Riley's Journey

by Parker, P. L. ;Edwards, Sandra

  “Behind us! There’s another one!” Allie’s shrill voice pierced the turmoil. From the corner of his eye, Jonas perceived movement. Another bear lumbered into view, fully as huge and terrifying as the first!

  “And another one!” The team now faced not one, but three of the ferocious carnivores! Unless they did something quick, there would be no escape!

  “Into the trees!” Jonas screamed. “Into the trees!”

  Scrambling wildly, the team broke formation, running for the protection of the giant firs surrounding the camp. A man’s voice screamed in agony and then was abruptly silenced. Hesitating slightly, Jonas took a quick look. Two of the creatures were fighting over the fallen man’s body, blood spewing in rivulets as they ripped the body apart. Jonas backed off. Nothing could be done for the unfortunate victim. The animals’ total concentration on the kill gave the team the time needed to retreat to the safety of the trees.

  Jonas leapt to a low hanging branch of a centuries-old conifer, clambering up and grabbing for handholds, almost losing his grip as one of the creatures rammed the tree. The bear continued his attack until, discouraged, he left for easier pickings. Breathing heavily, Jonas watched the carnage below, stunned by the utter viciousness of the concerted attack—horrified by the loss of the two team members. Smaller predators gathered, scavengers drawn by the scent of blood, congregating in anticipation of some tidbit left behind.

  Above him, Geena spoke softly, “They were hunting as a pack! Can you believe it? They were hunting as a pack!”

  “I know,” he agreed. “They came from different directions, like they knew exactly what they were doing!”

  “But bears don’t hunt as a pack—do they?”

  “Not that I know of, but we’re in a different lifetime. Who knows what they do here.”

  Throughout the remainder of the night, the bears continued their destruction of the campsite, ripping apart tents and equipment, eating their supplies and only departing when the first rays of dawn broke through.

  Warily, Jonas descended from his lofty perch, followed closely by the rest of the team. Besides the loss of the two individuals, several others suffered injuries, most were relatively minor but a few more severe. A quick search revealed a small packet of medical supplies, untouched in the disaster. Allie rounded up the injured and busied herself tending to their wounds.

  Dismally, they surveyed the devastation left by the marauding bears. Pools of blood darkened the earth, grim reminders of the earlier violence.

  His voice harsh and demanding, Jonas focused on the watch. “What happened last night? How did they get through our defenses?”

  Micah stepped up. “I never saw a thing until the woman screamed. It was like they materialized out of thin air. They weren’t there and then they were.”

  “You mean to tell me something that big just walked in and none of you saw it?” Disbelief and anger warred on Jonas’ face.

  “It was like Micah said,” another added, “they just came out of nowhere. I never saw or heard a thing until a second or so before the woman was attacked, and by then, it was too late.”

  Chosen for their experience and expertise, Jonas saw no reason to believe it was otherwise than what they stated. “Well, we know what we’re up against. From now on, we sleep in the trees. This isn’t going to happen again!”

  Jonas kicked a partially destroyed pack. “Gather up what you can and let’s move. We’re just sitting ducks here. They know we’re here and they’ll be back. We’re the dinner buffet if we stay!”

  Staring dumbly at the chaos surrounding them, Bethany sobbed quietly. “Which ones died?”

  “Mason and Lila—she was the potter and he was one of our best tanners. Her tent was on the far side of the camp and I’m guessing the first one hit. She probably didn’t even have time to know what happened.”

  “She wasn’t dead when she staggered in,” Bethany cried angrily. “She knew she was dying!”

  Moaning, she sank to the ground. “What have I done? How could Nathan have survived in this terrible place?” Sobbing uncontrollably, she rocked back and forth, anguish and despair marking her every move.

  “He’s alive! We know that! Geena is the best tracker I’ve ever dealt with and she believes these are Nathan and the girl’s marks. If she’s correct, we’re only a day or so behind them.”

  “All those years alone in this place! How did he live?”

  A glint of respect gleamed in Jonas’ eyes. “Nathan is a survivor and, in an earlier lifetime, I suspect he was a mountain man. I’ve never known anyone who could live off the land like Nathan. He’s a natural and his instincts are amazing.”

  Only a small portion of their supplies and equipment survived the attack. The food was largely gone and most of the tents and bedding were beyond repair. Thankfully, most of the team’s weapons had outlasted the attack and were in good condition, but if events continued in the same vein, more would be needed very soon. Hastily loading up what was salvageable, the tired and dispirited team moved out, Geena once again taking point, searching for signs of Nathan and the girl’s passing.

  CHAPTER FORTY

  The newcomers had not made any attempt to cover their tracks, believing, no doubt, that they had nothing to fear from attack. Their arrogance only proved their contempt for what they considered as lesser beings. Since the newcomers had never actually seen Nathan or Riley near at hand, they were probably proceeding on the assumption that they followed a group of escaping Neanderthals. That they had not left a guard behind to keep watch over the cave gave credence to Nathan’s theory that they believed Nathan and Riley could be easily overtaken. Nathan backtracked and found the newcomers’ encampment a few short clicks away.

  The encampment was largely quiet, most of the newcomers were still sleeping and only a few bored souls kept a halfhearted watch. They were not expecting company and had made no particular efforts with regard to security. Throat constricting in alarm, Nathan hustled back to the cave, careful not to draw any unwanted attention. Riley waited at the mouth of the cave, the horse already laden with equipment and supplies, and the dog standing watch at her side. Wasting no time on explanation, Riley handed him the smaller pack, grabbed the horse’s halter and started away from the clearing.

  “I could tell they had been near here, too,” she explained as they hurried away. “Pretty easy to read and I sort of figured they were what Demon sensed last night.” Her voice echoing with regret, she continued. “I left the sheep.”

  Agreeing with her solid assessment, Nathan rushed them along as fast as possible, trying to put as much ground behind them as he could before the newcomers advanced again. Almost running, they kept up the pace well into the afternoon, only stopping briefly for short rests. Their headlong flight took them further down into the valley below, away from everything they knew, into new vistas of uncharted ground. In the distance, herds of bison roamed the open grasslands along with huge elk and deer, testaments to panoramas untouched by human hands. The pristine beauty of the landscape saddened Riley, few such places remained in the far distant future.

  By late afternoon, Nathan was convinced that they had made good their escape, at least satisfied that the newcomers were some distance behind. They had opted to bypass the second cavern, deciding instead to keep moving and perhaps frustrate the newcomers to the point they gave up the hunt. Not wanting to spend the night in the open, they chanced upon a small cave, easily large enough for the little party to fit in, and providing good protection from the elements. Though still light out, dusk was not long in coming.

  Demon paced nervously around the small clearing, whining in agitation, his attention focused on the direction from which they just came.

  “What’s wrong with him?”

  Nathan eyed the dog, concern evident in his demeanor. “I’m not sure, but something has him spooked.”

  “Do you think they followed us?”

  Not wanting to alarm her unnecessarily, but deciding the truth was best, he res
ponded as gently as he could. “I’m pretty sure of it. I just have this itchy feeling between my shoulder blades that they kept pace with us—at least some of them did.”

  Eyes widening as she searched the horizon, Riley’s face dropped. “Do you think they’ll attack tonight?”

  “Maybe not tonight. If I’m right, they’ll probably wait for the rest to catch up before they do.”

  “Then we need to keep moving.” Riley began packing.

  “We need to rest. We can’t go any further until we do.”

  Tears welled up in Riley’s soulful eyes. “Then there’s nothing we can do, is there? We just have to sit here and wait for the end.”

  Nathan began unpacking his weapons, readying them for use. “I’m not going to just sit here. I’m going to prepare a few surprises for our visitors, some that just might give us an edge.”

  “Like what?” Hope leapt into her tear-drenched eyes.

  “Besides the grenades, I have a few other tricks up my sleeve. If the grenades don’t scare the be-jesus out of them, these might.” His eyes glinting mysteriously, Nathan opened a skin-wrapped parcel, extracting numerous small clay pots, each with a piece of felt hanging out the mouth. “Ever used a Molotov cocktail?”

  Amazed at his ingenuity, a small grin split Riley’s lips. “Not recently, but I’m willing to give it a try! How did you make these?”

  “Besides my other talents, I am, to my knowledge, this continent’s only known moon shiner.”

  “Moonshine? You made moonshine?”

  “I did indeed! I had at one time decided to drink myself into oblivion or become an alcoholic or something like that. But, unfortunately, this stuff tastes like cleaning fluid so I decided to keep it for other purposes.”

  “And making Molotov cocktails just happened to be one of them?” Riley hefted one of the pots, testing its weight.

  “Do you think you could throw one of them with any accuracy?”

  Pondering his question, she saucily replied. “Did I ever tell you that I was the best fielder on the Duluth First Christian Church softball team?”

  “No, I don’t think that piece of information ever came up in any of our conversations. So what you’re saying is you can catch.”

  “Not only catch, but I can throw a softball from outfield to the pitcher and pretty much on target each time.”

  “I am impressed,” Nathan approved. “One of these days we’ll have to discuss all your various talents—those that I haven’t yet had the pleasure to experience.” His waggling eyebrows left little doubt as to his meaning.

  They passed an uneasy night, every sound magnified, sleep impossible. As with the previous night, they were traveling fast before first light.

  Although their headlong flight followed a downhill route, the relentless pace was grueling and, unless they stopped soon for a short rest break, Riley was fairly certain she wouldn’t be able to keep up much longer. The weight and unwieldy distribution of the packs made traveling almost unmanageable. Sweat dripped from her brow in a constant stream, partially obscuring vision, pain radiated outward from a stitch in her side, her legs were unbearably weak and trembling from exertion.

  Geez, she groaned inwardly, maybe dying isn’t so bad. On the bright side, if they kept this up, she would die of exhaustion anyway. Casting a quick glance around, she guiltily chastised herself for such thoughts. No reason to tempt fate.

  Nathan forced them on, one eye ahead and the other watching the trail behind, showing little of the strain that threatened to overwhelm Riley—but then his load was less weighty, leaving his hands free for defense. Grumbling again silently, Riley focused her bad attitude on the horse’s frustrating antics. He had stubbornly balked at being led by her from the start, complicated by her overt inexperience with horses. Her arm ached from dragging him along and, on more than one occasion, she considered “accidentally” letting him loose. Only the realization that most of their food supplies were carried by the ill-tempered beast kept her from letting go. If he tried to bite her one more time though, she decided, he was on his own. He would make a great lunch for one of those hideous creatures that roamed the countryside.

  How would you like being served up as the dinner buffet, she mentally threatened the mulish pony. As if reading her mind, he snapped again, ears laid back and feet planted firmly.

  “Okay! Okay! I get the message!” Demon ran up behind the horse, nipping at the horse’s hindquarters, jumping to avoid a swiftly executed kick.

  “You have to keep him moving.” Nathan ran back, delivering a hard slap to the horse’s butt. “Just be firm with him and let him know you’re the boss.”

  Yeah, right, she thought, like the stupid animal is going to believe that!

  Nathan took the horse’s reins from Riley, and amazingly, he trotted complacently after Nathan.

  “Horse! You are sooo bear bait,” Riley muttered, hurrying to catch up.

  By now, it was early afternoon and, as yet, no telltale sign of the newcomers’ expected pursuit surfaced. Nathan slowed the pace somewhat, for which Riley was exceedingly grateful, but kept the group moving. As they descended the range of hills surrounding the valley below, the air grew increasingly warmer, stirred by a slight breeze wafting up from the south. Vegetation thinned, causing Nathan further concern by their inability to stay within the covering tree line as they journeyed down. Once again, Riley was in control, or un-control, of the fractious pony, who continued his outward show of dissatisfaction with Riley’s leadership.

  Nathan assumed position at the rear of the small troupe, guarding their backs, increasingly uneasy without the cover of the tree line. He knew the pursuers were close behind, nerve endings twitching in response. Demon stalked beside, watchful and alert, showing signs that he, too, sensed their presence. Nathan palmed a grenade thoughtfully. Observing his action, Riley’s clear green eyes widened in alarm.

  Nervously, she licked lips chapped by long hours in the sun. “Did you see something?” she whispered.

  “Not yet—but I know they’re close.” Years of combat experience and five years of surviving alone had molded him to this level of awareness. Every fiber pulsed with the realization that something would happen, and very soon! Watching Riley striding determinedly ahead, his heart constricted painfully, knowing without pretense what her unhappy fate would be if he didn’t survive. She was a beautiful woman, but the newcomers didn’t appear to hold women in very high regard, at least from what he observed during their raid on the others’ camp. Perhaps the fact that she was not a Neanderthal would give her some standing in their eyes.

  “Don’t leave me alone!” Riley threw the words over her shoulder as if reading his mind. “If it looks like you won’t make it—end it for me, too!”

  No response would make it past the huge lump that had mysteriously formed in this throat. Nathan nodded solemnly, not questioning her decision. It was different for him, he was a man. They would simply kill him, maybe some form of torture before, but ultimately he would die. She, however, would not fare so easily. History had not dealt gently with the fate of female captives.

  CHAPTER FORTY-ONE

  Resolutely forging ahead, Riley’s attention strayed for one small moment, and in that one small moment, all hell broke loose. A single savage form magically appeared, blocking the path before her. Blatantly, he posed, spear held in readiness, seemingly unconcerned with the present odds. Deadly intent emanated from his too-small eyes, sneering lips twisted in triumph exposing rotten, blackened teeth. Clothed in dirty, ill-prepared hides, legs and feet bare, he was primitive beyond belief and reeking of cruelty. Stunned and disbelieving, Riley froze, her mind refusing to assimilate the irrefutable existence of the combatant’s presence.

  Behind her, Nathan yelled a warning as the dog rushed forward, aggressively attacking the intruder. Startled by the dog’s behavior and the unexpected appearance of the heretofore unknown creature, the panicked horse reared up, pawing the air frantically, and then bolted, dragging Riley beh
ind.

  Falling in the aftermath and skidding face down, she rolled, barely avoiding the horse’s thrashing hooves. Dirt and debris clogged her eyes as she blindly groped for anything to use as a weapon. The dog continued his vicious attack, ripping bloody gashes in the newcomer’s arms and legs, each movement calculated to do the most damage, and by the hideous screams of pain and wild barking, the man was not faring well against Demon.

  Rubbing clods of dirt from her streaming eyes, Riley screamed a warning as her peripheral vision picked up more movement. Several more newcomers entered the picture, joining their now incapacitated companion. Nathan bellowed a war cry and jumped into the fray, slashing and whirling in a lethal dance of death. More than one newcomer instantly fell beneath his onslaught, but more entered the battle. Riley’s hand fastened on her war club and, gripping it tightly, she moved into position behind Nathan, protecting his back as he dealt blow after blow on the now surprised and defensive warriors.

  Moving in time with Nathan, Riley matched his ferocity, enraged by the unwarranted attack and fighting as though demons snapped at her heels. They fought as one, joined by their will to survive amidst overwhelming odds.

  Had Nathan had the opportunity to enjoy the spectacle, he would have applauded the intensity and determination with which she landed every blow. She was an Amazon woman of myth, a Valkyrie of the Asgaard, or a Warrior Queen. The months of combat training and warfare techniques drilled into her on a daily basis came into fruition, culminating in this single moment. She defended her position well, holding out against the rampaging aggressors, meting out vicious blows to those who ventured too close.

  As the first wave of attackers retreated from the fierceness of the two who fought back to back, Riley dropped her defensive stance, watching with amazement their undignified retreat. Realizing she had been holding her breath, she relaxed somewhat, taking deep, cleansing breaths of air and then expelling them. Dumfounded by their unexpected victory, her mind went on hold.