The Vegan's Hunter (9 page)

“Action,” he yelled. “We’re hunting elks with these weapons here. Wait. Try that again. Action. The four of us. I mean five. Cut.”

Stupid girl interrupted him and ruined his mojo. “We’ll do it again later.” Clifton said, sulking up the path.

They had been walking all day when they finally heard an elk bugling in the distance in the late afternoon. “Alright here we go,” Billy said, dropping his pack on the ground. They walked to the edge of the thin tree line and looked down into the valley below. It was a perfect location. There was a bull elk on the other side of the slopping valley eating grass. It would make for a perfect shot once they lured him into the middle of the valley. There were no trees to block the view of the grenade blasts.

“Fred turn the fucking camera on,” Clifton yelled. “God damned amateurs. Am I the only professional?”

They all dropped their bags and started checking their weapons.

“What’s going on?” Kayley asked with a jittery voice.

“We’re about to have some fun is what’s going on,” Clifton answered.

Ray and Billy cheered.

“Fred go stand over there and film,” Clifton directed. This kid was hopeless. He had to do everything himself. “Billy you call the bastard in. I’m going to nail this one. Everyone else throw your guns over there,” he said pointing to a tree behind them.

Ray and Billy dropped their shoulders in disappointment. They were both about to protest but then dropped their guns beside the tree. An M16, HK416 and a pistol were stacked in a pile out of reach.

“Come get in the camera shot,” Clifton said to Kayley waving her over. “Sex sells. My audience will like a pretty face to look at.”

She just stood there with her arms crossed like a useless lump of flesh. He would have to have a talk with her later. He placed his gun on the ground and plucked a grenade off of his belt.

“Action,” he yelled. “We got a bull elk over there eating some grass. I wonder if he knows that he’s about to eat a lead salad.” He laughed at his own joke. “Billy here is going to call him in.”

Clifton nodded at Billy who blew on the cow caller. The elk raised his head in the distance and then called back. Billy blew it again. The bull elk trotted up the valley towards them gaining speed as he went.

Clifton turned to the camera. “Now this fella thinks that he’s coming to meet a slutty cow but he’s really got a date with this.” He lifted up the hand grenade. The elk was in the middle of the valley now. Almost within throwing range. Clifton placed his finger through the pin, ready to pull it as soon as the elk was close enough. This was going to get him tons of ratings.

“Wait,” Kayley yelled.

This chick is going to ruin everything. Clifton turned around and Kayley was pointing Ray’s pistol right at him. He chuckled.

She wasn’t laughing. “Put down the grenade.”

“You’re going to shoot me?” he asked. “There’s a camera on you lady. Do you want to go to jail?”

“Put down the grenade. Let the elk go.”

He wasn’t laughing either this time. She had a glint in her eye that Clifton didn’t want to test. He also didn’t want to look like a fool in front of the guys. “Alright,” he said and dropped the grenade on the ground. “Don’t shoot.”

He put his hands in the air and stepped towards her slowly. “Just give me the gun. We’ll let him go.”

She straightened up. “Promise me that you won’t kill him.”

Clifton placed his hand on his heart as he walked. “I, Clifton Jones, promise you that I won’t kill him.” He stopped within arms reach. The gun was pointed at his stomach. Her hands were shaking. He offered his hand out and she placed the pistol in it.

“Bitch,” he said and slapped her across the face. She fell to the ground. All the girls did. Clifton was a good slapper.

He stormed off towards the tree line with the pistol in his hand. The elk was close enough to hit with a throw but Clifton wouldn’t break his promise. Not with the camera on him. What would people think of him then? But he wanted to show that hippie bitch.

He aimed the pistol at the elk and let off a shot. The pop echoed through the valley. The elk bucked and ran away in the opposite direction.

“Right in the ass!” Billy fell to one knee he was laughing so hard. Ray and Fred were bent over, clutching their ribs in laughter. Clifton couldn’t help but join in. That stupid elk didn’t know what hit him.

Kayley, the killjoy, was crying.

A branch slashed across Tyler’s face as he jogged through the woods. How did he make such a mess of things? The first girl that he really liked in years and he let his anger get away from him and ruined all of his chances. He hadn’t even let her explain. How could he not let her explain. Now she was by herself with these lunatics.

He saw something shinny on the path up ahead. He quickened his pace. A crushed beer can was lying on the ground. He picked it up and examined it. There were bubbles along the rim. He was going the right way. He continued running.

“Have a beer,” Clifton said sticking a can of beer in Kayley’s face. “Loosen up.”

“Leave me alone,” she answered. She was sitting around the campfire and the four guys were drinking heavily. She looked at the darkening forest for the hundredth time. Maybe I should run. It was too late for that. It was getting too dark and she would get lost immediately. Images of mountain lions hunting her down in the darkness flooded her mind like a horror film.

Clifton kept trying to get her to drink. She refused. She needed her wits around these guys. Clifton turned away with a huff and threw the beer into the cooler. He slumped back into his chair and drank whiskey straight from the bottle. He stared at Kayley while he chugged. She shivered and wrapped her arms around herself, hugging her chest.

“Fred get the camera,” Clifton said. He was starting to slur his words.

Fred jumped up and went into his tent. Kayley couldn’t help notice that there were only four small tents set up. She wanted to ask where her tent was but was afraid to hear the answer.

Clifton glared back at her. Kayley felt naked under his disgusting stare. “Since Kayley ruined our shot this afternoon, she’s going to give us a little dance.”

“Woo hoo,” Billy cried out throwing his hands up in the air. Beer splashed over his shirt. He didn’t seem to notice.

Kayley sat frozen to her chair.

“We can’t go home empty handed,” Clifton went on. “So you’re going to give us something to thrill our viewers.”

Kayley stared at the fire with wide eyes. The heat from the fire added to the heat from her blushing face.

“Hey,” he said, jerking the bottle and splashing her with whiskey.

She looked at him. He was slumped in his chair. Don’t show them any fear. “I’m not dancing.”

Fred returned with the camera. All eyes were on Clifton.

Kayley shivered and inched closer to the fire.

Clifton stood up and removed his belt.

He stumbled towards Kayley.

Tyler

Tyler was running out of steam. He had been jogging through thick forest all day. It was already dark out and he had lost their trail. It was too dark to see footprints and he was wandering through the bush lost.

Tyler suddenly realized that he was in a bad situation. He had left in such a rush after Natasha told him that Kayley was only going on Killzone to help save his show that he didn’t stop to pack any supplies. He had panicked when he found out that the hunt was this morning and ran off to follow them and keep an eye on the group from a distance.

He recognized the look in Clifton’s eye when he watched Kayley. He was constantly around animals and knew a predator when he saw one.

He parked at the entrance to the National Park behind Clifton’s pick up truck and ran all day trying to catch up to them. Their trail was easy enough to follow but now he was lost.

It was dark and he had no matches, food, tent or weapons. He was thinking of Kayley’s well being all day and forgot to think of his own.

Tyler looked at the stars to orientate himself. Head north.

A scream cut the silence of the forest like a knife.

A woman’s scream.

Kayley’s scream.

Tyler took off charging in its direction.

Kayley grabbed a stick from beside the fire and held it in front of Clayton like a sword. “Leave me alone,” she warned.

They all laughed at her. She looked ridiculous holding a little stick as her only defense against four men with military grade assault rifles.

“Wait hold on,” Billy said laughing. He reached into a bag, grabbed something and approached her giggling. Kayley swung around and held the stick out between her and the fat man.

“Here you go,” he said and placed a marshmallow on the end of the stick. He burst out laughing and was bent over clutching his ribs. Kayley smashed the stick over his head as hard as she could. The thick stick snapped and broke in half. Billy fell to one knee.

“Oh what the hell?” he screamed, rubbing the back of his head.

Ray and Fred were laughing so hard that tears streamed down their cheeks. Clifton remained serious the entire time. He continued towards her with the belt in his hand.

“Help,” she screamed.

“Scream all you want,” Clifton said. “There’s no one here to help you. Look.” He put his hands to his mouth and called, “Help. Help. Help.”

There was nowhere for Kayley to go. She wouldn’t make it twenty feet into the woods before they caught her, if the mountain lions didn’t get her first and she couldn’t fight off four guys. She glanced at the tents. The guns were packed away in them. Except for the pistol on Clifton’s hip. She couldn’t get to them and didn’t know how to work them even if she could.

She would have to do what they wanted.

“Okay,” she said, her voice trembling. Her vision became blurry from tears. “I’ll dance. Just please put the belt away.”

“Well alright,” Clifton said and headed back to his chair.

Kayley closed her eyes and tried to control her breathing. She tried not to panic as she wondered how she was going to get through the night.

“I should get the first dance. I’m the one that got hit.” Kayley looked at Billy. He was still rubbing his head. Something rushed out of the darkness and plowed into him. His body flew across the campsite and slammed into the campfire.

Everyone froze, staring at Billy in confusion. He was rolling around on the ground with his camouflage suit in flames.

It was Tyler.

Tyler cracked Fred in the jaw with a punch before the kid could register what was going on. The boy’s legs gave out on him and he fell to the ground unconscious.

The fire was out on Billy and he managed to get to one knee. His body was smoking. Kayley picked up the large television camera that sitting on Fred’s chair. She lifted the heavy thing up and brought it down on Billy’s head as hard as she could. There was a crack as the camera broke. His body slumped to the ground. He didn’t move.

Ray ran for the tent. Tyler caught up to him and pulled him back by his coat. Ray swung his fist around and it landed on Tyler’s face.

“I’m sorry,” he said, with wide eyes as Tyler looked completely unfazed by the punch. Tyler kicked him between the legs and knocked him out with an uppercut.

“Don’t move,” Clifton said.

His pistol was out. It was pointing at Tyler.

Tyler stared him down. “Are you afraid to fight man to man?”

“I’m not falling for that shit,” Clifton replied. “Not when there doesn’t have to be a fight. I can just shoot you right now and get away with it. Self defense.”

“I’m a witness,” Kayley said. “I’ll tell them everything.”

“Well I guess I’ll just have to shoot you too.” He pointed the gun at her.

“Get that gun off of her,” Tyler warned.

“No I don’t think I will. First I’m going to kill you, than your little tart and then I’m going to kill everyone of those stupid animals at your center. Nobody messes with Clifton Jones. Nobody.”

The branches in the trees behind him started shaking. What was that? It seemed scarier than Clifton if that was even possible.

The thudding got louder and quicker as the thing approached. Clifton spun around and faced the darkness just as an enormous bull elk charged into him. His head whipped back and Clifton sailed through the air like a rag doll. He landed on the ground with a thud. The elk pounced on him, digging his antlers into his body. Kayley heard snaps. She grimaced wondering if it was branches or bones.

Dried blood streaked the back leg of the elk. Kayley saw a small hole in its thigh. It was the poor elk from this afternoon.

The elk released Clifton and backed away slowly. Clayton rolled over onto his hands and knees and vomited. He reached out and picked up the handgun.

“Son of a bitch,” he muttered, as he lifted the gun at the elk.

“No,” Kayley cried out.