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Hunting Death
“So what do we know? When was the last time he was seen?” Sasha’s uncle Peter asked as they pulled out maps and spread them on the table. He was a tall man and even at sixty-three, he looked as if he could work all day. He had retired at fifty-nine because he could, not because he had to. Thick dark brown hair, tanned skin, when he was in the Marines the pictures of him looked like they should have been on a recruiting poster. He was the epitome of a man in uniform in the late 1960’s.
Gerald stuck his finger on the map. “He should have made it this far at the very least, but Tom said there was no sign that anyone has been there. After Daniel got there with the horses, he thinks he found his tracks but it was getting too dark to really follow them,” Gerald recounted.
On the map, Peter drew a line toward a saddle between the mountains from the spot Joseph was dropped off. “Let’s spread out a quarter mile until we get to the tracks Tom found. Then we’ll see if we can’t just find the little idiot.” No one asked the Vietnam vet on his methods. They just took him at his word. Peter never grudged Sasha that she inherited he entire ranch instead of him getting half. It had always been that the oldest child inherited it all, but family always had a place. In a hundred and fifty years, no one had been refused a place if the asking was sincere, at least until the mine closed and people with no reason to be on a ranch started asking for jobs. That’s why there were thirty cottages in the valley between housing family and those working for them they needed them.
“Sasha!” came a yell from the office porch.
“Stable 2,” she called back. Throwing the last of her things on the horse, she led White Shadow out into the brisk fall air. “What brings you up, Ethan?” She asked spotting him coming over.
“I don’t have anything else right now. Ike had a problem he’d asked about.”
Lucky man was all Sasha could think. “So that cattle ranch of your family’s, you use horses or ATV’s?”
Ethan grinned. “What kind of a question is that?”
Sasha couldn’t help but grin too. “Lost a hunter need another pair of eyes to help look if that other pair of eyes can actually ride.”
“Hell, Sash, my sister works for you. Who do you think taught her to ride?”
“Then go saddle up, you can come with me.” Sasha ordered. “Serves you right for showing up and telling me you don’t have anything to do. Ike’s got to keep this place going without anyone, no time for law right now.”
“What did I do to get stuck with the only woman?” Ethan joked. The minute no one was in sight, he pulled her close.
“Make sure you grab a rifle, too. Can’t say if he was attacked or just stupid.” Sasha got out before he kissed her.
“I had two reasons for coming up.”
