Beneath a Winter Moon (23 page)

Daniel had tears welling up in his eyes, now, partly because of the way his grandfather spoke to him, but more because he knew he’d upset him. But Daniel was also sad and just a bit angry that he would have to take it back. He was about to protest, but grandfather Coahoma cut him off. “This is a curse, son. It is a long-dead curse that plagued our people for generation upon generation. I have even forgotten the words for what it is, but I know the sign.” Seeing that he had frightened his grandson, Haleky forced himself to soften his words and his eyes.

“It is a bad omen, grandson. You said you found it in the lake…and there you must return it, and you mustn’t let anyone know. Was it truly you who found it? No other?”

Daniel sniffed. “I found it. Just me…but I showed some of my friends.”

Haleky nodded. His friends would be fine.

“We will speak no more about it.” He saw the puzzled and hurt look on Daniel’s face. “I promise to tell you more some other time. For now, you must do as I tell you. Keep it hidden until tomorrow and then take it back where you found it. Remember, it must be returned before the next moon.”

Daniel sniffed again, but held back the tears. “I will, grandfather. I promise.”

With that, Haleky reached over and tussled the boy’s hair. As he did so, a sad feeling came over him…he hoped his grandson would be safe.

The dream shifted again. This time it was the middle of the night, days before Daniel was to join the Army, just as his father had before him. There had been a celebration and going-away party, and Daniel had finally collapsed into bed…more than a little drunk. Someone shook him violently and he heard wailing. He woke to see his grandfather’s face looming over him in the glow of the moonlight that shone through his window.

“What have you done?” He shouted.

Daniel sat up, his head almost crashing into his grandfather’s face.

“What have you done, boy?” Haleky wailed again.

“What are you talking about?” he asked but his voice trailed off when he saw what his grandfather held in front of his face. It was the stone with the wolf’s head carving.

“He will come for you!” Haleky cried. “He will come for you and he will have you! I only hope that he kills you!”

Those words froze Daniel’s heart. He choked but before he could say anything in protest, the old man leaped back with surprising agility, standing up and looming over Daniel, who was sitting up now, shocked and staring.

“If you return to this family, he will
follow you
and he will
kill us all
.”

Daniel saw tears in the old man’s face.

“Who….what are you talking about? Are you drunk again?” The old man
had
been drinking more than usual of late.

“I am taking this back to the lake. It is not yet a night of the full moon, so maybe there is a chance for you if I take it back.”

“Grandfather…”

“No! Do not speak to me again! You made a promise! It was sacred to me! It was sacred to this family! I told you what must do!”

With those last words, Daniel’s mother had come to the door. Haleky shook with rage and threw his head back and screamed some garbled, unintelligible words.

The scream was real…but it was
not
his grandfather, and Daniel was
not
a boy. He woke in the dark, a dim glow around him, pressure against his legs and chest. The scream came from Jenny, who was on her knees to his right and staring at her hands through the light of the moon and the dim glow of a flashlight that lay somewhere inside the wreckage. Jenny’s hands were covered in blood. She screamed again.

Daniel wanted to help her, to see where she was wounded, but he was pinned. He struggled and managed to move some of the debris from atop him. He twisted his body, trying to get his bearings. He remembered what had happened and realized that the helicopter
had
gone over the cliff. Jenny sobbed now, her hands on her knees as she choked on the tears.

“Help me, Jen,” Daniel pleaded. At first he thought she would ignore him, but a moment later she reached for him. With her help, he finally freed himself, but with the struggle came new and ever-growing pain. The moment he realized that he was injured, the pain became heightened, and its intensity grew with each new movement.

“My leg…my shin. I think it’s broken.”

Jenny said nothing, still crying softly, wiping her eyes with the backs of her wrists.

“That thing…is it…”

“It’s gone. I think, anyway.” She said as she finally looked at him. He struggled to sit beside her on the mangled and twisted frame of one of the cabin benches. “Steven is dead. Oh, my God, please help me…he’s really dead.”

Daniel did not know what to say, so he said nothing. He wanted to ask how it happened, but he could see a portion of the body and understood it must have happened when the helicopter fell and crashed into the canyon.

“Jack?” He asked.

She chuckled sarcastically. “The dog is fine. Wouldn’t you know it? The dog doesn’t have a scratch, and my husband is dead.”

“I’m so, so sorry, Jen.” He was, but he didn’t think that he conveyed it well enough. “Are you sure that he…”

“His head...” she stammered, silencing him. “It’s…it’s…”

“
Shhhhh
,” he whispered. “That’s enough.” He put an arm around her and she reluctantly allowed it.

“I don’t know what to say except that he’d want you to be safe. And we’ve got to get ready in case that thing comes back. We need to find my rifle and the handgun.”

She didn’t move, so he held her a moment longer, trying to control himself against the unbearable pain coming from his leg.

“I’ve got them both…and the flare-gun and first-aide kit,” Jenny finally replied.

Daniel sighed, relieved.

“That thing was a…was some kind of
wolf
…” Jenny whispered.

The word brought back the dream, which brought the memories back to him. The dream had been a perfect replay of real events from his life, and he shivered at the thought.
He will come for you
, his grandfather had said.
You are cursed, and he will come for you.

Jenny used three small sections of aluminum tubing, that had once been bench-legs, and some duct tape from the helicopter’s now scattered toolbox to splint Daniel’s leg. He had groaned through gritted teeth several times, but had kept still while she worked. The break was very bad, and she had felt bone pushing outward against his skin. He would need real medical assistance, and fast.

When she finished, she climbed back to the starboard door of the aircraft, which was now angled skyward and above their heads, and she looked for signs of Jack…or the creature. She had the rifle with her and she knew very well how to use it. If the thing came back, she would kill it. She stayed there for a long time, the cold wind completely numbing her face, but she saw nothing.

Together, they had covered Steven’s body and said a prayer for his soul. Daniel worried that Jenny’s quick emotional recovery might indicate that she was going into some sort of shock, but she seemed okay...taking charge of the rifle and guarding the helicopter…assuming a sort of command over Daniel. He was in too much pain and was in too bad a shape to protect anyone, so he was glad for her assertiveness. He admired her. He learned that the first thing she had done after the aircraft went over the cliff and crashed into the rocky canyon was to make her way up through the door and fire the flare gun. Only then had she come back to check on them.

What bothered the two of them most was the pungent and dangerous smell of the jet fuel. They feared that a fuel tank was ruptured. The volatile fuel could ignite easily and Daniel worried that one wrong move could create a spark that would set the helicopter aflame. Jenny worked her way back down to sit beside Daniel where he extended part of the poncho-liner, offering it to her. She gratefully pulled it over her lap. Their adrenaline had slowed and the cold was now something more than just irritating. They could cover themselves but the cold air flowed underneath their legs and behind their backs.

“Still no sign of Jack or…the thing?” Daniel
asked.“No
,” Jenny said. “I hope Jack has not gone out after it.”

Daniel nodded, hoping the same. “How many flares left?”

“Two.”

“My watch is busted…”“It’s four thirty-
ish
”

Daniel shivered, wishing that the sun would come sooner.

“I’ll sit for a few minutes, and then take another half-hour up top.” Jenny said. “But it seems that the thing has decided to leave us alone.”

“I know I hit it…more than once. I hope the damn thing died after pushing us over.”

They had agreed not to speculate on the origin of the creature, but the thought of it having the strength to push the two and a half ton aircraft over the cliff,
after
having been shot at point blank range, furthered the case for it being anything but a wolf or even a bear. Daniel recalled the boyhood events that had returned in his dream…and he recalled his grandfather’s frantic words.

It will come for you.

* * * * *

“It’s Jack,” Thomas exclaimed as he halted and knelt into the snow. Jack jumped up, placing paws on Thomas’s and licking wildly at his face. Thomas pulled him close.

“No time,” Delmar said. “We’re almost there.”

Thomas nodded, then stood up and called Jack to follow as he and Delmar took off at a slow jog once more. They were at the clearing within half an hour and when they broke through the trees they stopped, staring in disbelief.

“How the fuck did they take off?” Delmar asked.

“They couldn’t have. No way,” Thomas answered.

Jack broke away from the two men and ran to where the helicopter had last sat. He spun in circles, wooing and barking.

Thomas and Delmar ran forward to the dog.

“Look at that,” Thomas said, pointing to a large, black mixed into the snow. “Is that hydraulic fluid? It’s everywhere.”

Delmar kneeled and considered turning on his flashlight. The moon had settled almost onto the horizon, but its soft glow still allowed them to make out obstacles and shapes…but not
color
.

“Shine a clear lens on that,” Delmar said.

Thomas nodded and twisted his light so that it shined on the largest blotch in the snow.

“It’s blood. It’s
blacker
than it’s supposed to be…but it is definitely blood.”