Justice in the Land of the Midnight Sun

Justice in the Land of the Midnight Sun © Michael L. Kryder Main Character -- Dave Warren Dave has a certain presence about him; just by looking at him he projected a feeling of complete competence. He has a strong chin line which gives him a rugged look to his facial features. He has light brown hair that turned darker as he aged. He has a strong physique, six foot one, broad shoulders and muscular arms. He walks with determination. His hazel colored eyes have a piercing look. He could stare a hole right through you and make you feel uncomfortable -- unless of course he was smiling with a sneer. Then you should realize you’re in real trouble. Featuring -- Beardog Dave noticed the pup didn’t really look like a Labrador at all. The body was much longer, the legs were thicker and the bushy tail was that of a wolf. In addition, the pup had the traditional wolf ruff on his back. After another few minutes, he was slowly petting the pup. Dave got a firm grip on the neck, not hard enough to hurt the pup but firm enough that Dave could get a look at the pup’s teeth. The dog still definitely had young puppy teeth, large but none the less young puppy teeth. The teeth angled back more than a dog. It must have been the wolf influence. The paws were the final give away. As the puppy moved away from Dave the paws spread out as the pup put pressure on them. Extremely wide massive paws. Dave looked at the woman and asked, “How much is this pup?” She said, “200 dollars.” For a moment Dave thought she was going to jack the price up. He smiled to himself. He said he wanted to look at the other pups one more time. They walked back down by the barn. Dave didn’t bother to go in. The other pups had the traditional Alaskan wolf look and certainly would be more of what people would expect a hybrid to look like. Dave looked up the hill. He said, “I’ll take the black one”. Dave had brought a leash and collar with him as well as an extra old blanket. Now he wished he had brought some dog bones. He reached for his wallet. He took out two one hundred dollar bills and told the woman thank you very much. He didn’t ask for a bill of sale. He walked with the woman back up the hill to the pen. He carried the pup to the Suburban. He placed the blanket on the front seat and sat the dog down next to him. He looked at the pup. It looked like a small bear cub, not because it was so large, it just actually looked like a bear cub. He said, “Okay Beardog, let’s go home”. The pup now had a name. He backed out of the drive and onto the country road without looking back. Example -- Justice in the Land of the Midnight Sun He heard the sound of snow machines when Don and Red came up over the ridge. Levy was yelling for them to help him. He was waving one arm and screaming. He didn’t know who it was. He thought he lucked out and some hunters or fishermen were on their way to their camp. As Levy watched, he could see the people on the snow machines were just sitting there looking at him. He continued to wave and call for help. It wouldn’t take long for Levy to freeze to death or get caught in the current and be washed under the ice. Red got off his machine and went back where his pack was strapped down. He reached in and got a thermos of coffee. He very casually asked Don if he wanted a cup. Red said, “Justice in the land of the midnight sun!” Don said, “What do you think? Will he freeze to death or drown under the Ice?” Red said, “Well, those are the only two options. Even if this asshole gets out, he can’t get to a shelter in time and will freeze to death.” Both Red and Don pulled the hoods on their parkas over their heads. Red knew he was the leading law enforcement officer in the entire State of Alaska and had a duty to uphold the law. Maybe his time in Vietnam had changed him. The natives seem to have their own justice and it isn’t above the law but merely expanded the reach of justice. He knew if this guy got back safely, he would be arrested and serve more time in a correctional institution. He also knew it wasn’t hard time. He saw how easy correctional institutions treated their quests. He also knew it would be only a matter of time until Levy was back home inflicting the same pain and suffering. No. It wasn’t going to happen. Mother Nature was going to see justice done. The two men sat on the snow machines and watched Levy scream for his life. Red thought he wished the daughter could be here to watch. They both took another sip of coffee. Levy was weakening. He knew by then, whoever these people were, they weren’t going to help him. They could hear him screaming, “Who the hell are you? Why aren’t you helping me? Who are you? I need help.” Fifteen minutes passed. Levy was becoming much less active. A light snow was falling. The wind stopped. It was very peaceful. Red looked through the binoculars and could see Levy’s head resting on the edge of the ice. He had slipped down farther into the river. It was one o’clock in the afternoon. Don was also watching Levy. “There he goes.” Don said. Red started his snow machine. Don also started his machine and they sat there for a few more minutes while the machines warmed up. They couldn’t go straight down the ridge; the trees were too thick. They traveled along the rim and then took the trail where Levy had been traveling. They followed the trail down to the river’s edge. Red slowly went forward on the ice and stopped about ten feet from the overflow. Many times, on their travels hunting, they would find themselves with one of them caught in an overflow. They knew exactly what to do to get out. Red had decided to bring Levy’s snow machine and sled back to White Mountain. The machine is worth a few thousand dollars and Levy’s wife might need it. Red went around the overflow and on to the bank in front of Levy’s snow machine. It was still hanging on the ice, half in and half out. Don followed exactly the same path that Red took. They decided to hook a line to the front of Levy’s snow machine and attach it to the rear of both of theirs. They would have enough power to pull Levy’s machine onto the bank. The only question was the sled. The weight of the sled and the fact the sled might get caught on the edge of the ice could prevent Levy’s machine from being pulled out. If they couldn’t get the machine out with the sled, they would unhook the sled and let the river take it. Red took a few very cautious steps out onto the ice in front of the machine. As he started to slide the rope around the front guard of Levy’s machine, he could see Levy down in the water. Levy’s jacket was caught on the snow machine hitch were it connected to the sled. Red finished tying the rope and was ready to haul the machine out of the water. He got on his machine and told Don they were going to pull Levy’s machine until it was just on top of the ice. He didn’t tell Don that Levy was hooked onto his machine. Red gave the signal. They both pressed the gas throttle and started to move forward. The two machines started to dig into the snow. Levy’s machine only moved forward about a foot. The sled was too heavy. Red went back to pull the pin on the hitch that held the sled. He was holding on to Levy’s machine and bent over to pull the pin. As he did so, he reached down and unhooked Levy’s coat. Red could see Levy getting pulled by the current and drifted out of sight under the ice. They towed the machine back to White Mountain.