Of Wolves and Men (2 page)

“I still think an animal could have done that. We got so many coyotes now. Could be anything.

Christ, Charlie, could be a pack of feral dogs.”

“Can’t be wolves. Ain’t no wolves up here no more. It’s got to be a bear or cougar or somethin’.”

Quietly they worked on patching the fence, Charlie was still slightly uneasy. The deer didn’t look like it was killed by a natural predator. He’d seen enough to know. What it looked like to him was it had been sliced up with a knife, and afterwards, animals had begun to feed on it.

His hands began to get cold as the sun lowered down the western skyline. He glanced back at the horses. They were chewing the long dried grass, appearing content.

A crow or large black bird landed near them on a fence post. Charlie would never have expected it to alight so close to where they worked. He said to the bird, “You’ll have your meal back. Give us a minute.”

The bird cocked its head sideways, meeting Charlie’s eye like he had never had a bird do before.

“Shoo!” Charlie waved his hand.
That damned thing is making me nervous.

Butch turned to look, laughing. “You can’t even scare a crow. Pathetic.”

“That ain’t no crow.” Charlie’s gestures did nothing to intimidate the large black bird.

“Ignore it.” Butch made a hissing noise and flinched in pain, sucking his finger. “Fucking barbed wire.”

“Where’re your gloves at, you dipshit?” Charlie glanced at the bird. He figured Butch’s abrupt reaction would scare it off. If anything, it had moved closer. He checked on Harley. “Hey, Harley. Go bark at that nosy bird.”

The dog ignored him, lifting his leg on a nearby tree.

Butch kept his finger in his mouth as he said, “Will you forget the darn crow?”

Charlie continued to use pliers to repair the fence, keeping his eye on the pitch black iris of the watching bird.

Butch stood, taking his gloves out of his jacket pocket and putting them on.

Charlie watched to see if his actions would startle the crow. “That is seriously weird.” Charlie straightened his back and began approaching it.

“What are ya doing?” Butch asked.

Ignoring him, Charlie closed the gap between him and the bizarre bird. They were a mere two feet apart. “Why aren’t you flying off?”

The bird cocked its head sideways again, ruffling its neck feathers.

“You dumb thing. I can catch you and put you in a cage.”

A loud squawk coming from the bird made Charlie jump. He heard Butch’s laugher behind him.

Charlie whispered so Butch couldn’t hear, “You laughing at me? You think I’m too scared to catch you?”

The bird inched closer, jumping off the post to the wire, its black feet and long, black talons clasping it as it moved.

Charlie was so stunned, he stood still seeing how close the bird would come. When it was nearly beside him, the bird extended an impressive wingspan, scaring Charlie to death. “Boo?”

he said, nervous as hell.

Again the bird let out a cackle that sounded so much like laughter, Charlie got chills up his spine.

“Mosby, if you don’t get over here and help me with this fence, I’ll tell all the boys ya got scared of a crow.”

Charlie backed up, keeping his eye on the bird. He pointed at it. “Don’t be doing nothin’ behind my back, ya hear?” He returned to finish fixing the fence. “That bird is smiling at me. It’s freakin’ me the fuck out.”

“You’re an idiot.” Butch laughed, wrapping the wires around nails.

Harley finally decided to give the men his attention. Butch gave him a rub down on his ears, then pointed to the bird. “Harley, go chase that thing off, it’s scaring baby Charlie.”

Before Charlie could reply, Butch gave Harley a nudge towards the ominous bird.

Harley got one look at it and yelped, hightailing his way back to the ranch.

Butch and Charlie exchanged surprised glances. “That dog doesn’t run from nothin’!” Butch said.

“Let’s just get this done.” Charlie tried to ignore the crow but it wasn’t easy.

After an hour of repair work, Charlie loaded up his tools and removed more items from the saddle.

“You are not taking that thing with us.”

Charlie ignored Butch’s protests, using a plastic tarp to secure the carcass to a rope. “I am.”

“I thought you were the sane one out of us, Charlie. I don’t know what’s come over you.” Butch loaded up the tools, strapping the saddle pouch’s buckles tight.

Tying the rope to the back of Spirit’s saddle, Charlie gave it a tug. Spirit looked uneasy with the new load, shifting and snorting twin blasts of steam into the cooling air.

They were losing daylight and needed to head back.

Charlie put his foot in the stirrup and swung his leg up and over the horse, picking up the reins.

He looked back at the bluewrapped deer carcass they were dragging, and then did a last scan for the crow. It was gone. Charlie didn’t know when it had left, but was glad it had.

He tapped Spirit with his boot heels and made a noise to let him know to begin their trek back.

Butch was quiet as he followed behind, as if keeping tabs on the dead deer.

Charlie began to daydream as he rode; the season of snow and ice ahead, working hard to make sure the animals were well fed cared for in the upcoming months…

The horse snorted, waking him from his stupor. He gave the twilight sky a scan. It was beautiful, with pinkish purple wisps of clouds behind the hilly landscape. Just as he was about to get lost in his thoughts once more, he caught sight of a dark shape moving between pine trees. It could have been anything; elk, pronghorn, cougar, bison, moose… The wildlife in this area was plentiful. It’s what Charlie loved most about living in the area.

A set of glowing green eyes nearly scared him do death.

Charlie asked Butch, “What’s that over there?”

“Where?”

“There!” Charlie lost sight of it.

“More crows?” Butch laughed.

“Never mind.” The rest of the way Charlie felt as if he was being watched, followed, but he knew he was just being stupid.

Chapter 2

By the time he and Butch arrived back at the barn it was nearing five. He made sure Spirit was well tended before his attention was involved with more urgent matters. In the next stall, Butch was doing the same to Scout, settling him in for the night. Charlie could hear Butch’s low murmuring, talking to the sturdy painted horse. He smiled. Everyone who worked this ranch had a soft spot for horses, and each man had his own to baby.

Charlie gave Spirit a sugar cube and a last pat on the head. He backed out and closed the door and bolt.

“What the hell are ya going to do with that?” Butch pointed to the wrapped carcass.

“I’m going to call Doc McMurray.” He took his mobile phone out and checked his watch.

“She’ll be eating dinner.”

“Shut up and go away.” Charlie put the phone to his ear.

Butch stayed quiet but stood by.

“Doc, it’s Charlie over at the Norman Ranch.”

“Hello, Charlie, what can I do for you?”

“I hope I didn’t catch ya at a bad time.”

“You don’t worry. Are the horses all right?”

“Yeah, knock wood.” Charlie rapped his knuckles on a thick support stud. “I found me a deer up in the woods when I was fixing the fencing.”

“She hurt?”

“No, Doc, she’s dead. But the way she died…that’s what worries me.” He peeked at Butch who was gazing at the blue tarp.

“What do you mean, Charlie?”

“I have a bad feeling, you know? Like some stupid satanic cult is at something. Can you take a look at her?”

“I will. That kind of thing troubles me as much as you. Can you bring her here, or do you want me to come there and you can show me where it is?”

“I drug her down the mountain here to the barn. I’ll load her up in the truck.”

“I’ll be expecting you.”

“Thanks, Doc.” Charlie put the phone into his pocket. “I’ll help you out.”

“Go tell Vernon first.”

Butch jogged out of the barn. Charlie sighed, feeling heavy in his heart. They didn’t need this.

He took his keys out of his pocket and unhooked the trailer from his pickup, before backing it up to the barn to make it easier to load the dead doe.

Vernon, Connie, and the boys appeared, rushed and worried.

“Let me see her first.” Vernon pointed to the blue tarp.

Goat and JP knelt down to untie the lacings while Connie wrapped her wool coat tightly around her, looking very upset.

JP opened the tarp with Goat’s help and each made a noise of disgust when they saw the deer.

Vernon inspected it. “I don’t like this one bit.”

“Right by the hole in the fence, boss,” Butch said, scratching his head under his hat.

“Vernon,” Connie said, her voice quaking, “We have to tell the sheriff about this.”

JP wrapped the tarp up and tied it.

“I’m taking it to Dr. McMurray’s place. Let’s see what she says.” Charlie gestured to the three other men to help him lift the carcass to the bed of his truck. He counted, “One, two, three,” and they heaved it up together.

Butch shut the tailgate with a clang.

“So that’s it?” Vernon asked, Charlie, “Just the hole in the fence and this deer?”

“Ain’t no hole, boss,” Charlie shook his head as he said, “Was a huge gap. When you first mentioned it, I thought we had a tear. It was no small tear.”

Butch added, “Five, six feet of open barbed wire.”

“Son of a bitch!” Goat said.

“Right.” Vernon nodded. “I’ll call the sheriff’s office and you let me know what Hope has to say.”

“I will, boss.” Charlie hopped into the truck.

Butch got in beside him.

“You don’t have to come. Go eat dinner.”

“How’re you going to get that out alone?” He gestured to the deer in the truck bed.

“Draggin’ it out is the easy part.”

“Go.” Butch buckled his seatbelt.

They drove, country music playing on the radio. Neither was in a singing mood however.

Charlie kept losing track of his thoughts. Worrying about the trouble they may be in if some strange cult decided to hit their ranch wasn’t going to help any of them. They would alert the authorities and beef up their own patrols at night. He would be the first to volunteer to head up the mountain and keep an eye out.

Butch shifted on the seat, leaning his elbow on the armrest.

Charlie stole a glance at his crotch.
Joe sucked my cock right here. Right here where I’m sittin’.

He and Joe had both been dirty from lying under the truck on the side of the highway. The tire had fallen on Joe when it released from under the rig. Charlie recalled his hairless chest when he raised up his shirt to see the damage. But it was the blowjob he couldn’t stop thinking about.

That fucking hot sucking, his tongue going wild, the moaning as if the guy really liked it, even
though I was sweaty and all…

“Here. Turn here!” Butch pointed. “Christ, Charlie, where are you in that head of yours?”

Charlie wouldn’t answer that question even with a branding iron aimed at his behind.

He stopped the truck and immediately Dr. Hope McMurray and her husband Ralph exited the house, as if they’d been waiting for them.

Charlie shut off the engine and got out quickly, meeting them and opening the tailgate. “Where should we bring it?”

“In there.” Hope pointed to an outbuilding she used for quarantined animals. Charlie knew it well from when one of the horses had an unknown infection last summer.

With Ralph’s help, he and Butch dragged the blue tarp to the lit up area inside the building.

Immediately she put on rubber gloves and a mask.

Charlie and Butch unlaced the tarp and opened it up, stepping back.

“Holy crap.” Ralph recoiled. “That isn’t from a cougar or bear.”

“No.” Hope inspected the tissue. “It’s from a knife.”

As she dug into the entrails, Butch covered his mouth in reflex. Charlie wasn’t as queasy since he’d seen the horses with ugly injuries before. Butch hadn’t been on the ranch long enough to see what they could do to themselves when spooked or attacked.

“Heart’s missing. Classic sign of a ritual killing.” Hope appeared grim.

“No!” Butch stomped his foot. “Hell no! Not around here, not on our ranch!”

“Calm down, buddy.” Charlie felt the same way but someone head to keep their head.

She continued to poke and inspect the entrails. “The lungs are missing as well, but they don’t look cut out. Maybe a scavenger has eaten them. It’s not unusual for the internal organs of a dead animal to be eaten first.”

Charlie noticed Butch about to explode. He moved closer to him. “We’ll figure it out. Okay?”

“Yeah.” He spoke softly but he looked furious.

Ralph asked, “Did you already report it to the sheriff’s office?”

“Vernon is. But your findin’s verify our gut feelin’s.”

“I’ll write up a report.” Hope took off her rubber gloves and mask. “Tomorrow I’ll do a more complete autopsy and send it right to the sheriff’s office.”

“I appreciate that.” Charlie reached out his hand to her.

“Meanwhile, keep vigilant. We want this to end before it begins.” Hope squeezed Charlie’s hand.

“You and me both.” He elbowed Butch and they returned to the truck.

Butch slammed the door after he got in.

“Calm the hell down.”

“Fuck you! If they do that to a horse, Charlie, I’ll—”

“They ain’t goin’ to do it to a horse.” Charlie backed out of the driveway. “Let’s get some grub.

I’m starvin’.”

Butch kicked his boot into the flooring.

Charlie had to remind himself the kid was only nineteen. “All right. You calm down.”

“I can’t. I’m so pissed off.”

“How ‘bout I buy you a beer?”

“Naw. Just go back. I need to get out there tonight and look for who’s doing this.”

Charlie had identical thoughts. They drove back to the ranch in silence.

When he pulled up to the house, a patrol car was there. Charlie and Butch took off their hats as they entered the house, seeing Sheriff Dale Kenmore talking to Vernon. They stopped chatting when the men walked in. Vernon asked, “What did the doc say?”