Monsters in the Mountains Ch. 02

Jordan rose. His shoulder was killing him, but he managed to lift Jane onto his shoulders like he did last time she was unconscious. He started walking. He turned around after 50 yards to see a procession behind him. Sarah and Ginger were dragging the dead male by his feet, and Kaitlin had her arm around Megan, consoling her.

Jordan was in excruciating pain, and he was exhausted from carrying Jane's 200 pound body. The females seemed to sense that he was struggling, and after about a mile, Jill came forward and pulled Jane off of Jordan's shoulders. She carried her like a baby, cradling Jane's broken body.

When they reached the ridge, Jordan saw Megan take out her phone and make a call.

"Hey Jim, we got her, but she's in bad shape. They beat her half to death. I think Jordan's losing it, and we need to get her help fast if she's going to make it. I know she got beaten on her head, and Jordan claims she had a concussion recently...

"I'll tell you the full story later. Do you think you could arrange an EMT transport and a facility that could help? Thanks. Just send the location for the pickup zone." Megan hung up.

She walked slowly up to Jordan, who was shuffling along the top of the ridge.

"Hey stud, I know you're struggling right now, but Jane needs you. We all do. Dr. Stein is arranging a helicopter to pick her up and take her for medical care right now. He's going to send us a location for a meadow where they can land a helicopter, and I need you to get us there. Can you handle that?" She asked.

"Of course. I'm sorry I lost it back there." Jordan said weakly. "I just... I thought I had lost her, and thinking about what they did to her... one of their own kind... It makes me wonder if we're doing the right thing, saving them. They're no better than the worst of us."

"Hey!" Megan yelled at him. "Turn around. Jordan did. "Look at them!" Megan shouted, gesturing at the procession of females behind him. "You don't get to choose which of the species you save, and which ones you leave to extinction. We save the whole species. Yes, they are like us. They are capable of terrible violence, but also deep love.

"Missy attacked that bastard, pulled him off of you. She saved your life, and got a beating of her own for it. You keep working hard to save the species, if not because it's the right thing to do, then do it for them. Do it for the babies that Ginger and Jill are carrying. Do it for Jane, because she is going to be all right. Do it for me, because I love them and I... damn it, I love you." Megan was crying.

"There, I said it. I know I've only known you for 3 weeks, and we haven't even had that much time together, but I love you. I'm in love with you."

Jordan wrapped his uninjured arm around Megan. "I love you too. Thank you for loving me." He cried. "I love Jane too, and I'm so scared for her."

"We'll get the helicopter, and we'll get her medical attention. She'll be fine." Megan promised.

"I mean mentally, emotionally." Jordan clarified. "She's been through so much in her short life. This is two near-death beatings in what- a month? I know she's not human, but she was raped. How's she going to feel about me after she wakes up? I wasn't there. An alpha is supposed to stay with his women, protect them, provide for them. Jane got grabbed, and where was I? In bed with two humans, fifty miles away."

"This was not your fault, and you were there for her." Megan said sternly. "Don't act like you didn't fight for her and bleed for her. Your back's all cut up from where he threw you, and I know he messed your shoulder up. You stood up to a massive giant, outmatched, and fought for her. She's alive and free right now because of you. She loves you. You know that. She'll be fine, just be patient with her."

They walked in silence for a few minutes, and Jordan's phone beeped. There were no good meadows nearby where a helicopter could land. The closest was on Jordan's land, north of where he was going to build his cabin.

The morning sun was high in the sky now, and according to Dr. Stein, the Bigfoot hadn't slept much since Jane disappeared. He heard Ginger snarl, and Missy roar at her. Everyone was tired and emotional.

Finally, after what seemed like an eternity of marching, Jordan broke through the trees, and was in the meadow where the helicopter was supposed to pick them up. Jordan took Jane's unconscious body from Jill, and held her in the shade, waiting for the helicopter. The rest of the females were following Jordan, so they crowded around him, gently touching Jane.

The aircraft came up the valley, moving slowly over the trees. It seemed to take an eternity from when he first heard it until it touched down a hundred yards from where Jordan sat, cradling Jane. All of the female Bigfoot panicked, and scattered into the forest. Jordan, Megan and Kaitlin approached the craft, with Jordan struggling to carry Jane's weight.

It was small inside, with only one pilot and an EMT in the back. There was barely room in the back for the gurney where they put Jane.

"Can I go with you?" Jordan shouted over the engine, still running. The EMT emphatically shook his head.

"Have you given her anything? Food, medication?" He shouted back. Jordan shook his head.

"We'll be at a private medical facility in Denver. Jim Stein has the information. He's expecting your call." He shouted, and then closed the door. The three humans rushed backwards, and the helicopter grew louder, taking off. Jordan watched as the helicopter rose high into the air, and watched it disappear over the trees.

Five minutes later, he couldn't hear it anymore. The valley was once again quiet.

Jordan walked back to where he had left the females. The body of the male was still there, laying where Ginger and Sarah had abandoned it.

Missy was the first to leave the trees, and she looked around, confused where Jane was. Ginger followed her, and then Jill, Sarah and Wilma. They all looked at Jordan as though he had lost her somewhere.

Missy picked up the males foot, and Ginger grabbed the other. They drug the body up the mine tailings to the smaller mine entrance. Missy and Ginger worked together, moving rocks again, and Megan vibrated with excitement. She reached into her backpack for a flashlight. It was then that Jordan noticed she had a GoPro camera strapped to her shoulder strap.

"How long has that thing been running?" Jordan asked her.

"Ever since we left on our hike." Megan told him.

"So you got my fight with the male?" He asked.

"Of course. The whole Bigfoot community is going to see you get saved by a girl." She joked.

"Babe, when she's over seven feet of muscle, you have to call her a grown woman, and I'm a big enough man to admit that Missy saved me. Multiple times." Jordan said.

Missy whistled from inside the mine, and Ginger grabbed the male's body by a foot, dragging him inside with her. They all followed.

Jordan saw Wilma and Jill gathering rocks, and he grabbed a few of his own. He was the last one into the mine, following Megan and Kaitlin.

They had already thrown the body in the back, again an ignoble interment for a disgraced and despised enemy.

Jordan again saw the skeleton of his great-great grandfather's old partner, Enoch Brown. He again saw that he had been thrown in on his side, one leg folded up underneath him. Jordan's heart went out to the long-deceased miner.

Jordan carefully moved the skeleton onto its back, straightening out the leg bones. Jordan pulled the bent rifle free from his arms, and placed it on the floor next to him. Jordan picked up the scattered bones, and articulated them in a peaceful repose, then he placed a round rock from his pocket on the old man's sternum.

The clothes that Enoch had been wearing had long since disintegrated with his decomposing flesh into a now-dry black dirt pile on the floor. Jordan saw a leather strap around the skeleton's shoulder, and pulled gently, bringing a heavy leather satchel out of the dark earth where Enoch had lain the last 130 years. The strap gave, but the satchel was intact and Jordan picked it up.

He looked around. Megan was busily taking photos of each skeleton, and how they were arranged, along with the stone pile on each. Kaitlin was breathing heavily through her mouth, and looked like she was ready to vomit and run screaming from the mine.

Jordan pulled on the blackened leather of the satchel, finding the flap that had once been attached to a buckle. He opened the pouch and shone his flashlight inside.

Brass and lead bullets for the rifle were at the top of the pile, along with a brown rag that Jordan guessed had once been a handkerchief. He pulled on the rag, and found that something heavy was wrapped up inside.

Jordan carefully unwrapped the contents, taking care not to tear the delicate fabric. By his flashlight, he saw the glint of gold, a fist sized pile of ingots, probably mined right off of this land. He counted 20 of them. Hands shaking, Jordan carefully rewrapped the ingots back up and set them on the ground.

Below the rag, the satchel was full of small items, a knife, a straight razor, a flint, a candlestick etc. The thing that caught Jordan's attention, though, was a small leather-bound book. Jordan gently removed the item from the satchel. The book was in great condition, protected inside the leather pouch.

Jordan opened the book carefully, and a few letters fell out. He picked them up, and unfurled them. They were written in a gorgeous flowing script that was almost impossible to read, especially by the dim flashlight. He opened the book and saw a man's ugly, but far more legible handwriting. It was a journal. The date on the first marked page he opened to was March, 12, 1888. That was over a year before the two men had lay claim to the land.

Sarah was the first to leave the tomb. Jordan looked over and saw Missy mourning over the body of the young Bigfoot, placing a rock on its chest. Jordan wondered who the child had been to her. He repacked the journal and ingots into the satchel, and lay it next to the rifle. He walked over to Missy, and put a hand gently on his shoulder.

"Baby?" He asked, making the sign language rocking motion. Missy made the rocking motion, but he wasn't sure if that was confirmation, or if she even knew what he was asking.

The skeleton was small, just a little bigger than Bam-Bam. Desiccated flesh still clung to the tiny body, and there were 4 stones on its chest. One from today, and one from 2 weeks ago.

Jordan guessed that Missy had visited the body of the child at least once since it had died, before last week, assuming the first rock was added at interment.

He saw that the head was a little flattened, as though a head injury had killed the tyke. On a whim, Jordan took a small stone out of his pocket and placed it on the chest of the little body.

Missy had been lost in grief, though silent this time. With Jordan's gesture, she stiffened. Jordan wondered if he had made a mistake, but there was something other than anger in her eyes. Missy reached out and gently stroked his face.

Jordan studied the body more. It had been a little boy, he thought. The decomposition had moved and removed most features, but he was pretty sure of that.

He looked around. "Megan, do you think you could take a DNA sample for..." he stopped.

Megan was leaned over a body with tweezers and a tube.

"How many samples have you taken?" Jordan asked.

"I'd like to say I'm not leaving until I get a DNA sample from every body in here, but I'm trying to be discrete and respectful. I've gotten about half. You have no idea what knowing the family relationships among the interred will tell us." Megan said.

She pulled a tooth from a skeleton with no flesh attached and dropped it into a baggy. She wrote a number on the bag, took a picture of the tooth with its skeleton, taking note of the small pile of stones lying on the white sternum.

She then moved to the body of Jim Stone.

"I already got his wallet last time. That's Jim Stone." Jordan whispered.

"If someone wants a DNA sample later, do you want to try to open this mine to get it, or would you rather I just take one now?" Megan asked with her eyebrow cocked.

"Sorry, do your thing, science hottie." Jordan replied. Megan smiled at him and took her sample.

Jordan stood and looked around. Besides himself, only Missy, Ginger, Megan were left in the cave. Ginger stood up and left as Jordan watched.

"When Missy leaves, can you get a sample of the toddler body? I want to know if it was her baby." Jordan whispered. Megan nodded.

"You suck at counting, by the way." She said to Jordan.

"What?" he asked.

"You told us in your report that there were three dozen bodies in here. Including the two that you were here to watch get interred, there are 56. Three dozen means 36. You were short by 19 bodies. 18 if you took your rough guesstimate before the alpha was brought in."

"I'm sorry. I was too overwhelmed by the smell and all the skeletons to get a better count." Jordan said.

"It is pretty surreal in here, isn't it?" Megan admitted, looking around and taking in the maudlin atmosphere.

Missy rose to her feet, hunched over under the short ceiling and went outside.

"Get that sample, and no more than 5 more minutes and we're out of here alright?" Jordan said. Megan nodded and went straight to the toddler, and took a strip of flesh, tubing it up and taking her pictures.

5 minutes later, Jordan led Megan outside. Jordan had the bent rifle in one hand and the leather satchel in his other. Missy and Ginger were waiting, placing the big stones back in place as soon as the humans were out.

She had gotten a sample from each body, human and Bigfoot alike. They were following the females to the mine where they slept. Kaitlin was walking ahead with Ginger.

"Do you think your GoPro got anything in that dark mine?" Jordan asked.

"It got everything. It's got an infrared LED on it. Total night vision. I even got you paying respects to Missy's baby. Thank you for doing that. I could tell it meant a lot to her." Megan said.

"You think that's what the stones mean? Just paying respect the dead? Why do you think more Bigfoot don't take stones to their dead?" Jordan asked.

"Who knows exactly what it means, or if it even means the same thing to each of them. Missy was touched by your gesture. She's still morning that little one, and you comforted her.

"It's probably like placing flowers on a gravesite. You don't go to a family funeral and place flowers on gravestones of people you've never met, even if they are your ancestors. You might take some for grandpa while you are burying grandma, but it's a sign of respect.

"I also saw what you did for the skeleton of Enoch Brown. You gave him a respectful Bigfoot burial, complete with a stone. Can I ask why?" Megan asked.

"Can I ask why you want to know?" Jordan asked.

"That's easy. I'm an anthropologist. I study people. I'm curious why you decided to pay respects to a man who died 130 years ago who wasn't even related to you." Megan said.

"I'm building my house on the site of his old house. I'm living in a mine he dug, on land he gave to my family in his will. It's hard to explain but I feel a connection to him. I feel like I know him. I also took these off his body." Jordan showed Megan the rifle and bag.

"There's a journal in here. I'm hoping it gives me some insight into my grandfather and this land. There were clearly Bigfoot here 130 years ago, and I'm curious what he knew and thought about them." Jordan said.

"I was wondering what that was. That's a pretty incredible find. What are you going to do with it?" Megan asked.

"I'm going to read it. There are also some old letters here, but they're written in some fancy cursive script that's going to take some translation." Jordan answered.

"That's pretty amazing. I'd love to hear about what you find. If you ever want to curate it, I'm sure Dr. Stein would help you preserve it, especially since it may contain historical info about Bigfoot." Megan offered.

"Yeah, sounds better than leaving it in a drawer at home gathering dust." Jordan said. Megan smiled at that.

They reached the mine entrance, and Kaitlin was waiting for them outside.

"I'm starving. What are you guys doing for lunch?" she asked.

"I should probably run back to the truck and get those boxes of food. Then I'm going to run down to Denver to be with Jane in the hospital." Jordan said

"No. Jordan, you stay." Megan pleaded. "I can go to the hospital and be with Jane. The girls need their alpha. Jane's going to be under sedation and won't even know who's with her. Let's reheat the chili and give the girls whatever Jim packed for us, and I'll go"

"Megan, this is Jane. I'm not leaving her again." Jordan said.

"If you leave, we all have to go. Dr. Stein's rules. No one's allowed up here without you. Look, just let me borrow your truck. I'll be there in 4 hours, and you can leave Skype on the whole time I'm in the hospital with her.

"You and Kaitlin stay. Feed the ladies, fuck the ladies, console the ladies. Finish introducing Kaitlin to everyone, and I'll make sure Jane's delivered home before she wakes up." Megan promised.

Jordan finally relented. Megan said goodbye to Kaitlin, and climbed on the motorcycle behind Jordan. 20 minutes later, Jordan took the boxes out of his truck, along with some tie-downs to hold them on the passenger seat.

He grabbed Megan as she was about to climb into the truck. He pulled her firmly against his body and kissed her passionately.

"I'm sorry I lost it back there on the mountain." Jordan apologized. "I didn't mean what I said about them. They're worth saving. All of them.

"I did, however mean what I said about being in love with you, Megan. What we have may not be normal, or what you dreamed of, but I love you. I'm in love with you and I'm happy when I'm with you."

"I love you too Jordan." Megan kissed him again. "We can have a long talk about this later. Now go, feed the ladies and let me go take care of your ape lover." She winked.

Jordan gave Megan a playful spank as she turned to get into the truck.

"Don't go starting something we don't have time to finish, stud!" she warned him, and climbed in.

Jordan watched as she pulled away and around a bend in the road. He spent a few minutes strapping one big box of food to the bank of his motorcycle, and then rode back to the mine and up the tailings to where Kaitlin waited.

"Here's the first box. Please make sure everyone gets plenty to eat. I'll be right back with the second one." Jordan promised.

45 minutes later he parked his motorcycle and joined Kaitlin in the mine with the 5 Bigfoot.

Kaitlin was eating a bag of trail mix in front of a flashlight on the wall opposite the nest when Jordan came in. He sat down beside her. Wilma came over and lay down next to him, and Jordan pulled her so Wilma's head was in his lap.

"Tell me again which one this is?" Kaitlin asked.

"This is Wilma. Pebbles, the little girl..." Jordan pointed. "...Is her daughter. She's into tickles and laughing. She's the fun one of the group." Jordan stroked her head gently.

"So." Jordan said. "Your first two mines. What do you think? Ready to crawl around these for the next few decades?"

"I can handle it if you can." Kaitlin challenged.

"I can handle it. I even kind of like this one. It just feels good." Jordan said.

"I like it a lot better than your other one." Kaitlin said. "Sorry that I lost it in there. I'm not good around dead bodies, and that smell was making me a little nauseous."

"Totally understandable. I think you'd have to be a pretty messed up person not to be affected by something like that." Jordan said. Kaitlin nodded, and they were silent for a few minutes.