Ivory King Part 1

Setting: Atka Island, Alaska, 1955

Caleb Hansen did not grow up like most kids. Born to a young couple in 1919 in Waco Texas, he was left at the local fire station when he was just a few months old. He would never know who or where his parents were. Upon being discovered by the firefighters, he was taken to a monastery because the chief, who was a devout catholic, believed that would be the best place for him. He stayed there until he was 11 years old before being taken to a children's shelter. The men complained that he refused to study would constantly run off into the nearby woods. They didn't want his behavior to have a negative impact on the other young boys.

Life at the shelter wasn't much better for him. The couple who owned it were not very attentive and let the children do as they pleased. Also the children who lived there were quite indifferent towards Caleb. Though this didn't bother him much as he always found comfort in his own company. For him, he alone was all he ever needed. As the years went on, not much happened for Caleb. Some kids left the shelter and new ones took their place. And being home schooled meant he had little interaction with kids outside the shelter. So aside from some new faces, there was nothing going on in his life.

Then one day, just before his 18th birthday, he happened to be walking by the television when he saw a commercial for the US Army. He heard about the opportunity to travel the world and he thought, "There's my way out of here." Knowing he would have to leave the home when he eventually turned 18, he looked up the location of the nearest recruiting facility. He found one not far from where the shelter was located. He had his bag packed as soon as he found the address. On his birthday, he left the shelter and headed straight for the recruiters office.

It was in the army that Caleb finally felt a sense of belonging. Throughout basic training he never stood out amongst the other recruits in term of physical ability. But he was a hard worker and gave everything his best effort. However when it came to firearms and marksmanship, he was the top of his class. His ability to judge distance and hit targets at a variety of different ranges caught the attention of all his superiors. He was so skilled that after a couple of years his captain recommended he sign up for the sniper program, which he did. Though the sniper training was harder than basic training, he still managed to complete all his tests and pass the program.

Caleb's time as a sniper were some of his most fondest memories of being in the military. Throughout the Second World War, he traveled to various places, mostly on reconnaissance missions. Only a few times was he ordered to kill a target. But the best thing that came from those early years was developing a friendship with his spotter, Mark Jensen. The two were kindred spirits and grew very close to one another. They had similar interests and viewpoints and genuinely liked each other. For the first time Caleb had found someone just like him.

The two served together for 3 years before Mark was medically discharged after breaking his leg on a mission in the Solomon Islands. The injuries were so severe that his lower leg had to be amputated. Though devastated by his friends injury, Caleb completed his mission with a new spotter. They didn't take to one another like he did with Mark, but they still managed to work well together. Not long after finishing his reconnaissance on the Solomon Islands, Caleb was tasked with joining a group of soldiers in Adak Station, Alaska. It was here that he would paired with a new spotter and an unexpected friendship would develop.

When Caleb arrived in Adak Station, he was immediately introduced to his new spotter. He went by Sam, which is the name given to him since everyone struggled to pronounce his birth name. Sam, whose real name was Hlakuchax, was not U.S. Army soldier but a native Aleut who volunteered to help the United States. The Japanese had invaded the Aleutian Islands and taken over the the islands of Attu and Kiska. The U.S. wanted to take back the islands and drive out the Japanese forces. And the reason for such a quick and somewhat rushed introduction was because Caleb and Sam had been tasked with going into enemy territory to gather intel.

At first the 2 men struggled with communication since they both spoke different languages. However they managed to develop a form of non-verbal communication, while at the same time, learning each other's respective languages. Sam's knowledge of the landscape and topography of Attu Island proved invaluable as both of them managed to stay undetected while gathering critical information. In 1943, Caleb and Sam took part in the Battle of Attu. A grueling 2 week battle that would become one of the deadliest battles of World War 2. Both sides suffered heavy losses but in the end, the U.S. troops managed to drive out the Japanese and reclaim the islands.

Caleb and Sam would remain at Adak Station until the end of the war. In 1947, Caleb had left the military after serving for 10 years. He decided to stay in Alaska, eventually building a home for himself on the island of Atka in the Andreanof chain. Sam, and what remained of his family, stayed on Adak Island and did what they could to rebuild their community after being decimated during the war. Their friendship grew over the years and they would make seasonal visits to one another. Mostly to exchange resources and reminisce on their time in the war.

One day in the summer of 1955, Caleb received a letter from Sam saying that he would be coming in a week for their annual visit. Upon reading the letter, Caleb spent the next few days cleaning his home and preparing for his friend's arrival. He made his home out of a large shipping container left behind after the war ended. He cleaned out the inside, carved out the sides to put in a couple of windows and filled it with all the essentials: a bed, a stove, a few supply chests used to store small equipment and a case to store his rifle along with a couple fishing rods. Outside were a number of hanging poles used to smoke and salt meat and fire pit he built himself. Caleb did everything he could to make sure things were ready for his friend.

When Sam finally arrived, the 2 embraced and immediately began unloading Sam's boat. After taking all of Sam's things up the hill leading to his home, Caleb brought a bottle of scotch out of his chest and the 2 men spent the rest of the day drinking and catching up. During their conversation, Sam asked,

"Have you been fishing lately?"

"Not since the ice melted." He replied.

"The salmon run is strong this year and fish are big. I've already caught a few over 40 inches."

"Wow those are some really good sizes."

"How about we go out and try to catch a few tomorrow? If we don't catch any at least we can eat some of that caribou meat I brought."

"Sounds like a plan."

The next morning, after eating a small breakfast of salted caribou and rice, Sam and Caleb hopped in the small aluminum boat to try and catch some salmon. All the hot spots that Sam had found were back around Adak Island. Since Caleb lived on Atka Island, they would have to find other spots that were holding fish. But Sam had an innate ability to find fish no matter where he was or what body of water he was fishing in. As they looked for a spot to fish, Sam noticed a disturbance in the water a few yards away.

"We got whales Caleb!"

"Where? I haven't seen any."

"Just wait my friend."

Not long after Sam noticed them, multiple humpback whales broke the surface with mouths wide open, feeding on a school of herring. Sam knew this would be a good place to start. He slowed the boat, making sure to keep a good distance from the feeding humpbacks. They then got the rods ready. Sam said that they should use a lure that would best mimic the herring. Caleb picked a small, silver spoon as his lure of choice. Sam on the other hand used something different. He tied on a bronze colored hook that was adorned with white and gray feathers. He made the lure himself using the feathers of sea ducks he had hunted. Sam had never bought lures but instead made his own from the remains of the various animals he had killed.

They casted their rods and slowly trolled around the area where the whales were feeding. About 10 minutes after they began fishing, Sam hooked into the first fish of the day. He pulled in a small coho salmon, about 18 inches long and weighing just a couple pounds. He quickly bled the fish and put it into a bucket of sea water. Not longer after he caught another fish, though this one was a chum salmon. After Sam caught his first 2 fish, Caleb landed a good sized coho salmon, measuring just over 24 inches. "Good fish my friend," said Sam as Caleb put his fish in the bucket.

For the next hour, Sam and Caleb continued to catch decent sized salmon. Some they kept and some they released. But eventually the activity died down and they would have to find a new spot to fish. Sam guided them to a spot that was full of kelp. He did this for 2 reasons. First, he knew that herring lay their eggs on the kelp. And wherever the herring were, the salmon wouldn't be far away. And second, he and his people ate kelp, so it gave him a good opportunity to gather some for later. Sam picked the kelp from the surface and put it off to the side of the boat. Afterwards they continued fishing but struggled to catch any salmon as the kelp was so plentiful, their lures kept getting snagged. They moved outside of the kelp and managed to catch a few more but the strikes were not as frequent as before.

At around 1 pm, Sam and Caleb decided to head back as they had traveled a good distance from Caleb's home. As they made their way back, Sam noticed some dark clouds coming over the horizon. "Looks like rain my friend." Caleb looked over and acknowledged Sam's observation. They got back to Caleb's home just after 3 pm. After docking the boat and bringing their catch up the hill, they began processing the salmon. They caught a total of 9 fish with Sam catching 6 and Caleb just 3. Caleb cut the fish into fillets, while Sam took the heads and collars. He took the heads and split them in two and kept the collars whole. Using the kelp he had collected earlier, Sam decided to make a soup with the heads and collars. He even threw in some of the dried caribou meat he brought from home.

While Sam prepared the soup, Caleb set up an extra bed from a spare military cot he had stored under his own. Just after sundown, the two men settled in for the evening meal. Caleb pulled out a bottle of whiskey from his storage chest and they toasted to friendship and a successful day of fishing. They ate and drank their fill, then dozed off to sleep. The rain arrived as they slept and continued all throughout the following day. To pass the time, Caleb and Sam spent the day canning all of the salmon they caught the day before. Sam said he wanted Caleb to keep all of the salmon since he had already caught a lot already.

The canning process took all day. As they worked, the two reminisced about their time in the military. Though it was Caleb who did most of the talking as he told Sam the stories of the assignments he had prior to being called up to Adak Station. As they finished canning the salmon, Caleb made it be known that he wished to catch a chinook salmon, similar to the ones Sam had told him about. Sam, knowing that the chinook's wouldn't be coming closer to the islands for a few more weeks, told him that if he wanted to catch one, they would have to leave early in the morning and travel a good distance offshore. This did not deter Caleb as he had his sights set on catching one. Especially since the chinook was one species he had never caught.

By the next day the rain had completely passed through and gave the men an opportunity to try and catch a chinook. As they were leaving Caleb's home, Sam told him to grab a can of salmon from yesterday. Caleb asked why and Sam told him that he had brought a longline from home. He was going to use the salmon as bait to catch halibut. With that in mind, Caleb grabbed a can of salmon and Sam fetched the box that had his longline. They fueled up the boat and left the shore just before 8 am. This would be their only opportunity to go after chinooks since Sam needed to save enough fuel to return home. But before they went after them, they needed to find a spot to drop Sam's longline.

After almost an hour, Sam came up to a spot he felt would be good for halibut. He slowed the boat and opened the box with his longline. It was a thin, black rope with 10 large, iron hooks attached to the end of it. Each hook had about three feet of space between the them. Iron weights were tied at the beginning and end of where the hooks were located. Sam took the canned salmon and attached a piece to each hook.

"Why are you using salmon for bait? Wouldn't it be better to use herring?" Caleb asked.

"Herring will work, my friend. But lots of fish eat herring and we want halibut."

"So halibut eat salmon?"

"The big ones do. There have been times where we have caught large halibut with whole salmon in their stomachs. So using salmon as bait is a great way to get halibut without catching other kinds of fish."

Once the hooks were baited, Sam and Caleb threw the longline over the side of the boat and let it sink. Before releasing the line completely, Sam tied a yellow buoy at the top and then let it go. Then they went to go find the chinooks. While searching in waters further than where they were fishing before, they kept an eye out for any signs of herring, like sea birds or whales. Caleb spotted a group of porpoises breaking the surface in the distance. Sam drove the boat in their direction for a better look. They seemed to be circling something, which gave Sam the idea that they might be feeding. He told Caleb to get his rod ready. The two men casted their lines and trolled in and around where the porpoises were. They both managed to catch a salmon but they were coho's, not the chinooks they were hoping for.

They prepared to reset their lures but all of the sudden, the porpoises completely disappeared. They had been very active from the moment they arrived, so it was strange for them to just disappear the way they did. But when Sam looked toward the horizon, he knew why they ran away. Several large black fins were broke the surface and were heading towards them. "We got orcas, my friend!" Sam yelled out. They were swimming in a hunting formation, looking like a black wall of destruction and death. Knowing they stood no chance of catching anything with the orcas around, Sam started the boat and moved out of their way.

Once again they searched for spot where the chinooks might be feeding. After riding around for almost and hour, Sam suddenly brought the boat to a stop. Caleb was confused as to why he stopped so abruptly. "This is the spot, I can feel it." Caleb didn't know what Sam was talking about but he got his rod ready. Before he could cast it, Sam stopped him and handed Caleb a lure he had made out of whale bone. It was four inches long and carved in a way that resembled the spoon lure Caleb had been using. On one end was a swivel and a single barbed hook on the other.

Caleb took the lure and tied it to his line. Sam used a similar lure, also made from whale bone. Sam told Caleb to jig the lure up and down to attract the fish. They both jigged their lures as the boat slowly drifted with the current. They fished hard for 20 minutes when Sam suddenly got a big strike. The fish pulled hard and stripped line from the reel. He knew this was a large one by how strong it was. He skillfully battled the fish for a few minutes until it tired and was able to slowly reel it up to the boat. Sam asked for Caleb to help him land the fish. While Sam positioned the fish, Caleb grabbed his wooden gaff and hooked the fish into the boat. The large fish was a salmon but Caleb couldn't tell whether it was a chinook. Sam identified it as a large coho because of its white gums, telling Caleb a chinook would have black gums.

Despite the salmon not being a chinook, Caleb was motivated to get back to fishing. Especially since Sam's coho was the biggest he had ever seen, weighing around 15 pounds. He resumed jigging his lure though he did so more aggressively now. Sam told him to slow it down. The goal was to make it look like a wounded baitfish. A fish that was wounded would not move around that much. As he said this, Sam managed to hook another coho. He could feel that this one wasn't as big as the previous one and had no trouble getting to the boat.

Minutes passed without a bite. It seemed that the action had died down. Sam told Caleb that they should move to another spot and hope to find chinooks. But as Caleb reeled in his lure, something huge smashed it and took off running. Line screamed off his reel and his rod bent over into the water. "That's a chinook my friend, that's a chinook!" Sam yelled in excitement. "No other salmon fights like that!" Caleb's blood boiled as adrenaline filled his body. He used all his strength to try and get the fish under control but it just kept running, taking line by the foot as it did. Sam started the boat and began driving in the direction the chinook was heading. This allowed Caleb to gain some line on the powerful fish and also gave his muscles a slight break.

As Sam followed the chinook, it suddenly changed direction. This caused Caleb's line to travel back towards the propeller of the boat. Thinking the fish was about to cut the line and get away, Caleb did all he could to keep the line away from its blades. But Sam skillfully maneuvered the rear of the boat away from the line. Caleb breathed a sigh of relief but the fight was not over yet. He struggled with the chinook for 5 minutes all while Sam did his best to drive the boat and avoid his line. Soon the mighty fish began to tire and his shiny, silver skin became visible. Sam stopped the boat and prepared to gaff the chinook. Caleb slowly worked the fish closer and closer. His eyes grew wide upon seeing how big the fish was getting as he brought it up from the depths. When it was close enough for Sam to gaff it, he launched the hook right into the side of its head and hoisted him over the side.

The fish thrashed about upon landing in the boat. Blood sprayed from the wound created by the gaff, painting the inside of Sam's boat with spots of crimson. Sam took the blunt end of the gaff and struck the chinook's head, rendering it still. Caleb was so mesmerized by the fish he stammered when trying to speak. "You did it, my friend! You've got your chinook." Caleb thanked Sam for all his help and expertise. He knew that he wouldn't have caught such a fish on his own. The mighty chinook measured 43 inches and weighed over 35 pounds. Sam remarked that it was bigger than the one he had caught a few weeks earlier. After bleeding the fish and catching their breath, Sam started the boat and they started heading back in.

Both Sam and Caleb were so excited about the big chinook, they almost forgot about the longline they had set earlier in the day. Sam drove the boat over to where he had dropped it but it wasn't where he left it. Caleb spotted the buoy about 20 yards away from where they were. Sam knew then that they had hooked some halibut. He drove up to the buoy and gave the line a tug. It was tight and heavy, clearly they had some on the line. Caleb helped Sam pull the line back into the boat. Though after fighting with the chinook, his body quickly grew tired. Once they reached the end of the longline, Sam told Caleb to hold the rope steady while he gaffed the fish. Of the 10 baited hooks they set, 5 of them had fish on them. 4 of them were halibut, each weighing over 10 pounds with the largest weighing close to 30. The last fish on the line was an atka mackerel measuring 22 inches.

After retrieving the longline, and their catch, the two immediately went back to Caleb's home to process all the fish they caught. The started with the halibut, cutting all the fillets into chunks for canning. While Sam got the canning supplies ready, Caleb began working on the salmon. He started with the chinook he had caught since it was the biggest. But as soon as he cut into the big chinook, he noticed something really strange. The salmon's meat, which would normally be a rich orange color, was white. Almost like the halibut he had just processed. Caleb had never seen anything like this. So he called Sam over to show him the salmon.

"Sam, somethings not right with this salmon."

"What do you mean?"

"Look at its flesh, it's white like a halibut. We should probably throw it away."

"Absolutely not!" Sam yelled. It startled Caleb since Sam never raised his voice. "You have no idea what you just caught!"

"I don't understand."

"This is a white fleshed chinook. They are rare and highly prized. This is the food of the gods."

"Wait, so the meat is good to eat?"

"My friend, this is the best salmon you will ever taste. I must show you how we prepare this sacred fish."

Sam took the chinook and finished cutting it into fillets as Caleb processed the other salmon. When he was finished, Sam told Caleb to hang the two fillets over his fire pit while he fetched some alder wood. He came back an hour later just as the sun was starting to set. Caleb got the fire going and started to burn the alder wood. The smoke soon started to flow over and around the fillets. Sam said the salmon wouldn't be ready to eat until the next day. As he tended to the fire, making sure there was just the right amount of smoke, Caleb finished canning the remaining fish. Afterwards, he took a shot of whiskey and went to sleep.

Sam stayed up most of the night making sure the salmon was cooked to his liking. When Caleb woke up the next morning, he was surprised that Sam was already up. "Grab your plate, my friend. The salmon is ready." Caleb grabbed two plates and sat next to Sam. Taking a knife out of his pocket, Sam cut one of the fillets into smaller chunks. The chinook was so large there was plenty to go around. Sam placed a piece on his plate and Caleb studied it before taking a bite. The outside was a bronze color, while the inside was almost completely white. But before they ate, Sam asked Caleb, "Do you have any whiskey left?"

Caleb put his plate down and grabbed the bottle, which only had a little bit left. He poured an equal portion for the two them and they toasted before eating. Caleb took a piece of the chinook and placed it in his mouth. His eyes lit up as he chewed on the white meat of the salmon. It was savory, smoky and still moist despite being smoked for almost 12 hours. The fat added a buttery flavor as well, especially in the belly portions. "This is the best salmon I have ever tasted." He told Sam, who just chuckled as he started to eat his portion. He told Caleb that whenever his people catches a white fleshed chinook, it's a cause for celebration. And after tasting it for himself, he understood why.

Sam packed up his things and left later that day. He made sure to leave all the fish they had caught with Caleb. After tasting how good the white fleshed chinook was, Caleb tried to save as much of it as he could. Knowing that it may be a long time before he might get the opportunity to eat it again. Once he had eaten all of it, he fished hard for the remainder of the summer, hoping to catch another one. He caught many salmon, including a few more chinooks, but none possessed the white flesh he desired. As summer turned to fall, Caleb gave up his pursuit for another white fleshed chinook as he needed to start preparing for the coming winter. But the desire never went away. Catching that unique fish created an obsession within him and he was determined to taste it again.

Thank you for reading my short story. If you enjoyed this and stories like it, check out my novel, Tales Of The Gamekeepers Book 1, available on Amazon Kindle. Also follow my Instagram @stonecreekthehunter for novel and short story updates, as well as hunting and fishing related content.