Wheeler and Joe arrived back where the others were.
"Hey guys, you're not gonna believe this!" He stops when he takes note of the
somber looks on everyone's faces. "Why the long faces? And I'm not referring to
the horses."
He gets off his horse and Linka rushes over to him.
"Oh Wheeler, we just heard horrible news," she says, her eyes filling with
tears.
"What is it? What happened? Did something happen on the ledge?"
"Nyet. Ma-Ti sensed something was bothering the wolves. He saw a vision. There
were initially five pups. One was lost in the avalanche."
She wraps her arms around him and nuzzles her cheek against his chest for
comfort. When she feels movement beneath, she pulls back and looks at him. He
unzips his jacket and the pup pokes his head out.
"Ya think it's this one?"
Everyone gasps and utter words of shock, amazement, and happiness.
"Bozhe moy! Where did you find him?!"
"It was Thor. We were walking past a fallen tree and he started acting strange.
Like he heard something. Then Venus heard it too. Both of them were agitated. After a few seconds, me and Pop heard a noise. I started pulling back the branches and going
deeper into it. When the avalanche took down the tree, this guy must've
gotten scooped up in the branches as it was sliding. There was a tangled mess of
branches that created a little nook. That's where he was hanging out. Safe and
sound. Not a scratch. Just scared and probably cold and hungry."
"He is adorable!" Linka coos as she takes her gloves off to pet the little furball peeking out of her boyfriend's coat before taking him out to cuddle.
"Laura, can we take him to the sanctuary to get him fed and warmed up?" Wheeler asks.
"Yes, but first, I think we need to let the wolves know he's ok," she says.
"Good idea," Ma-Ti says.
My friends, the man who was feeding you just returned. On his trip back down,
he made a discovery. A wolf pup hiding in the brush of a fallen tree. Is this
yours?
The wolf peers over the edge and his tail goes up.
"It is!" Ma-Ti tells the others.
Do not worry. He is fine. We will take good care of him until we rescue you and
you can be reunited. We are going to take him to a safe place where he will be
warm and fed.
"They understand," Ma-Ti reports back to the group.
"Anyone come up with any ideas on how to get them down while we were up there?"
Joe asks.
"Yes, plenty of ideas...no solutions though," Kwame says.
"Let's go back and get the pup taken care of. Then maybe Laura can recommend a
place in town where we can get lunch and regroup," Gi suggests.
"Yes, it will be dark soon. I do not think we can do anything more unless we
come up with a fool proof plan," Kwame says.
Once the pup has been taken care of, the would be rescuers sit down at a small
town diner for dinner. The other customers stop what they're doing when they
notice the strangers.
"Ever get the feeling you're being watched?" Wheeler asks Linka as he leans over
her shoulder to whisper in her ear.
She smiles and nods. Once they take their seats, the other patrons go back to
their own conversations.
A waitress comes over to take their drink orders and asks what they'd like.
"Lois, this is my friend Ma-Ti and his friends. This is their first time here so
can we get some menus?"
"Uh, yeah. Sure...gimme a few minutes to find enough." The waitress is not used to customers who don't know what they want as soon as they sit down. It is so seldom that they get visitors. "Eight?"
"Just seven. I know what I want," Laura says.
"If you can't find enough, we can share," Gi offers, trying to convey that they are good, considerate people and that the townspeople needn't be wary of the strangers.
"Ok...can I get you all anything to drink? Coke products? Coffee? Water? Tea?"
The waitress took their orders, noting that her tip will be lower than she anticipated when she first saw the large group. All opted for just a glass of water. Not even the expensive bottled kind. Just the free kind. At least she didn't have to write anything down. She left the table to go in search of more menus.
"I think it's safe to say that we tried our best to handle this ourselves, and
while there is no immediate danger, maybe calling Cap is our only reasonable
option," Wheeler says.
"I think Wheeler may be right," Linka says.
"Whoa! You all heard that, right?!" Wheeler jokes.
She takes her gloves off and smacks his arm with them.
"Uh, Linka...where's your ring?" Gi asks.
"What? Oh no!"
"Is it still in your glove?" Wheeler asks.
She carefully turns it over and shakes it. Nothing comes out so she sticks her
hand in to see if it's stuck inside.
"Nyet. But where could I have lost it?"
"Sleeping bag?" Joe says with a hint of a smile.
"Oh! I know! Check Wheeler's trousers!" Mishka adds.
"Mishka! This is serious!" Linka snaps. "It must have come off when I took my
gloves off to pet the pup.
"It's ok Babe, we'll find it. We know exactly where you were standing when you
took your gloves off. It can't be far from there."
"You are right. I just feel weird without it," she says, wringing her hands together and tracing the spot where the ring usually sits. Wheeler takes the hand where her ring usually resides and links his fingers with hers to try and stop her from worrying. She gives him a grateful smile and squeezes his hand in return. He brings her hand up to his lips in a continuing effort to let her know it will be ok. She sighs and leans her head against his shoulder. He then turns his head to kiss the top of her head.
Lois brings their drinks and provides them with their menus.
"I'll give you a few minutes to look those over and be back to take your orders," she says.
"Thank you," Kwame says.
After moments of silence while they looked over the menu, Mishka breaks it.
"I have an idea," he says.
"What is it?" Gi asks.
"If the wolves cannot climb over the snow because the pile keeps falling inward, what if we try to get to them THROUGH the snow?"
"What do you mean?" Linka asks.
"You come from a mining town Linka. Think about it. We start digging a hole IN
the snow bank."
"To make a trench?"
"Da," her brother says.
"Won't the snow just fall in on us?" Wheeler asks. "It's not like that's sturdy like the solid rock you're used to working with in real mining.
"We can get some wood, plywood to line the sides of the trench so the snow does not fall in on us. Then, every few feet, lay a 4x4 perpendicular to the plywood to use as support beams to keep the plywood in place."
"That sounds promising," Gi says. "And Linka knows a thing or two about tunneling. How many times has Wheeler gotten himself separated from the group and we had to do every thing in our power to get to him because 'Linka the Terrible' would not give up until we found him!"
Linka rolls her eyes and mutters, "One time."
"Tunneled one time, but there have been several occasions where you've been more worried about Wheeler than you'd admit!"
"What does that have to do with anything? Besides trying to embarrass me in front of my brother? Are you trying to impress him in some way?" Linka snaps.
Gi blushes.
"No! I'm just teasing...never mind. You're right, it's not important."
"Da, I have been concerned for him when he has been in trouble...just as I would be concerned for any of you who were in danger. It just appeared that I am more concerned when it was Wheeler because HE is the one who always manages to get himself into trouble!"
"HEY?!" Wheeler protests.
Ma-Ti hates all the tension he is feeling and decides to bring the focus back to the matter at hand.
"So, Mishka's idea...what do we think?"
"Better than anything we've come up with so far," Kwame adds.
Linka is unsure that their small group will be able to pull it off.
"Da, but in a mine, there are many more people working. We will need wheel
barrows or some sort of cart to remove the excess snow from the scene, then
those will need emptied and brought back quickly so the process is not slowed
down. We do not have the manpower or the resources."
"Not now, but maybe we can get them," Joe says.
"How?" Linka asks.
Joe stands up and makes an announcement.
"Hey everyone, can I have your attention?"
Once again, the crowd stops what they're doing to look at him.
"I know we're all strangers to you, but the reason we are here is because this
young lady called upon her friends to come help. These are the Planeteers and
they could sure use your assistance."
"Planeteers?" One of the patrons says. "They here to lecture us on cutting down
trees? That's kinda our industry up here. And yes, we follow all the regulations
set forth by the government and replant saplings to replace what we take."
Wheeler goes on the defensive.
"Actually, we're here to save some wolves who got stuck on the mountain during
the avalanche. We could use some volunteers to dig a trench through the snow
bank. Any wheelbarrows, shovels, plywood, and 4x4 timbers. If we could just get
a few more volunteers, we can get this done in a few hours."
"So you want us to go into an avalanche zone to save a couple of wolves? Animals
who will attack us as soon as we dig them out? No thanks. I don't feel like
getting mauled right before Christmas."
"They will not hurt us," Ma-Ti says. "They know we are trying to help them."
"Oh? How? Did you tell them you were there to help and not be an appetizer?" The
cynical towns person says to a chorus of laughter.
"Yes," Ma-Ti says calmly, not discouraged by their mockery.
"Let 'em die," another says. "I had a whole coop of chickens killed by wolves
who busted through the fence. They're a nuisance. The less, the better!"
"Larry, everyone knows your chicken coops are so poorly built, it's ridiculous!
You claim the loss of chickens in an insurance claim, but you don't use the
money to build better coops! For all we know, your chickens got out on their own and had nothing to do with a wolf attack!" Laura says accusingly.
That gets him to sit down and shut up, but another person speaks up.
"So if you're Planeteers, why don't you just call Captain Planet?"
Linka handles this one.
"Because I lost my ring. But if you are not going to help us and are willing to
just let those wolves and their pups starve to death, we will go back there and
hopefully find my ring. If not, we will just do it all ourselves and spend
Christmas away from our families while you all enjoy yours!" Linka stands up and
angrily pushes her chair in. "Come on, I am no longer hungry and do not want to
give business to a place so full of ignorant assholes!"
Her friends and brother are shocked by the Russian girl's outburst.
Wheeler gets up and follows her, and soon the others join them, looking around
the diner at the patrons who had previously gawked at the strangers and are now too
ashamed to look at them.
"Sounds like Jason is really rubbing off on her," Joe whispers to Mishka.
"There is a joke there somewhere, but I do not think now is the time," Mishka
replies with a smile.
"Not if you value your lives," Gi confirms.
To Be Continued...