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“What's going on?” I asked.
“Dead black bear in section 6, over.”
Animals died all the time in the park; it was the circle of life. “Natural causes?”
“Nope,” he said. “Poached. There’s a red feather on the scene. Over.”
“Damn it,” I muttered under my breath, a surge of anger and frustration running through me. That was the calling card. The Hunter always left a red feather at the scene.
“Connor, I want to help,” Rebecca stated firmly and stood, determination shining in her hazel eyes. "I can't just sit here and do nothing."
“Becca, it's too dangerous,” I said, my protective instincts kicking in. “You've never dealt with anything like this before, and I don't want you getting hurt.”
“Connor, I'm not some delicate flower,” she shot back, her tone laced with sarcasm. “Besides, I can contribute more than you think. I know numbers, I can analyze patterns, help with the investigation.”
“Your brother would kill me if anything happened to you.” I could barely get the words out.
“Matt’s a cop, he would understand.”
“Rebecca—” I began, but she cut me off with a pointed glare.
"Connor, I'm not taking no for an answer." Her stubbornness shone through. There was no changing her mind. She was relentless when she set her sights on something.
"Fine," I sighed, giving in. "But you're staying in the truck, understood?"
"Deal," she agreed, a fierce smile spreading across her face.
“On my way. Over and out,” I said into the radio.
Deep in section six, we met Dan who’d phoned in the latest tip. “Stay close,” I told Becca. She didn’t say a word but nodded in agreement.
Dan waved us over. He led us to the bear carcass. It wasn’t bear season right now, and fury flooded my veins. The poacher had taken the hide and left the rest, a red feather strategically stuck between the ribs. It wasn’t just illegal, it was senseless. For what, a nice rug?
“Boss,” Dan said. “I’ve been thinkin’ there’s an old, abandoned cabin about five clicks northwest of here. What if that’s where he’s set up camp?”
“It’s worth a shot,” I said. “We don’t have any other leads. You head straight for it, and I’ll drive up and come at it from behind.”
He nodded.
“Becca, you’re with me.” The cabin was off the grid, but I’d come across it and even checked for The Hunter once before this. It made sense as a possible hideout. It was secluded and on a hill. Now that I thought about it, a few years ago we’d found evidence of poaching in this same vicinity.
My gut twisted. This could be it, and like an idiot, I’d brought Becca into the danger zone. What the hell was I thinking?
“Boss, I see movement,” the ranger radioed.
“Hang back, don’t approach,” I shouted into the radio. “Wait for me. I’ll be there in two minutes.”
“Stay here,” I growled at Becca as I parked about a hundred yards away from the tiny cabin. I jumped out of the truck and ran as quietly as possible, pistol in hand. My heart pummeled my ribs as I scanned the area. Focused. This was it. I had to catch this guy.
I spotted Dan and motioned to him to cover me. I peeked into the window. No one inside, but clearly someone had been there recently.
A shadowy figure darting between trees. We sprinted after him, the sounds of crunching leaves and snapping branches filling the air.
“Stop! Park Rangers!” I yelled, but the figure only seemed to move faster, desperation evident in their attempts to escape. Did that phrase ever even work?
I lost sight of him. I shuffled around the general direction that he ran, but he was a slippery bastard and escaped.
Becca sat on the ground, her legs scratched and bleeding. She was supposed to stay in the car. What the fuck happened?
