Flight To Pandemonium

by Murray, Edward

  But vivid memories of Fairbanks motivated Ernie to an extra effort. If the brutes were to find them, he loaded every weapon necessary to defend his companions. He even secreted a box of ready hand grenades into his own truck. His companions had no experience with fused weapons and were more likely to injure themselves than bikers.

  They were ready to depart as the morning sky brightened. Pug assembled everyone to explain arrangements for drivers. Only Cindy had an objection.

  “I want that one,” pointing to the humvee without the trailer.

  Pug objected, “That’s supposed to be the lead car.”

  “Whatever, I want it… and not towing anything!”

  “I can handle the trailer,” said Christie. “I’ve driven on ice all my life.”

  “Pug, I think that’s just as well for a young driver,” said Lazlo. “The ice might get a little dicey towing a heavy trailer behind her.”

  “Okay, but Christie and Piquk should still lead. They know the river and we don’t want to drive up a blind river lead... or worse into open water.”

  “We’ll lead, Pug, but I think you underestimate Cindy’s abilities,” said Christie.

  “I’m not underestimating Cindy, I’m expecting too much from all of us!”

  “Then we shouldn’t give the bikers any encouragement to follow us.”

  “I don’t intend to,” replied Pug. “The three of us have one last task. Back in fifteen minutes or so. Last call for the commode. After that it won’t be safe to use, but don’t worry about us. We’ll be fine. Please be ready.”

  At the encampment, the men gathered around a metal grate supported on rocks. From boxes of phosphorous flares, each rapidly lit flares putting them on the grate until all were burning. Then each gathered up as many flares as he could carry and separated.

  Pug entered the old garage and tossed in four flares. Black smoke soon billowed through the door, followed by an explosion. The building burned fiercely. Ernie pitched his incendiaries into each cab of eight remaining military trucks. Lazlo set fire to the long line of boat shelters.

  Pug carried two more burning flares as the three men headed toward their waiting vehicles. When Lazlo looked puzzled, Pug said, “They’re for the cabin.”

  “What’s the point in doing that?” asked Lazlo.

  “I want that pachuco bunch to know the competition got here first.”

  Pachuco? Lazlo hadn’t heard the term in… decades, at least. The man certainly had a mysterious side to him.

  Boarding their vehicles while a cacophony of exploding munitions overwhelmed the bleak predawn morning, Ernie ordered, “Move ‘em out!”

  Pug followed Christie onto the ice. Glancing back he saw dozens of blazing fires billowing smoke higher than the Pump Station of just yesterday. The pachucos would find no comfort gleaning through what little remained, he thought, smug with satisfaction.

  55

  Escaping Up River, January 20th. Christie was furious with Pug for setting fire to the cabin… a stupid, inhumane stunt. The cabin should have been preserved for displaced travelers like themselves. She had left a small bundle of firewood and kindling by the stove as custom required when leaving a place of refuge. Remembering her own experience, she left a pot of hearty stew to freeze on the stove and their military sleeping bags and blankets on cots. Burning the cabin had undone her charity and she drove away nursing anger.

  Pug radioed, “Hey, slow down Christie. We’re goin’ way too fast.”

  Reading her speedometer she realized that she was traveling over thirty miles an hour… but so what? The ice surface was relatively smooth. Another discourteous order from the man, she thought, but slowed anyway. She realized her uncultured anger had carried her away from her duty as lead driver.

  Piquk was nursing her baby looking pensive and sad. She spoke softly, “I want to stop at my village… not go there, just… remember… and respect my family.” Tears flooded her eyes. “We won’t ever come back here, will we?”

  “Maybe someday when life is better… but, yes, we should stop and pay our respects… and we will.”

  In the last vehicle, Lazlo was suffering the effects of fatigue. Within the warm cab, enveloped in a gray morning with a slow pace, he was inattentive. He had already fallen behind. He slapped his face and wished he had a thermos of French Roast. Thankfully, the rising sun was bringing him back into focus and renewed concentration.

  Startled, he whistled for Ernie who was asleep with his head tilted over the backrest. Lazlo shook him. “Want me to spell you?” Ernie mumbled.

  “No! I want you to pay attention. Look in your mirror. See anything?”

  Ernie concentrated peering in the side mirror and asked, “Am I supposed to be seeing something back there?”

  “Okay, got that picture? Now look out the windshield at the reflections off the ice and tell me what you see.”

  After a moment, Ernie said. “Holy shit… we’re leavin’ tracks a blind man could follow. Think we ought to tell the others?”

  “No, man… they’re spooked enough. Point is… I want you to keep alert. You’re the remf, remember, and a ranger to boot.”

  “Okay… point taken. But dammit anyway, I hoped that fire back there would look like we’d all met our maker. Now, I suppose we won’t be hard to follow.”

  “No shit and instead of burnin’ that cabin, we should ‘a left it looking like we were coming back. Now they can see that everything useful has skedaddled.”

  “Think I’ll open that roof ring and watch behind us. And maybe stay awake.”

  The frigid air streaming into the cab helped Lazlo as well. He followed closely behind Cindy on remarkably smooth ice. Lazlo began fading again until Cindy’s vehicle began moving side to side convincing him that Cindy might be drifting off as well. He radioed her, “Cindy, you’re swerving. Sleep catching up?”

  “No, I’m wide awake… just checking out my ride. Don’t worry about me.” Soon Cindy pulled out of line and drove parallel to the caravan along a broad, straight stretch of the river. She renewed her swerving, becoming more radical until finally her humvee fishtailed nearly out of control.

  Lazlo radioed his concern, “Still all hunky-dory with you?”

  “I’m finding my limits. Everyone just ignore me. I know what I’m doing.”

  Cindy’s maneuvering became more daring. She raced ahead briefly, turned into a powered spin, nearly completing a full circle. She tried again, this time fully recovering on the run. Exploring left or right swerving maneuvers, she always recovered skillfully.

  Finally satisfied, she radioed enthusiastically, “This hummer is way cool.”

  Pug responded rudely, “Then enough of the play. It’s time to get back in line and follow me.”

  Irritated, Cindy replied, “I don’t follow anyone blindly, especially grumpy old men.” She continued driving wide of the caravan.

  Ernie hailed from the ring, “What do you think of our inexperienced young driver now, Lazlo?”

  “Piece of work like any youngster her age, but now I understand why she wouldn’t tow that trailer.”

  “Ah… way more than that. That woman is a competitor!”

  “Something more than the sweet young thing is emerging, no doubt about it.”

  Within the Yukon Flats where the river divided into many parallel leads, Piquk confidently led the caravan. Bringing up the rear, Lazlo marveled at the countless islands, obscure leads and endless frozen marshes.

  “Thank God I’m not leading. Fine place to get lost,” said Lazlo.

  “Came here weeks ago with Piquk on the snowmobile,” said Ernie. “She knows this area like the back of her hand. Her village is just ahead… now a sad place, though.”

  “Ernie! Look ahead there at the rising mist! That’s open water! Jesus! Just like Pug
said. Can you believe that?”

  “Best pay attention,” replied Ernie. “Christie is swinging wide and turning onto another lead. I wonder why?”

  “Hey, I’m not wondering, I’m following. I don’t need a bath just now.”

  Shortly, Christie halted opposite Steven’s Village, remaining out on the lead. Puppy bounded out of the humvee followed by both women who stood silently before the village with their heads bowed. The men followed the ladies example except Pug who remained seated in his deuce, growing frustrated. After a few minutes, he leaned out the window and shouted harshly, “Hey, it’s way too soon for a break. Let’s get movin’!”

  Piquk sobbed and settled to her knees. Angry with Pug for his inconsiderate, rude manner, Christie marched up to his window.

  “Dammit Pug… stop giving orders! Have you no compassion at all? Drive around us if you’re so bull headed and we’ll catch up later.” She returned to Piquk and hugged her silently. Christie gave comfort until they could begin a song of sad remembrance. The others stood with the ladies to lend moral support… even Pug emerged when Lazlo opened his door and brusquely waived him out.

  Song of remembrance finished, Pug took Lazlo and Ernie aside and said, “I never made much of a leader among women as you can see. I’m gonna shut up and leave that to one of you. But we need to make tracks as far as we can today. Motorcycles might get this far in twenty minutes.”

  Ernie replied, “Did you catch that open water back there? Piquk has to take the point or we’ll all be lost in wander land. And we all need sleep. We’re not driving after dark for any reason or you’ll lose the two of us. And don’t waste your time lecturing Cindy. No man’s gonna leash that woman.”

  Further into the Yukon Flats, the river meandered in twists and turns, double backs and confusing leads. Piquk never hesitated, having made the trip countless times with her family. She guided Christie around gravel bars, island obstructions and iced deadwood frozen in the river. Christie made good time, slowing only for undulating ice near island shallows. Pug couldn’t complain about their leadership.

  Warming up back in the cab and reading his Army map, Ernie said, “Says here we’re traveling through a stretch called Purgatory. Boy, that’s no shit... get lost in here and you’d pray for salvation. Too bad we’re leaving such a clear trail… perfect place to ditch those barbarians if they’re coming.”

  “Once the sun is behind us, our tracks won’t be nearly as clear,” replied Lazlo

  Piquk’s lead puzzled Lazlo. Sometimes she took the inside track around a bend, other times the outer. He couldn’t understand the reason. Good thing she was leading them away from trouble he didn’t fathom.

  Driving while Ernie napped, Lazlo began nodding off and radioed Christie to tell her they were stopping to switch drivers and take a quick break. Afterward, Christie asked Cindy to follow her rather than travel between the trucks. Cindy ceased wandering on her own.

  Lazlo told Ernie, “Without Cindy outriding, I’d better climb up and watch our backside for awhile. Pug’s been true to his word, so now the duty falls on us to do the right thing. No wonder he got crotchety.”

  As the sun began setting behind them, Christie came on the radio. “Piquk knows of a great place to camp just ahead where there’s always fresh water flowing from a warm spring. We can wash and refill the jugs… and get some rest more than anything. Last night is catching up with us. I can’t go on much longer.”

  “Same here; lead the way.”

  After backing against a solid beach, nearly everyone approved of the campsite. A spacious shelf meandered along a rock bluff out of which issued the warm spring. The bluff surrounded and protected the camp from the wind and would face the sunrise.

  Ernie wasn’t happy with the choice. He stood inside the high ring on the cab quietly surveying the area. Lazlo quipped, “Tell me you’re waiting for Jeeves to come porter our stuff to the door.”

  “Why doesn’t Captain Do-the-right-thing shag his ass up here and have a look for himself?”

  “Trouble?”

  “Maybe… look around. I’m too whipped to think straight.”

  When Lazlo looked briefly, he asked, “So what is it you see?”

  “This camp is a military man’s nightmare… an Omaha Beach. We’re exposed to plain view. Our backs are against the bluff, there’s no cover, and only two ways out… back the way we came, or up that ice choked little defile just below the spring.”

  “Aren’t you gettin’ a little melodramatic for a remf?”

  “Yea, I am if the invasion has been called off. But why have we been watching our backside standing out in the cold all day?”

  “Cause we’re all a little paranoid… spooked by just one man scoping us with binoculars nearly two days ago. We’ve seen no sign of them and now it’s nearly dark. What lunatic would lead a motorcycle gang up this frozen river in the middle of the night?”

  “Well I’ve seen ‘em and they are lunatics,” replied Ernie. “And what better time to surprise us than at night?”

  “I think that’s a stretch. Besides, we could hear motorcycles comin’ for miles, especially with ears like Piquk and Puppy. We’d have time to get inside the cover of these vehicles and prepare for them.”

  “Maybe for the women in the armored humvees, but these two deuces won’t stop a spit wad. And I’ve gotta bum leg to show for it.”

  “Well, I’m not the military man, but I just can’t bring myself to ask the ladies to pick up and hit the trail again. Hell, we’re all beat.”

  Needing help and wondering why Lazlo and Ernie had just been idling on the cab, Christie overheard the two men in an argument, particularly the last few words. She asked, “Hit the trail again? Whatever for, it’s nearly dark? Is something wrong?”

  Lazlo turned to Ernie for an answer, “Well?”

  After a long pause, pondering a persuasive reply, Ernie surrendered to his exhaustion, “No good reason, I suppose. We’re coming.”

  As the two men untied the heavy camp tent, Ernie glanced down river once more, checking again, still doubtful. The sky was backlit by the setting sun, nearly below the horizon. The waning light illuminated the river before him. Ernie pointed to their tracks maneuvering across the ice. “Wouldn’t need Tonto to guide ‘em straight to us would they?”

  “Whatever… Ernie, my ass is dragging so bad I just can’t deal with what-if’s. Grab the other end of the tent, will ya?”

  Following a splendid hot meal, Ernie returned to camp from a trip to the bush. As he approached, he realized that their warming fire was reflecting off the bluff, flickering like a beacon from burning deadwood. The ladies were chatting quietly while Piquk nursed her infant. Everyone was reserved, thoroughly exhausted, and marginally restored by the meal and the warming fire. As he joined them, he dismissed his qualms. Instead, he commented on another observation, “Seems like it’s warming up a touch, don’t you think?”

  “Storm is coming,” said Piquk quietly. “Look at the moon.”

  A bright moon had risen, reflecting light off high cirrus clouds halfway across the sky. Beyond them were more ominous clouds, a storm front no doubt. When Ernie nodded his understanding, Piquk added, “It will snow tonight... soon.”

  Ernie and Lazlo quickly looked at one another, obviously thinking the same thing. “Well, well… what a shame,” said Ernie.

  “What?” asked Christie. “Just why is that?”

  Unwilling to reveal what they had withheld the entire day and avoiding another argument, Ernie replied simply, “Think I’ll sleep real well tonight while it’s snowing.”

  Piquk recognized immediately that the response was a deliberate dodge and not an honest answer to Christie’s question. “Trucks made tracks on the ice,” Piquk said. “Snow will cover them.”

  “If you knew that, Ernie…” asked Christi
e, “why not just say so?”

  Ernie was surprised that Piquk had both noticed the tracks and perceived his evasion. Embarrassed, he stammered, “Didn’t want to make more trouble, that’s all.”

  “Well then, you should know more. Piquk is far more observant than any of us. She noticed those tracks when we made the first loop on the river. But we don’t always leave them behind, just on certain kinds of ice. She guided us all day on a path which would leave the least track of our passing… not always, but often. She’s why we chose the place for our break and why Cindy followed directly behind us afterwards. We did our best as guides.”

  “Sounds like the truth, Christie. I’m just dog tired and too cross for good company… so it’s the sack for me and way overdue. ” Ernie made no mention of Lazlo’s role during the trip. The others followed shortly and found Ernie already asleep.

  Despite his exhaustion, Ernie slept poorly with recurring dreams. He awoke thinking he had been aroused by some sound outside and looked to Puppy for her reaction. Each time she remained prostrate, asleep. So were the others including Piquk and her infant. Later when he awoke, it was too dim inside the tent to see the dog, so he just turned over and resolved to put the damned dreams out of his mind.

  The night passed quietly until Puppy woofed a low warning bark early in the morning. Piquk was already sitting up nursing her infant, still wrapped in a sleeping bag. Ernie sat up, listening. Shortly Piquk said, “Something comes!” She wrapped the baby and scrambled to get dressed.

  Puppy woofed again, but Ernie could hear nothing. Cindy awoke, noticed Piquk’s activity, and paused to listen herself. Suddenly Cindy jumped up, shook free her sleeping bag, and dressed in long underwear, bounded barefoot to the tent flap and untied its canvas strap. She thrust her head into the cold and listened intently.

  “Bikers!” she shrieked. “Those slavers are here!”

  56