The moment the shot went off, Mr. Simpson cracked the reins.
"Ha! Hey! Hey!"
The moment Balto and Cole heard his words, they bolted across the slushy snow with the team of sled dogs right behind them. Steele observed looking amused before looking Jenna's way.
"I'm just going to go out on a limb here and predict that those two lose this race.", he said smiling, "Badly."
"How do you know?"
Steele tensed as he turned to see Fox walk up to him looking firm. Nikki, Kaltag, and Star were behind him and they looked just as firm.
"Thanks Fox.", Jenna said as she got a good distance away from Steele.
"My pleasure.", Fox said politely.
Steele shrugged as he rolled his burly shoulders.
"Hey, I'm just saying what I think."
Duke meanwhile was working his controls, but the plane wouldn't start at first. He looked out and saw the dogsled team already ahead. Balto and Cole kept their eyes forward, but Cole's ears picked up Duke's voice even from a distance.
"Come on.", Duke said flipping a switch on the dashboard, "Come on."
Then a spark flew down the circuitry into the engine and the plane roared to life. Duke put on his goggles and gave a thumbs-up before he got his plane set for takeoff. As the plane gathered speed across the land, he pulled a lever and soon, the plane was airborne.
"Go! Go! Go!", Balto called out as the team rushed across the land.
The plane's engine came to his and Cole's ears and they were able to look up just as the plane flew over the team. Now the race was really underway! Balto and Cole tried to stay focused as they kept running. As they did, Cole felt a chill as the sounds around him grew quieter.
"Huh? Now what?", he asked.
He looked around in time to see something black shift from far off. It wasn't clear, but the chill Cole felt remained as a tune echoed in his mind. It was one he had heard back in his world and it seemed to have found it's way to this one.
"I always feel like somebody's watching me. Watching me. Who's watching? Tell me who's watching me? Who's watching?"
There was a pause and Cole tried to bring his mind back to what was going on, but then the song picked up once more only more dynamic.
"Somebody's watching me! I always feel like somebody's watching me! I always feel like…somebody's watching me!"
"Togo?"
Cole snapped out of his daze to look ahead to see Balto looking concerned.
"You okay there?", he asked, "You kind of zoned out."
Cole thought fast.
"It was nothing.", he said, "I just thought I… saw something."
Balto chose to ignore it as Ralph's voice came out.
"Oh! My toenail. It's killing me. We gotta slow down."
Balto and Cole both looked behind at Ralph with intense stares which made the husky change his mind.
"Or not."
/
Over the landscape the team raced with the plane, but Duke was still ahead of them enough to do some aerial displays such as flying a bit to the side to fly across the setting sun. As much as Cole found it amusing, he still couldn't keep the song out of his mind as he continued to run.
"What would Hidden Citizen's "Somebody's Watching Me" be doing here?", he thought, "And what was that black thing from earlier?"
He chose to ignore it cause the race was still on and if he lost his focus, it could cost the sled team the whole thing. He looked up with Balto to see Duke fly by and give a salute before pulling ahead again. Unfortunately, Ralph slipped and stumbled for a moment, but regained his speed despite it.
"Kirby, you're pulling me again."
"Me?", Kirby countered, "You gotta be kidding me."
Cole tensed and was about to yell out something, but Balto beat him to it.
"Keep in line boys."
"You got it Balto.", Kirby responded.
As the team continued moving through a wooded area, not far away, a black wolf observed with his blood red eyes.
"So, it would seem that Balto and Togo are faring despite the odds.", he muttered to himself darkly before observing the sky, "Still, the weather will be sure to alter soon and it might help, but then it might not."
He chuckled darkly to himself before he turned to leave.
"I'll see you soon Togo.", he remarked before vanishing into the wilderness.
Cole and Balto kept urging on and the team behind them was trying to hold on also.
"All right, everyone.", Balto called out.
"Move those feet you hear?", Cole added.
Kodi felt like he should lend some help as well.
"Come on everybody.", he urged.
Dusty looked amused. Ralph had told her how he had felt about her before the race, but she told him she only saw him as a friend which he took pretty well. Ralph may not be the brightest dog around Nome, but his heart was in the right place. Soon, Balto and Cole saw a town up ahead and getting closer.
"White Mountain.", Balto said, "There it is."
Cole looked up and didn't look so thrilled.
"Don't look now, but Duke just beat us there."
Balto saw the plane circle and go into a landing right towards White Mountain. The others noticed too.
"I don't believe it.", Kodi said shocked.
"How'd he do that?", Kirby questioned.
"What are we gonna do now?", Dusty asked sounding worried.
Cole frowned.
"So the plane beat us there, we're not done yet."
"The race is only half over.", Balto added, "Don't give up now."
Cole smiled.
"You can count on me Balto."
/
Duke parked his plane before he removed his goggles and got out to get the mail from Nome as the White Mountain post master came out with the return bag.
"Mail delivery, sir.", Duke said happily.
He dropped the bag unaware that Boris was in it and honked the moment the bag hit the ground. Nobody noticed though as the post master gave Duke the bag he brought.
"Thanks, Duke.", he said as Duke took the bag, "Here's the return batch."
He took the bag and headed back to the post office while Duke got ready to fly again. Boris managed to get himself out of the bag and fall into the snow burying himself for a moment before he got up and was instantly pushed down into it yet again. Duke got the engine going and people who had come out to see the plane up close backed off as Duke got ready to take off once again. Boris got himself up and was instantly unfamiliar with what was around him.
"Wait a minute. Hold the wire.", he said unaware of the plane right behind him, "Where am I?"
Duke's plane turned, but it's tail managed to hit Boris aside and into the snow once more. Duke got his goggles on and the plane was starting to pick up speed before he saw the dogsled team head into White Mountain. As they passed, he gave Mr. Simpson a wave which Mr. Simpson returned. Just when Duke was about to take off, something caught his eye and it made him turn the engine off which made the plane pause once more. Cole felt a bit eager as Mr. Simpson delivered the mail from Nome.
"Here's the mail from Nome, sir.", he said as he handed it over to the post master.
"Thanks.", the man said as he turned to get the other bag inside the post office, "Let's load you up for the return trip."
Boris stumbled near the team, but couldn't see them for snow was over his eyes. Finally, he stopped and brushed the snow from his eyes and looked up to see a sign reading: "Welcome to White Mountain (Est. 1900)" which made him start panicking a bit.
"White Mountain? How did this disaster happen?", he asked.
"This mail goes right back to Nome."
Boris turned to see the post master come out with the mail for Nome, but that wasn't what he cared about. When he saw Balto and Cole, he got more frantic and hurried over.
"Balto! Togo! Take me home!"
Unfortunately, he didn't make it in time to get either dog's attention as the dogsled team bolted off once the new mail was on the sled.
"No! No!", he said before dropping to the ground, "I'm stuck in White Mountain. I'm going to spend the rest of my days in White Mountain. I am going to die of boredom in White Mountain. I am-"
He paused when he heard the sound of banging and he turned to see Duke outside his plane with some kind of scrapper and picking ice off the plane's wings and Boris' mood brightened instantly when he saw the compartment for the mail on the plane opened.
"Going home!", he exclaimed as he hurried to the plane.
The post master of White Mountain saw what Duke was doing and looked curious.
"Sled team already left. What's your holdup?"
"Ice.", Duke answered, "Gotta get it off the wings before I can fly."
Boris hurried past him without anyone noticing and after climbing up on the wing of the plane, he got back into the compartment once more.
/
After a moment, Boris breathed a sigh of relief just as a bag of tools came over the side and landed right on top of him. Duke didn't' notice a thing as he closed the compartment and got ready to fly again. After a few sputters, the engine came to life again and Duke gave a thumbs-up before he took off. Soon, he was off the ground and in the air once more heading back to Nome. After a bit, he looked down to see the sled team and smile amused before returning his gaze to the horizon. As the plane passed them, the dogs couldn't help but see it. Cole wasn't all that surprised, but the rest were. Balto saw Cole wasn't worried and pulled himself together quickly. The race wasn't over til Nome was reached. Cole then noticed large dark clouds roll in overhead and got a bit tense. Looked like the weather was going to turn ugly and fast. Back in Nome, Jenna was at the post office with Mel alongside her.
"Oh, I wonder how far they are by now?", she questioned a bit worried.
"Well, assuming they didn't get lost or get attacked by bears or Balto didn't break his leg or the mail didn't fall out of the sled or Kodi didn't barf or…"
He paused to notice Jenna's firm look and decided to finally end his train of thought for her sake.
"Never mind."
Jenna looked amused and returned to where she was watching unaware of Dipsey dragging a bag of jerky up to her and Mel.
"Look what the dog dragged in.", she said cheerfully before placing the bag behind the duo, "Tripple A, number on, first quality beef jerky. And did old Guntersson see a thing? Absolutely not. You know, I'm getting so good, I scare myself."
She paused to look at Jenna and Mel not even looking her way, but she thought she'd offer anyway.
"Anyone?", she asked.
"Eat?", Mel asked, "At a time like this?"
Jenna sighed.
"Go ahead Dipsey.", she said.
"Thanks.", Dipsey said as she dug into the bag, "Don't mind if I do."
Steele was watching this from afar, but as much as he wanted to make a move, it wouldn't be the right time. He looked outward to where Jenna was watching and rolled his eyes.
"Still holding out hope are you?", he asked as he turned to walk away, "Don't bother hoping for a miracle. I doubt it will happen anyway."
Needless to say, snow had started falling way outside of Nome and the sled team was having trouble as the weather got worse.
"I can't see my nose in front of my face.", Kirby complained.
He ducked just in time for a low branch to pass his head, but Ralph looked amused.
"That's good, cause it's ugly."
Kirby frowned.
"Very funny, wise guy.", he retorted.
"What if we don't' catch up?", Kodi asked starting to lose hope, "What if we lose?"
"That plane's gotta be halfway to Nome by now.", Dusty added.
/
Cole and Balto looked more firm.
"Nobody quits on my team.", he stated, "Nobody. Move! Move! Move!"
Cole agreed as he and Balto pushed the team and after narrowly missing a tree, the team was on the trail once more. Up above in the clouds, Duke was having a hard time seeing where he was. He tapped a few dials on the dashboard while Boris inside the cargo hold spoke to himself.
"Other reason I do not like to fly.", he said before he placed his wings over his mouth, "I'm about to lose my lunch."
Duke pulled to the side and was soon flying away from where he was ment to go. Balto and Cole heard the engine grow faint and their moods brightened.
"You hear that?", Cole asked.
"The plane engine?", Kodi guessed.
"We're catching up.", Balto stated.
Ralph looked up, but saw nothing but clouds.
"I don't see it."
"It's up there.", Cole assured, "And I think we're beating it."
The dogs put more effort into their stride as they hurried on. Unfortunately, when the team started crossing a steep drop, Dusty slipped on some slushy snow and Mr. Simpson made the team pause so Dusty could get herself up as the husky almost fell over the side.
"Come on Dusty, you go it.", Balto urged.
Dusty managed to get herself back on solid ground and out of harm's way though she looked a bit scared.
"I'm okay.", she assured as she pulled herself together, "I'm okay."
The team headed off once more, but Balto and Cole noticed that the only sounds were coming from their feet hitting the snow and the wind.
"Do either of you hear the plane anymore?", Kodi asked.
Balto looked a bit curious.
"No."
"I can't either.", Cole confirmed.
Far off, Duke was looking around, but now he seemed lost.
"Where the heck am I?", he wondered.
He tried to gain altitude, but it didn't help.
"Come on.", he urged as he dropped for a better view.
Unfortunately, that was a mistake cause the plane then brushed against a treetop and made the plane spin for a moment. Duke panicked and tried to steady the plane's descent into the trees. Watching from a hill nearby, the black wolf from earlier smiled ghoulishly.
"Oh Keelut, you are such a devil.", he chuckled to himself as the plane continued to drop and he turned away, "And in three…two…"
A loud crash came out and Keelut looked disappointed.
"Darn, I was one moment off.", he said before smiling again, "I could investigate if there was any lives lost, but it matters not. Soon, they will come looking and I'll be waiting for them."
He chuckled and was soon cackling like a madman as he dashed off into the wilderness once again as the gears in that dark mind of his got further into motion.
"I love the way Nature takes life as easily as it gives."
(A/N: I'd like to thank Acronetiride for suggesting Keelut here. I hope I got him down for you. I don't claim anything on Hidden Citizen's "Somebody's Watching Me")