The Hunter

by Kurt Robinson

  “Jesus,” John commented to himself. He looked down at his rifle, sighed, and threw it down in the creek. John then saw that Lewis had a radio hooked to his belt. He reached down, grabbed it, and took off running down the shallow creek, not knowing where he was or where he was going.

  Nineteen

  Saturday – 10:47 A.M.

  The Lexington Police Air Support Helicopter, a Bell OH-58C Kiowa, made its way over the snowy landscape. The chopper was fitted with a FLIR (Forward Looking Infrared Radiometer) thermal imaging camera, a 30-million candlelight spotlight, and a GPS tactical mapping system. Not to mention state-of-the-art communication gear. The pilot, Emily, who had on her headset, pilot’s jumpsuit, and boots, was a beautiful woman with brown hair and a fit body. She always wore aviator sunglasses when she flew. She was flying the chopper lower than she usually would, to stay below the radar. She had to forge some documents to get the chopper off the ground, but that was easy. Moreover, she and the air traffic controller went way back and a little extra money under the table could persuade anyone. Even though she was able to do all that, she still wanted to stay below radar just as a precaution.

  Riding with her in one of the backseats of the chopper, with the doors wide open looking at snow-covered fields, was Officer Harper. He was a tall, very buff, bald black man who had some citations against him for police brutality, but he didn’t give a shit. He was on paid leave for his tactics; tactics that Adam loved about him. Needless to say, it was not hard convincing Harper to join their cause. Harper was an avid gun collector and brought with him his very own Heckler & Koch G36 with an optical sight on the rail and a Beta C-Mag drum magazine that held 100 rounds of ammunition. He also had two more of those drum magazines attached to his black tactical vest.

  In the seat next to Harper sat the much calmer and much smaller Officer Gayhart. He was a short man with dirty blonde hair, only around five foot eight inches tall, but much stronger and faster than he looked. He was a good police officer and earned his money the right way until his seven-year-old daughter was diagnosed with leukemia and he needed the extra money. Now, he would do whatever Adam told him to do without hesitation until he could afford treatment for his daughter. He only liked to use handguns so he brought with him two Beretta APX Combat .40 caliber pistols with a Red Dot Optic sight on the rail and several extra magazines in his tactical belt and vest.

  They neared the last coordinates Adam had sent, so Emily flipped a switch in the console and spoke into her headset, “Adam? Do you copy? This is Eagle, over.”

  “I copy, it’s about time,” Adam responded.

  “What do you need us to do? We’re nearing your last position.” Emily asked.

  “I can hear you. Use that thermal shit you have and see if you can see anybody. Cavanah and Lewis went after him down in a cave. I wanna know if they made it out or are still down there. I can’t raise them on the radio any more.”

  “Who’s him, Adam?” Emily asked.

  “Don’t worry about that, just look for the man running. When you see him, you tell me. Do not shoot at him. He’s mine,” Adam demanded.

  “Roger that,” Emily said and then switched on her thermal camera.

  “Goddamnit!” Adam yelled as he brought the radio down after speaking with Emily. “Where the fuck are they!?”

  “I don’t know, boss,” Travers answered him.

  Bringing the radio back up, he practically screamed into it, “Cavanah! Lewis! What the fuck is going on? Where are you?” He released the button and waited for an answer, but nothing came. Then a familiar voice spoke.

  “They’re gone,” the voice said, as Adam’s eyes got wide. It was John Watkins.

  “John?” Adam asked.

  “That’s right. It’s me, you know, your best friend. I’m still alive, asshole.”

  “Son of a bitch. You just killed two cops. I’m impressed, someone with no training taking out those two trained officers. But don’t worry, your luck will run out. They’ll get department funerals and will be mourned by the whole state. But, not you, buddy, because after I’m finished with you they’ll never find your body. And even if they do, years from now, they won’t be able to identify it. You hear me, you fuck!?”

  “Who’s the girl?” John asked, ignoring everything Adam said. “Your side slut? I always knew in my gut you were cheating on Sarah. How long have you been doing her? What was your plan? You two going off to Mexico or some place with all that money eventually?” John asked, getting under his skin.

  “Fuck you, John! When I fuckin’ find you-“

  “You know…you were never the best hunter; always smelled like smoke, talked too much, and a shitty tracker. That’s how I’m still alive, I know what the fuck I’m doing. And now the tables have turned. There’s only two of you left. Now, I’m hunting you.”

  “Is that a fact, Johnny? You know you’re right, I was a shitty tracker, which is why I brought in some help. I’m sure you’ll hear it in a minute. I’m gonna assume you’re out of the cave. That ’slut’ you mentioned is the pilot for Lexington Police Air Support, and she is fuckin’ great in bed. Ain’t that right, baby?” Adam asked Emily listening over the radio.

  “Fuck yeah it is,” Emily tuned in.

  “That’s right, Johnny, I brought in reinforcements with a helicopter. I have the air now, Johnny boy, and you don’t have shit anymore. Your skills are useless. You’re not gonna win, John. But don’t worry, I’ll take care of April for you, somehow.” Adam paused, waiting for John to respond, but got nothing but silence. “John?”

  John was standing by the creek bed, leaning against a tree, still cold from the water, when he heard the rotors of the helicopter breaking the stone cold silence. He looked up and saw it in the distance, heading right toward him. “Shit,” he said and then took off into the woods right next to him.

  “Motherfucker,” Emily said under her breath after what John said about her as she picked up speed. She read the thermal camera and picked up two bodies in the creek, one was almost completely blue, while the other was still red. “Adam, I got two bodies in the creek about half a mile east from your position.”

  “Roger, we’re heading that way. Have you found John yet?” Adam asked her.

  “I’m picking up another heat signature in the woods about another half mile from the two bodies. Heading that way now.”

  “Copy that.”

  Adam and Travers took off running east in the section of the woods they were in. They came to a creek shortly after and followed it. Meanwhile, Emily made her way toward the heat signature in the woods.

  John ran through the trees, hearing the motor of the helicopter getting louder, as his body shook. He was hoping he wouldn’t get hypothermia after being in the water, but also hoped the running would warm him up. He looked behind him and saw that the helicopter was now only a couple hundred yards behind him. Obviously, he couldn’t outrun it, so he figured he would hide. He was in a camouflage shirt and blue jeans now, which would allow him to hide better. The trees were thick so he looked around as he ran and found one with a large trunk. He ran to get behind it, out of view of the helicopter, and stayed still.

  He heard the chopper getting closer as he waited for it to pass by, but it never did. Snow was being blown everywhere and trees were swaying back and forth, when John realized it had stopped and was hovering behind him, just above the tree line. Then the helicopter rotated so Harper’s side of the helicopter was facing John. Harper stuck his foot on the landing skid of the chopper, angled his G36 with the one hundred round magazine down at the tree, and opened fire.

  John squatted and ducked down with his back against the tree as the bullets ravaged the surrounding area. Bullets lodged themselves in the tree, causing splinters of wood to go flying, and hit the snow, which also caused snow to be thrown into the air. The barrage went on for nearly a minute until Harper’s weapon ran dry. John sat there as the debris settled down to the ground.

  “I’m still getting a heat sig-
“ Emily began.

  “Who the fuck is shooting!?” Adam came through on the radio. “I said he is mine!”

  “Adam, we have him right here,” Emily said.

  “I don’t give a shit! You locate him and tell me where he is! Only use your guns if you have to!” Adam demanded through the radio.

  Harper pulled down the microphone on his headset, “Sir, we have him cornered. Just let us-“

  His words were cut short, as the chopper had now become a target for John. He had pulled out his Para Ordnance custom 1911 .45 ACP pistol and fired at the chopper. One bullet hit Harper in the right bicep. The other bullets hit various sections of the helicopter, including a window, the windshield, the outside of where the engine was, and under the chopper. Emily realized they were taking fire and she pushed the stick to the left, and maneuvered the chopper out of John’s firing range.

  Once John saw the helicopter make its move, he took off running again into the trees.

  “What the fuck was that!?” Adam yelled into the radio as he heard another set of gunfire through the radio and in the distance.

  “He’s shooting at us! What the fuck do you think it was!?” Emily screamed back.

  “Are you okay?” Adam asked.

  “Harper took a shot in the arm. But, I think we’re fine. Don’t have any alarms going off.”

  “Okay, just find him. If he runs, just follow him, we’re not far away-“

  “Adam, look,” Travers said pointing down the creek where two bodies lay.

  “Alright, I think we found the two bodies. We’re gonna check ‘em out. Check back in a minute. No shooting,” Adam told her.

  “Roger,” Emily said, sounding frustrated.

  Adam and Travers made their way down the bank of the creek. They were about twenty-five yards away and made their way to them fast. They walked fast but carefully, watching for slick spots. The creek was shallow enough that they could have walked in it, but it was too cold for that. They made fresh footprints in the snow, going up and down on sections of the bank, using trees and limbs to balance themselves. Finally, they reached a section in the bank where they couldn’t go any further, where the opening to the tunnel with rushing water coming out of it sat. Just a few feet away were the bodies.

  Adam stepped down into the numbing water, followed by Travers. They made their way to the bodies and came to Cavanah’s first. Adam bent down to look at him and saw the disfigured face with blood still streaming from the gashes into the creek. He was pale and Adam was sure he was dead, but he reached down to check Cavanah’s pulse anyway on his neck; he felt nothing. Adam then moved to Lewis’ body, as Travers kept a look out. Lewis’ head was still halfway in the water, with his nose just barely sticking out of the water, and his head facing toward Adam. Adam also saw blood flowing into the water from under Lewis’ head. He reached down to pull Lewis over on his back and just as soon as he began to shift his position, Lewis jerked upward in a panic, splashing water all over Adam, who nearly jumped out of his skin, as did Travers.

  Lewis yelled out from the pain and bitter cold water, “Where is he!? Where the fuck is he!?” He screamed.

  “Calm down, calm down!” Adam said, grabbing Lewis’ shoulders and shaking him. “He’s gone, but we got backup now. We got Emily and the chopper.”

  “I’m…gonna…fuckin’…kill…him,” Lewis got out word by word as he shook from the winter air meeting his wet skin. He was pale too.

  “Are you okay?” Adam asked. “We gotta get you warm.”

  “Fuck that,” Lewis told him. “I want that motherfucker.”

  “We’ll get him, but he’s mine to kill.”

  Through his shaking and paleness, Lewis was incredibly pissed as he looked around. He saw Cavanah next to him and said, “Get me up.”

  Adam and Travers helped him stand up as he held his hands close to his body and shivered. “Okay, we need to get you-“ Adam began.

  “Goddamnit, I said no! I’m going after him. So, let’s go. Which way?” Lewis asked.

  “That way. You can hear the chopper. He’s heading east.”

  “Then let’s fucking get him.”

  Twenty

  Saturday – 11:21 A.M.

  After shooting at the chopper, causing it to pull away, John ran as fast as he could. Out of breath and hearing the chopper coming back toward him, he saw several dead bushes and dove behind them to hide. They were thick enough that nobody would be able to see through them and spot him. With his pistol out and at the ready, he heard the helicopter coming toward him as it got louder. He slowly stuck his head above the bushes just enough to spot the chopper a couple hundred feet in front of him and ducked back down.

  He stayed low and quiet as the roar of the engine and rotation of the rotors came near him and then came to a hover above him. At first, he thought they had just stopped to search the area, but they didn’t move at all and stayed right where he was just above the tree line. The wind was fierce as snow was flying violently, and the trees swayed back and forth. John could barely keep his eyes opened as the bitter wind pierced them. But he was able to look up at the chopper, squinting, and saw Gayhart looking down at him. Gayhart smiled and sent John a wave.

  John, now acting out of anger, pointed his pistol upward and fired three shots. Gayhart ducked back in and sparks flew off the bottom of the copter as Emily tried to maneuver it out of the line of fire once more. John began to run again and then it hit him as to how they found him when they didn’t see him hide beforehand under all those trees.

  “Shit, thermal camera,” John said to himself as the helicopter swung back around.

  “This guy shot at us again, Adam,” Emily said over the radio with hands gripped on the stick.

  “Then you avoid it!” Adam came over the radio, out of breath from running. “He’s mine! No one kills him but me. Suppress him if you have to, but do not shoot him. We’re not far from your position. I can fuckin’ see you now!” Adam told her as he looked up and saw the chopper making a circle.

  “Roger that,” Emily said, once again frustrated.

  “What the fuck is wrong with him?” Harper yelled, leaning forward, and pushing the microphone up on his headset. “Is this personal?”

  “I think it is!” Emily yelled back over the chopper noise. “I think he knows him. I don’t know how or why he is even involved, but Adam definitely knows him. We’ll find out soon.”

  John ran through the trees, but he could see a clearing in front of him. As he neared it, he could make out something sitting in the middle of the clearing. Once he got a little closer he could make out what it was - a hunting blind. It was camouflaged and John could see that it was shaking back and forth. John finally made his way into the clearing and he saw the back section unzip and out came a middle-aged man in an orange jacket and jeans holding a rifle.

  “What the hell is going on out here!?” The man yelled as he looked around and then saw John. He pointed his rifle toward John, who held up his hands with his pistol in his right.

  “Sir, do you have a cell phone? This is an emergency; people are trying to kill me!” John told him swiftly.

  “Is this some kind of joke?”

  “No, sir. Do you hear that?” John asked as he pointed up, referring to the helicopter.

  “Yeah, so what?”

  “Some of them are in that chopper and will be back here any second and will start shooting at us. The others are on foot. Please I need a phone, do you have one?”

  “How do I know you’re not a criminal and that’s police after you?”

  “Did you hear the automatic fire? That’s from the helicopter, they were shooting at me,” John told him as the sound of the chopper got closer. “Police don’t do that. Sir, I stumbled across something I shouldn’t have and they’re trying to kill me. Please, we need to go now!”

  “I’m not fuckin’-“

  The man was cut off as the helicopter came into range and Harper once again opened fire through the trees at their positio
n. John ran toward the man, grabbed him by the arm, and drug him into the trees on the other side of the clearing. Bullets ripped through the blind, trees, and snow, but they missed both John and his new companion.

  “Jesus Christ!” The man yelled as he now ran next to John as the chopper followed them. “That’s a police helicopter!”

  “Tell me about it!” John yelled. “They’re all dirty! Just run!”

  Harper had stopped firing because the trees in this area were too thick, he couldn’t see them anymore, none of them could. Emily was the only one who could with the thermal camera. She looked at the screen and saw two red human figures running. All they were doing now was keeping up with John.

  “Adam, come in,” Emily said over the radio, which John heard and held up to his ear as they ran.

  “Yeah, what’s going on?” Adam responded.

  “Your guy ran across someone and now we have two of them running. Looks to just be a hunter out doing his thing.”

  “Shit,” Adam said panting. “Stay with them, if you can take out the new guy then do it.”

  “Copy that.”

  John and the hunter ran as fast as they could, as the hunter in the bright orange looked back behind them, panicking. “Holy shit. What the fuck is this!?” The man yelled out.

  “Just keep running! That chopper has thermal, it can see us no matter where we hide. We have to keep moving!”

  “Okay!”

  “Do you have a cell phone!?” John asked as the made their way through the snow and around trees.