Dedication:
Sassy Lil Scorpio- I got the inspiration from our chats and had to dedicate this to you. You gave me ideas, listened to mine and encouraged me to write this. Minors are the best! Thanks so much.
Prologue:
Murder in the Bush
The hot African sun shone down onto a group of people in the light brown grass of the savannah. A large carcass lay in the midst of them as the group slowly walked around, examining every inch of the area.
One man in particular scanned the nearby grass, his eyes searching for any clues that may be of use in the investigation.
"Charlie, over here" the man called. He was clothed in khaki shorts, heavy boots, a tan hat, and a button-up shirt with the top two buttons left open. A gun was strapped across his shoulder.
Charlie, one of the men leaning over the dead animal, turned in the direction of the voice and asked, "you find anything?"
"Yes," was the reply. "I did find something. Take a look at this."
Walking over, Charlie saw something in the man's hand. It was a bullet. "Well well, what have we here Muldoon?"
"Looks like this was left behind." Muldoon handed the bullet to Charlie who recognized it and knew instantly what type of gun they were dealing with.
"A double-barreled .600 Nitro Express." He spoke the name of that particular gun in a whisper, obviously impressed. This bullet belongs to a gun of many a hunting story…must be a beaut. Those things are worth tens of thousands nowadays. The bullet's quite large. Whoever left this was pretty careless." .
"I wouldn't say so. Judging by the looks of this, he's no beginner. I'd say this bullet was purposely left behind."
"You mean like a calling card?" Charlie looked surprised as he examined the object in his hands. "Why? This guy looking to get caught?"
"No" Muldoon stated flatly. His face became serious, almost angry, as he talked. "It's his way of showing off. He believes we'll never get him."
"Pretty cocky if you ask me." Charlie laughed, throwing the bullet in the air and catching if in the opposite hand. "We'll get 'im though."
"Robert" called another from the group near the body just as Muldoon was about to reply to Charlie's remark. "Come over here. We have to do something."
Muldoon and Charlie carefully stepped over to the dead animal. It was an elephant, killed the night before. A bloody hole, just beyond the ear, was visible as the body lay on its side on the dry, dusty earth. The thick, gray skin covering his head was spattered with blood. The pink mouth was now dry, and his soft eyes were lifeless. The elephant was a male, a bull, and the beautiful white tusks that once arched gracefully from the mouth were now missing, sawed off clearly, leaving only stumps behind.
"Whoever did this sure knew what he was doing." The man speaking was walking slowly around to the head, explaining the kill to anyone who was listening. He was the same man who called Muldoon. Looking truly disgusted by the sight before him, the man slowly shook his head. "That shot was perfect, right to the brain. Poor thing didn't know what hit him."
There had been many stories of hunter's shooting elephants only to have them rise again for an attack. The aim had not been true, unfortunately for the hunter. This did not take place here; that was certain. From the looks of the surrounding area, the poacher was very close to the animal. The gun in question only had a range of about forty yards or less, not a safe range for killing an elephant. The culprit was a professional; able to come dangerously close to his victims in order to bring them down and succeed.
"What are we going to do about this?" Charlie asked, turning to Muldoon for answers. "It needs to be reported soon, and whoever did this has to be found."
"Easier said than done," Muldoon replied. He took the bullet away from Charlie and held it up in the sunlight. His eyes narrowed, showing anger, determination, and frustration. "He's probably miles away by now."
"You got an idea who it is Robert?" Charlie asked.
"I do Charlie. I know exactly who it is. Do you remember that gun you mentioned? The one that this bullet belongs to?"
"Yeah, the elephant gun."
"That's right. The double-barreled .600 Nitro Express is legendary in the world of hunting. There's only one man I know that still owns one…and uses it."
That particular gun was the most powerful elephant gun around years ago, until more high powered weaponry was made available. 'Nitro Express' refers to nonsmoking cartridges that replaced the black powdered ones, leading to a better shot as the bullet was also broadened. The bullets were four inches long, three-quarters of an inch in diameter, and able to penetrate an elephant's thick skull. The weapon was a favorite now among the rich although not at all suitable for an inexperienced hunter.
Muldoon looked at the wound on the animal before him. "It's him alright."