Page 7 of The Wrong Drive-
I pop my lips under my neck warmer, sweat coating them already. I sing my little chant in my head as I let Gunner loose to trail the trespasser. She’s not armed from what I can tell, but she’s bleeding from my first shot.
She should be easy to track, and well… My Bloodhound needs the exercise before he’s stuck inside. I could use some, too.
I keep a tight grip around my rifle as my boots thud in the snow. It’s a poor time to go hunting, and I know it won’t be long before she’s frozen to death anyway. Icouldlet her succumb to the elements, and then play a game of finding the body.
But that’s not nearly as exhilarating.
“Where is she?” I ask Gunner as he trails out ahead of me. The wind covers her tracks, and the snowfall has picked up again. I still see tinges of crimson painted in the snow though. A wave of anticipation floods my system, and I grin beneath my face warmer. I don’t know what will happen when I find her, but fuck knows, I needed to have a little excitement in my life.
I catch sight of movement in my peripheral, and instinctively raise my rifle, placing my finger on the trigger.
“Not yet. Not yet, Martin,” I command myself under my breath. “Feel it out. Analyze first.”
But who cares? She trespassed. I don’t need to analyze shit.
I frown as my hands begin to sweat beneath my gloves. I’m torn between hitting the high of watching her body drop in the snow, and investigating further, figuring out why some little brunette is running in my woods. I couldn’t hear what she was shouting at me, and I have to admit, I’d like clarification.
Gunner lets out a warning bark, grabbing my attention. He’s closing in on her.
Damn the luck.She’s not moving quickly enough to give him a good chase. Maybe it’s because she’s injured and in possible shock? I knew I’d graze her when I took the shot, but I wouldn’t think it’d slow her down too much. She should have adrenaline coursing through her veins right now. My mind flashes back to the phone dropping in the snow. I’ll need to find that when the weather clears.
Butdamn, I hate phones. They bring trouble and it meansanyonecan find you.
I don’t like that. They’re an invasive technological leech on society.
She’d be smart to figure that out. As I continue on, I catch sight of a silver Ford F150. It’s definitely stuck, buried in the snow and mud up to the middle of the tires. If it had been colder before the storm blew in, she probably wouldn’t have gotten in such a predicament. I chuckle.
Bad luck for her.
Good luck for me.
Quickly, I check the doors and see they’re unlocked. I know Gunner will keep pressure on her, giving me a chance to check this out. I rip the door open and spot the bags in the backseat. Looks like she’s going somewhere.
Home for the holidays?
My stomach rolls.Fuck that.I slam the door shut and hear a yelp somewhere out in the woods. I grunt out a low laugh, wondering if she mistook it for more gunfire. Lucky for her, I don’t waste ammo. Not usually, anyway.
But sometimes… I can’t stop once I start.
I make my way to the back of the truck, my rifle still in a ready position. I check the license plate.Oklahoma.
“You’re a long way from home,” I say under my breath. More thunder cracks overhead, and I know I should be checking the weather radio. When I went into town for supplies, they said we might get snowed in for a few weeks. That didn’t matter to me. I only go to town once a month, if I have to. I can’t handle the crowds.
Actually, I can’t handleanyone.
Gunner’s bark cuts through the howling winds, and this time, it’s choppier, letting me know he’s waiting for me. Target has been cornered.
I raise my rifle in the direction and stealthily cross the terrain, my boots crunching quietly in the snow. I’m covered by the wind. It’s blowing north, northeast, gusting up to fifty miles per hour. She won’t hear me as long as I continue the way I’m going.
And then what do I do?
My lip twitches as I conjure up possible scenarios. I could shoot upon arrival, or I guess I could interrogate, have a little fun… I follow the sound of Gunner’s bays, keeping my wits about me for the moment.
Maybe I should just let her go?I mull it over, knowing the odds aren’t in her favor.
My muscles tense as I catch sight of Gunner, his body mirroring that of my own. He understands the drill of a good hunt, and his excitement drums up mine. I skirt along the trees, unbothered as the weather continues to worsen. My eyeslock onto my target, and I’m unsurprised by her lack of winter clothing.
She’s from the south, after all.
