Buck stood at the window with a glass of whiskey in his hands as he watched the two men walking toward the cabin. Chris and Vin seemed to mirror each other's movements and he wasn't sure if he'd ever had that kind of friendship with Larabee. He'd known him a lot of years, and he knew Chris would always have his back and vice versa, yet sometimes he felt left out, especially at times like this.
Buck took a deep breath and knew it was senseless to compare his friendship with Chris to Vin's friendship with Chris. Vin was nothing like him, they had different backgrounds, different lifestyles, different friends, but the one thing they had in common was the man walking beside Tanner. Just because he sometimes felt like the odd man out didn't make it true. Chris had always been there for him and vice versa and that would never change.
"Buck, I'm gonna go check on Chris and Vin," Dunne said and reached for his jacket.
"Not much point, JD, they're on their way back," Wilmington told him.
"Did they catch anything?"
"I don't know, but I sure as hell hope so," the rogue said as the door opened and Vin walked in. "Did you boys catch anything?"
"Sure did…Chris' cleanin' 'em now and said ta tell ya ta cut up some onions and spuds," Tanner said and removed his boots before making his way to the fireplace and warming his hands over the flames.
"How's your back?" Wilmington asked.
"It's not so bad," Tanner lied, but he wouldn't have given up the last few hours for anything. The quiet time on the ice with Larabee was something he cherished, although he would never tell anyone that.
"You can't lie worth shit, Vin," the rogue said and helped the Texan out of his jacket. "There's hot chocolate with a little mint in it so why don't you get comfortable and I'll bring you mug."
"Got any marshmallows?"
"I made sure we brought some," Dunne answered and plopped down on the couch.
"You want that pie now?" Wilmington asked.
"Wouldn't mind," Tanner said.
"I'll get it," Dunne offered.
"JD, why don't you peel the potatoes and onions and I'll check on Chris," Wilmington said and grabbed his jacket, hat, and gloves before pulling on his boots. He opened the door and stepped out into the frigid air before hurrying around the side of the cabin and making his way to the little fish hut next to the shed. He spotted Larabee at the small table with the battery-operated heater keeping him warm as he cleaned the fish. "Looks like good eating tonight."
"We were lucky," Larabee said. "Is Vin okay?"
"He's fine…JD's taking care of him," Wilmington answered. "Why don't you go on in and get warmed up…I can finish up here."
"I got it," Larabee told him and finished the last of the fish before putting them in the pan at the end of the table. "You okay, Buck?"
"Yeah, just thinking about how things have changed over the years," Wilmington told him.
"With you or all of us?"
"All of us. When did this bunch become family, Chris?"
"Good question," the blond answered with a wry grin. "I'd say you and me have been family since we first met. Vin just seemed to…"
"You and Vin are closer than brothers," Wilmington observed.
"Maybe, but that doesn't mean I think any less of the rest of you. We've been friends a long time, Buck, and there's not another man I'd have watching out for this team…for me," Larabee assured the mustached man and held out his right hand to find it engulfed in Wilmington's as the man smiled.
"Goes both ways," Wilmington said and helped clean the hut before taking the pan of fish and heading for the house. "Hey, if Vin feels up to it how about we take the snowmobiles out for a run up around the north end of the lake tomorrow?"
"That sounds like a plan," Larabee said and followed the other man toward the cabin. "We could make soup tonight and take it with us…maybe spend the whole day checking out the area."
"Now, that sounds like a plan," Wilmington said and stepped into the cabin.
"What sounds like a plan?" Dunne asked and rubbed his arms when the cold air hit him. "Close the dang door would you."
"What do you boys think of taking a trip along the north side of the lake tomorrow?" Larabee asked.
"On the snowmobiles?" Dunne asked.
"Well, that was the plan, but you can walk if you'd rather," Wilmington said with a grin.
"It'll be a cold hike even on the snowmobiles," Tanner observed.
"That's why we brought the thermal drawers," Wilmington told them. "We could also make a batch of soup to take with us. We have four or five thermoses and could use three for soups and two for coffee…maybe even put a little kicker in the coffee to chase away the cold."
"It sounds great," Tanner said and stood up. He moved to the table and watched as Larabee dipped the fish in flour and put them in the two frying pans that held melted butter and onions.
"JD, get those potatoes in the oven," Larabee said of the potato mixture in the small roaster. He moved aside as the Bostonian opened the oven door and slipped the pan inside.
"How long b'fore dinner?" Tanner asked.
"Half an hour," Larabee answered. "Think you can last that long?"
"Don't know…my belly's 'bout ta take a bite outta my backbone," the Texan answered.
"This from the man who just polished off the last of the pie. I thought I was gonna lose my hand," Wilmington griped.
"Don't get b'tween a man and his pie," Tanner told him and leaned back in the chair in an effort to ease the ache in his lower back.
"Buck, you should know better," Larabee said and relaxed as the smell of fish permeated throughout the cabin. He took the seat next to Tanner and reached for a handful of potato chips while Buck and JD brought out the deck of cards. This was what he'd looked forward to the moment Vin had mentioned getting away from the city.
They were just sitting down to eat when Vin frowned and leaned back in his chair. He stood and made his way to the door and opened it, ignoring the cold air that blasted his bare skin.
"Vin, what the hell's wrong…" Larabee stopped when he heard the distinct sound of a weapon being fired and moved to the open door with JD and Buck close behind him.
"Is that gunfire?" Dunne asked.
"Shotgun…ain't that far away either," Tanner answered.
"Probably those damn poachers Hank told us about," Wilmington offered.
"Should we check it out?" the Bostonian asked.
"It'll be dark soon…no point in going out there and getting shot by one of those fools," Larabee answered. "We can check it out in the morning and report back to the local police or ranger's station if we find anything."
"Ain't much we can do now so we might as well eat b'fore it gets cold," the Texan said and closed the door. The thought that an animal might be suffering because of the poachers sickened him, but he knew there was nothing they could do about it until morning.
M7M7M7M7M7M7M7
Josiah Sanchez looked at the calendar as he listened to the weather for Red Lodge and the surrounding area. Christmas Eve was in two days, and they'd be joining the rest of the team at Kojay's cabin, but if the forecast was right they should plan to leave earlier. He picked up his cell to call Nathan and wasn't surprised when it was answered on the first ring.
"What's got you up so early, Josiah?"
"Couldn't sleep," Sanchez answered. "Have you seen the forecast for Christmas Eve?"
"Not today…has it changed?"
"It looks like a major storm system will hit Red Lodge and the surrounding area sometime Christmas Eve so I figured we might want to go early if possible," Sanchez explained.
"Rain's plane leaves at noon today, so anytime after that is fine with me. Want me to check with Ezra?"
"I'll give him a call and get back to you," Sanchez said and hung up before calling Standish's number.
"The world had better be ending…"
"Good morning to you too, Ezra."
"Morning…it is still night, Josiah. What has you out of bed at such an atrocious hour when we are supposed to be on vacation?"
"There's a storm coming and I was hoping to leave earlier for Kojay's cabin."
"Well, this is certainly early, but I have not even packed yet."
"We were thinking either later today or early tomorrow morning," Sanchez told him.
"I believe that is feasible, but I still need to stop by the surplus store and…"
"Get some drawers for your delicate posterior," Sanchez teased.
"My delicate posterior would freeze without thermal pants and as much as I detest them I believe several pairs of long johns might be in order."
"Smart man," the ex-preacher said and chuckled softly. "Want me to take you down there and help you pick out the appropriate clothing?"
"No, I believe I can handle it. I'll call when I'm finished."
"That works," Sanchez said and hung up the phone before pouring another cup of coffee. He was really looking forward to spending some time at Kojay's cabin and moved to pull out his heavy clothing to pack it in the oversized hockey bag he used for such occasions.
M7M7M7M7M7M7M7
Chris awoke to the sun streaming in through the window and sat up before slipping his legs over the edge and dropping to the floor. He rubbed at his arms and grabbed his robe before sliding his feet into the warm moccasins. He made his way to the kitchen and found the Texan sitting alone with a half eaten muffin and an empty coffee cup in front of him.
"Coffee's hot," Tanner told him.
"Is it…"
"It's weak like you take it," the Texan answered. "Muffins are in the warmer."
"You make them?"
"Yeah, used Miss Nettie's recipe," Tanner answered.
"Did you get any sleep?" Larabee asked.
"More'n I usually do. It's peaceful out here…a man could get used ta it."
"What about your Wii games or PS3…what would you and JD do without them?"
"Think we'd be able ta find somethin' ta kill time," Tanner said.
"Yeah, but for how long?" Larabee asked and refilled the other man's cup before slathering butter over a warm muffin.
"Long enough…imagine what it was like ta live when there were no TVs or radios or game systems. People lived off the land and hunted for food, but they didn't waste it like we do now," Tanner observed.
"Not everyone does, Vin," Larabee said and knew his friend was thinking about the poachers and wondering if they were hunting out of necessity or for the thrill of the act.
"I know…just seems like the world's gone ta hell sometimes."
"Then it's up to us to make sure we keep a little piece of heaven in place," Larabee observed.
"You two ever heard of sleeping in?" Wilmington asked as he and Dunne joined them at the table.
"This is sleepin' in," Tanner offered.
"Yeah right," Dunne said and rubbed at tired eyes before reaching for the coffee pot and tray of muffins.
"Eat up, Kid, we'll be leaving soon," Larabee said and reached for a second muffin only to have it grabbed from his hand.
"Thanks," Tanner said and took a bite before smiling at the others.
"You're welcome, I guess…"
"You want it back?" the Texan asked.
"Not on your life," Larabee said and took another one, this time he kept it out of the wily sharpshooter's reach.
It took an hour to get everything ready to go and the snowmobiles loaded with the supplies they'd need for the trip around the northern end of the lake. Buck and JD would take one vehicle, while Chris and Vin would share the other. They would each take a turn at driving and were excited about the adventure that lay before them.
Lake Mary was high above the valley of West Fork and Rock Creek. The view was absolutely beautiful and offered a spectacular view of the Silver Run Plateau and the 12,000 foot peaks close to Sundance Pass. They would climb past a series of waterfalls along Rock Creek to Quinnebaugh Meadows. If things were going well they would climb the trail toward Grass Mountain and Sylvan Peak, completing the outing by descending to Crow Lake and back to the trailhead along Senia Creek.
Chris and Vin led the way and despite the cold they were enjoying the trip and the stunning view of the partially frozen lake. Chris rode behind Vin and kept glancing in the mirrors to make sure Wilmington and Dunne were still behind them and keeping up. The snow-covered terrain was a breathtaking sight that was broken by huge boulders or strands of trees that were heavily laden with the white powder. They'd been traveling for nearly two hours when Vin pulled to a stop near the top of a ridge and they stood to stretch their legs.
High above them the mountains seemed to disappear into the clouds that dotted the sky, yet there was no sign of more snow. On a ledge around thirty feet above them were two mountain goats that seemed intent on butting heads. It was a spectacular sight and one seldom seen by man, as the two males warred for dominance. The bigger of the two animals raised its head and charged the short distance. It struck the smaller one and the four men watched as it lost its balance and slid to the edge and down the slippery, ice covered rock face. The majestic animal left on the ledge stayed where it was for a few minutes and then turned and started up the steep slope. The whole thing had happened so fast, and yet it told the story of life out here in the wilderness.
"That was amazing. Do you think it's dead?" Dunne said.
"Depends on how far it fell," Tanner answered and wished he'd brought his camera. "Might as well get moving."
Chris nodded and climbed back on the snowmobile as Dunne and Wilmington did the same. He waited for Tanner to take control and soon felt the powerful machine moving along the old trail. Another hour found them at a plateau several thousand feet above the lake and they knew it was time for lunch as they spotted several Bison digging through the snow in search of winter grass.
The trip so far had gone way past his expectations and Chris stood staring out over the frozen lake. Very few people had ventured this far in and he relished the solitude and perfect blanket of white broken only by the snowmobile's treads and their footprints as they stood enjoying the hot soup and coffee. There were signs that the wild animals had made their way along the edge, but that seemed to lend credence to the magnitude of isolation in this area.
Vin walked to the edge of the plateau and stood beside Chris while Buck and JD refilled the gas tanks on both snowmobiles. He didn't speak, didn't need to as they watched two wolves moving along the trail below. The animals had spotted a lone deer standing beside the thick brush and were slowly slinking their way toward it.
"What's got you two quieter than normal?" Wilmington asked.
"Nature," Tanner said and pointed to the scene taking place far below them.
"Ah, damn, are they going to kill it?" Dunne asked.
"It's the food chain, JD," Larabee answered.
"If it's meant to survive then it will," Tanner said as the young deer's head came up and it bounded off in the opposite direction as the wolves gave chase. He followed the animals until they disappeared beyond the next ridge, but heard the wolves howl several minutes later. "Mother Nature can be cruel, JD, but it's the way of life out here."
"Look over there," Wilmington said and pointed to another ledge further down the trail. It was a rare sight, but sometimes even animals got their clocks wrong. A large bear reared up on its hind legs and roared its displeasure as if it blamed them for its early awakening. "That's not Winnie the Pooh."
"No, more like the King Kong version of a bear," Larabee said.
"We'd best head back ta the cabin before the snow hits," Tanner told them.
"I thought you said it wasn't going to snow," Wilmington observed as they walked back to the snowmobiles.
"Changed my mind," was all the Texan said as a large snowflake landed on his dark jacket. He let Larabee take control of the vehicle and climbed behind him as Wilmington and Dunne did the same. Before the blond could start it up he heard the unmistakable sound of gunshots further below them.
"Vin," Larabee said when the echoes subsided. "Any idea what direction that came from?"
"East and down lower," Tanner answered as the snowmobile started forward. They started down the trail, keeping their eyes open for any sign of the people who'd done the shooting. It took nearly thirty minutes to reach the lower trail and by then the snow had started to fall.
Chris knew there was no point in searching for the poachers until the weather cleared and headed back toward the cabin. He stopped and gave Buck and JD a chance to catch up to them and made sure they were all on the same page as they headed for home.
TBC