Beneath a Winter Moon Read online

  Delmar stopped a waitress as she walked by, “Four clean glasses and a pitcher, please?”

  The young girl nodded.

  “Not for me, guys. I’ve got to get over to the hanger and talk to the boys at the airfield. I don’t have this trip logged or routed yet. Got to get that done.”

  Delmar frowned, but nodded. “We’ll have a couple more rounds and then pack it in. See you at the airfield?”

  “1100 hours, sharp, Delmar. If you are late, I’ll know it was your fault.”

  “We’ll be there,” Delmar insisted.

  They said their goodbyes and Steven headed for the door.

  “This week is going to be great,” Delmar grinned.

  Thomas and Daniel could not help but grin back at their friend, genuinely happy for the big man, especially now that they knew Steve and Jenny would be their guides.

  Thomas sat on the edge of the bed in his hotel room, unzipped the door to the large, nylon pop-up kennel and waited. When there was no movement, he leaned over and said, “C’mon boy…you can’t stay mad at me for the whole trip. You know you have to stay in the kennel when I am not in the room.” He reached in and scratched the Siberian Husky behind his furry ears. “Jack…c’mon, it’s not my fault. Remember what happened at that hotel on the Buffalo River?” He laughed, “I think we learned our lesson that time…well…at least I did.” He stood up, patted both knees, “Jack! Come!”

  A black nose with a pink t-shaped striation stuck out of the kennel. “Jaaaack?” Thomas chided. “Come on. I know that you have to go, so let’s go outside. C’mon boy.” He patted his knees again.

  A thickly furred black and white face poked all the way through the kennel, displaying the cactus-shaped white formation on Husky’s forehead. The dog’s name was officially “Possum’s Cactus Jack” which paid tribute to his dam’s name as well as the cactus-shaped formation on his head. Jack lowered his head and slowly stepped out of the kennel. Thomas waited for Jack to come out, and then kneeled down to hug the dog tightly. Jack sat down, enabling Thomas, his ‘person,’ to scoot him closer for a tighter hug. Jack buried his head in Thomas’s wool sweater.

  “Good boy,” Thomas said, soothing the Husky. “I’m sorry I hurt your feelings…but it’s time for some fun now, for sure!” He picked up Jack’s harness from the floor beside him and slipped it over the dog’s thick, furry shoulders. “Right paw,” he said. Jack lifted his right paw so that Thomas could slip the harness over, and then did the same with the left. Thomas stood up and patted Jack’s powerful shoulders.

  “Time to go for a walk outside, and then we will get to bed and first thing tomorrow we will be off on a week’s worth of fine adventure.” Thomas gave the command for Jack to heel, and the dog obediently stood at Thomas’s left knee, then they headed into the hallway and for the hotel exit.

  Thomas had purchased the puppy from a family in Arkansas. Jack had been just a small ball of fur with oddly enlarged ears, then. Now, four years and seventy-six pounds later, the dog was the epitome of the male of the breed. He was built for work. Although not lightening fast, Jack could run for days without stopping. He was a dog bred for strength, stamina and resistance to the cold. As with all Siberian Huskies, he had the heart of a wanderer and could not wait to explore new places.

  Thomas was one of the few Husky owners who had the patience and time to train the instinctive wanderer to stay near him without a leash. It took nearly two years of continuous training, not to mention many nights that left Thomas filled with worry and dread while he waited for a call from someone saying they had found Jack napping under their carport or chasing their farm animals. Jack eventually began to comply with Thomas’s varying ‘stay’ commands, and through the sheer devotion to his “person,” Jack kept his need to break free in-check. After taking Jack out for his nature call, Thomas climbed into bed and called Jack up beside him. He patted the Husky. “One more night in the hotel, one night in a cabin…and then it’s all wilderness and snow, boy.”

  The next morning Thomas gathered his gear from his room and waited in the lobby for Delmar and Daniel. Thomas’s mind wandered as he sat on a soft leather couch in the lobby. He had some reservations about hunting for bear but those concerns were put to rest by having the Svensons as their guides. He had complete faith in Steven and Jenny. He also wondered how Jack would fare in the hunt, and whether or not he would have to keep the dog harnessed during the entire hunt. That would make things much more difficult. Daniel would help, Thomas knew, but he doubted Delmar would go out of his way to assist with Jack. Delmar tried to act as though Jack was an unnecessary hindrance on the hunt, but Thomas knew that deep-down the big man loved the dog. If Daniel helped with Jack it would make Thomas feel better about stalking a Grizzly. He hadn’t been prepared for that, and he worried about the dog…but he knew that as long as Jack was harnessed up, the Husky would be fine.

  Jack sat directly in front of Thomas, staring up at him, his sad blue eyes fixed. Thomas smiled at the dog and let out a sigh. “Okay boy, maybe they won’t mind.” He patted the empty cushion beside him. “Up!”

  Jack jumped up onto the couch and whirled around a few times, then settled next to Thomas. A raised eyebrow from the clerk behind the service desk was not enough to convince Thomas to tell Jack to get down.

  Delmar made some final adjustments to his pack, and then heaved all eighty-five pounds over his shoulder. He grimaced. “Damn, I am getting old.” He kicked bundles of bed sheets out of his way as he moved to the door that joined his room with Daniel’s. He knocked a few times and called for his friend. The door opened and Daniel stood in the entrance, brows furrowed.

  “C’mon in, Delmar. I’m cinching up the straps now. Hear anything from Thomas, yet?”

  “Nope, but we both know he’s ahead of us, probably waiting downstairs. He’s always early.” He dropped the heavy pack onto the floor. “Sign of stress if you ask me… a half an hour early to everything.” He harrumphed. “Loaded for bear?” he asked Daniel, grinning.

  Daniel finished with his pack and tossed it easily over his shoulder as he smiled back at Delmar. “I don’t have to worry about bear…you do.”

  Delmar smirked. “True enough…sorry about that, buddy. At least you have less to carry”

  “Bah…no worries. I don’t mind, so don’t keep apologizing.”

  Delmar grunted as he hoisted the heavy pack once more, “Well, let’s go find the boy and his dog.”

  The three men took the hotel shuttle to a small gun store where they had paid for storage of their rifles. After retrieving the weapons and purchasing ammunition, they paid the driver for a trip to the airfield. The driver charged extra for transporting Jack and although Delmar grumbled, Thomas said it was fine.

  Thomas balked at the chill in the air when the shuttle driver opened their doors at the airfield. He shivered and thought to himself that it was much colder than it had been the day before. A crisp wind cut into his face and he looked up at thick, gray clouds. Jack’s shiny coat swirled and danced with the wind as he sat down next to Thomas and poked his nose skyward, sniffing.

  Daniel noticed the look on Thomas’s face. “I checked the weather last night and there was no call for anything out of the ordinary…just some cooler temperatures.”

  “Don’t jinx us, Hero,” Delmar grimaced. “Steven would have called if the weather even looked like it would be a problem.”

  “Speak of the devil…” said Thomas, smiling at a tall figure moving toward them from behind the cabin of a white and gold helicopter.

  “And he shall appear,” Delmar finished, waving at the man.

  Steven reached them and said, “You boys looking for a lift into bear country?”

  “You bet!” Delmar said, grabbing Steven’s hand and shaking it enthusiastically.

  “What’s with the weather?” Thomas asked.

  They gathered their packs and weapons from the tarmac, as Steven answered. “There is a front moving in, kind of a surprise, but we should
have plenty of time.” He paused, seeing the concern on Thomas’s face. “What? This is the North Country, you know. We have our own weather patterns up here.” He laughed and grabbed the two rifle cases and beckoned them to the helicopter.

  They started walking toward the bulky Bell helicopter. As if on cue, the blades began to rotate. “Jenny’s starting her up. So anyway, I will brief you guys once we have landed at the cabin. Until then, gentlemen, you know the drill. Straps on, packs down in front or strapped beside you, and relax.” He saw that Delmar had a concerned look. He walked beside him and slapped him on the shoulder.

  “Don’t worry! You will get your bear!” He had to yell as the helicopter’s rotors powered up. Noticing their Gore-Tex jackets, he shouted, “Nice cold weather gear.”

  The men dipped forward as they neared the helicopter, the rotors producing a strong, warm wind. Steven slid open the large passenger door and set the rifles down on the rear-facing bench seats. The cold air mixed with fleeting but noticeably warm blasts of heat from the engines, and they smelled of JP4 jet fuel as they readied to board the helicopter.

  Jack kept his head low, looking a little nervous and Thomas patted the dog. Jack had flown in helicopters before, and would be just fine, he knew. The Husky did not hesitate when Thomas commanded him to jump into the helicopter, and he was the first to climb aboard. They loaded their packs and weapons next while Steven stood inside the cabin and lined the packs and rifles on the rear-facing bench. Each bench could strap in four persons, so there was room to spare when everything was strapped in.

  Thomas boarded next, stopping for just a moment to reach over the forward cabin bench and tap Jenny on the shoulder, shouting a greeting to her. She smiled at him. He found his pack, sat down on the bench across from it, and called Jack over to him. Thomas shoved Delmar’s pack one seat farther down, leaving a spot open for the dog. Jack jumped up into the seat and began to howl in unison with the hard, high pitched whine of the engines. Thomas laughed, but commanded him to stop as he went about buckling the dog in, sliding the straps of the x-shaped safety straps through the Jack’s shoulder harness. He left enough slack so that Jack could lay a good portion of himself across Thomas’s lap. They sat facing the rear of the aircraft, next to the port side window on the cabins opposite sliding door.

  Steven made some final checks of the cabin after the men and their gear were strapped in. He grinned, gave them a thumbs-up, and then moved into the pilot’s seat where he donned his flight-helmet, strapping it down tightly underneath his chin. Jenny gave a thumbs-up and then they were airborne. The flight into Hope would take around two hours, depending on head winds. After refueling and rechecking their flight plans, they would fly for another hour to the new hunting lease.

  The Bell 407 cruised through the sky, staying below the heavy cloud formations. The ride became less bumpy as Steven and Jenny steadied the aircraft onto its course. The thirty-five feet in diameter, four-blade rotor system was built for stability during hovering and landings in wind—necessary for flight in this part of the northern hemisphere. The territory was well known for high winds, updrafts, and also dangerous crosswinds. The rotors were powered by a strong Rolls Royce turbine and although it had cost Steven quite a bit more, he had ordered the helicopter with a blade-folding kit that would allow him to store the helicopter in a space as little as eight-feet in width. This reduced maintenance and tear-down when he needed to store the aircraft in the climate-controlled sea-land cargo container at his ranch.

  The helicopter could hold over four thousand pounds, allowing for just over two thousand pounds of passenger and cargo weight. This mountain-version, as Steven called it, was not unlike the famous UH-1H still in use throughout the US military. It was a rugged craft, time-tested in all conditions.

  Steven had modified the skids of the aircraft to accommodate specially designed pontoons for soft powder landings as well as water landings. He could change back to normal or snow-skids at anytime, but he found that the pontoons served well through all seasons and weather. Strapped inside the passenger cabin of the aircraft were two folding passenger benches crafted from aluminum tubing and nylon. The benches could easily be removed, changing the cabin from a passenger section to a cargo-hold.

  Steven had once commented that the helicopter was the best and most dependable he’d ever known. Once, in the same breath, he had said that one of the reasons he purchased this model was the crashworthiness. Thomas’s face had gone white at hearing the comment, as if the blood had drained to his feet. Steven had laughed, winked and slapped Thomas on the shoulder.

  The three friends were used to this type of aircraft, although it didn’t make things any easier for Thomas. He never liked flying—in fact, he thoroughly disliked it. He’d managed to master his fear of heights shortly after joining the military but that didn’t mean he found it enjoyable or even acceptable.

  Thomas and Daniel pulled their flight helmets from their hook behind them and strapped them on. The helmets were wired to the intercom allowing them to communicate with one another and with Steven and Jenny. Thomas pointed at Delmar and shook his head. The big man was asleep, head slumped to one shoulder. “We’ve only been up for about fifteen minutes, and he is already out of it,” Thomas said.

  “Typical,” Daniel replied through his mic.

  Jenny turned to look at Delmar, and smiled at them. “So—I hear you guys are anxious to get in a bear-hunt this season…”

  “Well, one of us is,” Thomas replied, “and the rest of us are just along for the ride. I could care less about bagging one but I bet old Jack here would love to get in on the action.” He mussed Jack’s thick fur, and patted him on the head.

  “I’m not sure he should come with us once we begin to track one,” Jenny replied, frowning. “Are you sure you can keep him quiet and can keep him leashed?”

  Daniel spoke up. “I will be the non-hunter—so I can take care of Jack once you guys are on the trail…assuming he will listen to my commands.”

  “He will listen,” Thomas said, smiling down at Jack. “Won’t you, boy?”

  Jack barked in reply, sensing that Thomas had called for a reaction. He put his front paws in Thomas’s lap, and laid his head down.

  Jenny smiled. “Well, enjoy the ride. Things should be fine all the way into Hope. We’ve got clouds and a little wind, but nothing to worry about.” She gave them a thumbs-up and turned back to the controls.

  They landed in Hope on time and refueled without any problems, although Steven had voiced some new concerns about the weather. This area really could form its own weather patterns and it was forming a new one right now. There was a heavy downdraft and the winds were getting stronger. Steven wasn’t ready to change his flight plans but he was concerned about the changes. They would know more as the helicopter crossed the large lake for the landing on the northern side. Snow would likely begin to fall and would only serve to muck up an already worrisome situation.

  Thomas had stayed on board while at the airfield. Jack seemed content to nap away the afternoon and Thomas had not been inclined to disturb him. Daniel and Delmar disembarked and went into the small terminal, looking to scrounge up a coffee and some conversation from the locals.

  “Wake up, Hero!” It was Delmar standing beside Daniel. He was chewing on an unlit cigar, rolling it from one side of his mouth to the other and grinning.

  “You are one to talk,” said Thomas, “You will be out like a light again as soon as we take off. What’s with the cigar?”

  Delmar grinned. “A local man—an old-timer—gave it to me for good luck on the hunt.”

  Daniel shook his head as the two men climbed into the aircraft. “That old man was as spooky as hell. I thought he was going to have a coronary when Delmar bragged about the new hunting lease and told them where it was,” Daniel said as he sat down next to Thomas. “He said that none of his people would go near that area—that it was a bad place.” He emphasized the word “bad” and raised his eyebrows while cocking h
is head to the side. “If that wasn’t ominous enough, he told us it even was worse now than it was in his father’s time, or even his grandfather’s time.”

  Delmar dismissed Daniel’s words with a sweep of his hands. “Bah,” he said as he sat down across from Thomas.

  “He said that sometimes people don’t come out of that territory once they’ve gone in,” Daniel continued, ignoring the scowl on Delmar’s face. “It was just like a scene from one of those old Vincent Price Saturday night horror films I used to watch when I was a kid.”

  Thomas laughed. “I remember those…Pit and Pendulum and The Tell Tale Heart.”

  “But that wasn’t the scary part,” Daniel said. “The scary part is when Steven jumped into the conversation and confirmed that four people have turned up missing—either last seen in that territory or known to have been going into it…and here’s the kicker….all within the past couple of years.” Daniel nodded at his own words and smiled. “Yep.” He leaned back and began strapping himself in, snapping a second shoulder-harness into the x-shaped buckle at his chest

  “Steven said that?” Thomas asked.

  Daniel nodded.

  Delmar leaned back in his seat and closed both eyes, then opened one when he felt Thomas’s stare. “Don’t look at me, Hero. Steven never said anything about it to me. It’s the first I heard of it.” He shrugged and closed his eyes again.

  “Remind me to ask Steven about this when we get there,” Thomas said, looking at Daniel. “On second thought, don’t worry about it. You won’t have to remind me—and I may not be able to wait until then to ask.” Daniel chuckled. Delmar grunted, never opening his eyes. Thomas didn’t wait long. As soon as the helicopter was up and leveled below the clouds, Thomas decided to delve deeper into the whole missing persons story.

  “Steven—what is with this story about people who’ve gone missing in this new area?” Thomas asked through the mic.

  Steven strained his neck to look over his shoulder at Thomas. He shook his head and then turned back to his controls. He chuckled. “I knew it would freak you out more than it did Daniel and Del.” He sometimes referred to Delmar as Del and Thomas wondered why he didn’t also refer to Daniel as Dan.