Siege at Hawthorn Lake: Murder on the Mountain

by Paul G Buckner

  Dark crimson matted the fur in several places on the creature’s body - the result of gunshot wounds. The blood dripped from the beast onto the soft, white down of the snow pack in a trail quickly being covered by the fresh falling powder and the blustery wind. The beast staggered along trying to keep pace with its mate, but falling behind. The other would pause long enough to look for danger and allow the other to catch up. They had a great sense for danger and were very good hunters. With incredible strength, the Sasquatch could easily break the neck of large mammals such as deer and sheep. A human stood no chance!

  Phil could feel the presence of the adult Sasquatch nearby and attempted to keep his fear in check. He slowed his breathing and remained as still as possible in the current conditions and prayed the beasts wouldn’t find him. The huge bipedal animal paused for a short moment very near Phil’s location as if it had sensed something, but then continued on. Phil waited another few moments before breathing a sigh of relief. He was half frozen from the cold, but half frozen from fear. He had heard stories about creatures like these, but never dreamed in a million years that they could be true. He waited quietly for quite some time before he dared moved. In his nest under the tree he had a wind block and was actually starting to feel a little warmer. He slowly crawled out of his hiding spot and stood up looking around for the beasts that had hunted him and his friends.

  He spotted their trail after a few moments. It seemed to be winding down the mountain side heading toward the lake. They were huge; easily standing eight feet tall or better and their strides in the snow were almost twice that of Phil’s. They had crossed the road and as he stood up, he spotted the blood trail they were leaving behind. There was quite a bit of it and he knew that the creature had to be severely injured, most likely a result of Craig’s and Troy’s shooting. Phil wondered to himself what had become of them. He hoped his friends were still out looking for him, but he hadn’t heard so much as another gunshot or the Razor’s engine in a while now. ‘Had they retreated back to the cabin? Had the creatures injured them or worse?’ He decided he should stay in the tree line next to the road and continue on to the cabin, hoping it wasn’t far!

  +++

  Sheriff Blaine finally made it to the turnoff leading to the cabin and exited the highway. The snow was blowing harder now and the visibility had worsened slowing him down even more. He wore ultraviolet coated lenses in his slightly tinted sunglasses which helped his vision in the bright, white snow. The dirt road was completely covered in over a foot of it and therefore difficult to make out. He had to be very careful not to venture off the road too much for fear of getting stuck in a bar ditch that was covered by the drifts.

  The four-wheel drive crept along the desolate road. The man inside vigilant to his surroundings, looked for any sign of where the Jeep may have crashed or of the other two men. The wind was beginning to blow the snow much harder making visibility even worse. At one point he had to stop the vehicle altogether and wait for the snow to lighten up again.

  After driving for about twenty minutes down the dirt road he came to an abrupt stop. A huge dead tree had fallen across the road blocking it entirely. There was no way around it in the truck. There wasn’t enough room on either side to drive around and with the snow as deep as it was, he didn’t want to take a chance of getting stuck. Even in four wheel drive, there was no way of knowing what was under the snow.

  He stopped the vehicle and shifted it into park. He stepped out closing the door behind him and took a quick look around. He needed a chainsaw and about twenty minutes to cut the tree up, but he didn’t have one with him. He knew he needed a snow mobile to get past this point and there was nothing more he could do other than turn around. He’d have to wait the storm out and bring a sled with him to get through the pass.

  The sheriff turned to walk back to the truck. It sat there idling with the windshield wipers slowly waving back and forth, headlight beams shining into the snow filled air. He shivered from the cold air blowing snow into the collar of his coat. He pulled it up tight and continued on his way back to the truck never seeing the man standing in the middle of the road a few hundred yards ahead waving frantically for him!

  +++

  Phil could make out the headlights of the vehicle that was stopped in the mountain pass only a few hundred yards up the road. He took a chance that the creatures were gone now so he walked out into the middle of the road and tried to wave the vehicle down. He wasn’t sure if they could see him or not because the snow was blowing so hard. Visibility was difficult, but he did his best to wave his arms overhead though he dared not yell at the vehicle in fear of alerting the beasts of his whereabouts.

  The truck began moving, but it was backing up. Phil saw the taillights and then it was gone. Deflated and scared he turned back toward the direction of the cabin and pressed on. He had to make it soon. He was frozen, dizzy and weak from hunger. He suddenly realized he hadn’t eaten anything in more than twenty-four hours nor had he had anything to drink. ‘Hopefully the cabin is close. I don’t think I can make it much further in this storm.’ he thought to himself. If he could get there he would have a fighting chance. Out here in the open like this, he wouldn’t survive.

  He stayed in the tree line as best he could and followed the road. The going was very slow because of the deepening snow drifts. The storm was relentless and not letting up anytime soon. At least he could use it to his advantage and help cover his tracks. If he couldn’t see very far, then the creatures couldn’t either. That gave him hope as he trudged along. He kept a cautious eye out for the beasts, but saw no further sign of them.

  Phil instinctively knew that the terrain was steadily on a down grade so he knew he was on the right track because he remembered the road from the bridge to the cabin was on a slight grade. He surmised he must be near the bridge. He started paying more attention to the terrain and eventually, he saw what he was looking for. The lake lay below!

  Elated and confident he was near the cabin he took a chance that the creatures weren’t nearby and moved onto the road where he felt he could make better time. He was frozen to the bone and he knew that if he didn’t find shelter soon, he would die out here. Another twenty minutes and he saw the bridge crossing the lake. He must have come down much further away from the cabin than what he thought, but now he knew the cabin was only about another thirty to forty minute walk beyond the bridge. He was almost home!

  +++

  Doctor Jenkins was sitting at his desk dictating reports when a nurse hurried in.

  “Doc, the Turner fellow just woke up and is asking for the sheriff. He’s frantic and sounds half out of his mind.”

  The doctor quickly got up and followed the nurse to his patient’s room. Troy was trying to get a nurse to understand how important it was for him to speak with the sheriff. He turned his attention to the doctor when he walked into the room.

  “Doctor, you’ve got to get the sheriff over here. There’s been an attack at the cabin. It was a huge grizzly that attacked us and he’s got to get someone out there now. My friends are still out there and they need help. Phil was still out on the mountain lost somewhere and Craig went after him. I came to town to try and get help because I got hurt trying to fix the satellite dish on the house…” he trailed off as the doctor spoke up.

  “Son I’ve already talked to the sheriff; he was here earlier. What I need for you to do is to lay back and rest. We’ll get someone out there. I’m sure the sheriff can find your buddies. They’ll be just fine.”

  Troy was exhausted and dehydrated. His injuries were taking a toll on him and he had no energy to argue. The pain medication that the doctor had prescribed kept him relaxed and groggy. He soon fell asleep again.

  “Nurse Bradley, I’m heading back to my office to get in touch with the sheriff. Watch him and make sure he stays put. Don’t let him hurt himself.”

  Doctor Jenkins hurriedly made his way back down the hospital hallway to his office, entered, and closed the door behind him. H
e sat down at his desk and picked up the phone. After a few moments, the dispatcher at the sheriff’s office answered the call. The doctor explained that Mr. Turner had awakened long enough to talk to him and that he needed the sheriff to call him as soon as he could. He also relayed the information that Troy gave him as best he could. The dispatcher told him she would relay the message and that the sheriff was in the field now trying to get out to the cabin. He hadn’t checked in for quite some time now so she would see if she could raise him.

  After hanging up the phone, Lindsey keyed the microphone on the radio unit and called for the sheriff. After a few seconds, the speaker crackled with the sheriff’s voice.

  “Yeah, Linds, go ahead.”

  “Sheriff, ….. kins just called. Said ….. woke up and …….. about a …. attack. Said the other ……grizzly…. out there on the mountain some….. and was ……ed about them.”

  “Can you repeat that Linds, you’re breaking up?”

  She tried again, but this time she spoke in shorter bursts, hoping that the sheriff could get the main idea of what it was she was relaying.

  “Try calling the cabin and see if you can get through to anyone out there.”

  I’ve already ..ied that She..ff, getting nothing.”

  “Damnit!” The Sheriff exclaimed. “I’m on Reed Road now. Tried getting to the cabin. Can’t get through. Road blocked. I need a sled to make it through.”

  He wasn’t sure if she could hear him or not. He couldn’t take the chance and drive all the way back to town. He needed to stay put just in case the other two men were trying to get out of the valley.

  “…. for back-up?” He heard her say.

  ‘Thank goodness,’ he thought. ‘Maybe she got it!’

  “Yes, call Larson. Call Pete and Noland too. Bring snow mobiles.”

  After that the sheriff signed off. Hopefully, Lindsey got it all. Maybe she would even think to call Wayne over at the forestry office and let him know that they may have a bear prowling around scaring folks. She’s been there long enough to know the routine.

  Blaine turned his police lights on and continued up the road until he found a place to turn around safe enough not to get stuck. He slowly backed in, turned around and drove back toward the cabin once again. He knew he could only go so far, but he would wait there until his deputies arrived. Hopefully, it wouldn’t be more than a couple of hours. Larson was very adept at his job and could get the others rounded up quickly and load the snow mobiles. That would be the only way in to the lake cabin of Troy Turners today.

  Chapter 17

  Phil Jackson’s deep arctic camouflage coat wrapped snuggly about him with the hood pulled low and tight around his face. He kept a hole small enough that his dark brown eyes could peer out without exposing his skin. He leaned into the hard blowing wind and plodded heavily toward his goal. He couldn’t see the road he was on, but he could tell that he was going in the right direction by keeping the lake on his right side. His mind was swimming with question after question.

  ‘Where are Troy and Craig? Were they hurt? Were they still searching for him? Would they find him before the creatures did? What would he do if the creatures found him?’ He wasn’t able to run and he was much too tired even if he could.

  It was still early in the day so at least he had the daylight to work with though he couldn’t see anything, but trees and snow and a gray, blue sky. The snow had let up a little, but the cold and the wind seemed to have picked up in its place.

  Phil’s thoughts turned to home, wondering if he’d ever see it again. He was a Cherokee and lived traditional in many ways. He grew up in the woods around Tahlequah, Oklahoma and knew his way around them well. He hunted and fished for food, not simply for sport. His grandfather had taught him to revere the land and the gifts that the Creator bestowed upon them with the wild game. It was a way of life that he respected.

  He was fluent in his first language just as he was at speaking English. He often said that when he dreamed at night, everyone spoke in Cherokee. Through the years after the three men became friends, he would teach them different words and their meanings. He often took them to powwows held during the holiday in September.

  His uncle taught him to hunt and fish and how to be a responsible man. His mother worked for the tribe at the Nation’s headquarters in Tahlequah and pushed Phil to go to school and learn as much as he could. She told him many times that an education is important. “You have and will always learn from life if you keep your eyes open and listen more than you speak.” College was something they talked about often and when the time came, he was ready. He was always a good student and earned several scholarships along the way.

  Phil remembered the first time he met Troy on campus. He had gone over to watch the team practice that afternoon. When they were done, he and Craig had planned on going over to the student union for dinner. Troy joined them in the dining hall. The three sat and laughed all evening telling jokes and stories about home. Later, they hung out after that every chance they got. The friendship was something that would last a lifetime.

  He stopped suddenly and held as still as possible. He didn’t know what it was, but he knew something was there. It may have been a slight movement he caught out of the corner of his eye or something that seemed out of place. He scanned the road ahead and the tree line all around. He couldn’t see anything, but had the strange feeling of being watched. His senses were on high alert.

  +++

  Sheriff Blaine turned on the vehicle’s emergency lights on top and continued down the road following the tracks he had just made. He remembered a spot just a little further up that was a little wider and he thought that may be a good place to park and wait on the others. It would take a couple of hours for them to reach him. They would have to gather up all the snow mobiles and supplies for a search and rescue. Then, they would have to travel on the snow covered highway and this mountain road out to the cabin.

  He found the wider spot in the road he was looking for and pulled as far as he could to one side. There he left the engine running, climbed out and rummaged through his tactical gear in the back. He found the black case he was looking for and returned to his seat in the front. The temp gauge showed that it was twenty-eight degrees outside, but the wind chill made it feel much lower. He opened the case and inspected the contents. Satisfied all was in order, he settled in for the wait. Nothing else he could do until his back up arrived.

  The red and blue emergency lights from the vehicle reflected off of the stark white of the snow pack in a mesmerizing cascade of color. The windshield wipers made a hypnotizing woosh-thump sound every few seconds. Blaine was just about to doze off when he heard the crackle of the deputy come over the radio.

  “Sheriff, this is Deputy Larson. Do you copy?”

  “Yeah, I’m here Larson,” the sheriff responded.

  “Just turned off the highway on Reed Road. ETA should be about thirty to forty-five minutes to your position.”

  As the sheriff settled in to wait, his mind drifted to what Troy had said. The last thing the small town of Hawthorn needed was a bear attack. Nick Blaine had seen his share of wild animal attacks in these mountains and he knew the scare that it put into the locals, let alone tourists. Once rumors started going around about an attack, it would spread like wildfire and be embellished beyond the truth which was bad for business all the way around. His back-up would be here soon and they could begin a search for the other two hunters in question. With any luck at all, they were simply holed up at the cabin with no way to call out.

  +++

  Phil slowly tried raising his right foot. There it was; movement in the tree line just on the other side of the bridge. He wasn’t sure if whoever or whatever it was spotted him, but he knew there was something there for certain now. It was just too far away in this wintery storm and he couldn’t see it well enough. Was it the Sasquatch? Had they backtracked to lure him out? Whatever it was, it was between him and the safety of the cabin. He knew that onc
e he made it to the bridge, the cabin was only a half a mile or so away. His heart began racing madly and his breath caught in his throat. It began moving out from the trees!

  Phil didn’t wait around to find out if the creature had seen him or not. He slowly lowered himself as close to the ground as possible and moved off the edge of the road and made his way into the trees. He knew that there was no way possible for him to go around the lake to the cabin. His only way in, and the fastest way in, was over that bridge!

  Once he reached the tree line and he felt he was out of sight, he stood up and made a run for a better position. He wanted to try and maneuver close to this end of the bridge where he could keep an eye out for the beast. Maybe it didn’t see him move off the road. It’s possible that the creature never knew he was there at all. The snow was heavy and the wind was strong. Visibility wasn’t very good and he was just lucky enough to have spotted the creature first.

  The snow was deep and the moving was slow. The fact that he was half frozen and wrapped in arctic clothing also slowed him down considerably. If he had snow shoes, he may be able to move faster, but unfortunately, he didn’t have any.

  He spotted a group of cedar trees with thick, bushy branches and quickly made his way to them. He scurried under it and made a small hole where he could see under and out onto the road. There he waited. His hiding spot was only about twenty feet from the road, but the bridge was about fifty yards further away. The dark figure was just past the bridge on the other side, but in the tree line when it had moved forward. He would try to wait it out and see if he could sneak around behind it after it passed by.