Of Wolves and Men Read Free Page B

back.
    “Holy crap.” Ralph recoiled. “That isn’t from a cougar or bear.”
    “No.” Hope inspected the tissue. “It’s from a knife.”
    As she dug into the entrails, Butch covered his mouth in reflex. Charlie wasn’t as queasy since he’d seen the horses with ugly injuries before. Butch hadn’t been on the ranch long enough to see what they could do to themselves when spooked or attacked.
    “Heart’s missing. Classic sign of a ritual killing.” Hope appeared grim.
    “No!” Butch stomped his foot. “Hell no! Not around here, not on our ranch!”
    “Calm down, buddy.” Charlie felt the same way but someone head to keep their head.
    She continued to poke and inspect the entrails. “The lungs are missing as well, but they don’t look cut out. Maybe a scavenger has eaten them. It’s not unusual for the internal organs of a dead animal to be eaten first.”
    Charlie noticed Butch about to explode. He moved closer to him. “We’ll figure it out. Okay?”
    “Yeah.” He spoke softly but he looked furious.
    Ralph asked, “Did you already report it to the sheriff’s office?”
    “Vernon is. But your findin’s verify our gut feelin’s.”
    “I’ll write up a report.” Hope took off her rubber gloves and mask. “Tomorrow I’ll do a more complete autopsy and send it right to the sheriff’s office.”
    “I appreciate that.” Charlie reached out his hand to her.
    “Meanwhile, keep vigilant. We want this to end before it begins.” Hope squeezed Charlie’s hand.
    “You and me both.” He elbowed Butch and they returned to the truck.
    Butch slammed the door after he got in.
    “Calm the hell down.”
    “Fuck you! If they do that to a horse, Charlie, I’ll—”
    “They ain’t goin’ to do it to a horse.” Charlie backed out of the driveway. “Let’s get some grub.
    I’m starvin’.”
    Butch kicked his boot into the flooring.
    Charlie had to remind himself the kid was only nineteen. “All right. You calm down.”
    “I can’t. I’m so pissed off.”
    “How ‘bout I buy you a beer?”
    “Naw. Just go back. I need to get out there tonight and look for who’s doing this.”
    Charlie had identical thoughts. They drove back to the ranch in silence.
    When he pulled up to the house, a patrol car was there. Charlie and Butch took off their hats as they entered the house, seeing Sheriff Dale Kenmore talking to Vernon. They stopped chatting when the men walked in. Vernon asked, “What did the doc say?”
    “The heart’s been cut out.” Charlie held his hat, tired, and anxious to get out and hunt down the culprits. “She’s going to do a proper check and will get you the report, Sheriff.”
    “We have never had this problem in these parts,” Sheriff Kenmore said, “I’m not happy about it. You hear about this bullshit happening, but not up here.”
    Butch shifted uneasily. “Boss.” He got Vernon’s attention. “I’m going to do some night watch up there.”
    “I am too, boss.” Charlie put his hat on.
    “You both need to eat,” Connie said, pointing to the kitchen. “Go on. Wash your hands up.”
    Butch headed to the kitchen, tossing his coat and hat on a chair. As he rinsed is hands at the sink, Charlie could hear the low murmur of conversation from the other room. “We’ll do shifts.”
    “All right.” Butch wiped his hands on a dish towel. He picked up a bowl and filled it with chili from the pot on the stove.
    “Two hours each with the four of us. That’ll cover the night.”
    “Good luck getting Goat up there.” Butch sat down with a chunk of corn bread and began eating.
    “He’ll go.” Charlie joined Butch at the table. “Just don’t start shooting at anything that moves.
    All right? It ain’t bear huntin’ season.”
    “I ain’t lookin for bears!”
    Charlie held up his hands to calm him. “Ya can’t kill people either. Just hold em, and call us.
    Okay?”
    “Yeah.”
    Charlie rubbed Butch’s shoulder to comfort him.
    Butch looked at him and gave