“Beaten to death?” Scott said skeptically.
“Well he – our friend Jake reckons it was a bear.”
“Bit far for one of those blackies to be out here. He must be mistaken.”
“Actually, he thinks it was a grizzly bear.”
“We don’t have bears out here,” Thunder Brad stated.
“Especially not grizzlies,” Scott added.
Dennis clapped his hands together. “Look, that’s just what Jake said. I don’t give a fuck. So do you want to go out there now?”
“Where’s your friend?” Brad asked.
“Who? Jake?”
“Yep.”
“He’s still out there. He’s … well, he’s looking for some guy who was out there.”
“What guy?” Scott asked.
“Tell them,” Dennis urged Jasmine. “Tell them who you saw out there.”
Thunder Brad’s eyes bore down at her.
After a moment of silence, Jasmine said, “It doesn’t matter. It was nobody.”
CHAPTER SEVEN
Back in the car, Jasmine wasn’t sure why she didn’t just come out with that she’d seen Thunder Brad there. Obviously he had been up to something, if he hadn’t been responsible for the hunter’s death.
Yet … Jasmine didn’t know that for sure. Her gut was telling her something else. At least, she hoped it was her gut, and not just Brad’s hunky charm. The possibility bugged her.
“What was with you back there?” Dennis asked once they were in the car again. “You were like in a daze or something.”
“Huh? Oh it was nothing.”
“And you’re still in it.”
Dara leant forward from the backseat. “What are you guys talking about? Are we getting this sorted?”
“Don’t worry about it,” Dennis said to her. “The rangers are following us and then we’re going to get Jake, and get the fuck out of here.”
“If you can find him,” Jasmine muttered.
“He said he’d be back with the body by the time we get back there,” Dennis reminded her. Then sighed. Twisted the ignition.
Jasmine could see Thunder Brad and Scott were in their jeep waiting for them.
“He better fucking be there,” Dennis muttered.
And then they were on the road.
Once Dennis was silent again, the only sound in the car was Dara’s fingers tapping as she texted someone. It wasn’t enough. Jasmine couldn’t escape thinking about Thunder Brad again. A silly childish voice rose up within her – You LIKE him – which left her more than a little frustrated. Of course she didn’t like him. She didn’t know him. OK – sure. He was hot. And now they shared this ‘secret’ together. But Jasmine didn’t really know what the secret was or if she should even keep it. The whole thing was really stressing her out.
When they arrived at the clearing again, Dennis turned to her and asked, “You staying or going this time?”
Jasmine shook her head. “Coming I guess.”
“You know what, it’s fucking hot in here,” Dara said. “I’m coming too.”
“Alright, everyone’s coming,” Dennis muttered.
He got out of the car.
When Jasmine and Dara joined him, he was standing around the trunk, his focus on his rifle sitting there.
Thunder Brad and Scott walked over.
“You’re not taking that with you,” Thunder Brad said.
“For protection,” Dennis said defensively.
Thunder Brad waved his hand away. “You’re lucky we don’t confiscate it.”
“Confiscate it?” Dennis exclaimed.
“Do you have a permit for it?”
“Uh…”
“Leave it in the trunk.”
Dennis sighed. “Okay. Fine.” He closed the lid. “Are you happy now?”
Jasmine noticed Thunder Brad and Scott weren’t carrying firearms. “Where are your weapons?”
“We don’t need weapons,” Thunder Brad said sternly. “The wildlife are our friends.”
“Tell that to the hunter,” Dennis muttered.
“Let’s take a look at him,” Thunder Brad said and started moving in the direction of the river. “Was it this way?” he asked, turning to Jasmine.
“Yes.”
Dennis caught the moment they had. He frowned at Jasmine.
She looked away.
“So you’re absolutely sure that he’s dead?” Scott asked as they walked.
Jasmine looked around to see who the question was directed at. “Uh. Yes.”
“Jake examined him,” Dennis said.
“Did he check for a pulse?”
“Look we know a dead body when we see one, okay?”
“Do you?” Thunder Brad’s mouth clicked.
“Well, I don’t mean it that way,” Dennis said. “Just. You just take a look for yourself and make your own mind up.”
“I don’t have to look,” Jasmine heard Dara say.
“No, you don’t have to look,” Dennis said pulling her underneath his arm.
What a wonderful relationship that must be, Jasmine thought to herself, rolling her eyes. Then she gritted her teeth together. She shouldn’t be so cynical.
They reached the slope leading down to the river’s edge. The body was still there but there was no sign of Jake.
Dennis immediately pulled out his cell phone.
Thunder Brad and Scott squatted to inspect the body.
Jasmine looked to Dara who was facing the other direction, texting.
“You don’t have a smoke I could pinch off you?”
Dara didn’t look up. “Where are yours?”
“Back in the car.”
She reached into her pocket and gave Jasmine the cigarette.
“Lighter,” Jasmine said holding her hand out.
The lighter hit her hand just a bit too hard.
“I can reimburse you when we get back,” Jasmine mumbled.
“It’s okay,” Dara smiled, still not looking away from her phone. “My treat.”
Now Jasmine wished she hadn’t asked. It was just one of those days.
“He’s not answering,” Dennis said, agitated. “It’s ringing out but he’s not picking up.”
“So what killed him?” Jasmine called out to the rangers. “Was it an animal? Or a person?”
Thunder Brad stood up. Although she was a distance away, Brad moved round the body and up the slope a little until he was staring at her directly. He had his sunglasses back on now.
“Can I have that cigarette please?”
“What? Why?”
Brad took it from her fingers. He cast it into the river.
“Hey,” Jasmine gushed. “What the fuck?”
“Fire hazard. We have to take precautions.”
Jasmine scrunched her face up. Not impressed.
“I’d say he was definitely attacked by an animal,” Scott piped up. “Must be one of the blackies after all.”
“Is that what happened?” Jasmine asked Thunder Brad.
She could see his eyes behind the glasses.
Looking right into hers.
“Hold up,” Dennis sang out. “It’s Jake. He’s okay after all.”
Thunder Brad turned and Jasmine followed his gaze to see Jake approaching from the other side of the river.
“About fucking time,” Dara muttered without looking up.
CHAPTER EIGHT
Jake was happy. Very pleased with himself about something. He was keeping a tight lid on it though, because when the rangers asked him what he was smiling about, he made a bizarre comment about it being a good day for breathing the air.
Thunder Brad then asked to see his rifle.
“Hunting is prohibited in this area,” he droned upon confiscating the weapon.
“I wasn’t hunting,” Jake protested, amid his good cheer. “I was just –”
“Did you find it?” Dennis asked. “Did you find the bear?”
Jake shook his head. “Nah. It gave us the slip I’
m afraid.”
Thunder Brad removed the bullets from the gun and handed it back to him. “You’ll need to leave the area now. But before you go, if you could each give your names, phone numbers and addresses to my partner. The police may want to contact you about this.”
One by one, Jake, Dennis, Dara and Jasmine lined up for Scott to take down their names. As they were doing so, Jasmine heard Thunder Brad radio in the hunter’s body and their location. She wasn’t sure how he was involved in this or what he was hiding, but she would be glad once they were out of here.
The four friends started back to the car without the rangers.
“So what was that back there?” Dennis asked. “Why were you smiling and shit?”
“I’ll tell you in a second,” Jake said.
“Fuck off, tell us now.”
“I said in a second. Yeesh.”
They got back to the car. Dennis got out the cooler and passed bottles of water around the group. Jasmine only needed a few gulps before she was right again.
Jake tipped half a bottle over his own head.
“This is fucking killing me,” Dennis said. “Something’s happened out there. But I don’t even have a clue is what…”
“Pffft…” Dara muttered, leaning against the car.
“Pffft, what?” Dennis challenged her.
“It’s so obvious.”
“What’s obvious?”
Dara looked at Jake who was still smirking. Jasmine could see that was permission enough for Dara to tell them.
“He’s killed something,” Dara said. “Obviously.”
“Really?” Dennis murmured.
Jake threw his hands in the air. “Maybe. Something.” He shrugged. “Come on, let’s go.”
He got into the passenger side and Dennis put the cooler back in the backseat. A minute later Dennis was in the driver’s seat and Jasmine and Dara were in the back.
“I got the grizzly,” Jake confessed. “It’s the biggest fucking thing I ever killed.”
“Whoa, whoa,” Dennis muttered between starting the car. “You killed the bear? You found it?”
“Yeah. It was a while away. Down the river, trying to fish with its paws or something. Had no idea I was there. I just took my rifle out… Looked at it through the scope… And bam. Dead fucking bear. Right between the eyes.”
“You are so full of shit, man,” Dennis chuckled.
“Am I?” Jake reached into his pocket. He took something black and moist from his pocket. “There’s the fucking nose.”
“Holy FUCK!” Jasmine shrieked. “THAT’S DISGUSTING!”
Dennis could barely control his laughter as Jake set the nose on the dashboard.
“Boys with their toys,” Dara muttered.
“Seriously that is fucked,” Jasmine went on. “I think … Ugh… It’s making me sick…”
She opened the door beside her and leaned out, afraid she might vomit.
“Come on now,” Dennis muttered. “I’m trying to start the car. Close your fucking door.”
“Get that thing out of here,” Jasmine hissed.
“You mean me, or the nose?” Jake chuckled.
It was a legitimate question.
“So what kind of bear was it?” Dennis asked. “Was it the grizzly?”
“Oh, you bet,” Jake said. “Big son of a bitch too. Look…”
Jasmine couldn’t help but look up again. Jake was showing her brother the dead animal captured on his phone.
“Neat, huh?”
“Nice,” Dennis nodded. “Why didn’t you tell the rangers?”
“And get hit with a fine? No thanks.” Jake pocketed the nose. “Sorry, Jasmine. I didn’t know it would upset you that way.”
“Well, it does.”
“Close your door, Jasmine,” Dennis insisted.
Jasmine gave a deep sigh. She closed her door.
“So what happened to that guy Jasmine saw?” Dennis asked, backing the car towards the main road. “Did you see him?”
“No,” Jake replied. “No guys anywhere. But who knows. If he’s still out there, maybe I saved his life.”
“You’re a real hero,” Dara said sarcastically.
Jake laughed to himself. “I try, don’t I?”
The car entered the main road and Dennis turned the wheels so they were facing the right direction.
Before they took off however…
Jasmine saw an enormous grizzly bounding towards the car outside Dara’s window.
She screamed: “DRIVE!”
Dennis hit his foot on the accelerator.
And the bear went through the glass headfirst.
CHAPTER NINE
Now it was Dara’s turn to scream. Her phone fallen from her hands, and she grappled with her belt buckle while the bear somehow managed to maintain contact with the car mid-motion. Jasmine assisted her and off it came, sending glass flying all over the place as Dara slid into her arms and out of the bear’s. After a few seconds Dennis managed to rev up some speed on the car and the bear fell away from the window.
Dennis was exploding with a number of obscenities while Dara trembled, her cries fading in volume but not frequency.
“Holy … shit…” Jake said after another minute passed.
“What the fuck was that?” Dennis snapped at him.
“It was a bear. Didn’t you see?”
“I know it was a bear, Jake! What was it doing in the fucking car!”
“How should I know?” Jake snapped back. “It’s not like anything like that’s ever happened before to me.”
“Are you okay, Dara?” Dennis asked.
She’d since gotten herself under control. She pulled away from the wet patch left on Jasmine’s shoulder, and retreated to the middle seat. “I thought you said you killed the bear, Jake. You piece of shit.”
“I did kill the bear!” Jake cried defensively.
“That bear didn’t look dead to me!”
“It was another bear, alright,” Dennis interjected. “Case closed.”
“How do you know?” Dara challenged.
“It had its nose,” Jasmine answered. “It had a nose.”
The car sailed past the ranger’s lodge and office.
Jasmine blinked a few times. “Where are we going? We just past the ranger’s office back there.”
“The rangers are back with the bear,” Jake said.
“Well, where are we going?” Jasmine pressed again. “Are we going to call the police or something?”
“Oh no,” Jake said. “Fuck that.”
Jasmine leaned forward, clenching her teeth. “Why? Why ‘fuck that’?”
“If that was a second bear, and it killed those rangers, they’re gonna be after the guys who killed the first bear,” Jake explained. “It’s serious shit.”
“Well, one of those bears already killed before we showed up,” Dennis said. “It’s not like they were all peaceful or anything.”
“I guess so,” Jake muttered. After a moment he added, “But we don’t want to deal with the shit anyway. We should just keep driving out to the cabin. Spend the night, and then get the fuck back home next morning.”
Dara’s mouth dropped. “I don’t think I want to stay out here tonight.”
“Why?” Jake said, leaning over. “Scared?”
“I’ve just been through an ordeal, you prick!”
“Ooh. Poor you. A little glass in your hair. Boo-hoo. Never mind its Dennis’s fucking car –”
“Hey man,” Dennis interrupted. “I don’t care about the car.” He shrugged. “Maybe we should go back.”
“I vote we turn around right now,” Jasmine said.
“You see?” Dara persisted. “We are over this trip, Jake.”
Jake fell silent.
Dennis kept driving.
Jasmine looked at Dara.
Dara looked back. “Thanks,” she murmured.
“Oh that’s okay,” Jasmine said quietly.
Another minute of silence past.
“So what do you want to do?” Dennis asked under his breath. “Keep going or go back?”
“Keep going,” Jake said loud enough that everyone could hear him.
CHAPTER TEN
They reached the cabin that belonged to Jake and Dara’s uncle within the next quarter of an hour. The cabin itself was a three minute drive off the main road, through a barely present dirt track. Despite the area being heavy with trees there was a decent enough amount of clear ground surrounding the cabin. From there, it was a two minute walk till you came to a lake.
Upon arriving, it was apparent that Dennis, Jasmine and Dara needed to conference outside of Jake’s presence. Whilst he was unloading supplies from the trunk of the car, the three peeled away towards the lakeside and began their discussion.
“That was fucked up back there,” Dara said. “My hands are still shaking.”
“I was over this the minute he put that bear’s nose on the dashboard,” Jasmine exclaimed. “Like, so gross.”
They both looked to Dennis.
“What do you want to do?” Dennis asked. “His mind’s made up.”
“Yeah, but there’s three of us,” Jasmine continued. “Only one of him.”
“Well, there’s no way we’re just going to leave him here,” Dennis said.
Jasmine looked to Dara. “You know your brother better than anyone. How do we convince him staying here is nuts?”
Dara shrugged. “It’s not nuts. Back there was nuts.”
Jake was walking over. He had a plastic bag with him. “What are we talking about?”
“Nothing,” Dennis said. “Well, before. And such.”
Jake took a beer from the bag and threw it to Dennis. “There you go.”
Dennis caught it. “Thanks.”
Jake walked round and handed a drink to his sister, and then one to Jasmine. Both vodkas.
He had a bourbon and cola for himself.
“Drink up,” he said, cracking the lid off the can. “Relax.”
He gave a small chuckle and then head on his way to the car.
Before Jasmine could get another word out, both Dennis and Dara had cracked their cans.
“What are you doing?” Jasmine hissed.
Worshiped By The Bear Kings: Part One Page 2
