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Chapter 5: Hunting Wolf

  Hudson lead the pack through the packed snow, following tracks by lantern light. Tom brought up the rear, feeling rather useless carrying a wooden sword. The girls shivered and huddled together, bundled in 3 layers and still cold. Tom sped ahead and joined Hudson.

  “We’ve been following tracks for an hour, doesn’t look like a mammoth print unless I got a very different idea of the size and look of that animal.

  “Small game, not worth chasin down actually. We’re not huntin that, we’re just movin. Right now we’re the ones being hunted.” He said as the girls suddenly became interested.

  “By what?” Tom asked.

  “More like by whom.” Hudson replied. You tell a lot about a man by how he tracks you. Narrow down who it might be and the best place and tactics when they get there. I knew damn good and well that sonsabitch talked about the leg. Shoulda shot him. Depending on who he talked to before they probably killed his stupid ass for knowin, we could be evenly matched or completely screwed. You see that…well you probably don’t see shit, but trust me, there’s a light following us. It’s stayin real far back so we don’t notice but when we get tuckered out and turn back it’s gonna go out and we’re gonna run into him. Hey Jen, How good can you see in the dark?”

  “Pretty good. Good as most people give or take.” She shrugged.

  “I’ll take it. You get the 45, load her up with slugs and put a round of scatter in the ready. That’s counter clockwise, so one right of the top, that’s important. You take ol blind buck with ya and head towards that big rock near the river. Turn around and head straight back the way you came. Me and your friend with the million dollar leg gonna keep heading onward with the lantern, and then turn around and head back at some point. That should put you behind our new friend and us on higher ground. If you hear a gunshot, shoot his ass and follow it up. Keep goin till he’s down or you run out.”

  “I never shot anybody before.”

  “You’re welcome, gonna be a great night to start. Now if you hear a bunch of shots all close together, you stay down, head back the way we came slow and quiet for about 5 minutes and then just move as fast as you can till you get back. I know 2 men who track in that manner and if it’s not Moses, we got him.”

  “And if it’s Moses, what then?” asked Jen.

  “Eh, well it was nice knowin ya for a little while. You two aughta outlive me and Miss Peggy-leggy here by a few hours or days, depending on how fast you run. Go on, get to movin. Scatter shot right of the top cylinder, shoot till he falls.” He encouraged

  Hudson and Carol trudged onward, briskly and steadily as he stopped and just stood there a moment, checking his gun and turning around.

  “Alright, little lady, now I didn’t wanna scare your friends back there so here’s the plan.”

  “That was NOT scaring them?” she asked.

  “It’s complicated. Now you take that black revolver and tuck it in your coat sleeve, keep it cocked and ready and here’s the part you won’t like. You’re gonna put it under your chin and keep your finger way the hell off that trigger.”

  “MY chin?” Carol asked. “What am I taking MYSELF hostage?”

  “Nope. One of two things is gonna happen Either a native American man carrying a rifle is gonna show up and we’re gonna have a conversation, which mean you’re gonna lower that gun and be ready to empty it on him if I die. OR, it’s gonna be a bald white guy with goggles like mine, and he’s gonna shoot me before I get my gun drawn, in which case you just go on and pull that trigger and go quietly. Because he don’t converse or negotiate and I ain’t got shit for ideas for dealin with him. He’s gonna kill me and have his way with you, cut that leg off and take it back. You’ll wanna be dead when that happens because it’s happening dead or alive and he won’t ask your preference. That Donnovan ain’t gonna slow him down, but it will make your last moment a lot less bad.” He said as she shakily got the pistol ready.

  “You’re not joking are you?”

  “Wish I was. Quit your stallin, hammer back, finger out of the guard, chinny-chin with the barrel and do your silent prayers. Feel free to include me in that one.” Hudson said waiting for her as she nervously lifted the gun to her chin.

  “This is insane.” Jen sighed. Why are we out here freezing and splitting up? We could be hiding or bunkering down.” She complained.

  “Hud’s right. They’re after her, not us. So dividing not only gives us better survival chances but two places to shoot from that aren’t hitting each other in the crossfire. Don’t let him scare ya. I’ll protect ya from whoever it is.”

  “Really…how? You cant shoot and I got the gun. If anything I’m protecting you and I never shot anyone before. Never even hunted, let alone human. Have you?”

  “Sure. Half a dozen or so. None of them tracked me down so I assume they all died. Can you take a man’s life or are you gonna freeze up?”

  “We’re already frozen up, so if I have to I’ll do it. I’m just hoping Hudson drops him before I get a chance.”

  “Me too.” Tom sighed.

  “You smell that?” Jen asked.

  “No…what ya smell?” he asked.

  “I dunno, just…good. It’s actually making me hungry.” She sniffed.

  Carol vibrated and wiggled her trigger finger next to the gun to make sure she could feel it if she had to use it. the soft sound of footsteps approaching in the dark that didn’t match hers or Hudson’s made her blood run even colder. The absolute lack of any visual or warning making the wait feel even longer. The cold wood rested under her chin as her hand sweated and she adjusted her grip, not even sure if she could do what was needed, letting her mind drift to a summer day to remember warmth for a while. A slightly darker spot in the darkness appeared, blurry and indistinguishable. She squinted, looking for goggles or a rifle to clue her in to her fate. Hudson stopped, opening his coat and flashing the red revolver.

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  “Old Hudson, what have you gotten yourself into now?” said a voice in the dark, a native American tonality and an almost…friendly swagger to it, easing her finger slightly.

  “Oh just the same shit as always, what brings you out here, Chief?” he said winking at Carol, who sighed and shed a tear of relief as she lowered the gun from her chin to an arms-crossed for warmth position.

  “You know why I’m here. I’m saving your life.” He said bluntly.

  “You’re robbin me and takin the girl is what you’re doin, and my life is the reward I get for it. That about it?” he asked.

  “Hud, you’re one of the best hunters I have working for me. It would be a shame to die out here for a greenhorn. If you refuse, I’ll kill you and take her anyway. The only choice is what happens to you. I’m a faster draw, even with that new gun you got you have no moves except drop it and walk away, go home, or draw it and die in the cold. If it helps your soul to know, Buchannan wants her alive or dead, 500,000 dead 525,000 alive to answer questions. You know how he asks questions. I’ll walk her back to town, shoot her in the head. She wont feel it. You can just pay me the 25 thousand in your hunting, ten percent on each hunt. You go on living and she doesn’t suffer. There are other men who would prefer suffering.” The chief said.

  “You hear that, Carol. Chief HuntinWolf likes to bargain. Damn descent of him too. Real glad I didn’t see Moses stepping out of the dark. Be a lotta gunshots right about now. Now you make a tempting offer but I know you ain’t gonna let me keep my gun and shoot you in the back and I just paid off my debt and this here revolver ain’t even been shot yet. I’ve wanted a Prima 35 my whole damn life and never got to shoot the damn thing and you’re about to take it anyway. Don’t seem right. How bout I get to shoot it just once, out at the dark, and then you got a deal.” He sighed.

  “I would let you unload it and keep it, but you have shells hidden somewhere, you don’t have a spare gun in your pocket. So you’re right, and it’s going in the 25,000 you owe me. But that’s all you want out of this, hold perfectly still.” HuntingWolf said. Hudson held up his hands as he disarmed him and patted for hidden guns, taking his knife his ammo bag and the obvious red revolver. He smiled, lowering his lever rifle and admiring the red pistol.

  “We got a deal?” Hudson asked, now fully unarmed. “I’ll be getting that knife back from you later. That was my daddy’s knife. You can’t put a price on that.”

  “I’ll leave it at your house. Hudson I’m surprised that you did the smart thing. In fact, why don’t you take a shot with a real pistol instead.” He said , breaking open the red revolver and dumping out the peasant shells, as of they were worthless. He smiled, unholstering his own revolver. 35 magnum, full tusk cylinder and barrel, wood dyed navy blue he broke the action open and dumped the shells, loading one round in it. Tossing it in the snow. “You deserve to fire real lead before you’re too old to hold a gun.”

  “Damn descent of ya.”

  “Now that’s one round you’ll never afford to fire again, and it kicks, so enjoy it. I’ve got this shotgun on your back. You so much as turn around with it loaded and I’ll kill you.” He warned Hudson. “Be smart, take the gift.”

  “Wouldn’t dream of passing it.” Hudson said, pointing the opposite way and aiming up slightly. He fired the shot, the echo ringing out as his hears tingled from the power. He turned, holstering it, grinning like it was Christmas. Huntingwolf gave him a strange look of confusion as another shot from the distance buckled his knees and dropped him to all fours, another shot hitting the snow beside him, and a third shot hitting his side, flattening him out, struggling to lift the unloaded red revolver. He pointed towards Hudson and clicked the hammer, slumping into the snow.

  “Bet them plastic bullets didn’t seem so worthless when that hammer fell dry, peckerwood.” He said, strolling up and stepping on his arm to make sure he didn’t move, taking back his knife and slitting his throat as Carol winced and looked away. “JEN! RUN ON BACK!” he hollered. “You are officially my favorite greenhorn on this damn snowball.” He said collecting items and loading himself to the gills with loot. Jen ran up, holding the rifle and looking horrified.

  “I just killed a guy.” She said.

  “Killed him real good and proper too. Proud of ya, girl.”

  “I just killed a guy!” she yelled louder. “I’m not bragging I’m freaking the fuck out a little. Jesus shit, I just killed someone.”

  “Self defense, and get used to it, you’ll do it again or die. We’re just getting started. But damn if we didn’t get lucky in so many ways. You killed a very rich man with very rich man things on him.

  “He was your boss.” Carol said. “You worked for him.”

  “Twenty-five damn years I did. I risked my ass out there scavenging and huntin and this prick was always there to congratulate me on how much I made him. Half my life savins went into this man’s pocket, never went with me or did half the work, just collected like his daddy did to my daddy, and when my daddy couldn’t pay his debt, Old chief Yellow Eyes shot him dead. He’s gonna love it when I show up with his dead boy’s gun to kill his ass. That is one fine damn gun for an entitled little shit like this boy. Tables turn don’t they ya little cocksuck?” he said reloading his red revolver and putting a round in his head just for the hell of it. “There, now I killed him instead. Feel better?” he asked with a smirk.

  “How does that help?”

  “He was still breathin a little bit. Sure aint no more. You shot a man tonight and he would have died, but…You didn’t kill nobody yet.” Hudson nodded.

  “Bullshit.” She muttered.

  “Don’t believe, that’s your choice. Believe what you want. Them plastic bullets don’t exactly blow your inside out ya ass, you bleed out or suffocate from a lung shot, takes a minute or two. Take the lid off the skull like that, now that’s the express lane to hell. I stole your glory, but you get credit for a damn good shot at that distance. In fact, that’s your gun now. Miss Peggy Sue just got herself a nice a nice Prima Revolver on borrow, and Happy birthday Tom, you got your shitty black gun back. We’re all movin on up tonight.” He smiled.

  “I swear of you call me Peggy one more time.” Carol fumed.

  “Oh lighten up, it’s a celebration. You basically ruined my life, so I get a few shitty jabs at ya for savin yours, not like you’re gonna do anything.” He shrugged, a sudden jolt to his head, and stumbling into the snow as Jen stood over him, balled up fist.

  “That’s the spirit, lady. Get good and mean while you’re still practicing that right jab, because I won’t shoot ya for it, and some people will. You get it out of your system now, get used to it, get that muscle remembering, you’ll want it later. We don’t pissed off the world tonight, so if killin a man bothers you, you can use all the practice you can get rampin up that mean streak, ya little striped snake. Your friend ain’t got any damn fangs or claws to her, not a damn bit of meanness. Makes a fine wife, makes a piss-poor killer. So you swing away, little lady, feed that mean streak all you can. We’re gonna need it.”

  “fffffFUCK!” she yelled, kicking snow and circling around nowhere.

  “Now everyone start grabbin gear. We’re lootin this corpse to the skin and headin home. Best damn hunt I ever did have. Real shame I gotta die for it soon.” He sighed.

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