Wolf Storm

by Dee Garretson

  Raine knelt down to peer inside. “He’s not there! Why wouldn’t he come looking for me?”

  “Maybe he smells the wolves and he’s hiding somewhere because he’s scared of them. I would be scared, if I were a little dog.”

  “We have to look for him, and I want to find the cook. Don’t you think it’s weird Cecil isn’t concerned?”

  “No, but let’s go ahead and find Kep. And when we don’t find the body of the cook, will you be satisfied that she just went home? You can’t spend all day eyeing Cecil like he’s going to pull out a butcher knife at any moment.”

  “How would the cook get home in the middle of the storm?”

  “I don’t know. The storm died down sometime in the night. Maybe she had a car with chains on the tires. Maybe someone came and got her with a snowplow on a truck, or on a snowmobile.” There had been a chattering voice in the hallway when he had woken up in the night. It had to have been the cook. “It only makes sense that if she’s not here, she found a way to get to her house.” Stefan hoped Raine would be satisfied with one of those explanations.

  “I want to keep looking just to make sure,” she said.

  It felt odd opening the doors to other people’s rooms. Some of them were locked, and Raine asked, “What if the cook’s in one of the locked rooms?”

  “Then we can’t do anything, can we? We’ve covered all the rooms on this floor.” He yawned, deciding he would go back to bed after he ate.

  “We should check the top floor and then if she and Kep aren’t up there, we should search the cellars. There’s probably a whole network of them under the lodge. We’ll need to make torches to explore them.” Raine waved her hands around and Stefan could tell she was getting enthused with her own ideas, back to envisioning herself as Nancy Drew creeping through some moldy dungeon.

  “I’m not making torches to go into the basement,” Stefan said. “I draw the line there. In fact, I’m going back downstairs.”

  “Fine, I’m sure Jeremy will go into the cellars with me.”

  “Fine. I’m sure you’ll both have fun.”

  He took a few steps toward the stairs and then Raine said in a soft voice, “Will you please just help me look on the third floor? It will only take a second. I’m really worried about Kep.”

  Even though he knew she was just using a new tactic to get him to do what she wanted, it was hard to say no. “Okay,” he agreed. “A quick look.” He should probably look for Phoebe anyway.

  As they headed up the third-floor stairs, the smell stopped Stefan halfway. It wasn’t the same odor as before. Now it was stronger, rank, and sour, like raw meat doused in vinegar.

  “I don’t know, Raine.” Stefan grabbed her arm before she could go any farther. “Maybe we shouldn’t go up there. You smell it, right?”

  She faced him, her skin very pale. “I smell it. We have to look. I just need to know. Don’t you ever feel like that? When even if something is going to turn out bad, it’s better to know it?” Shaking his hand off, she ran up the stairs like she didn’t want to give herself a chance to stop.

  Stefan followed, but when he turned the corner, Raine was coming back. She ploughed into him like she was trying to get away from something. They teetered at the top of the stairs for a second, and then he reached out to balance himself with the wall. Raine’s eyes were wild but she didn’t speak. Over the top of her head, Stefan could see the hallway. It was spattered with blood and feathers and pieces of owl, like the bird had exploded. He closed his eyes, trying not to be sick.

  “At least . . . at least, it was just an owl,” Raine said, her back to the hallway and her eyes fixed on his face. “That was the noise I heard, the screeching sound. That was when it was being killed. I wonder which wolf did it?”

  “It doesn’t matter,” Stefan said. “I’m sure any of them could have.” It was a sharp reminder that no matter how much the wolves acted like dogs, they weren’t. “They’re hunters, and the owl was here to be hunted. Let’s go back downstairs.”

  “No, I have to find Kep. What if he’s hiding somewhere because the wolves were trying to get him?”

  “Raine, I don’t know. Maybe we should wait until some other people get back.” He didn’t want to tell her what he feared, that they’d find the little dog in the same state as the owl. It would be too awful for her to see, too awful for all of them.

  “I have to look for him. You don’t need to come with me.”

  He sighed, knowing he couldn’t let her do it herself. “Okay, let’s just take a quick look. I can’t stand this smell for long.” Covering his nose with his sleeve, he followed her as they picked their way down the hall, opening doors as they went. They passed the trainers’ room. It still smelled like peanut butter, and Stefan could see little mouse tracks all over the floor, like the mice had wallowed in the peanut butter and been too full to clean their paws.

  The last door at the end of the hall was open partway. Stefan slowed down as they approached it. “Let me go first,” he said. There was no sound from inside the room, so he pushed the door open gradually. Inside he saw a dark furry shape and almost backed right out.

  “What is it?” Raine whispered. She went around him before he could stop her. When Stefan’s eyes adjusted he could make out Kep and Phoebe curled up together on an old bearskin rug. Kep lifted his head and gave one little bark, then put it back down on Phoebe’s front paw. The wolf licked the smaller dog’s head and then laid her chin down on his back. A couple of owl feathers rested on the rug next to them.

  “Aren’t they cute!” Raine went over and reached down but drew her hand back when Phoebe growled. “I guess I won’t pick him up. She’s acting like his mother or something.”

  “Maybe Phoebe thinks he’s a mutant wolf cub, and she’s adopted him. Or maybe she thinks he’s a toy because he wears clothes,” Stefan said. Kep had on dog pajamas, a flannel top with teddy bears on it. Phoebe licked Kep’s head again, and Stefan realized he couldn’t smell the dog perfume any longer.

  “I guess she won’t hurt him, even if she’s the one who ripped the owl apart.” Raine glanced back toward the hallway.

  “So are you satisfied?” Stefan asked. “The wolf didn’t devour Kep. Now can we go have some cake?” His rumbling stomach was at war with itself, the smell from the hallway mixing with the hunger pains.

  “But we haven’t found the cook. And I know that’s blood in the kitchen, no matter what you say. If one of the wolves killed the owl, what else would they kill?”

  “Not a person. I keep telling you the cook went home.”

  “How did she do that? Was her car here?”

  “I don’t know, but it’s the only thing that makes sense. There were a lot of cars in the parking lot.”

  “I think she’s around somewhere. We should search the cellars. And don’t leave me alone with Cecil. I can’t believe he mentioned The Shining. That’s the favorite movie he was talking about when he mentioned it took place in an empty hotel after a storm. You can see where his mind is going. We may have to hide the butcher knives and the axes.”

  Stefan knew that movie. It was the scariest one he’d ever seen. “I don’t think Cecil is imagining himself trapped in a hotel in a blizzard, going insane, and trying to murder everyone. For the last time, we are not in a movie, okay? Real life is not like a movie. Just because Cecil made a joke about a movie doesn’t mean anything.”

  “Just remember, if he comes after you with an ax, I warned you,” she said.

  “Okay,” Stefan said, “but please let’s at least drink the hot chocolate while it’s still warm. And let me tell them about the owl.”

  Downstairs Stefan picked up a mug and took a gulp of it before someone could find a reason to stop him. The warmth and the sweetness of the chocolate were fantastic. He closed his eyes, wishing he could just pretend he was still asleep, about to wake up to other people taking care of things. He took a few more sips and a bite of cake and then another. Hot chocolate and cake might be the best
breakfast combination ever.

  He was about to take another bite when Raine opened her mouth like she was going to speak. “Wait, Raine,” he said, holding up his hand and ignoring the glare she gave him. He filled in Jeremy and Cecil on Phoebe and Kep. When he got to the owl, he tried to keep it as brief as possible, determined to out-talk Raine if she jumped in with any gory details. Jeremy didn’t need to know them, and they could keep the kid away from the third floor so he wouldn’t find out.

  Jeremy made a few sympathy noises about the owl but didn’t seem too upset. He put down his plate and petted Boris. “I fed these guys a little cake, but I think they want something. Phoebe and Kep are probably getting as hungry as these two.” Stefan looked at Raine, hoping she wouldn’t blurt out something about Phoebe being full of owl.

  “What do you . . .” Jeremy started to say, but then he stopped and coughed. A distinct wheeze sounded at his next breath.

  “Jeremy, if the wolves are making your asthma worse, maybe you shouldn’t pet them so much,” Cecil said.

  “It might not be them; it might just be the cold. Besides, the wheezing is no big deal. I’ll go get my inhaler in a minute. Hey, I remembered something good while you were upstairs. There’s a woodpile on the side of the lodge by an old shed. Yesterday, while you and Raine were practicing your scene, I went outside to try to find the spot where you’d seen the wolf, and I saw the shed and the wood. I’ll show you.”

  “No, I’ll find it. You’d better stay here if the cold makes the asthma worse,” Stefan said.

  “I’ll go too,” Raine said. “We can get wolf food and wood. Just wait until I get dressed.”

  Stefan took advantage of Raine’s absence and polished off the rest of the cake, feeling a little more awake after that.

  When she came back downstairs and they got outside, Stefan was amazed to see just how much more snow had fallen. Everything on the set was buried under several inches of white. The cleared pathways from the day before were mostly gone and the cold was intense. Stefan’s gloves, hat, and jacket didn’t do much good.

  Raine pulled a map out of her coat. “I’ve been trying to figure out how people are going to get back here if the bridge is out,” she said, opening up the map. “There’s another bridge here.” She pointed at one spot. “It’s only about fifty miles from the village, but after you cross that bridge the road goes in the other direction. Then there’s no road that leads here. If they can’t get across the village bridge, we’re really cut off.” She sounded happy at the prospect.

  “And that’s a good thing? A few minutes ago you were worried about Cecil murdering people.”

  “Nothing like this has ever happened to me before,” she said. “It just seems exciting. And it’s so beautiful here,” Raine said. “Let’s make snow angels!” She flopped down in the snow and almost disappeared from sight. She sat up again. “Wow! I didn’t expect it to be so deep. Come on, Stefan!”

  “I’m not a snow angel kind of guy,” he said, but he had to smile at how happy she was. Being snowbound agreed with her. Now she seemed more like a little kid than a snobby actress. When she got up, she was so covered in snow she looked frosted.

  “That’s going to make you more cold,” he warned. “Maybe even give you hypothermia.”

  “Really?” she said, her eyes wide.

  “No, I’m kidding. You can’t get hypothermia from making a snow angel.”

  “I don’t care for once,” Raine said. “I’ll just warm up in front of the fire when we’re done. Let’s get the wood first, warm up for a few minutes, and then go back for wolf food.”

  The shed and the woodpile were on the opposite side of the lodge from the wolves’ motor home and the mockup of the spaceship, almost on the back corner of the building by the parking lot. Nobody had shoveled anywhere near the dilapidated structure, so plowing through the snow up to their knees made for slow going. Stefan thought if they were going to haul a bunch of wood inside, they really needed a pathway. Maybe he could find the snowblower one of the crew had been using the day before.

  “Here, how many pieces can you carry?” he asked, picking up a log. The wood was so old, some of it crumbled in his hand.

  Raine held out her arms. “Just stack them on top of each other.”

  “Hi!” Jeremy yelled from the back door. “I think the wolves have to go to the bathroom so I’m bringing them outside.” Two of the wolves dashed out like crazy animals. Stefan could make out Boris from his size and Natasha from the white patch on her chest. No sign of Phoebe. She probably wouldn’t come out until she was desperate. Stefan could see Jeremy holding the door open and making coaxing motions with one hand. Kep zoomed out, jumped off the porch, and vanished into the snow.

  “Jeremy, get him! It’s too deep!” Raine dropped the logs and took off in a slow-motion run. Jeremy reached down but came up empty-handed as Kep popped up and leaped away. For a little sausage dog he had quite a spring. “Stop!” Raine yelled, picking up her pace. The dog ignored her, barking at Jeremy, who jumped off the porch after him. Figuring Raine and Jeremy would catch Kep eventually, Stefan bent down to gather up the logs Raine had discarded.

  Stefan had almost all of the logs in his arms when a distant crack like a gunshot rang out. The sound came from up in the mountains, as if someone were out hunting, though Stefan couldn’t imagine who would hunt in heavy snow. He looked toward the others. The wolves were frozen in place. Jeremy had captured the dog and was just handing him to Raine, his arms outstretched, Kep wriggling crazily. Stefan took one step. He heard a rumble, very faint at first. It grew louder, and Stefan thought it was thunder until he glanced toward the mountain.

  Chapter 12

  White Coffin

  At first Stefan couldn’t understand why a billowing cloud of fog hung over just the top of the ski slope. Then the cloud moved and he heard snapping sounds as an immense mass of snow plummeted down the slope, engulfing the trees along the way, breaking them into pieces. They flew up in the air like Pick-Up Sticks and then disappeared back down into the white. The semis and motor homes across the parking lot began to shake.

  “Is it an earthquake?” Raine yelled. Stefan realized neither she nor Jeremy could see the mountain of snow coming toward them from where they stood at the back of the lodge. The wolves knew; they lifted their heads and sniffed at the air, then streaked out of sight.

  “Run!” Stefan shouted, trying to get his own legs to move. “It’s an avalanche!” It was coming right at the lodge. “Cecil!” he yelled.

  He saw Cecil’s face at one of the back windows and he pointed frantically at the slope and then motioned with his hands. “Get out of the building!” he yelled, though he knew it was hopeless. Cecil wouldn’t be able to hear him.

  Raine and Jeremy just stood there. “Run!” he screamed again, and then he started toward them, gesturing with his hands at the wolves, hoping someone would understand. Jeremy took a step back toward the building, but then Raine grabbed him and Kep, pulling them after her as she headed down the slope.

  When Stefan tried to follow, it felt like he was moving in slow motion through the deep snow. He knew he shouldn’t look back, but he couldn’t help it. The enormous wave of snow came closer. It was roaring and frothing now, like it was boiling over, a cloud a hundred feet high. The lodge shook violently, and then the snow smashed into it, and Stefan heard cracking and groaning as the building shattered. The windows exploded, bits of glass flying everywhere. Pieces of furniture from the upper stories flew out, and Stefan covered his head with his arms, trying to speed up. The snow was too deep, his legs too tired. He knew he wasn’t going to get away. The avalanche was going to catch him and swallow him.

  As the cloud came closer Stefan felt a sharp blast of air, like an explosion right at his back, and he lost his balance, tumbling over and over as the snow hit, the force knocking the air out of his lungs. The whiteness came up and swallowed him, and he could feel himself sinking down into it as he fell. He tried to fight, making swimmin
g motions with his arms, except he couldn’t tell which way was up. There was snow above and below him and all around him. It filled his mouth and his nose, freezing them, and he clawed at it with one hand, choking for air.

  The snow and his body stopped moving, but the relief lasted only an instant. He tried to take a breath but there was no air, and the weight of the snow pressed against him like it was determined to crush him. His hand, now missing a glove, pressed against his mouth and he could just move his fingers, so he reached in and managed to get enough snow out to take a small breath. His other arm was stuck above his head and he could move those fingers too, but nothing else. As the cold crept through him, Stefan tried to fight the panic, and the coffin of white that was squeezing the life out of him. He wondered how long it would take to die.

  Then he heard Raine’s voice calling his name, and he wanted to answer her but he couldn’t make any sound. He took in one more breath, gagging as the snow went down into his lungs. It made him cough violently and the coughing helped, because the pressure of the snow around him eased a little. He felt a tug on his hand, the one above his head.

  “Stefan! Stefan!” It was Raine’s voice again and she had a hold on the tip of his glove. “Hold on! I’ll dig you out!” Soon he could feel the pressure around his arm loosen a little, and he wiggled it back and forth, wanting to signal he was alive, praying she wouldn’t leave him. With his other hand, he made a bigger pocket of air, trying to take shallow breaths so he wouldn’t inhale any more snow. When he felt Raine’s hand hit the top of his head, a surge of hope ran through him. As soon as she had his face and his hand clear, he brushed frantically at the snow on his mouth, wanting air and light.

  As Raine kept digging, he realized he was on his side, under just a few feet of snow, and he knew it was only luck that had saved him. If he had been under two or three more inches of snow she would never have seen his hand. He tried to help, but there was little he could do until she had removed enough of the snow so he could use both his hands. They both dug at his legs, and finally he felt the pressure ease. “You’re almost out!” Raine said. Stefan pushed his legs up, breaking free, and then he lay back down, trying to get air in. There was a sharp pain in his side every time he took a deep breath.