Chapter Six

"What the Hell? Who the fuck are you?" asked Ray, "You don't have the right to tell us shit, bitch!"

"You're trespassing on my land. That gives me the right! Now drop all your weapons and back away from them!"

"Bitch, I Don't..."

Another shot rang out, as Jimmy let one go into the ground.

"The lady said 'drop them'! Now do it!"

Slowly, Ray and Buddy put their rifles down, and made to step back.

"I said all of them! Your pistols and knives, too. Do it!" barked Linda.

The brothers looked at each other and divested themselves of all their remaining weapons. As he did, however, Ray was watching Linda.

"I know you from some place."

He stared even harder. Then in the back of his little brain he remembered her saying that this was her land. He knew this was the Mason Forest, but there weren't any...

"You're little Linda Mason. Wow, you sure got old."

Linda was the one surprised, now. She studied the face to compare it in her mind with the ones from her youth. It only took a moment and was disgusted all over again.

Buddy and Ray were a few years younger than Linda but what pissed her off was they came from a family that prided themselves on getting away with poaching.

"Sure, I see it, now. The poor little girl that had her daddy all blowed up. Then her momma done kicked the bucket, too."

"I think it would be very wise, if you shut the fuck up," Linda said venomously. "Jimmy, cover them, while I check the pup."

Jimmy could do little else but hope the lady knew what she was doing.

Linda didn't even think twice and just walked up to the young wolf.

"Well, little brother, let's get you out of this mess," Linda said.

The wolf acted as all wolves do. He growled and bared his teeth, though he knew the human female was not there to do him any harm.

"Manners, pup. The others would not like it," Linda said as she stared the wolf down. It was a move to show who was the dominant.

The wolf knew the female was stronger, and slowly sat down to let her get the annoying thing off his paw.

"That's better," Linda said.

She reached the young wolf and knelt down. It only took a moment and the snare was off the wolf, and out of the ground.

"There, now. You can tell the others I'll make the rounds, again, as I did before. I'll keep the traps out of the woods," Linda said then petted the wolf on the head, "Get going, now."

Linda stood as the wolf took off and she turned to the men.

"Now, you are going to get the hell off my land! If I ever catch you here again, I'll make sure you never leave! Do I make myself clear?"

The brothers had never heard of what they had just seen. The woman before them just walked up to a completely wild wolf, talked to it, and even petted it. It left them both stunned.

"HEY! DUMB ASSES! Did you hear me? I told you to git!"

"Sure, ok," both said at the same time, then moved to take up their weapons.

"Don't even think about it. I'm not stupid enough to give those things back to you. You can get them back from the Sheriff."

"You can't do that!" yelled Buddy.

"Yes, I can. Hell, I can keep them! I caught you poaching. But if I were you, I would think very hard about if THEY will let you even touch those things."

Linda finished and waved her hand around the area. At that moment, ten wolves stepped into the clearing, growling with their teeth bared.

Jimmy about shit, as a big wolf came up on his left side. The wolf looked at Jimmy. Jimmy did the only thing he could think of. He did a little bow then turned back to the men and the lady.

"You have angered the pack. They have put up with you long enough. Go to your truck and leave. Don't come back or THEY will kill you if I don't.

"Go any other way or in any other direction and they will kill you. NOW, GO!"

The last was said so loud it was like a thunderclap.

Buddy and Ray turned tail and ran.

Linda looked around at the wolves.