Coldfall

by Dirk Patton

  “Keep dreaming, big boy,” Ashley said without turning around. “You couldn’t handle me, even with a bum leg.”

  BK let out with a loud guffaw.

  “Damn, reporter girl! There’s a sense of humor in there after all! Wasn’t buried as deep as I thought.”

  Ashley shook her head, refusing to turn and let him see the smile she was struggling to control.

  “Am I interrupting?”

  They both turned to the door. Blue was standing inside the opening, looking back and forth between them.

  “All good, boss,” BK said nonchalantly. “I was just explaining to our guest that I’m not easy and she’ll have to buy me dinner first.”

  Doc slipped through behind Blue, looking at Ashley and smiling.

  “Don’t listen to him. He’s a man whore. Buy him a stick of chewing gum and he’s yours for life!”

  “Who, BK?” A man Ashley hadn’t met followed Doc into the room. “Don’t soil his honor, Doc. He ain’t a man whore. He’s a man slut. There’s a difference.”

  Ashley looked around the room in surprise, unsure what was going on. Especially when BK didn’t even bother to look around at the new arrivals.

  “Big difference,” another man said, stepping around Blue and going over to BK to ruffle his hair. “If he was a man whore, he’d only put out for women. But, well… you know what he’s like when he’s in full on slut mode. Remember that time in A-stan? Damn, but no sheep were safe that night!”

  Blue shook his head as the new arrivals took seats across the table from Ashley. He looked over his shoulder and yet another man hurried into the room and grabbed the seat closest to BK. He looked around at the expectant expressions on the other’s faces.

  “What’d I miss?”

  “BK’s a slut,” Doc said.

  “Enough,” Blue said, closing the door and taking a seat at the head of the table. “Ms. Dumont, I apologize for the behavior of my juvenile delinquents. Perhaps someday they’ll exhibit even a modicum of maturity and cultural grace in the presence of a lady, but I’m not holding my breath.”

  “Delinquent, sir?” Doc asked in mock offense. “That’s low, even for an officer.”

  Blue shook his head, then met Ashley’s eyes.

  “Ms. Dumont, you’ve already met Doc,” he began, his hand extended to point at the men she didn’t know. “This is Trippy, Sticks and Cup.”

  “Sippy Cup!” all the men said in unison.

  Grinning, BK explained, “Just look at his damn ears! They’re like the handles on a little kid’s sippy cup.”

  Ashley didn’t know what to say or how to react. She looked at the men, opening and closing her mouth a couple of times, but nothing came out. Blue raised a hand to silence the room and cleared his throat.

  “Ms. Dumont, I know the boys can be a bit much to take in and I do apologize for not introducing them individually. They’re much easier to deal with that way. As a group, I sometimes feel like a pre-school teacher. But there has been a development that could radically alter the landscape.”

  All the men sat straighter, giving Blue their undivided attention.

  “What gives, Boss?” BK asked, leaving the couch and moving to the table.

  “Does the name Gunnery Sergeant Tread mean anything to anyone?”

  Everyone but BK shook their head.

  “Jarhead that was with General Mathis in Afghanistan? Fought off a Taliban attack?”

  “That’s the one,” Blue said, nodding. “He was also one of the people killed in that BLM raid in Idaho a few days ago that was characterized as a militia ambush on the agents.”

  “Him?” BK asked. “Seriously? Fucker killed nineteen enemy fighters that night, two of ‘em with his bare hands and he falls to the feds?”

  Blue nodded, glancing around the room, his eyes pausing briefly on Ashley. She was furiously scribbling in a notebook, documenting the conversation.

  “Other than the owner of the ranch, Meadows, who by the way was a SEAL, we didn’t have any of the other names. Feds haven’t released them. Early this morning, Tread’s widow called the General.”

  “Mathis?” Ashley asked in surprise. “I thought he was sick. No one’s seen or heard from him in a couple of years!”

  “Don’t count out an old Jarhead until you see his body, personally,” Blue said. “But that doesn’t matter. What does is what she told him. Gunny Tread’s boy and Meadows’ daughter somehow got their hands on some photos that prove this was all a set up. And they’re in trouble. Everyone hear the news this morning?”

  “The two militia kids they’re hunting,” BK said. “Supposed to have killed a couple of FBI agents.”

  Blue nodded.

  “Only Mrs. Tread talked to her son on the phone and insists those kids left the agents alive and well. I don’t know if that’s true or not and don’t really care. What I care about is the evidence they may have. Evidence that can bring this whole conspiracy crumbling down.”

  “Where are they?” BK asked.

  “Somewhere in the mountains near the Tetons. They thought to shut their phones off, but they took an FBI Suburban. Didn’t know enough to realize it had an internal GPS tracker. We’ve got the vehicle spotted where they left it and best guess is they’re on foot.”

  “FBI closing in?” Doc asked.

  “No,” Blue said. “Their manhunt is two hundred miles in the wrong direction.”

  Ashley frowned and started to raise her hand, catching herself before behaving like she was still in school.

  “Wait,” she said. “The FBI is better than that. Why are they looking in the wrong place?”

  “You do not disappoint, Ms. Dumont,” Blue said. “They’re looking in the wrong place intentionally. A manhunt like this is massive. And the FBI isn’t equipped to go into the wilderness alone, nor are there enough agents on the conspiracy’s payroll. They will have to bring in locals. The sheriff’s department. Hunters and trackers with dogs.

  “But if they do that and search in the right area, the possibility of the evidence falling into the wrong hands is too great. It would be out of their control. The powers that be cannot allow that to happen. So, a diversion for the media while the actual search is turned over to a team of contractors.”

  “Contractors?” Ashley asked.

  “PMCs,” BK growled. “Private Military Contractors. Some of ‘em are no better than mercenaries that only care about the paycheck. And I’d say if that’s who got sent in to find those kids, they ain’t plannin’ on bringing ‘em out alive.”

  “My opinion exactly,” Blue said.

  “We goin’ in, boss?” BK asked.

  Blue nodded.

  “Flight’s already waiting.” He slid a slim flash drive down the length of the table to be captured beneath BK’s big hand. “That’s everything we’ve got. If more info comes in, I’ll send it to you while you’re in transit.”

  Ashley, unsure what was happening, looked back and forth between Blue and BK. She hadn’t realized that her assigned guardian was apparently second in command to the older man.

  “Get your shit together, ladies,” BK stood and said to the other four men. “Tetons are gonna be cold. Best be prepared.”

  They quickly began filing out, BK bringing up the rear.

  “BK,” Blue said before he left the room.

  “Sir?”

  “Two more things. If you can pull it off, it would be helpful to have a conversation with one of those contractors. The team leader would be best, but I’ll take what I can get.”

  “Understood, sir,” BK said, watching Blue. “And the second?”

  “Ms. Dumont is going to accompany you.”

  There was a moment of stunned silence as BK and Ashley looked at each other before turning back to Blue.

  “Begging your pardon, sir,” BK said, “but she’s a liability in the field.”

  “I should be offended, but I’m not,” Ashley chimed in. “Are you kidding? I’m not a soldier and even if I was, I’ve got a
n injured leg!”

  “Your injury is superficial, even if it doesn’t feel that way. Doc can give you something to manage the pain,” Blue said dismissively, turning to look at her. “And I don’t expect you to perform like a soldier, Ms. Dumont. I expect you to do your job. I want you to see this for yourself, not rely on reports from BK and his team. If this is as explosive as I believe it may be, the integrity of the evidence must be indisputable. You will be there to ensure it is.”

  Without another word, he stood and strode out of the room. BK and Ashley were left to stare at the door for a long moment before he turned to face her.

  “He’s crazy!” Ashley blurted.

  “Sometimes,” BK agreed. “But he’s also right. If I come back and hand you a bunch of evidence, how do you know I didn’t just go work on my tan for a couple of days and bring back nothing but bullshit?”

  “I’m a city girl!” Ashley cried. “Central Park in New York is as much wilderness as I’ve ever seen!”

  “Good thing you got us with you, then. Now, like the boss said, we’ve got a plane waiting. Grab your stuff and let’s get you outfitted for the woods.”

  BK stood there, obviously not planning to leave without her.

  “This is insane!” Ashley said. “What if there’s a bear?”

  “I’ll give you a gun and you can shoot it.”

  “I’ve never shot a gun in my life! Never even held one.”

  “First time for everything,” BK said, shrugging.

  Ashley shuddered, then slowly climbed to her feet. Fear over the thought of going into the woods with a team of soldiers rooted her in place. She couldn’t walk around the table and follow BK out of the room.

  “Look,” he said, moving around to stand in front of her. “I won’t let anything happen to you. I promise. All you’ve got to do is trust me.”

  “Trust you,” Ashley repeated, looking up into his eyes.

  “That’s right. Trust me. I didn’t let you down on that street in Brooklyn and I’m not going to let you down now. Besides, if you don’t come along, how we ever going to get around to that hot make up sex you promised me?”

  He grinned as he said the last. Ashley stared back at him, too surprised to immediately respond. After several long seconds, she swallowed hard and jerked her head up and down in a nervous nod of agreement.

  BK extended his hand, inviting her to lead the way out of the room. Slowly, she stepped forward, the import of the moment temporarily erasing the pain in her leg. Reaching the door, she stopped and turned to face him.

  “Bring me back in one piece and we’ll talk about dinner,” she said, then narrowed her eyes. “But we’ve gotta have one hell of a bigger fight than that before you can even think about make up sex with me!”

  Not waiting for a reply, she turned and stepped through the door. BK watched her walk away, a grin slowly spreading across his face.

  Chapter 22

  “You really think this is a good idea?” Tanya asked.

  It was mid-afternoon and we were still climbing into the mountains. Every mile we’d gone since abandoning the Suburban had meant a few degrees cooler weather. Now it was downright cold and we were both hunched in on ourselves, trying to stay warm. At least it was clear and sunny, otherwise it would have been miserable.

  “My mom said she was calling someone who could help.”

  “How the hell are they going to find us? City people that think they’re hikers get lost up here all the time! A lot of them die.”

  “Yep,” I said, stopping and extending a hand to help her clear a fallen tree I’d just scrambled over.

  She ignored my hand and nimbly jumped onto it before dropping to the ground next to me.

  “Okay,” I said. “First off, we aren’t city people. Second, whoever it is my mom’s calling sure ain’t going to be city people. You ever go hunting with your dad?”

  Tanya nodded.

  “Well, did he ever get lost? Not know which way to go?”

  “Once,” Tanya said. “But we were caught in a snow storm and couldn’t see ten feet in front of our faces.”

  “And he knew what to do and you survived,” I said, stating the obvious since she was standing in front of me. “And I’m betting the help that’s coming is going to know what to do and how to find us.”

  “If we don’t freeze to death, first,” she said, shivering.

  If I’d had a jacket, I would have given it to her. But neither of us did. We were in jeans and T-shirts. At least we were both wearing boots.

  “Couple of miles that way,” I turned and pointed at a saddle between two mountain peaks, “is an old hunting cabin. Been there lots of times with my dad. That’s where we’re going.”

  We needed to keep moving so I started walking again. Tanya fell in behind me.

  “What do we do when we get there?”

  “We wait,” I said.

  Tanya didn’t respond and we fell silent. The wind grew stronger as we ascended, sighing through the tall pine trees as they swayed drunkenly against the sky.

  “You’ve changed,” Tanya said a few minutes later, surprising me.

  “What?”

  “You’re different.”

  “We just didn’t know each other,” I said, stopping and looking at a bank of clouds to the north before turning to face her.

  “No, not well, but I saw how you acted around school. How you were with Sarah. You were kind of an asshole.”

  I looked at her, unsure how I felt about what she’d said.

  “If I’m such an asshole, why did you kiss me last night?”

  “I said ‘were’, not are, dickhead,” she said, shaking her head.

  “So now I’m a dickhead? See if I kiss you again!”

  “See if I let you!” she said, a smile breaking out a moment later.

  “You’re just as weird as I always thought,” I said, grinning before turning back to the north.

  “We’d better hurry,” I said when I saw the clouds were noticeably closer in only the few minutes we’d been talking.

  Tanya looked in the direction I was staring.

  “How much farther?”

  I started climbing the slope again, splitting my attention between the clouds and the ground in front of me.

  “Been a long time since I was up here. It’s on the far side of that saddle,” I said, pointing. “Shouldn’t be more than a couple of miles.”

  “You said that half an hour ago.”

  “Is that whining I’m hearing?”

  “Not unless Sarah is somewhere around,” she shot back.

  I held my middle finger up over my shoulder and kept going. It sounded like Tanya laughed, but it could well have been the wind in the trees.

  We pushed on, both of us breathing hard. Not that I wasn’t used to hard work and had no doubt Tanya was too, but we’d gained a lot of altitude and the air was thin. It was also getting colder.

  The sun was sliding toward the western horizon when we reached the saddle and looked down into a rugged valley. I was starting to worry that I’d misjudged the location of the cabin. My memory was that it was visible from this spot, but the terrain ahead was on the eastern slope of two tall peaks and was already in shadow. We were running out of time. I wasn’t familiar enough with the area to find it in the dark.

  Glancing north, I breathed a sigh of relief that the clouds hadn’t come any closer. They were thick and piled high, but were probably still over Montana which was more than a hundred miles away.

  “Is that it?” Tanya asked, pulling my attention back down.

  She moved close to me and extended her arm, pointing at a spot off to our right. I leaned my head to the side and looked down the length of her arm and saw nothing.

  “I don’t see what you’re pointing at.”

  “Right there!” she said. “There’s a straight line at the edge of that small clearing. By the stream.”

  I looked again, still not seeing anything, but her comment reminded me that the cabin w
as next to a stream.

  “Probably,” I said. “Sounds right.”

  “Has to be,” she said, taking the lead for the first time. “No straight lines in nature.”

  I didn’t argue and after a moment followed her down toward the valley. Within a few minutes, I was able to make out the shape of the cabin. It was even smaller than I remembered, but then I was a lot bigger than the last time I’d been here. It’s always amazing to me how your perspective changes over time.

  No one knew who’d originally built the cabin. I still remembered when Dad first discovered it. We’d been on a hunting trip, looking for elk. When we’d gotten home, I’d heard him on the phone talking to different people about the old building. Some of them knew it was there, but nobody knew its history.

  These memories went through my head as we reached the clearing, which was about the only level spot for a long way in any direction. Crossing the thick carpet of wild grass, we stopped in front of the cabin. Maybe that was too generous of a description.

  It was elevated off the ground, having been built atop several large rocks that supported the floor. At one time, there had been a small set of steps that ran up to the door, but they had succumbed to the harsh winters and fallen away to the side. There were no windows and it wasn’t more than thirty feet long and maybe half that wide.

  Surprisingly, the front door was tightly closed and the roof still appeared intact. But the best feature was the stacked stone chimney that was at one end of the diminutive structure. A few rocks had fallen out and rolled down to the ground, but it was still standing.

  “Wow,” Tanya said. “How old is this place?”

  “No idea,” I said. “Don’t know who built it or why.”

  Tanya turned a slow circle, looking around the clearing.

  “Hungry?” she asked in a whisper.

  I turned and saw the rabbit she was watching. It was across the open area, contentedly munching on some grass. Moving cautiously, I raised the rifle and took my time aiming. It was only fifty yards away, but almost half its body was hidden from view. Controlling my breath, I pulled the trigger.

  The shot was loud, sending birds flying out of several trees, but the rabbit flipped over and lay still. I hurried across the clearing and picked it up by its rear legs, carrying it back with a proud smile on my face and holding it out to Tanya.