Page 26 of Easy, Tiger

Standing, I feel lighter despite the difficult decision ahead. "Thanks, Dad."

"Anytime. And Nolan?"

"Yeah?"

"She saved your life. That means something, bond or no bond. Don't forget that when things get difficult."

The walk back through the forest feels different now. The bond continuously pulls at me, whispering demands I refuse to follow. But underneath the supernatural compulsion, something subtler and stronger takes root.

I'll earn Halsey's trust. I'll prove myself worthy of her choice. And when the time comes to tell her everything, I'll do it so that it honors both her courage and her freedom.

The bond can wait.

The walk home takes longer than it should, my feet finding the familiar path on their own while my mind stays back at Dad's kitchen table. By the time the lights of my own place come into view through the trees, some of the weight in my chest has eased. Already thinking about sleep, I climb the porch steps when my phone buzzes.

"What've you got?"

"Fresh rifle casings up near Hawk's Ridge. Still warm when I found them." Anxiety edges every word Owen says. "Three shots, high-powered scope setup. Definitely professional grade."

The calm from Dad's wisdom evaporates instantly. "Any blood?"

"Negative. Everyone's checked in; no one from the enclave is missing or hurt. But there are drag marks in the dirt, like something heavy got hauled away fast. Could be a cougar took down a deer nearby, and we're jumping at nothing, but I want eyes on it before we assume that."

Unlocking my door, I enter. My mind is already calculating distances and routes. Hawk's Ridge sits fifteen miles deeper into the mountains, right along one of our primary migration corridors. "How fresh are we talking?"

"Hour, maybe two. I'm tracking the drag marks now, but they lead toward the old logging roads."

"Don't follow them alone. This bastard's already put one bullet in me. I won't have him getting lucky with you too."

"Wasn't planning on it. But Nolan, there's something else."

I pause while grabbing my gear from the closet. "Spit it out."

"The angle of the shots. They weren't aimed at the ground or tree level." The sudden void on the line stretches long enough to make my stomach clench. "They were shooting up. High up."

"Meaning what?"

"Our shooter's getting bolder or desperate. Either way, he's not only hunting stragglers anymore."

Automatically checking the Kevlar panels, I retrieve my tactical vest from the shelf. The hunter escalating his methods means the entire enclave faces increased danger. But it also means Halsey, living alone in that cabin on the edge of our territory, has moved from potential witness to possible target.

"I'm coming up."

"Figured you would. Meet me at the ranger station in thirty?"

"Make it twenty." I'm already stripping off my flannel for black thermal layers, ones that won't catch moonlight. "And Owen? Call in some backup. If this guy's shifting tactics, we need more eyes on the perimeter."

"Already done. I have one covering the south approach, and another has the eastern trails."

"Good." Strapping on my shoulder holster, the weight of the Glock feels familiar and reassuring. "What about the northern boundary?"

"That's where you come in."

The northern boundary, the section closest to Halsey's cabin. My muscles tighten as I realize Owen's already figured out my primary concern.

"She's not part of this."

"I know. But she's also not stupid, and she spends more time in those woods than most locals. If the hunter's moving closer to town, she needs to know to be careful without knowing why."