Thunderstone

by Barbara Pietron

  “How did the manitou get past the guards?” Jeni asked.

  “Two nights ago I found the cave. Before I was knocked out, I saw the remains of the guardians. Their bones were smashed and scattered in the cave; the barrier that protected them destroyed. I didn’t understand why the wards failed after all this time.

  “When we found you in the cellar and you told of the attempt on your lives, it was clear that there was human involvement. The elders think once the manitou awakened, it was able to find a soul willing to serve it. Since the wards would only affect a spirit, this human could destroy the barrier and the guardians, allowing the creature to escape.”

  “So this guy is probably still lurking out here somewhere,” Tyler stated.

  “Right. As long as there’s a threat to the manitou’s continued freedom, he requires human assistance.” Nik didn’t look at her, but his statement backed up what Jeni had said in the casino parking lot: she was a threat. She hoped Tyler picked up on the reference.

  “What’s the plan?” Tyler asked.

  “Same as a hundred years ago. The elders and I fabricated a new barrier from the feathers of Thunderbirds.” Jeni saw Tyler’s eyebrows disappear under his hair. When his eyes met hers, she shook her head and he let Nik finish speaking. “Jeni will influence the monster with the thunderstone; draw him into its former prison. Then we’ll set the barrier.”

  Jeni poked her head between the seats. “What about the guardians?”

  “Guardian,” Nik corrected her. “Me.”

  She gasped.

  “If Ice arrives, you must not tell him I intend to stay in the cave.” Nik met Jeni’s eyes. “He’ll no doubt argue, and there’ll be no time to hesitate.”

  Jeni found herself unable to protest under his unwavering stare. Her head started to shake back and forth, but she heard herself choke out, “I won’t tell Ice.” She tore her eyes from his and looked down at the floor.

  “I wish I had more time with him, but Ice will make a fine medicine man,” Nik said quietly.

  A sudden crack of lightning made them all look out the windows as a rumble vibrated the truck.

  “The storm is close. If we want the aid and protection of the Thunderers, we have to go,” Nik said.

  “But…” Jeni looked to the drive, willing Ice’s Jeep to appear around the corner. “We don’t have the thunderstone.”

  “I brought one. The effect will not be as profound, but it’s not without power.” Nik looked into Jeni’s eyes. “Especially in your possession.”

  Jeni’s pulse picked up its pace. She had no idea if she could do what Nik wanted. She dug through her purse, slipping anything she thought would be useful into her pockets. Tyler opened the back of his car and rummaged around. When Jeni got out, he handed her a flashlight. “What’s all this about Thunder? Birds…stones?”

  Jeni explained as they followed Nik to the boat ramp, not really caring how outlandish it all sounded. But Tyler didn’t make any smart comments, and there was no further conversation after they fell into a single-file line and made their way down the shoreline.

  ***

  Ice blinked as lightning flared directly in his line of sight. The accompanying clap of thunder resonated in his chest. His speed was way too fast for the park road, but he doubted anyone would be out when the sky threatened to let lose a deluge at any minute.

  He skidded into the boat launch drive, praying his assumptions were correct. His headlights caught Nik’s truck and he let out a whoop. In seconds he was parked and hanging over the seat to grab what he needed to take with him.

  Ice was outside when he finally noticed the silver car parked on the other side of the pick-up.

  Tyler’s.

  A barrage of emotions hit him all at once: surprise, happiness, worry, anticipation, fear…

  A new burst of urgency spurred him to the lake. The sky lit up and he took advantage of the moment to study the shoreline. He was already picking his way over the rocky beach when the resulting rumble sounded. Even without the thunderstone, Nik wouldn’t pass up the opportunity to face the manitou in a storm like this. Ice didn’t know what the medicine man planned to do; he just hoped he got there in time to help.

  The land on his right rose and soon became a steep embankment. Ice trained his light in that direction until the terrain grew treacherous and he needed to illuminate the ground in front of him. He stopped occasionally to sweep the bank with the beam.

  He didn’t expect to catch Nik and the others outside—he’d have to find the cave himself. If he missed the opening, he’d spend precious time backtracking.

  And he was already late.

  Too late?

  The storm hung directly overhead; each brilliant blaze like an old-fashioned flashbulb. Ice’s eyes were in a state of constant adjustment. Between claps of thunder, all he heard was the swooshing of leaves and the wind rushing past his ears.

  The shore leveled out and widened. The bank on his right dropped quickly as he moved forward. He paused and flashed his light side-to-side in front of him.

  He’d reached the beach. Somehow he’d missed the cave.

  Swearing out loud, he retraced his steps.

  He wished he had a clue or landmark—or at least a way to let someone know he was out here.

  He pulled his cell phone from his pocket and prayed for a signal. Jeni, for sure, would have her phone with her.

  Angrily Ice flipped the phone shut—it was useless tonight.

  If only he’d been able to master the mental link with Nik. It worked when Nik used it—there was an “open line”—why couldn’t Ice tap into it?

  He was back to picking across rocks with the embankment high to his left. The cave had to be in this area. Ice stopped and closed his eyes. He evoked Nik’s image, fleshing it out, filling in—

  Something hit him hard from above. Knocked off his feet, Ice catapulted toward the ground. In the few seconds before he landed, he twisted sideways, arms clutched protectively over his abdomen. The side of his face slammed against a rock, exploding pain throughout his head.

  Blackness was a welcome alternative.

  …everything on the earth has a purpose,

  every disease an herb to cure it,

  and every person a mission.

  This is the Indian theory of existence.

  —Mourning Dove, Salish

  Chapter 15

  What’s taking Nik so long?” Tyler glanced down the subterranean passage where Nik had retreated.

  Already worried, the creases in Jeni’s forehead deepened. “I don’t know.”

  “Tie faster.”

  “Believe me; I’m going as fast as I can. I can’t wait to get out of here.” Jeni was trying to concentrate on what she was doing and not think about the cave or the darkness pressing in on the beams of their flashlights.

  As they’d followed Nik into the cave, she noticed Tyler stealing glances in her direction. She steeled herself for some snide comment that would make her regret admitting her phobias, but he never said a word.

  The passage wasn’t too bad at first. It was wide, and tall enough that Tyler—who must be over six feet—had no issue walking upright. And with the large opening behind them, the cave wasn’t completely black. Eventually though, they’d rounded a bend, and claustrophobia started to gnaw at Jeni’s nerves.

  Tyler had his arms wrapped around a rolled bundle, holding it while Jeni fastened ties to an ancient framework carved from the stone ceiling. He repositioned a hand out of her way. “How did Nik even hear Ice? I didn’t hear anything.”

  “I think it’s a medicine man thing. He heard Ice in his head—not with his ears.”

  Tyler shifted on his feet and rolled his eyes. “Telepathy?”

  Jeni shrugged. The way Nik rushed out, saying he thought Ice was trying to contact him, had her worried. The fire smoldering
in her stomach burned hotter and hotter as more time passed without Nik’s return.

  “Here,” Jeni said, passing Tyler a long piece of rawhide. “You don’t need to hold the barrier up anymore, just tie this around the roll so it doesn’t flop down. Go check on Nik. I only have two ties left; I’ll be right behind you.”

  Tyler studied her. “We should probably stay together.”

  “It’s okay Tyler. Really.” Right now she was more concerned about Ice and Nik than the surrounding darkness.

  He took the hide and wrapped it around the bundle, moving deliberately. By the time he had it knotted, Jeni was on the last tie. “Go. I’ll be a minute behind you.”

  Tyler hesitated and then nodded.

  Jeni hurried with the last knot. Now that she was alone, the blackness seemed to close in around her. She could sense the hollowness of the large chamber in front of her.

  The underwater monster’s prison.

  The sizeable cavern housed a pool in the center covered by a solid stone ceiling. The walls consisted of stone interspersed with hard packed earth. Their earlier inspection of the area had revealed an opening in the far wall—a hole about two or three feet in diameter.

  Tyler had no qualms about striding around the pool for a closer examination, and he’d reported that the tunnel beyond was not much larger than the opening, although big enough to crawl through on hands and knees. “You wouldn’t get very far,” Tyler reported, “it’s caved in after about five feet.”

  Nik surmised that the tunnel might be how the monster’s lackey had entered the chamber in order to destroy the barrier and the guardians to free Mishebeshu. When Jeni asked why the person wouldn’t have come the way they did, Nik explained that the passage opening had been blocked with boulders and overgrown by vines and scrub grass. The first night he’d found it, the entrance looked as though it’d been ripped open, the surrounding rock marked with copper—the manitou had forced its way out.

  Jeni let out a heavy breath. She was done.

  She swept the beam of her light across the rolled bundle secured to the cave’s ceiling. About a dozen rawhide ties anchored the barrier to what Nik call the ‘framework’ —a row of stone eyelets carved over a hundred years ago. When the hide that secured the roll was cut, the barrier would drop and cover the entrance to the chamber beyond.

  Though the bundle resembled a thick woven blanket, it wasn’t made of merely fabric and thread. The elders had constructed the barrier by incorporating every thunderbird feather available into the woven material.

  “It’s a simple plan,” Nik had explained. “When we’re ready, we’ll go outside on top of the embankment. Jeni will call the manitou using the thunderstone. Assuming that works, I’ll follow the creature inside and release the curtain—barring its path back out. Then we’ll collapse the opening so no one can stumble in accidentally.”

  “Collapse?” Tyler asked. Nik reached into his pocket and handed Tyler what looked like a stick of dynamite. “See if you can find a hole or divot in the wall about halfway back to stick this in.” But before Tyler could do that, Nik said Ice called him. He quickly showed Tyler and Jeni how to fasten the barrier to the framework and then hurried outside.

  Jeni trained her light on a stone anchor without a tie.

  “Shoot, missed one.”

  She told Tyler she’d be right behind him. She should at least check to see what was going on outside—she could come back for the last tie.

  Jeni turned away and then paused. She took a deep breath. It was just one tie.

  She picked up a length of hide and quickly looped and knotted it. Then she gathered up the remaining rawhide and stuffed it into the duffle Nik used to carry the barrier. With the bag zipped and on her shoulder, she scanned the ground with her light. If she grabbed everything, no one would have to come back in here. The beam fell on Nik’s medicine bag so she picked it up and hurried down the passage.

  ***

  Ice groaned and cracked his eyelids to the sight of a dirty pair of boots. He shifted his gaze and surveyed the man standing over him. A large boulder in the man’s hands obstructed the lower half of his face. As Ice’s muddled brain fought to make sense of the scene, he wondered if he’d already been hit with the rock or if he was about to be hit with the rock.

  Oddly though, the man stared across the water, as if mesmerized. Ice heard agitated waves slapping at the sand and attempted to glance in that direction, but the rocky ground eclipsed his line of sight. He needed to move. If he could move.

  When the man took a step backward, Ice flinched and rolled onto his back, his arms instinctively raised to protect his head. His assailant, however, merely dropped the boulder, his gaze still fixed on the lake. Pushing up onto his elbows, Ice studied the roiling water. This time he found what held the man’s attention—two horns appeared between swells then disappeared behind the next wave. As alarm blossomed in his chest, Ice detected movement from the corner of his eye, and he turned to see Nik charging the man. Seconds before they collided, Ice’s attacker spotted the medicine man and turned toward the embankment, scrambling for something to grasp.

  Nik lunged for the man, who clutched a tree root and pulled himself over the lip of the bank, legs dangling. Defying his age, Nik jammed his foot into the loose, sandy dirt and leapt upward, catching his adversary’s ankle and jerking it hard.

  Ice struggled to get up, but waves of double vision forced him back down. He kept one eye on the water and the other on Nik. Fueled by desperation, the man had actually dragged Nik up the slope while pulling himself forward. The medicine man clung stubbornly, unable to secure a foothold.

  Ice rolled onto his hands and knees, sparing a glance over his shoulder. The manitou’s massive head protruded from the water, moving toward shore. Ice dragged himself toward the embankment, contemplating how he might be able to help Nik.

  In a last effort at freedom, the man rammed his foot squarely into the medicine man’s chest. Nik lost his grip and flew backwards. “No!” Ice shouted. He watched helplessly as Nik’s body plummeted to the rocks below. The sharp snap of breaking bone tore a strangled moan from Ice’s throat. He pressed his back against the bank and shifted his numb stare to check the progress of the underwater monster.

  A blaze of lightning lit the lake with a tremendous crack. The manitou flailed, throwing itself back in the water.

  The Thunderers had joined the battle.

  Ice’s reflexes screamed at him to go to Nik, but he fought the urge and pressed his head against the cold earth. Tears welled in his eyes. The apprentice hadn’t missed the way his teacher’s neck wrenched along with the terrible snapping sound; Ice feared Nik was beyond help. To go to the medicine man, he would expose himself to the assailant above and Ice was in no condition to fight. Raising his hand to the lump rising on his temple, he wished it would rain—the cool rain might help clear his head. He wiped his eyes on his sleeve and mustered the strength to stand.

  Upright and braced against the steep slope, Ice noticed light flickering at the mouth of the cave. He had no idea if the guy who decked him was watching from above, but he didn’t want anyone else ambushed. He picked up a small stone and waited. The light went out and a shadowy form emerged from the opening.

  Tyler.

  Ice tossed the rock and hit him on the arm. When Tyler looked his way, Ice put his finger to his lips and pointed upward. Tyler nodded, side-stepped, then nearly fell. Ice watched him crouch down and grapple with something.

  Using the embankment for support, he edged over to Tyler, straining to see what the problem was. It looked as though Jeni’s cousin was running his hand along a tree root, following it up the bank. Before he could ask, Tyler put his hand over his flashlight and turned it on.

  Ice’s eyes widened, realizing what had tripped Tyler. Wire.

  With his light, Tyler traced the path of the wire up and around the cave entrance. H
e looked at Ice just as a flash of lightning lit the area and his eyes bugged out. “Whoa, what happened to you?”

  “Blindsided.”

  “Where’s Nik?”

  Ice’s chin sunk to his chest and he shook his head. Then he motioned toward Nik’s body. Tyler must’ve been able to make out the medicine man’s limp form because his face hardened. “Is the dude up there?” He pointed up the slope.

  “He was, don’t know if he still is.”

  “Well, it looks like he wired the cave to explode.”

  “Explode? Where’s Jeni? Inside?” Ice was already trying to push past Tyler.

  “Yeah. She should be out any minute.” Tyler grabbed Ice’s elbow and looked him directly in the eyes. “Keep her safe. I’ll bet this is the same guy who tried to kill us. I’m going after the bastard.”

  Ice nodded.

  When the darkness swallowed Tyler, Ice moved in front of cave. The next flash of lightning revealed Tyler’s form climbing the bank. He glanced into the cave entrance and saw a faint glow. Good. Jeni was on her way out.

  Ice stood no more than ten feet from Nik’s body. He had to know if the medicine man was still alive. Gusts of wind continually brushed the leaves on the trees together, making it impossible to hear what might be happening in the forest above. Tentatively, he backed toward Nik’s body, alternately watching his footing, scanning the forest, and keeping an eye on the cave opening.

  He dropped to a crouch next to Nik, reached out for his wrist, and pressed his thumb to the inside flesh.

  A noise behind him made his blood run cold.

  The sound of an aluminum canoe being dragged ashore.

  Except Ice knew it wasn’t a canoe.

  ***

  Jeni directed her flashlight down the dark passage. She approached the curve warily. Increasing trepidation fought with her urgency to leave this place; she was certain something had gone terribly wrong outside.