The Chase in the Forest & Yeti?

by michaelcahill

Background
The money is on the run. Our heroes trapped in a dangerous mine. Control is breaking down where there are lots of lethal weapons. Who will make it out alive?

Previously, those trapped in the mine continued to explore it. The Bard entertained the kids and kept them calm. Plans to mount a rescue were underway thought there was no confidence that there was even a need for a rescue. Petticoat and Barry abandoned the camp, one with the money and the other pursuing it. We continue now as Barry comes upon trouble on the road.

~~~~~~~The road out of the compound

Barry saw the flashing lights up ahead. His instinct kicked in and turning around became his priority. An oncoming squad of police cars altered that plan. Think fast. Crap. There goes the money right there. Think… think. Petticoat. He's the killer, not me. Him and my wife.

~~~~~~The scene that Barry saw down the road

"Exit the vehicle with your hands up."

Sgt. Petticoat glanced at the bag on the seat next to him. He had no intention of exiting the vehicle with his hands up. You think I'm just going to hand over millions of dollars and march off to jail with you? I've got other ideas. He slid over to the passenger side and began fiddling with wires under the dash.

"We are not playing games here. Exit the vehicle now! We will open fire. This is Arizona, mister, not LaLa Land, we don't say please. Now I advise you to comply while I'm still feeling friendly."

Petticoat grabbed the handle of the passenger door and opened it. He eyed the forest not more than ten feet away. He lit a smoke bomb and placed it on top of the jeep. It became enveloped in smoke, as did he. He ran with bag in hand towards the cover of the forest. A hail of bullets rang out, but they were directed at the jeep. He had escaped under cover of all the smoke. Barry saw him, as did several officers, down the road. The officers headed for the smoke filled scene, Barry followed along the forests rim on foot. He wanted to see what happened, but his immediate plan was to pursue that money and, incidentally, due to his proximity to it, Sgt. Petticoat.

Officer Turbin waved his arms and pointed towards the forest. "He's not in the vehicle. He's in there!"

There were at least a dozen officers in direct range of the blast when the jeep exploded. Those that weren't in range were, nonetheless, knocked back by the force of it. Barry was close enough to be forcibly knocked to the ground clutching his ears.

Chaos ensued as back up and medical personnel were called in to what was now a bloody war zone. Some of the wounded shouted, "Go get that son of a bitch. This isn't going to be for nothing. Go get his ass. I want to see his head on the end of your rifle."

Three of the officers sprinted into the forest. They were a good five minutes behind Barry, who was a good five minutes behind Sgt. Petticoat. Petticoat had a distance advantage on them, but his biggest advantage was knowledge of the terrain. This was his stomping grounds. Finding him here would be no small task. Barry followed, fueled by greed and vengeance. That gave him an edge over the cops. They sought justice and were motivated by duty.

~~~~~~~Outside the mine

"I don't know who the hell is in charge here. Petticoat is MIA. Barry, well who knows, he's gone too. Kolov is dead. A couple ranking officers might be hostage inside that cave… IF… IF… anyone is actually alive in there. If no one is going to take charge,, then I have no problem… "

"Stand down, Corporal Lipton. I'm the ranking officer in camp. You, over there. Cease that activity and disassemble those devices. I don't know who's in that mine, if anybody, but there are sure as hell no threats to the United States of America. Now, let's look for survivors here and call the authorities. I'm not going down for… "

"Ignore that order. We have orders in hand. Sgt. Petticoat is the ranking officer. Those are the orders we follow. Barry, or whoever he is, ain't nothin but a civilian. I don't answer to civilians. I'm military. Now, if you think you can just take over, Lt. Apley, we can lock you up and see what the tribunal decides. In the meantime, Sgt. Petticoat wants this entrance sealed and that is what we are going to do. Get back to work."

Lt. Apley decided he would challenge that authority. He unsheathed his knife and lunged at Corporal Lipton surprising him. Before Lipton could react, Apley had a knife pressed tightly to his throat.

Lipton said, "I'll give you one chance to back down from this foolish course of action."

Apley laughed. "You'll give me a chance, will you? I'll give you a chance to shut your mouth before I remove whatever it is that makes noise in your skinny neck."

Lipton sighed. "Very well." To everyone's surprise, a moment later, Apley was flying through the air and crashing on top of a pile of debris. Lipton walked over at an even pace and stood over Apley. "Get up, I'm not finished."

Apley laid there and looked up at Lipton. "I'm done, sir. You're in charge. What are your orders, sir?"

Lipton turned his back and ignored him. "I want this entrance blown the hell up. I don't want a memory of it left. Get on it. The rest of you, get Kolov, Barry's girlfriend and the rest of these bodies and bury them deep in unmarked graves. I want them undetectable. They don't exist. Get it?"

A chorus of, "Sir, yes sir's" filled what was left of the room.

~~~~~~~inside the mine

"Shh. Shh. Everyone quiet. Shh. Do you hear that?" Fluffy had her ear cocked facing one of the many shafts that led to who knows where.

Tenaya's eyes were closed and her brow slightly furrowed. "Yes!" she whispered. "From that tunnel there. Something moving around. An animal of some kind. Sounds big though. If it got in, then we can get out. I hope it isn't a damn bear or something."

"It could be the seldom seen Cave Yeti. Humiliated at being called abomminnnaaabbubbble, it fled its native land in shame. Legend says it got gold fever due to the price of custom shoes. It found the spiciness of unwashed miners to be a delicacy, so witnesses were hard to come by." The Bard's eyes got real big as though the thought of it terrified him.

Lucy had all she could do to keep from laughing out loud. "You go and investigate then… you being a renowned international authority and all."

The Bard pulled a toothpick from his shirt pocket and held it in front of him like a sword. With a look of determination, he proceeded into the tunnel to investigate.

The Bard came to what looked to be a fork in the tunnel. He noticed a flickering light off to the right. He slowly snuck up to see who had lit it. The oversize shadow on the wall was human. The light came from a lantern sitting on a small wooden table. The shadow was from a man sitting in a chair drinking a beverage from a cup.

The Bard whispered softly into the room, "The greed of the restless soul seeks the grail of gold. Eternity calls, but the lost miner cannot answer. His soul burns in the smelting pot."

The man at the table turned his head quickly as though he heard something emanating from the dark.

Write A Review

Book of the Month contest entry

Might be on the road home! Suggestions or input? Don't forget, two books to edit upon completion. Many directions to go. Lots of ideas to ponder. Any others? Thank you all for the great input.

Pays one point and 2 member cents.

You need to login or register to write reviews. It's quick! We only ask four questions to new members.

michaelcahill has granted FanStory.com, its affiliates and its syndicates non-exclusive rights to display this work.

Money pursued and more mine exploration. A surprise guest.

A chapter in the book Bel Air: A Bard's Guide

The Chase in the Forest & Yeti?

by michaelcahill

The FanStory Store For Writers

Your Poem On A Mug