Chapter 122
Raven
The scent of pine and damp earth filled my lungs with each breath. Sunlight filtered through the canopy in golden shafts, highlighting the dust motes dancing in the air. Behind me, Miles and Leo struggled through the underbrush, their expensive hiking gear doing absolutely nothing to hide their inexperience.
"How much farther?" Leo wheezed.
"Until we find the bear," I said without turning around.
I'd been tracking the creature for the past twenty minutes through subtle signs—claw marks on tree trunks at precisely seven feet high, crushed vegetation following a deliberate path, and the faint musk that clung to certain bushes. The trail was old, maybe two hours, which meant we had plenty of distance to cover.
Not that I was in any hurry.
God, when was the last time I did this just for fun?
The memory surfaced unbidden—Siberia, three years ago. My handler had sent me to eliminate a Russian oligarch hiding in a remote hunting lodge. I'd arrived two days early, spent the time tracking a massive brown bear through the taiga just to see if I could. No weapons except a knife, same as now. The oligarch had been almost anticlimactic after that.
That bear had been over nine hundred pounds. This black bear? Probably six hundred max. Should be interesting.
"Wait!" Miles's voice cracked with excitement. "Master, look!"
I stopped, turning to see him crouched over something on the ground, phone already out to document his "discovery." Leo crowded beside him, equally thrilled.
"Fresh bear scat!" Miles announced triumphantly. "I learned this from Bear Grylls. The temperature, the consistency—this is definitely recent."
"Holy shit," Leo breathed, impressed. "You're like a real woodsman."
I walked back, glanced down at the dark, irregular mass Miles was photographing, then met his eager eyes with complete disinterest.
"That's moss," I said flatly.
Miles blinked. "What?"
"Decomposing moss, to be specific. Mixed with what's probably deer pellets." I nudged the clump with my boot. "Bear scat is fibrous, usually contains berry seeds or insect fragments depending on the season. This is herbivore waste that's been sitting here for at least a week, covered by fallen moss. Also—" I pointed to the surrounding area "—no territorial markings, no claw marks on nearby trees, and the scent is completely wrong."
Miles's face fell. Leo snorted.
"Man, Bear Grylls lied to you."
"Bear Grylls drinks his own piss for ratings," I said, already moving forward. "Not exactly the gold standard for wilderness survival."
Ten minutes later, Miles suddenly veered left, nose in the air like a bloodhound.
"The wind shifted," he announced with authority. "We need to adjust our approach vector."
I watched him march confidently in completely the wrong direction, then sighed.
"Miles."
"Yes, Master?"
"You're walking downwind."
He froze mid-step. "I'm what?"
"Downwind. Meaning you're putting yourself directly in the path where your scent will travel toward the bear." I grabbed his shoulder, steering him back. "Congratulations, you just volunteered us to be the prey instead of the hunters."
"Oh." His face went pale. "That's... bad?"
"Well, now if there's a bear nearby, it'll smell us before we—"
ROOOAAARRR.
The sound exploded through the forest, close enough to rattle in my chest. Birds scattered from the canopy in a panicked cloud.
"FUCK!" Leo's voice went up an octave. "It knows we're here!"
Miles grabbed my arm. "Master, what do we—"
I held up a hand, silencing them both while I listened. The roar had come from the northeast, maybe a quarter mile away. Aggressive, territorial. Probably male.
Perfect.
A slow smile spread across my face.
"Raven?" Leo's voice trembled. "Why are you smiling like that?"
"Because this just got interesting." I pointed to a small clearing ahead. "You two, stand there."
They stared at me.
"What?" Miles squeaked.
"There. The open area. Go stand in it."
They exchanged terrified looks but obeyed, shuffling into the clearing like condemned men. Leo kept glancing around frantically while Miles tried and failed to maintain some dignity.
"Master," Miles said carefully, "why exactly are we standing in the most exposed spot in the entire forest?"
Leo's eyes widened with sudden understanding, but instead of panic, a confident smile spread across his face. "Oh, I get it. We're bait. Classic ambush tactics." He nodded approvingly. "We draw the bear out, it charges us, and Raven intercepts from the side. Takes it down mid-charge before it reaches us. Smart."
Miles relaxed slightly. "Oh. That actually makes sense. Master's got our backs."
"No," I said casually, still examining my knife. "I won't be intercepting mid-charge."
Both their heads whipped toward me.
"What?" Leo's confidence evaporated.
"I said I won't intercept the bear while it's charging at you." I gestured at the clearing. "You'll stand there. Bear charges. You don't move—seriously, don't run, that just triggers its chase instinct. Let it pass through your position."
"THROUGH?!" Miles's voice cracked. "As in... past us? While we're standing there?!"
"Exactly." I pointed to spots on either side of where they were standing. "I'll be positioned back there. Bear runs between you two, committed to the charge, can't change direction. That's when I strike from behind. Perfect angle for the kill."
"That's..." Leo swallowed hard. "That's a terrible plan."
"It's a great plan. Textbook rear ambush."
"FOR YOU!" Miles gestured frantically. "What about us?! We're just supposed to stand there while a bear RUNS AT US?!"
"Well, you could duck at the last second if it makes you feel better," I offered. "But really, if you don't move, the bear will go straight past you. They don't stop mid-charge for stationary targets unless they're really hungry."
"UNLESS THEY'RE REALLY HUNGRY?!"
"How hungry do you think this bear is?" Leo asked desperately.
I tilted my head, considering. "Well, it's late afternoon. Probably had some berries for lunch. Should be fine."
"SHOULD BE?!"
"Look, do you want to learn proper hunting techniques or not?" I stepped back toward the tree line. "This is how you take down large predators with minimal risk."
"MINIMAL RISK?!" Miles looked like he might hyperventilate. "We're the ones standing in the BEAR HIGHWAY!"
"Exactly. You're learning already." I smiled. "Now stop moving around so much. You'll confuse the bear's targeting."
"Oh my God," Leo whispered. "She's really going to do this."
"Master, please—" Miles started.
"Shh." I held up a finger. "I think I hear something."