Yellowstone Run

CHAPTER FOUR

“Why do you suspect mutants?” Plato inquired.

“Because of the tracks and other factors,” Star said and sighed. “I suppose I should start at the beginning so you can fully appreciate what we’re up against.” She paused. “It all began about two years ago. As you already know, our tribe is now in control of the area once known as the state of Montana. Most of the whites were evacuated by the government during the war, but the government didn’t bother evacuating the Flatheads. I guess they figured we weren’t worth the effort.”

Blade listened attentively, surreptitiously observing Iron Wolf the whole time, taking his measure of the War Chief.

“The land was left to the Indians,” Star went on. “There are other tribes living in the region, such as the Assiniboine, the Chippewa, the Cree, and the Crow. There are a few Blackfeet left too, although most of them went into Canada at the outset of that war. So the Flatheads are the most numerous, and we’ve become the dominant tribe.”

“Your ancestors would be proud of your accomplishments,” Plato said.

“Well, all this has a point. You see, about two years ago a terrible tragedy befell one of our settlements in western Montana. When the evacuations occurred during World War Three, many of the towns and communities became deserted, abandoned ghost towns. Our people have moved into some of the old towns. One of them, Medicine Springs, was located near the border with Idaho.”

“Was?” Plato said.

“Two years ago there were over a dozen families living in Medicine Springs. They made their living by trapping and hunting. Once a month a trader from Missoula would take his wagon down to Medicine Springs to collect the pelts the trappers had caught and to trade with the families,” Star related, her visage downcast. “One day the trader arrived in Medicine Springs on his usual rounds and found everyone gone. Missing. Without a trace. Every man, woman, and child had just vanished.”

The Leader’s brow knit. “How could everyone simply vanish?”

“We had no idea. Warriors were dispatched to investigate the disappearances. Iron Wolf led the search party.”

Plato looked at the War Chief. “What did you find?”

“Nothing,” the Flathead said, his facial muscles tightening. “We looked and looked for weeks. We found where pots of food had been cooking on the stove, as if the people were interrupted while preparing a meal. We found nearly every pet, every dog and cat and goat, had been killed, torn to pieces. But we found no trace of the residents. Nothing. We scoured the forest for miles in all directions and didn’t even find a footprint.”

“How bizarre,” Plato said.

“It gets weirder,” Star informed him. “Medicine Springs was just the first settlement to be hit. Over the next several months the communities of Jackson and Grant suffered the same fate.”

“And again we found nothing,” Iron Wolf mentioned. “Almost nothing, anyway. A few strange hairs were discovered.”

“Why were the hairs strange?”

“Because no one could identify them. My people are familiar with every type of animal known in our region. After all, we’ve fished, hunted, and trapped the Northwest for centuries. And yet no one knew what kind of hairs were found stuck to a broken window in one of the homes. They resembled grizzly bear hairs, but they weren’t the same,” Iron Wolf said.

“That’s when the rumors started,” Star added.

“What rumors?” Plato questioned.

“A lone hunter claimed to have seen a group of… things. He reported these creatures walked like men, but they looked like bears. Combined with the strange hairs that were found, it was enough for rumors to make the rounds, rumors concerning evil Bear People who were murdering Flatheads in their sleep.”

“Has anyone else seen the Bear People?”

“No. But later, when the community of Lakeview was hit, unusual tracks were found, tracks displaying bearish and human traits,” Star said.

“I saw those tracks myself,” Iron Wolf stated. “They were the most bizarre tracks I’ve ever laid eyes on. We found them along the shore of Lower Red Rock Lake.”

“Hmmmm,” Plato commented, scratching his beard. “Did you ever find footprints made by the missing people?”

“No.”

“Which would indicate the victims were carried away from their homes by the creatures,” Plato noted.

“That’s our guess,” Iron Wolf agreed.

“Was Lakeview the last community to fall prey to these creatures?”

“Yes,” Star replied. “Lakeview was attacked back in June. Since then there has been no word of the Bear People— until two weeks ago, that is.”

“What happened?” Plato inquired.

“Something unexpected. We had already detected a pattern in the attacks. They all took place near the Bitterroot Range, and each one was farther south than the one before it. We alerted every town and community in the region, but it did no good. When Lakeview was hit, we knew the creatures were moving eastward. We expected them to show up at the town of West Yellowstone or even Gardiner, but they never did.”

“What happened two weeks ago?”

“A Flathead by the name of Eagle Feather took his family on a trip into the region once known as Yellowstone National Park. His wife and boys were abducted, and he was able to get close enough to the abductors to determine they weren’t exactly human. They tried to lure him into a trap and almost killed him in a rock slide, but he got away and returned to our territory for help,” Star said.

Plato suddenly halted. “Yellowstone National Park? But that’s in the Civilized Zone.”

“Technically, although no one lives there now. Both our people and theirs go there occasionally on family outings or whatever. The geysers and hot springs are quite an attraction.”

“I can imagine,” Plato said absently. “But the critical information is that these creatures have now entered the Civilized Zone. If they continue to head to the east or the south they’ll encounter more and more inhabited towns. There’s no telling how many lives will be lost.”

“My sentiments exactly.” Star declared. “Which is why I came to see you. So long as the attacks took place within our boundaries, I was content to view this as a Flathead matter. I mentioned the trouble we were having to a few of the other leaders at the Federation summit in Anaheim a while back, but I saw no need to enlist their aid.” She frowned. “Perhaps I made a mistake in waiting so long. Now these creatures have entered the northwestern corner of the Civilized Zone. More than one Federation member is at risk. This is no longer just a Flathead affair.”

“You acted wisely by coming to see us,” Plato said in praise.

“I would have been wiser to have come sooner. Now I must contact President Toland of the Civilized Zone and inform him. Captain Laslo will fly me directly to Denver from here.”

“I still say our warriors will find the creatures and dispose of them,” Iron Wolf said. “We’ve been able to eradicate mutations in the past with no great difficulty.”

“But these Bear People do not impress me as being typical mutations,” Plato pointed out. “Normal mutations are a fact of life in the postwar era, and everyone knows that genetically altered animals must be dealt with on a continual basis. Such typical mutations, however, do not attack settlements. They don’t abduct the entire population of a town and vanish in the forest. In short, they’re nothing more than deformed beasts of the wild.” He idly tugged on his beard. “These new creatures are different.

They’re obviously endowed with a higher, devious intelligence. And they may be operating according to a master plan currently beyond our comprehension.”

Iron Wolf shook his head. “They’re simple mutations, nothing more.”

Blade stared at the ground, depressed, knowing the course of actionhe must take. Plato was right. These creatures weren’t your average mutations, and they had to be stopped before they reached the more heavily populated regions of the Civilized Zone. He thought about the three types of mutations he had encountered over the years and wondered if the Bear People might be a new kind.

The term mutation applied to any and all forms of genetic deviation, a word that required further defining when alluding to a specific type.

Ordinary mutants were animals born with their genetic code scrambled, and their condition was attributed to the incalculable amounts of radiation unleashed during the war, radiation that had saturated the environment and produced animals with extra legs or eyes or some other quirky combination.

Another variety of mutation were those known as mutates.

These resulted from the chemical weapons employed during World War Three, and they were radically different from ordinary mutants. Once a mammal, reptile, or amphibian was infected, they transformed into bloodthirsty monstrosities possessing insatiable appetites. Their bodies would become covered with pus-filled, rank sores, and they would mindlessly attack any living thing they met.

The third and final category of mutation, so far as was known, were the hybrids. They were the genetically engineered beings created in test tubes.

Prior to the holocaust, genetic engineering had been the rage among the top scientists in the developed countries. They’d competed with one another to develop new species or improve existing ones. Patents had even been granted and huge amounts of money had changed hands. A nefarious scientist called the Doktor had created a legion of hybrid assassins to do his bidding only a few decades ago, and some of those mutations were still alive.

As if the matter wasn’t complicated enough, new strains had begun to appear, hybrids spawned when their human parents gave birth to hideous creatures after the mother or father had ingested a toxic substance, whether radioactive or chemical in nature, subsequently resulting in bizarre embryos endowed with bestial, almost alien trails.

So which were these Bear People? Blade wondered, and gazed at Star.

“I wish you had informed us more fully about these creatures sooner. You’re right. This is now a Federation matter, and as the head of the Force, and acting under the authority bestowed on me by all of the Federation leaders, I’ll be taking charge of the hunt for the things.”

“Now wait a minute,” Iron Wolf began.

Blade spun toward the War Chief. “Pay attention because I’m only going to say this once. I’ve been empowered to deal with any threats to the Federation as I see fit, and these creatures, these Bear People, definitely qualify. I have a job to do, and I’m going to do it whether you agree or not. I don’t care what you mink. And if you give me any grief, Star will be taking you back on a stretcher.”

Iron Wolf glowered and clenched his hands. “I won’t tolerate such talk from any man.”

“Oh?” Blade responded, and stepped to within an inch of the Flathead.

“Don’t do something you’ll regret later.”

Iron Wolfs lips twitched and his features contorted in a mask of anger.

He was compelled to gaze straight up at the giant, a position he found extremely uncomfortable. If he made a move, he knew the Warrior would flatten him in an instant.

“Enough of this!” Star snapped, speaking to the War Chief. “We’re guests here, remember? Why must you antagonize everyone you meet?”

“They started it,” Iron Wolf said defiantly.

“I think both of you are behaving like petulant children,” Plato interjected. “This petty hostility must cease.”

“Fine by me,” Blade said. “Just so Iron Wolf realizes that I’m now in charge of the search for the Bear People, and that what I say goes.”

“Blade is right,” Star confirmed. “He was granted unlimited authority by the Federation leaders. We must do as he wishes.”

“If you say so” Iron Wolf said, backing up a few steps, his spiteful gaze still on the giant. “But I can’t say as how I like it. No one should have authority over Flathead territory. If I’m ever picked as Principal Chief, I’ll make that clear to the other Federation Leaders.”

“You do that,” Star said coldly. “But for right now, you must abide by my wishes and the treaty we signed. Is this clearly understood?”

“Of course,” Iron Wolf replied.

Plato placed his right hand on Blade’s arm. “I’d like to talk to you for a minute in private.” He looked at Star. “If you’ll excuse us?”

“Certainly.”

The Family Leader walked to the south, the giant right beside him, and clasped his hands behind his thin back. He waited until they were out of earshot before turning to his protege. “What was that all about?”

“He just rubbed me the wrong way,” Blade answered.

“I know better. You never provoke anyone without a valid reason,” Plato said, studying the Warrior’s face. “I took you under my wing when your dad was killed, remember? I can safely assert that the only one who knows you better than I do is your wife. So what was that all about?”

Blade rested his hands on his Bowies. “I suspect Iron Wolf is a power monger.”

Plato glanced at the War Chief, thinking of the edicts laid down by Kurt Carpenter against permitting power mongers to flourish in the Family.

The Founder had considered power-mongering politicians to be the scourge of the prewar society and strictly outlawed their existence. If any man or woman displayed a tendency to lord it over other Family members, that person was to be cast out from the Home. “What makes you think so?”

“Little things.”

“Be specific.”

“The way he talks, the way he acts.”

Plato snickered. “Do you call those specifics?”

“I’m serious. I suspect he intends to take control of the Flatheads from Star.”

“Perhaps he does,” Plato said. “Is that any of our business?”

Blade displayed surprise. “Of course it is. The Flatheads are our allies. If there’s a power monger in their midst, we owe it to them to weed him out.”

“Do we?”

“I don’t follow you.”

“You’ve rightfully pointed out that as head of the Force you have the right to deal with external threats to the security of the Federation as you see fit,” Plato said. “But I would question whether you have the right to meddle in the internal affairs of each faction unless those affairs posed a threat to the Federation as a whole.”

“Are you saying we should mind our own business?”

“What do you think?”

Blade looked at Star and Iron Wolf. “I think you’re wrong. How can you stand by and do nothing when the woman you helped raise could be in jeopardy?”

“We don’t know that she is. For all we know, Iron Wolf could simply have an attitude problem. He might be prejudiced, might be a bigot. But that’s not ample justification for one to jump down his throat every time he opens his mouth.”

The Warrior shook his head. “I can’t believe I’m hearing you say this.”

“And I’m beginning to wonder if your position as head of the Force hasn’t gone to your head.”

Blade did a double take.

“You must be careful not to overstep your bounds,” Plato advised. “You must walk a tightrope of responsibility, with the safety of the Federation on one hand and the rights of each Federation member on the other. An unwarranted mistake, such as an unauthorized interference in the internal business of any member, could well endanger the very existence of the Federation.”

The giant stared thoughtfully at his mentor. “I never gave that aspect of the Force position much consideration.”

“Then it’s time you did so.” Plato smiled and nudged the giant. “Now let’s rejoin our visitors. And please, for my sake, resist any temptation to pound Iron Wolf to a pulp. Extend the man the benefit of the doubt until you uncover concrete evidence that he’s a power monger.”

“I’ll try.” Blade pledged. “Just be thankful I’m not Hickok.”

Plato laughed at the notion. “One Hickok per planet is quite enough, thank you.”

The strolled slowly toward the Flatheads.

“You know what I have to do about the attacks, don’t you?” Blade said.

“Yes.”

“I’ll be leaving within the hour. The sooner we reach Yellowstone, the better. Laslo will fly us there.”

“Who will you take along?”

“Hickok and Geronimo,” Blade replied, then grinned” And two others.”

“Yama and Rikki?”

“No. I was thinking of Achilles.”

Plato abruptly halted and pivoted. “Achilles? He’s not a Warrior.”

“But he wants to become one. And the only way he’ll ever be accepted is if he proves himself to everyone’s satisfaction. I’d like to take him with me to give him the chance to do just that.”

“This is a most unusual request,” Plato said. “Only full-fledged Warriors have gone on runs in the past.”

“Would you do me a favor?”

“Anything. You know that.”

“Call an impromptu meeting of the Elders. Present my request and get their consent.”

Plato absently stroked his mustache, reflecting. After half a minute he nodded. “Consider it done.”

“Thanks.”

They resumed walking and had gone five yards when Plato stopped again.

“Wait a minute. You said you wanted to take two others on this mission. Achilles and who else?”

“The last person you would ever expect.”

“Is this a guessing game? Who is it? Lynx?”

“No.”

“Helen again? After all the trouble she gave you the last time, I wouldn’t expect you to take her along.”

“It’s not Helen.”

“Then who?” Plato asked impatiently.

Blade stared al the Flathead War Chief and grinned. “Mr. Personality himself.”

Plato gazed at Iron Wolf and shook his head. “Perhaps I was mistaken about knowing you very well.”

“Why?”

“Because you’re more of a glutton for punishment than I thought.