by Vella Munn
“I feel the same way.”
“Not that it matters.”
“No, it doesn’t,” Darick said.
“All the way out, I couldn’t stop wondering if the grays were following, waiting for us to leave.”
“In that case, I’m more than happy to accommodate them.” Darick glanced at the hound, who was now resting her head on the seatback. “You’re one lucky animal. I wonder if you know it.”
Jeff rotated his shoulders in an attempt to ease his tension. It helped a little, but he had a long way to go before he felt normal again, whatever that was. “The grays might believe they’re safe where they are, but I’m not sure they’ll stay there.”
“Why not?”
Answering wasn’t as easy as he wanted it to be. In fact, nothing had been easy since the day he’d learned about the first elk shooting.
“Hear me out. This might sound crazy but—one of four men owns this dog. If the grays know she was abandoned, they might go looking for the guilty party.”
Darick whistled and switched to high beams. “Maybe she was Grover’s. That could be part of why they dealt with him the way they did.”
“And since he’s responsible for the elk kill, that makes him a two-time criminal in their eyes.”
“As I recall,” Darick said, “there was a fenced yard for each half of the duplex Grover lived in. He might have had a dog so there’d be something to come home to.”
Jeff rubbed between the hound’s ears. “Who do—did you belong to? Are you going to give him up?”
The hound sighed.
* * * *
A lot happened in a short amount of time once Jeff and Darick were able to use their cell phones. While Jeff called their department’s southwest regional lieutenant to bring him up to date, Darick got in touch with the county sheriff. A meeting with representatives from both departments was set up for tomorrow morning. After that, Jeff tried to contact Lyle and Parker at the older man’s home, only to be told they weren’t there. He wasn’t sure he believed Lyle’s mother, but couldn’t do anything about it. None of the four men picked up their cells, not that there was a rush. Asking questions could wait until Jeff and Darick had gotten some rest.
“I don’t want to take her to the humane society,” Darick said, about the dog they’d started to call Lady. “I’d keep her with me, but I’m going to need to get an ice pack on my back as soon as I can.”
“She’s staying with me.”
They’d reached their office, but had remained in the SUV while finishing their calls. The last thing Jeff wanted to do was step inside the building that represented a responsibility and commitment he longed to escape tonight. He’d noticed that Mia had called, but hadn’t taken the time to listen to her message. After agreeing to meet here with Darick early tomorrow morning, he watched his partner slowly walk from the agency vehicle to his. Then he loaded Lady into his truck.
Once his was the only vehicle with its lights on in the parking area, he accessed his messages. Hearing Mia’s voice telling him that she’d fired Ram for trapping rabbits left him feeling conflicted. Given what he’d seen today, he was in no shape to think about dead rabbits. On the other hand, Mia’s low words were like a gentle massage.
“I know someone who’s sure to have some dog food,” he told Lady. “Why don’t we pay her a visit?”
* * * *
Mia had just pulled onto the dirt road leading to her place when she noticed headlights behind her. Banshee, who she’d left behind to keep an eye on things while she was at the hospital, emerged from the dark and trotted beside her vehicle.
“I know. I’m late,” she said out of the open window. “We have company. You want to check if it’s someone we want to see?”
Judging by Banshee’s behavior, he was more interested in getting her to feed him than the visitor. As she parked, she warned herself not to be disappointed if it wasn’t Jeff. He had more important things to do than see her.
Then the door of the truck behind her opened, the interior light went on, and she knew it was him. The man she’d had sex with last night and had thought about all day. Even as her heartbeat increased, she warned herself not to read anything into his presence. Things were complicated with him. She’d left her cell in her vehicle while she was in the hospital and hadn’t checked to see if she had any messages. If that had forced him to add to what must have been a long day for him by compelling himself to come see her, she’d apologize.
“I have someone with me,” he said and he exited his vehicle. “How does Banshee feel about female dogs?”
“He doesn’t care much one way or the other unless they’re in heat. Then he’s interested. Why?”
“I don’t know if she is.”
Her curiosity overcoming her complex emotions where Jeff Julian was concerned, she walked over to his truck. A hound was standing on the passenger’s seat.
“Where did you get her?” she asked.
“It’s a long story.” Jeff sighed. “Do you think Banshee will put up with her?”
“He will if I tell him she’s welcome. Let her out.”
Jeff reached in and half-encouraged, half-lifted the hound. As soon as he placed her on the ground, she tucked her tail between her legs and tried to back under the truck in an attempt to get away from a very interested Banshee.
“What’s wrong with her? Is she a stray you found?”
He sighed again and rubbed the back of his neck. “Like I said, it’s a long story. You have dog food, right? I don’t know when she last ate, but have a pretty good idea it was a while ago.”
Judging by how Jeff was leaning against the truck’s fender, she guessed he hadn’t eaten for hours himself. She touched his arm to get his attention then pointed at her stairs.
“Let’s go inside. Banshee needs his belly fed. Hopefully your new friend will join us. Otherwise, I’ll bring something to her.”
“Mia?” Jeff seemed to drag out her name. “If I caught you at a bad time—”
“You didn’t.” Despite the question of whether anything had been resolved between them, his wellbeing came first. That and her concerns about him. “I have slow cooker leftovers if you’re interested.”
“You don’t mind?”
“Not at all.”
Jeff and Banshee accompanied her inside. She left her front door open. By the time she’d poured out Banshee’s meal, the dog Jeff called Lady was standing in the entrance. Mia got out two mixing bowls, filled one with dry dog food and the other with water and carried them to Lady. She started to drool.
“Leave her alone,” Mia warned her dog when he’d finished eating. “Let her fill her belly. Then you can introduce yourself.”
Once she’d assured herself that Lady was going to eat, she went back inside, leaving Banshee to watch the newcomer from near the couch. Hopefully Lady would soon join her so she could close the door. In the meantime—
“Did you get my message about Ram?” she asked the already sitting Jeff. “What I said probably doesn’t have anything to do with anything, but I thought you should know how he dealt with rabbits in case the grays, you know.”
“They killed today.”
Numb, she sank into the chair opposite him. “Tell me.”
Only rarely meeting her gaze, Jeff filled her in on his long, hard day. He said almost nothing about the condition he and Darick had found Grover in, but she’d seen what the grays were capable of. The details could come once Jeff had gotten his equilibrium back, if he wanted to tell her.
“So Grover’s companions didn’t stick around to see if they could help him,” she said, at length.
From where she was sitting, she could see Banshee and Lady size each other up. Hopefully, Banshee’s self-confidence would spill over to the traumatized hound. Thank goodness Jeff and Darick had found the poor creature.
“What do you think?” she continued. “Maybe Grover would still be alive if his companions had stayed around.”
“I doubt it.” Jeff rub
bed his eyes. “That spot will probably be seen as haunted or something. Spotting a gray did it for me.”
“It’s interesting you got the impression Ram was familiar with it,” she said around her relief because the grays had left Jeff and Darick alone.
If Jeff sagged much more he’d be in danger of sliding out of the chair, so she got up and went into the kitchen. She filled two bowls with vegetable beef soup, warmed them in the microwave, and carried them into the living room. By then, both dogs had gone outside.
“Eat,” she said as she handed a bowl and spoon to him. “Speaking of where you found Grover and the elk, I remember something Ram told me. He was boasting, hinting at why he always filled his hunting tags.”
“Did he?” Jeff dipped his spoon into the bowl and put it in his mouth. “Oh, that’s incredible. Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.”
As they ate, she explained that Ram had told her he had a private hunting spot. “He was proud of himself for having found it. I’m thinking he might go back to look for elk once Grover’s body has been removed and people are convinced the grays are no longer there. Or they’re dead.” She shook her head. “So you didn’t see any sign of Ice?”
“No. Maybe I wouldn’t have been so on edge if I had.”
“Hopefully the picture you took of the gray comes out. I’d love to see it.”
“I’m not sure I’m ready. At least I’m not alone in feeling like that. Ram and the others looked like they’d been in a nightmare. The only thing they wanted was to get out of there.”
“Which is what they did instead of trying to rescue Grover.” She concentrated on eating for a while and was pleased to see Jeff was doing the same. Although she didn’t want to, she drew comparisons between Jeff’s demeanor and how the young people had acted when they’d shown up at her place with a wounded Kendall. Jeff was calmer, which was understandable. “Summer gave me a pretty vivid description of the attack she witnessed so I understand why those men took off without Grover’s body.”
“You saw Summer?”
“At the hospital. That’s where I was before I came home. I needed to see how Kendall’s doing.”
“How is he?”
Jeff’s voice was flat, making her wonder if he was having trouble concentrating on anything except what he’d gone through. Maybe her talking about Kendall would help distract him, just not in a good way.
“His condition’s still critical, so only his relatives are allowed to see him. They made an exception for me, once Summer told the medical staff I helped save his life.”
Every time she through about her role, she was sucked back into what had played out at her place. Jeff would experience the same thing with regards to Grover. No matter what it took, she’d make sure he spent the night with her. They’d deal with the consequences later.
“Kendall was in and out of consciousness during the brief period I was with him. His head and hand are bandaged, so between that and blankets, his injuries aren’t obvious. Summer and I went into his room together. When she stood near his head and kissed him, he opened his eyes. She told him she loved him and he smiled.”
“Do you think she does? Love him, I mean.”
“She isn’t asking herself that right now. She and I talked later. Summer’s more mature than most people give her credit for. I’m thinking that having to, in essence, raise herself is the reason. She understands Kendall’s need to have a reason to live, so has decided to stay for as long he needs her.”
“Then she believes his life is worth living?”
“Yes.” Mia placed her bowl on the chair arm and leaned forward, trying to see Banshee and Lady, but they must have gone down the stairs. “Once he’s well enough, he’ll be sent to a rehab center. She’s hoping they’ll train him in some career he can do sitting down. She acted like a mama bear when she told me she’s going to make sure it happens and that he doesn’t let depression get the best of him.”
“It’ll mean a huge commitment on her part.”
“We talked about that, whether she really knows what she’s in for. We’re going to talk some more.” She smiled. “She’ll need support, which she won’t get from her mother. I want to be there for her.”
Jeff closed his eyes. “I want to visit Kendall.” He opened his eyes and focused on her. “While you were at the hospital, did you see any sign of his cousin or uncle? They’re going to want to tell him about their attempt at payback.”
“Kendall’s dad said his brother had called, but I didn’t ask for details. Back then I didn’t know about Grover or the elk.”
Jeff nodded. “Darick and I tried, but couldn’t reach them. We wanted to let them know we found Grover’s body and brought Lady back with us. I need to get going. The meeting—”
“Jeff, I want you to stay here.”
“You…”
“Yes.”
* * * *
Mia reached into Jeff’s truck for his backpack. She carried it back inside, but left the door open.
“I heard the mutts,” she told Jeff as she placed his pack on the couch. “Going by the sounds, I’m concerned about what they might be doing.”
“I saw some blood on her rear end.” He yawned.
“Which means she might be in heat. I guess we’ll find out before long.”
“I guess we will.”
Mia opened the pack and pulled out granola bars, apples, a rain jacket and clean underwear. Obviously, he’d been prepared to spend the night in the wilderness. Thankfully, he hadn’t had to. Once he was in bed, she’d throw his jeans and shirt in her washing machine. What he was wearing was good enough for tomorrow morning’s briefing. She held up her digital camera.
“I think I need to see what’s in there.”
He stared. “The shots of Grover are bad.”
“I’m sure they are.”
“Can it wait?”
“All right.”
“Thanks. Hopefully, I’ll get to the office in time tomorrow to upload everything into my laptop and make copies for everyone. They’re going to need to see what a gray looks like.”
She didn’t care how much information he provided for those he’d be meeting with. Right now, and for as long as she could get this worn out man to remain with her, he was her priority. It felt good to be focused on someone other than herself, not so much to know what he was dealing with. His wife’s murder had wounded him.
“Are the grays still there?” he mused, as he started removing his boots. “Knowing that would impact how we handle the recovery effort.”
Much as she wished he didn’t have to return, she understood. He was determined to bring things to a conclusion—even if it meant destroying the grays. His dedication to his career and her belief that the dogs had no choice but to make elk poachers pay for their crimes put them at odds. She’d been naïve to think that his seeing the slaughtered bull elk would have changed his mind. They’d deal with that later. Tonight was about making sure he got what rest he could.
“You’re falling asleep,” she said unnecessarily. “Head for bed. I’ll join you in a little bit.”
“I still don’t know about my staying here.” He stifled another yawn.
“I do. Think of it this way. I’m saving innocent motorists from being hit by an exhausted wildlife officer.”
He’d started to respond when her cell phone announced an incoming call. “It’s Niko,” she said.
“Do you have a minute?” Niko asked when Mia said hello. “I’ve been talking to Grandpa. He told me about an elk the elders call Forest Master. He decided it was time for me to know.”
“Oh, wow. Niko, before you get started, Jeff is with me.”
Niko whistled. “Are you saying I’m interrupting something?”
“It’s not like that.” I don’t know what it’s like between Jeff and me. “If you don’t mind, I’m going to turn on speaker. Wait a sec. Jeff, is it all right if I let Niko in on what you did and saw today?”
Jeff frowned then nod
ded. “The news will get out. It’s probably best if she hears the straight story.”
Encouraged by Jeff’s comment, she told her friend everything she knew. Twice Jeff elaborated, but mostly he sat and listened.
“Grover Brown,” Niko said. “The name doesn’t ring a bell. Of course I know who Ram is, plus Lyle and his dad. I’m trying to wrap my mind around why they decided to take the law into their own hands. Maybe, if I knew Kendall as well as they do—”
“I’m not sure we’ll ever understand.” She kept her attention on Jeff as she spoke. “One thing. Grover would still be alive if Ram hadn’t taken them where he did. So would that bull.”
“Yeah, they would be,” Niko said. “Mia, Jeff, about why I called. It might all tie in.”
Mia frowned. “That’s right. You said you’d heard about an elk known as Forest Master.”
“Yes. Mia, he told me he saw a white elk when he was on his spirit quest. Grandpa called this morning to say he’d been thinking about what I’d brought up about Native spiritual beliefs.”
Mia’s mouth sagged. Jeff looked as surprised as she felt.
“Spirit quest,” Jeff repeated. “That’s what Indian boys used to do as part of their journey into manhood, right?”
“A lot of them still do. Some girls as well, me included, for what it’s worth. We don’t talk to outsiders about it. Jeff, my grandfather is the most truthful man I’ve ever known. If he said he saw such an elk, I believe him.” Niko paused. “There’s one more thing. Ice or Forest Master, however you choose to think of him, told Grandpa something. Grandpa has lived by the message all his life.”
“Does your grandfather know you were going to tell me this?” Mia asked.
“Yes. He said he respects my faith in you. That you would keep what he told me in confidence. Jeff, I trust you won’t betray—”
