The Turn of a Feather

Chapter 9 pt. 2

Leaves crunched underfoot as the group gathered together in the space between the trees.

Though the spring air was fairly warm, Antonio shivered. It seemed that all of them were slightly unsettled, as Feliciano's wings constantly hit Antonio as they strained to arch protectively around the small angel.

Everyone was silent as Jackson knelt against the ground and surveyed a pair of tire tracks. Seeming satisfied that they matched the ones that he had been following, he beckoned the group forward and moved his finger over the ridges, making his way to the location at which they ended.

They led to a white van half-concealed by branches. A once-over revealed it to be completely abandoned, and a compartment in the back to contain hides, guns, shell casings, and other evidence of poaching.

Flames of anger licked the inside of Antonio's stomach, fueling his resolve. He took a gun and awkwardly stuffed it into his belt, ignoring Roma's raised eyebrow.

"No offense, but you don't really look like someone who knows how to shoot a gun." Lovino's older doppelgänger said gruffly. Antonio simply shrugged in response, slamming the back door of the van.

"I'm not really one to lose my temper enough to want to put a bullet in someone's face, either, but here we are. Besides, I'm a cop. Just because I've never shot anyone before doesn't mean that I don't know how to." Roma chuckled at that before his face pulled into a somber expression. He turned to the others and signaled to move out.

It wasn't long before a large hunting lodge came into view. Elk antlers lined the edge of the roof, casting spidery shadows across the barren grounds. An eerie silence clung to the air, and it took a moment for Antonio to realize that not a single rustle could be heard; any animal here had learned to stay well away a long time ago.

The group crept closer to the door, huddled together in a mass of ruffled feathers. Reaching the door, Roma slowly reached out and tested the doorknob for anything that could be sprung by their entry. Antonio felt a little silly testing for booby traps, but he was nervous enough not to say anything of it.

Determining that the door was free of unwanted alarm systems, everyone filed inside as quietly as they could. The inside of the place was, if possible, even creepier than the outside. They stood in a huge foyer overlooked by a shadowed balcony. A trophy shelf lined the wall, the "trophies" in fact being various stuffed animals- real animals; these were no teddy bears. Antonio was certain that he saw a few that were highly endangered, and some that didn't look like any he'd ever heard of. Taxidermic heads lined the walls, more than could be counted. A small fireplace sat on the side, edged by polished deer antlers. An enormous moose head hung above it, staring accusing down at them through blank glass eyes. Antonio shivered, goosebumps erupting on his skin.

Creepy.

A door stood open at the end of the hall, most likely leading to the main den. If the moose head was sitting above this fireplace, Antonio loathed to think what was displayed above the main one.

Roma beckoned everyone back with a quick gesture. "We'll have to split up; cover more ground." He whispered. "That way, we'll have a better chance of finding Lovino. If you discover his location, send one person from your group back for the rest of us. Don't attack unless you know you can win."

He began dividing everyone into groups of three, and each trio hurried away into their assigned section. Antonio waited impatiently as he was paired with Belle and a shy young man that shared an almost disturbing resemblance with one of Antonio's fellow officers, Alfred. The three of them slipped off down the hall toward the west side of the lodge.