Ninety Degrees Out

Arimina, Alasie, and Kallik splashed in the shallower water almost fifty feet up stream from the dam. Alicia waded in the back eddy her attention captured by the paw prints in the mud bedside the creek. It looked like Ursa had been through recently, and the cubs were with her. She snapped a few pictures as she stood in crystal clear water, enjoying the sensation of cool fluid running around her calves.

Killika watched the two younger babies beside the pool at the bottom of the waterfall. Horses grazed in a small meadow, with their saddles loosened.

Jett, Hakan and Armaruq joined Chay as he pounded anchors into the sheer rock wall above the pond.

“We’ll need to put a landing here at the bottom.” Hakan screwed another rung into place as he spoke.

“Kind of like a dock,” Jett agreed.

“Maybe I can sketch something. It doesn’t need to be really big, but enough that all the kids can use it to get out of the water, and if someone wants to lay out in the sun, they can spread a towel out.”

Armaruq was a skilled handyman and his projects were all over the ranch.

“You work out the plans, I’ll sketch it, we’ll build it,” Jett said.

“Great idea. We’re going to need a place to chill out and relax.” Chay gestured down the valley. “Who’s that?”

Hakan shaded his eyes with one hand, peering into the distance.

“Looks like Jake, and he’s pushing his horse. Something’s wrong.”

“I’ll scramble down. Think about another wooden landing for the pool at the bottom,” Jett said as he dropped over the edge beside the waterfall using the freshly installed handholds to lower himself to the bottom where Killika dozed in the shade.

“First a message for you, Killika,” Jake said. “Your husband sent a message via radio. Erik wrote it down and will get it to you when you get back to the lodge. The cells aren’t working at your Dad’s place. We’re down to old fashioned radios. Second, I need your help Jett. Your mother says you’re an artist, you can draw faces, right?”

“Yeah, it’s a hobby. I’m good enough that you can recognize who I’m drawing.” Jett didn’t like the tone of his question. “What’s going on?”

“You need to talk to my sister. She was attacked just on the other side of the ridge, where the gates are that go up onto your land, Chay.” Jake shouted his explanation in full fury.

“Whoa, Jake. Is she hurt?” Killika swung Yuki into his carrying sling and settled him across her chest.

“Damn right she’s hurt. She was raped. I think it was one of the bike gang. We need a picture of the guy who did it. Will you help.” Jake grabbed Jett by his forearms.

“Of course. I’ll just get my stuff. What’s that about the cell tower’s going down?”

“I tried mine right after Erik found me, they’re done. All we can use them for is local stuff on our ranch Wi-Fi and our local booster. Kanti is flying Catherine into Anchorage for help. Your mother is going with them. I’ve got a two way radio that can reach her in the city. I just need to make sure my sister knows you’ll help her with that picture.” Jake’s words tumbled together in his haste to explain.

“Tell her I’ll be there.” Jett said. “If they’ll wait for me, I’ll go back with you and fly in with them. There’s enough room in the Otter for me too, isn’t there?”

Jake put his radio to his ear, and then pulled the mike of his collar. Speaking quickly, he confirmed Kanti’s plans and then nodded at Jett.

“We have to hurry. She’s fueling now and we don’t want to keep her waiting. Catherine has a dislocated shoulder, and a broken arm. Not to mention the rest.” Jake winced and then walked over to where his horse was grazing.

“Go, Jett. We’ll see what we can do about tracking the asshole from the gates.” Hakan’s voice was steely and his eyes determined.

“With a little luck we’ll have him when you come back.” Armaruq declared.

“I’ll stay here with the kids and the women,” Chay glanced up stream from the top of the waterfall. He whistled and waved at Alicia and she waded toward him with the children right behind her.

Jett yanked the cinch snug kneeing his mount in the ribs to make sure it wouldn’t loosen. Vaulting into the saddle, he and Jake spurred their horses into a ground eating canter, disappearing in less than a minute over the ridge between them and the runway.

Armaruq and Hakan took their horses over the hill in the opposite direction. By the time Alicia pulled herself onto the granite boulder and helped the kids out of the water, Chay had the last rung fastened into the cliff side leading up to the top of the canyon wall.

“Hey kids, we’re going down so you can stay with Aunty Killika. Do you think Arimina can ride double with one of you back to the lodge?” Chay asked.

“Arimina can ride with me,” Kallik said.

“I’ll ride with Aunty Killika,” Alasie said.

“That leaves one horse with no rider,” Chay said.

“That’s okay, you can ride it back after you’re done hunting down the bad guy,” Kallik said.

Chay shook his head. It never ceased to amaze him what children heard and understood.

“Okay then, let’s get down to talk to your Aunt about it.” Chay said. “I’ll go first to make sure you can reach the hand holds we put in.”

>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>>

Dasan Stargazer watched as his son in law stacked boxes into the small Quonset behind the barn. His wife’s vegetable garden grew in neat rows in an acre plot and the first lettuce would be ready in a few days. He considered the problem of how they were going to get produce from his homestead to Hakan’s lodge and the survivors gathering there. The highway from Anchorage to Fairbanks was still in a state of disrepair with huge chunks of shifted sandstone standing as barriers for cars.

What came to mind was the wagons he had stored in the third Quonset. The one he almost never went into because the things there were historical, and of more value if they were kept in the pristine condition, he stored them in as they arrived. Time to give up on collecting and begin working on practical solutions.

He knew they could find their way south and east along state forestry roads. He surveyed them from his Caravan the last couple flights, and he knew it would give them a clear path between the two properties.

“Oisin, when you make contact with the lodge, let them know we’ll have to get the wagons back into shape. I’m hoping our horses are going to be up to pulling them. I’ve got two heavier draft horses. Do you know of anyone who has more?”

“Hmpf, good question. Hakan has a couple of sturdier horses, crosses between Percheron mares and a smaller stallion. He uses them for the chuck wagon, for those old fashioned cattle drives he advertises. They do one every year. They use it for some of the bigger hunting parties too. I’ll ask around.”

“What about our wild horses?” Dasan asked.

“Just regular horses that went feral during the gold rush.” Oisin said. “But you have a point, maybe we should be looking at rounding a few of them. Don’t you have a herd up in the hills?”

“I have seen them. The wolves and cats cull the weak ones regularly and the herd isn’t all that big. Maybe fifty animals give or take a dozen. There are a few really sturdy animals in there.”

“I’ll ask Hakan if we can organize a round up. You’ll have to build a corral to contain them here,” Oisin scratched his head, running his fingers through curly red hair.

“I’ve got fencing, I just need a crew.” Dasan said. “It isn’t going to be much longer before we lose the use of the airplanes. Refined fuel is getting difficult to source, and the military rescue missions still have priority.”

“The cell towers going down are only the beginning of the death of technology. I’m glad we have batteries and solar panels, but I wonder how long that’s going to hold.” Oisin mused.

“We use what we have, but I think you’re right. We have to be very careful with electricity. I’ll talk to Uki about using bee’s wax for candles and if we can fashion some old time stone lamps that burn animal tallow.” Dasan acknowledged the problem with suggestions.

“My mother used to have some of those. Uki knows how they are made.”

“Check with her, and make sure you bring her here. I wouldn’t want my wife’s best friend left to fend for herself.”

“Got it. She’s been asking about moving away from Fairbanks. She says the state troopers can’t keep up with rouge veterans and oil rig workers who are roaming the streets looting. She wants out of there. The rigs have all been shut down with the tankers stuck at sea, and the New Orleans refineries under water.”

“I’ve got enough fuel for around three more round trips to Juneau or any combination of miles similar. We’ll get your mother. Tell her to pack summer clothes and anything medical she can get her hands on. Is she still working in the pharmacy?”

“She’s been stock piling at home. Bringing first aid supplies and other medications with her at the end of every shift, but there’s nothing much left on the shelves now, and she’s scared she’s going to be looted if anyone finds out what she has.” Oisin admitted.

“Next mission for me, get Ariel out of Fairbanks. I’ll take Uki with me. You get on the radio and leave a message with Hakan and Armaruq about a horse round up. That’s going to be the way of the future.”

“I’m done stacking Killika’s supplies. I’ll deal with the radio work. I’ll talk to Erik.”

Dasan saw relief in his daughter’s husband’s stance. He shook his head as he watched him walk back to the low slung log ranch house. The boy always did keep his worries to himself for too long. Automatically his eyes raised to the top of the antenna tower checking to make sure everything was good there. It was most important thing on the ranch at the moment. The only way to get word between his scattered family members.

How were they going to get to Ariel Hiller in Fairbanks? And get her and her precious medical supplies out and safe?