by Vella Munn
“I don’t see a point in telling Parker or Lyle about finding Kendall’s foot, do you?” Grover whispered from behind him.
“No, and I hope to hell I never see it again.”
“Where do you think this is taking us? I’ve never been here, have you?”
He debated saying anything, but if his hunch paid off, the others would eventually learn what he already knew. He rather say nothing, and resented that the question might mean a secret he’d long kept to himself was going to be revealed. “Not on this trail, but it might lead to a level spot highlighted by a pond fed by snow run-off.” More than might.
“A pond? Do you think there’s water in it this time of year?”
Say what you have to. “I know it is.”
“Seriously? It sounds like decent hunting country.”
It was, particularly since it was so remote most hunters didn’t know of its existence. He’d found it by accident years ago. Back then, he’d risked getting stuck or wrecking his truck because he’d wanted to see how far up Dark Mountain that logging road went. The farther he’d driven, the greater his concern he wouldn’t find a place to turn around. There weren’t any tire tracks. Fortunately, he’d eventually reached where logging trucks had once been loaded. Instead of heading right back down once his truck was headed in the right direction, he’d decided to search on foot. He’d found and followed a narrow deer trail. He might have been the only human to have ever walked on it.
When he’d reached the pond, he’d claimed it as his own. He’d never taken any clients there. That was his spot. At least it had been until now.
But maybe Kendall’s attackers were there.
“The pond’s a long way from where we parked, right?” Lyle sounded nervous.
It was for anyone who was trying to reach it from there. His route was a different story, not that he had any intention of telling Grover and the others. Let them remember getting to the pond as more trouble than it was worth.
“I’m afraid so. Look, if you want to go back…”
As he waited for Lyle to respond, Ram considered what he wanted the younger man’s answer to be. He remained determined to blow the beasts apart, but Zero was acting as if she’d seen a ghost. He’d barely slept last night for wondering what might be sharing the mountain with them. It was one thing to beat his chest when he was in the hospital’s waiting room, another when there weren’t any walls.
“I don’t want anything to do with this,” Lyle finally responded, “but I made a promise to Kendall. I can’t go back on my word.”
Chapter Sixteen
“You look beat.”
“There’s nothing wrong with me.”
“Nothing coffee and sleep won’t cure. You’re quiet, not that I blame you. This is the last thing I want to be doing.”
Jeff could have told Darick he’d had a restless night. Darick wouldn’t question his explanation, because it probably hadn’t been much different for him. However, Darick deserved to know why his partner might not be able to give their mission his full attention.
“I went to see Mia. Stayed a long time.”
Darick whistled and turned on the windshield wipers in, yet another, attempt to knock off some of the dust rolling up from the logging road. “Are you saying what I think you are?”
“Yeah.”
“That was fast.”
“I didn’t plan it. It just happened.”
“Those things don’t just happen. You both must have wanted to, you know, or you wouldn’t have.” Darick leaned forward and stared at what passed for a road. There was so little of it left that it was hard to believe loaded logging trucks had once chugged up and down it. “Kind of spontaneous, was it?”
“She’s been through a lot. She needed—“
“You don’t have to justify your actions to me. And I’m not going to ask for details. That’s not my way.”
“No, it isn’t.” Maybe he wouldn’t be so restless if he was driving, because at least he’d have that to do. Unfortunately, until they reached what he hoped was their destination, he was limited to rattling around in his mind. “She hates what you and I are trying to accomplish.”
“So things might go badly between the two of you if we’re successful.”
“More than might.”
“I’m sorry to hear that. You and I haven’t brought up about how we feel about what we’re doing. If I could have called in sick, I would have. I hate the idea of shooting—“
“They’re killers,” Jeff made himself say. “They attacked and killed long before they came here. They probably would have finished Kendall off if—no.”
“No what?”
“Lyle and the girls said the grays stopped in the middle of mauling Kendall.”
“He still might not make it.”
“No, he might not.” He groaned. “Why didn’t I become a garbage collector?”
“Too late. We’re in this until the end.”
An end Mia couldn’t forgive.
* * * *
“I had no idea this was here,” Clark said when, finally, they reached the meadow with the small, deep pond Ram had been all but praying was where they’d find the dogs. Being here felt both right and alien.
“Neither did I,” Parker echoed.
His son didn’t speak.
“When this is over, forget you ever saw it.” Ram made sure he had eye contact with each of his companions in turn. “Understand?”
“I’m never coming back,” Lyle whispered. “We’re so far from—”
“Try not to think about that.” Ram winced at his stupid comment.
It had taken them an hour to reach his place. He’d always appreciated the remote location, but now he wished it wasn’t for Lyle’s sake. He had to hand it to the young man. Despite his understandable fear and memories Ram could only imagine, Lyle hadn’t backed down.
To Ram’s thinking, the land around the pond was as perfect as anything could be. Granted, the altitude was such that it was buried under snow all winter, but for a few months in summer it became his idea of perfect. This was where he came alone to hunt deer or elk. Although he couldn’t imagine ever getting caught here, he’d never poached because the area felt sacred. Crazy as it was, he felt as if he should apologize for bringing the others.
But if the dogs had found his place, they had to leave it and not alive.
“You said it was level here,” Grover grumbled. “This is hillier than I thought it would be. Too many depressions for something to hide in.”
“Maybe we’ve made a mistake,” Parker said. “I haven’t seen any dog prints on the trail for a while.”
“Or anything else, because the trail got so rocky. Believe me, they didn’t go cross-country,” Ram pointed out. “Even ghost dogs would get hung up in all this vegetation.”
“Ghost dogs,” Lyle muttered. “I didn’t need to hear that.”
“No,” Lyle’s father said, “he didn’t. If this turns out to be a fool’s errand—”
“It isn’t. Look at Zero.” He nudged his shivering hound. “She’s smelling something. Something fresh.”
Grover snorted. “Probably her own scent. That mutt’s retarded.”
Ram was tired of Grover. The man had done more complaining than everyone else combined. Parker had called him on it a couple of times, demanding to know if Grover had a better plan. To Ram’s way of thinking, Grover was using his foul temper to try to cover his fear. Well, none of them were having the time of their lives.
Kendall’s attackers had pissed on what was left of his foot. That was what he needed to focus on.
“How should we do this?” Clark asked. “I don’t think we should split up.”
“I agree. I don’t want to get close to the pond.” The farther he kept them from it, the less likely they were to spot his trail that led to the end of the logging road. He shouldn’t have to point out that leaving human scents near a water source would warn animals to avoid it. “I suggest we go there.” He indicated
a knoll a couple of hundred feet away. “The view to the north isn’t bad from there.”
“North?” Lyle frowned. “I thought we were looking west.”
“So did I,” his father agreed. “These clouds are messing with my sense of direction.”
The bank of clouds was only partly responsible. There was also the not so little matter of nerves. When no one objected, Ram led the way up the incline, no easy task thanks to everything underfoot. Zero kept trying to put on the brakes, which meant Ram had to haul her behind him. Either ramped-up hormones had rendered her even more stupid than she was proving to be or she smelled a male somewhere.
Hopefully it was the latter.
But if he was right, where was the wannabe stud?
* * * *
“Damn,” Darick muttered. “Just damn.”
Because his partner had voiced sentiments he was certain he shared with him, Jeff didn’t feel the need to add anything. Their initial plan had been to check for fresh dog sign around the two elk carcasses, before trying to locate where the young people had been camping, but seeing a Jeep at the side of the logging road near where Mia had brought him in her quad changed things. Cemented their concerns.
“I don’t recognize it,” Darick said. “Do you?”
“There’s so many Jeeps in this part of the county. One thing I’m sure of, whoever drove it here isn’t hunting, at least not with a valid license.”
Darick killed the engine and reached for the door handle. “You’re thinking what I am.” It wasn’t a question.
“That they’re looking for the grays.”
“Yeah.” Moving slowly and carefully, Darick exited. He leaned back then forward, stretching his spine. When he was done, Darick walked around while studying the ground around the Jeep. “There’s a number of tire tracks.”
The forecast hadn’t called for rain, but the clouds were dark enough Jeff was glad he’d thrown in his rain jacket. He was chilled, maybe not totally attributable to the breeze.
He joined his partner and studied what had caught Darick’s eye. “That’s more tracks than Mia and I found. Single tracks plus these—” He pointed. That were probably made by the trailers the cousins had on their trail bikes.”
Darick started to squat only to straighten. He didn’t touch his back but Jeff had seen that look in his co-worker’s eyes enough times to know he was in pain.
“There’s also a lot of boot prints,” Darick said, after a short silence. “People taking off on foot.”
“Are you up to taking a look around?”
Darick glared. “Not a problem. For now, all we need are our weapons.”
* * * *
Ram hadn’t wanted to stand close to Grover, but he’d dealt with enough trigger-happy hunters that he believed he didn’t have a choice. Grover wasn’t a lot better than Zero, shivering and breathing loudly, rocking. The men had been using their rifles to scope the terrain, but hadn’t spotted anything. Ram knew to be patient since what was nothing one moment could become something important the next. Wild animals were like that, blending into their surroundings until that unpredictable moment when they exposed themselves. He wasn’t sure if wild dogs were the same as deer, elk, cougar or bear but wouldn’t be surprised.
He needed the curs to be out there. Needed to empty his rifle in their mangy hides so Lyle and Kendall would never be afraid again.
Him, either.
Mia should see him like this, part-human, part-predator. One with his surroundings. Wise and knowledgeable. Patient when patience wasn’t possible.
She’d get him then. Realize what she should have held on to.
“Shit,” Grover whispered. “Oh, shit.”
Ram noted where the man’s scope was aimed and did the same. He took several slow, steady breaths that stood in contrast to Grover’s panting, and went in search of the inner tranquility that made him a good shot. He’d placed several large rocks on Zero’s chain to make sure she couldn’t go where he didn’t want her to.
“God damn.” Grover’s body vibrated.
Instead of yanking the damn fool back down, Ram pressed his eye against his scope. He pulled in more oxygen.
A bull elk. Big. Impressive rack. Draped in shadow and nearly the same color as the tree trunks all around. Standing still as only an elk can. He’d seen bulls as large as this one, but not many. Judging by how high the male held his head, Ram concluded something had caught his attention. Thinking it might be the damned dogs, he looked in the direction the bull was, but didn’t see anything. This time of the year, the big ones weren’t always with their harem. Besides, the rich brown bull’s body language was more cautious than welcoming.
Either a potential rival or the dogs.
“Easy,” Ram whispered. “He might have—”
“I’ve never seen one that big,” Grover whispered. “The rack, the damn rack.”
“Calm the hell down. We’re not here so you’ll have something to hang over your mantle.”
Grover licked his lips. His finger settled around his rifle’s trigger. “Nineteen years of putting in for an elk tag and I’ve always been skunked. It’s my damned turn.”
“No, it isn’t.”
It was weird to see an elk so focused on something that it was unaware of what else was going on. Once he’d completed his mission, he’d return. Find and dispatch this beauty. Go home with the head and rack. If he had children, he’d bring them along to share in the experience.
Grover made a sound that was more snarl than sigh. Shaking off his thoughts, Ram lowered his rifle. Without his scope, he could no longer see the elk, but he still felt it. “Calm down,” he warned. “You aren’t—”
Something crunched under Grover’s boot as the man stepped forward. His rifle was locked in position for shooting. The knuckle on the trigger turned white.
“Don’t. If the dogs are here, the sound will warn—”
A blast loud enough to briefly deafen Ram stopped him in mid-sentence. The bull spun around, lowered his great head, and started to run. Five or six steps later he crumpled.
“Shit.” Ram couldn’t hear himself speak. Out of the corner of his eye he saw Zero start to pee. The way she was pulling on the chain, she was in danger of choking herself. “Shit.”
“Got him!” Grover exclaimed. “Hot damn, I’ve—”
“Are you crazy?” Parker demanded. “What the hell…”
Lyle’s old man was right not to bother finishing. Clearly Grover wasn’t listening.
* * * *
The hackles on Lobo’s spine lifted. He’d been watching his pups sneak up on white butterflies, existing in the moment, his belly full from the doe he’d killed last night. His mate and her brother had been sleeping nearby. They came awake with the blast, lips already pulled back and fangs exposed. His pups stopped and lifted their heads, all playfulness gone.
“Silence,” his mate told her offspring, even though it wasn’t necessary. She licked her brother’s muzzle. Then, as Lobo had seen her do many times, she closed her eyes and went to a place Lobo couldn’t. Her brother did the same.
The sound—Lobo recognized it as coming from the man-object capable of causing death—had faded to nothing. He waited for a repeat but it didn’t come. The last time he’d heard that hard roar, a nursing elk had run for a while before falling forward and thrashing. The memory was still strong, unwanted. He recalled how the man responsible for making the elk collapse had stood over the wounded creature until another man had pulled him away. The two had taken off in the direction they’d come from, leaving the elk to bleed while her offspring cried. After too long, a woman had arrived and put an end to the elk’s suffering. Shortly after, his mate’s brother had broken the calf’s neck. His mate’s brother had refused to let him touch the calf, but his family had filled their bellies from the cow’s body.
Several days later, the shooter had returned to where he’d destroyed a life. Lobo’s mate and her brother had attacked, making the man scream and cry. Lobo had wa
nted the man dead. He didn’t understand why the grays hadn’t finished the job they’d started. What he knew, was that their decision had something to do with why they sometimes closed their eyes and went where he couldn’t. His mate growled. His memory interrupted, he stared at her.
“Find. Learn. Act,” she told him.
* * * *
“You heard it, too, didn’t you?” Darick asked.
Jeff nodded. “Barely. The way sounds get distorted in the mountains, I’m not sure where it came from.”
The two men waited, but the distant rifle blast wasn’t repeated. If he didn’t know better, Jeff would swear the trees had swallowed it. What he had little doubt of was that whoever had come in the Jeep was responsible. Maybe they’d located the grays, but if that was the case, there’d have been more than one shot.
He and Darick had found where Kendall, Lyle, and their girlfriends had been camping. They’d split up and gone looking for where the attack had taken place. Darick had found it, signaling his success with a short whistle. The churned up ground and dark stains had said more than Jeff needed to know. Then he’d spotted Kendall’s foot and things had gotten even worse.
You need to see this, he mentally told Mia. Still think the grays deserve to go on living?
After taking pictures, they’d searched for and found both dog tracks and footprints on a deer trail. That’s what they’d been following when they’d heard the shot. Unfortunately, by then, thanks to the rough footing and vegetation, the prints had petered out. Adding to the problem, other trails branched off from the original one.
“What do we do?” Darick pressed his hand to the small of his back.
“I’m not sure. This could be dangerous.”
“Could? Damn it, what direction did the sound come from?”
“I can’t tell. I’m trying to think like a dog that can’t depend on humans to feed it. Where would I go?”
“We don’t know the territory, so the question’s moot.” Darick paused. “I need to share what I’ve been thinking. The grays targeted Kendall because he shot that cow. What if they somehow know Lyle and the others are looking for them?”
