Murphy closed the door and locked it again. He kept his pistol in hand as he walked around the interior of his home, looking out each of the windows for any sign of someone moving about. Other than the footprints he’d seen in the snow, there was no sign of the intruder. He looked at the wall clock over his sink and decided there was not much use in going back to bed as he would be getting up in an hour and a half—and, as hyped as he was, he doubted that he’d get back to sleep. He turned to the small gas stove in the kitchen and ignited the burner beneath the percolator of coffee he’d prepared before going to bed.
Murphy turned on the television and sat at the table oblivious to the all-news channel as he thought about the implication of the killer’s tracks being at his door. He heard the coffee begin to percolate and turned off the burner. As he poured a cup he looked at the clock again and wondered whether he should wake John up or wait until five. If this thing, whatever it was, was going on the offensive, John would want to know.
41
Del’s Place, Lyndon Station
Murphy met Bob Pelky and John Bear for their ritual of morning coffee at Del’s Place. He sat down and Nellie placed a mug of coffee in front of him.
“Rough night, Murph?” John asked.
“You could say that. I had a visitor in the middle of the night….” Murphy related the events of the previous night to them.
“You’re sure it was Condor?” John asked.
“If you’re askin’ did I see him—no. But there were tracks the size of snowshoes around the house. I’m positive they were his. I can’t think of another person in the area with a hoof that big.”
John sat back and looked pensive. “Sounds like it’s taking the fight to us….”
“I’ll report this to the barracks in Houlton,” Pelky said. “They’ll send a couple extra troopers up here.”
John remained quiet for several moments.
“What’s on your mind, John?” Pelky asked.
“We better keep a close watch on anyone close to us,” John replied.
“Do you think he’ll make a play for our families?”
“At this stage I don’t have so much as a single goddamned clue what it’ll do. However, its tracking Murph to his home is of concern.”
Pelky stood up. “I think I may send Elaine to see her mother down in Presque Isle for a few days.” He turned to John. “You should warn your brother and his wife … and Laura. He could go after any of them.
All three gulped down their coffee and stood up.
“I’ll do that,” John said. “Then I’m going out to your place, Murph. Maybe we can pick up the trail.”
Murphy looked through the steamy windows at the steady falling snow. “We already had six inches since last night. Doubt that there’ll be much to see at my place.”
“Be that as it may,” John answered. “I know one thing—I ain’t waitin’ for it to come after me. I want whatever advantage I can get.”
_____________
Home of Tom and Clarisse Bear
His brother and sister-in-law were having breakfast when John walked into their kitchen.
“Well,” Tom said, “the prodigal returns.”
John felt his face flush and swallowed the retort he would have made had Clarisse not been in the room. He retrieved a mug from the cupboard near the sink and filled it with coffee from the coffee maker on the counter. He sat at the table across from his brother, Clarisse to his left.
“You want something to eat, John?” Clarisse asked.
“No, thanks, I had breakfast at Del’s with Murph and Bob.” He looked at his brother. “How long since you been over home, Tom?”
“A while.”
“You might want to consider spending a few days over there…. Spend some time with the old man and Clarisse’s family.”
Tom studied his brother for several seconds. “What’s goin’ on, John? Why you tellin’ us to get out of town?”
John took a sip of coffee and leaned back. “You know this case I been working on?”
“Yuh, the murders. You got any idea who done them?”
“Yes, a Wendigo …”
Tom looked concerned. “Maybe you should tell us what in hell you’re talkin’ about, big brother?”
John spent twenty minutes relating the events of the past few days, including his pursuit of the Wendigo, Dwain Dowd’s abduction, and Murphy’s belief that it was roaming around his place the night before.
When John finished, Tom said, “Do you honestly believe this thing will try and get at you through us?”
“I don’t know, Tom. The only thing I know for certain is that it’s a Wendigo.”
“You say it kidnapped the Dowd boy?” Clarisse said.
“That I ain’t so sure of. I do know that the kid’s snow sled broke down and it picked him up and took him with him. The kid says that nothin’ happened—which I believe. But, the second time it looks to me like the boy went willingly.”
“If,” Tom interjected, “this killer is a Wendigo, why didn’t it—?”
“Devour the kid? That’s the part that has me stumped.”
“It abandoned the boy to get you and the boy’s uncle off his trail?” Tom said.
“Yeah, we believe that’s what it did. But, there’s evidence that it didn’t stay in Quebec—and I think it’s been meeting with the boy in the woods late at night.”
Clarisse got up, retrieved the coffee pot, and refilled John’s mug. While she did that, Tom left the room and returned in a few minutes, carrying two pistols. John immediately recognized one of them as the .45-caliber Hi-Point he’d given Tom as a Christmas present a few years ago. Tom placed the smaller of the two handguns before his wife. “Since October fifteenth,” he told her, “you no longer require a state-issued permit to carry a concealed weapon in Maine. I want you to take this with you wherever you go.”
Clarisse picked up the .32-caliber pistol and expertly dropped the magazine from it. She pulled back on the slide and checked the chamber to insure there was no live round in it. She released the slide, inserted the magazine, and once again pulled it to the rear. She released the slide, loading a bullet into the chamber. She checked to see that the safety was on and placed the gun on the table. “I gather we’re staying here and not going to Canada,” she said.
_____________
McBrietty’s Cabins
John knocked on the door of Laura’s cabin and heard her moving inside. She called out, “Who is it?”
“John, can I come in?”
He heard the security bolt slide and then the door opened. Laura stepped back from the door and John entered the small rental cabin. Her hair was disheveled and her eyes appeared puffy. When she spoke her voice was congested and she generally looked terrible.
“Are you all right?” he asked.
“I got a cold,” she said. “Possibly the flu, too.”
“Have you taken anything?”
“No, I just need to rest, by tomorrow I should be okay.” She waved for him to follow her deeper into the room, away from the door. “The weather isn’t helping me either. How much snow are we supposed to get?”
“The weatherman is hedging his bets, he won’t narrow it down more than to say we’ll get between eighteen and twenty-four inches.”
“A foot and a half to two feet! Oh my God. How do you people live in this climate?” She walked to her bed and fell into it.
“Laura, we have to talk….”
She held up her hand, bolted from the bed, and darted into the bathroom, slamming the door behind her. He heard the toilet flush and the sound of her retching and then another flush. After a few minutes she reappeared, quickly shutting the door behind her. “John, I’m not up to talking now. Every orifice in my body is secreting fluid. Could you come back later? Maybe by tonight I’ll be able to talk.”
John nodded. “I’ll try and come by this evening. Can I get you anything?”
“Does Del sell over-the-counter meds?”
; “I’m sure he has some cold stuff.”
“Would you be a dear and get me some nighttime cold medicine, aspirin, and any type of decongestant he might have.” She reached for her purse. “I’ll give you some money.”
John held his hand out in the universal signal to stop. “I got it. You just rest.”
“I’m going back to bed. I’ll leave the door unlocked….”
“I’d rather you didn’t do that. Just give me your room key.”
She raised her head and said, “What’s wrong? You seem nervous.”
“That’s what we need to talk about when you’re up to it.”
“Okay.” She reached over to the dresser and handed him her room key. The effort seemed to take every bit of strength she had. She walked to the bed and fell backward onto it. In minutes she was asleep and snoring as she breathed through her mouth.
_____________
John returned from the general store with as much over-the-counter cold medicine as he could find. Fortunately, Del knew that cold and flu season was an annual event in Lyndon Station and he kept a wide variety on hand.
His entrance must have awakened Laura. She lay on her bed watching as he unloaded enough medication to treat a marine division. “How many people do you expect to come down with this?” Laura asked. She laughed and immediately broke out in a fit of coughing.
John got her a glass of water and carried a couple of the medicine bottles to her. He shook out two tablets of cold medicine and handed them to her along with the water. “Take these.”
Laura’s cheeks and nose were a hot-pink hue and her eyes puffy and tearing. She gave him a half-hearted smile and opened her mouth and tossed the pills inside, immediately washing them down with a long drink. She placed the glass on the nightstand and dropped back, her head settled on the pillow. “You’re a darling, John.” Speaking must have aggravated her sore throat because she rose up on one elbow and retrieved the water and finished it off.
John refilled the glass and placed it beside her.
“What is important enough that you’d brave catching this bug to talk to me?”
“The Wendigo.”
“So you’re sure that the killer is one … have you caught it?”
“No, but we think it’s back in the area.”
She frowned and John clarified his statement. “Last night, Murph heard someone or something prowling around outside his house. When he investigated, all he found were tracks like the ones we’ve found at all the crime sites.”
“Okay, so it’s back. Why should this be important enough for you to come running over here?”
“Laura, we can’t eliminate anything with a Wendigo. It wouldn’t surprise me if it may know about …”
“Us.” She finished the statement for him.
John hated the way he stammered when he said, “Yeah. It could know about us—or at least I’m going to take steps based upon that assumption. I’m telling everyone close to me to get out of the area until we catch him.”
She laid still, staring at him for several long moments. “I’m not leaving.”
“Laura this guy is extremely dangerous, more than anyone I’ve ever encountered.”
She held up a hand, silencing him. “Hon.” Her use of the term of endearment took him by surprise. “I’m in no condition to travel and—even if I was—I have a job to do, too. If I let this thing run me off I’ll be back to reporting on the local garden club’s meetings. I’ve been on this story since the Kelly boy went missing and I am going to see it through to the end.” She gave him a smug smile. “Here’s what I’ll do. You promised to take me with you and as of yet have only done it once. I’ll be your shadow, that way you can protect me from him.”
When she flopped back on the bed and said, “Now go away and let me get some rest,” he knew that the discussion was over.
42
Larry Murphy’s House, Lyndon Station, Maine
John and Murphy stood on the front porch, studying the indentations in the snow. John glanced up to the sky and said, “You followed the tracks?”
Murphy nodded his head. “They go back into the woods about fifty feet or so. I couldn’t tell which way he came from nor which direction he went.”
“At the rate it’s snowin’ we’ll never find out.”
Murphy turned to the entrance to his small house. “Coffee’s ready. You want some?”
“Yeah, not much else to do.”
They entered the small house and John sat at the small table in the center of the common room. Murphy had sectioned the room by arranging the kitchen furniture in one corner and the living room in another. The bedroom and bath were the only other rooms in the house. John felt at home in Murphy’s house and wished that he had a similar place. Maybe, he thought, I’ll build a small place like this for myself and get out of the apartment in Ashland.
Murphy walked to the kitchen area and filled two mugs with coffee and returned to the table. “You got any type of plan in mind?” he asked John.
John looked past Murphy at the falling snow, which had increased in intensity. “Nope, the way the snow is comin’ down his tracks will be gone in an hour, if not less.”
“So we wait for him to show himself again?”
“That’s basically the plan. Although, it may be wise to keep an eye on the Dowd place. Condor seems to have developed some sort of bond with Dwain.”
“You think we should head on out there?” Murphy asked.
“I have to report to Lieutenant Michaud,” John said. “Tell you what, let’s drive into Fort Kent and fill the lieutenant in. First thing in the morning we’ll go to Dowd Settlement.”
_____________
The North Maine Woods, Near Dowd Settlement
The Wendigo walked through the deep snow and leafless bushes. He was aware that everyone north of Bangor was probably looking for him and as a result he was hypervigilant. A gust of wind swept through the trees creating a white whirlwind of snow that cascaded down, coating his head and shoulders until he resembled a white statue. He shrugged and set a course for Dowd Settlement. He glanced up through the pines and leafless deciduous trees while trying to determine the sun’s position above the low-hanging overcast that covered the area. Experience told him there was more snow in the offing—all the better to hide any sign of his passing.
Upon arriving at Dowd Settlement he stood back from the edge of the woods and studied the barn through the falling snow. He looked over his shoulder at the steep incline behind him. If he was caught, his best avenue of escape would be that way, to the top of the beech tree–covered ridge. He squatted behind some evergreen trees and waited for darkness.
Darkness chased the light away and the Wendigo left the trees that concealed him from the sight of anyone who would casually scan the woods. Two steps brought him to the edge of the trees. The world was a monochrome tapestry, white snow and black buildings and terrain. It was a world in which he was at ease. He scanned the open field and then stepped out into it.
He was halfway to the barn when he heard the whine of approaching snowmobiles. He turned toward the sound and saw one machine round the left corner of the barn and head directly at him. He looked toward the right and saw another sled appear from that direction. There was a sharp crack as a bullet passed through his side. He’d walked into a trap! He spun and fled toward the safety of the woods.
The Wendigo’s long legs served him well. He glided through the snow, but the increasing cacophony from the sleds told him that they were closing fast. There was a loud snap of a bullet breaking the sound barrier. He broke left, ran two strides, and then went right, hoping to throw the shooter off.
He was almost to the trees when he heard one of the sleds immediately behind him. He turned, emitted a thunderous roar and backhanded the rider, throwing him from his seat. His first instinct was to carry the still figure with him, but reconsidered when another bullet snapped past his head. He spun around and bolted into the safety of the woods.
___
__________
Earl Dowd stopped his sled and ran to see how badly Louis was hurt. When he reached his son, Louis was sitting up and holding his head, the remnants of his helmet in his hand. Earl squatted beside him and asked. “You okay?”
“I ain’t dead or crippled if that’s what you’re askin’.”
Earl turned his head and looked at the track in the snow where the giant had fled.
“We goin’ after him?” Louis asked.
“Not by ourselves.” Earl stood up and offered his hand to his son. “Let’s get back to the house. I want to check you out, then we’re gonna form a posse. I want every male Dowd armed and on a sled within the hour.”
He helped his son onto his sled and they turned and raced back to the house. An hour later a convoy consisting of eight men—all armed with high-powered rifles, formed up in the Dowd dooryard, and set out in pursuit.
43
Del’s Place
John Bear and Laura Wells had just sat down when John’s cell phone rang. He glanced at the display, muttered “shit,” and answered. “Yes, Amy.”
“How’d you know it was me?”
“Caller ID. What can I do for you?”
“That thing was here tonight.”
“When?”
“I’m not sure, but not more than two or three hours ago.”
“And you’re just calling me?”
“This was the first chance I got. Dad and Louis spotted him and took off after him. Somehow it knocked Louis off his sled and got away. Now, Dad, Louis, and six relatives are out looking for it.”
“How long ago did they leave?”
“Fifteen minutes, no more.”
“Thanks for calling, Amy.”
“Warden, they’re all carrying guns and I don’t think that they intend on bringing it back alive.”
“Okay, Amy. I’ll get out there as soon as I can.”
John broke the connection and Laura said, “Trouble?”
“The Dowds are at it again. They spotted the Wendigo and went after him. Some way or another, it got away—now the entire clan is chasing him.”
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