The Beginning of the End

It was nighttime when the big chill almost destroyed the human race.

Nighttime had fallen on the forest bringing with it the gelid temperatures that ate through their leather coat and woven grass cloaks. The small clan consisting of two male adults, three adult women and four children was forced to huddle together in the cave lit by a small fire made from what dry wood the men could find. The leader, a young man who stood tall with long curly brown hair and large brown eyes helplessly watched his family with their bellies rumbled as they rubbed their arms desperate for food and warmth. The snows had come early, making their travels increasingly more difficult even with their carefully crafted shoes.

 

The beasts they had once hunted had either made the pass long before them and left no trace for the weary nomads to follow or been killed by the fire in the sky. The same fire had filled the blue sky in thick smoke and the light had dimmed considerably ever since. They would have given anything to see another woolly mammoth or small dinosaur in the vicinity. The food and pelt either animal would have yielded after being killed would have lasted them until they reached the ocean and were able to fish.

 

Snow quickly amounted outside of their cave and they knew there was no hope left for them when it spilled inside and killed their heat. The men tried to fight it by kicking and pushing the snow back outside but it didn't take long for each member to succumb to the icy hand of death.

 

 

More than 5,300 years later, a drenched hiker broke through the thick ice shield and slipped into the cave as ran poured from the clouds misting the mountain. He turned his flashlight on and swung it every which way as he pulled his satellite phone from his backpack. He pressed the button and held it to his ear as he phoned for rescue. He stopped when his foot fell on the ancient remains of the fire. He frowned and kicked the snow away from it with a gasp of excitement.

 

"I found something!" He man told the dispatcher who answered his call. He hurried to the oddly shaped slabs of ice and held the light up. "I found another ice man! It looks like a tribe or something. Oh, my god this is incredible!"

 

The dispatcher assured him the helicopter would be coming soon and asked him to stay on the line with her until he was rescued.

 

 

28-year-old Chicago native Ileana Pirozzi grumbled as she flung a hand from under her pillow to search blindly for the cellphone that had awaken her late that night. She sighed and pressed the phone to her ear already knowing who would call her at three in the morning.

 

"Kenneth, this had better be good." She turned her pillow over and shuddered at the wave of goosebumps the chill it gave her bare shoulders.

 

"Is a tribe of ice mummies good enough for you? Get Rafe and I'll send the plane. You have one hour, no more and no less." Her employer, Kenneth Bowen ended the call, leaving her to bolt from her bed, racing to the closet with the phone dialing out while her Great Dane's back foot twitched as he continued to slumber at the foot of her bed. She ran a hand through her thick black mane and threw it up into a messy bun as she pulled clothes from their hangers.

 

"What, woman? What do you want from me?" Raphael Valenti groaned with a faux sob on the other end of the line making her chuckle.

 

"We've got mummies, Rafe! Ken is sending the plane. I'll be by your place in about twenty so get cracking! Oh, and tell Rebekah she’s taking care of my dog while we’re gone." She ended the call and changed quickly into a thick black turtle neck and olive green pants. She pulled on her heavy black winter boots with their aggressive rubber soles that hit halfway up her calves and laced them up before waking the Dane. “Come on, Moose! You’re gonna go stay with Aunt Rebekah. Come on. Car ride? Huh? You wanna go for a ride?”

 

She watched the dog refuse to give any more effort than it took for him to stretch. She raised a brow as she stood and put her hands on her hips. “Okay. I guess you don’t want a… cookie!”

 

With that, the dog sat up with his sleek black ears raised high before he forced all 146 pounds of his body to move with impressive speed off of the bed and into the kitchen.

 

Ileana pulled her Ford Raptor into an empty spot of Rafe's apartment complex and hooked Moose up to his leash. She went around to the other side, opened the door and watched the large dog evaluate the best way to jump down. She waited, tapping her toes and drumming her fingers on her crossed arms.

 

"You know, you're supposed to never be timid. You’d be disqualified from the dog show, buddy." She rolled her eyes as the dog blinked away the snow that fell into its eyes while staring at her blankly. "You're massive. Do you know how much force it would take for you to break a bone? You'd have a hard time even twisting an ankle. So get your butt in gear. Mama’s got a lot to do, lots to see and mummies to dissect."

 

"You're acting like he understands you again, doc." Ileana turned at the sound of Rafe's voice as he walked up behind her with his hands in the pockets of his jeans while Moose lapped at the saliva oozing from his jowls. Ileana frowned at Rafe as the dog finally leapt down and stared at the snow that had cushioned his landing as though he’d never encountered the powder before. "Moose!"

 

Rafe dropped his voice low and drew the name out until the dog barked in welcome and jumped up on to Rafe's broad shoulders clad only in a thin white t-shirt.

 

"How are you not cold?" He gave a shrug as he welcomed the dog who slammed his body against Rafe's strong legs and whipped his tails in circles. "It's eleven degrees!"

 

"I grew up in Alaska. Moving from Anchorage to Bangor isn't really all that different. It just gets hot down here." He looked her over as she stood in a thick fur-lined coat that left only her face exposed and smirked. "You look like you're ready for some truly freezing temperatures. I thought you Chicagoans were supposed to be acclimated to the frigid temps?"

 

"You know what?" She raised her long, thin brow up, settling her dark eyes into narrow semicircles. He smirked as the wind blew in his sandy blonde hair and snow frosted his cinnamon colored skin. "We have a plane to catch. Are you ready? I'm hungry and want honest sustenance before we board."

 

"Rebekah made steak, eggs and potatoes. If you want, I'm sure she wouldn't mind making that portable for us." He rubbed his stomach as it rumbled. "Moose, you want some moose steak? Huh, do ya?"

 

"Moose meat, huh? Wouldn't that taste a little gamey? Not to mention a little tough? Moose has a great deal of connective tissue to deal with." She cringed as she imagined having to work hard utilizing every tool she’d ever encountered to get a bite of meat while Rafe retrieved the large bag packed for Moose. "I'll stick with eggs and potatoes, thanks."

 

"Oh, come on! It's not that bad. It's gamey but a little sweet too. It's a delicacy!" Rafe's sea foam eyes followed her hips as she moved past him and started for the stairwell with Moose on her heels.

 

"For rich men. Where did you get money for moose meat on your salary? I didn't think I paid you enough." She tossed a suspicious glare over her shoulder at him. She stopped half way up the stairs and turned, bracing herself on the railings as she leaned to tower over him. "Are you working with another scientist? Are you cheating on me?"

 

"What? No! I love your incessant nagging and demand for perfection at every turn." His eyes bulged at the words that fell from his mouth. "It's a good learning experience for when I graduate college."

 

She only stared, the icy hue of her skin accentuating the depths of her haunting eyes.

"If I can work with you, I can work with anyone. You're my drill instructor!" He held his hands up to shield his face as she straighten and held her hands behind her back where he knew she kept her knife and collapsible baton in the waistband of her pants. "Spare me! Think of the children!"

 

She laughed and turned to complete the ascent to the third floor where Rafe's apartment door stood open. Moose pulled hard against leash until he broke free and bolted into the apartment. Seconds later, Rebekah screamed at the top of her lungs. Ileana raised a brow and looked back to Rafe. “Aww, I think she loves him.”

 

“She hates dogs, especially your mutt.”

 

“Excuse me! Moose is not a mutt. He’s a purebred. Trust me, he came at a very pretty penny.” She rolled her eyes and went into the kitchen where Moose was sitting with his tail excitedly sweeping the floor as he stared up into Rebekah’s eyes. “He won’t hurt you. I promise. He’s a gentle giant.”

 

“A gentle giant that’s damn near the same height as me!” She inhaled sharply and shook her head. “He better not ruin my house!”

 

“He won’t. Just take him out for plenty of exercise. Or, you can put him on the treadmill you two use to dry laundry on and he’ll be just fine.” She rubbed the top of Moose’s head as he raised it to look back at her with his long tongue flopping out of the side of his mouth. “You’re a good boy, aren’t you? Yes, you are. You behave for Aunt Rebekah. I don’t want to come home to a bad report card.”

 

 

“You’re doing it again, doc!”

 

“Right! We’ve got a half an hour drive, bad traffic and worsening weather. Let’s go!” She turned on her heel, clapped a hand on Rafe’s well-toned arm and brushed passed him.