Snowball

           I was cocooned in the rugged warmth of my man cave isolated and free from the filth of the outside world. My sound system was primed, pulsing and ready to go. I watched movies best suited for the big screen down here on my 75-inch screen. After years in Afghanistan, I was finally home and in my comfort zone ready for a break from humanity. I kicked back patted Snowball my new dog who I recently rescued from the animal shelter. He was an unadoptable Pitbull and he bit my hand as I petted him. Every stitch he gave me was a love mark. The snaps were getting decidedly less vicious and only drew blood about half the time these days.

           Also, he was lying on the couch with me. That was an improvement from standing in the corner snarling. I put in a monster movie with good CGI and got ready to start from the action sequences. This was the best kind of combat. Nobody really died it was all pretend it helped me unwind. “I used to be a people person boy.” I said enjoying the solitude. “Then people ruined it.” My thumb was on the play button when the doorbell rang. I froze and Snowball growled, a rumbling, threatening noise.

           I sat there for a second hoping that the silence would lead whoever was lurking at the door to leave. The doorbell rang a second time and Snowball barked the hairs on his back standing on end. Now that was a problem with Snowball. I didn’t know if it was a kid selling candy or a serial killer because everyone to my bloodthirsty, baby boy was an ax murderer. When the bell rang the third time he raced for the door. I jogged in pursuit. If he managed to get through the door whoever was on the other side was heading for the hospital or the morgue. If they were lucky.

           I was in my kitchen when the bell rang for the fourth time. “Yes, yes. I’m coming.” I said irritably. Had I forgotten to pay a bill? Whoever was on the other side was insistent. I didn’t open the door just pulled back the curtain to have a look. A pair of attractive young women were standing on my doorstep in business attire. Missionaries maybe? Snowball jumped at the glass at the sight of them and I had to grab his collar. “Can I help you?” I called through the door. It was hard to have a conversation with the dog going berserk.

           The closest of the women a dyed blond in her late twenties spoke. “Kale. Are you Kale Hager?”

“Depends on who’s asking,” I shouted over Snowball.

           She had to repeat what she was saying several times and finally I took Snowball back to the bedroom and shut him in so I could open the front door. Then I invited them in. In my living room I asked; “Now what can I do for you?” I said they were listening intently to Snowball who barked as though he wanted to murder all life on Earth. The second woman who was an Asian a head shorter than her companion spoke.

           “Your dog seems very lovable.” She remarked and her companion snickered.

“More so than most people.” I replied coolly. The women exchanged glances unsure how to take that. “Again, to what do I owe the pleasure?” I pressed. I hadn’t wanted visitors.  I hadn’t even given my family my address.  Yet.

           “We represent the estate of your late great uncle Silas.” The blond woman said. That gave me pause. I hadn’t known I had a great uncle named Silas. Seeing my confusion, the blond continued. “He was estranged from your grandmother’s family to say the least. He never married and had no children.” She explained. This was all news to me. Nobody ever mentioned him a single time growing up or in the intervening years. They were giving me the opportunity to speak but I was digesting this information.

           The Asian woman took over momentarily. “He made a rather sizeable fortune which he hoarded more or less. When he realized he didn’t have much longer to live he wanted to pass it on to a family member. His adversarial relationship to them complicated that. So, he researched his half-sister’s descendants and found you. You’re a war hero who successfully delivered supplies to ailing villages. He liked that, the idea of giving his money to a war hero.” She left that dangling for a response.

           I ignored the attempt at flattery. “Ladies this is very touching. What inheritance?” The blond offered me a paper with an obscenely large amount of money on it.

           “It is offshore to avoid taxes. However, there is a condition.” She explained. I looked at her expectantly. “You have to make your way to Silas’s mountain mansion overland. You may have a party of ten with you. We will be among them.” She said and that gave me a long pause. Mountains? I had just come out of a very unpleasant place that had many, many mountains. I mulled over this. My mother’s health was getting shaky. I needed the money to care for her in the long term.

           Not to mention the mental ticks that I was developing after seeing so much combat. “Sherpas will be in the group I assure you. We can get you there safe. Silas was insistent you be capable of reaching the mansion.” She said.

           “Sherpas? You’re Nepalese then I take it. Where is this mansion?” She was making it sound like the Himalayas.

           “Colorado, the highest region of the continental divide.” The blond took over. “Normally it takes aircraft to get there. I’ve never heard of anyone attempting to reach it overland.” She said. “Jayanti and I will be there the whole way.” She sounded hopeful at her next statement. “We won’t be unhappy if you say no.”

           “You…I’m sorry what is your name?” I asked.

“Faith,” She offered her hand and I shook it. When I went to pull away she held on just a second or two longer than was needed flirtatiously.

“I see.” I smiled at her. “How long do I have to think about this?” I asked. Jayanti clearly had missed feelings about this trip.

           “72 hours but if you think of saying yes please be quick. We’ve timed this the week before June for a reason. We need the summer weather to travel through mountains this steep.” Jayanti said. I nodded that that. It made sense. I showed them to the door. Then I went into the room with Snowball who sunk his teeth into my jeans but not deeply and stroked his ears. More excruciating topography and being cold night and day. I sat at my computer and googled the area in question.

           If anyone else new about this mansion they were hiding it well. The area was as close to being inaccessible by humans as possible. I emailed Faith and got an idea of the route they wanted to take. This seemed suicidal. I just wanted to relax and live out the rest of my days in peace. Was there one more trip into the mountains in me? I was still wondering that three days later when we were riding towards the base of a towering, silvery mountain that dwarfed us in its majesty.

           We had driven as far as possible. From here we made our way forward on horseback. True to their word the women brought eight others to assist on the trip. Two were indeed Sherpas though they had no more desire to be here than anyone else. Two were horse handlers one of them led the way through the and the other was at the back of the line. Every horse had a sled pulled behind them. Because we were moving through the snow one of them was singing an animated princess song. He didn’t sound much like her.

           This was like a trip to a department store with Christmas in June. I pulled my parka tightly around me. Faith came and rode next to me. “I’m glad you decided to come.” She said.

“Thanks.” I muttered. I had sworn of romance though I had to admit she was growing on me. After thinking I was going to die for so many years having a girlfriend did have its appeal. Ahead the trees were parting. We rode out into a clearing. “Oh, we’re is this a horse path?”

           “No,” I said apprehensive. “This is an avalanche chute.” I had worked enough in the mountains to know it when I saw it. “Hey, hey you.” I called to the man leading us and urged my horse forward., Faith stayed right beside me. “Are you familiar with this terrain?” I asked. The snow path extended up and down as far as the eye could see. It was as wide as a river. The gentleman was a cowboy with tinted glasses. I wanted briefly to be back in my house watching a cowboy movie with Snowball bless him trying to rip my arm off.

           “Nah, just following the route that these gals gave me.” He said with a Texas lilt. The guy seemed experienced and hard-bitten. But that meant very little on turf he didn’t know. I turned to Faith to express my misgivings. Somewhere higher up the mountain we heard something break loose. The cowboy guide looked up the slope sharply. “Ride!” He shouted. “Move!” He screamed loudly to those behind us. We needed to get into the trees not that, that was any guarantee of safety. The rumble was distant.

           We couldn’t see the avalanche yet. Jayanti was riding by us she looked cheerful. “It’s just like in that movie with army riding and she shot the thing!” The Sherpas were getting their horses to run. The rafting guides and the hunters were in a dead panic. The female rafting guide’s horse was struggling I rode to her and helped pull it by the stirrup to its feet. The mist of snow rushing down the mountain was visible now. Multiple people cursed loudly and urged their horses forward in a new language we invented on the spot.

           Jayanti was singing a song about manhood as we crossed into the tree line. Snow was flowing into the forest. It finally hit my horse at mid-level. The others were crying out in fear but the snow flow wasn’t as strong here where it had to move through the trees. So, I learned that our guides were ill suited and Jayanti was insane. Good to know. When the snow subsided, we took stock of the situation. Nobody was dead thankfully. There were some bumps and bruises from rocks and sticks.

           Two of the horses had gashes along their sides. Jayanti was still singing happily Faith shot her a glare. She reminded me of the Sergeant I gave orders to as an officer, to pass on to my men. “We need to talk.” I heard her say. There was a brief argument as we struggled to clear our horses and the sleds of the snow. Most everyone was talking and complaining. Only the two men who were sharp shooters along in case of bears or mountain lions talked quietly and calmly. Finally, Faith came back to me.

           “Sorry about that. We had to have a little confab there. We’ve decided that the risk level is too high to continue overland for the full distance. There is provision in the will for that.” She said happily. “We’re going to be airlifted to the river.” The raft guides looked up at that. “The horses and their handlers will be leaving us. The cowboy and a younger guy I assume was his son gave each other a fist bump at that news. I wished they’d take me with them.

           Hours later two Ospreys lifted us out of the snow. The warmth felt nice. Your mind can learn to deal with intense cold but it’s not something you ever really get to enjoy. I was happy to have the blood flowing back into my face. It was good to know my chin was still attached. We flew for an or two and then the aircraft landed in a staging area still high in the mountains beside a crystal blue river. “Wow, that is beautiful.” I said. “I didn’t know there were any rivers this big this high in the mountains.” Jayanti walked to me nodding happily.

           “Yes, Silas had his engineers dredge and levy the stream using helicopters. It flows right to the base of the mountain we still have to climb.” She said cheerily. That gave me pause. Military fitness is a cut above the average. Only Olympic fitness goes higher. However, I wasn’t thrilled at the prospect of trying my rusty skills at climbing the face of a mountain. Home and couch, I closed my eyes and wondered if I’d ever see them again. And sweet Snowball who was undoubtedly trying to bite his way through the wall to come find me.

           We inflated the rafts and donned dry suits. Why was I doing this again? Oh, right the inheritance. The raft guides were somewhat happier on the water though the nature of the river so high in the mountains and so far from help wasn’t thrilling anyone. Chilly wind bit us to the bone again and again. Ah well at least nobody was shooting at me here. Faith and Jayanti were in the same raft as I was and were talking animatedly as we approached a large boulder with scratch marks on it.