Hunter Read Free Page A

acknowledgement and answered the call. Going on autopilot, I barely had
to listen to the caller to know how to respond. Dull.
           Instead, I
concentrated on the most recent participant of my game, who was waiting in my
shed in the woods. He would be fun. The young usually were for a time. They
would go into the game with the firm belief that they were too young to die,
and in the end I would make them beg to die before I finally went in for the
kill shot. The biggest thrill was watching the moment when the hope for life
faded from their eyes, and the shock that entered them in the brief moment when
I fired. Or slit their throat. Either method excited me.
           What could be
better?
           What could I find
that would last longer? There had to be some way to make the thrill continue
beyond the game. Some challenge that would stave away boredom for an extended
amount of time. If there was, I had yet to find it. And I’d been looking.
           This job was only
temporary. I had in mind to try my hand at police work, so I’d been taking the
necessary steps to get on the force. I had only a few tests left to pass before
I would be eligible, and those were simple. The psych tests were easy to fake,
and the detective’s exam was cake. I’d seen a copy of it and would have no
trouble passing. Then I would be able to see if the challenge of solving crimes
while still living a life of crime would be enough to keep my interest.
           Speaking of
keeping interest, I got out my phone and texted Sharon. Meet 2nite, nrml plc .
She texted the affirmative while the complexities of holding two relationships
made me shiver a little. My wife was home, but she would be clueless. Always
had been. I supposed I loved her, since I never left to avoid boredom, but she
wasn’t enough to hold my interest full time.
           I entertained the
thought that she might be a fun addition to my hunting trips, but realized she
would be one who would practically lie down and die. Boring. Nothing
entertaining about killing a beast that wouldn’t fight back. Maybe Sharon and I
would meet at my house tomorrow. My wife would be working, and it was always
more fun knowing I was in our bed with another woman.
           Sharon wouldn’t
argue. I could hold some of her other affairs over her head if she did. She
could be fired for sleeping with the husband of one of our managers. Or for
meeting some of her affairs on company property. Whatever I had to do to make
her do what I wanted.
                The
phone kept ringing, and in the sheer monotony of the day, I decided: the hunt
would be this weekend.

FOUR
    Jason

 
 
                As
I expected, there was not much to be found along the missing boy’s route. But
there were several paths into wooded areas that would have made it a prime area
for a predator to lay in wait. I knelt along the trails to feel for any
remaining echoes, but the results weren’t promising. The most recent prints had
mostly overpowered the fainter vibrations left over from when the boy was
taken, and if he was taken in a car, none of the prints would be useful.
                The
mother was waiting on the sidewalk for me to rejoin her after my short
excursion onto one of the trails. “Anything?” she asked anxiously.
                “Not
yet, but it is definitely possible that he was taken through one of the paths
to a hunting lodge or cabin, but there are several around. It could take some
time. How about you head home; I’ll start looking and contact the police to see
what they are able to share with me. I’ll keep you informed.”
                She
took a step back, nodding quickly. “Okay. Did I give you my number?” Her
shaking hands reached into her purse for a pen, which she used to write her
number onto the small pad of paper I carried with me. “Here’s the down
payment,” she said, handing me an envelope of cash. Not