Fatalis

Chapter Seventy-Eight

The geologic charts of the Santa Ynez Mountains showed a different cave access. It was an eighth of a mile to the west of where the National Guardsmen were removing the last of the dead saber-tooths. The Wall drove to the foot of the hill; the cave was just twenty feet up, little more than a yard-wide opening in a white stone face.

Grand, Hannah, and the Wall got out of the photographer's Jeep and started climbing.

Grand moved up the gently sloping hillside like a wraith. He seemed to glide over the rocks, focused on a goal only he could see, and it wasn't the cave. Hannah had been around him enough to know when his mind was elsewhere. She wished he would tell her where.

Hannah and the Wall kept up with Grand as best they could. But the pair were exhausted and it was becoming increasingly difficult. Finally, after falling several yards behind Grand, Hannah stopped. So did the Wall.

Grand turned and walked back down.

"Don't," Hannah said.

He came back to her anyway.

"You go ahead," she said.

"No, I'll wait," he said. "Another few minutes won't matter."

Hannah thanked him with a smile. "Why don't you tell us what we're looking for?" she asked as she took long, slow, deep breaths.

"There were more than a dozen saber-tooths," Grand said.

"Which means?"

"The Chumash shaman only painted twelve sets of eyes."

"All right. He missed some of the cats," Hannah said. "Maybe he didn't want to get too close."

"Possibly," Grand said. "But that may not be all he missed."

"I don't follow."

"I've been trying to understand why the pride split into male and female groups," Grand said.

"You said they often hunted separately," Hannah said, "and that the females were drawn by the smell of tar."

"That may not have been the reason they came to this spot," Grand told her. "They may not have smelled asphalt until after they were here."

"Then what attracted them?"

Grand said. "That's what I want to check."

"Okay. You've got me hooked." Hannah reached her hand out to Grand. "Let's go."

Grand helped her up. They continued up the mountainside together, the Wall trudging behind.

Dawn was just beginning to brighten the horizon as they reached the small cave. Grand turned on a penlight he kept for emergencies. The cave was slightly wider than the opening and seemed to snake down. Grand crept along the rock floor and Hannah followed him on very sore knees. The Wall remained outside; even if he had the energy, he wasn't sure he'd fit. Hannah had no idea what he was looking for, though the thought nagged at her: If the Chumash missed one cat, they could easily have missed others. She didn't want to die. But the irony of dying now, when this was supposed to be over, was even worse.

The cave widened the deeper they went, until they were finally able to stand. They continued along the sloping path. When they were about two hundred yards in, Grand motioned for her to stop. She listened.

There were sounds like sobbing.

Grand hurried ahead.

The cave widened. They were finally able to stand. Grand covered the penlight with his hand and the cave was filled with a dull red glow. He moved ahead slowly, cautiously.

Then be stopped. Hannah stopped right behind him. She looked down at a writhing shape in a small nook of the cave. It took her a moment to realize what it was.

"Jim-"

"I know," Grand said. He crouched, being very careful to keep the light shielded.

Huddled in the corner were six small saber-tooths. They were about the size of small bobcats and were all golden-haired save for one, which had a silver coat. It was a male, larger than the rest. Their paws were large, out of proportion with the rest of their bodies, and their fangs were small and sharp.

Hannah crouched beside Grand.

The cubs probably couldn't make the trip back to the tar pits without resting," Grand said. The females looked for underground shelter and smelled tar, expecting to find prey. They stayed here to take care of the young while the males went back to La Brea."

The silver-coated cub suddenly broke from the group and walked a few steps toward the intruders. It stood looking at them and then made a sound that was a cross between a purr and a hiss.

"A little tough guy," Hannah said. She looked at Grand. "But he isn't going to stay little."

"No."

"Look at them!" she said. "Why are they here-how did you know? We should call someone at the zoo. They could house and feed the litter until a permanent sanctuary could be established."

"And then what?" Grand asked.

"I don't understand. They survive."

"As what?"

"Jim, you've lost me."

He shuffled closer to the small silver cat. It growled again and didn't back away.

"These cats are hunters," Grand said. "Put them in a zoo and they become an attraction."

"They'll also survive."

"As what?"

"As not-extinct," Hannah said. "Jim, we've been given a second chance. Look what happened to the other cats."

"I know," Grand said. He continued to stare at the bold little cat. "But you can't lock a soldier up."

"What choice do we have?"

Grand looked at her, then started back along the passageway. "There are things we'll need."

"For what?" Hannah pressed.

"For doing what nature may have intended when it saved them eleven thousand years ago."