Whiteout II: 3 (Return to Base Camp)

3. Return to Base Camp

     “Wait a minute. You mean to tell me that you saw a man produce God-like powers, and you’re just going to glaze over it?!”

     “What more is there to tell? I traveled with a demi-god. It certainly made things easier for us.”

     “Where did his powers come from? Where was he from? Was he actually a God?”

     “No idea, no idea, and a demi-god, I think I already said this. Now this isn’t a super-hero or demi-god origin story, so if you don’t mind I’d like to continue and address your query. We’re almost to the yeti, doesn’t that interest you more than some mind-bending demi-god?” He begins to squirm in his chair as if he’s very uncomfortable with the decision he has to make. Two equally tantalizing tales, but I’m only going to tell him one.

     “Yes, alright fine, but I want to hear about Lopsang another time.”

     Thank God. I couldn’t have shared the information if he had asked for it. Back on the mountain I had made a sacred pact with Lopsang and James. We swore on blood that we would never reveal the secret of his powers to anyone. Can’t believe he bought that demi-god bullshit. Lopsang’s powers came from a far more realistic place, but he wasn’t keen on anyone else figuring out how they might get their hands on power overwhelming.

     This room is strange. I take a minute to pause before I begin my tale anew. On the walls there are oil paintings of dukes and other royalty, but there is something strange about them. The frames don’t look right at all. They are all slightly off kinter in some way. Just behind the edge of one I can catch the silver glint of a safe. Someone has been trying to get to these in a hurry.

     “Please, continue. I am sorry for the interruption.”

     The blizzard had made its way down the mountain and we were hiking in it. “Shouldn’t we wait for this to blow over?” Asked James. Lopsang had been walking straight without stopping since we left the temple. He was like a man possessed. In fact, for a brief moment I thought that might have been the source of his powers. We’ve got a demon on our hands. Right now he’s working with us, but how long until we have to put him down. I’m running a little lower on holy water than I would like.

     “I would know my way through these mountains blind. If we want to beat Manchester there we need to move fast. We will sleep at the top of this crag, just below base camp.” Lopsang moved up to a rock face and began to hammer in crampons. He climbed fast and methodically, placing each piece exactly where it needed to be. A lifetime of guiding had its benefits. Before long he was above the white of the blizzard and we could barely hear the clanking of his hammer against the stone. Deep within the wind, the howling began anew.

     It was different this time. It carried with it a bitter chill that transcended the cold. I felt it deep in my very soul, a visceral fear that told me to run in the opposite direction and forget my quest. Luckily the warming image of gold soon replaced the fear and I dreamt of riches and splendor beyond anything I had ever seen. For the most part it looked like a mansion made of gold with top shelf liquor in all the cabinets. Not a bad dream if you ask me.

     After about twenty minutes a rope fell down the rock face. I sent James up first and tied myself to the security rope. I put my back to the wall and pointed the AK-47 I carried out into the white wall of the blizzard. There was no telling how many members of the cult had managed to make it out of the temple. I found it highly unlikely that we had killed them all. This time I will be prepared for them.

     James made it to the top and then it was my turn. I felt the tautness of the wire as someone up top tied themselves to me. The rock was cold and ugly, but the handholds Lopsang had placed made the climb feel like a breeze. The occasional wind gust made me cling to the side of the mountain, and the howling continued unabated. It was sharp like a smaller animal, but had a low resonation to it. The beast sounded close, but it was difficult to tell. The mountains caused everything to echo and sound much louder than it really was.

     At the top of the mountain a white-faced Lopsang pulled me up sharply. “No time Dr. Ventner! We need to go now!” My arms ached for the climb, but I hurried to my feet. James had taken on his usual green quality that accompanied mortal danger, and even Lopsang looked shaken. “The beast is close. We are not ready for this.”

     “Just give me the poison! We may not get a better shot.” If the beast was close, it was possible for us to beat Manchester. I was foolish in thinking that we could do it unprepared, but I never learned from my mistakes. A cold slap from Lopsang brought me to my senses.

     “We are not going after this beast tonight. The blizzard is its doing. It’s hunting. We need to hide, fast.” We were just below base camp, there wasn’t much shelter except for a few outcroppings in the rocks. It seemed like we were doomed, and then I remembered.

     “The cave! Hurry!” We were just close enough to the cave that James and I had spent our first frozen night in. Directly below Tibetan prayer flags and a pile of sacred stones. There was no better place to hide from a mythical creature. It offered the best protection that we were going to get on the mountain by far. I rushed off in the direction of base camp, letting my gun flap uselessly behind me. Lopsang and James followed.

     The blizzard made it difficult to spot the edge and a couple of times I felt myself nearly tumbling over. The howling became a roar and consumed all sound around me. It was terrifying, and then I heard the footsteps. BOOM BOOM BOOM. The ground shuddered beneath its weight. “Run Dr. Ventner! Run!” The roar was directly behind us. I looked desperately for the cave, and continued to run through the blinding snow.

     I heard James scream from behind us and quickly overtake me. Damn that kids fast when he’s scared. “James! Look for the cave!”

     “No shit Sherlock!” The yeti continued to gain on us, dropping large sections of ice with every footfall. Every few seconds a large sheet would come sweeping through the pathway and over the edge. Loud crunches and crashes filled the night with their noise. Just as all seemed hopeless I saw it. Barely protruding from the snow was a red prayer flag. It was half buried, but I could see the entrance to the cave, now a small black hole in an otherwise white wall of snow.

     “James, Lopsang, over here!” I ran for the cave and threw my weight at the tiny black opening. The snow collapsed in front of me and I hurtled straight into the back wall of the tiny cave, knocking the wind out of me. Lopsang and James were quick to follow. I scrambled out of the way and desperately tried to look out of the cave mouth. Moments before a drift of snow fell over the opening I saw it.

     Silhouetted against the moonlight, easily twelve feet tall, and covered from head to foot in white fur. The face was only black against the night sky, but the roar quickly pushed me further into the cave. Snow fell in a rumble in front of the cave, sealing us in for the night. We all lay on the cave floor, panting with exhaustion. The altitude made it all that harder to run, and two near death experiences in one night had taken their toll.

     “Quick, James take this.” Lopsang tossed him a thick metal tube from the pack. It was collapsible, and when folded out could be used to poke an airhole through the snow.

     “Don’t want to escape a yeti only to die of asphyxiation.” I couldn’t help but laugh. We had just survived two of the most harrowing experiences of my life in less than 12 hours. “Unless there’s another cult on the mountain, I think this might be doable. I mean look at what we just did.” I was laughing again, and soon Lopsang and James were joining me. It’s a strange bond you get, surviving death with others, but one that is not easily broken.

     James poked a hole through the snow drift that had piled up at our door and I lit a fire. The tube conducted heat well so that snow would not pile up on it through the night. Lopsang boiled water and brought out some of the salted jerky we had brought along for food. It tasted better than anything I had ever eaten in my entire life. The warm, savory flavors filled my mind, and soon I found myself drifting off. The cave was warm, and my mind was at ease, at least for the moment…