Chapter Twenty-one: Found Again
"They got off!" Jerry repeated in astonishment, sinking to his knees.
Laughing in glee, Emily and Katie threw their arms around each other, glad to have at least a speck of hope restored to what had been a bleak prospect only seconds before. Suddenly, Bryan pressed a hand down on both of their shoulders, pulling them apart and forcing them to be still. "Listen," he insisted when they looked at him in consternation.
Bryan had been trained in the military to be alert for small sounds and his years as a naval officer and hangar attendant had sharpened his sensitivity to changes in air pressures in holding tanks and engine whine pitches. Now, he was obviously hearing something that they could not. But only for a few seconds. Suddenly, Jerry lifted his head, his eyes focused intently on the horizon. Then the others heard it too. A series of short, rapid barks floated on the icy wind to their ears.
Suddenly, as if drawn to them by some invisible source, five dogs appeared over the crest of a snowy hill just past the Victoria's drift-fences. For one breathtaking moment, the dogs froze, staring at the newcomers, then, led by the little black-and-white pup Emily had met only once, all five of them pelted down the hill, sprinting toward Jerry with all the speed they could muster.
"Max!" Jerry called, his face breaking into a wide smile as he jumped to his feet and began jogging toward his dogs. "C'mere, Max!" he commanded, pushing back his coat and tapping his chest as the youngest of his beloved "kids" vaulted at the spot, plowing him over. Jerry laughed as Max covered his face in doggy kisses and he threw his arms around the squirming dog, pure joy written all over his face.
Emily watched only for a minute before recognizing her favorite dog. "Shadow!" she cried crouching down as the big malamute skidded into her arms and smothered her with kisses.
Katie stooped to throw her arms around Shorty's snow-white body and pull him close, while Davis cuddled with an ecstatic Truman. Out of the corner of her eye, Emily saw Buck launch himself at Cooper, bowling him over and licking every inch of his face that was still exposed – much to Charlie's distress.
Finally, Jerry pushed Max away from his face and rolled to his feet. "Come here, kids!" he called. As Shorty, Shadow and Truman all obeyed, Jerry's eyes settled on Charlie's prone form – held down by Buck's not-insubstantial weight – with a bemused twinkle. "Buck, leave Cooper alone," he chided, laughing. The big dog licked Charlie's face one last time before obediently jumping off Charlie's chest and joining the other dogs in front of Jerry. Emily sat ungracefully in the snow, arms draped over her knees as she watched the flicker of sadness cross her longtime-friend's face. "Shorty, Buck, Truman, Shadow and Max," he listed off, looking affectionately at each of the dogs in turn. "My lucky stars," he murmured softly.
Emily raised an eyebrow at the comment, and looked questioningly at Katie, who only shook her head silently. The redhead shrugged and got to her feet, stamping the cold-induced numbness out of her toes and knees. "Katie," she whispered, leaning closer to her friend. When she had her attention, she motioned wordlessly to Jerry and the dogs, then at the SnoCat. "We need to get going."
"I'll get the back ready," Bryan volunteered suddenly. He had been silent and motionless during the happy reunion, alienated from the situation because he hadn't known about it until a few days ago. Emily watched him jog around the back of the SnoCat, wondering at his quiet attitude. Something about his explanation that evening on the ship just did not sit right and she knew that he had another reason for being here. But she didn't know what.
During her musing about Bryan, Katie had moved up behind Jerry. "Let's get them in the snowmobile, Jer. It's time to go home," she said quietly.
"Yeah," Jerry suddenly said briskly, seeming to shake himself out of whatever thoughts had absorbed his attention. "Alright kids! Into the truck! Let's go!"
Charlie and Bryan held the back doors open as, one by one, the dogs leaped inside. All, that is, except Max. When Jerry motioned for him to climb inside, the young pup made a move toward the SnoCat, and suddenly shied away, barking insistently all the time. "Max, let's go," Jerry said impatiently. When the pup continued to bark and turn back the way they'd come, comprehension suddenly dawned. "What is it, Max? What's wrong?"
Emily came around and stood by Katie, watching Jerry and Max, perplexed. "What's going on?" she asked.
"I have no idea..." Katie replied, her attention riveted on Jerry's retreating back as he followed Max back up the hill and over the crest.
Bryan came up behind them as they watched for Jerry's return. "Emily?" he asked hesitantly.
"Hmm?" she replied absentmindedly, her eyes still scanning the crest for Jerry.
"Can I talk to you for a min–"
Emily cut him off with a hand on his arm as a flash of red came back toward them over the hill. Jerry was back, Max trotting at his side, and in his arms, he carried…
"Maya! It's Maya!" Katie cried, throwing her arms around Emily's neck. "She's all right!"
Emily could not restrain a grin as Jerry approached and Katie went up to him, filled with motherly concern for the pretty husky's well-being. Her Native American friend hopped into the backseat of the SnoCat and gathered Maya in her arms so that Jerry could follow her. "Come on, Max," he ordered once he'd settled in. Seeing Emily and Bryan still standing in the snow, he glanced at the crowded cab, his eyes flickering in concern. "Sorry, Em, I'd forgotten about you and Rice. There's room here…"
"It's okay, Shepard," Bryan suddenly interrupted, laying a hand on Emily's arm, "we'll ride with the dogs. We wouldn't want to get in the way," he added with a sly wink.
Sorry that it's taken so long to update. I've been busy with schoolwork. Enjoy! There's only one more chapter!