Chapter Two
Crazy Man
The cold winds blew the scent of my prey to me. He’d taken the bait and I felt a thrill of adrenaline at the knowing of it. Today, at least, would have some challenge to it.
I waited a moment longer before standing up from my concealment directly in the path of the adult male Kodiak bear. It reared up on its hind legs with a roar of challenge at my sudden unexpected appearance. I laughed, as the thrill of danger swept through me and I chucked the spear in my hand hard at the bear.
I could’ve killed it with a well aimed throw, but I didn’t want the excitement to be over so soon. The spear lodged deeply into the bear’s shoulder and its roar turned to a rageful blast, even as a hate filled wrath entered the bear’s eyes.
“Well come on big boy! Give it your best shot!” I yelled out in defiance at it.
I ducked off to the side, as the bear lunged forward. I took off down the path running easily letting my stride widen out. I could feel the bear closing in on me from behind. I ducked off to the side of the trail suddenly and the bear, in an effort to halt its rolling bulk and follow down the divergent path I had taken, smashed sideways into a tree and roared at the pain of it. Before the bear could gather itself I claimed a spear I had left along the path and jabbed it deeply into the side of the bear twice.
With one mighty paw strike it snapped the offending spear in half and I took off running again. It was time to end this fight. I ran into a group of tightly grown together trees and grabbed up the homemade long sword that I had left there.
The bear’s speedy pursuit was slowed down by having to dodge in and around the tightly packed trees. There was a small open area within the pack of trees and that was where I waited for the bear, sword in hand.
Yeah, I was crazy, and what I was about was entirely foolish, but who cared anyway. I didn’t. If they all thought I was crazy, then so be it, I would be crazy in all its glory. At least I was having a moment of fun and a test of challenge to liven up my otherwise boring monotony. It was my island anyway and I could do whatever I wanted, which included fighting bears in single combat.
The bear reared up snarling and swung at me with either long talon tipped paw and I swung back with my sword, as my screams of war match the bear’s roars for intensity of feeling. It was close a few times, but in the end the bear fell forward ponderously its throat sliced away.
I approached its fallen bulk and Crusader style I jammed my sword down through the back of the bear’s neck affixing it to the ground. Resting a foot on the bear’s large head I threw my head back and roared my own cry of victory. Make no mistake of it that I, John Kilroy, had killed this day and remained king of my island.
The bear meat roasting on the fire was a welcome relief from the fish and other small game I typically had to survive on. The bear had swam ashore from a neighboring Aleutian Island two days ago. It had been a fatal decision, but now all the excitement was over. Back to my humdrum existence, I thought to myself, staring sourly into the flames of the fire.
I didn’t much mind being alone on an island by myself. Having a woman along would have been a relief in some ways, but not so much in other ways. They talked too much. I was here till I died so what did it matter anyway.
The bear meat was done so I pulled it away from the flames. I had just torn off a bite of the steaming meat with my teeth, when I heard the sounds of a whisper soft chopper. My head turned in the direction of the slight disturbance of air, as my keen senses picked up on every clue to identify the source of the noise.
It was an expensive technology that rendered the rotary beats of the chopper virtually soundless. It was an expensive item such as what the Agency could both afford and likely would employ. So they had come to visit me on my island prison.
Why?
My internment here had been for forever with no chance of parole. Had they come to kill me?
A savage joy at the prospect of them even trying to do that surged through me. The coming confrontation would be far better than any fight with a bear. I had a few old scores that I wanted to settle.
I started to pick up my sword, but thought better of it. That would be too obvious and put them on their guard too much. I’d finished them off with my knives, if my hands weren’t enough to do the job. One way or another I’d make their visit to the island a memorable one.