Snowfall Read Free

snarling growl that only a cougar could make. He didn’t think, training and instinct kicked in and he brought his knee up to the tender belly and shot his fingers toward the beast’s eyes, clawing as much as his gloves would allow. It reared back and tried to shake him off. He hung on, clinging like a burr. He knew that if he let go, the cat would go for his jugular and he would be dead.
    “Argh!” he yelled as it shook like a rodeo horse and his already tired muscles screamed in protest. Dimly he heard Poncho shouting and felt the cat shudder under an impact. Before he thought to guess what Poncho was doing he was hit hard in the shoulder, so he yelled again, this time at Poncho.
    What he said was lost in another roar from the cat and a new sound. Furious barking joined the cat’s growls and a second later the cat was barreled into by two snarling, jaw-snapping dogs. In a colorful roll of fur and the unspeakable sounds of animal voices locked in a life-and-death battle, the dogs saved his life and risked their own. Time seemed to slow in the way that it did during moments like this. Every second seemed to last an eternity. Every detail seemed magnified. Jake could see the ripple of the cat’s muscles as it fought the two huge dogs. Fierce snarls and thunder-deep growls made the soundtrack to the battle. Fur and snow flew in a flurry around them as they fought to survive.
    In what felt like hours but in reality was only seconds, the cat disentangled itself. It took a moment to crouch and pose, ready to fight should the dogs charge again. With one last hissing roar, ears pinned back and fur raised, it was gone. It disappeared into the trees as fast as it had appeared. The dogs, well trained and smart enough not to follow the cat into its territory, stood guard. There were three of them, he saw. The third had taken point and stood guard over Poncho and kept close to his charge. All three had their hackles raised and stood fierce and formidable in a semi-circle around the two men, not relaxing until they heard the call from Ashley.
    “Good boys. Stand down.”
    Jake turned from studying the dogs to look toward their owner. She was chalk white and stood with the warm light from the open doorway behind her. She had her rifle clutched in a death grip and even from this distance he could see how she quivered.
    First things first though. “Poncho,” he asked as he pushed himself up to a sitting position, “What in the hell did you hit me with?” He looked toward his best friend and partner while he rubbed at the shoulder that Poncho had damn near shattered with his blow. The lighthearted grumble had the desired effect and set the two others in motion. Ashley came pounding down the stairs, calling for her dogs, while Poncho shuffled over to him, dragging his shotgun in the snow.
    “I had to hit you. You could have hurt that poor kitty cat.” All kidding aside, Poncho dropped to his knees beside him and looked him over for injuries with the care of the mother hen Jake always accused him of being.
    “I’m fine,” he brushed him off. “He couldn’t get a grip on me, thank God.”
    Poncho’s gaze met and held his. “She. She couldn’t get a grip on you.”
    With a dawning horror and a colorful curse, Jake struggled to his feet. “Females don’t get that big, amigo . No way was that a female.”
    “Look, you may be the babe magnet here, but I know a male from a female even if I haven’t had the pleasure of one in so long I’ve forgotten what to do with them.”
    “Shut up.” Jake swayed on his feet for a second. “Smart-ass.” He looked around, checking for damage to his suit and gear. Unless he had a hell of an adrenaline rush, he was pretty sure his body was intact—it was his gear he was concerned with right now. As he bent to check his camera he heard Ashley and his stomach dropped.
    “Apollo?” Her voice was frantic and full of worry, “Apollo, baby. Let me see. Dammit, Grover, get back. I need to