Secret Lives

Chapter 4, Predator or Prey

Chapter 4

Jumping out of the Jeep, Chris had tied his usual bandana around my neck followed by the bulky collar he still insisted I wear.

Standing as I waited for the team to be ready, three men jumped out with me including Chris, Kyle and some other guy I didn’t know.

The ride here had me confused; it seemed we were not that far from the compound for the start of our search. 

Ever since having our brief, I had felt unsettled about this job, like it was one I should have sat out if I had a choice.

The brief howls I had heard still whirled around in my head making me wonder if those sounds had something to do with what we were about to find.

Hearing Chris cock his gun, my attention flicked back to the men that all seemed to set up quick enough as the Jeep was shut and left for our return.

I noticed as the new guy seemed to follow Chris and Kyle, making me think that he was one of the extra hunters we had called in for help.

Hearing Chris make his usual low whistle as a signal to move forward, I stooped low, my nose searching the foliage for any scent even close to that of a wolf.

The long blades of grass brushed against my nose, as the smells seemed to all mush together like they belonged.

I could hear the three men behind me, their walks quiet and controlled as they tried to minimise the noise humans just naturally made being of such an awkward frame for stalking prey.

The slight clicking of their guns as the cold metal rubbed against their clothes was enough to distract me whilst I searched for some sign of the pack we were supposed to be hunting.

Our job was to find the border of the wolves’ territory and report back to base.  There was supposed to be no resistance as the men that trailed behind me followed my lead further into the thickening scrub.

Taking another breath in, it was in that moment that I realised I had found something but my gut and nose were telling me two different things.

Stopping abruptly and lifting my head, there was a single scent; the smell reminding me of the wolves that lived in these forests and confirming that there was a pack nearby but my gut was saying otherwise.

Something inside was telling me to stop and go back the way I came, like this hunt would be different from the others.

Hearing Chris trying to encourage me to continue behind was strange, normally if I stopped he would wait but this time he was keen to get in and out as fast as he could.

Dropping my head as my nose inhaled the musky scent, my body soon followed behind as I walked deeper into the trees as the scrub thickened further to hide where we had come from

Travelling the few metres forward as my ears registered the guys beginning to keep pace with me once more, I stiffened as twigs snapped not too far from our position, my body now crouching low and waiting for the wolf I now knew was here to appear.

Chris didn’t dare say anything, his experience telling him that speaking in situations like these gave away your position even if the wolves were a fair distance away.

Curling my lip back ready to fight, the seconds passed of silence, my feet now taking me further forward until I saw who I’d been looking for.

Seeing the dark fur of the wolf crouching behind his own set of bushes, I darted forward expecting the fight to begin the moment he saw me coming.

My loud barking was enough to give off the smell of fear, the wolf no longer crouching as he took small steps away, egging me on.

Locking in on my target, I hopped over the small fallen log in front of me, now sensing the wolf had realised I was after him as he turned and darted further away.