Emily was excited to go on safari to see the white elk, even though Donovan was against calling it a safari. That’s what it was and she got to share it with her sisters and the man she was falling in love with. It was hard to keep her heart guarded when every day was an adventure and every night was a dream come true.
She couldn’t stop smiling and she knew it was only a matter of time before Donovan realized that they had just as good of a shot making money doing these nature safaris as he did with his hunting parties. Especially if there really was a puma, in addition to the white elk in the area. Of course, Donovan’s trail camera hadn’t provided any evidence that there actually was a large cat prowling around. It was still exciting to think she might see one up close—preferably from the safety of the truck.
It was finally a nice enough day that Kelly felt she could get some decent photographs. Unfortunately, Emily was roped into carrying the gear. She wasn’t sure that they needed both Nate and Donovan armed with rifles. That was overkill in her opinion, especially with all the noise the trucks were making. Nate had Kelly and Janice with him in his truck, and Emily and Donovan had all the gear in Donovan’s.
“Too bad we don’t have a tree stand all to ourselves,” she said, running her hand suggestively up his thigh.
“That would be fantastic, but all there is down there is a big rock. I wouldn’t trust building a stand or a blind with all the elk rutting and the feral pigs in the area. Timber.” Donovan made a crashing sound and mimed a tower falling over.
“This would be a nice safari.”
“This isn’t Africa. I’m not getting giraffes and zebras.”
Emily rolled her eyes. “That’s ridiculous.”
“I’m glad you think so,” he said under his breath. “Besides, if no one is here to thin out your hogs, there’s not going to be enough forest left to support any other type of wildlife.”
“Those hogs are a real cramp in my ass,” she said.
“You and me both. But they’re good eatin’.”
“Gross,” she said, without any anger. She knew he was just teasing her.
“Besides, no one is going to spend three hundred dollars a day to ride in a busted-up truck over ruts and foliage, hoping for a glimpse of Ghost.”
“Perhaps not, but we could bring more people in to make up the numbers.” Emily wasn’t sure how yet, but she was working on it. If they could get the wind turbines in and the cell tower, they might be able to lease a Humvee or something to make the safari a little more exciting to book.
“I think you’re overestimating the interest in a white elk.”
“Maybe.” She didn’t want to get into an argument about it. Not until she was able to research it properly. Emily just had to make sure today was fun and exciting. Donovan would see that there was money to be made from not killing animals.
“Did you look into the cell tower?”
She let the change of subject pass. She’d circle around to it again. “Yeah, I’ve got some credible leads. It could bring in about a thousand dollars a month, but they pay for everything. We just lease them the land.”
“What’s the catch?”
“It’s got to be an exact fit for what they’re looking for and it’s a twenty-five-year lease.”
“Hopefully you’ll still be here to reap the benefits.”
“I hope so. It’ll pay a bill. And every little bit counts. I have a real surveyor team coming in to do a wind test once the Sykes brothers clear out the land.” They had been complaining about seeing feral hogs, too, but the heavy machines kept them at bay. According to Mike Sykes though, he was “afraid to take a piss.”
She should really tell Donovan to hunt around there. It would keep his crew this weekend away from the elk and the risk that they might see Ghost and try to take her head for a trophy. They liked hog meat. Bacon for everyone. Emily made a face. Now she was grossing herself out.
They parked by Donovan’s cat camera and divided up the equipment. Since Donovan and Nate needed their hands free for their rifles, that meant that she and her sisters were hauling the gear. They hiked to the rock that Donovan had set up as a base camp. He had brought a ladder to make climbing it easier.
“I’ll go first,” Donovan said. “Nate, keep an eye out. There are hog tracks all over here.”
“Here bacon, bacon, bacon,” Nate crooned softly.
“Ugh please, no,” Emily grumbled, following Donovan up the ladder.
The top of the rock wasn’t big enough for all of them to sit comfortably, so after Janice handed up the equipment, Emily and Nate took up watch at the bottom of the rock.
“We’ll switch in about an hour or so, sooner if we catch sight of Ghost.”
“Maybe we should walk around and look for her?” Janice suggested.
“Don’t split up,” Donovan warned. “If you see her, both of you come back and tell us. Kelly can decide if she wants to wait for her to come to us or if she wants to do an action shot in the woods.”
“Why not both?” Kelly said, adjusting her large-brimmed hat so the sun wasn’t on her neck or face.
“Whatever you want.”
After about two hours, Janice and Nate came back and Emily and Donovan took a turn walking around. They went in the opposite direction to see if they could flush out the elk.
“It’s a waiting game,” Donovan said, as they trudged up a hill.
“Is that why hunters sit around drinking all the time?” Emily asked.
“When we’re out in the field like this, we don’t drink. Live ammo and booze don’t mix.”
“What if they’re chilling in the tree stand?”
Donovan shook his head. “I don’t get that. If you’re going to sit and drink, stay on your porch. My insurance doesn’t allow them to drink with rifles. However, I know that they sneak a few beers in the tree stands.”
“It’s all fun and games until someone gets shot,” Emily said. Bunch of redneck yahoos. “Why don’t you kick them out when they break the rules?”
“I’ve got insurance.”
“Donovan,” she said exasperatedly.
“It’s the hunter’s code. We watch out for each other. Accidents happen and we know the risks. I wouldn’t take out anyone I thought was reckless or dangerous, so don’t worry.”
“Guns and alcohol don’t mix. Add in some testosterone and it’s a free-for-all.”
“It’s not quite as exciting as you’re making it out to be. Most of the time they fall asleep in the blind. I personally can think of better things to do all alone in a tree stand.” He grinned at her.
“Speaking of which, can’t we just go back to the truck and make out?”
“Tempting offer,” Donovan said. “I am going to miss you this weekend. I’ve got a full house of hunters again.” He hooked an arm around her waist and kissed her.
She got little flutters in her stomach and a languorous warmth spread through her. This was nice. Emily was getting used to having him around. It should bother her, but in quiet moments like this, it was perfect.
“Are your guys going to come out here?”
“Not here exactly. I don’t want them to stumble across Ghost.”
“But you don’t even know where she is. You could find her herd by mistake.”
“Like I said before, I’ll have them sign waivers that she’s a protected species.”
“And they call me naïve,” Emily said.
They walked on another mile before they heard the rifle shots. “Was that Nate?” she asked.
“I think so. Don’t run. It’ll all be over by the time we get back anyway and if he’s shooting at hogs, we don’t want to run straight into them.”
“I hope they’re safe.”
“The hogs?” Donovan asked.
“No, my sisters and Nate.”
“As far as I know, the hogs can’t climb ladders, not yet anyway. But they’re evolving. They’re not as afraid of humans or rifle shots anymore.”
“What if it was the puma?”
“There was no sign of a big cat with the exception of that one print that could have been anything. No cat would take on three humans who had the high ground.”
“So it’s hogs, then?” she asked, trying not to worry.
“That’ll be my guess, and we’re more in danger from them than Nate and your sisters are. Of course, with all the racket, we should just call it a day. We’re not going to see—” He cut off at the sound of distant thunder.
Looking up, Emily saw there wasn’t a cloud in the sky.
“Shit, we need to get some cover,” he said.
“Is that a stampede?” she asked.
“Yes. And it’s not your daddy’s cattle. Let’s go up this way. Now is the time to run.” Grabbing her hand, he took off toward higher ground. The sounds of hoofbeats were getting louder and she only hoped that they were out of the path of the herd. They were coming fast and hard, as if something was chasing them. They wouldn’t have been this spooked by a few rifle shots. They would have scattered, not run in what sounded like blind panic.
“Faster,” he urged, and she saw a tree in the distance they might get safely up.
They reached the trunk and he knelt on the ground and laced his fingers like a stirrup. “Can you reach that branch and hoist yourself up on it if I give you a little toss?”
“Why do I need to?”
“Can you?” he said urgently.
“Yes.” She stepped on his hand and half jumped and was half pushed up to grab at the branch. Her arms were shaking. She hated doing pull-ups, but she managed to haul herself over the thick tree branch. Catching her breath, Emily straddled it and then peered down at Donovan.
“What are you doing? Get up here.”
He had his back to the tree and his rifle out and pointed. “We need to get walkie-talkies or something with range. Any chance you’ve got a cell signal?”
“No, damn it. But if my deal goes through, we will by the end of the year.”
“Hopefully we won’t still be here,” he said.
“You think it’s the puma, don’t you?”
“It could just as well be Bigfoot with the odds that it’s a puma.”
“Then why am I up here in a tree and you’re down there?”
“I couldn’t risk the time it would take me to get up the tree. I need you to be my eyes. Let me know if anything is coming.”
“I don’t like this,” she said, but scanned the distance. “What am I looking for?”
“Movement. Not necessarily fast. If it is a big cat, it’s going to be stalking slowly. We shouldn’t be its target, though.”
It was hard to hear him as the sounds of hooves got louder. Then she saw the elk. Now that they weren’t in danger of being trampled to death, it was a majestic sight. She didn’t see Ghost among them, though. Then they both heard the roar of a truck’s motor.
“What the hell?” she said. A souped-up, off-road truck followed the herd. It was red and had large floodlights attached to the top. Usually a rig like that went out at night and flashed the floodlights to make the deer freeze. It made for easy shooting. Fucking cowards.
“Poachers,” Donovan said, with the same disgust she felt in his voice.
More rifle shots reached them.
“Not on my land,” Donovan said and aimed.
“Are you going to shoot them?” She gasped.
Donovan’s first shot took out one back tire. He dashed across the hill and went flat on his stomach and took out the other back tire. The truck seesawed to a skidding halt.
“Stay in the tree,” Donovan said. “I only want them to see me if they start looking.”
Emily pressed herself back against the trunk, trying to make herself invisible.
Three men jumped out of the red truck and stared at the damage done to the tires. Donovan kept low, his rifle sighted on the men, but his finger off the trigger. Emily knew he’d hit the tire with a high-caliber round. It would have shredded the rubber. Would they realize Donovan had shot it out or would they think it blew on its own?
So far, they hadn’t figured it out, but they only had one spare. Emily waited in the tree while they put the spare on one side of the car, but saw that they didn’t have any idea what to do next.
Movement attracted her attention out of the corner of her eye. Hogs. They were shuffling toward Donovan’s position.
“Donovan,” she growled, hoping her voice didn’t carry too far.
He looked over at her and she pointed. He pushed himself to his knees and saw the hogs. Standing up, he reloaded two more bullets into his rifle with quick, efficient movements. Would they catch his scent or was the wind blowing the other way? She jumped when his rifle cracked.
He wasn’t giving them the chance to notice him. Donovan calmly worked the lever on his rifle back and fired again. Flip, fire. Flip, fire. Flip, fire. In the relative silence, the three men below them where shouting things like “What the hell is that?”
“There’s two more,” Emily cried, watching the hogs leap over the bodies of the larger ones that had been in the lead. Why weren’t they running and scattering? These hogs truly weren’t afraid of anything.
He calmly reloaded two more bullets. They were almost to him. Donovan took his time, aimed, and fired. The screaming of the hogs dying on the ground almost made her throw up. She closed her eyes and the last shot sounded louder somehow.
“Gentlemen,” Donovan roared, attracting the attention of the poachers. “You are hunting on my land. But I think we can come to an agreement here.”
“Wait. What?” Emily pried her eyes open and then decided she didn’t want to see the carnage.
“I’m listening,” one of the men shouted up at them.
“I’ve got seven hogs up here that you can have. But you’re going to have to pay me what I charge hunters to take them out here and bag game.” Donovan swiftly and quietly reloaded five bullets.
“How much are we talking about?”
“Three hundred dollars. Each of you.”
“We don’t have that kind of money on us.”
“I’m sure you can get it. If not, sell the meat,” Donovan said. “Of course, if you don’t, I’m going to have to press charges of trespassing and then no one is happy.”
“How do you know we just won’t take the hogs and run?”
“Because I’ve got your license plate number and video of you jacking elk on my property.”
She knew he was bluffing, but hopefully the men down there didn’t know it. She heard Donovan moving and she pried open one eye. He was going down there and leaving her up here with the dead hogs all around the tree.
“We got a deal? Or do I shoot out your other tires?”
“These tires are expensive,” one guy complained.
“So is jail time.”
“How are we going to get back with only three tires?”
“For an extra convenience fee, I’ll drive one of you back to a garage to get another tire while the other two of you dress the hogs and put them in the truck.”
“How much?” the complainer asked.
“Tack on another hundred so it’s an even thousand you owe me, and we’ll call it even.”
“Don’t negotiate with terrorists,” she hissed.
“Deal.”
“Oh, and don’t come back here again unless you’re a paying guest,” Donovan added.
“Deal.”
“What are you doing? You don’t want them coming back here, paying guest or not.” She was shaking with rage or fear, Emily wasn’t sure.
Donovan leaned his rifle against the tree and held his arms up to her. “Come on, sweetheart, let’s get you down from there.”
Emily didn’t think she could move, but she lay down on her stomach and dangled her legs.
“Drop. I’ve got you,” he said.
She didn’t have much choice—her legs and arms felt like rubber. True to his word, he caught her and set her gently on her feet. “I don’t feel well,” she said.
“Do you want to wait here while I get the truck?”
“No. We need to press charges.” She held on to him in a death grip. She wanted him to carry her back to the truck. She wanted to be in her room in the ranch house far away from rifles and hogs and elk-jacking trespassers.
“It’s handled. If it happens again, I’ll call in the cops. Right now, it’s a win-win situation.”
“They could have killed Ghost,” Emily wailed into his shirt.
“She wasn’t in the herd they were chasing.”
“How do we know they didn’t kill her first? Maybe that’s the gunfire we heard?”
“They wouldn’t have left their trophy. Are you all right to walk?”
She pushed out of his arms. “I’m fine.” Emily staggered a bit. “I’m fine.”
But she wasn’t fine. Not one damned bit. Her knees were shaking and she felt like she was going to throw up. The poachers could have killed them instead of the elk. They were trespassing and probably half drunk. Emily had always felt safe on her own land. Now she would always look over her shoulder and wonder who was out there.
“Where did you learn to shoot like that?” she asked, rubbing her arms. She felt cold and shaky.
“Girl Scouts,” he quipped.
“Donovan, I mean it. You never missed. Not once. That’s almost impossible.”
“Not with the caliber of ammo I use. It’s not a big deal. I spent a lot of time practicing. You just have to keep cool and take your time on the shot.”
“You didn’t have a lot of time. You killed seven hogs. Doesn’t that register?”
“It’s a little exciting.” He flashed her a grin.
“Death excites you?” She stumbled down the hill away from him and then flinched away at the poachers from the red truck.
“How did you get here?” Emily demanded. Surely they hadn’t been bold enough to drive down the ranch’s driveway.
“We came through the state’s lands.” One of the guys pointed toward the west. “We didn’t know we were on private property.”
Emily bit her tongue before she went off on them. They weren’t supposed to be running through state land with their truck chasing down herds of wild animals either.
When they finally got back to Nate and her sisters, she refused to ride with the poacher.
“What happened?” Kelly asked. “We heard all the noise.”
“I’ll explain later,” Emily said shakily and made a beeline for Nate’s truck.
Squeezed in between Kelly and Janice, it was a bumpy ride for Nate, but after Emily explained what had happened, no one complained. The off-road vehicle hadn’t gone near where they had been. But there still hadn’t been any sign of Ghost.
Janice put her arm around Emily and Kelly kept handing her tissues. Emily didn’t know why she was crying—that was usually Janice’s preferred method of handling stress.
“The hogs would have killed him, right?” she said between sobs. “But then he shot all of them like a demented Doc Holliday. He shot all of them. He was so cold. It was nothing to him. Then he gave the meat to the poachers. They’re not going to jail.” She shook with fury and with sadness. “These so-called hunters don’t care about anything but their cheap thrills. We have to protect Ghost. We have to.” She couldn’t trust Donovan’s judgment when it came to these assholes. He’d give them the benefit of the doubt.
Hunter’s code, my ass.
“We will,” Kelly soothed. “We’ll find her again. I know we will.”
If the hunters wanted to hunt, they could hunt hogs. Emily’s mind quailed away from the thought of killing, but she had to toughen up and choose. She couldn’t stop Donovan’s hunts, but she could, at least, direct them.