Page 32 of Capture the Moment

Oh man. He’d hit a nerve. “No! No ... it’s just that...” What was wrong with him? “I’m just doing my job.”

Kate unzipped her camera bag and pulled out her camera. “It’s a Sony Alpha, with all kinds of amazing features.”

“Like what?”

“Like ... real-time Eye AF.”

Coop took the camera from her and examined it. “AF?”

“Autofocus. It’s incredibly fast. Even if an animal is moving, this camera locks on the subject’s eye with precision in real time.”

He tried to look like he knew what she was talking about. He had no idea.

“It’s also got High Resolution EVF.”

“Uh, remind me what EVF means?”

“Electronic viewfinder. Makes it easier to compose shots.”

This was all Greek to him. “In other words, this is the Cadillac of cameras.”Oof.That sounded stupid.

“More like a Tesla than a Cadillac.” She took it back from him and placed it carefully in her camera bag. “Technology moves at a swift pace, Ranger Cooper.”

“But you can’t approach the bear.” There he went again, sounding like a new sheriff in town.

Kate shot him a look that said,Do you really think I would do that?“I don’t plan to.”

The tension between them hung in the air, like a storm waiting to break.

“Then,” Coop said, “maybe I can help.”

How could this have happened? Wade felt a surge of frustration when Feldmann returned from Jackson without any clear idea about when the package that held Whisper could be rerouted. Even more exasperating was the equipment he did bring back. All he could think of was his beloved bow, somewhere on a truck or plane heading east.

Wade picked up the knife Feldmann had purchased and examined the edge. “This isn’t going to work.”

“Why not?”

“Not sharp enough.”

“For...”

“For the pelt, of course,” Wade replied, trying to keep his irritation in check.

“I thought we’d be hauling the carcass to a taxidermist. I even found a few names of ones in Jackson. Ones that were known for being discreet.”

Discreet.Wade couldn’t help but roll his eyes. “And how exactly did you plan to sneak a four-hundred-pound bear out of the park without raising any alarms with the rangers?”

“I was going to ask the turncoat to grease some palms. That’s worked before.”

“Absolutely not,” Wade said. The more people involved, the greater the chance for a slipup. “I don’t want the whole bear, just the pelt. Get a better knife. Get a couple of them.”

“Okay. I’ll get coolers for the organs too.”

“No, no coolers.”

Feldmann looked puzzled. “But isn’t that kind of wasteful? I have plenty of connections who’d be eager for harvests.”

“I just want the pelt.”

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