The soldier’s lips paled. His eyes darted nervously to the major. “Sir, I can’t proceed with civilians in the line of fire. Sir.”
Butterick jerked the rifle out of the soldier’s hands. “I’ll have you court-martialed!”
He strode toward the herd, the rifle at ready.
Stupid. Even as Estelle ran toward the mammoths, she damned herself as a fool. Putting myself in the line of fire to save a bunch of animals that probably shouldn’t exist anyway.
Cortez was just standing there, halfway between the mammoths and the soldiers arguing with Kanut. Fine for him—they’re his animals. But why should she stand in the way of the army?
Because her whole career was about saving lives. And damn it, that little calf Jade is my goddaughter.
Estelle checked over her shoulder. Oh, hell! Sera was dashing down the hill toward her.
Drawing even with Cortez, Estelle motioned for Sera to take position on the left, hoping that would keep her safer.
Lower down the hill, the mammoths shuffled uncertainly, keeping an eye on the human activity.
Breathing hard, Estelle took up position on the right. She turned in time to see the officer snatch the rifle from the young soldier and come striding down the slope toward them.
The medical side of her mind automatically noted the army officer’s red face, clenched jaw, and extra pounds. Better get that blood pressure checked, sir. Could be a heart attack in the making.
The more terrified side of her mind told her they were three puny humans standing between a herd of mammoths and an angry man with a gun.
She turned to Cortez. “What should we do?”
“Don’t move.” He turned to the mammoths and called, “Di, Di, hey-up! Hey-up, Turq!”
He stooped and laid his tablet on the ground, his fingers dancing over the screen. A long screaming cry rang out from the speaker.
Mammoth heads rose. Trunks shot up. The eerie scream was echoed by the members of the herd—louder, stronger. A call to chill the blood. EeeAAAAhhhaaa!
The biggest mammoth stepped forward, shaking his head so his tusks slashed the air like sabers. He lifted his trunk and let out another hair-raising bellow.
The officer stopped, a grim smile on his face.
The big mammoth began to march toward him.
“Don’t shoot them!” Sera screamed.
Estelle yelled, “Put that rifle down, you moron!”
The officer knelt and raised the rifle to his shoulder, aiming at the beast bearing down on him.
At the top of the hill, the young soldier took a step to follow the major, but Kanut laid a hand on his shoulder. “Better stay here, son.”
Cortez shouted something nearly lost in the wind, “Di, Di . . . up, Turq!”
“What’d he say?” the soldier asked. “Die?”
Kanut rubbed his jaw. “Sounded like a warning to me. There are some calves down there. The, um, moose get protective.”
Cortez was performing his magic trick with his tablet.
The mammoths responded instantly, raising their trunks to call out their war cry: half siren, half scream, half yodel. EeeAAAAhhhaaa!
The young soldier watched, mouth gaping. “Holy shit.”
One of the mammoths—Diamond, the one with the big tusks—started his march toward the major.
Ignoring the shouts from the women, Butterick knelt and raised the rifle to his shoulder.
From the left flank, a second mammoth emerged. It ran forward, head up, screeching like an out-of-tune bugle.
Butterick swung the rifle toward the new threat. Pow! The sound echoed up the hill.
The girl screamed and flattened herself on the ground. Doc Dupris shook her fist and shouted curses.
The second mammoth veered away, but Diamond’s march quickened to a run.
Pow! Another shot rang out, but it would be pure luck if it hit anything—the major was already running, two angry mammoths on his heels.
Diamond got to him first. A huge head swung down. Tusks scooped the man up like a goalie protecting the soccer net.
The mammoth tossed Butterick aside like yesterday’s newspaper.
“Oh my gawd!” The soldier stood rooted. “Did you see that?”
The major landed with a crash and a yell of pain.
Diamond picked up the discarded rifle by the barrel. With an effortless swing of his trunk, he threw the weapon thirty yards—onto the glacier. The rifle slid, skittering down the frozen waterfall and out of sight.
“My weapon!” the soldier cried.
“I guess they don’t like firearms,” Kanut said. “Better get that gurney, son. The major’s gonna need it.”
Luis grinned as the major crashed to the ground. Serves the murderous bastard right. Diamond, still hot-blooded, stood over the fallen man, tusks inches from his face.
Luis hustled to coax Diamond away—not because he cared if Diamond gored the major, but because killing humans, even if they deserved it, was what got animals slaughtered. “Easy, Di. Brum-rum, brum-rum. Back now, back. Danger’s over. Move out. Tcha.”
“Get that monster away from me!” Butterick yelled.
Di remained on guard for a moment but, seeing his victim thoroughly subdued, calmed enough to wander a few feet away to pluck at a sheaf of grass.
Luis turned back to the injured man. “Well, Major Butterick. You wanted to see a mammoth up close? Congratulations, you succeeded.”
Butterick grimaced. “My leg’s broken. Get that doctor.”
Luis couldn’t suppress a smile. “You mean the woman whose life you just put in danger? I’ll see if she’s feeling up to putting you on her schedule.”
Leaving the major where he lay, Luis walked to where the two women had grabbed one another in a strangling hug. “Are you ladies all right?”
“Is it over?” Sera gasped. “Has the shooting stopped? Is the baby all right?”
Luis grinned. “They might find that rifle at the bottom of the glacier in a thousand years or so.” Sooner if the climate models were right. “You risked your lives to protect the mammoths. Thank you.” It was a completely boneheaded thing to do—the mammoths were quite capable of
