Shining the light back and forth, he keeps muttering to himself. I guess he expected to see our bodies by now. Hate to disappoint him, but I plan on being alive for a very long time. Peeking around the stone, once again, I notice he is about two-thirds of the way inside. Oh no, he is checking behind all the boulders as he walks. It’s only going to be a matter of moments before he finds us. Aiming the rifle dead between his eyes, all I can do now is wait. If he keeps coming, I am going to have to shout a warning at him, but I don’t want to give away where I am hiding.
A couple minutes pass when the light is blocked at the entrance again. Rushing in with a loud roar is Jax in his bear form. Before the captain could turn around enough to fire the pistol, Jax had the captain's arm in his mouth. All I heard was the captain screaming as my bear's razor-sharp teeth shredded his flesh, while the intense pressure snapped the bones as is, they were twigs. Jax had caught him right at the elbow, so when the bones snapped, the lower part of his arm broke free. Shaking his head, Jax flung the partial arm across the cave.
I stood up just as the flashlight landed on the ground. The sight before me was gruesome as the light bounced like a disco ball in a dance club. Instead of dancers, my bear was standing on his hind legs, threatening to finish the job he started. The captain was crying, screaming, and begging for mercy as blood pulsed in streams around the cave. From the stump that is left of his arm. Slowly making my way to Jax so he can see that I am okay. Maybe then he will calm down some.
“It’s all going to be okay. Thank you, um, my bear friend. I’ve got it from here.” Not good, I almost said Jax name. “Running my hand through the thick fur on his belly, he chuffed at me again. Then he tried to swat my hand away. Ha, so he is ticklish, that’s useful information to have for later. What am I thinking? I am sure once this is done, he will want to get back to his crew, then head back to Anchorage if the fire is out. Dropping down to all fours, he chuffed at me again then turned walking out of the cave.
Cooper was still just as I had left him. I picked up the captain's pistol placing it in my belt. “You really do not deserve my help, you bastard. Don’t even try talking any of your shit to me. I already have Cooper all tied up back there. Hell, he was tied up when you two jerks spoke on the radio. I know all about the illegal poaching that you two have been doing. He even ratted you out about ordering him to kill Jax and me. So, instead of being dead, I have to try to save your worthless life.”
Walking over, I snatch up Coopers pack again to find the first aid kit. Hell, I have no clue if he is even going to have what I need to stop the bleeding long enough to get the captain back to the post. Stupid me what the hell am I thinking. Before I could even finish my thought, “Danika, are you in there? It’s me, Jax, you were gone when I woke up, so I followed the weirdest trail.”
Good Lord, it’s everything I can do not to laugh. “Hey Jax, I’m back here. I need your help. Please tell me you have something to make a tourniquet with so we can stop the bleeding before my captain passes out or even worse dies on me. I want these two jerks to go to jail for everything they have done and tried to do.”
“What happened to you? The last thing I remember was you telling me you were going to get some firewood and poof I wake up to no fire and no you. I have my kit right here in my backpack. I’ve got all kinds of supplies. Sir, do you need anything for the pain? Can you tell me what happened?”
Damn, he is good. “No, he doesn’t get any pain medication. This is my soon to be ex-boss. He and Cooper over there have been poaching furs. As in killing as many animals as they want just for their hides and fur, then burying their carcasses. They couldn’t donate all that meat to anyone, so that’s how they disposed of it. Cooper back, there is the one you saw shooting the bear yesterday.”
Grabbing the radio, “do not believe a damn thing either of them tells you. They had it all planned to kill both of us in this cave, then leave us for the bears to chow down on. If you can at least stop the bleeding enough, I would be grateful. I’m going to radio the ranger station and see if they can’t a chopper or a water landing plane out here to take the captain to the hospital and the other one to jail.”
“Walker to base.”
“Base, go ahead.”
“Jill, I need you to call the state police for me. I am out here at Dark Lake on the north side. There is a vast cave here. I need them to send air transport for one injured person who needs to go to the hospital. I also have a prisoner who they need to take charge of.”
“Danika, are you okay? What happened out there? Who is hurt and what are the charges? You know they are going to hound me for all this information anyway.”
She is right, but damn, I didn’t want to answer yet as I am still in shock at what could have happened. “Jill, Cooper has been poaching. That’s why the captain hired him because it would help add to his retirement nest egg. One of the firemen saw Cooper shoot a bear yesterday. When I reported it to the captain, he sent Cooper to kill both of us. I have Cooper bound and gagged; he is ready to be sent to jail until his turn before the judge.”
Taking a deep breath, “The captain is the one who is hurt. Instead of them leaving us dead so the bears could eat us, one attacked him and ripped part of his arm off. Luckily the bear showed up when he did or the captain or I one would have been dead. He almost found my hiding spot when the bear charged him. Now get off of here and get me some air support out here before this bastard bleeds to death. I want him to rot in jail for his crimes, not six feet under. Radio me when they are on their way. Walker out.”
Chapter Six
For the next twenty minutes, I helped Jax get the bleeding under control. Julie had radioed back about five minutes ago saying they were on their way to pick everyone up. I don’t know about Jax, but I am not ready to go back yet. My fox is screaming to be let out to play. She wants a chance to have some fun and poke the bear. He might be big and strong, but she is small, feisty, and super quick.
“Jax, do you think the captain is going to make it? It looks like he lost a lot of blood. I’m going to grab the packs and get Cooper on his feet so we can be outside when they get here. I don’t want them to have to look for us.”
“Yes, he will make it. Your boss is never going to be the same. Now that he knows what it feels like to have a bear take a chunk out of you. I can’t believe these two idiots got away with poaching as long as they did. I know for a fact if you hadn’t stopped that bear when you did, the captain's head would have been next to get ripped off.”
“I had a feeling the bear was going to do more. That’s why I came out of hiding so he could see that I was okay. I don’t want the captain dead, but I do want to see both of them in jail for a very long time. Um, I was wondering if you have to go back right away?”
“Actually, I contacted my chief. The fire is out, so the guys are going to be heading back to Anchorage later today. I asked him if I could take a week or two of vacation with everything that’s happened. My chief told me if anyone deserved it, I do. Would you mind if I stayed here on Kodiak for a couple of weeks? One I want to get the chance to check out more of the area and two, well, I would like to get to know you better if that’s okay with you.”