Tracking Game

by Margaret Mizushima

  Cole rode close behind. “The shooter is probably on horseback instead of on foot. Look for horseshoe prints.”

  Robo sped forward and came across the track first. He circled around, sniffing as if he didn’t know whether to go uphill or down, and they hurried to catch up with him. The open-ended ovals of horseshoe prints could be seen plainly in the coarse soil.

  Cole dismounted to check the prints. “Only one horse, headed uphill.”

  Mattie slipped off Mountaineer and reached to get Robo’s search harness out of her pack. “I need to be on the ground with Robo, Cole. That’s what he’s used to.”

  Cole took her reins. “I’ll stay on horseback and lead Mountaineer. I’m not leaving him tied to a tree out here, not with a tiger on the loose.”

  Mattie buckled the harness on Robo and gave it a quick tug to settle it into place. She let him lap water from her canteen out of her hand and began the chatter that he loved. Unable to contain his excitement, he performed a pirouette on his hind legs while she patted his back. “Come on, let’s find a bad guy.”

  With a toss of his head, Robo hit the trail, following the horseshoe prints uphill. The prints disappeared for a long stretch in the stony soil, but when they reappeared, it assured Mattie that Robo had kept them on the right track. Her body warmed as she jogged after him up steep grades, and her breath came in uneven cycles. She was used to running the foothills every morning, but this steep mountainside challenged her lungs.

  The track led into a dense part of the forest, and she heard Cole unsheathe his rifle from about ten paces behind her.

  A few seconds later, Robo bristled. What lay ahead? Human or tiger?

  Mattie came to a sudden stop, her heart pounding in her ears. She kept her voice barely above a whisper. “Robo, wait.”

  He stopped and turned to look at her, his mouth open in a pant.

  Cole swung out of the saddle and was beside her in one quick stride, rifle in hand. “What is it?” he murmured.

  “Something ahead. Look at Robo’s back.”

  Cole swept his gaze past Robo uphill and then back to the horses. “The horses aren’t afraid. We’re downwind. I don’t think it’s the tiger.”

  She followed his reasoning and agreed. “Must be the shooter, and I think he’s close. Could you stay here with the horses? I’ll scout on ahead with Robo.”

  Cole dropped the reins of both horses so they trailed the ground. “They’ll ground-tie unless something spooks them. And they’ll be able to get away if the tiger comes. I’ll back you.” He held his rifle ready in both hands, his face set with determination.

  Mattie was used to trailing fugitives, and she knew the danger of stumbling into an ambush; however, she wasn’t used to putting Cole in harm’s way. She didn’t like it one bit. Even though she’d caught her breath, her chest tightened with anxiety.

  She wished she could argue or order him to stay back, but she knew there wasn’t time and he wouldn’t listen. Robo pressed against her legs as if trying to drive her forward. His prey was near, and she couldn’t put him on hold any longer. She used a whisper, but it was every bit as intense as a shout. “Go ahead, Robo. Find the bad guy.”

  Robo raised his nose and sprang forward at a lope, air-scenting the person they were following, which told Mattie he must be near. She surged after him, pine boughs whipping past, their needles pricking through her shirt to sting her skin. When she caught up to Robo, she whispered for him to wait so that he would slow his pace. The hair on his back stood on end, and the hair on her neck prickled.

  She grabbed Robo’s harness but allowed him to lead her through the trees and bushes. In the distance, she heard a roar that could only be coming from the tiger. A shot fired, very close and upwind. Mattie flinched. Are they firing at us?

  No bullets zinged past. Mattie looked over her shoulder to check on Cole. Rifle at the ready, he was only a few paces behind her. She held Robo at heel with her left hand as they crept forward.

  Through the trees, she spotted the edge of a ridge. They’d been coming up a hogback, and it looked like the ground dropped off in about fifty yards. Stealing through the trees, she scanned the edge until she spotted the shooter. Forty yards away, he stood on top of the ledge with his back toward her, sweeping the terrain in front of him with a pair of binoculars, his rifle held loosely at his side.

  He’d fired the gun within the last few minutes, and she counted on the blast dampening his hearing. She released Robo’s collar, withdrew her Glock, and sprinted forward, holding it in a two-handed grip out front. She covered the last twenty yards in an instant, Robo beside her.

  “Freeze! Timber Creek County Sheriff! Do not move!”

  The man whirled. It was Flint Thornton.

  “Robo, guard!” Mattie pinned him with her Glock while Robo snarled at her side, white teeth gleaming. “Drop your weapon, Flint! Drop it!”

  A collage of astonishment, frustration, and then fear chased across Flint’s face. He raised the hand that held the binoculars into the air and slowly bent forward to drop his rifle onto the ground. As he straightened, he raised both hands toward the sky.

  TWENTY-FIVE

  “Don’t move or this dog will attack. Do you understand?”

  Flint nodded, eyeing Robo and then Mattie as she approached, gun extended. She moved close enough to kick the rifle away and then followed through with a few extra shoves until she could safely bend to pick it up. Only then did she glance at Cole, who stood with his rifle sighted on Flint.

  She backed up to be near Robo, carrying Flint’s rifle with her but keeping her handgun trained on him. The last thing she wanted was for Cole to be placed in a position where he had to shoot a young man he knew.

  “Do you have any other weapons, Flint?”

  He stood still, moving nothing but his eyes as they shifted between her and Robo and back. “No.”

  She pointed to a large pine about six feet from him. “Move slowly. Put your hands up against that tree. If you try to touch me, this dog will attack. Robo, guard.”

  Robo hovered, his toenails digging into the earth as if ready to launch. Mattie patted Flint down, extracting a small pocketknife from his jeans pocket before she finished.

  “I forgot I had that,” Flint murmured when she showed him the knife.

  She didn’t argue with him, since she suspected he probably had forgotten—a pocketknife was standard gear for most farmers and ranchers. She pulled his cell phone from one of his shirt pockets.

  “All right, Flint, you can turn around and talk to us now.” Mattie glanced at her dog, who looked more than eager to get a chance to bite. “Out, Robo.”

  Robo looked disappointed and adjusted his fierce stance only one degree. Flint turned to face her, his hands raised.

  “You can lower your hands, but keep them where I can see them. Don’t make any sudden movements.” Mattie gestured toward Robo. “He still has his eye on you.”

  The hands came down slowly an inch at a time.

  “What in the hell are you doing out here?” Mattie asked.

  Flint shook his head and studied the ground.

  “We’ve seen the tiger. We know you’re hunting it.”

  He looked up at her, his face showing his concern.

  “Why are you shooting at it?” Mattie asked.

  “I’m not.”

  “Well, someone is, and my dog led us right to you.”

  “I’m just shooting into the air.”

  Mattie narrowed her eyes as she studied him, considering what he’d said. Was this how Wilson Nichol had been killed? A stray shot into the air? “What’s the purpose of firing into the air? Those bullets come down somewhere, you know.”

  Flint shook his head and lowered his gaze, his lips tight.

  “What’s going on, Flint? There are other law enforcement officers out here, and we need to know what we’re getting into. Where are Tyler and his hunting party?”

  He eyed Robo, his jaw clenched.

  Cole spoke up. �
��Flint, your dad isn’t going to be happy with whatever you’re hiding. It might go easier for you at home if you help us straighten this out and keep someone from getting hurt.”

  Flint’s clenched teeth told Mattie he wasn’t going to talk, and she didn’t have time to waste. She took out her cell phone and called Brody.

  He connected immediately. “What’s up, Cobb?”

  Mattie explained the situation. “He’s not talking, but I think he’s trying to herd the tiger toward Tyler’s group. Be careful. Where are you now?”

  “We’re about a mile farther uphill from where we left you.”

  “I can use Flint’s cell phone to call Tyler and tell him to call off the hunt.”

  Brody paused, evidently weighing the pros and cons. Mattie had considered those herself, but much as she’d like to catch the hunters red-handed, it was too dangerous for them all to be in an area where a stray bullet could hit any one of them—not to mention the poor tiger. If they could get the hunters to stand down, they had a chance of keeping the animal alive.

  Brody finally answered. “Probably a good idea to call him. Cuts down on the chance of collateral damage.”

  “I’ll call you back.” Mattie disconnected her phone, and then she tapped and swiped the screen on Flint’s cell phone until she found a number for Tyler Redman. She and Flint locked eyes while she listened to the phone ring and ring. “Why isn’t he answering, Flint?”

  Flint shrugged.

  Mattie continued to listen to the ringing while her temper rose. “So you’re willing to take the rap for this one, huh? We’ve got two murders and all kinds of wildlife violations here that we can slap you with. You’re willing to take the heat?”

  The message sounded in her ear, a friendly Tyler Redman telling her to please leave a message. “Tyler, this is Deputy Cobb with the Sheriff’s Department. Cease this tiger hunt at once. Do you understand? We need you to stand down. Don’t shoot. There are people out here that you could hurt. Call me back at Flint Thornton’s number. Now.”

  She looked at Cole as she disconnected. “Shall we tie him and leave him here while we ride on?”

  Flint’s face blanched. “You can’t leave me tied up with that tiger in the woods.”

  “Cooperate, then,” Cole said.

  Again, Flint clammed up.

  Mattie sent Brody a quick text that she’d been unable to reach Tyler and then strode up close to Flint, pulling her cuffs from her utility belt. “Place your hands together.”

  Flint glowered but did as he was told.

  Mattie snapped on the cuffs. “Where’s your horse?”

  He shrugged and nodded off to the right, where she glimpsed his horse tied in a clump of spruce.

  “Robo, out,” she said, calling off her dog before gesturing toward Flint’s horse. “Start walking.”

  * * *

  It didn’t take long for them to mount up, and Mattie led the way down and around the hogback before finding a game trail that she hoped would lead them close to Brody and Glenna. Cole led Flint’s horse while the cowboy sat slumped in his saddle, looking defeated.

  Thunder boomed and lightning streaked the sky. A crackling pop erupted when a bolt connected with a tree, close enough to make the hair stand up on the back of Mattie’s neck.

  She rode as fast as she dared, keeping Robo beside her and her ears tuned for either the tiger’s roar or other riders in the forest. They rode along the top of a shallow ravine, where a stream trickled below. Soon a deep, resounding bay echoed down the ravine, and Mattie turned in the saddle to look at Cole. “Moose.”

  “He must have spotted the tiger.”

  Robo darted off, running down the side of the ravine toward the sound, making Mattie’s heart jump into her throat. “Robo, wait! Come here to me.”

  She could tell he didn’t want to, but her dog backtracked and waited at the top of the gulley until she caught up. Mattie nudged Mountaineer faster along the barely discernible game trail, dodging tree branches and crashing through foliage.

  The bays created an auditory beacon to home in on. She called Brody to inform him they were coming, and his terse reply confirmed that they had sighted the tiger from a distance but had lost sight of Moose. “We can’t hear him. Where are you?”

  “Down in a gulley on the east side of the canyon.” Mattie raised her face to the elements and felt the chill wind on her cheeks. “We’re downwind from him, and the sound must carry down this ravine.”

  “We’ve got him on the GPS, and we’re getting close.”

  “We’ll try to meet you.”

  Despite the chilly temperature, adrenaline made her sweat. Mist hung in the air and raindrops splashed down from the lowering clouds. Mattie bent over the saddle horn, pushing Mountaineer upslope while the downpour thickened and saturated her shirt. Heavy drops diminished the sound of Moose barking, forcing her to depend on Robo’s sharper hearing. She allowed him to take the lead.

  Rain blew into her face, blurring her vision. She pushed Mountaineer hard to keep up with Robo. The terrain flattened and trees whipped past as the gelding picked up speed. Mattie hoped the rain would slow down the hunters and someone in her party could reach the tiger before Tyler and his group found it. Hoofbeats from Cole’s horse kept pace behind her.

  Mattie followed close enough to see Robo travel upslope and break from the forest into a clearing. She called for him to wait, and he hovered at the edge of the trees. The rain lessened, and she spotted Brody and Glenna streaking into the small clearing off to her left. She reined Mountaineer in their direction and pressed him into a gallop.

  They’d entered another stand of pine when a low-pitched, snarling growl rumbled through the forest, making the horses slow. Mattie pulled Mountaineer to a halt, slipped off, and dropped the reins to leave him while she hit the ground running. Robo had outdistanced her, and she shouted at him to wait while she closed the gap.

  Up ahead, Brody and Glenna dismounted—Brody with his AR-15 slung across his back and the dart projector in his hands. Her boots thudded on the rocky soil as she ran.

  The rain ceased as suddenly as it had begun, affording Mattie a view of a promontory that rose above the trees—a view that rattled her bones. Poised on top of a chimneylike rock, the tiger crouched, snarling and growling, the fur at its neck bristled around a brown collar. Its sharp teeth gleamed as it opened its mouth wide to roar at Moose, who continued to bay while he traversed the base of the rocky column. The sight of the majestic tiger stirred Mattie’s heart even as it roused a primal fear in her gut.

  Breathing hard, Glenna and Brody joined her. Mattie glanced behind to check on Cole. He’d stayed back about fifty feet, still holding on to Flint’s horse and tussling with both their mounts as they became more and more spooked by the tiger.

  “If I dart it, it’ll probably fall,” Brody said, squinting into the mist.

  “What is that, maybe thirty feet?” Glenna asked.

  “Around that,” Brody said. “Maybe fifteen to where it widens at the base.”

  Concern creased Glenna’s face. “He’s most likely to roll once he hits the wider part, which will soften his landing. We don’t have much choice. Let’s do it.”

  Brody arched a brow. “Once we get it sedated, we’ll have to keep it that way.”

  “I know! I’ve got the supplies we need. We’ll build a travois and haul it out of here. We’ll do whatever it takes to get it to safety. Go ahead, shoot it.”

  Brody raised the projector and was drawing a bead on the tiger when a gunshot echoed off the side of the mountain. The big cat roared and leaped from its perch, a bright scarlet patch blossoming on its shoulder. It lit on its feet where the base widened, covered by rocky shale. As soon as its paws hit the ground, it stumbled and its front quarters crumpled. The tiger slid to a halt, grinding its chin into the shale.

  Barking, Robo charged toward the tiger, and Mattie screamed for him to come back. She ran after him, grabbing his collar when he hesitated. She clung to it and dr
agged him with her as she scooted backward away from the rocks.

  Moose scrambled out of the tiger’s path as it slid, snarling and hissing, down the shale to the base. Brody fired the projector, landing a hit. The dart embedded in the tiger’s haunch.

  The whooshing sound the dart gun made when its carbon dioxide cartridge released gave Mattie a chill. The last time she’d heard that noise, the dart that was fired had embedded in her back. It had been only a month ago—not enough time to dull the memory of the pain from when that dart hit.

  Its hind leg and right foreleg dragging, the tiger tried to run. It gradually slowed, and its haunches sank to the ground. It pulled itself forward with the claws of one front paw, snarling as it dragged itself, its head wobbling back and forth. Finally its head bobbed and then flopped forward, and the tiger lay still and limp. Still holding on to Robo, Mattie didn’t know if the tiger was dead from the gunshot wound or sedated by the dart.

  Moose edged forward, nose outstretched as if to sniff the tiger, but Glenna called him off and told him to stay. She and Brody eased up close to examine the big cat.

  “It’s breathing,” Glenna called over her shoulder.

  Mattie turned toward Cole. He’d dismounted but was still holding the reins of Flint’s horse. Telling Robo to heel, she sprinted back to him and took charge of the prisoner. Cole grabbed a pack from the back of his saddle and rushed over to the tiger.

  As Mattie watched Cole bend over the beautiful, exotic creature that had been transported to this unfamiliar mountain wilderness to be chased down, stalked, and killed, a fury like no other filled her belly.

  Since Brody and Glenna had been unable to hear Moose barking, maybe the hunters had been in the same boat. Furthermore, the tiger had been perched up high while she and the others had been at the bottom of the promontory. Maybe Tyler hadn’t received her phone message and the hunters hadn’t seen them.

  There was a killer in that hunting party—and she didn’t believe it to be Flint. But one thing she knew for certain. If the person who’d shot that tiger didn’t show up soon to claim his prize, she planned go after them all and hunt him down.