by Jane H Wood
25
It was early evening and a sudden gust of wind blew over Mace’s face, and he shivered, feeling his fur ripple along the length of his body. He was hardly breathing, but stirred and opened his eyes.
With a huge effort he lifted his head and looked around him; he was alone, lying on the grass beside the river. His body was sore all over, and his throat felt raw, but he attempted to swallow, desperate for water. He’d received several deep bites in his fight with Silver and felt weak and dizzy. He returned to a reclining position, reluctant to move again.
His ears picked up the gentle vibrations in the ground; wolves, he surmised, and he licked his dry mouth anxiously.
Mira had convinced Joel that something was wrong because Kegg didn’t usually stay away for such a long period of time, so the family had set off that morning, searching, until by chance the scent of blood drew them to this spot.
Mace lay still, aware that wolves were approaching him. He couldn’t see them, but a jumble of scents drifted on the air. The family stopped a few yards away and surveyed the scene – a fight had taken place on this spot. The ground was rank with blood, and swathes of plants lay flattened, many uprooted by the violent disturbance. Joel ambled forward cautiously, recognising Dupeena lying on the ground a short distance ahead. She was dead.
Mace waited, expecting Gower to charge at him and finish him off, but instead a wet nose pushed into his face. It was Joel, with Mira and two younger wolves beside her.
‘What happened, Mace?’ asked Joel tersely.
He knew the wolf well; he used to be a good reliable friend, a useful pack member, until he’d sided with Gower. The old wolf pulled in a rasping breath.
‘Joel! My friend, I’m so sorry. Gower was strong, and I know I am old and weak; my life is nearly spent and I deserve to die. But Joel, listen to me!’ he gasped, frantic to tell him what had happened.
‘We tried to defend Kegg. But they took him! Forced him to go with them.’
‘Who took Kegg? What are you talking about?’ growled Joel impatiently.
Mira wanted to hear what the old wolf was saying and moved closer.
‘Tell me what happened to Kegg. Please!’ she pleaded, staring down into the sorry face of the dying wolf.
‘Gower and Borrin have taken him! They ran into the wilderness, towards the mountains…! Joel, Joel!’ Mace pleaded, his voice no more than a whisper. ‘I’m sorry, sorry for everything!’ he gasped, distraught, staring earnestly into the face of his once friend and leader. A tear slid from the corner of his eye, mingling with the short hairs on his cheek.
Joel leaned closer and whispered in the old wolf’s ears. ‘Rest now, my friend, be at peace, for you have done your duty. We will find Kegg, and Gower will die. I promise you that.’ He lifted his head, watching the old wolf exhale his last breath… finally at peace.
Purposely, the family turned westwards, heading steadily towards the mountains as night descended.
26
The three rangers had negotiated the riverside trail by flashlight, the journey taking longer than anticipated. At the bridge, Keith was already there, seated inside the Land Rover, waiting patiently.
‘We’ll take the road,’ instructed Gus, as Keith started the engine. ‘I know it’s a longer route to the mountains but our speed should compensate for that.’
Once they were on the move, a discussion began regarding the reasons why GoldenEars should’ve been led away in that manner.
‘They want him for some reason, perhaps,’ said Josh, baffled why two wolves would pull another of their kind along by its ears.
‘They’ve captured him,’ interjected Edmund. ‘We must find him before anything else happens…’
‘Yeah, but what if they are actually helping him?’ cut in Keith. ‘Let’s face it, after what you told me, that wolf fight you witnessed sounded pretty full-on. Maybe they were moving him to safety.’
‘There was nothing good about what I saw, Keith. There was too much aggression, and they were hurting him,’ remonstrated Edmund, indignantly.
Gus groaned. ‘Okay, you two, stop arguing. Keith, concentrate on the road, this isn’t the best maintained road surface in the country so there could be potholes riddled anywhere. We don’t want to break an axle or have an accident, do we?’
His words quietened everyone instantly, and they continued their journey in silence. Gus had a faint recollection of a trail road somewhere ahead. It branched off to the right after about another eighty miles. He rubbed his chin, knowing the going would be slower after that. But at least, he thought, they should’ve caught up with the pack if they were indeed heading towards the mountains, as Edmund believed.
‘Have you brought food and ammunition?’ asked Gus suddenly.
‘You bet, sandwiches are in the bag beside you, and extra cartridges are in the back of the Rover,’ replied Keith.
Gus nodded. ‘Good. What about Max? What’s the situation back there?’
‘Well, Max was livid,’ began Keith. ‘When I left him, he was with the police, trying to convince them that the wolves were only acting on instinct and doing what any animal would do when under threat: defend themselves and their young. Because let’s face it, it was a cowardly and unwarranted attack by those men, who incidentally were committing an illegal offence on reserve ground. It seems the whole thing had been planned well in advance too, timed to cause maximum damage, with young pups in tow. And considering what happened… all the deaths… it’s pretty obvious those men didn’t expect a fight. And with this outcome… I’m afraid the wolves have sealed their own fate; killing humans is unacceptable… I’m really sorry,’ said Keith, turning briefly to look at Edmund seated behind him.
‘What do you mean?’ he asked, feeling a cold sweat forming on his forehead.
‘It means we might have a fight on our hands!’ interrupted Gus.
Keith nodded. ‘Max is in a tight spot, under a lot of pressure from the people living in the area. The general consensus, so I understand, is that they intend to hunt down the wolves and kill the lot of them…’ He stopped abruptly when he saw the look of horror etched on Edmund’s face.
‘No! That’s not right…! They can’t do that…! Can they?’ yelled Edmund, turning to face Josh beside him. But the young ranger was equally stunned by Keith’s words and shook his head, bewildered that things could spiral out of control so quickly.
Their senior ranger exhaled noisily and pushed a hand wearily through his dishevelled hair.
‘How much ammo have you brought?’ he asked tersely.
Keith lifted his eyebrows in surprise.
‘Why…? Two boxes, I think; that’s about four hundred shells… My God, you don’t think we’re going to need that amount, do you?’
Gus hoped not, but if Max couldn’t stop them, then who knew what might happen.
‘Let’s keep moving,’ he answered.
Behind them, even though the skies were overcast, the sun was trying valiantly to penetrate the clouds, bringing the distant mountain peaks into hazy view ahead of them. The Rover swerved suddenly as a dark form dashed across the road like a ghost.
‘Sorry, everyone! Didn’t see that!’ gasped Keith, gripping the wheel, shocked he’d nearly hit the animal.
‘Right!’ exclaimed Gus loudly. ‘It’s dawn. We’ve made good progress, so I think a short break and some food will benefit us all.’
Keith brought the Rover to a halt at the side of the road. Gus bent down and began rummaging inside the bag at his feet.
‘Here, everyone, get your teeth around these, you’ll feel better,’ he exclaimed, handing out several small bundles wrapped in paper.
Edmund eyed the squashed packages uncertainly but accepted one gratefully before settling back in his seat. He opened the wrapper, noticing the flattened bread with its limp cheese filling. He groaned inwardly, but no one was m
aking any disparaging remarks about their breakfast so he tucked in.
Within the hour they were on the move again. After another mile, Gus called out.
‘There, Keith. The dirt trail starts here. It becomes rougher from now on; be careful as you go,’ he warned.
It was as he’d predicted: the ground became more rugged and difficult with each passing mile. The wheels were slipping on the uneven ground, only to lurch forward as Keith slammed his foot on the gas pedal, accelerating the vehicle out of trouble. It was an uncomfortable ride, being jostled about from side to side.
A faint sound caught Edmund’s attention. He tilted his head trying to locate its precise direction.
‘Hear that? Sounds like humming.’
‘Stop the Rover, Keith,’ instructed Gus, winding down his window. ‘Yeah, I can hear something. But it’s far off and debatable that it’s as innocent as humming.’
Keith applied the brakes, and everyone turned in their seats, scanning back along the trail.
Nobody was there, no movements, nothing to suggest anything untoward was following them. Then, a split second later, a deep reverberation hung on the breeze, like distant thunder mumbling in the sky. The two older men exchanged a knowing glance, not missed by Edmund who caught on quickly as if reading Gus’s mind.
‘Oh no! You think it’s those men, don’t you, and they’re pursuing the wolves?’ he said, outraged, his heart racing at the thought of more wolves being killed.
He couldn’t contain himself and jumped out of the Rover, taking a few stumbling paces back the way they’d come, his eyes searching the landscape.
‘Get back here, Edmund!’ yelled Gus irritably, peering through his open window. ‘I think there’s no doubt that a mob is heading our way, and any remaining wolves in the forests are in serious danger. People are angry, Edmund, and this could turn ugly very quickly; revenge has no conscience, no moral code. And if blind hate is driving them, as I believe it is, then we’re going to have a real problem,’ he added sternly.
‘Then we must get going! GoldenEars, we must find him first!’ Edmund implored, willing them to understand the urgency.
‘Calm down, Edmund! We are well ahead of them by the sounds of things,’ replied Gus, glancing at the overcast skies. ‘We’ve possibly another six hours of daylight, though we’ll continue as long as it’s safe.’ He pinched his lips together, more worried by what was behind them than he cared to admit.
Edmund returned to the Rover and jumped inside, not trusting himself to speak. He was fuming, thinking about his friend being hunted and shot.
They continued trundling along while Gus found a dusty map tucked inside the small compartment in the door. He opened it, smoothing the paper on his lap. He was hoping to see another dirt trail, anything that might provide a quicker route to the mountains. The landscape was closing in, with scattered rock formations and huge solitary boulders blocking their path, forcing Keith to find another way forward.
Edmund felt on edge and tense, but a tingle of excitement too knowing GoldenEars was somewhere ahead. It was a mixed-up feeling, bordering on pain, an ache, full of worry, wondering what was happening to him.
‘Any sign of the wolves?’ asked Gus, breaking the silence. Edmund was already peering through his binoculars, busy scanning the terrain.
‘No, nothing. No animals at all, Gus. Is that unusual?’
‘Yes, it certainly is—’ Gus broke off quickly as the Rover rounded a large boulder. ‘Hey, stop, Keith! Look at that!’ he said, pointing ahead of them. Keith brought the Rover to a skidding halt on the dusty earth.
‘Wow!’ he gasped in amazement. ‘It looks much worse now we’re closer,’ Keith exclaimed, leaning over the steering wheel to observe the mountain towering ahead of them. There was something different about it, something unnerving. He followed its craggy ascent all the way to its snow-covered summit.
‘What looks worse?’ asked Edmund, peering over Gus’s shoulder and through the front windscreen at the dark mass in front of them. Everyone was aware this area had suffered some kind of earth-shift the year before, but it was evidently more serious than just the earth opening in a few places. A serious quake had occurred, subterranean and dramatic.
But stranger than that, the mountain had two jagged summits.
Edmund shook his head and rubbed his ears. They felt strange, muffled, as though some wax had moved inside, making the sounds weird and distorted.
Josh was watching him. ‘You all right?’
‘Do you hear that humming?’ Edmund replied. ‘It’s as though the ground is calling.’ He broke off abruptly as a sinking, nauseous feeling gripped the pit of his stomach.
‘That’s a funny thing to say. I expect it’s the wind you can hear,’ said Josh, looking towards Gus and Keith for confirmation. Both rangers nodded.
‘You’re imagining it, young man; perhaps the lack of sleep is playing tricks on you,’ said Gus, dismissively, glancing at his watch. It was 5pm. ‘I want to try the radio again. We need to check on the situation with Max.’
He unzipped the bag by his side and extracted the radio, hoping it still worked after the serious knocks it had taken during the journey. A discordant crackling filled his ears as he turned the small knob. Lowering the volume, he straightened the little aerial on the walkie-talkie and adjusted the frequency.
‘Max! Come in, Max! Are you reading me, over?’ He waited, listening to the static fizz coming from the speaker.
‘Come on, let’s see if there’s any more food,’ said Josh, walking to the rear of the Rover. He began rummaging in the bags for anything edible, leaving Gus to persevere with the radio.
After a while Gus rejoined his men, who were now leaning against the side of the Rover, each crunching on an apple.
‘No luck, I take it?’ said Keith, watching the older man sit down heavily. He looked tired and distracted too.
‘Hand me one of those apples,’ ordered Gus, ignoring Keith’s question.
Edmund tossed him one. Gus stared morosely at the bruised fruit before biting into it. He chewed slowly.
‘Mm, not bad considering,’ he said, noting the discoloured flesh.
Keith frowned. ‘Well?’ he prompted.
Gus swallowed and gave him a curt nod.
‘The radio worked for a short time before the signal cut out. Not surprising, considering our close proximity to the mountains. And that distant thundering sound we heard, well, I can confirm it was gunfire, though Max is uncertain of the numbers making up this rabble of so-called hunting men.’
‘So, to my reckoning there must still be a few wolves back there in the forests. The police, as I suspected, are turning a blind eye, so we can’t expect any support from them. So, we have to assume we’re on our own. We’ve got to handle this, keep control of the situation, and if these men are heading this way, and the wolves are somewhere ahead among the rocks hiding, then our job is to protect them and prevent bloodshed on both sides,’ finished Gus, his mouth twisted in contempt. He stared at his young rangers while he took another bite of his apple.
A few stunned seconds passed, then everyone began talking at once. Edmund was beside himself, ranting about the wolves, finding them and protecting them, while Keith and Josh wanted to confront the mob and stop them. Gus listened for a while, then shook his head.
‘Stop! Stop! You all have a valid point,’ he said, raising his voice, ‘but if we stay in the open and confront them, we’ll put ourselves in danger and people will get hurt. Now, they don’t know we’re here, so we have the advantage; plus we are miles ahead of them, if they are on foot that is, and, well, that we don’t know. It’ll be dark soon so we must find a place with plenty of cover where we can confront them on our terms and persuade them to turn back. I only hope they are willing to listen to reason.’
The mood was understandably tense as everyone returned to the Rover.
It felt different knowing that an angry mob were on their trail, armed and out for blood. Nerves were taut, and Edmund in particular found himself peering through the rear window every few minutes in mounting agitation.
The trail grew increasingly difficult for the old Rover, and before long the engine pitch increased to a harsh, painful whining.
‘Listen to that. The engine can’t take much more of this. It’s too much of a strain on the old girl,’ exclaimed Gus, alarmed.
‘Yeah,’ agreed Keith, fighting to avoid the numerous rocks littered over the ground, ‘the drive shaft is stiff too; it’s possible it might seize up all together,’ he replied, then glanced at the temperature gauge on the dashboard.
‘The engine’s beginning to overheat, look,’ Keith grimaced, indicating towards the dial.
They’d barely covered another mile, when from underneath the hood the water tank exploded, sending a plume of scalding steam skywards. The shock of it made Keith yank on the steering wheel and the vehicle swerved violently, clipping the side of a rock. With quick reflexes, Keith regained control, bringing the Rover safely to a juddering, spluttering halt.
‘That’s it! It’s finished… Dead,’ he exclaimed, punching the steering wheel and throwing his hands up in the air dramatically.
‘Right, you lot, it will be dark soon. We walk from here. Grab your stuff,’ said Gus, not wasting any time.
Without a word they abandoned the Rover, leaving a cloud of steam gushing from the overheating radiator.
‘Hold on!’ shouted Gus, quickly returning to the Rover and extracting the two boxes of cartridges from the rear of the vehicle.
‘We mustn’t forget these,’ he added soberly, handing one of the boxes to Keith.
The mood changed for the worse, because now they were on foot and in the open.
‘We keep walking until we reach that rock formation over there. We can’t afford to slacken our pace. I don’t know how long we’ve got, but we must get to cover,’ announced Gus, his face grim.