The Athlete

by Elin Peer

  As soon as I pushed the green H, his hologram came up. One look at Cole told me that something was off, and my pulse sped up.

  “What’s wrong? Is it Mom?”

  “No.”

  “Jonah?”

  “No. It’s something else and I need to get in contact with Hunter. Do you know where he is?” Cole looked like he was running with trees in the background.

  “Yes, he’s here.”

  “I need to talk to him, Ema. Right now.” There was a trace of panic in Cole’s voice that made the hairs on my neck stand up.

  “Cole, what’s going on?” Hunter moved over to stand in front of the hologram, which was flickering.

  “I’m in big f’ing trouble and I need your help. How fast can you be here?”

  Hunter’s eyes were telling me how badly he wanted to stay here with me. “First tell me what happened.”

  The hologram kept flickering as Cole was running and his speech was hard to understand as he was panting. “We were attacked out of the blue, me and Don. If anyone finds out there was a murder at our park they’ll close us down.”

  “Murder? Hold on, what the fuck are you talking about? Did someone die?”

  “Don was attacked and I didn’t know what to do. Just hurry and come help me.”

  “Who’s Don?” My voice was high-pitched.

  “An Nman.”

  “We’re coming right away. Just keep talking to us.” I was already running to gather my things and a few minutes later Hunter was firing up his hybrid.

  “Cole, are you still there?” My brother kept turning his head and it made the hologram change in a confusing, glitch-ridden manner. “Cole, talk to me.”

  “There’s so much blood.”

  “We’ll be there soon – Hunter can switch off the regulator and let his hybrid fly as fast as possible.”

  “It’s better if it’s only Hunter. You shouldn’t come, sis. Stay home and send Hunter.”

  “No freaking way. I’m coming with him and I’m calling Mom; she’s closer and she’ll come and help you.”

  “No!” His tone was frantic. “Don’t call anyone. Promise that you won’t tell a soul.”

  “But if someone is dead…”

  “Ema, I’ll be hiding in the bike shack. Be careful when you get here.”

  “Cole, if you’re in danger…” My voice was still shrill in tone, but Cole cut off the call and left me with more questions than answers.

  CHAPTER 25

  Dark Secrets

  Hunter

  My body was on alert as I parked my hybrid close to the bike tracks, not far from the shed with safety equipment.

  “You’ll stay here while I go and investigate.” I opened the hidden compartment room in the hybrid and pulled out a gun but Emanuela didn’t listen and was already opening the door to exit. “Stop! We don’t know if there’s some crazy person out there. At least stay close to me.”

  My warning went over her head, but then Motlanders had no real concept of danger. Instead of staying close to me, Emanuela ran to the shed where her brother Cole had said he would be. I had to sprint to catch up and stop her from barging in. If I were hiding in a shed with a murderer on the loose, my heart would be pumping and I would be prepared to defend myself. I didn’t want her to get knocked on her head by accident because she didn’t announce her arrival.

  “Cole, are you in there?” I tapped on the door.

  A pale-looking Cole opened. “Thank Mother Nature that you’re here.” He pulled me in for a tight hug that surprised me. Over his shoulder I saw another man sitting on a bucket turned upside down. It only took one glance for me to know that he had to be the Nman Cole had talked about.

  Cole released me and hugged Emanuela while I stepped closer to the stranger.

  “I would get up to greet you but as you can see I’m injured.”

  A first aid kit was laid out on the ground, his left leg was raised up on another bucket, and his pants were pulled up revealing a nasty cut from his mid-shin down to his ankle. From the look of the reddened fabrics tied around his leg in two different places, he had lost a lot of blood.

  “What the fuck happened?”

  “It was a pair of cougars.” The man nodded to his leg. “Can you stitch me up? We already used up all the Blood Stopper Gel.”

  Emanuela had moved forward and was now standing next to me. “You need to go to the hospital.”

  “No.” The man gave a stubborn grunt, while Cole was wringing his hands.

  “This is Don, he’s a friend. We were driving on the bikes when we were attacked. He says that any decent Nman can stitch him up, that’s why I called you, Hunter.”

  Don held up his hands for me to see that they were scratched and bleeding too. “I would stitch it myself but one of the cougars got me good.”

  Emanuela stood right behind me and peeked around my body. “But Hunter is not a doctor.”

  “So what?” Don grunted. “You can still sew a wound, can’t you?”

  I didn’t know why he didn’t want to go to the hospital, but I trusted he had his reasons. “I’ve done the training, but I’ve never had to use it. I have a friend who’s a doctor, we could call him.”

  “No. It’s better if no one else is involved in this.” Don looked back down at his leg. “Cole managed to stop the bleeding from the worst wound with the Blood Stopper Gel, but we ran out and the glue in the first aid kid is dried out. It’s my hand that I need help with.” He showed me a long scratch just under his thumb on the meaty part of his right palm. “It’s fucking bad luck that it’s on my right hand or I could’ve sewn it myself.”

  “All right, how about you two tell us everything while I see to your wound?” I kneeled down and looked through the first aid kit. “Are you sure you want me to use needle and thread? I have a first aid kit in my hybrid. There will be some Blood Stopper Gel and glue.”

  “Nah, I’ve had glue fall off in the past and I’m done with the Blood Stopper Gel for one day. That shit burns like a bitch. Let’s just do it the old-fashioned way.”

  “All right. Needle and thread it is then.”

  “I can’t watch that.” Cole walked away. “I don’t mind blood but I hate needles.”

  “I’m still confused.” Emanuela moved with Cole to the door. “Who died? You said there had been a murder.”

  Don gave a groan and a grimace when I disinfected his hand. “There was no murder. It’s just Cole overdramatizing the whole thing because I killed one of those fucking wild cats.”

  “You killed one of the cougars?” There was an expression of pure shock on Emanuela’s face.

  “Of course I killed the devil. It was trying to make a meal out of me.”

  Emanuela’s hands flew to her head. “Oh, sweet Nature, I can’t believe it. Killing an animal from the list of sentient beings? That’s… that’s murder.”

  Cole threw his hands up. “I know, and that’s why I called Hunter. We’re in deep trouble here.”

  Don growled low. “You two tootsies over there better calm the fuck down. Your hysteria is getting on my nerves.”

  “Ready?” I threaded the needle and put it to Don’s hand.

  “Yeah, just fucking get it over with.”

  For a minute there was silence but then Emanuela began talking again. “Cole, where is the body?”

  “We left it on the trail. Don was bleeding so heavily that I needed to get him to safety. I was afraid the other cougar might come back and attack us again.”

  Emanuela opened the door to the shed a little and peeked out. “It could be anywhere just waiting for us to come out.”

  Cole pulled her back and closed the door. “Exactly. We can’t have a wild cougar lurking around the park.”

  While they were in the other end of the shack, Don leaned in and whispered to me. “You’re gonna have to find that last cougar. She won’t like it, but it’s the only solution.”

  When Emanuela looked over, Don pulled back again and gave another low growl. “
If it wasn’t because I’m injured, I would be out there hunting the damn thing and killing it too.”

  “Keep your hand still.”

  Emanuela’s voice was shaking when she spoke. “I’m sorry that you’re hurt, but this isn’t the Northlands. You can’t just hunt and kill animals here and Cole is right, when the authorities find out what you did, you’ll be facing a murder trial.”

  “If anyone accuses me of murder, they can go fuck themselves. That animal was sick or it wouldn’t have attacked a grown-ass man like me. I did everyone a favor by killing it.” Don shifted his position and it made the bucket scrape over the floor.

  I waited for him to sit still again before making my third stitch. “How did you kill it?”

  “Well, I would like to say I strangled it with my bare hands but that would be a lie. The cougar came flying from the right as I was driving. It knocked me off the bike and it would’ve taken a bite of my face if it weren’t for that safety scarf Cole always insists that we wear. The damn thing blew up and protected me.” Don was looking at me stitching up his hand while talking. “Anyway, while I was still on the ground the damn thing attacked me and tore my leg up with its claws. I fought back and got my hands roughed up, but it was enough for the cougar to pull back. When I got up there were two cougars ready to attack me again, but then Cole came on his bike and it scared the smaller one off. The other one had tasted blood and wasn’t as smart. It kept circling me, head low, teeth bared, and everything. That’s why I picked up the bike to use as a weapon.”

  “How? Those bikes are heavy.” Emanuela wrinkled her forehead.

  “Maybe to you. But I’m strong and I was angry.”

  “I saw him crush the cougar’s skull with the bike.”

  “That’s right. I swung it as soon as the beast attacked and it was the most satisfying sound to hear its howl of pain.”

  “How can you say that? That animal is not an it, it’s a living being and clearly he or she had family since there was another cougar.”

  “Look, lady, I don’t care if it’s an animal or human. If someone comes at me to kill me, I’ll fucking kill them first.”

  Emanuela was staring at Don when Cole took her hands and looked deep into her eyes. “No one can know about this. Think about all the questions that the authorities would be asking. Our license to run the park would be revoked if they knew what goes on after hours.”

  That got my attention, and I lifted my head. “And what’s that?”

  Only Don’s heavy breathing was heard for a long moment while the three of them exchanged glances.

  “What goes on after hours?”

  With a slow turn, Emanuela faced me. “Hunter, you can’t tell anyone about this.”

  “About what?”

  “Remember how I was able to overtake you on my bike that day we were racing?”

  “Yeah.”

  “It’s because the bikes have regulators, just like your hybrid. Officially we never allow anyone to drive more than the regulated speed limit, but unofficially…” She trailed off and scratched her neck. “Well, it started out with a few friends but over the years it has grown to become a substantial side business.”

  “Oh, for fuck’s sake, relax, he’s an Nman. There’s no way he’ll rat us out.” Don gave me a sharp look. “It’s not just the bikes. It’s beer, alcohol, gambling, and racing in anything we can race in. If I didn’t have this place I don’t know what I would do.”

  A small smile spread on my lips. “How many people know about this?”

  “I don’t know, what do you think, Cole? Maybe fifty?”

  Cole put his right foot on a bucket and leaned his hand on his knee. “Sixty-one, and everyone is sworn to secrecy. If the media ever found out about it, there would be a scandal of major proportions. With both Jonah and Emanuela being famous in public it can never come out.”

  “Does Jonah know about this side business of yours?”

  “Yes. He has known from the beginning and he likes to race and drink himself. That’s why he’s so determined to fight for the freedom to drive fast and decide if you want to enjoy alcohol.”

  Emanuela stepped forward. “Not at the same time, of course. Cole always makes sure to never serve alcohol to anyone before the races, right, Cole?”

  Her brother nodded. “Yes, that’s a rule everyone has to adhere to.”

  I was done sewing and tied a knot. “Approved?”

  Don brought his hand closer to his face and studied it. “For this being your first time, it’s not bad.”

  “You can thank me later by buying me a beer. First, we have to wrap your wound and clean your other hand too.”

  Cole was back to pacing the small shed where jackets, gloves, glasses, and other safety gear were stored. “We have to bury the body of the cougar before anyone finds it.”

  “Okay, but what about the other cougar? What if it attacks again?” I looked to Don. “You said the one you killed was sick. Do you think the other one is sick too?”

  “I don’t know. But I’m sure as hell on the first flight back home to see a doctor. I don’t want to end up dying from a rabies bite or some shit.”

  Emanuela gave a breathy exhalation. “We’ll have to call in the authorities to take care of the last cougar. It’s enough with one murder.”

  Don pushed back the bucket he was sitting on and it scraped over the floor. “Stop calling it murder.”

  “Yeah, Ema, why do you call it murder?” I rose up to my full height, which made the top of my head almost touch the ceiling.

  “Because we don’t differentiate between killing animals and humans. Every life is valuable and should be protected.”

  My brow lowered as I crossed my arms. “That’s crazy. Are you saying that if I step on an ant or bash a mosquito, it’s considered murder?”

  Emanuela shook her head. “It’s more complicated than that and this is hardly the time to discuss it.”

  Don moved his leg and gave a groan of pain. “It’s about sentient beings and a list of precious animals or some bullshit, but let me give you some advice. Even though there’s a gray zone of forgiveness for an accidental killing of a small being, I wouldn’t fucking recommend setting fire to an anthill or destroying a beehive. Motlanders are really sensitive when it comes to speciesism and they have no tolerance for any harm done to animals or humans.” Don used both his hands to support his foot when he lowered it from the bucket to the floor.

  I cleared my throat. “Okay, so let’s say we don’t hunt the cougar down. What happens then? How would your authorities take care of it?”

  “Well, they would probably send a cat whisperer out to convince it to move to a remote area where it wouldn’t be close to people.”

  “Say what?” I scrunched up my face. “Did you say cat whisperer?”

  “Well, they are energy workers who have experience with all sorts of species, but the principle is the same. They can communicate with the animals and will always try to find a peaceful solution.”

  I had never heard anything that crazy and shook my head. “And if the animal isn’t persuaded to move voluntarily?”

  “Worst case, they would chase it down with dogs and tranquilize it so they can move it, but that’s a traumatic experience for the cat so it’s a last resort.”

  “Okay, but then why not let them do that? You don’t need to tell them that there were two cougars. Just tell them you saw one close to your house and now you worry about the guests at the park.”

  Cole stopped his pacing and rubbed his face. “I know that’s the right thing to do, but the thought of having people sniff around here scares me because, let’s be honest, we have plenty of things going on that we don’t want anyone to know about.”

  Don gave a grunt of agreement.

  Emanuela touched Cole’s arm. “You can’t fix this on your own.”

  “I know, but we can’t call for the authorities. What if a cat whisperer learns from the other cougar what we did to its mate or they bring dogs t
o track down the cougar? It won’t take those dogs long to sniff out the grave of the dead cougar and that will lead to a murder investigation that might get Don deported back to the Northlands. No matter what, they’ll be asking a lot of unwanted questions and there’s a chance they’ll find skid marks from the bikes that are far too deep and long for anyone to believe we were going at the legal speed limit.”

  “Then just cover the skid marks.”

  “It’s not that simple, Ema.” Cole looked down. “Jonah just made it to the Council; the last thing he needs right now is a major scandal about his family murdering animals and doing illegal things. If the press finds out about any of this, people will boycott our park and demand that there’s an investigation into how much Jonah knew. He might be forced to resign from the Council and who knows, a scandal like this could end your career too.”

  This time it was Emanuela who sat down on a bucket, pale and quiet. “This is such a mess.”

  Don reached out for my hand. “Help me up.” His face scrunched up in pain when he put weight on his wounded leg. “It’s too bad that I’m hurt or I could find that cougar in no time. Now you have to do it. Just find it, kill it, and bury both of the little devils.”

  “No. I won’t be part of any more killing. Cole, say something.” Emanuela gave both her brother and me a pleading look.

  “What if we caught the cougar and brought it back here without killing it. All you would have to do is call the authorities and have them pick it up.”

  “Yes, I suppose so. But what if they send a cat whisperer?”

  I couldn’t take it seriously so I ignored his question.

  Emanuela had a stern expression on her face. “The biggest problem would be how to catch the cougar. It’s not like it’s a domesticated cat we can just call to us, and even if we could we should leave it for people who have experience with that sort of thing.”

  She was right. There were only two people in this room qualified to handle the situation and since Don was injured, I would have to step up. “All right, then I’ll do it. It’s probably a mate so it won’t have gone far.”