Ice-Age Chapter 9

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Ice-Age

by Andy Savage

http://www.andysav.free-online.co.uk/webzine.htm

 

 

 

Chapter 9

 

Dave slept sounder that night than he had done for a week. With Linda there,

he felt safer and less alone. He was also so immensely tired after the day

he had just had. Whereas over the past few days he had been purposefully

making an effort to resist his fatigue, the time had come for him to let go

and allow himself some real rest. He couldn't even remember getting into his

sleeping bag, and when he at last opened his eyes in the light of the

morning, Linda's silky head was nestled cosily under his chin.

He sighed, stretched and allowed himself a small smile. So it hadn't been a

dream. He stroked Linda slowly and stared moonily into space. He thought how

she could so easily be Mary, lying close to him, in their warm, safe bed, in

their warm, dependable, loving world.

Dave kissed Linda's forehead and then let out a little laugh. The woman had

an awful smell! She was still fully dressed in her thick bear skins and Dave

guessed she must have been wearing the same clothes for days on end. He was

stripped to his underpants and vest, but he reckoned he like as not reeked

too. They were both hot and sweaty and in dire need of a wash. It didn't

really matter to Dave. He put his arms around her and cuddled her.

Linda yawned and slid her face next to his. Dave could feel her breath on

his mouth. She opened her pale, blue eyes, licked her thin lips and with a

grin whispered, " Good morning, lover boy! "

Dave blushed, " Did you sleep well? " he asked.

Linda nodded, " Mmm. I feel all relaxed now. I could lie here with you all

day. "

" That would be very nice, " said Dave, feeling his heart rate increasing,

" But it's not an option, unfortunately. "

" Are you sure about that? " said Linda, and she tenderly kissed his nose.

Dave was once in love with Linda, many years ago, and he realised now that

his feelings were still strong. He took a deep breath, " Would you like

something to eat or drink? " he offered.

" Yes dear, I'd rather like to eat you! "

" I'm afraid I'm not on the menu, " Dave answered, and he reluctantly dragged

himself out of bed, making his back click a couple of times, " Ooh, my poor

old bones, " he murmured.

" You're such a spoilsport! " said Linda.

Dave stepped over to Device's sleeping bag, but there was no one there,

" Did you hear Device going out? " he queried.

" Ooh, is he not there? " chirped Linda, her eyes lighting up, " Does that

mean we've got the place all to ourselves? "

Dave hurriedly opened the door flap and looked out. There was a single

trail of footsteps marching off into the distance, " It would appear that we

do, " he replied, relieved to see that the sled outside the tent had not been

touched. Where ever Device had gone, Dave knew it couldn't be for long. He

closed the flap.

Linda had a devilish look on her face, " Well now, pussycat....... " she

purred.

Dave smiled nervously. It had been a long time since he was last alone with

a woman. His hormones were buzzing around his body. He turned away from her

and foraged around the tent more meticulously, " That's odd, " he remarked,

" Device seems to have taken away his rucksack, why would he do that? "

" What was in it? "

" I'm not all that sure. Clothes mainly, I think. "

" Maybe he's gone to wash them. "

" Well, I think he'll have a heck of a long walk to the nearest laundrette! "

Linda lay flat on her back with her arms outstretched and giggled. Dave had

always enjoyed listening to Linda's laugh. It was quite an immature laugh

really, but quite infectious, and it had been a long time since he last

heard it. He chuckled and took a closer look at Device's sleeping bag,

" There's a pocket watch here! " he exclaimed, spotting a large, round, silver

timepiece on Device's pillow. As he picked it up, a scrap of baked bean tin

label fell from the back of it. There was some tiny, neat handwriting on it,

" It's a message! From Device! " said Dave. He read it out, " Dave, have gone

trapping, pack up camp and meet me two miles due north, by my marker, at

noon, Device. "

" I don't like the sound of that, Dave, " said Linda, looking puzzled, " He's

a bit weird, isn't he? I hope you know what you're doing, honey, getting

mixed up with him. "

" It's totally bizarre, " uttered Dave, altogether bewildered, scratching his

head, " What is he doing going trapping? And why isn't he coming back here?

And just what is his marker? "

" I don't trust him at all, he gives me the creeps. Why don't we take this

golden opportunity to lose him? You don't need him now, you've got me

instead. "

" He saved my life, Linda. He's helping me find my son. I owe him a huge

debt for that. "

" No you don't! He doesn't own you! What is it that he wants from you? "

Dave was wandering around the floor, still pondering the note, trying to

make some sense of it, " Maybe he thinks we need more food. Maybe he thinks

it's going to take longer to find Simon than he told me. "

" He doesn't care about you or Simon. Let's take the tent and the sled and

go off on our own. We'll find Simon and then we can be together, like we

used to. "

Dave shook his head, " I'm not going to rob the man! " he said, " And I can't

believe that's something that you seem to have no shame in doing. "

Linda sighed, " You're far too soft, dear! "

" I guess if he wants me to pack up camp, it gives him more time to get the

food, so he doesn't have to waste time coming back here. "

" Who knows what his lunatic intentions are, " said Linda sulkily. She held

out her wrist and showed off her elegant, oval gold watch, " Anyway, it's

only seven O'clock, Dave, honey. We've got plenty of time. " She patted the

empty space next to her, " Now, why don't you get back in here with me? "

It was a tempting offer. Dave wanted her. He wanted to be held and kissed

and loved. Linda looked irresistible, there were butterflies in his belly,

and he imagined himself tearing off her bear skin coat. He was about ready

to leap on her, when something deep inside his head warned him to check the

watch Device had left. " Linda, " he gasped, " It's nine O'clock, not seven, we

need to get going, and right now! "

" No we don't! Not yet! Three hours is more than enough to walk two miles,

and what does it matter if we're a little bit late? "

" It matters to Simon! " said Dave, getting his lustful urges under control

and pulling on his thick, fleecy jumper, and hardy denim jeans, " Linda, we

must go, Simon is my number one priority right now. "

Linda did not fail to hide her disappointment as she emerged from Dave's

sleeping bag.

Dave was soon in his boots and hastily packing the tent onto the sled,

while Linda went out and retrieved her bow, which she slung over her

shoulder, together with ten arrows, and within half an hour, they were ready

to go.

The morning was breezy and only a degree above freezing, so Dave put his

tough leather coat on over his dense sweater and also dug out two pairs of

strong, woolly gloves and two chunky balaklavas from one of Device's bags in

the sled, for himself and Linda, " This lot should keep the weather off us, "

he said, and they put them on and set off.

" We look like two knights in armour! " quipped Linda.

The footsteps left by Device were still fresh and made an easy track to

follow. The terrain was mostly flat and there was a southerly wind behind

them. Dave pulled the sled. " There's some tins of beans and stuff on the

back if you're hungry, " he said, indicating over his shoulder with his

thumb, " We might as well eat while we're on the hoof. "

" Ooh yes, good idea! " agreed Linda enthusiastically, " Have you got a tin

opener? "

" It's in there with the food somewhere. There should be some water as

well. "

Linda went and rummaged in the sled, " Yum, yum, curried beans! " she called,

finding the tins, " Would you care for some too? "

" I sure would, the more the merrier, I'm famished! "

 

An hour quickly passed. The two of them were making good progress, nearly a

mile, and they chatted about what they had both been doing during the nine

years since they last saw each other. Linda, though, Dave thought, was quite

vague and seemed uneasy talking about herself, " Yeah, I've been more or less

like you, Dave, " she said, " Keeping my head down, staying out of sight. It's

dangerous now for a woman, you know. "

" It's dangerous for everybody, isn't it? " remarked Dave.

" Well, yes, but more so for women. "

" Why's that? "

" Women are currency. Women are bought and sold. Why do you think I carry

this? " explained Linda, clutching her bow and arrows.

" And you certainly seem to know how to use it! "

" I've had to learn to be ruthless, Dave. I've been living for years in

permanent fear. "

" God, that's dreadful. So who is it who buys all these women, then? "

" Well, it depends, I mean, it's so widespread. There's some terrible people

out there, Dave. You really have lived a sheltered life, haven't you! "

" Device says his wife was kidnapped and sold as a slave in Africa. "

" In Africa? " said Linda sceptically, " I don't know about Africa, but, yes,

women are sold like slaves. There's not many of us left, you see, we're

valuable, the same as children. "

Dave cocked his head, " Children? "

Linda went quiet for a moment, obviously realising she had maybe said the

wrong thing, " Yes, children are currency too, but....... "

" That's what's going to happen to Simon, isn't it? " said Dave angrily,

" He's going to be sold to some pervert! "

" No, Dave, he's not, because we're going to get him back, believe me! "

 

They trudged on for another hour, still following Device's tracks, although

the wind had started to blow more strongly now and was covering them over.

Then Dave noticed something out of the corner of his eye, and stopped to

show Linda, " Look, " he said, pointing to the east, " Way over in the

distance, heading northwards, it looks like something's moving. Could it be

dog sleighs? "

Linda arched her hand over the rim of her sunglasses, " Yes, I think you're

right, but it's impossibly hard to make them out. It could be just a stray

pack, I suppose. They seem to be shifting very quickly, whoever they are. "

" Well they don't seem to be coming this way, thank goodness, " said Dave, "

They're vanishing out of sight now. I wonder who they were? "

Linda shrugged, " God knows. I doubt we'll see them again. "

 

The time was now quickly heading towards noon, and they were certain they

had made the two miles, " I'm not sure what sort of a marker we're supposed

to be looking for, " said Dave, looking worriedly for Device's trail which

had all but disappeared.

" I do, " replied Linda, " Over there, on the ground, see it? "

Dave stared hard straight ahead to where Linda was pointing. Then he saw

it. A large letter 'D' carved into the snow about a five minutes walk away,

" Thank Christ for that, " he gasped with relief.

As the pair approached it, they found that the marker was on the edge of a

steep, downwards verge. They halted by the brim and peered over, " So where's

Device? " said Dave, feeling a little impatient, tired and frustrated.

They both gazed down silently for a while, then Linda abruptly seized hold

of Dave's arm, and panic stricken, she cried, " Oh, hell, we've got company! "

Dave looked where Linda was looking but could see nothing but a blanket of

whiteness, " Where? " he asked.

Linda like a flash pulled her bow from over her shoulder and loaded it with

an arrow, " Down there! " she said with a trembling voice.

Dave gazed down the slope until it levelled off. It was difficult at first

to pick out anything from the stark wilderness. Then, the tingling feeling

that something unspeakably nasty was staring back at him snaked down his

neck, and slowly, and stomach numbingly, his eyes met a malignant,

blood-red, hungry, unblinking stare.