Ever Onward

by Wayne Mee

  “The guy’s a psycho!”

  Josh drew on his pipe. “There’s always been Snakes, Brad, you know that. Now though, with the world the way it is, I’m afraid we’ll see a whole lot more of them.”

  “You don’t paint a very pretty future, cousin!”

  Josh looked at his lifetime friend. “No, but its the only one we’ve got. Those of us left will have to adapt if we want to survive”

  Og was back and Brad absently scratched the pup’s neck. “Well, if that’s how it’s gotta be, then let’s deal with this Snake problem once and for all, okay? We take the bastard out for good! Those with him as well! “

  Josh looked at his cousin. He’d known him all his life. They grew up together in the Lake Placid. They had been like brothers till Brad married and moved to New Hampshire --- yet it somehow seemed that he was seeing his cousin for the first time. “Fine by me, ‘Killer’. But first we tire them out, lead them a merry chase --- then we take them. Now, how about we check on supper?”

  Brad grinned and got to his feet. “The boys and Tina are taking care of that. Noodles and cheese. Eddy and Billy are setting up the tents. You coming?”

  “Not right now. Send Jessie down with a plate and some more tea.”

  Brad shook his head. “I know, and a sleeping bag. I’ll relieve you in a couple of hours.”

  Joshed grinned and turned his attention back to the trail at the base of the falls.

  “Look at this shit!”, Blade said, pointing at the fishing line stretched across the path. The early morning light glistened of the heavy coating of spray that clung to the line. They could clearly see it going up the steep rocks to the lip of the falls.

  “Careful!”, Blade cautioned as Snake approached. “You remember that old Rambo movie, First Blood? One of those fuckers might have been in Nam or Iraq or something.”

  “Ya? Nam this!”, Snake said, shooting Blade the finger, then kicking at the line. “Rambo my ass. Get the fuck going!”

  Flame laughed. “We better catch these clowns soon. I could use some of the food they’re carrying.”

  Snake turned towards her, a sly smile on his bearded face. “Hungry, are you, Red? Well, I got something you can chow down on.”

  Flame glared back at him. “Snake, you gave yourself the wrong name, you know that?”

  “Ya? And just what should I be called? Stud?”

  Flame tossed her long hair as she strode by. “Pig.”

  They carefully climbed the steep trail leading up to the falls, at the top finding two cans tired to the end of the fish line but little else. Swearing as he wheezed forward, Snake followed the trail over the stream up into the woods. Already the trees were smaller, the maples and oaks giving way to the hardier spruces and pines. The trail zig-zagged up a steep rocky shoulder and left the stream behind.

  As the sun rose and the day grew hotter, thirst set in. Sweating through their leathers and heavy jeans, they began to overheat. Three beers remained and a third of the Rye. None of it helped. Flame managed to fill two empty cans from a trickle of water running down a rock face. Blade filled the near empty Rye bottle. Leather jackets came off. Flame, her pants and jacket stuffed into Rings’ bag, tied back her long hair and hiked clad only in cowboy boots, pink panties and a white tank top.

  A little after noon they left the treeline behind, climbing into a world none of them had ever imagined existed. They’d been scrambling up a deeply eroded trail that twisted through the dwarf pines, when suddenly the green was gone. Gray rock and blue sky hovered above them. The wind, absent for so long now, now caressed their sweating bodies.

  “Holy shit, would you look at this!”, Flame cried in wonder. She’s been in the lead for some time now, drawn on by a sudden urge to reach the top. The sight of her tight buttocks grinding away through her sweat-stained panties had been the focus of Snake’s gaze for what seemed an eternity. His heart pounding, his beer gut bouncing, he had forced himself to stay as close to her well formed ass as he could, following her like a dog after a bitch in heat. Yet lust had not been his only motive. Flame’s sexuality was but the lifeline he clung to for the moment. What he truly coveted was revenge.

  Blade and Bull were still far back down the trail. Bull’s wounded leg had proved too much for even his tremendous strength. The large biker had been forced to use a stick as a crutch, and needed Blade’s help up the steeper rocks.

  Flame, out in the open now, dropped her bag and gazed in wonder at the panoramic view. She had reached the Franconia Ridge, that long, winding, narrow, open backbone of the White Mountains that hikers reverently called The Spine of God; and though she knew not the name, deep in her heart of hearts she suddenly felt awed by something vastly bigger than her own petty little wants and needs.

  Mountains stretched away to the horizon in all directions. Every shade of green imaginable filled the eye. A sky so blue it looked freshly made as on the day of Creation; silence so profound it rang in her ears like a silver bell. Billowing clouds, whiter than new fallen snow, drifted below her in the valleys. Eagles soared overhead, hanging like silent angels on the thermal updrafts. Flame spread her arms and embraced the sky --- and her heart took wing.

  A strange feeling rushed through her, like a long ago memory of a young girl’s Christmas morning combined with the jolt from a line of coke. Though she could never have explained it, Flame was having a mystical experience. She had climbed out of the darkness, and now stood as one newborn in the sun. Dreamlike, she watched her old self slip away. Though extremely erotic, there was a feeling of rightness about it. She seemed to blend with the very earth itself. Her entire body tingled. Her nipples hardened at the wind’s gentle caress. The sun’s rays felt like warm hands on her thighs. No longer just a biker’s whore, but Mother Nature spreading herself before the Creator. Clean, pure, even virginal.

  And it felt so damn good!

  Snake’s course voice brought her crashing back to reality. “Hey, tight ass! Haul your tits over here!” Snake, his heavy gun once again in his hand, motioned at a cluster of large boulders just in front of them. Flame reluctantly drew her Smith & Wesson, wincing where the shoulder holster had rubbed against her breast. Her empty belly rumbled. Licking her dry lips, they silently converged on the pile of rocks.

  All they found was a weathered signpost, information etched into the blasted board. They were apparently standing on the summit of Little Haystack; 4,659 feet above sea level, 3.2 miles from the parking lot. To the right the open ridge led to Mt. Liberty and on to Mt. Flume. To the left, a mile away and several hundred feet above them, was Mt. Lincoln. A mile beyond that, unseen from where they stood, Mt. Lafayette waited majestically, its 5,260 foot summit lost in the clouds.

  “There’s nobody here,”, Flame said, an odd feeling of relief flooding through her. The trail, marked by stone cairns, stretched away on both sides. The beauty of it all struck her again as she gazed wide-eyed at the majestic vista. Suddenly she felt very small and frail. The heavy gun in her hand seemed like an obscenity.

  “Well, great white hunter, which way now?” Blade’s voice was as sharp as his name, his cold eyes boring into Snake. Behind him stood Bull, looking like a giant sucker drowning in a stagnant pool.

  Snake glanced about. The ridge seemed to stretch away to infinity. Gently down in both directions; though to the left it merely dipped into a boulder strewn gully before rising steeply again. He pointed up at Mt. Lincoln with the long barrel of his Redhawk.

  “That way. These bastards think there real tough. They’ll go up till their fucking noses bleed! Well, we’ll show them who’s tough, right Bull?”

  Bull, however, looked anything but tough. Sitting massaging his leg, he sucked in air like a leaky bellows. The grey rock beneath the wound was splattered red. Snake strode over to him.

  “They killed Runt, Bull. Killed Rings too! Tossed her at me like a piece of meat! They hurt Blade and they hurt Flame. And they hurt you! Now we’re going to hurt them!”

  The big man’s he
ad lifted, making him look like a hound scenting the wind.

  “Ya, Snake! I want to hurt them real bad!”

  Snake slapped him on the shoulder. “I knew I could count on you, Bull. Once we get them, we’ll fix up your leg. They’ll have bandages and shit. Food too! What do ya say?”

  Bull grinned and heaved himself to his feet. More blood dripped onto the rocks. Blade swore and Flame turned away.

  “As for you two,” Snake said, again drawing his heavy revolver; “move out, now! Blade, you lead. I want you where I can see you. Me and Bull will bring up the rear.”

  Blade glared back at the bearded madman, then stalked off towards Mt. Lincoln. Flame picked up her bag and started down the gentle slope. She felt lightheaded. Snake grabbed her arm. “You stay just in front of me. Your ass is still the best view up here.”

  “Another pig”, she muttered, walking behind the rocks by the signpost to put on her pants and shirt.

  Watching her walk away, Snake laughed. Bull joined in, though he had no idea why. But Snake did, and for Snake, that was all that really mattered.

  Chapter 17: ‘SHOWDOWN AT WITCH’S HEAD’

  Franconia Ridge

  New Hampshire

  June 30th

  “Hey, Mr. Williams!”, Billy called. “They’re coming!”

  Josh waved back at the young man, signaling him to climb down. Billy had been sitting up on the huge chunk of bare granite called The Witch’s Head. Over the slow passing of the millennia, the wind and rain had shaped the giant slab into the form of an old woman’s face, hooked nose and all.

  The rest of them were in the jumble of weathered boulders below Witch’s Head, half way between Little Haystack and Mt. Lincoln. This was the narrowest part of the ridge; a place where the trail shrank to a twisting footpath marked with splashes of paint. A thousand foot drop fell away on both sides. A perfect place for an ambush.

  Josh sat on a slab of granite overlooking Chimney Rock, a sixty foot finger of stone thrusting up out of the steep slope just below Witch’s Face. How many thousands of years had it stood there? How many thousands of hikers had sat were he now sat, gazing in wonder at tons of rock seemingly defying gravity? How many were left to see it now?

  His mind cast itself back to the last time he had passed this way. The summer before this. Jessie had been away at camp and for two weeks Josh and his wife had roamed New England in their camper. The beauty of Acadia Park in Main; the noisy, frantic hustle of Old Orchard; the slower, quieter charm of The Yorks. His wife’s face hovered before him. Romantic walks on the beach; lobsters, clams and wine at their campsites; making gentle love in their camper. And all the time she knew where he longed to be, back here in the Whites.

  Baking on a crowded beach was not his style, and so they had spent one week at the ocean and one week in the mountains. Swimming in the sun-warmed lakes and the cold, rushing streams, and hiking the numerous, winding trails and open ridges.

  Fighting vertigo all the way, she had followed. He was so very proud of her for that. Each time they had passed this place she had trembled and he had lovingly held her hand. Above the treeline brought her closer to her own personal view of God, but as with all things, there was a price to pay. She paid it willingly and he had loved her all the more for it. He still did.

  “I can see them, Dad! Halfway down the slope!”

  Jessie’s excited voice brought Josh out of his reverie. Looking back down the trail, he saw the four tiny figures. He raised his binoculars for a better look.

  Blade was way out in front, just dipping down into the scrub filled hollow a quarter mile below them. The others followed a hundred yards behind. Flame leading, her hair a red flag blowing in the breeze. Snake and the big one, Bull, followed close behind. Josh saw that Bull was limping badly.

  He looked at the anxious faces all around him and tried to smile. Og licked his face. Princess stood by Jessie’s side. “You all know the plan. Blade will get here first. When he’s halfway through, Brad and I will jump him. Those behind won’t see or hear a thing. Billy will help us tie and gag him and drag him off the trail.”

  “What if he fights back or something?”, Kenneth asked.

  “He won’t have time, son,”, Brad said. “We’ll be fine.”

  Josh continued. “Once Blade’s down, we stay hidden till the others reach the narrow ledge below us. I’ll fire a shot in the air and order them to surrender. Tina, you watch Flame. Billy, you get Bull. Brad and I will handle Snake and the boys will cover us from up here.”

  Jessie scratched Og’s ears. “And if they don’t surrender?”

  Josh’s answer was swift and slightly forced. “They will, Jess. Caught in the open like that, they’ll have no choice.”

  He turned to Eddy, forcing a smile he didn’t feel. “You’ve got the tricky part. Hide in the scrub down below till they’ve walked by you, then cover their escape.”

  Eddy looked at everyone, then winked at Jessie and Ken. “You guys make sure the dogs are quiet. Any barking will give us away.”

  Jessie nodded and both boys led the dogs behind the large boulders under The Witch’s Face. Keeping low, Eddy trotted back down the trail and vanished into the thick scrub.

  The rear guard was set. Now the waiting began.

  Blade felt like shit. His feet hurt, his wrist still throbbed and hunger and thirst were making him dizzy. The steep drops on both sides had closed in and the path had narrowed to a twisting goat’s trail. He had passed through a briar patch of scrub and now faced a rock wall. Painted blazes stretched up and over.

  It looked like another bitching climb. He glanced back, but the boulders obscured his view. “Fuck it!”, he muttered. Shoving his .38 Special in his belt, he wiped the sweat from his brow and started up. Being careful of his injured left hand, he climbed over the ledge and down into a protected draw.

  The three men jumped him as he sat down to catch his breath. They came from above and both sides at the same time. Rough hands grabbed him, pulling him back, stifling his cries. Then something hard struck the side of his head and the dazzling blue sky dissolved into blackness.

  “Blade! Blade!”, Snake yelled. “Answer me you fuck!”

  Snake drew his revolver and fired into the air. The roar of the heavy gun rumbled back from the surrounding peaks. He called to Flame, ordering her to go on ahead. She held his gaze for a long moment, then pulled her Smith & Wesson and started up the trail. Snake and Bull shuffled along behind.

  Flame’s mind raced. Where was Blade? Was he hurt? Had he fallen? Surely he’d heard Snake’s cannon? Why hadn’t he answered?!

  Then another thought intruded, stabbing her mind like an icicle through the eye. What if she found him dead? His neck broken from a fall. Did she care? Really care? A shudder ran down her spine as she gazed about. These mountains were beautiful but unforgiving. She’d felt that the moment she’d stepped out on the ridge. The Spine of God. A place where He saw all.

  She shook her head to clear the image. “Fuck that shit!” Despite her best effort a long buried feeling washed over her, a tidal wave of guilt that carried her all the way back to her daddy’s farm. ‘Thou shalt not blaspheme, daughter!’ After all these years the old prick’s voice still roared in her ears. Good old God-fearing Daddy. Praying out loud while he finger-fucked his red-headed little girl. Reading the Good Book while he made her...

  “Jesus Christ!”, Flame yelled to the sky, not sure if it was an oath or a prayer. Forcing the memories away, back into that little used door in her mind, she strode up the twisting path, the Smith & Wesson held before her like a cross.

  Through a slit between two boulders Josh watched her approach. Snake and Bull were out of sight somewhere behind her. Did they have time to capture her like they had Blade? Should he let her continue on, hoping Tina could take her when they jumped Snake? But that would leave her close to the boys! Josh, making up his mind, drew his handgun. Watching him, Brad and Billy did the same. All three moved on his signal.

  Flam
e heard something off to the left. Turning to meet it, a form momentarily blotted out the sun. She had started to bring her gun up when something struck her hard in the stomach. Her lungs emptied and she fell on her back gasping for air. A boot stepped on her hand and the .357 seemed to slither away like a snake. Strange. Part of her was glad to see it go. Then the form was leaning over her, the sun making a glittering nimbus around the silhouette. Lack of food and drink made her head swim. She was pulled forward by her hair and the muzzle of a black handgun shoved in her face. Instinct told her to start sucking, but she pushed the thought away. It belonged in the past. Back on Daddy’s farm; back with the snakes.

  Why the hell had she thought that?!

  “Make one sound and you’re dead,” a voice said. A cool voice, lacking either hatred or the lust to kill. She’d heard the other kinds enough times to know the difference.

  The voice was speaking again. Telling her to nod if she understood. Nod if she agreed. She nodded both times, not understanding a damn thing. Suddenly the gun was gone, replaced by a knife at her throat. She was helped up, not yanked but helped. She turned to look at her captor. It was the guy from the bridge, the one who had called Snake out. Not handsome, not ugly; about forty with longish brown hair with wisps of grey. No tough guy, but obviously no pussy either.

  Their eyes locked. She saw no hatred there, just worry and concern. For her? Don’t be stupid! For the others, for the blonde haired girl. Her stomach rumbled. His tanned face went in and out of focus. She would have fallen if he hadn’t caught her. His grip was strong but not hard. What would it be like if...

  Then someone else was there, binding her hands roughly behind her. He said something and the hands became more gentle. A bandanna was tied around her mouth, tight but not too tight. She was led off the trail. The blonde girl and the guitar player with long hair helped her up and walked her behind a large boulder.