Page 85

Andy moved past her to get this show on the road. He grabbed Denny's arm and hurried him down the stairs so the women could reach the bottom.

"Okay, now, after we revive Wendell, we will go out the back way. We'll make sure the bear isn't there and use your car to hide behind until we can reach my vehicle." Andy just hoped they could get them in the vehicle and secure them.

"We're safe here," Denny said. "Safer than out there."

"You're not safe here." Andy didn’t want to have this going backwards.

"He can't get upstairs to the bedroom, and we can lock that door," Eloise said.

"You better believe a polar bear can climb stairs. And look what he did to the front door? The bedroom door is just a couple of pieces of plywood." Andy shook his head at her and hurried Denny over to Wendell, who was stirring.

"Wendell, hey, are you all right?" Denny asked, looking from his buddy to the front door that was splintered and in ruins on the living room floor.

Eloise peeked out the front window, and Monica followed her while Andy checked on Wendell. He sat him up and then flashed his light in his eyes. Wendell suddenly pulled away from him, and Andy quickly cuffed him.

"Hey, the bear got you," Denny said.

"Where is he?" Wendell asked.

"Outside right now," Denny said.

"Ohmigod, there are two of them, and one is heading this way!" Eloise screamed.

"Now you've alerted them," Andy said, pretending to sound angry with her. His cousin Rob was the new bear on the scene.

Eloise rushed for the stairs, but Monica grabbed her arm and yanked her toward the back door.

"We have to get out of here," Monica said. "Both of them could come right in here looking for their next meal after you practically told them to come eat you."

Andy got Wendell to his feet. If the polar bears had been wild, he would have barricaded them all in the bedroom and waited.

"Okay, Denny, Wendell, this way." Andy grabbed them both and started hauling them toward the back door.

Denny balked. "We can't go outside."

"You can stay, and I don't have to bother charging you with any crime because you won’t like having a confrontation with polar bears." Andy wasn’t ready to leave them behind. He wanted them to be incarcerated. But maybe that would convince them to leave. "All of you. Or, you can come with us and have a chance to reach the car and get the hell out of here."

Eloise was shaking so hard that she looked like she would shatter into a million pieces. Monica opened the back door quietly, then pulled Eloise onto the snow-covered deck. Shequickly pulled her off the deck and headed around the side of the cabin.

Andy pushed Denny forward, holding Wendell's arm because he kept tilting as he walked, as if he was having trouble with his balance. Andy quietly closed the back door once the three men were on the deck.

Eloise was crying now.

"Shh," Monica said to her. "Be quiet. Do you want to get us all killed?"

Andy loved how Monica was playing her role. He knew his brother and Rob were listening to the conversations with their excellent hearing, most likely amused.

Then he came around the corner of the house with Denny and Wendell. Eloise and Monica were hunkered down by Eloise's car with the flattened tires.

Then Eloise scowled. “You tore up my tires! I will sue you for this. I’ll have you fired for it.”

“Shh,” Monica told her.

Eloise grated on Andy.

The sound of the bear trashing the kitchen made Monica glance through the kitchen window. "One bear is in there, breaking things up to get to the food."

"Where's the other?" Andy hadn’t seen Rob again.