Page 2 of Kian

“I just had a call from some snowboarders. They said they saw a horse where they were boarding. I was skeptical, but they sent me a photo. I’ll send it to you. I just wanted to let you know so you could find where the horse was spotted once you got back. I have no idea exactly where they saw it. All I know is the vicinity. They said they were snowboarding through trees and when they made the clearing, they saw the horse. It ran off when they tried to get close to it, so there’s no idea where it went from there. Nothing said about the other missing horse. Hell, it might not be one of the missing horses.”

“Alright. Is it far from the ranch they were taken from?”

“Yes, that’s why I’m a little skeptical about it being one of the horses we’re looking for. I’ll send you the coordinates, but it’s going to be hard getting in there. According to their location, they’re surrounded by woods.”

“How in the hell are they snowboarding?”

“They said they went through the woods and came out in a clearing. That’s where they saw the horse.”

“Alright. Send me the photos. I’ll put them with the file.”

“On the way. Enjoy your time off.” Dave hung up.

Looking at the clock, Kian saw it was only ten o’clock in the morning. Deciding he had nothing else to do and feeling restless, he decided to take a drive out to the area and see if he could find any leads. Although he did promise his brother, he would be doing nothing during his first week off, boredom was already getting the best of him.

A chuckle escaped him. “Third day of vacation and you’re already bored.” He had weekends off unless he was needed, so he’d been lazy through the weekend, along with Monday and Tuesday, but now he was getting antsy.

After slipping on his insulated cowboy boots, he unlocked the gun safe, opened the lid and removed his weapon. After putting his holster on, he pinned his badge to his belt, put the gun in the sheath, snapped the retainer button, then pulled on his protective vest. He grabbed his hat and coat from the hook by the door, put them on, and stepped out. He turned to lock the door behind him before jogging down the steps and across the parking lot to his truck. He pressed the button on his fob to unlock it, climbed inside, and started the engine. Entering the coordinates into his GPS, he saw he had to drive almost twenty miles. With a deep breath, he drove out of the lot. The roads were snow-covered but passable.

As he drove along Gatlin Road, he noticed a ‘Personal Property’ sign hanging on a post next to what could have been back road but must lead to a house or hunting cabin. When he got closer to the coordinates of his destination, he scanned the area and pulled into the deep snow on the shoulder of the road. The snow was much deeper in the area than in town. Theexpanse of the forest left him unsure of where to begin. He picked up the photos once more and studied them closely.

“I guess this is as good a place as any.” Removing his phone from his pocket, he entered the coordinates for where the horse had been spotted.

Donning a pair of gloves, he shut off the engine, opened the glovebox to get his binoculars, then stepped out of the truck. He didn’t know if he’d see anyone, but he wasn’t taking any chances. He removed his hat, pulled the strap on the binoculars over his head, then placed his hat back on his head, and pulled it down low. Tugging his collar up, he locked his truck and followed the directions on his phone. Then he trudged through the deep snow, grateful for his choice of boots. His jeans were going to be soaked by the time he headed back home.

Cresting a small hill, he spotted two sets of footprints ahead of him. He didn’t know if they belonged to the snowboarders or someone else. Quietly following the tracks for close to fifteen minutes, he stopped when he saw two men ahead of him. They weren’t the snowboarders. It looked like these two men were hunting.

Kian put the binoculars to his eyes and looked at the men. They both carried rifles, and Kian clenched his jaw when he saw the wolf pelts on their backpacks. Hunting season for wolves was mid-September to mid-March. It was now the last week of March, so they were hunting illegally. Thankfully, they didn’t seem to notice that he was trailing them. He continued to follow at a distance, not wanting to spook them. He knew he’d have to call Montana Fish, Wildlife, and Parks, but he didn’t want to make any sound yet.

Staying hidden behind trees, Kian put his binoculars to his eyes again and moved them along the woods and caught a glimpse of a fresh wolf carcass. Anger surged within him; these men were definitely killing wolves and taking their pelts.Hunting was a popular sport in Montana, but there were strict regulations that needed to be followed.

Quickly sending a text message to his brother, informing him that he found some wolf poachers, and telling him he’d call FWP, Kian put his phone away. Feeling it vibrate with a reply, Kian ignored it and moved closer to the men. However, when he stepped on a branch, making it snap, both men stopped and looked around.

“Damn it,” Kian muttered under his breath as he ducked behind a tree. Luckily, they resumed walking again and he let out a sigh of relief. He continued to trail behind them until they stopped once more, this time raising their rifles. Kian spotted a wolf in the distance; he couldn’t let them take another animal.

He removed his weapon from the holster, turned the safety off, pointed the gun at the men, and shouted, “Montana Department of Livestock! Drop your rifles and put your hands up!”

They turned to look at him, but before he could make his next move, he heard a shot just as a sharp pain pierced his shoulder as a bullet ripped through his arm, between his arm and his protective vest, making him curse. Another shot rang out, grazing his head above his ear, causing him to flinch and inhale sharply at the pain. He tried to steady himself against a nearby tree, but as another shot rang out, he tried to move but the snow made him slip and his head slammed against a nearby boulder, and everything went dark as he lost consciousness.

****

Gretchen stood in the warm, cozy kitchen of her cabin, drinking her coffee as she gazed out the large window at the swirling snowflakes falling from the cloudy sky. The radio had warned of an impending winter storm, but Gretchen was used to harsh winters living in this secluded part of Clifton, Montana.

Just then, the pet door flap swung open and Lobo, her Malamute, trotted inside; his back and head covered in snow. He shook his body, throwing snow in all directions, then sat down in front of her with his big brown eyes fixed on her. She chuckled as he let out a playful bark.

After filling Lobo’s food dish, Gretchen walked to the living room to get a fire going in the hearth. The cabin had heat and air, but she liked to keep a fire going when it was so cold, in case the power went out due to storms. She kept the dog in after sunset because she didn’t want him running all over the place when predators could be around.

Her cabin sat on five acres of posted land, but there were always trespassers who disregarded the signs. Lobo’s striking resemblance to a wolf put him at risk of being mistaken for one and getting shot by trigger-happy hunters. It was a constant worry for Gretchen.

Alone in her remote cabin, Gretchen relished the solitude and peacefulness it offered her. She was used to fending for herself and didn’t need anyone else around. But as she searched for something for breakfast, she couldn’t shake off a sense of unease.

Rummaging through her fridge, she found nothing appealing, so decided on toast.

Once it was done, she sat at the table. But just as she was about to take a bite, Lobo suddenly stood up and growled fiercely at the door. Gretchen’s heart skipped a beat as she slowly made her way to the window, pulling back the curtain to peer outside.

“Stay,” she told the dog.

The thick snow blew past the window, making it impossible to see anything. But then she heard it, the unmistakable sound of a gunshot, followed quickly by two more, off in the distance. Her hand flew to her mouth in shock as she stumbled back from thewindow. She quickly closed the pet door. She couldn’t be sure how close the shots had been, but she wasn’t taking any chances.

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