tent, slipped out of my snow pants, gloves, and hat, and slid into my sleeping bag. Shivering, I turned on my headlamp and searched the bag for ibuprophen.
“Take these,” I said. Amanda gave me a thumbs up and whispered thanks. “Sorry, I can’t make you hot tea. How about a throat lozenge?”
“Please.”
“My hands are too cold to tell if you have a fever.”
“None, or low-grade.”
“Good. Hopefully you’re only getting a cold. If not we’ll get you out of here as soon as the weather breaks.” I searched in the bag for anything else that would help. “Hey look what I found. Want me to rub vapo-rub on your chest?”
“Touch my chest and I’ll smack you,” Amanda whispered. “Go sleep in Liz’s tent. Don’t want you sick.”
“Not exactly any room with her and two saddles.”
“Then sleep with the guys.”
“That close to Mac? Ah, no.”
“Don’t be stupid. If you’re afraid you’ll jump his bones, put Todd in the middle. Just get out of here and save yourself.”
I put on my coat, stuffed my sleeping bag against my chest and pulled the coat tight around it. “Love you.”
“Hugs. Have fun.”
I unzipped the guys’ tent and threw in my bag. “Incoming!”
“Ten bucks, please,” Todd said.
“Put it on my tab,” Mac unrolled my bag between them. Guess I wasn’t getting the option of where I slept.
“You bet on me?”
Todd rolled up his and Mac’s shirts making me a pillow. “I knew there wasn’t room for you in Liz’s tent, but Mac said you’d rather be sick than squeezed in with us. I won.”
“I think you both lose since three people in here is claustrophobic.”
“In this storm, it’s warm-phobic,” Todd said. “We’ll be hot and bothered in an hour.”
“We’re not gambling anymore tonight.” I zipped up my sleeping bag and shivered.
“I hope Amanda and her tent don’t take flight,” Todd said.
“You can sleep with her if you want,” I offered.
“It’s not the getting the sick that bothers me, it’s her whining.” Todd rolled on his side freeing up an extra couple inches of space for me.
“Children, hush and get some sleep,” Mac said.
Neither the storm nor the late night hike kept us from going back to sleep.
“You two need to wake up. This three spoon sandwich is making me sweat,” Todd said shaking the side of the tent to dump off the snow.
“That’s the tent sweating, not you,” I said. “I think this is delightfully warm.”
“Glad someone is delightful. My arm is sore from whacking on the tent to knock snow off, my back is wet from tent sweat, and my front is, well let’s just say this was not how I imagined spooning you would happen,” Mac grinned.
Todd clicked his tongue. “I’m open to a lot of things, but this isn’t one of them. Jorie, no one else is getting out of this can till you do, so move it.”
My elbow caught Mac in the nose, my foot got Todd in the butt, and when I turned to crawl out of the tent I’m pretty sure the groan from Mac meant my other foot became closely acquainted with his favorite body part.
I stood up and saw Liz sitting in her tent with the flaps open, heating water on the camp stove. “I’ve already had a cup, this one is for you.”
She poured coffee in a thermal mug. I realized she was pouring into my mug. “When did you get the mug and stove?”
“I checked on Amanda a little while ago and saw the mug in the tent corner. Todd gave me the stove and some other gear after your excursion for medicine in anticipation of you joining them. I tried to wash the mug in the snow to get her germs off it.” Liz handed me the mug as Amanda sneezed in her tent. “By the way, she’s wasted. And I mean she admitted to downing a big dose of night-time cold med with a vodka chaser.”
“She’s one of the reasons companies put warnings on their labels,” I said.
“Won’t follow directions, so protect your liability,” Liz said.
“Give the woman a cigar.”
Todd exited the tent with Mac right behind. Both made quick paths for the trees. “I better do the same.” Heading in the opposite direction I knew I’d made a miscalculation about the piranha. Because she is a terrible horsewoman, I’d assumed she sucked at all outdoor skills. Yet, she’d started a temperamental camp stove without instructions. She made camp-coffee that was as good as any big name coffee café. What else could she do?
“Now that I’ve relieved myself, tell me why Liz gets a cigar,” Todd said.
Walking back into camp I picked up my coffee mug and knew I’d be wise to sip slowly since we were waiting on a tiny pan to heat water. Todd and Mac would want a mug before I got a second. “Amanda is overmedicating with cold med and vodka.”
Todd pointed at Liz, “And you’ve got her number, hence you win a cigar.”
“What I’ve got is the medicine bag someone in this camp is guilty of leaving with an untrustworthy person.” Liz looked at me.
“Must be Mac,” I tried to lie like a good spy.
“Don’t blame me. I was squashed immovable in a space barely big enough for a small dog.” Mac twisted my arm behind my back.
“I have no defense your honor, I’ll accept my sentence.” Obviously, I’d fail in the spy business since I cracked at the first sign of torture.
Liz poured the next cup of coffee and handed it to Todd. Stepping away from the entrance to her tent she pointed at the saddles. “You can move these saddles in with Amanda and then move in with me. That should be punishment enough.”
I wonder if the piranha attacks out of water?
“I can’t believe you left the medicine with Amanda,” Todd said. “She may not wake up all day.”
“And in what way would that be bad?” I asked.
“Got me there. I can only hypothesize that our day will be quieter without listening to her complaints about sore throats, sneezing, and snow. A trifecta win for us.”
A large pile of snow fell off the tree branch and landed on Mac’s back. “A day stuck in the tent is looking pretty good.”
Todd retrieved the small shovel and started digging out the fire ring. “Might as well start another illegal campfire and try to keep warm.”
“Okay with you, Dr. Clark?” Mac asked. “That will be the same rule broken twice in under 24 hours.”
“Bite me, Special Forces. Our fire pit is safer than half the legal campfires in this park.”
“You’re saying rules are important until you want to break them, and then it’s okey dokey? That’s a dangerous precedent to set, my friend.”
“Precedent this, bud.” I made several juvenile attempts to give him rude hand gestures, which clearly had no real meaning. This cleaning up my mouth was hard.
Liz stuck a stick in the snow, marked the depth with her finger, pulled the stick out and said, “Looks like about 14 inches to me. How long will this take to melt, and please no one tell me it’s not melting.”
“Where the sun shines it will be gone in three days. In the shade it may not be gone until spring,” Todd said.
“I told you not to tell me that.” Liz smacked him over the head with her stocking cap.
“It’s not like we can keep it a secret.”
“Try son, I’m happy living in denial.”
Mac had his
coffee; Liz had a second cup, which meant I was next. I watched the little stove waiting for the coffee to get hot.
Follow.
Nuts, not now, I wanted more coffee. Hearing the word two more times, I knew to move towards the lakeshore and forget about that second cup. Todd saw me walk away, and poked Mac. Concentrating on the voices in my head doesn’t mean I’m immune to what’s happening around me. But, to stay focused, I choose to ignore as much outside interference as possible. Reaching the lakeshore I looked toward Mary Bay, and then turned my head back in the direction of the Thorofare. Standing just outside the tree line was a large gray and brown wolf. Most people assume wolves are the size of large dogs. It isn’t until you’ve seen one in the wild that you realize how massive this beautiful predator can be. I nodded my head at him. He turned back into the trees and I followed.
Mac walked up behind me. “Is this dangerous?”
“Yes, but he knows you’re here, just respect him by staying behind me.”
Mac, Liz and Todd hung back as I moved into the forest and away from the lake. I could see the wolf waiting for me. The path he took through the trees was like walking in a maze, but I followed each step exactly as he took them. The snow was so deep my steps were lagging far behind the male wolf. His prints were easy to follow, but it had been several minutes since I’d seen him.
I heard the low growl. Stop.
The command was meant for a second wolf, not me. The new wolf was not happy with my presence, but remained still as commanded. I saw the flash of movement to my right and two small wolf pups ran towards me. The female yipped and they retreated to her side. The alpha male gave some imperceptible signal to the female and she, along with the pups, ran into the trees.
The alpha male backed up. Follow.
I was not attempting to communicate other than through my head motions and eye contact. Slowly placing each foot ahead of the other I moved closer to the wolf. His head dropped and I looked down.
Raising my eyes, the wolf was already moving away. Thank you was all I could think to say. He nodded and ran after his female and pups.
I looked at the ground where the wolves had dug through the snow. “Snotty barf farts!”
Mac, Todd and Liz walked up next to me.
“Looks like your informant brought us some evidence,” Mac said.
Chapter 11
If I wasn’t so cold, I’d spew last night’s dinner,” Todd said. Why he couldn’t toss his cookies when he was cold made absolutely no sense to me. But, what we were looking at also made no sense, so I wasn’t passing judgment.
The mangled body on the ground had obviously been the main course for numerous animals. I’d seen photos of humans mauled by bears, and so had Todd. However, this wasn’t a photo. It was three-dimensional reality.
Liz and Mac were moving the body, and I was about to join Todd in a movement of some kind. “Is it really necessary to touch it?” I asked.
Liz gave me the piranha look. “He was shot between the eyes.”
“This isn’t a bear mauling?” I leaned in to look at the head, and even with decomposition saw the bullet hole Liz was pointing at; the predation was post-mortem. “Never mind.”
“Why did the wolf bring you here?” Todd asked me with his back turned away from the body.
“If I knew that, I’d be making a living in Vegas, not slogging through snow freezing my ass off.” Really, Marjorie Marie, be nice. “Sorry, Todd.”
“No problem. This just seems out of your normal animal communication, and more like a freak show.”
“He knew bringing this body to me was important,” I said.
“That’s bunk,” Liz stated.
Mac cranked up a good piranha look and directed it at Liz. “It’s not bunk. That wolf has probably been in the area all summer, and knows more about the movements of the assassins than we’ll ever learn. I’m not saying it knew what was going on in human terms. I am saying humans have little idea what goes on in an animal’s mind. Even so, wildlife biologists publish studies as fact, and then I end up 30 miles from the nearest road in the Thorofare and watch bears, wolves and mountain lions exhibit contradictory behavior to those so-called facts. The only bunk is a human declaring they know animal behavior, but animals don’t know ours. That wolf knew something was wrong, and it communicated that to Jorie.”
Liz locked eyes with me. A slow smile settled on her face. “So, you’re a shaman? I’ve never met one before.”
“You aren’t missing much,” I said.
“I suspect I am.”
Todd and I walked away from the body, letting the other two investigate. I was sure Mac’s speech was based on something more than defending my family’s gifts. He knew my mother had been a member of the Stargate Program, since his employers at the Defense Intelligence Agency controlled its final stages. He’d been spending time with Grampa Nus, who was probably divulging more than he should. And he’d witnessed my shamanic gifts on too many occasions to deny their existence. Whatever his reasons for backing-up my connection to the wolf, it was effective in shutting down Liz.
“I’d donate a month’s salary to see Mac give that speech to wildlife biologists,” Todd said.
“But then we’d have to listen to them tell Mac why he’s wrong.”
“Watching their heads explode from being so pissed off would be worth it.”
“A lot of people think our work is suspect too,” I said.
“It is. However, we’re willing to admit it,” Todd made the sign of the cross.
I flicked Todd on the back of the head. “Our research is 100 percent fact-based.”
“Until a new and better piece of equipment is produced and proves us wrong. And I can’t believe you said that with a straight face.”
“I know. All stats can be manipulated to reach the conclusion you choose.” Those manipulations by the USGS were my nemesis.
“Just so you know. My doctorate is in the toilet thanks to all the reality the last few months has forced on me. I want to find an uninhabited island, build a little house and never leave,” Todd said.
“Can I help with your dissertation?” I asked.
“I didn’t mean I was literally having problems. I meant, why bother. Look at those two. How do they continue to risk their lives and careers for a world full of people who either don’t care what the government is doing or who blindly believe the media operatives?”
“You’ve been spending too much time in a tent with Mac when you start using the word operatives,” I said.
“My happy little bubble view of the world certainly has changed, and not for the better.”
“Hey, you two!” Mac called. “I’ll assume you don’t want to babysit the body, so head back to camp, get the pack with Liz’s camera in it and my blue pack. Also bring us water and something to eat, we’re starving.”
Todd cringed. “See what I mean. They’re standing over a dead body and they still have an appetite.”
“I could use something to eat,” I said.
“You’re all insane.” Todd scratched his elbow. “But, now that you mention it, I am a little verklimpt.”
The sound of Amanda blowing her nose was like a tree going through a wood-chipper. Any ranger patrolling the nearby trail wouldn’t have any trouble locating our camp.
“There’s no way we packed enough paper products to handle that,” Todd said.
“We both know she’ll refuse to use the mountain man way of handling nasal excretions.” I didn’t blame her, but it wasn’t like we could make a run to the store for tissues. “We may have to send her home.”
“I’m not going home!” Amanda said from inside her tent, which would probably need to be thrown in a dumpster from participating in a losing battle with germ warfare. “I’ll use a shirt if I have too, and then Todd can wash it out for me.”
“Like hell I will! I’m not going near your snot.”
“Fine. I’m going back to sleep.”
“Good idea,” I said.
“Who took my medicine?” Amanda yelled.
“The cold med or the vodka?” Todd was trying not to laugh.
“Both!”
“We’ve got enough dead bodies on this trip, we’re not adding yours to the mix. We’ll see that you get medicine when it’s time.” I was glad we were safely outside since Amanda was throwing things inside the tent looking for medicine we’d missed.
Todd whispered in my right ear. “She must be really sick if she didn’t catch the dead body revelation.”
“Let’s get what we need and vamoose before it sinks in.” I put Liz’s camera pack on my back and grabbed a handful of granola bars we’d retrieved from the hanging bag. Thankfully, nothing else had ventured into camp and eaten them. Todd was wearing Mac’s blue pack and picking up several containers of water we’d filtered last night. Exiting camp we heard the wood chipper strike up another chorus.
I stopped to clean my sunglasses near the lakeshore. They’d been on and off regularly yesterday and had accumulated a day of grease, dirt and even in this cold, sweat. The white snow and blue water melded with the sky and puffy clouds creating a blinding light that without my sunglasses required me to face away from the water. The only way to tell where the lake ended and the sky began was the shadow of the mountains. When winter laid her coat on the environment, disorientation became common, and getting lost possible for even the most seasoned local. The sooner we finished, the sooner I could hunker down like a hibernating bear back at the ranch.
“Wonder who the dead dude is?” Todd broke into my thinking. “Good guy or bad guy?”
I put my sunglasses on and started walking. “Could be either.”
“It’s starting to look like someone had no intentions of anyone getting out alive.”
“Anything is possible,” I said. Todd was starting to freak me out.
“Makes me more suspicious about fossils and relics we discover. Maybe the obsidian knife we found last year was used to kill someone. Then the dude went back to the village told the others there was an accident and proceeded to take the dead guy’s hut and start shagging his woman.”
“I don’t think we need to start suspecting murder and larceny around every boulder.” Although, I’d never again believe what my mother read to me in the nursery rhyme about sugar and spice and everything nice.
