by C. G. Cooper
Cal had managed to light his makeshift torch and look around the small cave. There wasn’t anything else he could use as a weapon. The bear had at first searched the trail thinking that Cal had jumped off the side. It didn’t take the grizzly long to figure out that his target was right behind him in the little recess.
Man and beast had traded swings and shouts of anger. The huge animal couldn’t fit in the hole and Cal couldn’t deliver any damage with his measly torch. Whoever said bears are afraid of fire was full of shit, Cal pondered angrily as he took another ineffective swipe at his opponent.
Despite the claymore mine explosion and being riddled by Cal’s rounds, the bear didn’t seem to be slowing down. Occasionally he would step back and lick his wounds, only to come back at Cal’s hideout with renewed vigor. Cal knew it was only a matter of time before a claw came far enough in to deal a deadly blow.
+++
Daniel heard the bear long before he saw it. He could only hope that Cal was on the delivering end of the wrath in the beast’s tone. It sounded like something from the pits of hell.
Following the bear’s cries, Daniel made his way along the ridge.
+++
The bear smelled something in the wind. It paused briefly and cocked its ear, straining against the howling storm to hear anything out of the ordinary. Nothing. The creature stood back on its hind legs and sniffed the air. The smell was gone.
It turned back to the cave and gave in to its primal instinct. The mighty mammal roared deafeningly as it knew it would soon have its prize.
+++
Daniel had eased himself down onto the narrow path. It wasn’t hard to pinpoint the location of the bear from all the noise it was making. Gazing through the white downfall, Daniel finally saw the brute. It alternated sticking each arm into the hole almost like it had found a gigantic bee hive filled with honey.
Daniel knew at once that it was Cal the bear was after. He could even see a flicker of what he assumed was a torch coming from the small entry. Daniel couldn’t understand why Cal hadn’t just killed the grizzly.
The sniper couldn’t get a good shot from his precarious position, so he went with another option. He started yelling.
It took the enraged bear a second to hear him over the blizzard. Even when he did turn around, he couldn’t pinpoint Daniel’s location. The beast sniffed the air again trying to find what had now claimed his interest twice.
Daniel watched quietly as the bear searched. He yelled again and locked eyes with the mighty animal. It seemed confused as to what it should do. Go after the new human or stay with the one cornered in the hole? While it was deciding, Daniel watched in amazement as Cal climbed out of the hole, took the quick steps to the edge of the ravine, jumped into the swirling wind and disappeared below.
The bear turned just in time to see Cal jump. Much as a child quickly loses interest in a toy, the bear forgot about its first prey and set its angry gaze on Daniel. Daniel watched in amazement as the gigantic fiend deftly maneuvered its way along the narrow path. The Marine turned and ran back up the trail. He could only hope that Cal was still alive. Right now he had to deal with the enormous grizzly.
+++
Cal tried to keep his descent as close to the ravine wall as possible. He had no idea how far the fall would be, so he kept trying to grab hold of something. The descent was painful as he hit branch after branch and then twisted his knee slamming into a rock only to be thrown down the wall farther. Cal worried that the drop would never end. As soon as he thought it, the ground greeted him with a painful thud. He lay there for a full minute, listening for the bear that he was almost sure had jumped after him. The animal never came.
Cal rolled over onto his stomach and pushed himself into a sitting position. He tested his limbs, amazed that, despite a few bumps and bruises, nothing appeared to be drastically wrong with him. I think I just used up another one of my nine lives.
He got to his feet and steadied himself against a large boulder that he’d just missed coming down on. Cal knew he couldn’t climb back up, so the only way to go was through the ravine. Hopefully Daniel took care of Trapper, Cal thought as he started walking. This is gonna be a real pain in the ass without my skis.
+++
Daniel glided along the path until he came to a small section that looked just big enough for him to lie on. He skidded to a stop and moved into a prone position on the snow-covered ledge. It would give him the best stability to fire his rifle if he was lying on the ground. The bear wasn’t far behind. Daniel knew he would only have time to fire one shot. With minimal visibility, the window of opportunity was finite. He could only see ten feet down the path.
He settled his breathing and searched for the bear through the rifle site. The mammoth beast broke through the blinding snow not twelve feet from the prostrate Marine. Daniel aimed at the animal’s head and fired.
Chapter 33
Grand Teton Mountain Range, Wyoming
7:35pm, September 28th
“They should be here by now, Top,” Brian commented.
MSgt Trent tried his radio again. They hadn’t been able to establish contact with Cal or Daniel for hours. He’d found out from Gaucho that the two men had gone off to find Trapper. The normally optimistic Trent was starting to fear the worst.
“I don’t know if there’s much else we can do but wait, Doc. I’ll bet they just got distracted catching snowflakes or something.”
Trent’s attempt at humor fell flat against Brian’s anxiety. It wasn’t like the two Marines to be late for anything. Brian was usually the one catching flack for not showing up fifteen minutes early.
“Anything from Gaucho?” he asked.
“I just talked to him. He and his boys are waiting for us at the next checkpoint. Says they haven’t encountered any bad guys.”
Brian nodded and looked back down the ravine. “Where are you guys?”
+++
Cal was slowly making his way up the ravine. Not wanting to walk on the possibly booby-trapped trail, Cal’s travel was further hindered by frequent holes, rocks and bushes hidden beneath the winter snow. If he had his skis, he would have glided right over them. But with only the boots on his feet, the going was slow and painful. He’d aggravated his knee worse than he’d thought in the fall. Each step brought a shooting pain up his right leg.
At least he still had his map and compass in his pocket. For some reason, that thought made him push harder. He knew where he was going. Now all he had to do was get there. Cal strained his way up the mountain, thinking of Neil as he went.
+++
The buyers had just arrived at Ponder’s compound below the peak of Battleship Mountain. They were escorted in by a cadre of Ponder’s most loyal soldiers. He waited impatiently behind his desk, sipping from a large glass of Jack Daniels. He already had a few lines of coke earlier to keep his energy levels up. It had been a long couple of days. Ponder hoped the wait would soon be over.
The head buyer was shown into Ponder’s office. He was a man of average height and build. Ponder knew the man was from somewhere in the Middle East as evidenced by his complexion and facial features. He hated dealing with Arabs or Muslims or whatever they called themselves. They were all beggars or thieves in his opinion, but in this case they were his meal ticket.
Nick Ponder extracted himself from his chair and moved to greet the emissary. “Welcome to Wyoming!”
The smaller man bowed slightly and smiled. “Thank you, Mr. Ponder. My name is Benjamin,” he said with a slight British accent.
Ponder knew it couldn’t possibly be the man’s real name, but he didn’t care. The two men shook hands and took a seat on opposite sides of the desk. Ponder waived for his guards to leave the room. He waited until the door was closed before speaking.
“Did you bring the money?” Ponder asked, trying not to sound too anxious.
Benjamin raised a black case and set it on the desk. “Cash denominations in Dollars and Euros, along with gold and diamonds, as per your instructi
ons. The balance of the purchase price will be deposited into your overseas accounts once we have confirmed delivery with my superiors.”
Ponder nodded and inspected the contents of the briefcase. It was only a small fraction of his fee, but still tantalizing. He fought the urge to drool as he fingered the small bag of diamonds.
“When may we see Mr. Patel?” asked Benjamin.
Ponder looked up from his small horde. “I thought we’d have a little lunch and then head down to see your new pet.”
Benjamin smiled amiably. “That is much appreciated, Mr. Ponder, but would it be possible to get our lunch while we administer another test on Mr. Patel?”
Ponder gritted his teeth. “I thought we already got past all this.”
Benjamin waived a hand in apology. “It’s actually not a test to verify the purchase, Mr. Ponder.”
“Then what the hell is it for?” Ponder growled impatiently.
“My superiors merely want to initiate a certain operation prior to our departure. Please be assured that as soon as I see Mr. Patel, your money will be wired to your account.”
The comment seemed to calm Ponder. The man known as Benjamin knew the next hour would be the most delicate of his operation. It was important to keep Ponder happy. His superiors had sent Benjamin not only because he was one of his country’s deadliest assassins, but because he had the rare duel talents of diplomacy and patience. Benjamin felt just as at home with the Prince of Wales as he did with a common street beggar. Upon laying eyes on Nick Ponder, he knew the man would be easily manipulated by greed.
Benjamin smiled again. “Shall we meet with Mr. Patel?”
+++
Neil was lying down on his cot trying to rest. He’d heard the commotion almost an hour before. His time had come. Neil was scared. Never before had he felt so alone. That wasn’t completely true. After the death of his mother and father at the hands of Pakistani terrorists, Neil went into a drug-induced nosedive. It was only through the intervention of Cal and his dad that he had come to terms with the murder of his parents. Neil could still hear Cal Sr.’s words: “I can’t tell you that the pain will ever go away, Neil. What I can tell you is that you’ll learn to deal with it and get to living again.” The man had been a second father to the young college student.
The doorway at the top of the staircase opened with a loud groan. Neil sat up and waited for the footsteps to come down the concrete stairs. Nick Ponder was the first to come to his cell door.
“I’ve got a visitor for you, Neil,” Ponder said with a wicked grin.
A tiny light of hope flared within Neil. Could it be his friends?
A man stepped in front of Ponder and peered into the room. “Hello, Mr. Patel.”
Neil’s eyes went wide with terror. He knew this man. It felt like all the oxygen was sucked out of the room and replaced with unbearable cold. Benjamin smiled evilly and nodded. He turned back to Ponder. “I am satisfied, Mr. Ponder. Let us finalize our transaction in your office.”
Ignoring Neil, they both headed back up the stairs. Neil stayed in his cell. The shock of seeing the man he thought to be dead shook Neil to his core. All hope was lost.
Chapter 34
Grand Teton Mountain Range, Wyoming
9:05pm, September 28th
It was getting harder and harder for Cal to put one foot in front of the other. What I wouldn’t give for some food right now. He’d been dehydrated before and recognized the signs that his body was giving. He needed water soon, but stopping wasn’t an option. Occasionally he would scoop up a handful of snow, stick it in his mouth and suck on it. Contrary to what most people think, eating snow can actually dehydrate you. Cal knew the only way to get water out of snow was to melt it. He didn’t have time for that. It was already way past the time he should have met up with the rest of the team.
Cal reached down for another scoop of snow and took a bite.
“Didn’t your platoon sergeant tell you never to eat yellow snow, Boss?”
Cal whirled around at the sound of the voice. A red flashlight flicked on. Rising up from the snow and darkness was Gaucho. Cal exhaled in relief.
“Please tell me Daniel and Lance made it too.”
Gaucho’s smile faded. “Snake Eyes is here, but Lance is gone.”
“What happened?” Cal asked.
Gaucho didn’t have a chance to explain. Daniel walked up and put a hand on Cal’s shoulder. “I can’t tell you how glad I am to see you, Cal. What the hell possessed you to jump into the canyon?”
Cal looked at his friend in confusion. “How did you know…?” His tired mind struggled to put the pieces together. “You distracted the bear.”
“I was about to shoot the damn thing when you jumped. I thought you were dead. We were giving you until 2200 and then heading out.”
“What can I say? I guess some of your good luck must be rubbing off on me,” Cal smiled. “Wait. What happened to the bear?”
Gaucho stepped closer and answered for Daniel. “Wouldn’t you know it, this crazy Gringo shot that fucker at point blank range. One shot one kill, right, Snake Eyes?”
Daniel shrugged at the compliment. “It was dead before it hit the ground…the ground that I was lying on. The grizzly’s momentum almost got me. I just barely got out of the way as it came crashing down.”
Cal shook his head in amazement. Was there anything the Marine sniper couldn’t do?
“What happened to Lance?”
“He died saving me,” Daniel answered solemnly.
“How?”
“Trapper was about to shoot me when Lance came running in and distracted him. The poor guy didn’t stand a chance and he knew it. Trapper shot point blank. He died in my arms.”
Cal recognized the grief in Daniel’s voice. It pained him to see the sniper lose yet another of his men.
“And Trapper?”
“I took care of him.”
Cal nodded.
“Please tell me one of you has some water,” Cal almost pleaded.
Daniel pulled a Nalgene bottle out of his coat and handed it to him. Cal had to remind himself not to drink too fast, but his overwhelming thirst won out. He downed the entire bottle in seconds.
“Where are the rest of the guys?” Cal asked once he was partially satiated.
Gaucho pointed up the hill.
“Let’s go see about finishing this fucking hike,” Cal suggested.
The three men headed up the hill, each rejuvenated by the sight of the other.
+++
The rest of the team was overjoyed to have Cal back. After hearing the story of Cal’s suicidal jump from Daniel, no one had held much hope for his survival.
Under the cover of darkness, the SSI warriors prepped for their final journey around Battleship Mountain. They would stick together for the last leg of the movement.
Brian, MSgt Trent, Gaucho, Daniel and Cal huddled together over a map to finalize the plan.
“We’ll stay in a column until we get right here.” Cal pointed to the map. “At that point, we’ll split up and approach Ponder’s compound from here and here.”
The men nodded. It wouldn’t be easy, but it would maximize their chances of closing in unnoticed.
“Any questions?” Cal asked.
Trent raised his hand. “You get word from Travis?”
“Not yet. This weather is really messing with our comm gear. I can’t get a signal with either my cell phone or the satellite phone.”
“So we don’t even know if Neil’s still there,” stated Brian evenly. He was all about helping a friend, but his feeling of unease grew as they got closer to their objective.
“What can I say, Doc? It’s the last place we know Neil was. Daniel confirmed that with Lance earlier.”
Brian wasn’t convinced, but said nothing. Cal couldn’t ignore the look of doubt on his friend’s face.
“If you’ve got something to say, Doc, spit it out.”
There were so many things Brian wanted to say, but he d
idn’t want to dampen the men’s spirits. “Just ignore me, guys. Must be the cold messing with my Hispanic roots.”
“You got that right, hombre!” Gaucho laughed.
The atmosphere lightened. They made their way back to their gear to get ready to go.
Brian followed Cal. “Hey, Cal?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m sorry about that back there. I just can’t shake this…vibe I’m getting.”
Cal looked at his friend. “I know how you feel. This whole operation has been one big goat rope from the beginning. Trust me, if I had something better, we’d do it. But right now we need to push forward and find Neil.”
“I know.”
The two men stared at each other for a moment. Brian broke the silence. “Just avoid jumping off any more cliffs, Staff Sergeant. I’m a good corpsman, but not THAT good.”
They both laughed. “Don’t worry. I hope I never have to do that again.”
Cal patted his friend on the shoulder and moved off to put on the gear the team had managed to piece together for him. As he strapped on his new skis, Cal tried to ignore the nagging sense of dread that threatened to overtake his resolve. Neil and the rest of the men were counting on him.
+++
Travis stood in the cockpit looking over Cowboy’s shoulder. They’d been waiting for the storm to die down for hours.
“We’re gonna need to get a refill soon,” Cowboy offered conversationally.
“How long will that take?”
Cowboy consulted his navigation system. “I’d say no more than an hour and half. The ground crew is already expecting us.”
“You can land in this stuff?” Travis down to the roiling clouds.
“It’s all about trusting your instruments.”
Travis wasn’t so sure. “I’ll be right back.”
He walked to the troop hold to find Dunn. Dunn looked up from the conversation he was having with one of the team leaders.