The Hunter and the Hunted (Bear Naked 3)

Chapter 64

Amanda hiked for nearly forty five minutes, down into the valley and then up towards the canyon. The scent grew deeper and richer around her. She continued to stew about Connor's over protectiveness. She knew she needed to stop, needed to calm herself. She had to remain in control when they found Uncle Darren. If she could keep control she could force him to un-transform. She had no proof of that other than a couple of times with Mitch in the hotel room, but she was convinced it would work.

Jay walked at her side, his eyes casting about for any sign of activity. Brianna was a step behind them, also alert. Though his scent was thick, they saw no sign of Uncle Darren. The woods remained still.

They came to a small clearing. Amanda froze. The bees? Where was the buzzing sound? She looked around. "Something isn't right," she said.

"Wait," Jay said. He held up his hand and started across the clearing. "You're right, something isn't right." At the far side he reached up into the branch of a tree. He pulled a small bundle of hair out and sniffed at it. His eyes went wide.

Before it could register in Amanda's brain what was going on, Jay came pelting back towards them. "It's a trap!" he yelled.

He slammed into Amanda, knocking her off her feet. There was a loud crack. For a split second she thought she had made the noise falling on something, then it hit her, gunfire.

Figures were materialising all around them. Jay met her eyes for a second. She followed his gaze down. A tranquilliser dart was lodged in his thigh. "Oh crap," he said.

There a noise from behind her and Brianna landed in a heap beside them. One of the Fleischers was there, holding a shotgun. Brianna had an ugly purple bruise on one side of her face where the butt of the gun had struck her. He pointed the barrel at her chest. "Stay down," he growled, "unless you think you can survive a deer slug at point blank." Brianna froze.

"Amanda," Jay said sleepily. "Just remember what the lady said."

Amanda stared at him. His eyes had closed and he appeared fast asleep. What the lady said? That had to be the dumbest last words any one has ever uttered. What the lady said?

Amanda looked around, trying to make sense of the whole scene. It appeared the entire Fleischer pack was there, along with a couple of Skinwalker guides. She didn't see any of the Sons of Garm. Then she spied Erik. He stalked over and pulled Jay's inert form off her lap. A patch of fur fell from Jay's hand, Darren's fur. It's a trap.

"You shot the wrong one," Erik snarled at a man holding the tranquilliser gun.

Rage flared in Amanda. She pushed herself up right, reaching for Erik. Another set of hands grabbed her, pulling her away. "She's feisty," a voice said and laughed crudely.

She shoved hard and the man went sprawling.

"And strong," Erik said. Another set of hands grabbed Amanda as she made for him again.

"Hobble her," the Fleischer alpha commanded, "and then bind her."

Amanda had a split second to wonder what they meant by hobble her, before pain shot through her leg as Erik jammed a knife hilt deep in her thigh. She stumbled and went to her knees. "See how you walk now," Erik said as he yanked hard on the knife, pulling it out but leaving a long wide gash in her leg.

She was dizzy with pain, the sounds of buzzing rising in her mind. More hands were on her. They were wrapping something around her chest, something metal and sharp.

"Bitch!" Erik snapped, grabbing her cheeks in one hand and forcing her face up. "Look at me, Bitch."

She looked into his cold grey eyes. He tugged on binding and she felt needles dig into her back. "It's a barb wire harness. You transform, it will cut you in two. Understand?" She nodded. "Control yourself."

He let her go and she fell back. She fought for control and the buzzing receded. She opened her eyes and found Jay staring at her, wide eyed and fully alert. She saw boots approach him and his eyes went shut again.

"What about this one?"

"Bind him, too, just in case," Erik said.

Brianna was half dropped, half sat next to her. She too was bound in a barb wire harness, like an X across her chest. Her arms were bound behind her. A cut at the corner of her brow was bleeding and she had a huge bruise across her face. Her eyes were scared. "I'm sorry," she whispered to Amanda.

"Did I tell you you could talk?" Erik screamed, grabbing her by the hair and yanking hard. She struggled for balance.

"Let go of her," Amanda snarled. Erik kicked her in the face, sending her sprawling.

"Bind her arms, too, and gag her before they yell and bring the others," Erik commanded.

Moments later she was being helped back to her feet, her hands bound and a cloth shoved in her mouth. She was stood next to Brianna, who was similarly gagged. They exchanged a helpless look. Jay lay at their feet. He had a barb wire harness on but his hands were not bound.

She struggle to figure out his words. What the lady said? It made no sense.

A donkey was led in. As illogical as it was, this made Amanda even more angry. Big bad warriors and they are too god damn lazy to even hike without pack animals.

"Blindfold them," Erik commanded. A woman came over and tied a bandanna around Amanda's face.

Amanda was helped to climb onto the donkey's back, pain searing through her leg again. Brianna was forced up behind her and then Jay's inert form was slung over the front of the donkey.

Then it hit her. Kay Lightfeather, all those months ago, holding out a tiny vial, a sample of the drug. "I had to replace most of their stock with vials of water to get this much." Hope swelled in Amanda.