Page 79 of Huntress Unleashed

“Hey, man, we heard what had happened to you,” George Bridges said. “Sorry that we didn’t come by sooner. But when we heard about Jacqueline Anderson being terminated by human hunters, we wanted to make sure that you know that we have your back. If anyone comes for you, let me know and we’ll be over here in a heartbeat.”

“Thanks, George. I sure am glad to have you as a neighbor and hunter friend.”

“Well, one other thing. I heard you were seeing Jacqueline. She was a great huntress. I’m so sorry to hear it. We also have gotten together to do a neighborhood watch, something we’ve never done before. After humans broke into your place to steal, and then with what happened to Jacqueline, we figured it was time. We assume you’ll be watching out for anyone who doesn’t belong in our neighborhood too.”

“You know that the police believe it is a conspiracy of a few hunters who paid human hunters to kill her, don’t you?”

“Hell, no. They didn’t mention it on the news. Is it a working theory? Or do they have something to back up the notion?” George asked.

“I don’t know. I’ve heard through the grapevine that they were hunters.” Even though Dane liked George and whenever he and his family had a barbecue, he was invited, Dane didn’t know who all of Georger’s friends were. What if he was friends with the ones who were wanted for questioning? Then if Dane told him what he knew, it could get right back to the rogue hunters.

“Well, just know that we don’t feel that way,” George said.

“Thanks, that means a lot to me.”

“You’re welcome. Talk to you later, bro.”

“Talk later.”

Then George left and Dane shut the door.

Jacqueline came out of the kitchen. “Do you trust George?”

“He and his wife are nice people, but I really don’t know how they feel deep down about hunters who have been turned. They’ve been busy, I’m sure, but they haven’t once come over and told me that they’re sorry for what had happened to me. Maybe they didn’t know how to approach me about it because they were worried about how I was feeling. I suspect that they finally figured they had to talk to me, considering what had happened with this business with the hunters putting a hit out on you. And I could be next. But I still don’t know if he’s a friend of the hunters we need to have taken into custody,” Dane said.

“That’s what I was thinking. Right now, all I trust are your family and mine, and the Bremertons, and the two ladies in the therapy session. I heard your neighbor say that they were starting a neighborhood watch,” Jacqueline said.

“Yeah, who would have ever thought they would do something like that. Being a community of hunters, we’ve never really worried about break-ins, or anything,” Dane said.

Then there was another knock at the door.

Jacqueline kissed him. “I’m ready, if you have any more trouble.”

“Okay. I’ve never had visitors like this unless they’re family or friends that I know are coming here.” Dane checked the peephole. “It’s five more people that live in our neighborhood—all hunters.”

“As long as they’re good guys and not wanting your head.”

“Yeah, agreed.”

Then she vanished.

He answered the door. “Hey, I guess you heard the news.”

“Can we come in?” Dillion Johnson asked.

“Yeah, sure.” Dane hoped he wasn’t making a mistake by letting them in.

They all came inside, and he offered them sodas.

“We’re good,” Dillion said, and they took seats in the living room. “Your next-door neighbor, George, called us about the earlier break-in at your house, which of course concerns us as a whole. But this business with Jacqueline is horrifying. George said human hunters were involved in her death but that there’s a possibility that our kind might have been behind it.”

“Yeah, we’re sure of it,” Dane said.

“Damn,” Dillion said. “Does anyone have any idea who they might be?”

“The League of Hunters might,” Dane said. “And if so, they’ll have warrants out for them.”

“That’s good, but I would sure like to know who they are, and I’ll help take them down,” Dillion said.