The same instincts that had kept me alive in places most people couldn't imagine.
And right now?
They were telling me one thing.
Gerald was close.
Very close.
And somewhere beyond the pasture...
A pair of binoculars lowered.
A man smiled.
Because he thought he was the hunter.
He had no idea the Ranger had already picked up his scent.
22
BEAST
Something wasn't right.
I felt it.
The same way I'd felt ambushes.
The same way I'd felt danger.
The same way I'd stayed alive when other men hadn't.
The ranch looked peaceful.
The mountains looked peaceful.
Everything looked normal.
That was the problem.
Danger rarely announced itself.
It waited.
Watched.
Picked its moment.
Just like Gerald.
The sun disappeared behind the mountains.
Darkness settled over the ranch.
Lights glowed from the house.
The barn.
