Five-Ever Series... Book Two: The Hunter

By Tammy Berg

THE HUNTER

Just how powerful a blue moon can be, is unknown to all at the sanctuary. It takes the Trio, Josie and two new Enchantresses, Winnie and Lexi to decipher this mystery, and help a lone Coyote and her pups by keeping a hunter at bay.
A tiny life is unaware and completely innocent to the evils of the world. The realm of Five-Ever is opened to the teenagers, in the hopes of helping Brodie save the precious bundle.

Book Two of the Five-Ever Series
...because 5-ever is so much longer than forever!

• Language: English
• Publisher: CUSTOM BOOK PUBLICATIONS
• Release date: Oct 19, 2015
• ISBN: 9781310128936

Book preview

THE HUNTER

Just how powerful a blue moon can be, is unknown to all at the sanctuary. It takes the Trio, Josie and two new Enchantresses, Winnie and Lexi to decipher this mystery, and help a lone Coyote and her pups by keeping a hunter at bay.

A tiny life is unaware and completely innocent to the evils of the world. The realm of Five-Ever is opened to the teenagers, in the hopes of helping Brodie save the precious bundle.

Book Two of the Five-Ever Series

…because 5-ever is so much longer than forever!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

The Author has an insatiable love of the written word. As for many, life got in the way of her dreams but she raised her family exactly as she wanted to… as a young mother. She did not, however, plan to care for her elderly in-laws but having worked in a nursing home for five years equipped her to take on the task, something she did for eighteen years. When her mother-in-law passed away two years ago, though missed, it left her to once again chase her dreams.

Attempting to write as her girls were growing up proved to be a no-no but since she has written the first three of her planned Five-Ever series. She hopes publication will help to fund her other new project – Tam’s Tails – an animal sanctuary for large farm animals that have been abused, neglected or abandoned.

The animals in her stories include Brodie and Annie, both Golden Retrievers, and her cats – Binx, Molly, Cornelius, Smokey and Jacob. Sheeba, a disabled horse and Maximus and Percius are two goats. They all started her small sanctuary. She plans more animals will have a part in stories yet to come.

Copyright © 2015 Tammy Berg

All the characters are fictitious and any resemblance to real persons, living or dead, is purely coincidental.

THE

HUNTER

Book Two of a series of Stories by Tammy Berg

‘I wish I could write as mysterious as a cat.’  Edgar Allan Poe.

‘A dog is the only thing on earth that loves you more than he loves himself.’ Josh Billings

For my cheering squad who sits quietly listening, to the writes and rewrites, for their patience and encouragements, for their unending love. This one is for you, Don, Jessica and Amanda. 5-Ever!

P.S. Jessica, thank you for your beautiful illustrations of the maps, and the animals walking into the sunset.

… and my thanks to all at my publishing house - Custom Book Publications. For all your support, your wisdom and your hard work. You are such a pleasure to deal with. I promise the editing will get easier. Wink, wink.

CHAPTER ONE

Brodie stood at the edge of the dam, feeling the hot breeze that was mid-summer in the little Norfolk community. His keen senses could smell the dank muddy waters of Black Crick as well as the quick approaching thunderstorm. Scanning the Gully below, he could see the leaves showing him their backside, a sure indication the rain would be upon them before supper. Every once in a while he would catch a glint of Fae wings flittering about the creek bank as well as the belly of the Gully. As Brodie was turning to head home, his sensitive snout caught the scent of a stranger on the hot breeze, in close proximity. His hackles instinctively rose; he turned slow, eyes glued to the terrain in front of him as he sought that which produced the scent. There! Suddenly from behind the wild blackberry canes Brodie saw a bright flash of orange. Frowning Brodie strained to see more. It was definitely the colour of a hunter, but this was mid-summer there was no hunt open this time of year.

Brodie dropped to a belly crawl then moved in for a closer look. As he descended the side of the dam he noticed that the orange was very close to Aggies den. Aggie, having been a friend of Brodie’s for a couple of years now and having just had a new litter of coy pups, was very vulnerable. Brodie didn’t like how this was setting up, deciding it was best to get Josie. She could at least talk to the hunter, see why he was trespassing.

Gran was sitting at the wrought iron table on her back patio, having a nice cold glass of sweet tea while chatting up a storm with Jet and Binx. Jet was an extra-large crow that had been Grans friend for years and Binx was a large orange fluffy cat that lived on Josie’s Farm.

The small farm, unlike any other in Norfolk County in that the ladies who ran the farm had special powers as well as abilities to hear and speak to the animals.

Binx’s ear turned in a telescopic manner toward a familiar sound.

‘What is it Fat pants?’ asked Gran, using Binx’s’ nickname.

‘It’s Brodie and he’s coming in at a pretty good clip too. He should know better than to run like that in this heat,’ said Binx.

Jet perked up and took to the air. ‘I’ll go see if all’s well.’ Away he went, wings flapping a cool breeze after him. As he flew towards Brodie he could see that Binx was right, Brodie was running way too fast for the heatwave they were enduring.

‘Hey Bro dog!’ hollered Jet.

Brodie slowed to a canter as he looked up to Jets greeting. ‘Hey Jet.’

‘What’s the hurry, Bro?’ asked Jet ‘You’re gonna give yourself a heat stroke if you don’t slow down.’

‘I’m not sure Jet but I think we might have trouble. I need Josie,’ answered Brodie

‘You head to Grans. I’ll get Jo for you and we’ll meet you there ok? Get a drink while you’re at it!’ Jet cawed on his aerial batik turn towards Jo’s barn.

True to his words Jet and Josie were at Grans within five minutes of his leaving Brodie. Gran had given Brodie a bowl of cold sweet tea, while scolding him fondly for running in the heat at his age. Binx lay stretched on the patio stones enjoying the scolding and offering his two cents whenever he could get a word in.

Josie bent and patted Brodie’s head while Brodie smiled at her. Tongue lolling out the side of his mouth while he tried to slow his panting.

‘What’s up big boy?’ asked Josie.

‘Jo, I think we got a problem. I was lookin out over the gully a few minutes ago when I caught a glimpse of hunter orange.’

‘Hunter orange… There’s nothing in season in July. And there’s never any hunting on our property,’ said Josie frowning.

‘That’s not the worst of it. Whoever it is, their closing in on Aggies den, I’m a little worried about her pups,’ panted Brodie.

‘Well that’s not good. Let’s get the pickup. We’ll take the trails down to Aggies’ and see what’s going on,’ said Josie.

That’s why Brodie adored Josie so much she had never let him down and never thought his concerns were silly.

‘I’m comin too!’ said Gran, jumping to her feet, grabbing her shoes.

‘Let’s go troops. I’ll take a fly over Aggies till you get there,’ cawed Jet.

Josie and Gran jumped into the pickup, Josie had jokingly named it Fancy – a 98 Ford F150 extended cab which she stubbornly refused to part with. While Brodie and Binx hopped into the back, settling up by the cab. Gran threw the safari window open so they could communicate if need be. Josie went as fast as the bumpy trails would afford the old truck, down through the small woods across the creek and back up the winding path of a roadway cut through the hills and into the gully. Josie slowed as they approached Aggies den, jumping out of the truck, Brodie headed straight for the den door. Josie, Gran and Binx held back for a bit as Jet cawed down at them riding the air currents high above.

Brodie and Aggie came out of the den together. Josie and Gran smiled as they squatted down to greet Aggie. Binx sauntered up dragging his body across Aggies chest, then standing on his hind legs to gently head butt Aggies chin – a friendly greeting those at the farm called a popcorn.

‘I’m so glad you’re all here,’ said Aggie, in her sweet, soft voice. ‘I’ve had the worse scent drafting in an out of the den all day. I didn’t feel comfortable leaving the pups alone with that scent.’

Aggie gave her body a full shake, setting the edges of her fur on fire with colors from the sun. She had golds, reds and grays dappling throughout her fur, her dark green eyes only adding to her wild beauty, though she was a little thin from suckling six pups. Brodie had been bringing her leftovers for a few weeks helping to supplement her diet for the days she was too tired to hunt.

Aggie had lost her pack to someone setting traps further up the creek. She was the only one left, Brodie had gone to Josie and asked if Aggie could join the family since she was now alone and pregnant. Josephine Stuart had never turned a critter away regardless of their breed. In fact Josie and Gran had gotten a few of the farm animals together and helped Aggie find a spot on the farm that would suit her. She had a hard time at first accepting that she couldn’t eat family members. But Josie was patient with her, knowing full well that it was a coyote’s nature to hunt game such as rabbits or even rodents and that it would take some time to differentiate where Aggies hunting grounds could be. Aggie accepted Josie’s terms and they had been living in harmony together now for almost six months.

Once in a while Aggie had to stop herself from going after Marcelle. One of the barn mice, she could smell he was full of corn and plump and juicy. But stop she did. She was grateful to Brodie and Josie for giving her a home and would do anything for either of them, especially since she had pups to raise.

‘I caught the scent too,’ said Brodie reassuringly to Aggie. ‘I also caught a view of hunter orange, out by the blackberry canes. So I thought maybe you might need Josie.’

Aggie smiled and nodded. ‘I recognized the smell,’ she said sadly.

‘You do?’ asked Gran

‘Ya, I do. It’s the same smell that was all over those traps that killed my kin. I don’t think they’ll stop until all us coyotes are dead,’ said Aggie.

‘Oh they’ll stop,’ said Josie firmly. ‘This here is my land, and it’s a no hunting zone. Whoever, buddy is out there; we’ll find him and find out why he’s trespassing on my land. And if I can prove he was involved with those illegal traps he will also be charged.’

Binx nodded his head. ‘Those snare traps are the nastiest things ever invented and cause a lot of trauma and agony on all sorts of critters. Their illegal for a reason.’

‘How are the pups, luv?’ Gran asked.

‘Growing like weeds,’ laughed Aggie. ‘But also healthy and happy thanks to all of you.’

At that moment Jet flew in for a landing on Grans shoulder. ‘I found the varmint,’ he cawed. ‘And yes! He does have a gun. A big one by the looks of it,’ finished Jet. Being a crow, Jet had no idea of gun makes or calibers, just whether they were big or small.

‘All righty then Jet, I want you to lead me to where he is, please?’ Josie asked

‘Not alone Jo, I’m coming with you,’ said Brodie. ‘Gran would you and Binx stay with Aggie while we figure this out. I don’t want to leave her alone right now.’

‘You betcha,’ chimed Gran with a big smile, for she loved playing with the pups. It was Binx who sent Brodie a withering look.

‘You know full well they chew and slobber all over my fur. It takes hours to get myself right again after they get a hold of me,’ grumbled Binx.

‘You’ll be fine Fat pants,’ laughed Josie. ‘I’ll give you a bath when we get home.’

‘Oh, aren’t we just a barrel of monkeys today, Miss Josie. You’re a funny, funny lady,’ finished Binx with a smirk. Laughing, Josie turned to Jet and Brodie.

‘Let’s go hunt us a hunter, boys… see what we catch.’ With that Jet took to the air as Brodie and Josie followed where he flew.

Before long they were upon the trespasser, not the best hunter either. He had managed to get himself ensnared in a batch of wild berry cane’s, they could hear him cursing and swearing five minutes before they reached him. Jet landed on the top of an old water willow for the perfect seat to view everything.

‘Hey!’ hollered Jo. The man jumped apparently not hearing them over the ruckus he was making.

‘Hey back,’ said the hunter.

‘What are you doing on my land with a gun mister?’ asked Josie in a stern tone.

‘Your land… this here’s county land. You don’t own the creek,’ replied the hunter sarcastically.

‘I’m afraid your wrong there, buddy. This spot of the creek is too shallow to be navigated by any type of vessel… which makes it my land and private property! Not to mention there’s no hunting this time of year,’ replied Jo. ‘So I suggest you pack yourself up and move on!’

‘That won’t be happening until I get what I came to get!’ hollered the hunter with a growl in his voice.

Brodie’s hackles rose and a low rumble started deep in his chest. Nobody talked to Josie like that. He could sense the anger and hate in the man.

‘Easy boy,’ said Jo in a low voice.

‘Like I said you’re on private property! So hit the trail or I’ll call the authorities and make sure you lose your hunting license as well as your gun! You’re no hunter! Hunters understand the laws and abide by them. You’re nothing but a murderer,’ said Jo, her ire rising.

‘Listen lady! You need to mind your own business. If you could have seen that pack of coyotes take down that deer and rip her apart you’d want their skin too!’ the hunter growled

‘No mister, you listen. It’s called the circle of life, and unfortunately for the deer they were born in the spectrum of prey. They are a food source for others in the circle. Not just humans!’ finished Jo.

‘That’s my point! I could have shot that deer this fall and filled my freezer with her. You stupid…’

‘Watch it! You’re on thin ice buddy! The differences between you and the coyotes are quite simple. You miss that deer; you can go to a grocer and get yourself a pound of burger. Those coyotes miss that deer and they go hungry. They’ve got young to feed as well at this time of year, and I don’t doubt for a second that the deer you’re so worried about losing to coyotes, was either sick or old and wouldn’t survive another season anyways. It’s very difficult for them to take down a healthy deer, they won’t waste their energy on a hard kill like that unless their starving. Point being it’s not hunting season! You’re on private property which is also an Animal Sanctuary. Any animal that makes it onto my land is protected, like it or lump it! Don’t really care how you take it, just take it and git!’ With that Josie pulled her cell phone from her pocket.

‘Whoa! Okay I’m going, but the minute that rotten coy leaves your property she’s mine! Don’t care what time of year it is,’