by Vella Munn
“Why didn’t you tell me it was going to be so cold,” Melinda complained. “I don’t care what you say, I have to have a fire.”
Not for the first time, Kendall Taft wished to hell his cousin hadn’t invited Melinda to come with them to Dark Mountain. The girl was a pain in the ass—a fat ass to go with her spectacular boobs.
Summer’s arms tightened around his waist as she leaned forward on the dirt bike to whisper in his ear. “I’m sorry,” his girlfriend said. “If I’d known she was such a problem, I would have never introduced her to Lyle. She won’t be able to keep her mouth shut and that’ll be the end to this getaway.”
Summer wasn’t particularly attractive, and lately she’d been talking about quitting her job at the lumber yard and moving to Portland, with or without him, but Kendall loved her. He figured he’d been in love since she’d offered to help him cut up the small black bear he’d killed last year.
Her two older brothers and she had been raised by their mother after their old man had been killed in a logging accident when Summer was eleven. Summer’s seriously strange mother had always expected her to carry her own weight. He didn’t know whether Summer really wanted to live in Portland or just not here anymore. When they’d gone to the city a few weeks ago, he’d tried to imagine himself putting up with so many people, but couldn’t see that happening in this lifetime. As he’d told Summer, he was proud of being a country hick. He hated the idea of their breaking up, and not just because she was so uninhibited in the sack. In fact, telling her she’d regret it if she didn’t join Taft and him on Dark Mountain for this bullshit scouting trip had been part of his attempt to get her to change her mind about leaving the coast.
It could work. After all, his girlfriend loved to hunt and fish, two things she wouldn’t be able to do in a city.
And once she saw the white bull—
Damn, it had to still be out there!
“You want me to punch her out?” Summer asked, when Melinda complained that her ass was getting black and blue from all that bouncing on the trail bike she and Lyle were on. “You’ve seen my right hook. You know I can do it.”
“That might piss Lyle off. If the two of them split, that’d leave you and me to wrestle anything we might wind up shooting down the mountain.”
She snorted and hugged him. Any other time, having her boobs pressed against his backside would have given him a boner, but between keeping the bike and the small trailer he’d hooked to it on the logging road, in the dark no less, he had all he could concentrate on.
“My brothers will crap their pants if we get something good,” she said. “All their complaining about what a pain in the ass it is to try to get an elk tag, wouldn’t it be something if I get one instead of them?”
“Lyle and I didn’t say anything about poaching—”
“Yeah, right. We brought the trailers and rifles because you two like hauling all that shit around. I’m not stupid.”
That she wasn’t. She could be so crazy-smart it sometimes scared him. “We’re keeping an eye out, that’s all. If the opportunity presents itself—”
“This isn’t your first time up Dark Mountain lately, is it?” she challenged. “That’s where you were yesterday when I couldn’t reach you.”
“What if it was?”
She laughed. “And you saw something that couldn’t wait. What the hell was it?”
He frowned as Lyle, sounding puppy-whipped, offered to give Melinda his jacket. Melinda ignored him. “Hopefully you’ll soon know,” he said.
“I’m going to smack you.”
“Patience, woman. It’ll be worth it.”
“How will the mouth react?”
The mouth. Yeah. That pretty much described Melinda. They probably shouldn’t be talking because their voices would carry, but the bikes were making enough noise there was no way animals didn’t know humans were around. Plans were to spend the night near where he’d shot the cow, if it was still there. Lyle and he had agreed not to say anything until they’d located the evidence. That was also soon enough to tell Melinda and Summer about the white bull. They wouldn’t be able to get serious about hunting for him until morning. In the meantime, he intended to take advantage of sharing a sleeping bag with Summer. Nothing like sex to make him stop feeling uneasy about being way out here in the dark.
“Who knows,” he belatedly responded. “Hopefully she’ll be shocked into silence.”
“A good shock?”
“Could be.” He didn’t risk looking back at her because the bike’s headlight was doing a lousy job of illuminating where they were going.
“What is it?” she pressed. “You saw some elk, didn’t you? Maybe a herd.” She squeezed him. “Damn, I’m getting excited.”
“I like it when you’re excited.”
“So I’ve noticed. I hope to hell there’s a big bull. I haven’t heard anyone say anything about seeing one this year. Of course they could be like you, keeping their mouths shut.”
Just in time, he spotted some boulders that had rolled down the nearby slope, and maneuvered the bike and trailer around it.
“I have my reasons for not blabbing.” Despite how beat-up and tired he felt, thinking about seeing the white elk kicked up his heart rate. Summer and he would always be able to share that moment.
“I wish you’d tell me what this is about. At least you want me with you.”
I always want you with me. No, he wouldn’t mess things up with her by sounding needy. “I brought a whole box of condoms.”
She nibbled on his ear, nearly causing him to lose his hold on the handlebars. “That’s why I tolerate you. Because you’re always prepared. Damn, but the headlights are doing crazy things to the trees.”
He stifled a shiver. “Don’t you go freaking out on me.”
“Never. I’m just saying I hope no one else is up here. These are damn thick woods.”
She knew he didn’t like to hear her swear unless they were getting it on. But she was right. The woods were damn thick.
Chapter Six
He didn’t want to, but an hour later, Kendall was still thinking about what Summer had said about things being spooky. They’d reached where they’d left their bikes before and had been traveling on foot, camping gear in backpacks and headlamps showing the way, kind of. Hardly anyone ever went up Dark Mountain, unless it was hunting season, because it was such a pain in the ass to get here. The way Lyle’s bike had sounded at the end, he wasn’t sure it would get them back down, but right now that wasn’t what had everyone’s attention.
Against all odds, they’d found what Kendall and Lyle had hoped they would, and the four of them were staring at what was left of the elk he’d shot. He’d known there wouldn’t be any meat worth trying to save. It just hadn’t occurred to him that there’d be such a god awful mess.
“I’m going to be sick,” Melinda announced. “That’s disgusting.”
Not only did the headlamps cast more light than most flashlights, this way their hands were free. He had one hand on the pistol at his waist. The other clenched Summer’s hand. Her breathing was heavy and quick, but she wasn’t freaking out. The moon was half-full and down near the horizon, not doing enough to illuminate the surrounding wilderness. Crickets, a few frogs, an owl and other night creatures reinforced what he already knew—they were in the middle of nowhere.
Looking at carnage.
Lyle didn’t bother trying to comfort Melinda. Instead, he walked closer to Kendall. He, too, had his hand on his pistol. “I’ve never seen anything like this,” he said unnecessarily. “There’s hardly anything left of her.”
“Wolves?” Summer offered. She hadn’t spoken since the headlamps had illuminated the body. “They say there aren’t any around, but how does anyone know? What other than wolves could—maybe wild dogs?”
Dogs were a possibility, since Lyle and he had heard some faint barks right after he’d shot the cow. The unexpected deep barks had sent them running for their bikes and the hell awa
y from the thrashing animal. If there had been someone with the dog, and that someone had been curious enough, he or she might have been able to follow the rifle shots to here. The last thing Lyle and he needed was to have explain why the hell they—he—had blasted away at a cow out of any kind of season. No way would, whoever that nosy bastard was, let him get away with a crap explanation about having acted without making sure what he was shooting at. It had been better to leave ASAP.
He hadn’t told his cousin, but it bothered him a lot that he’d only wounded the elk. He’d tried to assure himself that she wouldn’t live long. She’d been down after all, hadn’t really tried to get up. Pretty soon blood loss would stop her heart.
There was the matter of her full udder. Somewhere out there was a calf probably too young to survive without its mother’s milk. Even if the calf knew how to fill its belly, it still needed its mother’s protection.
It had been stupid, stupid, stupid to shoot.
Next time, he’d first consider all possible ramifications.
At least, he told himself for the umpteenth time, he’d gotten away with it. Hopefully.
What really mattered was that Lyle and he had spotted the monster white bull as they were leaving. Hell, it was almost as if the creature had been challenging them to try to bring it down. If they’d been sure they were alone, they would have.
Stop thinking shit! Get your head together.
When they’d been planning the trip, the cousins had decided it made sense to spread out their sleeping bags not far from the carcass, assuming they could find it. Not only was the spot as good as any, hopefully the white bull would still be around. And even if he wasn’t, come morning they’d start looking for him.
That had been his thinking before he’d seen all that blood and guts—not that there were any guts left.
“There’s something…” Summer started.
As she stared at the dark ground, he relaxed a little. Along with other things, Lyle and he had agreed not to say anything to the girls about a calf. No way would the calf have stuck around watching carnivores turn his mother into mincemeat. The big bull might have initially chased off the carnivores, but they’d probably outlast him.
Male elk kept a close eye on their females with the goal of impregnating them come rut season. The big bull might have led the orphan to wherever the herd was. Once Lyle and he located big hoof prints, they’d be a giant step closer to finding the bull. When he hauled the rack into the house, not just his dad but also the old man’s friends would stop calling him the ‘kid’. That would more than make up for being the only member of the hunting party who hadn’t gotten a deer last fall.
Summer elbowed him in the ribs. “Darn it, Kendall, are you listening to me? I said I wanted your headlamp.”
His teeth clenched, he removed the lamp and handed it to her. She hadn’t said anything about what had killed the cow. Probably she’d figured it out. Melinda had stopped gaping at the trees and was staring at her friend. Kendall couldn’t make out Melinda’s expression, not that he cared.
As Summer bent over whatever had caught her attention, he wondered why the two girls were friends. They couldn’t be more different. One wanted someone to lead her through life via a ring in her nose while the other, his girlfriend, had it all together.
“Prints,” Summer whispered. “Lots of them.”
He’d been so focused on how they’d find the white bull that he hadn’t paid attention to what was under his nose. He also didn’t want to think about what might be beyond the light. Wishing he was still the snot-nosed kid who’d trailed after his old man and Dad’s friends, he joined Summer.
She was right. The ground wasn’t just littered with prints. Whatever animals had been here had so churned up grass and dirt he couldn’t make sense of it.
Didn’t want to.
“It has to be wolves.” Summer stared at him as if demanding he explain everything. “That was a feeding frenzy.”
“I want to go home,” Melinda insisted. “Lyle, get me out of here.”
“Damn it,” Lyle snapped. “You said you wanted to go camping.”
Pleased by Lyle’s reply, Kendall gave him a thumbs-up.
“I mean it,” Lyle continued. “I wouldn’t have brought you along if I’d known you didn’t have the guts for it. You said you were sick of your folks treating you like a baby. I’m not taking you home now.”
Melinda’s mouth opened and closed like a fish’s. “All right. All right. But I’m scared.”
So am I.
No, damn it! He was a man. Twenty years old and nearly able to drink legally. His old man had been working in the woods much of his life. Man’s work, something Dad had always hammered into him.
“Are you guys done fighting?” Summer asked. “I hope to hell so because I don’t want to listen to this crap. Whatever got to this elk did a— Whether we still want to or not, we don’t have a choice except to spend the night here. I hope to hell it’s worth it.”
His girlfriend, the first girl he’d really loved, was asking a question. Instead of taking back the headlamp like he wanted to, he stroked her arm. “It will be.”
“Maybe. Maybe not.” As low as her voice was, he wasn’t sure the others could hear. It might be better that way. “What if the wolves are still around?”
“We’ll be ready.” He wasn’t sure where his bravado was coming from, probably the same place he’d learned to tap into when his old man insisted he never back down from a fight. “You, Lyle, and I have rifles. We’ll keep the lamps on all night, take turns sleeping. Wolves, if that’s what it is, don’t attack humans.”
“How the hell do you know?”
Stop swearing. “I’ve read up on them. It’ll look different come morning.”
“And then what?”
“Then, hopefully, you’ll understand why we’re here.”
Summer indicated the cow. “She didn’t just fall over and die.”
“No.”
“Who shot her, you or Lyle?”
“Me.”
“Is that your secret? What you hauled me up here to see?”
“No.”
* * * *
“If I didn’t know better,” Darick Creech said, “I’d swear you’ve been drinking.”
“I have. Coffee. Too much of it.”
It was a little after seven in the morning, and the two wildlife officials were in the small room at the state police building that served as their office. The building was a block off highway 101, with the Pacific Ocean less than a quarter of a mile away and California some fifty miles to the south. Although it was cool out, Jeff had opened the only window to let in the familiar mix of sea, sand and seaweed. He’d gotten there first, but had just poured his second cup of coffee when his co-worker walked in.
“It was after midnight when you sent me the last picture,” Darick said. “What was that one of? I couldn’t make out much”
“Tire tracks.” Even though he’d had less than four hours of sleep, Jeff couldn’t sit still. Right now, he was standing over his desk scanning his messages. The emails were from various law enforcement agencies. Someone who didn’t know better might assume they were all important. Most weren’t. “Mia and I were ready to head back before I thought to look for sign of who’d been on the logging road recently.”
“It rained last week.” Darick, also standing, picked several sheets of paper off his desk then put them back down. “Won’t be much old stuff there. What did you find? I still say the final picture is of rocks and dirt.”
“Believe me, that’s tire tracks. Narrow with deep treads. I’m thinking trail bikes.”
“Bike or bikes.”
“Two, near as I could tell.”
“Hmm. Okay, so you’re thinking a couple of jokers on trail bikes might be our poachers?”
“It makes as much sense as anything.” Having Darick to bounce possibilities off was better than rummaging around in his mind, which is what he’d done instead of sleeping and why
he hadn’t waited until morning to forward the pictures he’d taken to Darick.
“Bring me up to speed,” Darick said. “All I know so far is that Mia Sandas wanted to see you. Obviously, you obliged her. Where did the two of you go? It was both of you, right?”
“Right. We used her quad to go up Dark Mountain’s south side.”
“That’s off the beaten path for sure. And where you found the two dead elk? Lovely pictures, by the way. All I could think was that there has to be a pack of wild dogs, or the wolves that don’t officially exist until they’re officially seen.”
Much as he wanted to throw everything at Darick as quickly as possible, he focused on combining the chronology of events with the pictures.
“Holy shit.” Darick whistled when he’d finally run out of story. “This is almost too much to— Holy shit. Do you realize we’re dealing with two unsolved cases?”
“Two?” His brain felt depleted.
“Yeah.” Darick held up a finger. “There’s the not so simple question of who shot that cow elk. I buy what Mia said about her only involvement being finishing off the animal. Do you?”
“Yes. Otherwise she wouldn’t have contacted me. One of her pictures is a close-up of the throat area. It—”
“I don’t need reminding. How the calf’s neck got broken blows my mind. Mia saying her pictures prove that the gray did the deed, then wouldn’t let the hybrid feed on it is more than I want to think about right now.”
“But later—”
“Yeah, later,” Darick again interrupted. “Back to the parts of her story that make the most sense, can we agree that what she heard were the shots that brought down the elk? If so, that means she didn’t miss seeing the poacher or poachers by much. Probably two since you’re convinced there were two bikes. Situation number one. As for situation number two—”
“Is the question of what predators are there and why.”
“Exactly.” Darick flipped through the pictures Mia had taken. “Much as I’d like to insist she was feeding you a line of bull about how the calf met its end, that’s impossible with this as evidence. That’s one damn big gray dog. I agree. The other one is probably a mix of wolf and domestic dog.”