“Do not turn around!” Rick’s voice, in earnest effort to assist, rode over her ears, settling in her chest, where her heart beat like a bird against a cage. She could hear Ren running behind her, and she could taste the salt of her own tears mingled with her sweat as she ran. She wanted to live. She wanted to survive and leave the mountain, leave the lies and the monsters far behind.
At the mouth of the cave she spotted Blaze at the top when she shined her light, trying to navigate the last of the stairs that were not meant to climb. Slipping, Blaze glanced down toward them, watching their faces; seeing them mouth words she couldn't hear above her own pounding heart.
Scrambling, reaching for her, Cindy slid back, knocking Rick downward. As he fell, he tried to grab the edge of the cave and instead dropped backward into the dark, Cindy sliding past him.
The Croatoan were climbing up- and closing in. It was the substance of terror hearing them crawl behind at such close proximity. Cindy scrambled to reach Blaze, and Ren struggled back onto the icy path joining the women. He yelled for Rick, who entered late, sprinting forward. Pausing in her own ascent, Blaze turned back.
She reached for Cindy, pulling her up beside her on a lip of slippery rock. Ren and Rick caught up and wedged between them. The four stood panting for breath in the semi dark.
As her heart beat in her ears, Blaze heard the helicopter overhead, and knew that whatever else happened to her or the others, Walker had made it to safety. The cave filled with the creatures, spilling in as though coming up from a drain, they climbed, scurried and reached. Their screaming escalated until Blaze wanted to drop and cover her ears in the dark icy spiral she and the others fought to escape.
Trust yourself.
Blaze watched as the darkness filled with the Croatoan. Slowly, letting go of Cindy’s hand, she allowed herself to slip down the sharp rim of ice she had been balancing on. Undaunted, Ren and Rick pushed Cindy upward, even as she screamed and twisted to reach Blaze. At the exact moment they managed to propel Cindy up and out of the cave, Rick watched Blaze stand and face the gathering darkness alone.
~*~
On the surface, both Ren and Cindy ran on weak legs toward the extended rope bridge. Not far behind Rick joined them. From inside the helicopter, Bixley held Shelby close as she cried. They both cried as they watched for Blaze to emerge. Norma screamed out for them to pull Ren and Cindy up.
“We're at capacity!” Flying the helicopter in a wide circle, Norma pointed to Gordon, who leaned out the doors kneeling on one knee, watching as Blaze staggered from the mouth of the ice stairs.
Looking up, she stopped, showing confusion as the helicopter hovered above her, tossing the snow into frantic circles. Amid the whirring of the helicopter blades Matilda leaned out, screaming her friend’s name. Panicking, Blaze waved her arms over her head.
From above, the rescue party watched helplessly as realization dawned on Blaze that she would not be escaping with them. Dropping her arms tiredly, she watched Matilda scream from above her. Locking eyes with Gordon, she nodded. Lowering his head, Gordon glanced away only a moment. John closed his eyes. Blaze turned to watch the creatures spill out onto the white surface of the mountain behind her. Firing rapidly from above, Gordon, Bixley and John dropped several of the Dark Sasquatch in the snow until Blaze was surrounded in the pale moon light by a circle of disjointed Croatoan. Their blood soaked the iced terrain, mangled corpses who seconds earlier were seeking her demise. Looking up, she waved breathlessly as Norma slowly began to navigate away. Dropping her arm, knowing she would have to wait for her ride to return, Blaze gripped her arms tightly, trying to prevent herself from shaking as adrenaline surged into her system. She took a deep breath and froze when she caught a movement form the corner of her eye in the half light.
One last creature emerged from the ice stairs, stalking toward her.
Blaze turned and watched as the helicopter retreated, knowing she was trapped. For unknown reasons the Croatoan evidently could not see her in the dark, but on the surface of the mountainside in the rising light, she was within plain sight of the large dark figure advancing on her. There was no where to run. Blaze watched as the large cryptid circled her, arms outward, moving in its crooked walk as it tilted its head.
Shaking, Blaze unzipped her coat and withdrew her handgun. Without hesitation she fired as it approached. It screamed with the impact of each bullet until she was out. Standing with her feet apart, she continued pulling the trigger for no reason other than fear as it continued to advance on her.
From the open door of the helicopter, Gordon watched Blaze threw down the gun. As it landed on the snow, she lowered her head and charged the creature, arms wide.
“A warrior a heart runs to meet death. They do not wait for it to come to them.”
Gordon recalled his native grandfathers final words from the day of his own death as he watched Blaze do exactly that.
Run to meet her death.
Wolf Canyon: Cold Cat Mountain Book II (Cold Cat Mountain Trilogy 2) Page 16