The Cynic and the Wolf by Julie Steimle (ebook voice reader TXT) 📕

animal rights work. This is the first sign of interest as she had always seemed indifferent. The woman was, after all, someone who ate wild meat and often sold deer jerky inside the lodge to tourists. She had a hunter friend, she said.  

Without another word, and with no further explanation, Audry carried the rest of her things upstairs to change and thaw completely, still feeling bewildered. She quickly took the sim cards to her computer, booted the computer up, and uploaded the data, correctly filing each one for editing later. Once that was complete, Audry picked up the book she was reading earlier and drifted downstairs in her pajamas and a wrap, hoping to get news on whether they have caught the hunters.

Mrs. Gruber saw her briefly, her attention mostly on the two-way radio standing on the counter. She could hear the talk in between the rangers communicating over the short wave. So far, they hadn't caught the hunters.

Nudging over a stool, Mrs. Gruber handed Audry a cup of cocoa then went back to listening.

<< They’re long gone from bend six. But found tracks. >>

<< Who is closest for backup? >>

<< George. >>

<< I got it. >> probably George talking.

They went on like this for quite a while until one of them urgently whispered. << I see them. They're down behind the copse near the rabbit warren. >>

<< Where's the boss? >>

<< I don't know. I haven't seen him. >>

"They're using the rabbits as bait…" Mrs. Gruber muttered, staring at the radio.

Audry wondered how her camera was doing. She hoped those hunters did not see it. Those cameras were expensive, and she didn't want to lose the night footage.

<< Alright. Green Team take the brook route to the rabbits and Blue Team approach from the lodge. We want them to see you. >>

<< Got it. >>

<< Alright, Red Team, are the rest of you in positon with George? >>

<< We're here, >> they reported in with a hoarse voice. 

<< Ok, we all move in once they see Blue Team >>

The radio went silent.

Audry and Mrs. Gruber listened intently. Mrs. Gruber was holding her breath, wringing a dishtowel in her hands. It felt like an eternity before any sound came through.

<< We got them, Mrs. Gruber. We're contacting the ski patrol for a ski bus. >>

Picking up the radio, Mrs. Gruber breathed easier. "Great. And make sure you have them all." She looked to Audry. "How many were there?"

Audry shrugged. "I think I saw four. But, you know, I think they had another man out there as a forward scout or something. This guy harassed me just outside the lodge after I reported them to the ranger."

Mrs. Gruber stared wide-eyed. Then she said into the radio. "Audry says she saw four with guns, but there might be another man out there on the ski runs." She then said to Audry, "Do you have a description?"

Nodding, Audry said, "Tall. Blue-and-white ski jacket. Uh, gray snow pants. He had a hood and a ski mask. His eyes were blue. Caucasian. I didn't see his hair color though."

"Did you get that?" Mrs. Gruber said into the radio.

<< Loud and clear. >>

<< And thank Audry for reporting it. She saved lives today. >>

 A ripple of pleasure ran through her.

"She can hear you." Mrs. Gruber grinned. That warm smile made Audry’s day.

Relieved, Audry sat down and started into her book, not quite ready to the leave the kitchen just yet. She wanted to be there to get the full news once the rangers returned.

 

The rangers who had been on the hunt came to the kitchen, some to thaw, others just to get something warm in them before going out again. When they saw Audry, they thanked her once more for reporting in the hunters and they gave her the news she was hoping for.

"We've taken them to the sheriff station on charges for trespassing and hunting on a reserve."

"Let’s hope nobody gets them out on bail," one of the rangers muttered.

Audry frowned, thinking about that. "Did you ever get that other guy?"

Grimly, they shook their heads. "No. He probably bugged out when he saw us moving in."

"Do you think he would have enough money for bail?" Audry murmured, not remembering his clothed being especially expensive.

They shared looks.

Mrs. Gruber leaned toward her and said, "Not if they are just a bunch of buddies come to hunt." She looked up to the rangers for confirmation. "They didn't look that rich, did they?"

Unfortunately the rangers did not return a hopeful glance. The lead said, "Not so much rich per se, as connected."

"SRA?" she asked.

They nodded.

Mrs. Gruber cringed.

"What is the SRA?" Audry asked, having never heard of it. Her mind went over the possible acronyms. Society of Rifles in America? Secret Rogue Agents? The Society for Running Arms? Sausage Ravagers Association?

The rangers exchanged looks. Mrs. Gruber waved it away. "Just a hunting association. Look, Audry, if you see that skier again, report him immediately. Don't confront him. Alright?"

Audry nodded. That went without saying. She knew her limits, and combating large men who were probably into killing things was a bad idea.

Sniper Rifle Association. No… Secretly Rude A… Uh. No. Skiing Rifleman of America. Possibly.

The rangers started to go out again. One of them turned to Mrs. Gruber and whispered barely in earshot, "What about that chicken? Shouldn't you bring it in now?"

Peeking out the high window, Audry could see the chicken in the kitchen light. Neither wolf nor fox had gotten to it yet. But then a wolf would not wander where so much human traffic was taking place.

Looking peculiarly anxious, Mrs. Gruber whispered back, "I would, but I think we should leave it out just in case what he found wasn't enough. I mean, what is out there except the rabbits? And those hunters were all over those."

"Good point."

What point? What did the rabbits have to do with that chicken?

Pouring the rest of the cocoa into a samovar, Mrs. Gruber set it on the table with a fond glance for Audry.

And that really was it.

Audry decided to go to bed.

 

When she fell asleep, Audry drifted into the weirdest dream. She had gone night skiing. The moon looked huge. In her dream, there was a wolf skiing like a man. He was wearing that jerk's ski outfit, grinning his shiny sharp teeth at her as they went downhill side by side. He even had on goggles, his tongue flapping. And when they reached the lodge, the wolf trotted through Rick's friends (who didn't even noticed it) and he hopped onto his hind paws and offered her a cup of cocoa, leaning back on railing like Harlin did when he was flirting. The wolf's smile was so wide when he said, "…So you see, I can never be a vegan." For some reason he spoke in Rick Deacon's voice.

It was so weird that she woke up.

Unsettled, feeling overheated, Audry got out of bed. Massaging her forehead, she felt like her mind was shouting at her. But what?

She decided that she needed some water.

Audry tiptoed downstairs.

The kitchen was dark and deserted. She got a cup of water from the tap. It was freezing and fresh, as it was well water. As she sipped, Audry stared at the door. And she wondered.

Walking over to it, Audry found that it was unlocked.

She looked to the coats, but all of them were there. Hers. Rick's. Mrs. Gruber's. And those of the few staff who lived at the lodge.

Opening the door, Audry peeked out into the snow. It was blowing pretty lightly, snow falling in fat clumps and covering everything.

The chicken was still alive in the snowy yard. No wolf prints anywhere. Even the ranger's prints were being covered. Audry wondered if she ought to take the chicken in to keep it from freezing to death, but it was flapping off the snow and moving back and forth from shelter along the fence where a ring of melted snow encircled a small raised brazier heater with warm coals. That was new.

Pulling back in, Audry locked the kitchen door.

Then, emptying the cup, Audry returned to her room.

Unfortunately, she found it difficult to fall asleep. So, taking up her book Audry started to read. She had just gotten to the part where Ethan and Lena had found the Book of Moons in Genevieve's grave. After a few pages, she felt rested enough to sleep. Clicking off the light, she nodded off. 

Dead Chickens

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Chapter Six

 

 

Audry yawned big as she walked down the stairs to the kitchen for breakfast. Despite the bad start, the rest of the night she dreamed deeply and actually felt refreshed when she woke. The downstairs was chilly again. She shivered, contemplating going back upstairs for a sweater. And after going down two more steps toward the kitchen, she stopped contemplating and did go back for that sweater.

When she returned to the kitchen for breakfast, giving a nod to Mrs. Gruber who was actually making vegan 'omelets' from the recipe Audry had passed onto her ages ago but for some reason the woman never used, Audry overheard one of the staff say, "The chicken got killed again."

Audry went to the door and peeked out to see for herself if the chicken was truly gone.

Sure enough, blood and feathers were everywhere on the frigid snow. And no chicken.

Poor chicken.

"Close the door! It’s freezing," one of them snapped.

Shutting the door, Audry sat at the table. With a warm smile, Mrs. Gruber set a plateful of the vegan omelet in front of her before returning to the sausages and frying eggs on the stove. The staff was working on assembling the lodge favorite, the oven-baked frittata. The bagels were still there, and though Audry had actually been in the mood for oatmeal, she thought it rude not to eat the omelet made especially for her.

"And it was freezing in the kitchen again this morning," said the one spreading the cheese into the second pan.

Nodding, the one mixing up the next batch in the third pan whispered, "That's because somebody left a window open, again."

"It has taken forever to get this room warm enough to work in."

"Why was it open?"

"I think we had a burglar," that worker said. "You should check your room to see if everything is still there. Luckily my door was locked."

"But those window locks are good," the other staff member said. "The glass is intact. How can somebody open it from the outside without breaking the glass?"

"Maybe the window was left unlocked."

Though the conversation was intriguing, Audry was growing unsettled by the aroma of frying eggs and bacon. It wasn't an odor she wanted to be accustomed to. The cook was also starting to make the French toast. Audry didn't want to salivate over meat. She knew that would lead down a dark path.

Getting up to take her food into the cafeteria to eat in peace, Audry turned when she heard the stumbling of heavy feet going down the stairs. Sure enough, staggering down the stairs as she expected—probably from a hangover—groggy with mussed hair and a bristly chin was Rick Deacon. He looked like he had a rougher night that she did. His face looked like it had been scratched, like something small had clawed him, especially on the