“This makes no sense,” Jarvis said. “Where are the hunters?”
Infinity couldn’t take her eyes off the feeding predators. The sight was both mesmerizing and horrifying. She suddenly felt vulnerable. She and her group were several hundred yards from the coyotes, but they were still in plain sight. The fire line separated them from the coyotes, but the flames were losing momentum in the shorter, greener grass of the valley floor, and it looked like the fire would soon go out.
“We need to go,” she said, keeping her voice low. “Move slowly—don’t run. Maybe the smoke will conceal us.”
14
Holes
As the bridgers and anthropologists descended the slope heading back toward the forest and the river, Infinity reflexively looked over her shoulder, half-expecting to see hundreds of coyotes in pursuit. When they were back to the spot where they had first emerged from the forest, she decided they should turn to the west. She definitely didn’t want to remain anywhere near the pack of coyotes, and returning to the river wasn’t an option either, so she figured they might as well move toward the distant column of smoke, as originally planned.
After they had been walking in silence along the forest’s edge for about a half mile, Jarvis spoke up. “Am I the only one baffled by what we’ve just seen?”
No one answered.
He went on. “There’s nothing unusual about humans using fire to drive game. And there’s also nothing surprising about humans using domesticated dogs to drive game. But why would you allow your dogs to actually eat your game? Normally the dogs would only be fed the leftover scraps.”
“You’re the anthropologists,” Tequila said. “Aren’t you supposed to be experts on these things?”
Jarvis glanced at Tequila and then cracked a smile. “I guess we’re all learning as we go.”
Horton stopped. “To be honest, I don't find any of this to be the least bit funny! We’re here for a serious scientific investigation. I watched a man I admired get killed by freakishly-large river otters, and then I watched five hundred coyotes brutally slaughter a dozen elk after using fire to systematically separate them from their herd. And here we are, naked and helpless, with nothing more than broken tree branches to protect us.”
Infinity walked back to where Horton had stopped. She gazed at him. The man was sweating and trembling. “Take it easy,” she said. “We’re all freaked out.” She scanned the surrounding area for danger and then turned back to Horton. “I admired Striker, too. He taught me how to be a bridger. During our training, he routinely took me and the other trainees into the forest.” She glanced down at her body. “Completely naked, of course. This was difficult at first. I mean, your bare skin is sensitive and vulnerable, right? But, as Striker liked to remind us, most of our clothing is only about a millimeter thick. It offers us pretty much no protection. Yet we feel vulnerable without it. Feeling vulnerable is important. It forces us to focus on what can really protect us.”
She used her spear to tap the long, forked weapon Horton was still carrying. “That can protect you.” She then used the spear to tap his temple. “Most of all, that can protect you. It tells you to stay close to the trees, in case you need to climb to safety. It tells you to wedge the butt of your spear into the ground if you’re using it to stop a large animal. Most of all, it lets you learn how to adapt to new and dangerous environments, like this one. And we’ve already learned a lot, haven’t we?”
He glared at her. “Look, I know you’re trying to give me a pep talk, but—”
“No!” she cut him off. “These are Striker’s words! It’s not a goddamn pep talk—it’s your chance to learn, and it’s your chance to live. You learned not to get back into the river, right? If you hadn’t learned that, you’d be dead. And if you don’t get the point of what I've just said, then you'll be just as likely to die. You’re armed, and you’re smart. You are not helpless!”
His eyes widened a bit. He nodded. “I get it.”
Infinity slapped his shoulder with her free hand. “Of course you do. Now let’s go find out who made that fire.” She gestured for him to lead the way.
Once the group was moving again, Tequila walked beside her just behind the two anthropologists. “You’re going to make a hell of a bridger,” he muttered.
She shot a glance at him. “Likewise.”
They continued west along the strip of forest that ran alongside the river. After another mile or so, the column of smoke came into view just ahead. It was rising from a low area between two hills about a quarter of a mile from the river. The nearest of the two hills nearly butted up against the forest’s edge, blocking their view of the smoke’s source. Infinity held up a hand to stop the group, and they all stared at the smoke.
“The fire hasn’t grown any larger,” Tequila said. “A wildfire would either spread or die out.”
Infinity turned to the anthropologists. “If there are people over there, they could be just as dangerous as any predator. We’re just here to observe, not to interact. Understood?”
They both nodded. “Observing is our primary objective,” Horton said. “However, if they look friendly, maybe—”
“Tequila and I will decide if they look friendly,” she interjected. “Don’t do anything until we give the okay.”
Again they nodded.
“Slow and quiet,” she said. She then began leading them away from the forest, angling up the slope. She didn’t want to get too far from the trees—just far enough up the hill to be able to circle around the side and look down on the scene below.
When they were high enough that she was sure they were above the source of the smoke, they proceeded horizontally along the slope until the valley between the hills started coming into view.
Infinity motioned for the group to stop. The slope on the far side of the valley was mostly devoid of grass and was riddled with holes. Although it was difficult to gauge with any certainty at this distance, the holes appeared to be barely big enough for a human to squeeze into, maybe a foot and a half in diameter. There was no movement on the hillside, just hundreds of dark holes.
She glanced at Tequila. He shook his head, indicating either that he didn’t like the situation or that he didn’t have a clue what they were looking at. Maybe both.
Infinity still couldn’t see the source of the smoke, so she gestured for the others to crouch low, and they continued advancing. The flat area between the hills came into view. There was no grass growing there, only well-trodden, reddish dirt. A slight movement on the ground caught her eye. It was a dog-like animal—one of the coyotes—sprawled on its belly and licking one of its paws. She still saw no signs of humans.
She took a few more steps, until the source of the smoke finally came into view. She stopped abruptly, confused by the scene below. The smoke was coming from a fire that was burning beneath a rock overhang that protruded from the side of a ravine in the center of the valley. At least twenty more coyotes were sitting or lying in the area immediately surrounding the fire.
Jarvis inched up beside Infinity. “Where are the humans? I don’t see a single person anywhere.”
Someone nudged Infinity’s shoulder. “Stay low and still,” Tequila whispered. “More dogs coming from the left.”
Infinity slowly turned her head to look. Four coyotes were trotting out from the forest, each of them carrying at least one stick in its mouth. One of the dogs was carrying three, and another dog’s stick was so large that it had to be dragged. The creatures continued in single file along a well-worn path running parallel to the rocky stream bed, which gradually became the deeper ravine with the rocky overhang sheltering the fire. They proceeded directly to the fire and dropped their sticks into a pile next to it. Then they immediately turned and headed back down the trail toward the forest.
Tequila whispered, “Okay, these dogs are badasses at playing fetch. Someone tell me I didn’t just see that.”
No one bothered to reply.
Infinity continued to stare, her th
oughts reeling. Where were the dogs’ owners? They had to be nearby. She scanned the area again. There were no people in sight. There were no huts, no teepees, no cabins. The holes in the side of the hill were the perfect size for these coyotes and couldn’t possibly be human dwellings.
Her eyes were drawn back toward the fire as one of the dogs got up and approached the pile of sticks. The creature turned its back to the pile and then kicked out one of its hind feet and then the other, knocking several of the sticks into the flames. It continued doing this, looking back over its shoulder and shifting its butt from side to side, until it had kicked all the sticks into the fire. The dog then returned to its previous spot and lay back down.
“Absolutely extraordinary!” Jarvis whispered.
A distant growl drew Infinity’s attention away from the coyotes around the fire. The stick-carrying dogs had stopped on their way back to the forest, and all four of them were staring directly up at the humans on the hillside. Infinity heard the coyotes near the fire growl in response and turned in time to see all of them get to their feet.
“Oh, man,” Tequila said, “this isn’t good. We need to get to the trees.”
“Start walking—slowly,” Infinity said, trying to keep her voice calm. “Don’t drop your weapons. If they start to chase us, we’re going to—”
Multiple growls came from below. It was too late. The coyotes were sprinting up the slope.
“Run!” Infinity cried.
15
Tree
“Go! Go, go, go!” Infinity urged the anthropologists to move faster. Tequila was in the lead, and she had taken up the rear, with the clients between them. They began angling back to the east as they ran down the slope.
Infinity glanced over her shoulder, cursing herself for having led the group so far away from the trees. The pack of dogs that had been called over from the fire were quickly gaining on them, and the four dogs at the bottom of the hill were closing in to cut the humans off.
Infinity’s group made it to the bottom of the hill, but they were still fifty yards from the nearest trees. Tequila stopped suddenly. “Not gonna make it!” he panted. “Give us your forked weapons.” He grabbed Horton’s, and Jarvis handed his to Infinity.
“Oh, shit!” Horton said as the dogs closed in on them.
Infinity dropped her spear and readied her forked weapon just in time to block the nearest charging coyote. But the dog avoided the sharpened tines, leaping into the air and hurtling straight for her face.
Tequila’s forked weapon swung down from the side, striking the creature just behind the head. The dog tumbled to the ground at Infinity’s feet, yelping in pain and kicking its feet wildly.
“Hurt them any way you can!” Tequila shouted as he swung viciously at another charging coyote, catching the animal on the side of its head, eliciting a yelp. The coyote rolled over once and then scrambled out of the weapon’s range.
And then the entire pack was upon them—at least twenty-five dogs. But instead of immediately attacking, the coyotes surrounded the four humans, growling and baring their teeth. The first creature Tequila had injured was still on the ground, whining and floundering, its neck apparently broken. Infinity decided her forked weapon was too unwieldy and dropped it, picking up her shorter spear.
“You thought we were helpless, didn’t you?” Tequila shouted. “Does this look helpless?” He raised up his weapon and rammed both its points into the injured coyote’s side. The creature howled in pain.
The surrounding coyotes intensified their growls but kept their distance. This standoff couldn’t last much longer. The coyotes were small, probably less than forty pounds each, but there were too many of them. And Infinity had watched the creatures kill a dozen elk, each weighing at least six hundred pounds.
“We have to do something,” Horton said. “More are coming.”
Infinity looked up the slope. Hundreds of coyotes were standing at the ridge, staring down at them. A few of the creatures started trotting down the slope.
They could run for the river and swim, or they could run for the trees and climb. These were the only two choices, and Infinity didn’t like either of them. But there was no time for discussion, so she had to choose one.
“We’re going for the trees,” she shouted. “On three, everyone charge one of the dogs and swing at it. Do anything you can to hurt it. Then when I say now, follow me.” She took a deep breath and started counting, ignoring muted protests from the clients. “One… two… three!”
She screamed and lunged at one of the coyotes, jabbed at its face with her spear. The creature ducked to the side. At the same time, she heard a thump and more yelping as one of the other spears made contact.
The coyotes backed off a few feet, still snarling and barking.
“Screw you!” Tequila screamed as he lunged forward and struck another of the creatures, knocking it off its feet.
“Now!” Infinity cried, and she broke into a run heading for the trees. “Stay with me!”
“Go, go, go!” Tequila shouted from behind.
As Infinity entered the forest, she could hear the others running behind her. The first few trees she passed were unsuitable for climbing, but she looked ahead and quickly spotted one that split into three thick branches about seven feet off the ground. It would have to do.
She stopped abruptly at the tree, intertwined her fingers, and held out her locked hands as a step assist for Horton. “Get up there, now!”
The anthropologist stepped into her hands but was struggling to get to the first fork in the tree. Infinity strained to support him as she watched Tequila run while twisting and swinging wildly at the coyotes close on his heels. His weapon was keeping the small pack at bay, but Infinity could now see that the much larger mass of coyotes was catching up, closing the distance between the base of the hillside and the forest.
Horton finally pulled himself up, and Jarvis immediately stepped into Infinity’s locked hands. Tequila stopped about two yards from the tree, cursing and swinging his forked weapon to keep the coyotes back. Infinity grunted and hoisted Jarvis with all her strength. He got his arms around one of the branches and started pulling himself up.
Infinity grabbed the spears the men had dropped at the base of the tree and passed them up. “Take these!” She then picked up her own spear and rushed at the snapping coyotes, forcing them back. “Climb!” she shouted at Tequila.
“You climb!” he replied. “Go!”
There was no time to argue. She stepped back to the tree, dropped her spear, and launched herself up to where she could grab one of the branches just above the split. Bracing her feet against the main trunk, she climbed hand-over-hand up the branch. Just as she pulled herself high enough to swing her leg around the branch, Tequila grasped one of the other main branches and started pulling himself up.
He glanced at her and started to say something, but then he grimaced. “Son of a bitch!”
Infinity looked down. Two coyotes were hanging by their teeth from the flesh of Tequila’s calf. The others were jumping at him, trying to get their own grip on his leg. With the extra weight, he couldn’t pull himself any higher. A third coyote latched onto his foot, and he almost lost his grip.
A hand grabbed Infinity’s wrist. “I’ll pull you up,” Jarvis said.
She released the branch, and he lifted her until she could get both her feet under her.
She thrust her hand toward Jarvis. “Give me your spear!”
He handed it to her. She glanced toward the hillside. The dogs in the main pack were now charging through the forest, twenty yards away and closing fast.
“I’m losing my grip,” Tequila grunted.
Infinity maneuvered herself until she could thrust the spear downward at the coyotes hanging from Tequila’s leg. But she was too high. Keeping one leg wrapped around the branch for stability, she leaned down and jabbed the face of one of the coyotes gripping Tequila’s leg. The spear’s tip glanced off the creature's skull, and it bit down h
arder. She then held the spear as steady as she could, placed the point against the coyote’s eye, and rammed it in with all her strength.
The creature let go and yowled madly. Tequila pulled himself up another foot or so.
The main pack arrived, several hundred coyotes converging at the base of the tree, leaping and snapping, desperately trying to get their teeth into Tequila’s leg.
Infinity tried to ignore the terrifying cacophony of growls and focus on placing the tip of her spear in the second coyote’s eye. She made contact and shoved it in, forcing the creature to drop into the mass of coyotes below.
Tequila began pulling himself up again, kicking at the remaining coyote with his free leg.
“Hold still!” Infinity ordered, trying to position the spear again. She then noticed something—the coyotes below were actually piling on top of each other, getting closer to Tequila by the second. One of them got its teeth into the coyote that was still hanging onto his foot. The extra weight yanked the first creature free, allowing Tequila to pull himself hand-over-hand up the branch. Jarvis grabbed his arm and pulled him around the branch until Tequila got his footing.
The coyotes below quit growling and snapping. Apparently they realized the humans were now out of reach.
Infinity pulled herself upright. Her eyes met Tequila’s, and they smiled at each other, gasping for breath.
“I owe you one,” he said. He glanced up at Jarvis. “You too.”
Infinity looked down at his bloody calf. “That doesn’t look good.”
He rubbed the calf, wiping away some of the blood and exposing numerous punctures and deep gashes. “The med techs will stitch me up.”
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