Aednat and the Wolf

Chapter 30 North Tower

"I got an idea," Rosemary said, "Let's put the jack up against that thingy."

"What are you planning?"

"I think we can use the jack to pop open the trunk lid."

"OW! You hit my head that bar."

"Sorry Nit, the flash light isn't that good. I'm going to move the bar again." They had the jack turned sideways the base firmly against the floor of the trunk and the top against the trunk latch. They were using the tire iron to turn the threaded rod and having difficulty finding enough space to turn the rod and extend the jack.

"It's taking forever to do this."

"I hope we don't suffocate first! We've been at this for hours!"

"One more turn I think," Aednat whispered, "how do we keep the lid from this flying open?"

"I'll hold it down just one more turn. There it popped." They both opened the trunk hood just enough to peek out.

"We are really moving fast!"

The car following them saw the hood open slightly and the girls peeking out. "Look at that our little ladies got the trunk open," the Fifth Lord said.

"Shall I speed up and tell the Overlord?"

"No, they aren't going anywhere, let them think they have a chance."

"I got a plan," Rosemary whispered, "When the time is right we can stop time, grab the other amulets and run like hell."

"That may be our best option."

"We're slowing down."

"Let me peek. We just drove past a toll booth...hear that sound were on a bridge."

"Should we wait until we slow down?"

"Let's go NOW!" thinking the incantation they threw open the trunk lid and jumped out of the trunk. They ran over to the doors, opened it. Rosemary took a hand gun from the driver and Aednat the Overlord's gun and pulled the pendants off his chain and stuffed them into her bra. She also smashed his face a couple of times with his gun. "I owed you that creep!"

"The big green cable lets climb that!" Rosemary shouted as she tossed the gun off the bridge. Aednat tossed her gun and mounting the huge suspension cable joined Rosemary as they began climbing toward the top of the north tower. It took her captives several long seconds to realize the girls had escaped and longer seconds to realize they had all the pendants. They slammed on their brakes totally stopping one lane of south bound traffic. They ran out of the cars.

"Don't shoot them!" the Overlord screamed in rage and frustration, they have the pendants." He then realized his nose was bleeding and two teeth were missing. "Up on the cables, I need those girls!" the two hired men were the first to mount the cable and pursue the girls. The First and Fifth Lord next with the Overlord last. The climb up the cable became increasingly steep as they ascended. The distance between the girls and the men steadily increasing. The wind was picking up as they gained altitude and a light sprinkling of freezing rain started.

"Don't look down Aediy!" Rosemary shouted looking over her shoulder. "We're out distancing them."

The Fifth Lord stepped on and ice patch on the cable. Initially he lost his footing then with a horrifying scream fell hundreds of feet into the freezing waters of the Straights of Mackinaw.

"One down!" Aednat shouted.

********

"They've turned south," David said as they continued to follow the flight of the birds.

"Heading for the Big Mac," Officer Jerry said. They were moving quickly with siren sounding and lights blazing. "I'm going to call ahead and see if we can stop them." Before he could make the call a voice called from the radio of possible jumpers on the bridge. The call mentioned two of the jumpers were wearing prison jump suits.

"It's the girls!" Eric said his voice cracking. The bridge traffic was stopped and bridge security directed traffic to clear the bridge. Officer Jerry's car was waved through onto the bridge and they watched in horror as one man plunged off the bridge. They stopped in front of the two Cadillacs. David and Eric raced from the car and onto the cables in hot pursuit.

Jerry called the bridge crew as asked if there was another route to the top of the north tower. He was told to wait and a maintenance worker would be there shortly to take him to the top. It seemed to take an eternity when a truck drove up and he was given a bright yellow vest and hard hat and driven to the north tower.

*******

"Man it's getting real slippery," David said to Eric as they climbed steadily closing the gap between them and the group of men. Ice was building up on the huge cable and on the hand wires they were holding for support.

"I wish the girls would slow down a bit," Eric said. "I'm so afraid for them."

The girls reached the last few hundred feet of cable leading to the top of the north tower. The final run was nearly vertical. "Just a little more Sis," Rosemary shouted above the wind. Their feet were slipping with each step making them loose half the distance gained with each step. Rosemary stepped over the rail and onto a raised platform and slipped. Before she even thought of crying out a huge gray and white wolf seized her wrist gently but firmly and pulled her onto the platform. A large black wolf assisted Aednat to gain the platform. They climbed down from the platform and onto the very top of the north tower.

"We're about five hundred feet up," Siofra said, "What a fantastic view."

"Loki, you're hear too!" Aednat said surprised.

"That's Mackinaw Island," Rosemary said pointing, "How did you get here?"

"You don't get to be the only one to have fun," Loki said. "Your group of admires will reach the top in a few minutes."

"Then what do we do?" Rosemary whispered. The first man reached the raised platform and raised his hand gun. Loki stepped in front of the girls as the man fired his gun and Loki collapsed. Leman reached shooter at that same instant knocking the man off the platform then falling as he screamed. Leman spun around in an attempt to regain his footing slipping off the edge and plummeting off the platform taking a second man on the platform with him.

"Leman no!" Siofra shouted. Then as she rushed to Loki as he lay on the ground bleeding.