The Hunter's Daughter

Chapter 9

“So you all know why I’ve called the meeting, I assume, though with your stupidity so far maybe I expect too much of you”.

I stared at my Dad, pacing calmly in front of his desk while the men in front of him ‘his troop’ started recoiling into the backs of their chairs. They’re smart enough to know when my Dad is pissed. He may look collected but beneath the exterior he's furious.

“Can I just ask why it is taking so long for you track this pack down”?

There was a tense silence, my Dad stopped pacing and stood stock still before turning his face up with a creepy smile. Really he didn’t look to be much of threat in usual circumstances, even what he was wearing now – a white collar shirt under a forest green sweater and khaki coloured slacks. How looks can be decieving.

He raised his eyebrows. “Really? No one can answer me, at all”?

“... Well Sir, the Reservation is huge... miles” Bob spoke this time, he hasn't been with us as long as the others, three years I think.

“And? How is that different to any other place we’ve hunted”?

“It’s a lot bigger and this pack seems adept at evading tracking”. Suddenly Dad threw his hands in the air and pounded them onto the soild wood of his desk making everyone but me jump.

“Dear God man! They live in a pack a house – a huge settlement, you can’t exactly miss that can you?! And are you seriously suggesting that a pack of mutts are out smarting us”?

Bob's eyes bulged in shock at how angry my Dad had become. “No –“

“Well it sure as hell sounded that way to me! Do you people have any idea at all how much preparation goes into this? Can your tiny brains compute the amount of planning and intel and time it takes to move us all under the radar”?

Bob’s eyes flickered to me in the corner and my heart started beating against my ribs. “Well not so much under the radar the last few years”.

My Dad turned to look him full in the face with dangerous eyes. “Excuse me”?

“Well, the girl”.

“I sure as hell hope you’re not referring to my daughter”.

“Well, what I mean to say is that as you are enrolling her in school we’re not exactly under the radar anymore”. Dad perched on the edge of his desk then, folding his arms over his chest and staring intently at the stocky man opposite him.

“How I move my family is of no concern to you – do you really think I’m that stupid? I don’t move us all here under my name – idiots – when I say under the radar I mean under the radar. Whenever we move people only ever know that Ruby and I have moved here... you know what? I think it’s time we cut the fat in this little outfit because to be quite frank with you I’m getting a little sick of having no results after a month and to have a troop with the gall to question me”! Dad's eyes flicked to me then with a small smile.

“Ruby, honey”?

“Yes Dad”?

“Could you please go get me Lila”? Oh shit.

“Of course” I stod and held out my hands and caught the key he threw to me neatly before turning my back on the room.

“Thanks sweety”.

I left the room, as soon as the door was shut behind me I started shaking, my stomach churning painfully and my head spinning. I have to pull myself together! Taking deep breaths the whole way up the small flight of stairs from Dad’s office I ran upstairs into his bedroom and knelt by the bed, reaching under it and pulling out a locked long Titanium case. Using the key he gave me I unlocked the box shuddering when it clicked open on the black AK 47 my Dad had called Lila.