Deep in the Alaskan wood, gold miners are exposed to the elements and unforgiving wilderness. Though they expect the unexpected, an unknown danger lurks in the forest, hellbent on revenge and destruction. Ranger Alice Frost is assigned to investigat...
The moon sits high above them in the sky, the slight, cold breeze prickling the skin on Alice's arms. The forest has been quiet since they climbed out of the cave, but every now and then Alice gets a chilling feeling and takes a quick look behind her. Her and Jake follow West through the trees, using his drone as a guide.
"I saw a blip of heat just up ahead, in a little building. Might be a mountain man trying to live in peace, so let me do the talking." He gives an extra glance at Jake, who doesn't try to hide his eyeroll. "We don't want to get ourselves into trouble."
Alice looks back at Jake who is mocking West, sticking his tongue out as he mouths the words.
"Real mature," she mouths back at him, and he winks.
"Okay." West whispers, crouching down beside some thick trees. "We are going to approach while scuffing our feet, maybe let a cough out or something, clear your throat," He looks at Alice and she nods, "Let him have a chance to realize someone's outside his house. We don't want to surprise him and end up on the business end of a shotgun."
"Why are we coming here and not just trying to get back to camp?" Jake asks again, even though West explained everything already.
"Because," West responds, keeping his voice even as he lands the drone on his knee and puts it back in his belt. "We are on the other side of the mountain and it would take us 'till dawn to get back to camp. We can't be out here that long in the open." All three of them instinctively look behind them into the darkness. Alice fights back a shiver. "Let's go." He says as one final command, and he stands up straight, Alice and Jake on his heels, and walks toward the little house.
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To call it a house would be generous. It's a shed, at best, with one window sending a soft orange glow onto the mossy ground. The moss muffles their steps, so West coughs a couple times, and Alice clears her throat, making it extra dramatic. Shuffling is heard from inside, and as West steps up the rickety steps to the door and goes to knock, there is a bearded man in the window. Alice holds back a scream as she jumps, grabbing onto Jake's arm. He smirks to himself.
"Hey there," West says in a friendly loud tone. The old man eyes his gun slung across his back and glares at him. West notices and doesn't change his demeanor. "We got a little lost today, and-"
"Get outta here," The man spits, his voice thick and tired.
"Sir, please," Alice cut in, peering through Jake and West's shoulders, the top her her red hair shining in the moonlight and her eyes twinkling. She may have started to tear up for good measure. She continues, "We've been walking all night, we don't even know what time it is-" she sucks in a breath, "I'm just tired and cold and I swear we just need to rest." She pleads with her eyes, the other two men at her sides quiet. The old man grinds his teeth, looks at them all one more time and curses to himself.
"Fine," he growls, "but all that fancy shit stays outside, ya' hear me, boy?" He stares West down, and West simply smiles an innocent smile and immediately starts unhooking his utility belt.
