Mountain Terror

Somewhere in a peaceful mountain near Denver, Colorado ........

Wilbur finished his accounting for the night, the Inn was quiet this time of the year as the guests normally didn't show due to bad weather. He had marked down in red the things that needed immediate attention, such as the repairs on the roof, depilating pipes, as well as other items that needed tending to but not as urgent as the roof and pipes were. He sighed, pondered heavily on the fact that money was tight these days. Unsurmountable taxes continued, and insurance costs. Wilbur had a lot of worries but he would never sell and give up his home. He was stubborn that way. There were other nicer places for people to stay in and not so run down as this one was at the moment. Outside the harsh wind ripped through the bush, he was tired.

"Pop you may as well get to bed, I will bring you up some warm milk in a bit." Cassie came in then, his daughter who stayed on to help him keep their Inn. Cassie preferred being alone anyway, not comfortable being out with friends or on dates. She was happier working at the Inn with her father and was content enough. She was no beauty however, but she was smart and sensible especially fussing and caring for Wilbur. Her mother had left years before after meeting a man who stayed for awhile, she'd run off with him leaving a note behind, that was it. Cassie didn't care anymore about her, but wanted her father to sell the Inn. Hoping he'd move into town to rest and enjoy retirement. Wilbur had no intention of doing so, and dismissed the idea to her, so she'd finally given up trying to convince him otherwise. She knew full well his stubbornness and independence, smiling at him as he clambered up the old staircase to bed. He might be crusty around the edges but he enjoyed working and would do so until the day he died, and that said he'd always told her.

*****

Meanwhile, something else was happening as a small plane began to circle the same mountain above the Inn's location. Wind began to pick up in gusts as the pilot's reception began to crackle, he was afraid the plane would crash if he couldn't find a landing place. Piedro was afraid for the first time since he and his partner Lucas had escaped the prison and taken on this job for the Cartel's, delivering two kilo's of pure cocaine into the US via an old beat up beast such as this junk pile. Right now he wanted to be on the ground, in a warm bed and not up here with death facing him and fear gurgling up from his stomach into his throat.

"Lucas, I can't make the drop now, I am going to lose control, I have to land this thing before I get killed.", Piedro shouted into the fading CB. His partner in crime was waiting in the designated field after they escaped prison back in Mexico and prepared for this deal to happen it would bring them enough money to stay out of the country and in America. They had connections in the underground in California where they made their plans to hide out with other illegals there. Anything was better than the shit hell hole they'd escaped from - even killing one of the guards was worth their escape to America.

"You can't fail this job, drop the package there is a clearing below you, just do it." Lucas shouted, damm it, if they came back with no money for the dope their boss would torture them or worse - just kill them. Luke had a life of abuse growing up in a poor village in Mexico, his father a useless drunk and his mother weak. He'd chosen the Cartel's as a way out and now, after being in prison and escaping he had no intention of ever going back there.

"It's risky in this wind, what if you lose it.?" Piedro cried out but he didn't have a choice, so he finally dropped the parcel wrapped in brown paper. A parcel that would unknowingly change Wilbur and Cassie's life forever.

*****

Wilbur was tucked into bed with the hot milk Cassie had brought him, he smiled proudly at his daughter. While he would have liked for her to get married and have a family he was still happy she stayed to help him. This Inn was his home and he had nowhere else to go for living in town would make him feel sad and lost. Once he fell asleep Cassie went downstairs to her own room to get ready for bed when she heard a noise outside like maybe a large animal?

"What the heck is that.?" She asked nobody, and as she flicked on the lights suddenly, a bang echoed into the large foyer. A tall scruffy looking man barged in looking around the room wild-eyed and holding a parcel in his arms.

"Who are you, how did you get in here that door was locked tightly and what do you want.?" Cassie choked words out, fear building up inside her as she got a closer look at what she was dealing with. The convict stood there as if in shock looking around the room before he answered her gruffly.

"Anyone else around in here? Answer me I have a gun." Lucas demanded as he took out a small black pistol from his jacket, one of those old vintage ones with the fur inside like a MacGyver type.

"Just me and my father who is asleep upstairs and we own this place." She told him lifting her chin. He was tired looking, his hair unkempt and shaggy, his large shoulders tight with muscles. He was maybe 30ish around her age she figured. He also carried a brown wrapped parcel in his other arm waving the gun at her with the other.

"I need food and now, a place to stay for a night or two until my pilot gets here, no cops no phone calls nothing got that? And nobody gets hurt." He hissed. "Go now, get me some food, no funny business either, I ain't stupid." He added.

Cassie went into the kitchen focused on her breathing as she prepared some sandwiches, andshe also took a cold beer out for him figuring he could use one. 'Ok just focus on the food for now keep calm." She muttered while making the sandwiches with shaking hands.

"Ok, good. Just sit down there and shut up." He sat down facing her, placing the gun beside the food on the oak table in the dining room, his eyes darting around wildly.

"Who are you where did you come from.?" Cassie persisted. She would not show her frightened state to this creep right now. This was her home and he was an invader.

"No questions, my partner will be here soon." He replied tiredly. He wanted to sleep and have a hot shower. Cassie was exhausted but too afraid to try and sleep so she stayed awake for what seemed like hours when she heard the door open again another man came in.

"Well what is this a nice cozy tea party? Piedro sneered through yellow smoke stained teeth, he then turned to Lucas. "You got the goods?" The parcel was next to his partner and he smiled an evil way eyeing everyone with the gun pointing at Cassie and Wilbur. A cold chill permeated through the house suddenly. It felt invaded as Cassie realized the reality of the terrible situation they were in and, she had to think of some way to get them out of here. She did to want to think of what these two horrible men were capable of doing to them.

"Right now let's get outta here before the cops show up", Lucas said getting up with the parcel at hand.

"Not so fast, looks like you had a picnic, got any food left?", as Piedro eyed the empty plate and beer bottle. "Get me what he had." he pointed his own gun at Cassie. She'd begun to feel shock now , as the trauma was more than she'd ever imagined, for nothing like this ever occurred since they owned this place. Quiet and still it was always even when there were guests it was a peaceful haven. Until now......

"Here eat and please just go we don't want any trouble", She said as she handed him more sandwiches and beers opened.

Unfortunately the two men seemed quite content eating her food and drinking her beers. She eyed the parcel curiously figured there were drugs in it of sorts.

"Let's have some of this why not we earned it." Piedro took out a small packet and poured white powder on his now empty plate. He sniffed it up and gave some to Lucas who did the same. They got high and laughed as they spoke in Spanish, so Cassie decided they'd come in from Mexico to do a drug deal she only wanted them gone. They smoked smelly cigarettes too while they partied making Cassie feel sick to her stomach fearing she would be raped or worse maybe? She didn't like the way Piedro eyed her like an animal at an auction either, automatically she began to mentally shut down preparing herself for the worst scenario.

*****

Night turned into morning when Wilbur suddenly appeared looking at the scene before him - Cassie sitting up with two men wired and drinking and they didn't look like angels from Heaven.

"Get out of my house before I call the cops." He shouted bearing a rifle of his own he'd kept from his hunting days knowing he could blow them to pieces with it.

"Oh yeah? I don't think an old crustie like you is gonna do us harm." Piedro laughed in his Mexican hoarse accented voice. Lucas began to then point the pistol at Wilbur into his back.

"This is gonna be a long day, we are going to leave here soon as the sun goes down a bit later on, so do as your told nobody gets hurt. Sit down there." He pointed the gun to the chair next to his daughter. He was still wearing his pyjama's, housecoat and slippers, he wished he were dressed. He was hungry and tired thinking of his family back in town, who were undoubtedly in Denver safe and warm in their homes, and here he was now dealing with these two thugs.

So they all stayed there for awhile when suddenly police sirens could be heard outside and a megaphone voiced out into the Inn then, cops everywhere came from nowhere.

"Come out with your hands up we got you surrounded, this is the Denver police department"., a loud voice said.

"Lucas, we gotta get outta here and now, grab your shit there must be another way out." Piedro snarled to Cassie and her father. His lined face stared hard at them putting the fear of torture through their veins the situation getting more tense.

"There is through the wine cellar in the basement you see, tunnels were built here before so slaves could come and go in secret to freedom before the Civil War." Wilbur explained and pointed to the cellar door beneath their feet. Cassie turned in surprise never having heard this story before but she was too stressed to bother analyzing that now.

"You better not be putting me on old man or one of you dies right here and right now", Piedro said pointing the gun at his face.

"As a matter of fact we take her with us just for guarantee." He abruptly grabbed Cassie pulling her down into the cellar while Lucas trailed behind the two of them. The four of them were clueless as to what was about to happen next as tear gas grenades broke through windows shattering glass and burning stench of smoke burned their eyes. Wilbur and Cassie had already descended into the cellar but Piedro was still on the steps and Lucas above him getting the worst of it.

"This is the Denver police, come out now with your hands up, we have the place surrounded. I repeat, come out with your hands up, the premises is surrounded." A megaphone called out as dogs barked from outside. The S.Q.U.A.T. team had tracked down the two convicts on a man-hunt since their escape from San Queseda prison. Then things began to happen fast as police bombarded into the Inn full force with their guns and dogs.

For the next several seconds choking and coughing, shuffling around as Cassie got loose from her captor and took her father outside finally barely able to breath. She plopped down on the cold ground still hanging onto Wilbur who was still wearing his bedclothes and slippers. And then she learned what happened as the Police explained it to them while they arrested and put the two men handcuffed into their patrol cars.

"There is a hefty reward for these two being captured, and you two were lucky you were both not killed good job. These two are notorious and dangerous dealers with the Cartels in Mexico, they will be behind bars for a long time, your two are lucky your still alive." Officer Daley told them as he took down their address and phone.

"250K? Are you kidding?" Cassie breathed out when he handed her the police ad for the capture of two convicts from a Mexican prison. Fate certainly had a way of changing things and right now she wasn't ever going to doubt that for the rest of her life.

"How would you like the money? Check or direct deposit?" He smiled at her, "I would also like to take you out for dinner sometime if you would allow me? I think you were very brave dealing with those two thugs." He continued speaking, as he helped Wilbur back into the Inn, incidentally they would of course keep it now that they had the money to pay for repairs and insurance fee's. Besides, Officer Daly wasn't that bad looking either, well fed but charm protruding from his kindness to her and her father.

"Yes I would like that very much." Cassie answered, wishing she didn't look so disheveled thinking a spa day in town wouldn't hurt. She still had an issue to finish with her father about the slavery story, and he later confirmed that he'd made it up.

"I didn't know what else to do we didn't have many options." He'd finally gotten into his own clothes several hours after everyone had left and they were alone. Of course they would have to go to town and stay at the AirBnb since the house was a shambles with broken windows and too cold to stay in. Not that they wanted to for now.

THE END