Chapter 1

Old man Buckner sat around his small campfire watching the flames dance over the wood. He poked a stick in to stir the embers as the bright orange pieces fluttered up in the sky. He leaned back against a log as the cool night seemed to pick up. His mule bayed and caught his attention. He lifted his pistol as the mule grew restless. He slowly stood to look into the darkness.

"Touch my things and I will kill ya on the spot!" He yelled out into the night.

He stood and waited as the mule stepped from side to side. He squinted to look again. He didn't see anything moving.

"Damnit Bobby. Ya damn old mule. Had me going there."

Old man Buckner went to sit back down when Bobby bayed again while breaking free from his rope. The mule disappeared into the darkness.

"Bobby!" Yelled Buckner as he rushed out in the direction the mule went.

He walked along holding his gun out front. He heard movement to his side and swung in that direction. Nothing. He heard movement on his other side and jumped around. Nothing. He could feel himself begin to shake.

"Who's there?"

He looked from side to side as the dark of the night seemed to engulf him. He felt breath on the back of his neck. His hand started shaking so bad that his gun clattered to the dirt. He slowly turned around. He looked up as drool dropped down onto his face. The last sound was Buckner's distressed scream as it pierced the peaceful night.

Teaspoon sat laughing as he watched Kid, Cody, Jimmy, and Noah gathered around the table in the bunkhouse in a heated competition to see who could eat the most apples. Noah pushed away rushing outside. Teaspoon laughed seeing the look on the boy's face as he rushed through the door. Cody smiled as he bit into another apple. Kid picked one up and bit it into it as well. He chewed but the more he chewed, Teaspoon noticed his expression change. He tossed the apple down and ran out the door as well trying to hold it in his mouth until he could get outside.

"And then there were two." Teaspoon smiled leaning forward.

"No competition." Smirked Cody as he happily chewed.

Jimmy lifted his head up off the table. He took a deep breath and picked up another apple. Cody smiled as he tossed his core into his bucket on the table. Jimmy forced himself to bite into it. He pushed it down and took a second bite when his stomach started to turn. Teaspoon noticed the sudden change. He grinned at Cody who was sitting smugly.

The door burst open as Buck ran inside.

"Teaspoon, a man found Buckner a few miles outside of town. Dead."

"Dead?"

"The man was rambling on, he seemed scared."

"Cody, Jimmy, we will have to finish this later. Tie for now."

"Teaspoon, I won. You know that he wasn't gonna get that last bite down." Cody frowned.

"Shut up, Cody. Come on." Jimmy grumbled though he knew he was on the verge of barfing.

"Well, it will have to wait another day."

Jimmy pushed away slowly from the table trying to keep some of his dignity as Cody pushed him along laughing. The group made their way over to where the man had found Buckner. Teaspoon covered his face with his bandanna as they pulled to a stop.

"God." Muttered Cody turning away.

"What the hell?" Jimmy asked as he got down.

"Must have been an animal." Muttered Teaspoon as he walked closer.

"An animal would have finished its meal." Said Buck kneeling down next to the old man. "Whatever did this seemed to only want one thing."

"What was that?" Cody asked scanning the hillside.

"The heart."

"What?" Jimmy asked looking around now as well.

"His heart is gone."

"You don't think it was a lion or bear? He has a lot of claw marks. Most of them could have killed him." Teaspoon said looking the body over.

"Maybe but why would it just take the heart. His legs are torn to shreds so he couldn't run. His stomach is sliced open, but all his insides are still in there."

"Buck, come on, you trying to scare the shit out of us?" Cody asked looking around. "Cause it's working."

"No, whatever did this, tore his heart out then left the rest."

"Could have gotten spooked." Said Teaspoon.

"Y'all come look at this." Jimmy called from across the way.

Buck and Teaspoon walked over to where he was pointing at a track in the soft dirt.

"What the fuck is that?" Jimmy asked staring.

"I don't know. Buck, you know what could have made this?" Teaspoon said looking.

"I have no idea." Buck said following the tracks until they disappeared on the hard ground. "It's big. Really big. Walking on two. Not a cat or a bear."

"What?" Cody asked moving closer still holding his rifle.

"I just don't know but it is out there. Somewhere." Buck answered as they all looked into the distance.