Hunting A Killer

“Did you see how close that bull was to getting us?” Steve asked.

“Oh man did I” exclaimed Jeff. “I didn’t think that big boy could run that fast.”

Steve, Keith and Jeff were cousins and they did everything together. They were all good at baseball and basketball. They hunted together too, animals and girls. The school year was a long one this year. There had been some trouble in town this year and all the kids had to go directly home after school.

All the sports programs were put on hold until further notice. You see, there was a killer in the area and the police couldn’t find them. So far there were five people killed bit they were way over in Paulding County. The State Police and the Sheriff’s office had every man on the lookout for anybody that looked out of place or anybody that was out travelling when everybody was supposed to be inside.

Steve and Keith, well they were brothers, decided they would get Jeff and the three of them could go try to find this guy. They knew where all the best places to hide were. They could go into places the cops would have to get a warrant for. Steve called Jeff and told him to meet them down at the Knotty Pine. That was the local bar in town. There was a good place behind it to hide the truck.

Jeff got there and Keith and Steve were waiting. They decided to head out north of town and check the river. There were a lot of old abandoned places along the river to hide out. They checked all of them and no luck.

Jeff said, “Maybe we should head over to Cloverdale. There are some old places over there that a guy could hide out in.”

They turned down 634 and headed over to Cloverdale. When they got there town looked like it was a ghost town. The boys decided to go see Al and Lucinda, they were relatives and always around the house. Of course you had to eat something so Lucinda got out some meat and bread and the boys ate and talked a while. Al asked the boys, “Why are y’all out and about? Ain't everybody supposed to stay home because of the killer on the loose?”

Steve said, “Yeah, but we are going to find ‘em for the cops. We figure they got to be hiding out along the river somewhere so the dogs can’t track them.”

Al chuckled and said, “Well you boys be careful out there. It’s getting dark.”

Lucinda said, “You know Mary Joe over to Mandale said she heard of some stranger over there.”

The boys thanked Lucinda for the food and told her they’d be back on Saturday to get the yard cleaned up. They loaded up in the Keith’s truck and headed to Mandale. Jeff turned on the radio just as a news story came on that said there is a strange man lurking around just south of Mandale. The police are surrounding the area. The boys knew they were in trouble now. They just knew they were gonna get caught and their dads were gonna be furious.

Steve said, “I got a friend that lives over this way, we could hide the truck in his barn until it cools off out there.”

“Okay” Keith said, “Let’s head over there right away. We can’t get caught out here.”

Keith got them there as fast as he could. It was starting to get dark. He pulled the truck into the barn and they sat there quietly for a few minutes.

Steve said, “I will go to the house and see if they are home.”

A few minutes went by and Jeff asked jokingly, “I wander if the killer got him?”

Then Keith sees Steve darting across the yard. He jumps in the truck and says, “They’re all dead. He got all of them.”

They decided they better hide. If they leave in the truck the cops are sure to tell their dads where they were. They went out the back of the barn and into the pasture. They got out there about 50 yards and knelt down to listen.

Steve says, “Do you guys hear anything.”

Jeff says, “Just you’re heavy breathing. I can’t hear anything over that.”

Steve says, “What are you talking about? I ain’t breathing heavy.”

Keith whispers, “Guys, don’t move. I think the bull is out here. That’s the breathing you hear.”

Steve says, “They got rid of that bull last year after it broke through the fence and busted up Bub Selhorst’s car.”

Jeff slowly turns and is nose to nose with that bull. He gulps and says, “I don’t know about you two, but I am making a run for it.”

Steve starts counting down, “Three, Two, One.” They all take off running for the road. They know if they get to that fence the bull can’t get through it. Just as they jump it, the bull grunts and tries to jump it. It is just high enough he can’t make it. Jeff says, “Where’s Keith?”

Keith comes in hot and tumbles over the fence right as the bull turns to see him.

“Did you see how close that bull was to getting us?” Steve asked.

“Oh man, did I” exclaimed Jeff. “I didn’t think that big boy could run that fast.”

“How are we going to get the truck and get back home now?” Keith asked “It’s a long ways around the property to get back there, it’s dark and we are standing in the river.”