Realm of the Wolf Book I: Wolf Dance (9 page)

Doubling back through Brantic City she passed the field

office and noticed that

Jessup didn't look to be anywhere around. Continuing on,

she turned up toward Beaver

Creek. A chill rippled through her as she drove by the

Beaver Creek Cemetery. It occurred to her that it held

relatively few graves compared to the one in Brantic City.

Maybe it had been the Indians after all?

The logging camp consisted of three travel trailers, two

tents and a portable outhouse. Laura parked her car next to

an old green army jeep. It was the only vehicle in camp.

She tried knocking at one of the trailers, but no one

answered.

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Where was everyone?

This place was really starting to give her the creeps. Laura

had just started to walk to a tan and white trailer when

someone called out from its open window.

"Who's out there messing around?" The male voice was

rough and Laura thought just a little slurred.

"Laura Ellison, from the office. Where is everyone?" she

called back.

The small door opened to reveal a thin, lanky looking man

with a long beard. He stood in the doorway in nothing but

boxers as he casually assessed her. Embarrassed, Laura

averted her eyes. This brought on the man's crude laughter.

"Everyone went to town for the weekend. That is,

everyone but me."

"Do you happen to know where Clyde Jessup is today?"

Laura looked away.

"With them, I'd guess."

Laura started to walk away, but the sound of his voice

stopped her. "Hey! If you are looking for some company, I

could sure use some myself." His eyes roamed up and down

her, leaving no room to mistake his meaning.

"No thanks, I'd rather be by myself." Laura sent him a cold

smile.

The man muttered something under his breath that Laura

was sure had been an obscenity.

She drove away without a glance behind her. Not having

anything else to do today, she decided to see how far the

road went before it circled back to Brantic City. Jessup had

mentioned something about an old cavalry fort up this way.

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Maybe she would stop there and do some sketching while she

had lunch.

The road twisted and turned for miles before she spotted

something in a clearing off to the left. Here she saw the road

that led to the fort, at least what passed for a road. Leaving

the truck running, she got out to examine the log building.

The structure was badly deteriorating and crumbling away. A

touch of disappointment stirred within her. She had been

hoping for something a little more picturesque.

At least it looked like a pleasant place to have lunch, Laura

thought as she killed the Bronco's engine. Taking out the

basket that she had packed for lunch, she went in search of a

good place to sit.

Finding a shady spot, she sat in the grass and opened the

basket. Laura had not realized until now how famished she

was. It must be several hours past lunch. The sun was

already starting to set in the horizon.

Laura felt much better after her lunch of bread and cheese.

She washed down the last bite with a gulp of apple juice and

decided there was still enough daylight left to do some

exploring. Laura began walking a circle around the building.

The rancid smell of mildew and rot caused her to bring her

hand up in an attempt block the scent.

Coming across what had once been a door, she peered

inside. Darkness cloaked the interior of the building. Laura

now wished that she had thought of bringing the flashlight.

Knowing there could be a number of different critters hiding

in the darkness, she decided to wait until she had some

source of light before venturing inside.

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She continued her examination of the building's exterior.

In many places the weeds grew at least to her waist, and

they tended to slow her progress. Laura's foot kicked

something that sounded like metal and she bent down to see

what it was.

Picking it up to examine it more closely, she noticed

something. Engraved on the side of the box were the words

Property of the United States Calvary. It was roughly the size

of a shoebox and laced with rusty corrosion.

Laura tucked it under her arm and continued around the

building. When reaching the back of the building, the stench

was worse, nearly unbearable. Laura become aware of the

fact that this scent was different, more like rotting meat.

She started to look around for the source. The fading sun

hampered visibility, but from what she could see, the clearing

held nothing unusual—an old trough, a hitching post and part

of a crumbling corral.

There ... in the corral, her eyes caught movement. A

vulture screeched, and rising into the air it flew away. It was

then that she caught sight of the bird's prize. Gagging, Laura

turned away.

When at last she felt her stomach was strong enough, she

looked back. The cow was still and cold. Laura inched a little

closer. Nothing moved but the swarm of insects hovering over

the body. Picking up a nearby branch, she used it to scare the

flies away. Laura felt herself retch at the sight of the

mutilated cow. Its stomach had been torn to shreds and most

of its innards were gone.

Had scavengers done this?

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Taking a closer look at the area surrounding the building,

she saw that there were more bodies, all in similar condition.

She had not noticed them before because they were situated

in a thick grove of trees some distance from the fort.

Laura walked near enough to get a closer look and was

sickened when she saw that several of them had been

dismembered.

"What could have done something like this?" she asked

aloud, hoping the sound of her own voice would help her to

feel a little less frightened.

Jessup's warning jumped to the front of her thoughts. The

men had reported seeing things in the woods. Wildlife

Management said there might be a bear on the prowl.

A bear ... Laura thought it was plausible that a bear could

have done this, and not all that long ago either. A feeling of

uneasiness pounced and she decided it was time to leave. The

thought of a bear nearby impelled her into action. Laura

retraced her steps until she was in sight of the car.

Laura threw the metal box onto the passenger seat and

got in. Once again the starter whined, but the engine wouldn't

turn over. She tried again and again, only to get the same

result.

"Oh God! Now what?" she moaned.

Laura tried several more times until she had finally drained

the battery. Defeated, she sat back and closed her eyes. It

was taking all her effort to remain calm.

Now what was she going to do?

She was some distance from anyplace where help might be

found. The closest place she knew of was the logging camp,

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which was about two miles back in the direction she had

come.

"Well Laura, you've really gotten yourself into a mess this

time." Her voice was bitter and full of self-loathing.

The clearing was deep in gloom now. Darkness was closing

in fast. She really had no choice but to walk back to the

logging camp. The knowledge that most of the walk would be

in darkness chilled her to the bone, but she reminded herself

that Wyoming wasn't really all that different from New

Mexico, and she'd often gone walking in the dark.

Maybe she should just stay in the truck until morning, and

then make an attempt to walk to the camp? Laura quickly

pushed that thought aside. Here was where the bear had

killed the cattle, and so it was reasonable to assume that she

wouldn't be any safer if she waited. If the bear was large

enough, and being in grizzly country, there was every chance

that the bear was big—it could break through the glass of her

vehicle.

Laura draped her purse over her shoulder and started to

get out of the car, but stopped when her eyes rested on the

metal box. A bizarre sensation came over her that she should

probably hide the box.

Feeling slightly irrational, Laura hid the box beneath the

driver's seat before locking the Bronco. Night was gaining on

her fast and she had only gone about half of a mile before it

was completely dark. There was only the moon to light her

path, but it would be full soon, so it provided sufficient light

to see the road. But ... the rest of her surroundings were

shrouded by the night.

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Stopping abruptly, Laura held her breath as she listened.

There it was again—a rustling in the trees. The night was

completely still, except for that sound.

She stood utterly motionless ... waiting, but now there was

only silence. Laura assured herself that it had probably been

some harmless animal ... maybe a raccoon.

She started walking again, but had only taken a few steps

when she heard it again—this time much closer. Stopping,

she peered in the direction from which the sound was coming.

Gasping, Laura took several steps back.

Under the cover of darkness, she was only able to make

out the deadly, shining eyes. Paralyzed with fear, Laura found

herself unable to move. It was the creature's deep, angry

growls that at last set her into motion. Sprinting in the

direction of the car she ran faster than she had thought

herself capable ... but not fast enough.

The animal's vicious roars were enough to tell her that it

was far too close and gaining. Laura imagined that she could

feel its hot breath on her neck. Her foot caught on a rock and

she was sent sprawling to the hard dirt.

She rolled just in time to see the huge mass of fur and

fangs looming above her. Fear closed off her throat and she

found it impossible to take another breath. Laura felt herself

falling into a pit of welcome darkness. She never saw the

huge, gray wolf spring on the creature that was preparing to

devour her flesh.

* * * *

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Laura woke to the soft light of early morning. She tried to

move, but found that the effort caused extreme pain. Every

inch of her body screamed in protest when she forced her

limbs into action.

Finally making it to a sitting position, Laura saw that she

was still on the road—in the same place she had fallen the

night before.

Bits and pieces of the previous night flashed in her mind.

The terror returned and with it, an uncontrollable trembling.

Laura could remember nothing after looking into the eyes of

the creature.

She was not even sure what it had been. Mostly it had

resembled a cat, but one that was badly malformed. Or

maybe it had been her fear that had made it appear so? What

she was sure of is that it wasn't a bear.

Mindful of the odd fact that she was actually still alive, and

for the most part—she had not been seriously hurt, it still

took all her strength just to get to her feet. She saw that her

purse lay only a few feet away in the brush.

After retrieving her handbag, Laura began the long walk

back to the logging camp, each step taking tremendous

concentration to complete. To think any further ahead than

her next step would have only given her a feeling of

hopelessness. Her dry, parched throat screamed for even so

much as a swallow of water. Laura could well imagine that

she must appear a scary sight.

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Her thoughts totally submerged in the task of walking, she

didn't hear the bike until it had nearly reached her. Justin cut

the engine and reclined against the tall back bar. Folding his

arms against his chest, he smiled.

Laura felt the sudden urge to smack the smile right from

his face.

"Let me guess ... your truck broke down?"

"Yes ... and I know that I'm very stupid, so would you

please not rub it in?" Laura told him as she placed her hands

on her hips, hoping to claim some sort of composure.

"Would you like a ride back to your cabin?" he offered.

Laura came close to declining his offer, but thought better

of it. "Sure ... I'd really appreciate it."

Justin slid forward, allowing enough room for Laura to

squeeze in behind him. Once she was settled, he revved the

engine and they shot ahead. Laura had to wrap her arms