Trip the Trap

Hunter sat back in his chair trying to bring himself back under control. "The list of things I will not fuck with is very short. And the wendigo is very high on that list." Juliet's eyes were saucers. She was attached to every word he said. He went into the gritty details emphasizing his issues with this job. Hanson kept his cool as he regaled them with the story. This was all new for him as well.

Even with access to Hunter's old military records, if it was reported wrong then he couldn't have known. To have gone through that... 

They have been through hell in this job. There was no denying that. But something like this was out of their know-how. It also explains a lot of Hunter's current policies. Especially the standby for extraction policy for emergencies. Learning from the mistakes of others is a great way to progress yourself without the repercussions. Hunter learned from someone else's mistake that almost cost him everything.

Everyone was still in a stunned state from his story. Hunter was the only one making any kind of noise. All he did was mess with his plastic container as he played with his food. "Now you all know a bit more about me." No one knew where to go after that. The evening stayed quiet as the dark started to roll in. Adam was accompanied by Hanson for most of the evening as the two caught up on getting the alarms logged. Cooper took a spot on a chair for the evening. This left Hunter and Juliet to sleep in peace. They decided to share the bed so as Hanson went to bed, he would not be forced to sneak around.

The sun came up beaming through the slats again. Adam was laid back in his chair messing with his game and dealing with alarms as they came up. Nothing sparked his interest through the night. As the rest of the group started to stir he took the chance to start to wind down. Hanson was the first up as usual. He started getting things together.

The kitchen was just a short trip away. Hanson looked at the main entryway as he passed. The giant hunk of metal that lay bolted there gave him an unsettling feeling. The job was not yet done and the clock just kept ticking away. The coffee helped break the dispare. The aroma got Hunter up from his sleep.

Basecamp called in at the start of their day. Local authorities were going to start heading down into the tunnel that was found to retrieve the bodies. Examiners were going to be set up with their equipment at the camp allowing the information to come to them in real time. The more they could learn, the quicker they could get to the bottom of it. The beast had not shown itself to them just yet. They were going to need to lure this thing out at this rate.

Recovering those who went missing was going to be the key. Hunter's theory from the condition of the bodies was that it was keeping them for eating. The area they were in was very still. The air was still preventing it from bringing pollutants from the outside. Being the old mine, it dried out while they were working on pulling ores. The dry air helped preserve them further. Lastly, it was cold. And cold is a necessity for preservation. If the beast was using the bodies as food, then removing that source would force it to hunt again.

Cooper was working with the group to get it cleared out. Hunter was matching photos and profiles against the bodies they pulled out. They ran lights down to the caves and brought in ventilation. Short of getting the old minecarts running again, the mine was full of life once more. Even with the death being pulled from it.

32 of the 35 missing persons were accounted for. Many of them were from teams that were sent in after the incident was first reported. All the original Balton Cabin visitors were accounted for. That was the first contract goal.

The day ended with the cave being emptied. They began looking at the bodies that they pulled as soon as they were returned to base camp. It would be a few days before they got all the information from all of them. Hunter and Hanson didn't see that as an option. Time was now a major player. As the beast would move, it would want to feed. Without its storage, it would need to come out of hiding to hunt once again.

Tonight would be the last safe night they would have. They knew it.

Everyone was sent to bed. The alarm for the cameras was set loud enough that someone would wake up. It did go off a few times through the night but to nothing of concern. Morning came again with the group looking rather ragged. Juliet had issues sleeping with the thought that they poked the bear. Adam was adjusting to his overnight schedule before getting railroaded to the day shift with everyone else.

Hanson and Hunter seemed to have their own problems. They just looked disheveled. Hunter had bags under his eyes as though he hadn't been sleeping at all. Hanson seemed to be having issues with his motor skills. His hands were shaking at the simplest of tasks. If he ever added anything to his coffee, he wouldn't need to stir it.

Basecamp checked in with them, as was the normal. As much fun as Cooper had delving into the old mine tunnels, he was happy with his post by the trucks. They expect things to begin changing today. Cooper would make sure that his barrier around the base camp was the first and foremost one that would be upheld. Beyond that, everything else was a second priority. The basement entrance to the mine would be sealed. If something broke into the cabin then the noise would be loud enough for those inside to be alerted.

A new game was afoot. Now, it was time to hunt. Teams still went through the surrounding areas looking for tracks and other clues that the wendigo was active. Being so early in the season, they weren't hopeful. There was still plenty of foliage on the trees. The weather was starting to cool off but not to anything where there would be any issues. The first threat of snow wasn't for another month. They just had to hope that this thing would be around.

Some good news came about near sunset. One of the search teams had taken a path they had not used before finding a dead elk that was mauled. The photos they sent back to have examined were not able to identify if it was a bear, wolf, or other predator in the area. This was a sign though. It may have finally come out of hiding. The word was passed along.

The rest of the afternoon was spent double-checking the integrity of the trap. Hunter was brave enough to walk through it. He checked the dimensions from the inside by reaching his arms out. Anyone who would have to run through it would be fine to do so. There was plenty of clearance for a normal-sized human being.

Hunter gave Juliet a chance to leave. He offered her the last escort back to basecamp where the ward was standing. Hanson offered the same to Adam. To neither's surprise, they both elected to stay. As the last group made their exit, the group was left alone. Hunter could feel it in the air. The tense sensation of everyone holding their breath waiting. Was this going to be the night?

He wasn't going to take the chance though. The shotguns were loaded to the brim. Hanson sat in one of the chairs with it on his lap while his head lay back. He was going to get as much shut-eye as he could. Hunter stayed on the bed staring at the door. He was waiting for anything to try and come through.

The hours passed until the chill of the night began to permeate the room. Everything seemed to begin to fall into a lull until it echoed through the woods. A piercing scream of the damned soul wandering among them. Juliet froze in place as it filled her ears. Adam covered his ears while gritting his teeth. It was enough to stir Hanson from his light sleep. Hunter, he was ready. The radio lit up before the message was sent from base camp, "Did you hear that? Over."

Hansom moved himself to the desk to send the reply, "I assure you, we did. Over." It was out there. It was hunting once again. It was only minutes before it screamed again. It was getting closer. If it was still looking, then there was a good chance it was heading for them. Hanson took to the radio before they could send a message this time, "Ensure everyone is not only inside the ward, but inside as well. More cover, the better. Over." The message was acknowledged before the radio went dark once again.

Juliet began to shake in place as she thought about it. "Hunter, is there anything more we should know about this Wendigo?" He kept his eyes locked on the door. There was nothing that was going to shake his concentration, "Because of its reversion to its baser instincts, its vision is based on movement. It has sharp hearing as well. As long as you stay still and quiet, it will have a hard time finding you. But it knows you're afraid of it. It will do what it can to try and shake you. You can't let it do that."

Was he telling her or telling himself? His fingers were tracing along the trigger guard of the gun sitting on his lap. He was very uneasy. Throughout the whole trip, he had mentioned his displeasure with this type of monster. He made it a point during their first visit that he did not want to be around this thing. The strong history with this type of beast played a large part.

The night dragged as it got silent. There was no activity around the cabin or on the trails. The cameras were not reporting movement even with the unease hanging in the air. They could just feel that the beast was around. Adam was manning the computer keeping any alarms quiet while he watched. The last bit of natural light disappeared from the room. One more screech echoed as the day turned to night.

Adam started pointing to screens as he saw motion. None were clear as to what they were. The better cameras were reserved for monitoring closer to the cabin and base camp. But Adam worked his magic, tracking down the trail he suspected the beast to take getting a clear photo of it. It was as Hunter had described it. Its limbs were elongated, stretching its skin into a paper-thin sheet showing its veins. Its hair was gone leaving its body with a bald sheen. Its face looked human for the most part. Its teeth were too long for it to close its jaw showing that they were jagged and misshapen. Adam passed the screenshot along to Basecamp for their records with the location. The response he got was to be expected. They had not seen it until now and it was an image of horror.

Hunter kept his eyes locked on the door. He was waiting for the moment. They were going to push it out of the room and to the living room through brute force. He was ready for a fight. His eyes strained as he watched the doorknob until the taste of blood touched his tongue. In his focus, he didn't notice he was biting his lip to the point where it broke the skin. It forced him to breathe.

He took a tissue to deal with the bleeding before going back to his post. He kept himself loose this time. Kept an eye on his tension. Hanson was working over Adam's shoulder at the cameras. The waiting was torture.

Another piercing scream echoed through the woods. It was further away than before. The radio broke the silence with the sound of a panicked voice, "Cabin, this is basecamp. We have a sighting of the target near our location. The wards seem to be holding but we're not sure if it's working."

Hanson looked to Hunter for an answer, "What should we do, sir?" He gripped the stock of his weapon twisting at it. "We end this. We bring the fight to it, and lure it back here to the trap." He slammed his foot on the hardwood floor as he stood up, "Juliet! Adam! You lock that door and you open it for no one until we give the all-clear! Barricade it! Bolt it! Do anything to make it harder to break in!"

There was an authority in his voice that they had never heard before. This wasn't a job anymore. This was a battle. One small battle in a long raging war. "Hanson, you and I are going to do what contractors do." There was an excitement in the unease, finally! Hunter was done being the hunted. He was ready to get out and live up to his name. With his people in danger, this was his motivation to conquer that fear that had its grip on him. The fear was there but it had been channeled to action.

The bedroom door closed with Hunter and Hanson giving one more nod before they left. The sound of scraping could be heard as Juliet and Adam started moving anything heavy to the door. Back on camera, Adam watched as the two made their way down the main path towards the road with base camp. With a radio on his shoulder, Hunter checked in with both sites, "Basecamp, this is callsign Rover, do you still see the target." Their reply was muffled, "Yes, it's still near camp. We can hear it walking around just outside the ward."

"Cabin, are you monitoring our progress?"

"You're coming in clear. We have eyes on you. "Adam tried to sound as authoritative as he could but it was obvious his nerves were getting him.

Juliet may have had seniority but Adam was in charge for this moment. He knew the systems, he knew the cameras. He was their eyes behind them as they moved.

The road came into sight as the two approached. Their quick movements were brought to a crawl as they knew that motion was how this beast found its food. Hunter looked around the area while Hanson kept focused on Basecamp. They had been here so many times before but this time was eerie. No one was out. The lights were on, and a generator hummed to keep power going but no one was there. The truck where the radio was kept had its lights on. Hanson caught eyes with someone inside who pointed to their left.

Hanson caught Hunter's attention to give him the sign of where they needed to move to. Hanson took the lead while Hunter kept his eyes everywhere else. The two started moving around until they were hit with a wall of unease. This was the ward that was placed. It was being amplified from the inside to keep the wendigo out. They could only hope it was working.

The screech echoed in their heads bringing both of them to a hard stop. There was a loud thump from the sound of something landing on metal. Hunter was facing backward from where they came to see the gray blur that they had been hunting land on the hood of a police vehicle parked on the street. The ward didn't reach that far but was close. It was having an effect on it. It kept looking in towards the camp but any movement towards it was discouraged by the ward. It jumped off the car to the pavement crawling around on all fours before standing it.

Hunter kept his movements slow and smooth, keeping himself trained on it. It towered over him by many feet. Hunter was by no means a small guy. 6' flat and just at a quick judgment, the Wendigo was 14' or more. He reaffirmed his grip on his gun keeping the sights on target.

It started wandering off further down the road testing the ward barrier as it went. "Hanson, we are going to head back to the main trail before we draw its attention." The sound of Hanson turning around was all the affirmation he needed. The two moved down the road using the little light from the camp to keep their eyes on it. Hanson was the first to move towards the trail. Once his foot hit the dirt he tapped Hunter on the shoulder. Hunter took a few steps back before he took a knee.

The first shot rang out shattering the quiet with an orange glow of flame. The creature screeched, turning to where the blast came from to get another burst of flame to its chest. Hanson racked his slide, throwing the empty two shells to the ground before moving backward. It started to charge but was hit again by Hunter before it could get speed. The buckshot mixed with the fire was enough to knock it backward in pain. Instead of running, this thing only got angry. It took another step into another burst knocking it properly to the ground.

It wiggled before flipping over. Hunter racked the slide and the two stayed as still as they could close to a tree. It wasn't able to see them but it knew where it came from. Once it hit the start of the trail both of them opened fire on it. Four cones of fire hit the monster in rapid succession before the two started sprinting down the trail. Hunter grabbed his radio, "We are heading back to the cabin! We're going to spring the trap!"

The gravel and rock under their feet were the giveaway of where they were. Both were sprinting at top speed keeping away from their target chasing them. Halfway down the trail Adam's voice came over the radio, "I've got you back on camera!" Hunter didn't have the ability to respond. His feet were doing what they could to keep him moving forward.

The creature screeched as it pursued. They could hear it crashing through the low branches tearing them from the trees. Turning around would only slow them down. They had to make the break down the path to the cabin and get inside. Their trap was waiting through the main door, ready to go. The trail had one more slight curve in it before they could see the cabin. They were almost there!

Their road was blocked. The creature was ungodly fast with the ability to project itself forward at great speeds. It knew where they were heading and it was able to get ahead of them. Hanson slowed to a stop while Hunter skidded along on his heels. It stood before them with its massive size, towering over them with its mouth open. Those razor teeth were stained from its meals. It let out half a screech before its face was filled with another plume of fire.

Hanson had taken one shot at the only opportunity he saw. Hunter followed with another two pushing the monster back and off to the side as it tried to dodge the blasts. The two kicked off again heading down with their salvation in sight. Hunter came to one more stop to stall for time. Hanson had to get inside, through the trap, and to the trigger before they were ready. The wendigo took two more blows from the shotgun before Hunter made his exit indoors.

He ducked under the metal clearing the inside of the trap with one leap. The wendigo followed behind in a rage, howling as it leaped through the door into the metal cage waiting for it. Hanson threw the switch, dropping the heavy doors down. The heavy metal slammed against the bottom rails as the creature's arms were extended through, snapping the bone and separating most of the arm from the body.

Up until now, it had only screamed to scare. This howl was piercing. It was a cry of pain and anger that had been pent up and released all at once. Its teeth began to mash against the metal as it tried to bite its way through. It screamed as it fought, kicking at the back of the cage.

Hunter took a breath as he saw the monster was caught. Hanson leaned against the activated lever mechanism. The grinding of metal brought them both back. The monster kept grabbing at the gate with its teeth throwing its head back. The front gate that had severed its arms was moving. Its strength was enough to lift the heavy door. Its own arms prevented the latch from activating meaning only half the trap was activated. If it lifted that gate, then they were trapped in the cabin with it.

Hunter got himself back up ready for another round of flame. Hanson stood at the ready as it continued to fight. Their fear was realized when it threw the gate up to get its shoulders under it. The leftover stub of the arms was enough for it to push itself up. It stepped out from the cage grimacing at where the two were last seen moving. With a wild swipe, it missed Hunter by only inches. Had its arms been there, he would have taken a face full of claws. Hanson fired off two rounds before racking again.

Its skin had been charred by the many shots they put into it before. Some of it was still glowing from the embers. The more head and pressure they put on it, the worse it seemed to get. They were doing damage to it but now, they had no way to stop it. It screamed at the flame taking another wild swipe at Hanson. Another miss from the shortened arms. It did what it could to protect its face from the flames while swaying back and forth swinging at where they were.

The duo managed to double back through the kitchen into the main living room. There was a lot more space to spread out but more angles for it to come from. It crawled through the kitchen door using its stumps to hold itself up. With one more scream, it rattled the windows around the cabin. The two fired two more shots each into the wendigo. It scorched the door frame around it along with the monster itself.

The fight had only begun though. It showed no signs of slowing down. One quick jump and it was able to throw itself from the floor up into the elaborate light fixture. The two stopped moving, keeping their sights trained close to it as it swayed back and forth. It struggled to keep itself up without most of its arms. Hanson took his opportunity to fire again. He hit the fixture chain letting it crash to the floor. It shattered across the hardwood with glass going everywhere, in all directions. The wendigo got the worst of it as its not softly burnt skin was penetrable.

Shards stuck out of it only adding to the pain and anger. Hanson went for two more shots but was left empty. Hunter threw him what he could to get him back in the fight but that left him with only what he had left. Hanson racked his new shells and the two waited for the monster to make the next move. It screamed again looking around for them. As they stood still, it wasn't able to easily find them. Knowing it was in danger, it made rapid movements around the room. As it hit the walls, pillars, and furniture, it struggled to keep itself upright. It couldn't shift its weight without its arms to better adjust. It would fall face-first into objects and roll around to get back to its feet. The two were forced to wait until it came back around to them.

Even turning to face it was enough movement for it to see them. They kept listening as it wandered around them, huffing and panting from the pain. But it was determined to win and kill again.

I came back into Hunter's sight as it rounded the large window looking out into the open grassy area. He shifted himself slowly to keep square with it. Hanson started to move with it. The two were trained on it just waiting for the chance.

Then it happened. Their fatal mistake.

Hunter's foot caught a piece of glass. His footing gave, bringing him to a knee with a loud thump. The jarring motion caught the attention of their unwanted guest. With one leap he went straight for him, mouth open, eyes aflame with anger. Hanson took a wild shot missing by only inches behind the creature. It was too fast.

Hunter's instinct kicked in. He brought the gun butt up slamming the rubber stock into the bottom of the chin. It didn't stop the forward momentum but it stopped the teeth from sinking in.

The two rolled across the floor picking up glass as they went. Hunter was on bottom as the creature tried to claw at him with the arms it no longer had. His shotgun was the only thing keeping it away. It made every attempt it could to try to take a piece out of him. Hanson was left unable to act from a distance. A shot from these rounds could easily engulf both of them.

Hunter finally got his chance. It reared back before coming in giving him the chance to move to the side. He slammed the gun into the side of its head again and again fighting for his life. As it tried to block he would go from another angle making solid contact every time.

The blows were taking effect. The creature began to react slower the more of a beating it took. Hunter didn't show any sign of letting up either. He railed and wailed on it until he could get himself up. Once on his knees, he continued to beat the monster into the hardwood.

He threw himself onto the shoulders shoving both barrels into its now bleeding jaw. Two loud bangs rang out with a plume of flame. He racked it and another two bangs with a large plume erupting from its mouth and eyes.

He racked it again but with two clicks this time. He kept racking it and it kept clicking but the monster didn't move. Finally, he took a breath. The screaming died down as he started to realize. Its mouth was charred. Its eyes were burnt out of its head. The creature was dead, for now.

Wendigo never really dies. When the host is no longer suitable they will return to a spirit form to hunt for another host. The fight was only over for now.

Hanson helped Hunter back to his feet getting him to the arm of the couch. He wasn't able to sit back with the glass shards that were embedded in his back. They would need to be looked at and removed by a professional. The silence of the victory broke as Hunter went reaching for his radio. It had fallen off and skidded across the floor during the scuffle. Hanson brought it to him. He gave one message, "Juliet, Adam, start packing. We are done here."

The sound of the scraping furniture on the wood upstairs echoed through the place. The upstairs door opened with hesitation before Juliet snuck a peak downstairs. The wood was scorched all over the place. The chandelier was on the floor in a million pieces. Laying there, motionless, was the creature from Adam's videos. But most importantly were Hunter and Hanson still standing. For better or worse.

Hunter definitely had the worst of it. Nothing broken, but a few cracked bones and enough glass to make a whole dining set. He was moved with a medical cart to Basecamp where he was better looked at. It was suspected that no surgery would be needed but he did need better medical attention. There were going to be a lot of stitches.

His last order to the group before he was driven off in the ambulance was simple, "Burn the cabin to the ground." They were done here. Equipment was packed, officials were dismissed, and the recovered bodies were properly moved to be handled later. This nightmare was over.

As ordered, the cabin was burnt to the ground. By the time the embers had settled, the only thing left standing was the failed metal cage. Everything else was blackened ash on the mountainside. It was a few days before Hunter could be released. His stitches would have to be removed in a few weeks but he was cleared for travel. Hanson's debrief was brief. It included the names of those they found, and the two still missing. They documented the wendigo before they burnt the place down around it to ensure that they could prove the job was done. It was advised that the cabin be forgotten. The trail up to it will be destroyed by the road with new foliage and everything else left to grow over. The wall by the road should be finished to close off the entrance.

It was advised anyway. It was up to the owning company to do with what they wanted. But they would have this explained to them with an emphasis on the risks of continued operation in the area. But it was done. It was over. The Balton Cabin nightmare was over.

Hunter was ordered to house rest for a few weeks by Hanson. Food was brought to him and prepared by his lovely succubus to help speed his healing. His stitches were removed with no complications and his collection of scars grew. Within the month, things returned to normal once again in the office.