“Craig, throw me the broom from the kitchen. I may be able to reach it with that. I can’t make it any further up the roof. It’s too slick.”
Craig returned and tossed the broom up to Troy. Troy missed the first few attempts, but finally snagged it. Even with the broom he was still just a little too short to reach it. He decided to go one more rung up the ladder, but that left him with no hand hold and no way to support himself if he lost his balance. With his feet perched vicariously on the top rung, he lay down on the roof and stretched the broom out to the dish. He could reach it, but he didn’t have much balance or control. He swatted at the dish and was making slow progress.
“How’s it coming?” Craig asked from below.
“Slow, real slow,” Troy grunted. He reached out with the broom again and this time he hit the lens square on and was able to knock most of the snow off of it. “Hey, that may have done the trick. I’m coming down. Hold me steady.”
He tossed the broom harmlessly to the ground and began his descent. Breathing a sigh of relief when his foot found the rung just below him, he reached for the next one. This time, he was not so lucky and his foot slipped. Desperately clawing for the ladder in the darkness he misjudged the top of the rails and found only empty air. His shoulder hit the side of the roof as he fell off balance and his feet actually pushed the ladder to the side. Troy’s fall was straight down. Craig tried his best to maintain a grip on the ladder, but once he knew Troy was no longer on it, he let it go and tried to get out of the way.
Troy landed heavily on his left shoulder and back. The blow knocked his breathe out and he was struggling to breathe. Craig was by his side quickly. “Hey man! Are you okay?”
Troy, Finally able to breathe again, rolled onto his back. When he moved, a sharp, piercing pain stabbed him in his side. He immediately knew that he had broken a rib, maybe two.
“I think I broke a rib. It sure feels like it!” Troy gasped.
“Just freaking fantastic! Let me help you inside and we can check it out. Anything else hurting? Test your legs and feet.”
“Nah, I think that’s it. Help me up.”
Craig reached down and grabbed Troy’s arm and hoisted him up to his feet. Troy was in obvious pain, but he knew there wasn’t much they could do about it here. They made their way inside the cabin and Craig helped him to the sofa.
“Better lie down right here for a minute. I’ll stoke the fire back up and put some more wood on.”
“Craig, check the router first! See if it has a connection now.”
Troy reached for the television remote laying on the coffee table in front of the sofa. He turned it on and waited a moment for the TV to power up. If the satellite receiver had reception enough for the television, then the chances were good that the phone would also work.
“All the lights are solid green except the one on the bottom. It’s blinking slowly. Is that good?” Craig asked.
“That means that it’s on but it’s not a stable connection. It may still work enough to get a phone call out though. Let’s give it a shot anyway.” Troy’s phone lay beside him on the coffee table. He winced sharply from his broken rib as he reached over to pick up the cell. Only one bar showed up. At least that was something. With any luck at all the call would go through, so he quickly dialed. After a few seconds, he heard the familiar ring tone on the other end. Just as the dispatcher answered, the cell lost reception and the call ended. He quickly hit redial. The cell lost signal two more times just as the dispatcher answered the call.
“No luck, Craig. It just doesn’t have a good enough signal to make a call.”
“What about an email?” Craig asked. “Maybe you can get word out that way!”
Troy asked Craig to grab his lap top from the upstairs bedroom. Craig hurried up the stairs, retrieved the laptop and brought it quickly back down to him. A few minutes later an email was sent to the sheriff’s department in hopes that someone would come.
“That’s about all we can do right now. No idea if it actually went through or not, but I gotta hope!”
“Keep a close eye on it and see if anyone responds,” Craig said. “I need to get out there and find Phil. He’s in serious trouble and a long ways from here and you’re in no shape to come with me.”
“I’m not staying here.” Troy announced. “I’ve got to do something to help.”
The men decided on a plan of action. Craig would take the ATV back out to find Phil. The nights were very cold up in the mountains and he could die of hypothermia even if the creature never found him. They weren’t sure what was out there, but Troy was certain that it wasn’t a bear. Whatever it was, it was incredibly large and powerful! Phil was no match for that and they knew he had little chance of surviving the night if they didn’t find him. When Craig left, Troy would also leave in the Jeep and try to get to town for help.
Craig left the SKS rifle and an ammo box full of rounds in the living room just in case Phil made his way back and needed it. Next, he took a pistol from his truck, a bushmaster with extra clips and a sport rifle. He helped Troy up off the sofa and led him to the Jeep. “Keep it hammered and get there as fast as you can. Phil’s out there somewhere and we need all the help we can get. Just be careful! If you see that thing, shoot to kill!”
“I will, believe me!” Troy said. “I have my 45. If I see it, it’s not going far! Not without a fight!”
Craig loaded his rifles into the ATV and strapped them down using the bungee cords Troy found earlier. He assisted Troy into the Jeep and wished him good luck, then turned to look around one more time to make sure nothing was nearby. A couple of the off-road lights were broken, but the ATV still had plenty that weren’t. Craig would be able to see for several meters in front of him and if he stopped long enough, he could also use the spot light near the driver’s left hand. He jumped in the Razor, fired it up and hit the gas.
Chapter 12
Troy watched Craig leave on the ATV. The lights were shining brightly across the snow covered landscape all the way down to the boat dock. His ribs were hurting terribly, but he was able to buckle his seatbelt and start the Jeep. He checked his pistol in the seat beside him along with the Henry rifle. He wanted to make certain that if he were to see the creature, he would have ready access to the weapons.
Shifting into drive, he reached down to engage the four-wheel drive low. A stabbing pain jolted him back upright immediately. Thoughts ran through his mind that he should have asked Craig to assist him before he took off on the Razor. The 4-wheel drive shifter was in the floor board and very stiff. The act of bending down and reaching for it alone was bad enough, but as soon as he put effort into shifting the lever, the pain in his ribs was unbearable. He would have to attempt the drive out in 2-wheel high.
The dirt road into town was several miles of mud and snow. He pulled out and looked in the rear view mirror at the cabin shining from all of the lights reflecting off the snow on the ground. The men made sure that the door to the cabin was unlocked in case Phil made his way back. They also made sure that there were other guns and weapons in the house. If by chance Phil did indeed make it back, he would need something for protection.
The 4X4 bounced along the driveway as he made his way toward town. He began shaking from the bitter cold and could see his breath start to fog up the windshield. The adrenaline had kept the cold at bay, but now that he was rested a little and calmer, he could really feel the cold. He reached over and turned the heater on low. Once the Jeep warmed up a little, the heat would feel good. If he was this cold, his buddy stranded out in the middle of the woods had to be miserable. Troy hoped that Craig would get to him quickly.
Snow started falling again. Lightly at first, but as Troy continued along the road the flakes became larger and denser. The windshield wipers were struggling to keep the snow off of the windshield and the visibility was going from bad to worse. He wasn’t aware of any major storms that were supposed to be moving in, but he had to admit, he hadn’t given much attention to t
he news in a few days. Things can change rapidly in the mountains and he knew that they had to get help out here as quickly as possible. Phil would be struggling to stay warm. He was more worried about staying alive! Whatever that thing was, it was terrifying.
He turned the heat up to high and made sure the defroster was on. The windshield was fogging up badly from his breathing which just made the visibility even worse. He drove as quickly as he could, but the road was slick and getting worse from the snowfall. He knew if it got much worse, there would be no getting in or out.
He finally made it to the bridge that crossed the lake and began up the slope. The Jeep slid sideways as the front wheels lost traction. The snow was deep here and the wet ground was frozen solid underneath. He struggled with the wheel, but got the Jeep to right itself and began back up the slope. The ground was simply too slick for the Jeep to get any traction without the 4-wheel drive engaged. Troy shifted into reverse and carefully backed down the hill in order to get a better run at it. If he could just get some momentum, he could probably make it up onto the bridge. Then, he should be able to cross with no issues. He backed down the hill and allowed another twenty or thirty feet more before he stopped and shifted back into drive. He leaned over and reached for the 4-wheel drive lever. If he could just get it shifted, he wouldn’t have any trouble at all navigating the slope. As he leaned down the sharp pain in his side throbbed so hard that he nearly passed out. He sat up in the seat, his back straight, and held pressure on his side. His breathing came in short gasps. He would have to go at it without the 4-wheel drive.
Once he regained his composure, he stepped on the gas and slowly picked up speed as he approached the slope up to the bridge. It wasn’t incredibly steep, but the transition from the level road to the top of the bridge was only about twelve feet which made it difficult to ascend under these conditions. The Jeep hit the bottom of the slope and he immediately felt the pain in his ribs and almost blacked out. The front wheels lost traction, but the momentum carried the Jeep straight and the back wheels were pushing the vehicle up. With a huge sigh of relief, he crested over the slope onto the level platform of the bridge and began crossing. The snow was piled about a foot high, but the Jeep had no trouble moving across. When he reached the middle of the bridge he glanced over toward the cabin. At a mile away, the cabin lights could be seen even through the snow storm. He couldn’t make out much more than that and he turned back to the road. Crossing the bridge is hopefully the hardest part of this trip, he thought. He reached the other end and started down the slope. He drove down with no trouble and turned onto the main road. From here, he knew, should be an easier drive. Unfortunately, it was going to be very slow due to the limited visibility and the slick roads.
The road stretched along the lake shore for quite a ways before descending for several miles to reach the main highway into town. It wasn’t a well-kept road and Troy’s house was the only one out this way. Technically, it was a county road, but it felt more like a very long private drive. The county would send a road grader out this way sometimes, but for the most part, there was very little traffic for them to worry about. His ribs were hurting terribly now and the constant bumping of the road wasn’t helping. He tried adjusting his seat to lean back a little more. That seemed to help a little. He held pressure against his side with one hand making it difficult to drive with only one on the wheel. As the jeep rounded a curve, He turned the wheel to navigate around a huge, old and very dead aspen that must have fallen within the last few hours. It blocked the dirt road entirely. The left front wheel slammed into a pot hole jolting him forward in the seat. His seatbelt held him in place, but the force of the blow on his ribs was enough to make him pass out. Troy’s foot hit the gas pedal as he crumpled back in his seat and lost his grip on the wheel. The jeep careened off the road, down the embankment and smashed head-on into a large pine tree.
Chapter 13
Craig threw a glance over his shoulder at Troy driving away in his Jeep. He was now racing the ATV back toward the mountain. He had to get to Phil as quickly as possible. It was getting dangerously cold outside and that thing was still out there. Wind chill alone would be well below freezing. Craig was a tough outdoorsman type and respected the power and size of bears, but he wasn’t afraid. Not as long as he was properly armed! He had no problem heading straight back to where it first attacked them. He was determined to find his buddy and bring him home.
The ATV had no trouble negotiating the treacherous mountain. It was a four-wheel drive and very powerful and nimble. The downfall of snow became much heavier, however, and Craig had a difficult time seeing very far ahead. He made it to the trail where it started up the mountain and gunned the Razor into the trees. The trail wound up and over the rocky, snow covered mountainside with blind corners and hair-pin turns. Craig kept his handgun in his coat for easy reach just in case he needed it.
Just ahead, Craig could make out a rocky overhang and the trail wound just below it. He pulled up under it and cut the engine leaving the lights on. He listened intently in case Phil had seen him and was yelling for him. It would be very difficult to hear over the sound of the engine. He shined the spotlight all around, but could see nothing except the snow falling through the pines. The constant hissing sound of the snow falling so rapidly and dense was the only thing that could be heard. Knowing that a bear, a pissed off psycho killer bear, was on a rampage made the expansive woodland scene very eerie.
Craig reached for the familiar butt of his pistol for reassurance. It was easily accessible even through his gloved fingers. Once he felt confident that it was where he could get to it quickly, he reached down, fired the Razor back up and hit the gas. He needed to locate the area where they were attacked in hopes of finding Phil nearby. He knew he would be coming up to the spot soon where they first left the trail, but he wasn’t sure if he would be able to spot any sign of it now due to all the snow. Even the forest floor was becoming thicker with the white powder. He would have to hurry.
He pushed the ATV hard for the next few hundred yards before slowing in a wide open spot on the trail. He stopped the Razor and, once again, killed the engine and listened intently for any sign from Phil. He didn’t see anything with the spotlight as he shined it around the forest. He was reaching down to fire up the engine and move on when he heard a thump on the ground near the ATV. A large rock about the size of a softball landed hard on the trail and rolled up close. Too close! This time, he saw the general direction it came from and he turned the powerful spotlight that way. He saw something moving off deeper into the woods, but he couldn’t be certain as to what it was due to the reduced visibility of the snow. The forest was open enough for him to get the ATV through quickly and he felt he could rely on his driving skills to get in and out without issue. He hit the gas and turned the wheel hard. He was in pursuit and not backing down. If it was the creature, then it would have a fight on its hands.
+++
Troy awoke to the sound of static on the radio of the Jeep. His head hurt and his vision was blurry. When he reached up to touch his temple he felt the intense pain in his side as his ribs reminded him of his injury. He winced sharply and his breath caught in his throat. He decided if he didn’t move carefully, he may pass out again and that’s the last thing he needed. When he pulled his hand away from his head he knew the reason for the blurry vision. He had a cut on his right temple that had bled quite profusely. His nose felt numb and when he touched it, he knew it was broken. The airbag had blown out and was to be thanked for most of the damage. His whole face felt sticky from the blood. That explains why my head is pounding, he thought.
Fortunately for him, the windshield was still intact and it was still warmer inside than it was out. I must’ve only been out for a few minutes, he thought. He could see that he had struck a tree when he crashed the Jeep. The driver’s side headlight had busted on impact, but the fog lights were still on as well as the passenger headlight. He reached over, hit the power button, and turned the radio of
f. He could see that the gear shift had been knocked into park somehow; maybe he did it before he blacked out completely. He reached up to the steering wheel and tried to rip the airbag off. It was too tough so he just stuffed it back around the wheel and hoped that the Jeep would start and run. He turned the key and the engine roared to life. He slipped it down to reverse and sluggishly sat back upright in his seat. He stepped on the gas pedal gently at first, but the Jeep’s back wheels simply spun. He gave it more gas and it began to move ever so slightly, but then the wheels could be heard slipping in the mud and snow and only digging deeper. The Jeep wouldn’t budge another inch. He slipped the gear shift into neutral.
He let his arm fall off the main shifter over to the four-wheel drive selector and rest on the console. The only way possible of getting out of this alive was for someone to come along and rescue him or he had to get the Jeep shifted into four-wheel low. He knew it wasn’t likely anyone would come along anytime in the next several days, maybe even weeks. No matter how badly it hurt, he had to get out of that ditch! The shifter on the Jeep was extremely stiff especially when the vehicle was sitting idle. It worked best when the Jeep was moving slowly, but that was not an option. He leaned down and tucked his right arm close to his ribs and used his left arm across his body to keep it there tightly. Using his forearm more than the rest of his body he pulled on the shifter. At first, it wouldn’t budge, but as he concentrated harder he finally managed to get it to move into the first notch, neutral. He needed to go one more notch to engage the Jeep into four-wheel low. He took a slow and deliberate breath and began pulling on the lever.
+++
Phil made a quick check of his personal belongings by searching through his pockets. He found his small flashlight, his hunting knife with a seven-inch blade, a small pocket sized, water-proof first aid kit complete with matches, antibiotic ointment and Band-Aids, wallet, and as luck would have it, his cell phone. He knew he had no reception up here on the mountain; there wasn’t a cell tower for miles. He could possibly make it to higher elevation where it might be possible to get a clear signal, at least strong enough to get out a text message. That was one option albeit a dangerous one. He certainly didn’t want to get stuck up here on this mountain much longer. This kind of weather is extremely dangerous. He could die from hypothermia. His next option was his best option and the safest, straight down. He could feel the slope with his feet even in the darkness.
Siege at Hawthorn Lake: Murder on the Mountain Page 10