They walked almost half way around the mountain before going down to a small clearing with four generic four man tents set up around a burned out campfire and a few snowmobiles with trailers parked at the edge of camp. Perry was already there pulling out a canvas and poles. Chris first thought it was for her, but then he started putting up poles over the campfire. The canopy tent had a hole at the top to let out the smoke and embers.
"Sit here, till we get set up." Dean said pushing her down on a snowy log next to the fire pit.
"Uh, okay." Chris said as Dean disappeared behind a tent.
She sat there watching Perry set up the canvas and brushing the snow off of a tarp which was covering chopped wood. She took out her phone and turned it on, making it look like she was checking for service.
A small breeze whipped by and she caught the scent she was looking for. The pups were here.... Somewhere and they were alive. The falling snow was doing a good job covering up the smell but she could tell that they were not too far away from camp.
"Hey! You cold?" Perry called out from behind the woodpile. He had finally removed his outer layer of clothing and was sporting a thick hoodie sweater with leather gloves. Perry was young, at least 20, he had a slight body with a skinny face and dirty brown hair with kind brown eyes. Which was surprising with how intense he was with the other poachers. Chris slipped her phone in her pocket and shifted towards the fire that Perry was making, In a few minutes he set up a log cabin with a small tepee in the middle using dry twigs, pine needles and kindling. He lite the bottom and within a few minutes, there was a roaring fire.
"Wow that was fast!" She took off her gloves and put her hands toward the fire, happy to be out of the snow and getting warm.
Perry laughed, "Yeah had a lot of practice." He began adding larger pieces of wood to the fire, which was letting out a soft yellow glow all around the camp site.
"So what is that other guy's problem?" Chris asked trying to sound nonchalant.
"Who?" Perry asked starting to set up the stones around the fire to lay out a grill.
"The other guy in the blue coat."
"Oh, Stan?.... He's just a dick." He mumbled opening a jug of water and pouring it into a big soup pot. "Why?"
Chris shrugged and held her hands out to the warm flames. "He kept glaring at me. What is your name?"
"I'm... uh Perry.... The other guy is Dean, and the two idiots who went off with the dog are Stan and Sam."
"I'm sorry, if I threw a wrench in your hunting plans."
"Oh, nah. Stan is just stupid."
"Perry!" Dean appeared in the firelight, Perry jumped looking around to Dean. Dean motioned Perry towards him with his fingers. Perry stood up looking guilty and walked over to Dean who put his arm around him and pulled him away from the fire light. They stopped outside of the tent line. Chris heard Dean whispering to him, "Don't get too friendly with her. She will be gone tomorrow. We don't want to make an impression." Perry nodded, "And stop calling the others stupid."
"But-" Perry began.
"But nothing. I know Stan is an idiot but he has a short temper and the last thing I need is for him to go off the handle." Perry nodded and Dean patted him on the back, letting him go and turning back toward the fire. He sat down across from Chris, holding out his hands towards the fire to thaw.
"So..." Chris said, looking into the fire. "Where are you guys going tomorrow?" Dean looked at her suspiciously, "for hunting, I mean."
"North." Dean said, Perry made his way back to the fire, placing the grate on the stones over the fire and putting the big pot with water on the grate.
Chris decided to be silent and wait to make her next move. She needed to find the pups before the morning. Dean pulled out a chunk of wood and began whittling it.
Perry started to mess around with supplies, when there was a sudden barking heard. Barney came into the fire light followed by Stan and Sam who were hauling the sled with a few rabbits.
"How was it?" Asked Dean shaving off the wood to make it round.
"Nothing special. Only a few buns for dinner." Stan said, pulling them off and flinging them at Perry.
"Stan." Dean said calmly, "You know the drill. Go clean them and then give it to the cook." Stan looked like he was about to say something when Sam patted him on the shoulder.
"You put the equipment away. I will clean them." Sam said taking the pair of rabbits from Perry and flipping out a very large and lethal looking knife. He walked away from the camp into the woods. Stan grabbed the sled roughly and took it around the tents.
"Pull out the extra sleeping bag for Christine, and make space in the supply tent." Dean said loudly to Stan's retreating back.
Chris could hear chopping sounds behind her. Perry was chopping a few ratty looking carrots and some potatoes. He finished and put them all in the boiling pot along with some spices, and a few beef cubes. After 10 minutes Sam returned with the skinned rabbits. Which he helped Perry chop up and add to the stew. It was starting to smell good when Stan returned.
"You check everything?" Dean asked still working on his hunk of wood.
"Yes, sir!" Stan said sarcastically. "Everything ship shape!"
"Stop being an ass, Stan." Dean said not looking up from his carving. Stan mumbled something under his breath. "What was that?"
"Nothing." Stan said sitting down grumpily next to Dean, glaring over at Chris.
Perry didn't announce dinner. He just started dishing it out in tin bowls and handing it out along with some tin bread. Everyone ate in silence. The tension felt weird, as if the men forgot how to act around a woman. Chris was starting to feel a little guilty, these guys didn't seem so bad, except for Stan, and Dean seemed to be a big question mark in Chris's mind.
Dean finished his food and put his bowl on the makeshift table to be washed. He walked back and opened a tent. Chris tried to eat the stew but she was starting to get nervous, Stan kept looking at her shiftily all throughout dinner like he was trying to figure out how he would prefer to kill her. Finally Dean came out with a radio.
"Here let's give this a try." He sat back down and turned it on, starting to fiddle with the knobs. Finally he seemed to tap into a frequency. The radio began speaking in a male monotone voice, "Female, age 27, 5' 4", light silver white hair, blue eyes, last seen around Walla Walla campground, around 0800 hours." Then it repeated.
"Well it looks like they are trying to find you." Dean said before he picked up the radio speaker. "This is Dean Pravitt, I have located missing female, due to storm we will meet tomorrow at Wheeler Market in Mountainville. I repeat we have located missing female, will meet at wheeler market in Mountainville tomorrow." Static was heard on the line and finally.
"10-4, Dean Pravitt, will meet to pick up female tomorrow at wheeler market in Mountainville." Chris sighed inwardly, that was her sign to Garrett that she found them... with the poachers.
"Alright then, let's all get some shut eye." Dean said turning the radio off and motioning for Chris to follow him. Chris stood and stretched nodding to Perry and glared back at Stan. Sam seemed to be the buffer of the group. He smiled shyly as she passed him. Dean brought her to the supply tent. He opened it and went inside making rustling sounds until a light turned on. Chris poked her head in and found him pulling up a small battery lantern. He turned and motioned for Chris to come in. The utility tent was larger than the others, but full of equipment, from boxes of supplies to water and emergency food kits. "Here," Dean said motioning her to a makeshift bed, with a few crates and a sleeping bag on top with a mess of wool blankets piled over that.
"Thanks again." Chris said moving towards the bed.
"My tent is right next door if you need anything." He pointed towards the group of tents, and Chris nodded. "Now even if you have to go do your business, you need to come and get me. It is dangerous on this mountain, don't want you to get lost or eaten by wolves."
Chris's ears perked up and she could feel her wolf growling in her chest. She immediately tensed up, staring into the dark eyes of the mountain man. He stared back as if challenging her to reveal who she really was. Chris lifted her chin and spoke slowly, "If you don't mind I would like to get some sleep." Immediately Dean seemed to snap out of it. He grunted in response and moved to the opening of the tent.
"Oh and by the way." Dean was poking his head through the tent door. "The reason we don't want you to go out and about is because we have a bear security system and a few bear traps around the camp ground. So don't leave the campsite unless I'm with you." And with that he closed the tent flap. Chris rolled her eyes, as if a few bear traps were going to scare her.
She walked over to the front of the tent and opened the flap. A light tinkling sound was heard, "Need something?" Stan said still next to the fire pit.
"Oh I was just wondering if I could get some water?" Stan motioned next to her, there was a large water canteen next to her tent door. "Oh! Thanks!" She said which Stan grunted and glared at her. She grabbed the canteen and pulled the flap back over the tent door, which was followed by the tinkling sound.
She went over and sat on her makeshift bed. 'Great, the world class bear security system is bells' It didn't matter though. It didn't change the plan. She took off her shoes and slipped under the covers shivering for a second as her body slowly got the sleeping bag warm. It smelled like mildew and after shave, but it was warm.
She laid there, staring at the inside of the tent, seriously contemplating what was the possibility of Dean knowing who she was, she couldn't decide. He seemed like an intense individual, so maybe it was her imagination playing tricks on her. Her wolf hummed in her chest, sending out a feeling of caution. She smiled as she listened for the poachers breathing to become even. They won't know what hit them.
*Thanks for reading! Please vote and comment! I love constructive criticism, however if it becomes mean I will take you down.*
-LostArrow-