Wild Men of Alaska 04 - Wild Men of Alaska - Four Book Bundle

taking him down to the forest floor, and getting Big Bart’s attention off Chad and onto them. They struggled, Lynx getting in a few lucky jabs, to repay him for the sucker punches of earlier, grabbing his weapon back in the tussle. He was too close to Pete to do any real damage, and vice versa. It was more of a wrestling match that Pete started to lose.
    “Shoot the fucker!” Pete yelled, grunting as Lynx got an arm around his neck.
    Lynx rolled him just as there was the repeat of the rifle going off. Pete’s body jerked, and then went still.
    Lynx whipped his gun around, and Big Bart froze.
    “Put the gun down,” Lynx said in a deadly voice.
    “Oh, thank you, God.” Chad raised his face into the heavens, his hands together while he prayed.
    “Pete, man, talk to me,” Big Bart pleaded.
    “I said put down the gun,” Lynx hollered, standing and inching toward Big Bart.
    Big Bart blinked at Lynx. “I shot him.”
    “Yeah, you did. And I’m going to shoot you if you don’t lay down your goddamn weapon.” The resolve in Lynx’s voice must have gotten through that thick skull of his, because he slowly lowered his rifle to the ground.
    Lynx didn’t take his eyes off him as with one hand holding the Glock, he searched Big Bart’s pockets and located his zip ties. He secured his weapon in its holster, grabbed both of Big Bart’s arms and wrenched them behind his back.
    “Shit, man, you’re killing me.” Big Bart groaned in pain.
    “Uh, Lynx,” Chad said.
    “Shut up, Chad. And don’t you dare move. I’m so fucking mad at you.”
    “But, man—”
    “Shut the hell up.” Lynx finished restraining Big Bart with the zip tie, and searched him for weapons. He shoved him down to his knees. “Don’t even blink.”
    Then he turned to Chad, his eyes scanning the area. “Where the hell did Pete go?”
    “That’s what I was trying to tell you,” Chad said. “He crawled off that way.” Chad pointed north.
    Shit.
    “Hands behind you, Chad.”
    “Me? What did I do?”
    “Brought these poachers onto my Refuge, and I suspect you were responsible for the other kills I’ve found in the last few weeks.”
    “Oh, man. Come on, don’t arrest me. Think of my mother.”
    “I’m sure she could use the break from your constant screw-ups.” Lynx restrained Chad the same as he had Big Bart. Searching for weapons and finding him clean, Lynx grabbed his elbow and helped him to his feet. “You really are a dumbass.”
    “I know. I promise to change. Can’t you just let it go?”
    Lynx looked him in the eye until Chad glanced down at his feet. “Uh, guess not,” Chad said.
    “You cooperate and I’ll tell the judge. That’s the best I can do. ”
    Chad had enough smarts to give up on the matter.
    He turned to Big Bart and yanked him to his feet. “Now, listen up. We are going to hike out of here. You two don’t want to give me any more trouble, because I’m really pissed off.” He read them their rights as he picked up Big Bart’s rifle and had both guns trained on them, marching them out of the forest, keeping an eye out for wounded Pete.
    “Pete’s gonna get you,” Big Bart said. “You’re a dead man.”
    Lynx nudged him to move faster as he opened up all his senses, scanning for anything that would warn him of Pete’s whereabouts. He should have made sure Pete was restrained rather than thinking he was dead. He knew better than to assume anything in his job. Assumptions got you killed.
    Strung tight, he hiked his prisoners to the place he’d parked his truck.
    Ah, shit.
    His truck was gone. Pete had taken his keys when he’d gone through his pockets.
    “Climb in the back,” Lynx said to the two, lowering the tailgate of the truck he’d disabled. Next time he’d disable his own, too, in order to safeguard against this happening again.
    “I’m not riding back there with that,” Big Bart said, gesturing with his head to the severed moose they’d already poached.
    Lynx prodded him with the end of the rifle. “Move.”
    Cussing, Big Bart rolled into the bed of the truck, trying to stay clear of the blood and flies already gathering on the rotting, exposed flesh.
    “Chad.”
    “Seriously, dude.”
    “Seriously. Get up there.”
    There wasn’t a lot of room with the huge pointy rack of the bull moose.
    “Backs together,” Lynx instructed, looking around the clearing just in case Pete laid in wait after moving his truck. There was nothing but silence. Even the forest creatures