Beast Hunter

Chapter Twelve

A little over two hours ticked by while Slater and Grey were off scouting the site where he'd come across the creature and taken the footage.

They were gone a lot longer than I'd expected them to be. Maybe Grey had managed to give Slater the slip, forcing Slater to track him thought he forest, thus delaying their return. I liked to think that maybe that was the case, that Grey – an expert on these woods – had gotten away and found a phone to call for help. But I doubted it. Grey didn't seem the type to risk it. Chances were, there was no suitable road leading to the actual site and they had to hike in. Either way, the passage of time was maddening, our situation seeming more dire with each passing minute.

At least we no longer had to stand at the wall with our hands up. Janelle and Trent let us take seats at the kitchen table while they sat on stools nearby, watching us. Our phones were taken away too. But at least nobody smashed them. Yet.

At one point, Stu – trying to keep his voice low – asked Sky, "Who is this guy?"

But Janelle wasn't having it.

"Shut up," she ordered, tightening the grip on her rifle for emphasis.

Stu sneered but said nothing.

Sky looked as if she was bursting at the seams to answer the question, but she was smart enough to keep quiet too. No talking. No phone. This had to be the most boring hostage situation in the history of existence.

Time ticked by, the daylight fading fast as the early blackness of another winter evening began to set in.

Finally, the door swung open. Slater walked in, looking as if he'd just come off a casual stroll in the park. That dude was hard as nails, no doubt about it.

Grey wasn't with him.

"Where's Mr. Grey?" Sky asked.

"Shut up," Slater said.

Sky didn't push it, but I could see the concern in her eyes. Two go out. One comes back. Not good. 

Slater looked at his watch. Though still in full on boss mode, I could see his cool exterior dip a bit.

To Janelle, he said, "Remind me. What's the quickest way to Jeromesville from here?"

"Rt. 212," she said. "It's a bit icy though. Crews have been putting most of their effort on the interstate. It will take about an hour to get there."

Slater didn't appear to like this much.

"Trent," he said, turning to his other henchmen. "Take the truck. Go to the safe house and bring the girl back here."

The girl.

You'd think it would have taken me a minute or two to make the connection, but it didn't. I put it together right away. Jeromesville was about ten miles northeast of Salem's Noose. It was also the largest nearby town with a bus terminal. The one place a runaway would go. If they'd set up their base of operations there, then they would have been in the perfect place to pick one up if they wanted to.

"Samantha Cross," I said. "That was you."

Slater glared at me.

Stu pretty much did the same thing.

"What are you talking about?" Stu asked.

I reached in my pocket and handed him the flier that the woman had given me outside of the grocery store the day before.

"I didn't think to tell you," I said. "But a girl named Samantha Cross went missing from Salem's Noose a couple of days ago. She's twelve. I don't know the circumstances but I'm betting a spat with her mom led her right to them. I guess we can add kidnapping to their list of accolades."

"You're a smart kid," Slater said. "Too smart for your own good."

Stu, looking even angrier and more defiant than before said, "What do you need with a twelve-year-old girl you sick bastard."

"Bait," Sky said, before Slater could react. "There's a lot of lore about how Sasquatches are attracted to children. Especially female children. It has to do with a protective instinct. He's planning to use the girl to lure the creature."

"I don't have time for this," Slater said. "Trent. Get going."

I quickly did the math in my head. An hour to get to Jeromesville and back and at least another out to trudge out to the spot Grey had taken him to. It was going to get dark soon, prime Sasquatch hunting time, which he was about to lose three hours of.

"Wait!" I said. "Don't bother with Samantha. Take me there instead. If we leave now, we can get out there by sunset. You'll lose less time."

"Nick, what are you doing" Stu asked.

I held up my hand, desperate to stop him. To my relief. It did.

Slater walked over and looked me up and down.

"That might work," he said. "You're about as puny as a twelve-year-old girl."

Stu got up from the table and rushed him, but Slater was ready and swung the butt of this rifle into Stu's abdomen, knocking him to the ground.

I rushed to Stu, putting myself between him and Slater and raising my hand in a gesture of surrender.

"Wait," I said. "Leave him be. I'll go willingly."

By now, Sky was by Stu's side holding his shoulders and helping him to sit upright as he continued to wheeze, the blow having obviously knocked the wind out of him. Trent and Janelle were on their feet and at the ready but made no further move.

"Get up," Slater said to me. "Get you stuff. We're leaving."

I went to the table and grabbed my coat, hat, and gloves. Stu continued to protest but was in no condition to do anything but suck in air and moan slightly.

"Watch them," Slater said to his henchmen as we walked to the door.

"W...wait," Stu managed. "...if...if you...hurt... him...I'll..."

"You'll what?" Slater snapped. "Write a blog about me?"

He shoved me to the door. For a moment, Stu and I made eye-contact, and I could see the anguish he must have been feeling, knowing that he couldn't protect me – his nephew – from these thugs. I hated seeing that look in his eyes. But I couldn't help but remember my encounter with the woman the day before. The fear she must have been feeling for her missing daughter was unimaginable, and I knew that I had to do whatever I could to help keep her out of harm's way.

I managed one more it will be okay look at Stu before Slater shoved me out the door and into opening stages of a cold, cold night.